mfc2257

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Posts posted by mfc2257

  2. Posted

    To answer a few items....

    R-37 out of Briarcliff HQ and E-248 out of Millwood Station 2 are not equal distant. MFC Station 2 is 1.4 miles to the RT-9/RT-134 interchange. Briarcliff HQ is 2.9 miles.

    Fex404 obviously knew that E-248 is now running as a Rescue Wagon, but I'm not necessarily sure that the rest of the surrounding FD's are aware of its new capabilities thus is it pretty logical that R-37 got the job.

    For future reference, if a bread and butter cut job is needed then E-248 is the proper mutual aid unit to that location. Regardless it should probably be added to the box from now on at that location.

    If a full rescue squad is needed for struts, airbags, high lift jacks etc.... (In reality there isn't a true heavy rescue anywhere in northern Westchester regardless if the chassis that are being run are heavy duty) then Briarcliff R-37, Croton R-18, and Millwood R-36 from HQ are appropriate in that order to the same location.

    The choice of proper mutual aid equipment to various calls will never be made properly until each department in the county is required to hold each of its apparatus to the same standards AND the county creates a protocall for what apparatus will be called to what jobs. In reality, the OIC at this incident should not have had to specify which apparatus he/she wanted, but rather they should only have had to ask for the next due rescue company (Millwood E-248) or next due heavy squad (Briarcliff R-37) OR in lieu of those apparatus whichever came next in the CAD if they were unavailable.

    Given the situation and the fact that Westchester is at least two decades behind the times as far as CAD choice of apparatus I think the right choice was made to call for R-37.

  10. Posted · Edited by mfc2257

    My former department has just taken final delivery of their new 104ft RM Seagrave Maurauder. This rig replaces the 1977 Seagrave 100ft RM that had been in service until last year. This is the rig that was featured earlier this year on EMTBRAVO with the blue LED lights that illuminate the ladder rungs and railings for easier climbing.

    It is quartered along with Quint 1, Rescue 1, Engine 1-1, Reserve Engine 1-3, Ambulance 1A and 1A1, and Service 1. Gettysburg PA is on the MD border and the Mason Dixon Line halfway between York and Carslisle PA. 1 Hour north of DC and Baltimore.

    Truck 1 until the late 1990's was the 1st due truck to the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD aproximately 15 miles south on US RT 15. Its first due area consists of the majority of Adams County PA, parts of Frederick and Carrol County MD, Gettysburg College as well as the National Parks that make up the Gettysburg Battlefields.

    Other Pic's available at Gettysburg FD

    post-163-1207664278.jpg

  11. Posted

    Ok a few notes on working with CAFS:

    First, if you'd like to see how well it works, set up a drill in your district and invite everyone from the neighboring districts and have the boys from Millwood bring E-247 over. I know for a fact that they'd love to help debunk some of the CAFS myths for everyone.

    Through all of the bickering there have been a few good points. The best one is that CAFS is just another tool. If used correctly, it can create a positive outcome faster than the traditional materials (water) that it was designed to augment.

    From the pump operators standpoint the most important items to remember:

    1) For many systems the compressor MUST be engaged before you spin the throttle up otherwise it will not engage.

    2) You must be alert to any situation that can create a rapid change in your CAFS mixture. While operating at full CAFS you are essentially pushing shaving cream through the line. It is very light and the line is very easy for the guy on the knob to work with even though you've got the throttle spun to the same pressure that you would using water (at least on most CAFS systems). If for some reason the mixture goes to 100% water because the compressor accidentally gets shut down or you run out of foam, etc.... the guys that are holding the line are going to get knocked on their butts and will most likely lose control of the line.

    3) As with any foam system it must be flushed with much diligence.

    From the OIC's standpoint a few items of note:

    1) If your first due engine is a CAFS rig and everything behind it is not, make sure that you're not following the CAFS lines with regular water to hit any hot spots. You will wash down the CAFS coating which in the end is what will most likely keep you from having to return for the rekindle.

    2) If you extinguished the fire using water, after you've done your overhaul and are getting ready to pack up, have the CAFS rig pull up and coat everything with it. I've had several large fires where I'm nearly positive we would have been back for a rekindle but the CAFS coating after overhaul kept it from flaring up.

    3) Positive pressure ventilation during your operations may be necessary to help clear the rooms that have been extinguished of smoke because CAFS does not allow the guys on the line to hydraulically ventilate the room via an exterior window.

    From the line man's standpoint:

    1) No matter what anyone says about CAFS being able to rapidly absorb heat, you have also just extinguished a fire in a rapid amount of time. Thus, a rocking room and content fire that you just put out using a dropper full of water is NOT a safe place to stand up or to begin removing equipment. Traditional safety procedures are important to remember here. Keep your equipment on, make sure the room is vented and cleared of smoke/heat etc before you or the truck crew stand up and start pulling walls and lids.

    2) Just as important for the crew on the knob as it is for the MPO, you've got to expect that at any time, for any reason, the line that you are throwing around like a inflatable toy could turn into a monster if the solution goes from CAFS to water quickly. For this reason, it is still important for there to be a backup man on the hose line during CAFS operations. If you feel the nozzle starting to react.... secure the line. The last thing you want is to be like a turtle on its shell (your air pack) with the hose line flying backwards down the stairs behind you while the fire begins to advance towards you as you are struggling to get up.

    A final note... I've seen some stupid crews attempt to use CAFS to extinguish petroleum fires as well as a magnesium engine block fire. Needless to say they didn't understand the physics of how CAFS works and what it really is. CAFS is not intended to extinguish petroleum based, distillate based, alcohol based, or electrical fires.

    There is nothing different about using CAFS compared to any other new piece of equipment. So long as everyone understands the nuts and bolts of how it works from pump to nozzle and then trains on it regularly then it will be a great addition to the department.

  13. Posted

    It's in my phone. Never had to use it at a call.

    There was a story from down here in FL though about it being used for an auto accident victim who's ICE designee let the medics know that he/she had several pre existing medical conditions or allergies. Whatever action was taken as a result of that ICE call apparently is what saved the victim.

  14. Posted

    A little bit off topic, in my previous Company when we sec'd the new rig, we ordered the suction sleeves with Storz couplings. For the few times I used them before I transferred they seemed to work fine. Anyone else have these couplings on their suction sleeves?

    My only issue with stortz fittings on hard tubes is that as the "O" ring breaks down over time, the stortz connection won't provide the pressure at the coupling that is needed to keep it air tight. With a traditional coupling, you always have the opportunity to try to tighten it. With a stortz your S.O.L if the thing isn't air tight when it snaps into place

    On LDH, where the line has pressure in it, a small leak won't kill water supply, thus stortz are great. While you're drafting, a small leak can mean the difference between water at the pump or no water at all.

  15. Posted

    I was taught to listen to the whine of the pump and primer. When the tone or pitches changes, you have water and open your discharge.

    When the pitch changes you're almost there.... Don't spin that throttle too quickly or you'll loose it like a big can of warm diet coke in the pump housing.... Let the primer really begin to dump water on the ground before you crank the throttle especially if you're lifting water a significant distance. The primer got it to the pump.... It won't drop it if you take your time from there....

    There is a little finese to pulling water 20+ feet up to the rig. Open the discharge too quick, spin the throttle too quick and you may drop all that water right back to the source.

    I suggest going somewhere tough to practice. Use three lengths of hard tube. Make it a good elevation change. Ride the primer and pump hard and see what it's really like. It's not as easy as it is at the training center.

  17. Posted

    While we're doing a refresher here.... Lets go over how this really works. Many people believe that the intake side of the pump is actually sucking water in. That's not the case. At draft, when you are priming the pump, you are actually reducing pressure inside the pump so that it is lower than atmospheric pressure. Once you have accomplished this, what is actually forcing the water up the hard suction is atmospheric pressure pushing downward on your static water source and it naturally moving to an area of lower pressure which is inside the pump housing. Once inside the pump housing the impeller(s) boost pressure and send it into a discharge.