ajsbear

Remember when making entry into a basement the smoke has no place to vent so visability will be even more limited than usual. A TIC can be helpfull but watchout, As its been said here basements can be divided into rooms and apartments too. Watch out for the heat, smoke and know your way around. Remember your path. Don't become disoriented.

OK, lets see if we can get some momentum. Think about the issues you have with a basement fire First we have the rest of the structure. OMD? OK, smoke on all or some of the floors? Evacuate the building. Primary and secondary searches. Next fighting the fire. Basement fires are quite different. You've got ventalation issues, entry and secondary exit issues. Heat has no way to disapate. What else? Lets split this into 2 areas. A the rest of the structure and B the basement.

I don't know how all you guys rave about Jet Blue. Last night my wife flew back from Tampa on Jet Blue with her mother and Aunt and out 9 1/2 month old son. They lost one suitcase and the baby's car seat. Now you all know you cannot put the kid in the car without one. Jet Blue scrounged up an old beat up seat that when new cost about $50 to replace our $300 Britax and said it would take 3 to 4 weeks to process our claim. I don't know about anyone else but I have a problem with putting my son in this cheap seat which got a very poor consumers rating. I deam it unsafe and really got no place with Jet Blue Customer service. I will never fly with them again and with the recent problems they are having urge others. Check the AirTrans rates. I'm flying to Florida in March on business and they are cheaper out of either Westchester or Stewart. Thanks for letting me rant.

Seth; What I was ranting about in the begining of this thead was that when my wife got back to JFK from Tampa with our 9 month old his car seat which was gate checked disapeared. It was gone. How is she supposed to get from JFK to Northern Westchester with out the seat. Can't put him in the back and seat belt him in, its against the law. After 2 hours of her being in their face they came up with a seat, a piece of crap, 3 point harness and old but at least it got them home. Looking a it to me it was like loosing a BMW and getting a Yugo in replacement. I had bought 2 Britax car seats becasue the NHTSB and Consumers gave them the highest raitings then looking at them they looked good too. A lot of pading, 5 point seat belt and looked more like a lot went into the design to protect the occupant. The next day I called and their answers were "well you have a car seat" and it'll take us 3 to 4 weeks before we can process a claim as the seat may turn up. Is this an airline I want to do business with. Nope. I have gone to the point to discuss this with my corporate travel and they have taken Jet Blue off the approved carrier list. I don't know how many flights we book a month but with over 20,000 worldwide employees and our in house travel company I'll bet it's a lot.

It took a lot of arguing to get the POS car seat they "loaned" my wife. She was like 'I can't put the kid in a seatbelt and dive home. He needs a car seat." This was 2 hours after they landed. They called the airport in Tampa. I'm not worried about the suitcase as much as the seat. Here she was at JFK, 10:30 at night with no car seat for our son. So far nothing from them except when I called "when are you returning our car seat."

AirTrans - Gotta love the $84 to Ft Lauderdale!!

Thanks Alpha, I just went out and bought a new Britax for $249. To me its like this, they lost my BMW and loaned me a Yugo. While I watch what I spend I never compromise on saftey and comfort. I would rather spend a few extra bucks than wait or compromise these things. I'll pay a few bucks more for a better meal, sleep in a better hotel etc. My wife is a little more laid back than I am. I have to fly quite often these days for business and just put out a memo to the people working for me and our corporate travel department just took Jet Blue off of our list. No one is allowed to fly on it any longer. That's 20,000 people in the US. I have to fly in March to Miami for business (wish it was now) but I'm using AirTrans. Same price as Jet Blue. Keep the TV and dounuts. I usually sleep on the flight anyway. My wife "gate checked" the car seat and a stroller. The stroller got back to her fine. They landed last night at 8:30 and at 10:30 they still could not find it. Their answer today on the phone was give us 3 or 4 weeks, if we don't find it buy a replacement and send us the bill and bring us back the seat we lent you or just keep in as the replacement. The one they gave us isn't even rated by the NHTSA and it only has a 3 point buckle.

It went past the Garrison Firehouse just before 9 this morning. When is it going in service?

Let us not forget the ones that slow down in an area where you cannot pass while you have lights and siren going. They slow down but don't move over.

I'll sum it up in 1 word.........History!

Date: 2/08/07 Time: 11:13 Location: Rt 9 between Papa Johns and Indian Brook Road Frequency: 46.38 dispatch- 46.44/46.54 respond Units Operating: Garrison 15-1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-1 PCSO, NYSP, Stat Flight, Putnam County Car 9, Mutual Aid from North Highlands 24-61 due to Garrison 15-61 OOS, Traffic assist by Cold Spring FD and Continental Village FD Description Of Incident: 2 car PI head on. Driver of Pickup Stat flighted to WCMC, passenger by ambulance. Driver of Hyunda DOA Writer:

Here's a simple question, Which is worth more, 3 or 4 members lives or a rig? Remember the life you save could be your own.

Red Light, Stop Sign etc. Stop then proceed with siren etc. Remember if you don't get there it does not matter. That extra 1/2 second doesn't mean anything if someone smacks your rig. And ALS is correct, if you don't think some smart a@# lawyer isn't going to throw up NFPA 1500, well think again.

How often are you O/S before FD or PD show up? Just reciently I stopped at night for an MVA and before I got out of my vehicle a third car plowed into the first 2. I'm sure glad I'm not as fast as I used to be. You get O/S and grab your gear and go to work. If that one time you're there first by the time you have packaged the patient there will be FD or PD to block your rig.

This is just too much. If there was a fire the parents would complain the kids got out too slow. The alarm goes off you don't know if its real or false. You just get out, count the kids to make sure there all out. The parents shoud\ld just keep it shut. Get after the kid who pulled the alarm. Teach the kids why they should not fool around with pulling false alarms. Yeah some kid now has the sniffles and some parent with threaten a lawsuit. What a world.

Does the cab have heat and AC?

New Super Pumers coming to NJ, can move huge amounts of water up to 1 mile http://www.phillyfirenews.com/photostory.aspx?id=111

In one way I'm old school and favor the side mount. It let's me move around, check connections, look after my tools so I know where my equiptment is going and if someone is not familiar with my rig and looking for a tool I am there to help without climbing, On the top mounted I have not seen a rig where the hose bed or cab is not in the way, you are walking on metal so in the winter when it gets wet you'll be sliding on ice and you have less control what is going on around your rig. As MPO you are incharge of this rig so you better know whats coming off. Last but not least top mounted panels add to the overall lenght of a rig and I know up here in Putnam we look for shorter wheelbase becasue of narrow, winding roads and hills.

You gotta admit, it can more a hell of a lot of water. Don't forget it can move this 5,000 gallons over 1 mile. Add that it can then after the mile of 12 inch be split to multiple 5 inch lines so it can move a lot of water long distance then yes it can drain spall areas of flood waters. It could be used to drain a lake.

What about the when you have to close down a road and detour people who only know one way to get to point B? How many want to stop and ask directions while 50 plus cars are lined up behind them and your job is to move traffic? The trucks just follow the long line of cars. Then there are the ones who think your just kidding and ask if you can sneak them through. What part of the road is closed and no don't these people understand?

My company gave me a Blackberry. I can show you where I dumped it in the Hudson to a watery grave. It was the most annoying device I ever had. Hooked up to both my corporate and personal email it just gave people way too much access to me.

We need to slow down and take stock. First when driving an apparatus we need to slow down a little and be more carefull. Remember there are many idiots our there who will cut off a rig rather than get behind it so don't just think because we drive big red fire trucks we have the right of way. Second is seat belts. Every butt in a seat with a belt on. No belts in the hose bed so sorry Santa. The only time some one is in the bed when the rig is in motion is when packing LDH and the truck is moving at less than 1 MPH. Yes there is still a risk of getting hurt. Third is physicals. Once a year you should be be getting one anyway. Fourth is get back in shape for those who are out and think they are supermen. Those who consider 3 Big Macs a mid afternoon snack should not be entering a fire building. Fifth is trainning, I'm gonning to start sounding like ALS soon. Train, train and then retrain until it becomes second nature.

There is a reason that rinding the "back step" is banned. I remember riding the backstep for years in Mt Vernon. We used to stand in the jump seats, sit on the engine compartment etc. There was a time they used to ride the side step on laddrs. No more. The tiller seat had no protection now the few tillers have a compartment for the tillerman. It's just way too dangerous let alone against everything in OSHA and NFPA. Ride the hose bed? This was never designed as a riding spot. No hand holds, seat etc. If someone gets hurt no insurance period. You are not covered for stupid acts and that is just what it is. Santa can ride in the compartment and have the windo open and wave.

OK its the holidays and we all have had a few. What fire companies/departments are dry? What companies do not allow alcohol in the firehouse at all (even privite parties using the firehouse) and what departments do not allow drinking at any department sponsored events?

There are a lot of departments in this area that are to spme point "DRY." No booze allowed in the firehouse. This is usually waived for parties that use the firehouse. 1 or 2 departments no longer allow parties in the station with booze. If we listen to our department lawyers, no booze at any function, picnic, installation etc because if someone drinks too much and they drive and get into an accident or even fall and get hurt the department is the responsable party. If an outside group or a member uses the house for a party and the same happens, who is the responsible party? The fire department. We have this debate going on right now in our firehouse. The board has banned all booze at any event involving the department or its stations. We have had parties where anyone who is drinking is OOS. We have had events where we have a department cover for us from the begining of the event until 6 AM. While I agree with most of the policy I think it's gone a little too far. 1 or 2 drinks, a toast to the new officers are ok. It's the 1 or 2 members who don't know when to stop. It's the outside people coming into the firehouse for a party held by a member who then the department has no control. That's why I brough this up. As X635 says this issue will be one that comes up all the time until it is uniform. You want to be sociable? Let the members go to the bar and drink on their own. As I said no booze in the firehouse is ok but there are other functions I beleive there needs to be allowances for.