Jason762

Last night Capt. Joe Pagano of the Middletown, CT FDsuffered a heart attack after returning from several runs with his company. He was a member of MFD since 1978. Arrangements will follow.

The problem with these nozzles, and it has been discussed here before a while ago, is that although these TFT automatic nozzles are designed to appear to have an effective, proper stream at low pressures, they are in fact not producing the GPM that is needed to effectively attack a fire. To the eye everything looks fine but you are flowing less GPM than you may think. This is just one of the problems with TFT nozzles, departments should look into using smoothbore nozzles for all hi-rise applications. I'd rather use a nozzle that is designed to be used at 50psi and whose GPM can be easily calculated, rather than one that appears to flow effective streams but does not in fact.

Stamford FD uses 2-75' lengths of 2" hose with 15/16" tip on all standpipe jobs. As for elevators, if its below the 7th floor we're walking, above 7 floors, taking the elevator until 2 floors below the reported fire floor, with safety stops every 5 floors and always checking the shaft for smoke, water, etc. Also no more than 6 members in the elevator at one time, and preferably leaving one member in the elevator to act as the elevator operator to pick up other crews/equipment. Check how the apartments are lined up 2 floors below and the location of the standpipe hookup on the floor below the hookup (very important in scissor stair buildings). All members need a radio, irons, and SCBA in elevator. Also use FD elevator service when available.

Matt, I guess midnights have been slow...

That ones a new one to me (not that I'm in the know about all the closed door meetings), but last I heard it was a possibility for old T-2 to go to Glenbrook in exchange for T-31. This would give them a quint which judging by their manpower issues would be a much more fitting apparatus. And as for the fate of T-4...all we can hope for is that it goes to the scrap heap.

x152 would have been there, but he was too busy driving Cheshire's Pierce Quantum rescue.

The pictures of the drill have been posted follow this link: http://www.stamfordfire.com/Photos/index.cfm This was an impressive drill and a good job was done by all involved. It was nice to get to use a lot of the new specialty USAR equipment in a realistic setting. Hopefully we'll see more drills along these lines in the future.

Besides the FDNY Petzl system what other systems are in use in this area? I use 40 feet of 8mm rope with a mini-rack pre-connected to a Gemtor harness. Basically all that is left is to find an anchor point which can be accomplished by placing a tool (halligan, all metal hook) in the corner of the window and off you go. A simple system that works quickly and reliably, cause when the s--- hits the fan, there is no time to screw around making connections or tying knots.

How is that not a good example? It met all the criteria for which your question was asking. Just because the tactics at the fire may have been questionable doesn't mean it wasn't a good example of when having a bail-out system would have possibly been helpful.

X152, Do you care to revise your post after watching the Yanks take both sides of the doubleheader? Then again what do you expect from a team that was swept by the Royals only a week or so ago...break out the golf clubs boys, there will be no post-season in Beantown...

Thanks for the further explanation. I am familiar with the opticom system, we have it as well, and like you said it works most of the time. For whatever reason I forgot you had stated you use the opticom in your first post. As for the rest I agree with what you said and I wasn't placing judgement on your response methods just wanted clarification. We generally try to push the cars up on the sidewalks (kind of like parting the seas for lack of a better description), rather than push them through the light. Although you can't control what any of these idiots do behind the wheel. Everybody's in a rush to go nowhere...

So if I understand this correctly if you are responding to a reported structure fire with people trapped and approach a negative right-of-way intersection you sit there behind God knows how many other cars and wait for the light to turn green? Now I am all for safe driving and not being an idiot behind the wheel of a 30 ton fire apparatus, but this seems a little excessive. Maybe its me but isn't there a big difference between coaxing cars to the side to let us by and coming up behind them at 75 mph thus making them pull out into an intersection. I guess you must not have bad traffic because if we were to shut off our sirens at every red light, it would probably take 20 minutes or more to get to half of our calls. Now I'm not knocking the way anyone else operates, just curious because I've never heard of responding this way.

I believe if you are NY state EMT getting reciprocity is not a problem. The application saya you have to have a valid CPAT card at the time of appointment meaning you have to schedule an appointment and take the CPAT and pass it before you are appointed. Many towns/cities in CT don't have a residency requirement or offer points to residents but allow anyone to take the test. and to answer another question, if there were college credits required they would list that in the "Requirements" field on the application...

Date: August 3, 2006 Time:11:13 Hours Location: 595 Summer St Frequency: 800 TRS Units Operating: DC2, E1, E3, E5, E6, E8 (callback), T3, R1, M3, M4, M901 (supervisor), M91 (special op's unit) Description Of Incident: Transformer explosion/gas explosion Writer: Jason762 At 11:13 Hours E5 was sent to investigate smoke and sparks from a transformer. Upon arrival E5 found a construction accident had occured causing an electrical exploision as well as an explosion from a gas main leak. 11:21 Hours- Power shut down to a large portion of downtown Stamford. Multiple calls for people stuck in elevators throughout the city ensued. 11:45 Hours- A full box assignment was dispatched. Many local high-rise businesses and residences were evacuated due to high levels of natural gas found. 12:30 Hours-Callback crews were assembled to man one engine company and a second rescue company. 13:30 Hours-Medic Special operations rehab unit on scene for firefighter rehab. 14:21 Hours-Relief crew sent to scene. Crews stood by until all buildings were monitored and safe levels were found. Power company would remain on scene into the night to make repairs. 15:40 Hours-Last FD unit cleared the scene.

It's hard for me to believe that younger members who posted some of their ridiculous ideas of how the fire service should be, really feel this way. When I was a vollie, new to the fire service I couldn't wait for drill night. I never found training to be boring, or felt that I was being over-trained. It was great to be introduced to all kinds of different knowledge and information. And my feeling for training continues to this day, its the one thing you can always fall back on when the s*** hits the fan. If you don't have that knowledge base then God help you the day you get jammed up. Or maybe the shiny trophy you won will give you the answer you need. Maybe the problem in some of these dept.'s is the way this information is being presented. If your instructors are sub-par in their knowledge or ability to present the information in an interesting manner (such as relating book information to real life stories/experiences) than the experience can be painful for all involved. Training should not be boring for the members. Yes, there are some topics (bloodborne pathogens for example) that are mandatory yearly classes and aren't the most exciting, but they may also save your life or keep you from contracting a disease. Point is, if you find training boring maybe this whole fire service thing isn't for you. Perhaps you should find an interest in a more "exciting" field where you don't need to actually know what you're doing.

But those things don't involve shiny plastic trophies and beer. Oh yeah and getting to ride on the hosebed of the engine.. We attend our own St Patty's Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day, and probably one or two others. We only send 1 engine company and any off-duty members that would like to attend. These aren't the typical volly parades, just march the route and at the end, off you, go back in service. Other than that, none.

Fonz, Please tell me you are kidding...That could be one of the most ignorant statements I've read in a long time. That mentality is one of the reasons why 100+ FF's die every year. If you're joining a FD to attend parades then you should just stay home. Its pretty sad when there are people who call themselves firefighters, but they've been to more parades than fires. If your dept. is slow then that is even more of a reason to train. Some day, maybe not today or tomorrow, you will have a fire, and if you're not properly trained, you're going to get hurt or killed. This whole mentality that people like Fonz and ZABT6 are protraying is wrong and those who buy into it should do us all a favor and get out of the fire service right now. The fire service has no use for people like you!

Without knowing the entire story and being a spectator from the outside it appears that they are targeting this fire company. Suspending a capt. for using a 10 code...seems a little extreme, right? Having meetings about disbanding a company without any of the company in question members present?!?!?! But then again the article seems to only show one side of the story. Whatever the case may be it seems the public's safety is taking a back seat to personal agendas. Hopefully someone with a little more knowledge can shed some light on this.

Steve, It took you this long to lose faith in people??? It's Stamford, what do you expect. Everyones in a rush to go nowhere. At least no one's gotten shot in a couple of days...

FAST (Firefighter Assistance and Search Team) aka RIT (Rapid Intervention Team) is the concept of having additional manpower (the actual # of addtnl FF's varies) above and beyond the initial assignment, standing by at fire scenes, haz-mats, technical rescues, etc., whose sole purpose is to rescue and/or assist any FF who becomes lost, trapped, entangled, or otherwise needs assistance. The two acronyms are interchangeable depending on where you are from. A RIT team should be dispatched anytime there are members working in a potential IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health) atmosphere.

You left out one thing...the RIT team in addition to having all their tools ready, should be doing their own size-up of the building, looking for and removing hazards like window bars, blocked egresses, etc., throwing ladders. Basically being a proactive RIT team...

I think you might be missing the point. As I try to work my way through the many misspelled words and gramatical errors in your post, I think you are under the impression that the classes listed should all be taken over a short period of time. Instead I think what they are getting at is that FF1 is not the end of ones training, it is actually the begining. Instead they list many training ideas that should be pursued over ones first few years as a FF and continued on through the rest of a career. And as for needing to know more as a carreer guy vs. a vol., that attitude just re-emphasizes the fact that we are not all on a level playing field. I thought from reading others posts, that vollies and paid guys were all the same??? Of course if that's not what you meant I appologize, it's tough to figure out what you were getting at when the sentence said "You can expect a new recruit or someong to tak all these calsses at once and expect to remember them, on the volunteer sense, career you have to to morre I know."???...??? maybe its me...

Can you clarify what you mean by fog/adjustable nozzles have more "staying power"? Thanks

I agree 100%...unions can be a wonderful thing. When the city doesn't care about our safety they can make them spend the $$ to make sure we are safe. Obviously all the statistics on safety and injuries and case studies in the world will not ever change the mind of certain individuals. Many Vols. claim to be on the same level as us, and some may be close, but things like this just make me shake my head...

ZABT6, It's hard to put into words how ridiculous you sound. How much of a vollie stemwhacker are you? Now before everyone jumps on how this is not a vol vs career issue, think about it. This is another case of volunteers giving themsleves a bad name. In the career service these things don't happen. If they did the officer would be demoted (or worse), the FF would be seriously disciplined (or worse), and the chief would have a lot of questions to answer. Why don't these things happen in the career service? Hmmm, maybe because we are actually too busy doing things actually related to firefighting and our job. All these parades and other functions are fun, but they seriously take away from what the FD is all about. It turns what should be a job into a social club. The idea that we are sitting here looking at these pictures in 2006, and actually having a discussion about it is unreal. The worst part is, there are actually some people that are defending these actions. What are you thinking? Where did you pick up this mentality? You do not belong in this line of work. To anyone participating in actions like what we've seen in these pictures, grow up, act responsible, and reevaluate if you truly belong in the fire service at all.