FD123FD

Some quick useful info to offer to your membership. Mike Blackburn from Providence and Mike Healey from Rockland have been working on a National Fire Service Members Assistance Program. http://www.treatmentsolutions.com/national-fire-services-member-assistance-program/ This is a topic that seems not to be addressed and unfortunetly our brothers and sisters don't know where to turn.

In 2013 we had 101 LODDs (god bless them all). Our loss is up 18 from 2012 and 20 from 2011. The US Fire Administration hasn't come out with the statistics yet, but this is something we as members of the service should be addressing (instead of ranting and raving over this EMT in Ellenville). This topic is a serious problem in our field and we should be spending time on this. Even subtracting the loss of the 19 brothers and sisters in the Arizona Wildland Fire, the numbers of lost brothers and sisters is still way to high.

Sir, You seem to have done your research, which is good. I wish there were more Firefighters out there like you that would actually look into the data. Hopefully you can help improve the fire service in your area. 1. I am well aware that the unfortunate loss of the brothers and sisters in Arizona is an anomoly. Even though this could happen again. Learning from our past incidents is key. 2. I am glad you still agree that out LODDs are still high. Because in fact they are. If anyone is content that the LODDs have been below 100 for the fith year in a row they should be ashamed. I want to see these numbers lower. 3. I know exactly what multi tasking is. I know its part of our trade. So your jab really isn't appreciated. With a little research you can easily find the facts of the EMS incident. The EMT screwed up. There were 2 calls with an interval of 2 minutes, the 2nd being a non priority. He decided to send a crewed rig to the later. He has a history of not following policy. If his history wasn't haunting him there is a possibility the board wouldn't have given him a suspension. He admitted that he was wrong and knowing so he should have taken the 60 day instead of quiting. WHY DO WE DO THIS JOB? I don't know too many that would quit!! 4. I am familiar with the data and thank you for posting it for everyone else. 5. I agree with your statement. It is very true. I am not on here to argue or have a heated conversation with you or anyone else. That is a waste of my time. I am sorry you disagree that the Ellenville blog isn't a rant and rave, but that's my opinion. I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

Some good posts on this topic and some are completely absurd. Not going to waste the time copying and pasting. Just going to try and make a point... The process isn't necessarily broken, you have the right to vote for who you want if they meet the Company's minimum qualifications. 1. What may be broken or completely screwed up is your departments qualifications to run for office. If your department doesn't require you to be SCBA Interior Certified or be a qualified driver operator and so many more certification, then shame on you and your department for allowing this to be. Bylaws need to be structured properly. 2. If your a district then your Chief's need to be approved by the Board of Fire Commissioners and your Company Officers should as well. I know your all saying company officers don't get approved by the Board, well THERE ARE rulings to the contrary (I'll dig them out and post them one day soon). If he Board would approve an unqualified FF then shame on them for allowing an incompetent officer. 3. I know there are FFs out there that have those "Feel Good Binders" and have taken every FF class out there and still can't apply what they have learned. Well again if the If he Board would approve an unqualified FF then shame on them for allowing an incompetent officer. If your in the fire service for the right reason you just don't pack it in because you were voted out. You stick it out and work on changing the ways of your department because you care on its success. Make recommendations to the bylaw committee for changes. Go to the Board of Fire Commissioner meetings and recommend they review the Districts Officers requirements. There are things you can do. NYSOFPC has a typing called Firefighter Training and Education: Best Practices This isn't 100% your answer, but it is a building point for you. Take it to you meetings. Don't be afraid to speak up. Remember if nothing is said, nothing will be changed.

OK. Lets not take commentary out of context. Lets try and compare apples to apples. Because this scenario isn't: "A. The team of 18-21 year olds fresh out of Firefighter 1 standing on the front lawn, ready to go with equipment. -OR- B. The elite "Special Operations" FAST crew in their customized FAST rig still en route from 3 towns away." I know that when a firefighter graduates Firefighter I in New York State they are no where near ready to be on a Rapid Intervention Team. This has nothing to do with the Instructors, the students themselves or the Firefighter I curriculum to how it is written. They come out knowing what they are suppose to...It's the initial entry program for firefighting personnel. Do these firefighter meet the two in/two out criteria? Yes, they do. Would they be able to go in and grab a firefighter? Possibly, but this depends 100% on the scenario they are put into. I much rather take 3 firefighters with experience responding responding from the adjacent jurisdiction on a Rescue, Truck or Engine without all their fancy FAST equipment (I know some of you may be screaming well this isn't a FAST Team). Well the response time is a lot less then those FAST Teams coming from "3 towns away" and depending again on the scenario given, they will be more effective then 2/4/6 firefighters fresh out of Firefighter I. This may sound cruel so please try not to take this the wrong way, but taking 4 firefighters just our of Firefighter I and sending them into a structure could become negligent on the Chief's end depending on the scenario. Even after completing 87 hours of Firefighter I, 9 hours of Survival and 15 hours of FAST. If they aren't prepared because they don't have experience, then they aren't prepared. You have a risk vs. reward situation. Do I think that all firefighters should be trained to perform FAST, yes I do. Just like I think that all firefighters should be trained to the level of Rescue Technician Basic, and have taken additional classes such as Truck Company, Engine Company, and so on. Why? Because this makes you a more knowledgeable Firefighter, a better firefighter. All these additional classes you end up taking connect like a puzzle, if you understand the concepts of what you are doing. Firefighter I and youtube just isn't good enough.

Do you think volunteers are ready to be part of a FAST Team after FFI? I don't! As of right now the minimum qualifications in order to take the FAST class is Firefighter I, Survival and 4 years experience as a firefighter. I personally am not sure if that is enough. We say FAST/RIT or any other name you want to call it is to be activated for a downed FF. This could be something as quick as grab and go due to a the firefighter having a medical complication inside or as something as complicated as a technical rescue due to a colapsed structure. This can be related to those volunteers that were active and took a a bunch of classes the first couple years and really hasn't been around the block or to a probie that just graduated the Fire Academy and hasn't been around the block. The facts are that the the this task specific training is not for everyone and you really need to be one of those firefighters that carries a pretty big tool box on your shoulders. Does this mean that as volunteers you can't train with your FAST Team? I think that training with your department team and others in your area will only make you that much better of a team as well as a firefighter because you are now adding more tools to your tool box. When you join the fire service there is a lot to learn. You need to continue learning until the day you retire (no matter if your volunteer or paid), and when you retire you most likely will strive to continue learning because your heart was into and still is into it.

I honestly have never heard something so obserd. The minimum training you need to participate in the Flash Over Training is Firefighter I OR Basic Firefighter and Intermediate Firefighter OR Firefighting Essentials and Fire Attack. (the Chief must also sign and "Authorization Letter" which attests that they have a firefighter physical and comply with OSHA 1910.134). I know of multiple volunteer departments that participate in the flashover training in Rockland County and also multiple departments that participate in the in the NYSAFC Flashover training when their simulator tours New York State. NYS has some of the best fire instructors out there (and I am not just talking about OFPC Instructors). To say that the training is to dangerous for the volunteers just doesn't make sense. Was this training just set up for the career staff? What is the word from the horses mouth? I have never heard of an insurance company not pushing training for those that they insure. I have always seen the complete opposite. If a department is not recieving training someone needs to start stepping up to the plate to ensure their firefighter start recieving the needed training. This may sound a little harsh, but "Volunteering as a Firefighter" only really means that you are doing the job for free. You volunteered to join one of the most professional orginizations and careers in the workforce. Once your accepted its time to do a job!! You have made the comitment and you need to put forth the effort to show up at training and ask for more training. The Officers, from the Lt's to the Chief's need to put forth the effort to ensure that they can send their firefighters to all training available. The more training you attend, the better the firefighter you hopefully become. The better firefighter you become the better the service you are now offering to your customer (the Village, Town or District you protect).

The Instruction of Firefighter I is a hot topic throughout NYS. In response to the initial post, AVET is a complete seperate class and is not touched on in Firefighter I. This is because it's considered a Firefighter II skill (yes, I know its not taught in FFII, It's at the Level of FFII). Should an AVET awarness be taught in FFI since the members will be responding to Auto Accidents as soon as they get in the department? Probably should be....BUT...at this time the NYS FFI is already at 87 hours of instruction. This is not nearly enough time to teach the topics that need to be covered. I see above that some are saying we need to match the National Statndard. That would be great...but you are realistically looking at 130 to 160 hours of instruction. Our Chiefs are complaining that 87 hours is to long, I can only immagine what would be said if the course hit that amount of hours. Now, I do think that you will see the NYS FFI be changed to meet the National Standards in the near future but it will not hit the 130/160 hour mark. CFI609D is right on with the topics that need more time in the FFI course with the addition of Ladders. He is also correct when he says FFI should be looked at as a fundamental class for Firefighters to start their career in the fire service and they should continually strive to take additional training classes throughout their career. I believe Officers need to play a bigger role in the training of their members. Participate in training with the members, help get new members ready for FFI (if students came ready it could save a good amount of time for other topics in FFI i.e. knowing how to put on PPE and familiarity with SCBA), post the Outreach Training Schedule and any additional training that is being offered regionally. Encourage the members to participate in these training sessions. The more training your members have, the better firefighters they become, a more of an asset to the fire department operation they are and the orginization becomes a better Fire Department. All members of the fire service, no matter what their rank is should remember to remain a "student of the fire service". It's what will assist in keeping you alive and humble.

Look at the new NFPA standards. You aren't suppose to keep the helmet in the cab with you. It's not secured if an accident were to happen.