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Credibility check; I don't know where you got this from, but as far as I know there's no such thing as a private beach in Hawai'i - all beaches there are public property, and have free public access, by law. They're kinda proud of that. Mike

I'm pretty damn certain it's a crime in every jurisdiction to obstruct or interfere with an LEO in the performance of their duty. I don't know the law in NY, or CT, but I think it likely that it's also a crime to obstruct or interfere with firefighters performing their duty. If it isn't it damn well should be! How does the law stand with respect to EMS? Mike

It's either genius or madness, and I'm not entirely sure which at present. I sure as hell want to know the final story with that trooper thing tho... McCain *must* be sure that's squared-away, otherwise he wouldn't have picked...?? This is interesting: Alaskan blog comments Mike

I'm in. Mike

The only station I've seen with a brass pole was... damn, can't remember if it was Pelham or Pelham Manor. Hadn't been used for years, but it was still there. Mike

I think ALS and BFD make great points. A National (or International) Firefighters Day? I don't need it, I don't want it - paid or unpaid, we are (or should strive to be) all professionals, just doing our jobs - but I wouldn't be actively opposed to it. But having it on Sept. 11th? That's just bad and wrong, and shows great disrespect (IMHO) to all the other professionals (and indeed civilians) who made the ultimate sacrifice whilst helping others on that day. Mike

Ahhhhhhh. That explains a lot. It looked far smarter than any training facility I've been in! As for an FDNY rescue cap... familiarity breeds contempt? It's caught out better men than you or me... (and to make a point I learned a long time ago outside the fire service, being a God-level instructor (in any subject) who can do it with both eyes closed, means you have to be MORE careful, not less - not because YOU don't know how to do the drill, but because you can never be sure when a student is going to do something seriously dumb and dangerous...) Mike

I don't know where to start. Why do you say 'training'? It looks as though it was taken in an office building, so presumably they're on a job. In which case Mr. Red Shirt is presumably a civilian; I find it hard to believe he's a firefighter. So why the **** is he being allowed to grab the saw? Then we can discuss WHERE he is grabbing the saw, and lack of appropriate PPE, and ... Mike

Wow. And what happens when a big job comes in at the other end of the district, with all eight companies warming their toes at a frelling brush fire? Sometimes it makes sense to keep some of your toys in the toybox; you want to be able to find them in case they're needed later... Mike

FYI, here's a typical British setup in use: Mike

No fire, but hazmat incident? What then? I would have phrased it 'life/health safety hazard? FD controls scene...' Mike

Well now you can point them at the CFR and get on with it - as I said, that document cuts both ways. It *requires* safety vests. OR it *requires* road closure if there are members working without safety vests, for whatever reason. A trooper who allows traffic through while members are working without safety vests would be breaching federal regs. and they need to be aware of that. Mike

Hah. Well, the regulation is quite clear: "All workers within the right-of-way of a Federal-aid highway who are exposed either to traffic (vehicles using the highway for purposes of travel) or to construction equipment within the work area shall wear high-visibility safety apparel." (also from https://www.rkb.us/contentdetail.cfm?content_id=200647 ) So the answer is simple and obvious: any time we have to perform a task where it's inappropriate to wear a vest (such as knocking down a car fire), we HAVE to close the highway, in order that we're not 'exposed... to traffic'. When the packs come off and the vests can go on, then we can open up to traffic, if appropriate. That's the only way to remain in full compliance with the regs, as far as I can see. Mike

Am I missing something here? What's the problem? If you're working on the highway, you put the vest on. If you're not - such as when you're fighting a fire - you... don't put the vest on! The only middle ground is a car fire, in which case the highway is going to be closed until extinguishment is complete? Packs on? Vests off! The pack would substantially obscure the vest anyway... Mike

I don't think I've ever seen a British engine with anything other than a rear-mount. British stuff is *very* standardised throughout the entire country, so they must have some good reason for it (perhaps typical narrow British streets, plus British hydrants are often in the middle of the street) but I'm unconvinced; mid-mount seems fine to me. Mike

25. Not bad for a guy who's only been an American for a year - a year ago today exactly in fact, since I took the oath. Thanks for reminding me! Mike

What?! 'let'??? Who the hell do they think they are?! It's none of their damn business where their workers live so long as they turn up to work on time and in good shape. I sincerely hope & expect a court would tie a can to that if they ever tried to enforce it! Mike

Methinks I smell a cracker... :-)

Certainly not 02 as Jared pointed out - O2 is CNS toxic above a partial pressure of approx 1.6 atm. It's the LAST thing you want when diving deep! Mike

I think I'm right in saying that volunteers are treated legally as employees for the purposes of OSHA and workmans comp, so this would seem to be a logical extension of that; they don't receive any compensation but they can join the plan if they're prepared to pay for it. Mike

That is interesting. Speaking from my vast inexperience, would it be possible to mitigate the hazard of the falling door by getting creative and operating from the platform of a tower ladder? As to how to get through the damn thing... time to call in the big guns? Back gouging / burning tube / oxygen lance type of setup? Or, to get really crazy, break the round portholes on the window shutters, loop a chain through, attach to winch, and stand well clear... might just pull the whole thing out of the wall. Mike

I say - and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong - that I don't believe it IS 'your choice'. Weren't 3/4 boots canned by the NFPA long ago? And good ridance, having heard how many brothers got horrific burns in them. Why would anyone want to risk toasting their wedding tackle? Mike

I'm in exactly that position some of the time (stay-at-home dad). If it hits the fan and we have a working structure fire while I'm home alone with the kids, there are people I can call upon for emergency child care. If it's a 'routine' call... sorry, you'll have to manage without me; I'm not going to call on my emergency childcare for anything less than a working fire or other emergency where life is at hazard. (and I don't so badly; I'm in the top half dozen for attendance in my dept. But if I can't go, I can't go, simple as that.) Mike

I daresay he could. Can anyone think of the slightest reason why he SHOULD?! I've read about this case. I hope, when they do it, they mess it up and it's slow... Mike

It seems to me that if they're in the firehouse and ordered to respond (assuming they're not intoxicated, injured or otherwise unfit or unable) they would be guilty of insubordination if they refused. Mike