FFPCogs

obrien3044s post got me to thinking about how this place has changed since we've been here and in particular about Kandahar's claim to fame, but more on that later. As he stated back in '02 we came, we saw and we kicked the stuffing out of the Taliban that tried to "defend" this place. One of the buildings is now the entry terminal to the base and it is known by the acronym TLS. This stands for Taliban's Last Stand because it was here that a bunch tried to hold out and they got the bang of their lives for it. The roof still has a huge jagged hole and the walls are still scorched from the pounding these mujahadeen maggots rightfully recieved. At that time there really wasn't much here other than the airfield, some support buildings and the international terminal, which is still off limits to everyone save those with the highest security clearances. Since then this place has expanded to triple if not quaduple the size it was then, and it is still growing into a sector we call "Deep South" (uh huh we're out in 2014, yeah right Obama). This base has truly become a small city with all the infastructure, traffic and population that goes along with it, and that brings me to what has become the most well known feature of this place...the poo pond. Yes you read correctly, the poo pond...or more precisely a collection of 4 waste water resevoirs. Anyone who'se been here within the last 5 years is very familiar with this odor-iffic anomoly which spreads it ever so sweet aroma far and wide over this entire base. Our main tourist attraction has taken on mythical significance. There are legends of people swimming the ponds, some for money, some just to say they've done it, but like most myths everybody knows somebody that knows somebody that knows the guy that swam the poo pond. The latest version is split between a Special Forces Sergeant and a Romanian long distance swimmer...take your pick. Then there are the tragic tales of drivers so overcome by the heavenly fragrance of this wonder of modern engineering that they have driven into it. But alas these local celebrities have proven to be just as elusive as the phantom swimmers. Like the Loch Ness monster, Bigfoot and UFOs there's never a camera around when you need one to catch one of these mythical creatures in action. On a more practical note while our homegrown festering cesspool was once outside the camp, it is now almost dead center of it. There are signs denoting it as a biohazard and no entry and even ones meant I suppose to dissuade all those eager poo pond conquerers, telling us "no swimming"...seriously. Of course there are also a number of rather comical ones. A couple that come to mind include one offering lakefront property at reasonable rates, and another offering freshly caught local fish every Thrusday at the DFAC...this one might actually have merit. On any given day depending on the wind direction you will be treated to either a gentle whiff or a gag inducing wall of fecal stench. I thank the man upstairs everyday that both the station and our living quarters are mecifully upwind most days. I will get some pics up of this well known Kandahar Airfield attraction, (why there's even T-shirts and mugs available at the PX to commerate the place), but until then here's a quick youtube video from 2010 on the subject: There are other videos on youtube, some older some fairly new, and while none are specific to the FD they do offer a variety of views on life here. Until next time Stay safe all and as always Thanks for your efforts in protecting the homefront Cogs

Oh the irony, but I'm sure some are quite happy with that arrangement .... BTW technically the rig is faded tan but you're sure right about the crappy part. Half of it is cannabalized parts including the drive train, rear axle, radiator, generator and a number of pump parts from the previous E-2...a 1980's model Spartan/Thibault, gone now to the great scrap heap to be reincarnated as a bunch of Toyotas. Stay safe and se you soon Cogs

I'm working on getting more pics up and will do so as soon as I can. Stay safe Cogs

Pat, The rig is a late 80's or 1990 E-one. It is the most idiotically designed piece of fire apparatus I've ever seen, but it does do the job.....barely See you soon Stay Safe Cogs

Thanks for the sign and we will take good care of it and thanks for kickin the sh!t out of the Talibitches back in 2002. The Terminal at the airfield next door to the fire station still bears the signs of that whoompin'. You might be suprised at how much this place has grown since then and yeah it is indeed interesting in a number of aspects. Take care and Stay safe Cogs

Here's a few more mundane pics showing the everyday here. This is Blue crew saying goodbye to a nurse from the Role 3 next door. Role 3 is the trauma hospital and it is an excellent facility. They have a 98% survivial rate for patients that come in with a pulse. Here we are at shift chage in the morning, that's blue crew with backs to the wall and I'm on the far right. This was taken the morning of Hector's B'day which is why he's the men at centerstage Here's Nate (from DC) and Sharma (from India) in front of Engine 3 (my current rig). John (a Brit) is behind the wheel. He was the driver when this pic was taken but he's been reassigned to E-2 on the Southside. I'm still waiting for the E-2 pics from him. These two are of me giving the lecture portion of a fly the wye drill. The "action" shots are unviewable...sorry. Just a little bit of news. Yesterday (and it seems more to come) was a first even for me after years over in the sandbox. Temperatures topped 148...yes I said 148. That's the hottest I've ever been outside a fire and damn you can really feel the heat. Anyway stay safe all and thanks for your efforts Cogs

Here's some pics of where we live off duty. Here's Crash 8 (9's in the background), Crash 5 and the HazMat truck on the taxiway apron at the station The dayroom at the station A small camel spider...they get much much bigger (about the size of the average man's hand) and while not venomous they give a painful bite This one speaks for itself...needless to say when this hits the Talibastards they're having a bad day An A-10 drill Blackhawk training Looking Northeast across the base from Crash 10 at the station Looking North from our apron on the taxiway...Kandahar city is just over that mountain and this is where most of our incoming deliveries originate. That's all for now as more become available and pass security I'll post them. Cogs

Congrats.... word of warning, I had hair before I had kids..... Cogs

Although in Westchester, a number of BFD members, some other Stamford volunteers and families will be going to a memorial dedication ceremony in Mount Kisco. I believe it starts at 7pm. I plan on attending as well but might not make it depeneding on which flight I can get home. My R&R starts on the 11th (pushed back from Aug 30th due to staffing issues) and that's when I leave Dubai. Luckily we are 8 hours ahead here so I should find a flight that will just make it back in time. If that doesn't work out my family and myself will stay in Manhattan for the night and attend whatever ceremonies we can. RIP 343....We will NEVER FORGET!!! Cogs

Today at 8 1/2 hours ahead of EST and a rather lazy morning I thought I'd look at some of the things that make life "interesting" here from a firefighting perspective. Like all fire departments we always have to be vigilant when working scenes, as we all know complacency kills. But that philosophy takes on a whole new dimension when working in a desert war zone. Along with the usual concerns of rescue, extent of fire on arrival, building construction, water supply, manpower ect, we have to always be cognascent of the fact that we often work in temperaures well into the triple digits. Dehydration comes on quickly just walking around let alone making your way down a hallway charged with heat and smoke. Rehab is a number one priority here that must always include adequate supplies of bottled drinking water. We more often than not easily polish off a cooler full of water just doing our daily routine, so in the event of a fire we would special call the Class 1 yard for cases of water to the scene immediately...fortunately this has now become an SOP to ensure it happens every time. Of course keeping hydrated is one part of a rehab, the other unfortunately we are sadly lacking in facilities. That other part being cooling down. Engine 3 is without A/C at the moment and probably for the duration due to logistical issues, so we get no relief there. Engines 1 and 2 do not fare much better so while you will get moving air it will feel more like a hairdryer than A/C. Sometimes we can use a building not directly involved in the fire, but most facilities here are of a secure nature meaning that entry is limited at best, non existant many times...yes in some cases even in the event of a fire. As has been mentioned in other installments water supply is another huge issue. Engine 3 carries 750 gallons, Engine 2 about the same in liters. Engine 1 is really nothing more than a brush truck with roughly 200 gallons. The only other FD asset is our Tanker (designated E-4) with about 3000 gallons. Now this sounds like a decent amount of water, and generally it is, but there are some mitigating factors in all this, the building construction itself for one. While we have many metal PEBs, hangars and warehouses there are hundreds of wooden structures here, most of which are tightly packed within the various compounds on base. Now add to that the fact that the wood itself is as dry as dust and I'm sure you will see the potential. Along with this menagerie we also have an abundance of tent cities scattered throughout the base, each with it's own issues (not the least of which being a tent will go up in about 30 seconds and they are sometimes no more than 5 feet apart for row after row). There is one more little facet to this as well, the wind. Being a desert there isn't much to block the wind here and most days finds a steady "breeze" of 10-15 mph, so wind is our nemesis more often than not. The wind can push a fire through a compound in no time so, almost like wildland firefighting, it is always a factor to be reckoned with regarding fire spread. Wind also brings on one more joy to life here....sandstorms. Now these phenomena for those who've never experienced one can be brutal. Blinding sand blowing in your eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and yep everywhere else, can cause extreme discomfort and for some even breathing problems. Most times though they're just plain irritating. As far as firefighting goes, well operating blind is never a good thing, but at times it is a reality here when we get a visit from the sandman, so extra diligence is required when one of these storms hits. Weather wise there is still more to enjoy. Come January or so we will be blessed with the rainy season. While a welcome relief for about a day it quickly turns into a mess we'd rather do without as everything (and I do mean everything) becomes encased in a thick layer of cold mud (temps stay above freezing during the day, but there are nights of freezing temps). Rain is almost constant and often heavy to the extreme and with such desicated soil drainage just doesn't happen. So much so that even walking becomes an issues as each step finds your foot sinking into deep puddles or worse, the morass of everpresent mud ...loose fitting shoes are definitely not recommended and sneakers are out altogether. As you can well imagine such conditions can create some real obstacles to effective fireground operations. But then as March rolls in the clouds roll out, not to be seen again til the next January. I've already covered the operations during our almost daily Talibastard explosives delivery, so no more need be said there, but being a war zone there are other hazards associated with things that go boom. First off we work in a small city in which the vast maority of the populaion is armed. Guns need bullets and even though they are supposed to be stored in the armories, the reality is almost every room on base has some amount of ammo in it. Here it is assumed that you will have to deal with ammo as a matter of course. But it doesn't end with bullets. Grenades are almost ubiquitous and every call carries with it the potential to come face to face with them. In fact vehicle fires tend to be some of the most dangerous as most times they are either coming in from or going out on patrol, hence they are armed...sometimes pretty heavily indeed. And since this is an airfield there is all manner of smart, dumb and just plain big aerial ordinance about. Caution is the key and we excercise it here in spades. Unfortuately there is a more insidious problem that crops up from time to time. Thanks to the Russians this country is one of, if not the, most land mine infested patches of real estate on earth. Not only do these left over devices of death give those towel headed fiends ample raw bomb making material, they have been known to pop up in the most unexpected places. Here's a little story to illustrate this and another point. Last night at about 1am we were dispatched to a reported structure fire in the Dutch compound. This compound lies only a short distance from the fire station, so as we were responding I'm looking for the telltale glow in the night sky. There wasn't one. Upon arrival our E-1 entered the compound to find it all dark and quiet. The flashing lights awakened some of the Dutch soldiers, who moments before had been dreaming of drinks on the beach with their scantily clad honeys. But alas our visit rustled them from their slumber to see what was happening. With a few gestures and accented English we determined that there was in fact no fire here. At almost that moment dispatched called to say that we had been given the wrong address and the fire was in another building which as it turned out was right across the street. We had positioned our Engine directly in front of the fence leading to said building and I confirmed that this was indeed the address. A quick walkaround found nothing, information which I dutifully informed dispatch. A call to the JDOC (base command center) gave us a bit more info. It wasn't a fire at all but an unexploded bomb in this building that was the problem. So with that we called for the UXO team (unexploded ordinance) and awaited their arrival. During the interim a worker from a Turkish contactor building new parking ramps on the airfield nearby approached us and in highly excited and broken English called for us to follow him. I verified that it was ok with the IC as this man seemed to be almost hysterical and we assumed someone had been injured at the worksite. A quick two minute walk had my two FFs and myself staring at what was the cause of all the commotion. A backhoe had unearthed a large landmine, which somehow didn't go off. Amazingly workers continued to toil no more than 20 feet away. Thankfully I had been involved in a similar incident last year and knew the process. We stopped the work, cordoned off the area, secured the immediate area around the mine by building a burm about 10 ft around it and notifed EOD to send the UXO team to this location. A call to the JDOC to inform them of this development found that they had known about this situation for a good bit of time but had "forgotten to tell our dispatch". The point of this little tidbit is twofold. First as this paragraph explains bombs abound here, even ones our forces didn't bring which can literally be right under foot, and with all those explosives around comes the very real possibilty of serious injury or death. But secondly the miscommunication involved is a regular occurrence. Communications here are spotty at best since our radios suck and on top of that the flow of information can be almost insignificant. Secrecy is a must with most activities on base so we are generally given precious little in the way of useful info. Compunding that is the fact that most people here are transient, so even though the roads are named and the building numbered, most people have a hard time trying to explain their location or that of an incident. The old joke about following the cloud of smoke sometimes can have real meaning here. There is of course more to the story of the tribulations of life here, but we'll save that for another day. In closing for today I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea, I'm not lamenting these facts of life here, in fact you could say in a sense I relish them. The challenges we face, or should I say overcoming those challenges, are what makes this job so rewarding for many of us. Life here is definititely one where it is what you make of it, and it's not for everyone. Complaining would be easy, and truth be told we do get our share of complainers, but in the end such an attitude will not serve anyone here. Most who come out to these parts with msconceptions find out real quick that it's not for them..and quite frankly we don't tolerate the b!tchers and whiners for long anyway. More often than not their on the first plane back to the real world having been humbled by the experience. Just a few more points for anyone who might be thinking of working out here. First off you have got to understand that this is a war zone, and even the "quiet" places can be fraught with unforseen dangers and violence. Second, don't be fooled by the fallacy that you will come out here and become rich. That just isn't so, especially if like me your from the NYC metro area. Under my current contract you can make a decent living, support a family and if you're a little bit financially responsible see some of the world and still have a little nest egg when you're done. If you're looking for money alone (and there's nothing wrong with that) look elsewhere. (A word on ATCO my employer. I make far less than I have on other deployments but the leave package and the fact they treat us well, coupled with my personal conviction and sense of duty is why I took this job ). And finally if you want to come out here never forget that while you are working for the U.S. Government in support of our troops and their mission, you are doing so for a for-profit company. The bottom line will always win out in matters affecting your ability to do your job. This needn't discourage you, nor should it irritate you if you can, like most of us, be resourceful. Life here can easily suck, but it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever embark upon, it's up to you. Come here for the right reasons, take care of the troops and work hard and you will come away with benefits you didn't expect. Stay Safe and to all....especially my Belltown Boys (AtW since 1928): thanks for all you do back home. Cogs

Since it's my day off (Blue crew works the odd numbered days this month) I thought I'd throw a few tidbits out there for today's installment. First off I left out one very common translation from my last post. To our British colleagues a call or run is a "shout". So when we return from a run we are often asked " you structural boys had a shout did ya? Tell us what was it all about mate"? or another often heard phrase from the PC (Platoon Chief) is "c'mon now crash guys, we've got a shout...let's get moving". Well it finally happened, the Talibastards scored a hit with yesterday morning's 5:45 rocket barrage. Fortunately everyone working in this particular hangar/storage building had just left for breakfast as the first volley of 6 or 7 gifts came in. Due to the fact that the impact and subsequent explosion of one of them started a fire, we (meaning Engine 3), were dispatched before the all clear was given. When responding in these circumstances we enjoy the added comfort of wearing our 35 lb flak vests under our turnout coats...(although for my corpulent self a few extra pounds sweated off doesn't hurt). Anyway when called out before the all clear on the structural side only one unit is dispatched, this because we don't want the entire shift wiped out should a lucky or well aimed shot find it's mark. Anyway we arrived to find a 100 x 25 building with modest fire in the rear C/D corner storage area. We immediately stretched in with an 1 3/4 and got to work as I was sure our 750 gallons would easily handle the fire. And it would have except for one tiny little inconvenience. About 2 minutes in we were handed a lovely little suprise in the form of a rocket landing about 200 or so yards away. While not close enough to take shrapnel we not only heard the loud explosion but felt the concussion. At that I ordered the line and pump shut down and we all proceeded to the nearest bunker. An additional 3 rockets landed in rapid succession, but none as close as the first. After a a few minutes an Army Major and I deemed it safe enough and it was back at work. Luckily in our time away the fire had extended upwards and broken through the roof, but by this time our water was running short and all we could do was knock it down and hold it in check by hitting it everytime it flared back up. As often happens as time progressed the fire had become too deeply seated in the stored materials to allow for complete knockdown until the tanker was given the ok to proceed to the scene and we had adequate water. Some might be asking why not just let the place go and protect the exposures, and that was my plan after we had been so rudely interrupted by the Talibastards last shots, but one of the COs on scene made a good case for us to work to hold the fire in check....the multitude of sensative items stored within the building that needed to be removed. So while the Army took care of the salvage operation we held the fire in check. As it turned out as they completed their duties our tanker arrived after the all clear came over the Big Voice and we were able to knock the fire out and save most of the building and it's contents, much to the pleasure of those we are here to serve. One thing I find that I have been remiss in doing is giving an overview of a typical day (after all the tiltle of this thread is Life in Afghanistan). So with that here it is: On our days on, shift officially starts at 8am but in reality we gather at about 7:45. At that time all members on duty and all coming on duty meet in the bays and swap radios and get a quick briefing on what's importatnt for the group from the Chief or D/C (Deputy Chief). Once that 2 minute drill is over those going of duty remove their gear ect from the rigs and we that are coming on put ours aboard. Then comes truck, SCBA and equipment checks with all power tools started and run daily. All the daily paperwork is filled out upon completion of the checks and we'll usually have about 15-20 minutes to chill until our morning meeting with the PC (the shift commander) starts at 9am sharp. At this meeting specific duties and miscellaneous jobs are handed out for the crews to complete during the course of the day. These range from pump and bladder checks (these are emergency water points for our use which are spread throughout the base), to inspections to training and so on. Engine 3 also has the daily duty of picking up lunch and dinner from one of the DFACs as the crash crews cannot leave the airfield. Lunch is at 11 and dinner at 5. As you would expect we are not permited into the "day" room other than for lunch during the day. No TV, no personal compuer usage, no games ect ect. Since we have a gym at the station at some point in the day all on duty crews must do PT as well. Our work day in terms of actual duties usually ends with dinner and as such we are free to watch TV or do personal things within the station after that. Lately we've had some good volleyball games in the bays at night. There is no set lights out, but most guys are in their racks by about 11-11:30. That is my usual schedule as well although I'm good at about 4 1/2 to 5 hrs sleep so I'm an early riser. I'm up by 3:30 to 4 am every morning at which time I call home, take out the trash, start the coffee and wash down the invariably dust covered rig for the incoming crew. The official wake up time is 6:30am at which time we give the station a once over, restock the bottled drinking water, and make sure everything is hunky dory for the incoming crew. Usually though as I'm sure you've figured out by now, our real wake up call generally comes at about 5-5:30 from our pals outside the wire. On average we spend about 45 minutes to an hour in the bunker during these interludes of the daily rocket concerto. Days off on the other hand are ours to do with what we please within the confines of the base. As I've said there is the Boardwalk with it's many gastronomic and commercial choices. There is our living area which has it's own small gym, TV room and, for those who don't own laptops, a computer room. Our laundry is usually packed up on days off and placed in the bin on the first floor. A company contracted to do the laundry picks it up and the usual turn around has the cleaned laundry back on your next day off. For alot of guys they choose to stay in their air conditioned rooms..and at a usual 130 degrees can you blame them? I am a walking wanderer using my days off to meet and greet at the many compounds on base while familarizing myself with them. Call it preplanning and community relations all rolled into one. But as with all days off they are over quickly and then it's back to the grind for another 24. Well this entry is getting kinda long so I'll end it here with this thought, which comes about due to a converstaion had the other day with a soldier and a very visceral ramp ceremony that same night. I am a supporter of our mission here (beyond it being my job) and I do truly believe that it has helped make America safer, but what I am not a supporter of is sending our boys into harms way with their hands tied. The reasons I say this are too long and complicated to go into here suffice to say it's all politics. My thought is this very simple yet I think practical one. Maybe it's time we stopped nation building and time we started winning this war!!!! Cogs

Thanks Ty, I will post when I can or if something major happens. While we all face risks here it is realy no different than home, save the occasional close call from a mortar or rocket. We are all just firemen doing our duty, and like home we do so with what we've got...which truth be told ain't much. As for bin Laden getting his just desserts, I missed it by a few weeks. I'm told the atmosphere here was jubilant with a bit of anger towards our Pakistani "allies". And yes our friends here from the different allied nations were just as happy to see that lowlife p.o.s. meet Allah as we were. But even with bin A-hole gone things have not subsided outside the wire. Like all such organzations there is always someone waiting in the wings to take over, and with any luck and a bit of hard work the new guy will get is 70 men for his virgin butt sooner rather than later. On a personal note of sorts, since you're currently living in Belltown feel free to come by the BFD in Sept as I will be home then, maybe we'll even get you to fill out an application. Stay safe and as always thanks for all that you do Cogs

Today's installment has nothing shattering to report save that for the last 2 nights the Taliban has been getting the sh!t kicked out of them just south of base. Explosions and small arms fire can be heard almost as soon as it gets dark and goes on til early morning just before sunrise..which here is at about 4:45. I've talked to a few soldiers in the know and have been assured that our towel hearded friends are getting a good lambasting, with so far only some minor injuries to our boys...thank God. And another good sign is that to the best of my knowledge there have been no recent ramp ceremonies American or Allied. In other news rockets continue with their regular frequency although the past two days have been unusually quiet. (generally actions at one side of the base rarely effect the attempts by the jihadists to inflict punishent from the other side, so the events of the past couple of nites are probably unrelated). The temperature remains a a balmy 130 or so, although Friday saw a modest incease to 147. And yes of course we had 2 calls at the height of the heat and the crash boys ran another 3. One of the things I thought I'd pass along is some of the operational English to English translations and differences we deal with here daily. To the Brits: a nozzle is a branch a search team is a B/A team a B/A is an airpack a line is a line but to call for water one must say "water on" as opposed to "charge it" and yes you guessed it....to shut down "water off" on scene is " in attendence" Irons are non existant to the Brits so there is no translation there, but they do have tools for forcible entry in the form of a crowbar Appliances are not for use with hose...they're the rigs a wye and water thief are a double and triple diverter respectively, while reducers and double males/females are quite the novelty flat packed hose is quite the novelty for them as well as all their hose is stored in double donut rolls and I have been repeatedly asked why we Americans continue to use those pesky threaded couplings..to which I answer, "that's just the way we do it, here let me show you how". Tactics differ as well pulse is how they operate their attack lines (which by the way is more often than not what we call a booster reel) while we Americans in British jargon "jet" the fire "pulse" is to use repeated rapid short bursts on wide fog into the upper thermal layers and let steam do the work, "jetting" on the other hand is direct application of water which allows water to do the work and creates less steam...as you can well imagine for the Brits we do it to all wrong Strategic risk assessment is what w call size up, but as I passed along earlier due to the potentail legal ramfication they face the Brits tend to take things a bit farther in assessing risks than some of us are used to working ahead of a line is always forbidden by their standards, and this has led to a bit of differences of opinion as the Canadians and the few Americans here have been taught to operate as part of a search team ahead of or above a line when necessary..VES is also unheard of and so it seems to their way of thinking borders on suicidal and the Brits will always have a B/A control officer on hand...even if it means reducing the crew to do so. A B/A control officer can be an officer or a FF but either way he records the time and monitors the clock for everyone who enters the building and he can pull anyone he deems necessary...period as far as pumping goes hose lengths and diameters are metric in mm with 45mm being the most common line outside of the ubiquitous hose reel. Pump pressures are in bar, which if I'm not mistaken is one bar = 14.5 psi Well I'm sure there more that I'm forgetting but that's enough for now. Stay Safe and as always thanks all of you for all you do back home Cogs

Agreed, but what form that change ultimately takes is still open for consideration. A more mutually acceptable alternative may yet emerge,much to the benefit of everyone, not the least of which being the public we all serve. Cogs

Batten down the hatches, thar be stormy seas ahead.

We don't have a parade budget, but if we did it would come about only after the service side is fully taken care of. Now if we were to come upon an unexpected budget or fund drive (which buys our equip and rigs) windfall it would without fail be put towards outfitting and training our members. Given the opprotunity i would spend any additional training money on the following: EMT certification across the board As many live fire evolutions as I could squeeze out of the funds Rescue beyond simple vehicle extrication such as building collapse, railway, heavy vehicle ect Officer development There's really no limits as to what I would like to see money spent on when it comes to training, but since fire duty overall is way down from years past I would use the funds to give members the taste of fire inasmuch as a training building allows...no gas grills Class A burn buildings only. Cogs

EXACTLY!!!! Firemen, all firemen paid and voluneer alike, are a special breed. Only firemen put out fires and we are some of the very few in this world that put ourselves at risk for others. As Lt McComack stated in his now infamous FDIC speech, it is a priviledge to be a firemen and because of that we are, despite our differences, a family..so the loss of one, no matter how, is a loss for all. Cogs

It may not be forward thinking to some, but such a move is in fact progress. As "right" as it may be to have one dept and one Chief, generally it is not quite that simple to go from theory to the practical application of a consolidation. There will be legal, financial and historical concerns that have to be addressed before any such consolidations can take place, and these can be quite formidable tasks in and of themselves. The main concern must always be the abilty to answer alarms, whether it's 10 departments in a 2 square mile area or a 200 sq. mile area. If they are doing so effectively than so be it, if not than another avenue should be explored. It seems to me that what was done here was to fill a need for the community and that is in the end the prime concern. Hopefully as time goes by further efforts will produce a more streamlined and efficient system, but until then I too applaud the effort and forward thinking of the powers that be there in taking this step. In a nutshell most if not all MD depts operate on a countywide basis with both career and volunteer divisions. The ones that I am familar with in metro DC area have minimum staffing and response requirements. If those requirements can be met solely with volunteers than the station remains 100% volunteer otherwise career personnel are utilzed. Most have a combination of personel but some stations are now all career. It all depends on the ability a VFD to meet the necesary requirements. Cogs

I concur with Sqd47bfd. We regularly run with 6 qualified, certified interior FFs with more to spare back at the house,and we have always performed our job efficiently and effectively just as our training has taught us. And as far as the IC goes, we will do what the IC asks for unless our Officer feels that to do so would endanger the crew or any possible victims. We know our job and we train relentlessly to maintain a high standard in our Truck Co. Ops, along with all the other fireground functions we may be called upon to perform...and we are quite proud of that fact and of the dedication of our membership in maintaining those high standards Cogs

I was wondering the same thing.

We do a fair amount of running now since we have auto responses to TOR and Springdale for any report of smoke and/or fire in a structure, plus our own runs. If memory serves we are also still the 1st due mutual aid truck for downtown in the event that another Truck Co. becomes necessary there. As far as expanding those roles go, as I said I'm somewhat out of the loop presently but to the best of my knowledge no changes are planned. Also if memory serves, as it now stands we have not missed any calls when requested, (automatically or otherwise) and in fact have worked on numerous occasions with SFRD at fires. Like I said always ready, willing and able. As for old Truck 2, well I'm sure someone will snap it up..after all an imitation tower ladder is better than none at all..... Cogs

To the best of my knowledge that's not in the works, but in all fairness I'm currently in Afghan working so I'm somewhat out of the loop and get news sporadically. But if in fact it's needed (which I doubt at this time) and the membership chooses to pursue another refurb I'm all for it. That rig gets just about anywhere and continues to perform faithfully. Best money the BFD ever spent as far as I'm concerned. To think I was opposed to buying it back in '83...thank God wiser heads prevailed. Cogs

Now THAT'S a tower ladder. Often imitated, never duplicated. When it counts call on an Aerialscope to get the job done right the first time...every time. Cogs

Don't sweat it, there is a REAL tower ladder in town, it's white, says Aerialscope on the boom and is always ready, willing and able to join the party when called.... Cogs

For what it's worth I will post here what I posted on another site in regards to this topic. Re: Bridgeport Fire Department faulted in firefighter deaths Could this tragedy have been averted? I do not know as I was not there. I have not read the report in it's entirety but what I do know is that in almost every such instance the reports that stem from LODDs invariably say that they can be and should have been avoided. I do not believe that to be a fair assessment in every instance since it is always easy to find fault after the fact. The Officers and FFs on scene did what was for them the right actions at the time. That events spun out of control and ultimately led to the deaths of two members is tragic, but to me definitely not due to negligence or incomptence. At the risk of sounding cold or unconcerned I have to say it: we must remember that firefighting is an inherently dangerous undertaking. That means that we all run the risk of serious injury or even death in perfoming our duty. No amount of safety officers, or regulations is going to lessen that risk if in fact we are to continue to enter burning buildings. In the end it is a risk vs benefit decision and sometimes given the available information that decision can turn out badly as it did in this case. My heart truly goes out to the families and the members of the BFD and I too mourn the loss of these two FFs. To me their memory will best be served by learning the lessons that can be learned to help prevent similar events in the future. And this is where NIOSH and other LODD reports come into play. We must heed the information that is learned from the investigations. If areas are lacking they must be corrected inasmuch as resources allow that to occur. Recrimination is useless and in fact counterproductive. If "bad" decisions were made then it is far more important to find out why they were made rather than to assign blame for them. Nothing will be gained from the "blame game" other than to paralyze the fire officer's ability to make decisions lest he make the wrong one and face professional repurcussions or worse. As an aside in talking with my British colleagues here I have learned that in the UK right now there is a Chief and a number of other Fire Officers that are being prosecuted for manslaughter. The charges stem from a fire in which 4 FFs were killed in a roof collapse. These officers are being held criminally responsible for the decision to send them into the building in which there was a report of possible victims (in the end there were none). What this has done is effectively eradicated the ability of officers to make hard decisions, risky but necessary decisions, about commiting FFs for fear of going to jail. I fear that we too are fast approaching a time when a similar attitude prevails here, and to me that would be the most self defeating and destructive outcome imaginable. For many of us that came up in years past we relied on our training and experience to get us through tough spots, and to my mind this cannot and should not change. But with that must come the realization that in some ways the job itself has changed and so too must our attitude and actions when working a fire. I do not believe we need a safety officer to tell us that. Instead our training must reflect the new realities we face, and the culture of the department itself must also reflect them. But this must be done without losing sight of the fact that in the end we will face perilous and potentially deadly circumstances in performing our duty, if in fact we are going to continue to perform it. The Officers on scene that day, like so many in others cites and towns across the Nation that face an LODD, will carry the burden of the decisions they made forever. We need not blame, fault or cite them for those decisions as I am sure they believed them to be the right ones at the time. All we can do, in fact what we must do all of us, is learn from tragedies like this and apply what we have learned. If equipment is faulty, fix it. If the training is lacking, fix it. If members are out of shape, fix it. If communications is an issue, fix it. If the culture of your dept is stuck too far in the past, change it. RIP Lt Velasquez and FF Baik. Let us honor their memory by continuing to save lives and put out fires. Sorry for the rant Cogs