mfc2257

Want to get the Mayor's attention.... It's silly but would sure as hell work...

Get a rig from each of the M/A departments as well as any other (vollie or not) that are willing to support the FDMV. Fill the street in front of the Mayor's house with rigs at 6am on a Saturday. Have each rig lean on the Federal "Q" and air horn until the air tanks are empty. When all the neighbors come out to see why there are 30 fire trucks from outside MV making that kind of noise explain to them.

Repeat at city hall on Monday. The news will show up to cover the disturbance. The news will cover a big noise complaint, but not the fact that the firefighters of FDMV, and their mutual aid companies are put in grave danger every time an alarm box is struck.

If waking the Mayor out of bed is the only way to get noticed then do it.

Make signs to hang outside of each fire station that say "THERE ARE ONLY 2 FIREFIGHTERS WORKING HERE TODAY" OR "THE FIRE TRUCK THAT PROTECTS THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN O/O/S FOR 8 MONTHS"

Elections are definatly becomming popularity contests. There is an example of this going on right now in Westchester County that I wish I could comment more specifically on, but because I'm in Florida and not directly involved any more I'll let it come to bear through other channels as the folks directly related see fit to discuss it.

From a non specific standpoint, the issue involves whether or not various elected representatives, the fire department, and exectuive board feel if someone is the appropriate choice to be an officer. The individual has filled this position before with tremendous success and they have the support of the firefighters. However, other people who don't know the first thing about the fire service are preventing this extraordinary firefighter from once again assuming the role of teacher and leader even though the men whom he would teach and lead endorse him. They are doing this becuase the individual in question is a progressive, motivated, and effective leader who doesn't roll over for politics or to make people feel warm and fuzzy. He wants to accomplish a goal as fast as safely possible and make sure that all citizens and firefighters wake up safe and sound the next morning. If all that happens then he extends his hand with a thanks to his men. If it doesn't, or there is room for improvement, he doesn't sugar coat it. It will be taught at the next drill.

At the end of the day, fire departments exist to provide fire and rescue services to the communities that they are charged with protecting. So many ranking officials in the fire service and those who have oversight of the fire servce have lost track of the notion that the decisions that are made insofar as election of officers, purchase of equipment, and who to call for mutual aid need to have one single question asked before they are made "Is this election, purchase, decision the very best choice for the citizens of the fire district" If the answer is no in any way, then it must be readdressed.

There is no room for popularity in the fire service. The best man for the job, the best equipment purchsed at the most reasonable price, and the closest mutual aid unit that fulfills the assignment are all that counts. Friendship and warm fuzzies come after these decisions have been made.

If you are merely looking to get the fire put out quickly here are a few tricks I've learned over the years.....

For the trunk, if you can't get it open and you need to get the fire put out, don't waste time firing up the saw or spreaders. Take a halligan or a sledge hammer and take out the tail light assemblies. Most of the time you can access the trunk through the space where the assemby was before you took your frustration out on it. If there isn't an interior fire, see if the rear seats fold down. Finally take out the rear window with tool of choice, then punch the speakers through the rear deck....

For the hood, again for a quick extinguisment without relying on setting up hydraulic tools or saws, take the pointed end of a halligan or pick head and pierce the hood near the front corners about 6-8 inches in and up (for hoods that open from the front of the car) then leverage the tool to peel back the hood like a can of tuna. You'll be able to get enough water/foam in there from each side to kill the fire. For old Saabs and BMW's whos hoods open forward (hinges are up by the radiator not back by the fire wall) do the same technique except by the back of the hood.

My brother in law has one. Loaded company truck. Got everything he wanted but the diesel (settled for a Hemi).

I'm a Ford man and I'm tempted to convert based on the overwhelming functionality of this rig.

If you're going to use foam, first decide what you are going to use it for.  There are various types of foam available, but they are NOT interchangable.  For example, if you are using it for pooled liquids, AFFF or FFFP (and associated derivatives) work great.  Hi - Expansion (HiX) doesn't work at all.  Likewise, if you are trying to flood an enclosed space, as in trying smother a stubborn cellar fire, then the moderate expansion rates of AFFF/FFFP do not work. 

CAFS and Class A foams work great on just that - CLASS A fires.  Essentially, the normal Class B fires laugh at you. Dumping Class B foams on "A" materials gives you some surfactant value - (soak in), but that turns out to be quite an expensive hobby.  There are other foams available which may offer better vapor suppression, knockdown, or drainout resistance.  Some that come to mind are specifically for Haz Mat Operations or Decon. 

IFSTA puts out a good primer - Principles of Foam Fire Fighting, which should get you headed in the right direction.

A word of advice - just because it gets introduced into the system like foam, doesn't mean it is foam.  F-500 works on the the reaction side of the tetrahedron.

You can still buy wetting agents and friction reducing compounds, (yes, there's one born every minute) which get introduced into your hose lines using an eductor.

 

AND

Whatever you do - don't ever mix concentrates, including F-500, because the end result will probably be a chemical knot thicker than a superball.  That WILL ruin your day.

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As a quick warning (that I've mentioned before) to all those who have new CAFS systems or new FF's who have never trained with them.... CAFS puts many of the typical residential fires we encounter out very quickly, BUT Suppressing an enclosed (ie: Room & Content) fire with CAFS creates a totally different enviornment than using water or Class A consentrate. CAFS uses VERY LITTLE water (think shaving cream) and thus does not have nearly the cooling effect that straight water or foam consentrates do. Thus, when you extinguish the fire you are left with a room full of superheated gasses that are nearly has hot as they were while the room was burning. DON"T STAND UP. Crawl back out of the room and establish a defensive position to protect against flareups until the room can be properly vented by the Truck Company if the OVM hasn't done so already. ALSO, if you are fighting a near flashover fire from a doorway, you aren't going to get nearly the penetration that water would give you (think of the difference between the force of a can of shaving cream VS a super soaker water gun). Once a room reaches flashover, the foam will begin to suppress the fire from combustable materials such as the walls and furniture, but the superheated gasses that are burning from floor to ceiling will most likely overpower your foam line. At this type of fire I would suggest a smooth bore and bounce it off the ceiling and walls to create an impinging fog.

Just a few thoughts.... Millwood bought the first CAFS pumper in the county (E247) in the late '90s and I've had a chance to use CAFS a few times. Its great but it's not the total solution that some folks think it is. There is still absolutely a demand for straight water at a some fires.

I was just wondering... what are the various types of foam (if there are various types) and what their different uses are, as well as under what circumstances to use or not to use foam. I was also wondering the different capabilities i.e. foam tank sizes and other equipment that is used or stored on trucks around the area.

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This is a copy and paste from a post I made about a year ago when I was still Captain in Millwood before moving to Florida. The description of the apparatus describes its foam capacity.

Until a about a year ago with the exception of the airport, Millwood had the largest "ready to respond" foam capacity north of white plains. This may have changed with folks taking delivery of new apparatus. With a water source, running as a "taskforce" these apparatus can flow over 2000gal of foam product per minute.... Probably more under the right conditions and if you included the in line bucket eductors that are available too.

Engine 247 - 1998 Spartan/3D 1000/750. Location: Headquarters. Assignment: FAST UNIT. First Due (East of Taconic State Parkway) General Alarms, Motor vehicle Fire, Mutual Aid. Special Equipment: CAFS Pump A/B foam. 1200+ft 5in hose. FAST Equip. Thermal Imaging Camera. AED. K-12 and Chain Saw. Diesel generator. Misc other. No less than 40 gallons of each (A/:lol: foam on board.

Engine 248 - 2004 Spartan/Sutphan 1500/750. Location: Station 2. Assignment: First Due (West of Taconic State Parkway) General Alarms, Motor vehicle fire, Mutual Aid. Special Equipment: 1200+ft 5in hose. Class A/B foam (no CAFS) Lukas Combi Tool, Gas Detector, K-12 Saw. Hydraulic Generator. Misc other. No Less than 40 gallons of each (A/:P foam on board.

Mini Attack 10 - 1989 Ford F-350/Saulsbury 750/150. Location: Headquarters. Assignment: First Due Brush fire, wires down, water rescue. Special Call Source pumper, narrow driveway, class B foam. Special Equipment: Zodiac rescue boat, chain saw, winch, class B foam system. 1000+ft 4in hose.

Utlity 44 - 2002 Chevrolet 2500 Pickup. Location: Headquarters. Assignment: Special call to complement all Fire Department Operations. Available to transport our 80 gallon foam reserve OR 3 portable gas generators, OR 400gpm gas portable pump.

I wonder why know one thought off roofs back then in the cabs???

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Preference... Just about any rig made from the mid 30's on could be purchased with a roof of some sort.

The "B" model Mack that I own originally was built with a roof. When the apparatus committee arrived in Allentown for final inspection in 1957, they told Mack to cut the roof off and replace it with a removable metal frame covered in canvas.

This is unbelievable... Why didn't the dispatcher simply send a RMP and a Bus to the house. If the cops arrived and there was no body in distress, send the EMS crew to their next job and scold the kid.... Two calls, no response, one person dead. Not good.

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4739612

In my extraordinarily unimportant opinion......

In a online forum such as this, where nobody's life is placed in danger by the information that is exchanged, you shouldn't be able to hide behind an anonymous screen name.

If you've got something to say, then you should be able to stand behind your statements, opinions, praise, and criticism with your real identity.

That's why my signature includes my real name. This eliminates confusion of people's identity. For example, my screen name is mfc2257 because when I opened an AOL account 5 years ago I was Millwood Fire Company's 3rd Lt. with a County Identifier of 2257. That was the name I used to open my EMTBravo account. Since then I held the office of Captain 2254 until Feb of 2005, now I'm merely a FF living out of state, and by April of 2007 I'll have to drop to Associate Member because I won't have accrued the points needed to remain active.

WELL what does all this mean... It means that my comments can easily be confused with those of the current 3rd Lt. in Millwood if I didn't have my real name listed on my signature.

Just my thoughts...

yeah White Plains has them on their rescue they have used them a few times and they work pretty well.  They are not composite however they are all metal with nylon straps.

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The ad from the link indicates "new" composit struts... After some further reading, it looks like that use a fiberglass reinforced polymer for the struts... Interesting insofar as they'll be light, but I would wonder what their resistive characteristics towards chemicals, gas, and heat are?

I've never seen that particular brand in use, but I've used modified high lift jacks for years in the same capacity. There are other manufacturers that make various similar types of ratchet or hydraulic lift/stabilization devices.

I can't say that I've seen one made out of composit materials like that yet. I'd be curious to know that it is... Carbon Fiber? Carbon Kevlar?

Whatever it is, I'm sure it's a ton lighter than a cast iron high lift jack.

Just my opinion... But wouldn't this sound a little more logical... Give or take a company here or there.... I'm sure I've missed or duped one or two but I think everyone gets the point...

Briarcliff, Ossining, Archville, Croton, Millwood, Yorktown, Mohegan, Somers

Montrose, Buchannan, Verplanck, VA Hospital, Peekskill, Continental Village

Pleasantville, Hawthorne, Valhalla, Grasslands, Thornwood, North White Plains

Chappaqua, Mt. Kisco, Bedford Hills, Bedford, Katonah, Armonk

Banksville, Vista, Pound Ridge, Goldens Bridge, South Salem, Croton Falls

Sleepy Hollow, Pocantico Hills, Tarrytown, Elmsford, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, Ardsley

Larchmont, Mamaroneck Village, Town of Mamaroneck, Purchase, Airport, Port Chester, West Harrison, Harrison, Rye

Fairview, Greenville, Hartsdale, Scarsdale, Eastchester, White Plains

Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Pelham, Pelham Manor, New Rochelle

Date: 4-3-06

Time: 1300hrs

Location: I/A/O 100 Block of Boylston St. b/t Charles & Tremont

Departments: Boston FD, EMS, PD

Description: Crane & Scaffold collapse onto street below crushing at least one passing vehicle w/ two occupants, reported to be a Honda Civic sedan. Vehicle then rearended by following vehicle. Occupants extricated from sedan. Three confirmed fatalities total a/t/t.

Links:

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_regi...e_collapse.html

Writer: MFC2257

I flew Hooters to Myrtle once not necessarily for the girls, but because it was cheep.... It was cheep, but it sucked for those looking for the same attention that you get at a Hooters storefront. Two Hooters girls welcome everyone on board and hand out some promotional items while the plane is pushing back. Then they sit in the front row until the aircraft lands. Then they say goodbye as you deplane.

The flight attendants are normal men and women not Hooters girls as they would have you believe.

Right before I moved to Florida in early 2005, Millwood and Pleasantville began working together on a section of Pleasantville's box that had water supply issues and pressure problems. I believe that the final agreement that was finalized after my departure was that Tanker 15 is now first due into their box for certain streets due to this water supply issue. I'm not sure if they've added Pocantico and others on the intial alarm. Glad to see that Katonah and others from the north are cross training as well.

Both 2251 and 2371 are on this board often, they can probably elaborate.

OVAC and Briarcliff Manor FD-EMS are the primary providers other than CVAC on the west end (Millwood Fire District). Essentially CVAC's box ends in the area of Route 100. Most spots west of Route 100 are OVAC or BMFD-EMS's box area.

There may be some overlapping areas of NewCastle that Armonk, Mount Kisco, Pleasantville, and Yorktown cover, but I'm not 100% sure b/c they don't boarder the Millwood Fire District and only interacted with those agencies on a second due basis.

Try this website for all your rescue- FD knot needs- www.animatedknots.com. The site shows the step by step method to tie most knots needed in the fire service. Follow the links for the hasty harness.

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Animated Knots is a great site... I couldn't remember it before.

If you have time to make the Emergency Harness listed on the page, thats great.

If you need to make something REALLY F-ING FAST... Follow the instructions for the Bunny Ears. Practice and make sure that you make the loops big enough for your legs/thighs to fit through.... step into it and if you need to be lifted immeadiatly then hang on tight and make sure that you don't fall backwards out of the loops.... Also, watch your family jewels... This hurts... If you have another moment, you can leave some excess line when creating the rabbit ears and wrap it around and under your armpits and tie it back to itself to prevent you from falling backward if you need to let go of the rope. This is tricky as you have to tie the knot back to the line with one hand (as you maintain tension in the line with your other so that you tie it close to your breastbone/sternum area) that requires an overlapping method of which I'll need to get a better description from an old instructor of mine.... It's a modification of a knot that I know as "three follows two"... Which coincidentally is one of the only, if not the only life saving, load bearing knot that is recognized to make an inline anchor point on a rope.

All of this can be created in about 20-25 seconds. Just the rabbit ears should only take about 10 seconds.

I'll see what I can put together for this.

Im not exactly sure, but I do believe the hasty harness and the swiss seat are two different things.  I will look it up, but the hasty harness is a quick make shift harness made by webbing that allows you to hook a biner to it and repel.  The swiss seat has been around for a while now, ever since I have been in the service.  Anyone else know for sure if theyre the same or different?

Also, Ithink that the fgure8 on double bight was an old school knot used to beat feet, I dont think it is the "Swiss Seat" which was also made with webbing.  Its confusing with all of the knots coming out, Ive learned 3 or 4 different knot families now!!! 

I would like to refresh though, anyone know for sure?

Jonesy

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You're absolutely correct, they are different. I was catagorically speaking when I mentioned it as a swiss seat because lots of folks will call it that.... Even though its not technically.

The harness or system of knots that I believe that everyone is talking about here is intended for quick solution to big problems that require you to go up or down an incline via rope assistance or lift... Not to do general rapelling with that should be performed with proper harnesses, rope, safety precautions, etc.

Oops JM15 beat me to it.

http://home.arcor.de/varn/rappel/swiss_seat.htm

This link is a more thorough way of doing it when you have the time. I'm looking for the pictures of the way I prefer which is to create the seat off your body and step into it... It's faster.

What you are referring to is called a "Swiss Seat"... For lack of a better description, it's a figure 8 with two bites (rabbit ears) to put your legs through like a harness... If you leave a little extra slack, you can wrap the rope under your armpits and tie off to itself to support your upper body. It's very effective to get your put out of dodge in a hurry when the brown stuff's hittin the fan. It's uncomfortable to be lifted by, but it works.

I'll try and find instructions online, if not I'll write them out and attach later this week.

Go through the Lincoln Tunnel and around the helix ramp that puts you up on I495... You'll go about 1.5 miles through the pit (kinda like the cross bronx) and Union City and when you clear the I495 trench this is right in front of you.

Total distance from the Hudson River is no more than 2-3 miles...

I could be wrong but even though the article says Rutherford, it's probably Secaucus if it's right at exit 16w. If it's really in Secaucus the agencies operating are probably Secaucus (Volunteer), East Ruthaford (volunteer), NHRFR, PAPD, Jersey City, Hoboken, Kearney, Harrison, North Arlington (volunteer), and others for mutual aid depending on how big it really got.

I used to live in Hoboken for a year and have an office in Secaucus (at exit 16w)right by where all of that is going down. There are usually a few really bad brush fires there each year.

Although it's only a hypothesis, I think that much of the old swamp land that was there has been modified with drainage channels, thus leaving vast tracts of open land full of dead vegatation close to the NJT, Freight, & Amtrac lines. Sparks from passing trains are often the cause of brush fires nation wide.

In the summer of 2001 there was a HUGE brush fire in the same spot that turned the whole Secaucus, North Bergan, Jersey City Heights area black and smokey for an afternoon.

In theory more power doesn't mean more fuel.

Often times turbocharging and supercharging make engines more effecient by making power more effectively through the hp/torque curve.

My family had a 1996 Chevy Tahoe that had some engine work done. Most notably was the supercharger that added plenty of power (a dynoed total of 400bhp at the rear wheels) but also increased fuel economy by 25%.... On the highway, the truck had enough power to pull overdrive up just about any hill without downshifting, and around town requred less throttle imput to drive the local roads.

It's not always the case that you get better power and better economy, but high quality products can often give you the best of both worlds.

Yawn ! Growing tired of Yankee bashing for the sake of bashing.... The dumbest thing I've ever heard is "I hate the Yankees because they've won too many times" That's not a reason to hate a team. If you are a fan of Boston or the Mutz or anyone else for that matter, try putting more effort into rooting for your team than bashing the Yankees... It takes less energy and makes being a fan much more enjoyable.

Rooting for someone to lose just for the sake of losing is about the worst outlook you could ever have.

BTW I'm a Yanks fan (if you couldn't tell) and I think that one of the best things that happened for baseball was Boston winning the series. To tell you the truth, I hope that the Cubs get a chance soon too. It's good for baseball for other teams to win... Helps keep it interesting... It's not good for baseball to hear people to hope that teams lose for the sake of losing. Think about how a 10 year old kid feels while standing on line to enter Yankee Stadium for a Blue Jays or A's game when he hears people saying "I'm not an A's fan, but I just hope the Yankees lose."

The Yankees aren't going anywhere. They may not win the World Series this year or next... Doesn't matter, they'll be back sooner than later. And when they do, someone who sat there bashing them will have egg on their face... Again!

Have fun be a fan of your team instead of a Yankees hater.

Companies sell brush fire gear for aprox $125.00 that includes pants, top, socks, etc.

Many departments will allow FF's to operate at a "grass" fire with bunkers, helmet, gloves.... OR if they are a department that has issued uniforms, and the BDU's are made from a fire retardant material, then that is acceptable too.

A true brush fire or woods fire, is a very different animal than a grass fire and I would caution against ever operating at one without a dedicated fire retardant suit that includes socks, gloves, helmet, etc.

In Westchester County where brush fires aren't so common (like they are out west) that departments are going to be issuing dedicated brush fire gear, then the answer is full turnout's. THIS BEING SAID, on a hot summer day humping hose, rakes and shovels into the woods, under the power lines, along railroad beds, or where ever else these fires are found, extra manpower is the key. Possibley more so than at a structure fire. Exhaustion will set it quickly while aggressively working a brush fire in full bunker gear and there must be an ample supply of FF's to rotate out in timed intervals, as well as a dedicated rehab station who's focus is rehydration and preventing heat related illnesses.

To compare.... A 1 acre grass fire (often reported or confused as a brush fire) may only require two engines and a mini pumper or brush rig to control (maybe a total of 10-15 men including officers).... A woods fire of the same acreage (depending on wind, previous rain fall, amount of thatch and leaves, etc.) may require the same equipment (give or take) but would very likely requre double or triple the mount of manpower and all the resources needed to keep them cool, hydrated, and not worked to the limit of exhaustion.