robert benz

Who wrote the captions at the bottom of each picture? Sentences like Training centers have controlled fires, "this building is full of surprises",(pic 14) and as mentioned above, "accelerant" (12)(28) they must mean hay. Live fire training is a great drill, when NFPA 1403 2012 edition is followed. I hope nobody gets hurt and those words have to be explained.

The question was answered. If you are looking for an "always or never" answer, aint goona happen. When the IC feels he doesn't need them anymore, he makes the call. He just has to justify that call if something goes wrong.

What other depts. have this position? And what does it mean that the salary is in line with what the title is already making?

I agree with you as far as learning English BEFORE they enter any classes. That isn't always the case with Volunteers entering FF-1 classes. All I want is communications / safety, And for anybody reading this, it isn't about being the chief, any officer or member who could be partnered up with an individual (who may be the hardest worker on the scene) who cant speak or understand what you just told him/her, is a liability.

Ok Seth, I hope you are never in a life and death moment as a paramedic, and you ask for some med, a line setup ANYTHING, and your emt partner doesn't speak or communicate English, (but had an interpreter help him take his class), that you come away with the same liberal thinking, as the family looks on and the patient is dying. Let anybody become anything they want in America, but this is called EMERGENCY service for a reason. Learn the language FIRST, then become chief of the dept if that's what you want to do. And you are right in one respect, communication is one of if not the leading cause's of problems when Line of Duty deaths occur. I don't think we are going to help that by putting more people on the fire ground that need to have an scba and interpreter.

We have a area in our city that is mostly "latino". That company had complained that they couldn't understand the civilians when they went on calls. A spanish teacher was hired to give that company spanish lessons. How effective do you think that was? Nice idea on paper. In a 5/10 year cycle how many members are still now. We have used our FF's with a second language skill whenever we can. BUT.... Now back to my original post, my bigger concern is, as a fire officer that is not bi-lingual, how would I communicate with a non English speaking ff, who only passed ff-1 because he had an interpreter? and I don't care what language or nationality it is that cant be understood.

I think it is great that we can tap into the latino workforce. Now how do we solve the communications problems that go with it. A new problem for instructors is non English speaking students. Dept's are asked to send an interpreter to all the classes for ff-1 if the student needs it. This is what OFPC has suggested as a means to help the student. Now the problem, what happens after the new recruit passes ff-1 and is on the fireground? Has your dept planned for the potential communications difficulties?

One of the main things I think about when an engine company is designed is the hose bed. Our dept uses the rear or business end of the apparatus 99% of the time. I am much more concerned about getting the hose off rather than packing it, IE: low workable hose bed. I can take all day to repack the hose.

Not to start a fight, I train as many vol ff's as I do career, BUT these statements by you fellows are why the career side pushes so hard for equality in training, to call yourself a firefighter, officer or chief. Look whats happening, A officer wants to change things for the better, and he is voted out. The fire service is in a lot of trouble, it is time to wake up.

my 2 cents we relocate to yonkers, quite a drive if I am stopping at all the red lights. While enroute we get called to respond to 123 whatever street, going to be quite the delay. As for getting into an accident any way you look at it, there will be trouble if you were "screaming" to a incident. While I am at it, relocating is a dispatched incident, Today were we dispatched to the scene of a working fire in Mt Vernon, then redirected to cover a house. I agree once in town, near your destination, you can go 10-20. You should always drive with due regard where ever and however you are getting there. As someone else posted, I think a lot depends on how busy the dept you are responding to is, and how far is the response.

I will go with number 7 anytime after midnite I am old lol

Ok here is an unofficial way of looking at it. Did the reason for you going on the call require you to ventilate smoke. Smoke causes damage which might require the insurance company to shell out $$$$ for soot removal. Or a step in a different direction, how about a bad puffback? CO thru the roof, lots of smoke, an IDLH. You had to mask up to perform you duties. Not a high Five working fire, Hmmm. What does your report state? Ok here is one more, you guys are all using the advancement of a hoseline, how about the truck knocks down the kitchen cabinets that are just taking off, before the line gets stretched. Not a working fire? Why? not big enough?

I agree with you 100%, then or until somebody gets hurt and has a good lawyer chirping in his ear. We live in a different world today.

Damn, I am trouble for using my cell phone while driving, now I have to use it again to call the police, because the police are following me. lol

while that sounds very noble, we all need to pay our bills. As was told to me more that once by a 20 yr vet from DFD, who has been forced down in rank twice, "I have been to all the fires I need to see, when will somebody show me some money for what we do " They haven't had a raise in about 10 yrs and have taken a 10% pay cut along the way. They are in a real bad place right now, and it isn't like you can just go anywhere to start over. Not a lot of FD hiring right now. I see it coming to a city, town, village near you very soon. 2 yrs ago they came to NY, got demoted, Last year got demoted again, this year maybe loose their pension. I think they may stop coming to ny.

just had 4 guys from Detroit Fd in last week not a lot of surround and drown, more like 3 - 5 fires a shift and get your ass kicked. And for no money, and now no city pension. More like a 401-k. Shame what the city has done to that dept. And you don't try to be a firefighter for a couple of years, it isn't like buying a car to see if you like it.

Lets see if I can answer that 1. they are too heavy 2. we don't have enough people on the fire ground to do it 3. last time we did it, the guys complained that it was too much work. 4. we almost dropped it so we put it back. 5. I don't like heights. prob the most under utilized tool on the rig. When I watch a dept to throw up ladder at the fire academy you can always tell who trains with them, and who looks like a monkey #$%%$$#@ a football.

Good Luck Kyran !!

ok how about a different spin on things, by using folded hose, at small incidents, the officer can now turn it into a training drill. Let a newer member pump, see if his "numbers " are right for the lengths, nozzle etc. Let a new member use the line, get the feel for the right pressure or lack there of. lets see if the hose gets packed right, or the can gets refilled without being asked to remember to do so. I saw a few responses about easier and faster. When did we become so busy lately?

wow it showed the building was on fire

training is always the issue, would you be comfortable sending your loved ones to the doctor who just meet's the minimal standard of training. Since you stated that you dont believe that volunteers should have to have the same training as pro's, what training do you suggest should get omitted?

wow try not to take it so personal. i am not up to the task of thinking about a million things on size up, i am too old for that

ok videos are what they are a moment in time like a picture. I saw 10 firefighters on scene before the truck pulled up and no one stretching a line into the building. I saw at least one firefighter directing traffic. It is a huge assumption that the fire didn't extend into the building. I dont subscribe to the ends justify the means theory on firefighting. If you want to go with the blitz attack theory why wasnt a line being placed into service at the same time?

columbia county doesnt have mutual aid available? didnt know that. now i know why there is nothing left to see here.

I agree that extreme situations will dictate what happens this was a house fire lets not forget isn't that what the dept is in the business of in the first place I guess if ic's want to allow cops and dpw, and whatever good luck oh yeah what about lability?