antiquefirelt

I'll start by saying none of our personnel have any form of a beard other than 2-3 days growth (how about this?) But as the quoted from the Respiratory Standard: no facial hair that interferes with the SCBA mask seal. If you pass a fit test with a beard, haven't you proven that your beard doesn't interfere? As for teh test vs. the real deal: the test is done under negative pressure so the chance of a leak is much greater. When wearing the SCBA your mask is slightly pressurized pushing any contaminants away from any break in the seal. Also, if we are doing teh fit test correctly you should work the seal with movements and talking to try and dislodge it. No it ain't perfect but if we keep forcing volunteers to do things we're going to run out. As for career personnel, look as DCFD last year or so for a case of religous beliefs and beards. The career guys whose beliefs require beards can keep them and be interior firefighters.

One has to wonder how the Peirce mid-mounts will work out. They have the largest jack spread of all MM's yet they bought them foir one of the most compact city's in the nation. The E-One jack system is superior to anyone's, just the rest of the truck is questionable.

Where are you getting a National Firefighter 1 or 2? The only standard is NFPA and to my fairly educated knowledge there is no such thing as Nationally Certified as a firefighter. That being said, there could be ARFF stuff and there defineately is national registry EMS levels. Many states may have reciprocity with other states, but there is no nationally recognized curriculum that certifies you anywhere in the country. This is an initiative of many NFA staff and fire service leaders nationwide. Their theory is to have a national certification like Docotrs, Lawyers and EMT's so we can become a true "Profession". See Fire Chief or Firehouse article by Denis Oneal the superintedant of the NFA.

As EWAC said the type of aerial device has no bearing, it is that you have the requisite number of aerials, they carry the ISO equipment list, you've certified them each year. There are way more pitfalls that most of us need to overcome. Satffing, response time, water supply (this kills us), dispatch systems (another issue in our area) and training. Many departments think that by having automatic aid they get full credit for their neighbors equipment- this is not true. TYou can get partial credit with well documented quarterley combined training and proper response times. But as we found when we used a mutaul aid companies ladder while ours was OOS, they did 75% of their calls in our city and could lose partial credit as it is their only truck co. Shared resources must still allow for adequate coverage in the owners municpality most of the time. I don't remeber the exact numbers, I'll see ehat I can dig up.

Yeah, sorry I didn't :what ladder you use".

Coat: Leatherman tool(clipped outside) latex gloves hose strap wire cutters utility knife mini flashlight Big Ed Rechargeable light (clipped outside) spare radio battery waterproof hydrant list (location, psi, flow) safety glasses Pants: 40' webbing 40' 3/8" military rope extrication gloves folding knife (clipped outside) Radio strap: radio cellphone

How does the White Plains system work? 3 days on, 2 off, 2 days and 4 off? Which are days and which are nights? You don't work 3 full 24 hr days ina row do you?

This will cause a reduction of 25% of your career forces! You'll be working 24 on 48 off as we are where I am. Our station did 2500+ runs (including medicals) last year. Its not so bad but a 4 shift system of 24 hrs would be much better. The dept.s that I know that have switched from 10/14's to 24 hrs. work a shift like this: 24 on 24 off, 24 on 5 days off. If your dept. was to go to this and make you be available as part time (retained) during some of you off time, it would be better than switching to a 3 shift system. The three shift system averages 56 hr weeks vs. the 42 hr week with four shifts. Here in the States there are not many places that force you to be a part time firefighter on you "days off", becuase they'd have to pay you overtime per the Federal Fair Labor Standars Act. It has actually been used to force firefighter to not volunteer in many areas.

How about a brief synopsis of these two awesome peices? Pump, tank, hose capacities, hydraulic tools, generators. You know the important stuff. They look great but I'd like to know more about the functionality as we're just starting our specs for a rescue pumper and R47 looks like what we're thinking.

I don't think that is 100% correct. If your community requires an aerial device then ISO will take away or give points for your ladder regardless off everything else. True there are many factors, and some hold more weight than others. But you will be deficient in points if you do not have a ladder and they think you should. It very well could not be enough points to change your actual rating though as again there are many factors, each with many points and different weights. Also, automatic aid credit is only accepted where you can document training per ISO minimum schedules. Another problem we found was that if you provide mutaul aid with your apparatus and more than (I think) 25% of teh responses are out of your town - YOU COULD LOSE CREDIT for your own truck.

WTF It looks like a newer Ford Explorer!!

OK. Finally back from vacation, time to pay some bills. Awesome trip to the ALF plant in Ephrata, got to see a few rigs from the NY-NJ area. Summit, NJ 100' midmount, 100' stick from Long Island and a few Buffalo RM Towers. Plenty of tillers for the Left Coast. On the rated height debate: here's the NFPA definitions fromt he latest (June 2005 meeting) CD: 20.2.2 The rated vertical height of an aerial ladder shall be at least 50 ft (15 m) and shall be measured in a vertical plane with the ladder at maximum elevation and extension from the outermost rung of the outermost fly section to the ground. 20.7.2 The rated vertical height of the elevating platform shall be measured in a vertical plane from the top surface of the platform handrail to the ground, with the platform raised to its position of maximum elevation. Basically except for where they're measured from, rated height is rated height. Length is measured fromt he center of the turntable, to the outermost point. This way either a stick or a tower will have less reach than height than beceause of the difference betweent he ground and the turntable - 5-7 ft. By the way- Mike Wilbur was classic Mike. Telling the ALF guys some of the stupid stuff they do (not just ALF- even Peirce) and making them change ot for our truck.

I guess I gotta be in the minority but I disagree. Nothing Showing on arrival is obviously from the outside and should stop the majority of the response from killing themselves to get there. There are depts around us that don't give a size-up 75% of the time no matter what is showing so assuming nothing said equals nothing visible is worse. What I beleive is worse is the poor terminolgy when something is showing. We hear a bunch of fully involved reports when there is only smoke showing. We use the "Nothing Showing" followed by investigating on all calls. This says, yeah it was reported as a strucutre fire but on arrival it is not readily apparent. There is a huge difference in teh amount of fire and level of involvement between a building with nothing sshowing and one with fire or smoke showing. My 2 cents. Bring it!

Izzy: I'm pretty certain that NFPA 1901 says a mstick is measured from the top rung to the ground at full elevation and extension ands a tower from the ground to the top of the rail. I'll check the 'puter tomorrow if I remember (NFPA online). I'll be meeting with Mike Wilbur Sunday or Monday in Ephrata, PA. He's meeting us at the ALF aerail plant to do our pre-build conference. I'll ask him too, he's a great guy!

Not necissarily true. As a stick is measured from the tip to the ground and the platform is measured fromthe top rail to the ground. Both, if as stated are 100' than thats where the measurement is to. Then consider that to work off a 100' stick you'd have to lay in the ladder and maybe be able to reach out the length ouf your arms. In the tower platform you're standing on a floor that is no further than 42" from the top rail. Therefore you truly have greater working height as measured by the ability of the firefighter to reach up or out. Unless you're shoulders are at the 42" rail hieght, like my old D/C. (Dorf-On fire)

We just had a demo of the Massimo unit. It seems to work well and is the only thing out there like it. We will be getting one this Jan and maybe a second in June. The thought is that we often cannot get occupants to seek medical attention after being exposed to CO in there buildings. WE had to argue with a pregnant woman for over a half hour after she was in an apt. where the readings were over 200 PPM. Also will be used in FF Rehab. This might create a real issue if we all have been operating at higher than normal levels and now have to make many people sit out. Still it seems like the right thing given the cold winter and high fuel prices will force people to "tighten" there homes even more, increasing the risk of CO exposure. By the way the unit is $3000.00 or $2500 if you trade in a SPO2 monitor, which this also does. And as you believe, we just bought 5 single gas CO monitors for our EMS units to have on all jump bags, just to see. I think we'll see some CO issues vs. the old general weakness or "flu-like" sypmtoms.

I can recall a study from Boston EMS that said we did not oxygenate pt.s enough and you needed to bag more often. For awhile we bagged on 1, 3 and 5. Now they say more compressions, less o2?

True enough, but often it isn't when they "can" operate in front, its just that they will because it's easier. This is also why you see engines parked in front of the building when they shouldn't be! The crosslays often get lines up with the front door, taking the truck's spot. A little discipline can correct this or get rid of the preconnects which cause all sorts of problems with hose stretching. "There are too many variables here in NYC to use pre connects. " We all have many variables, but the foremost variable is the wishy washy decision making processes and the lack of disciplined training. Preconnects are easier, but better? No way! Too many times the line is too short but becuase it works 8 of 10 times we pull it all 10 times. Most newer firefighters don't even grasp the concept of estimating a hose stretch!. OK thats enough to start the week off!

Until a few years ago all of Boston's aerials were 110 ft. rear mount sticks (E-One). Bronto lists many lengths, up to 241" ( *%^& That!!). I think the "Big Unit" out in Phoenix was a 114 or 119' Bronto. I know there are many 114' Bronto's out there. Evidentally Smeal is offering a 125' rear mount, Maybe St. Loius has ordered a few?

In our area the "vollies" are actually paid per call and training. There are very few fully volunteer depts. The level of training depends on the department. Some have a shoestring budget and make the most of it, others like to drive big red trucks with lights on them. Most of the "vol. F.D.s" in our area have a very small (less than $50K) annual budget. They must ask the community to replace traucks as needed and are still raked over the coals for not stretching that 32 yr. old truck just a little further. Every day the number of volunteers shrinks. Less time, increased costs and more training mandates (not all good). I'm sorry but it's a little ridiculous to force volunteers who work 40-50+ hours a week at one job to have all the diversity training, sexual harassment training, BBP, infection control and other new age crap when their time is precious. As a society we're pricing ourselves out of volunteerism with too much worry of liability and offending someone. Look at the FEMA firefighter teams responding to Katrina. My dept. is a combination of paid and part paid call firefighters. We run 2300-2500 calls a year. 3 Engines, 1 Aerial, 3 ALS ambulances, 1 Squad, 2 utility vehicles. We have 18 fulltime personnel and about 12-14 active part time "volunteers". Budget is just over $1 million. Training: All Career personnel: FF I+II, EMT-I min., Haz-Mat Tech, Confined Space Tech., High/Low Angle certified. Call firefighters: start with a pulse. Must meet same physical as career. Must come to training and be an asset. The hard part is running two different training schedules that meet the needs of both well trained and under trained personnel. Trying to accomplish this without making the "volunteers" feel as if there are two sets of standards and two distinct divisions is tough. That is probably part of the decline in our call firefighters. Its just the way it is. The career personnel go to more calls (alot more) train on duty, and most feel the fire service is a way of life not a hobby or social club. Many volunteers are like minded but work other jobs and need to have family time too.

Having done the volunteer thing for many years, I realized that this is what I wanted to do as a career. I was already a proffessional (has nothing to do with money). I have a lot of respect for volunteers that train and know the job. In my area we are constantly requesting M/A from the volunteers around us.(we're the only FD with paid staff and we're a combo). Some days they show up with 6-7 guys, other days 2-3. We cannot count on many of these dept. to provide adequate numbers. We found out that at a recent fire a M/A Co. had a new member in SCBA working in the building with no formal SCBA training. TYhis is unacceptable. Is there animosity? Not really. Just a need for adequate numbers of trained personnel. I know many volunteers that I'd trade for a few career "professionals", any day. All this being said we have also had City Councilors ask us why we couldn't be an all vol. dept.? If there were a bunch of dedicated volunteers, maybe we could (2300-2500 runs/yr). One even said,"look at how they do it on L.I." I can't wait to see him again and say, "Yeah, look at L.I. !!!" So it is hard to not have some disdain for the volunteers when your governing body sees them as a way to reduce staff. Just like in EMS, everyone is a paramedic, they think all firefighters are the same.

Who is allowed to provide fire protection by law in NY? If the county or towns cannot that leaves the state or muniiciplaities listed as Cities?

There are a few variables that would make a huge difference to me. 1. Do I have enough other engines to set up to recieve and pump water to the scene? 2. Am I just going to nurse tank or use a "rural hitch"? 3. What are the other tankers around? If they're all big and I buy small it will screw up a shuttle relay very quickly. 4. Not much compartment space on a wet-side or elliptical but thay're cheaper and simple. 5. I'd never spec a commercial chassis! They are not designed to hold up in an accident like a custom chassis and it seems that most accident (outside the big cities) happen to tankers. Big water, high center of gravity, long stopping distances and adrenaline.

Nothing says professional medic like a fat AMR parmedic out of breath on the second floor landing. Or sitting on the street corner with his/her feet on the dash sipping a 96 oz DIET Pepsi. We have a bunch of career medics, EMT-Is and a few EMT's: all are expected to be professional at all times. Over my career I 've seen many excellant volunteers from every level and many crappy ones. I also have the pleasure of having had EMT's become EMT-I's then Paramedics in our dept. Most of these medics are gung-ho-let me at 'em professionals, for a couple of years. Then they burn out and turf all but the best calls to the EMT-I's and EMT's. They want you to believe that they are the end all, but don't want to be asked to prove it. There are a few exceptions that really are great, but few is the key word. Becuase a medic has a uniform on vs. a volunteer in shorts and a t-shirt says nothing about professionalism. Heck, the maytag man wears a uniform. And college educated medics are even higher on themselves than others. A recent study of our state's system, says that our EMT-I's can do 98% of the ALS calls that medics do. In fact, other than some of the obscure drugs and crikes, our EMT-I's can do everything the same with online medical control. Paramedics with attitudes that they are the end all hurt EMS in general.

I believe the first choice of escape from an Aerialscope is to rappel from the bucket an not use the escape ladder anyway. Who want to climb down a 95' ground ladder? We're contemplating the same move on our new Tower.