Future Fireman

I beg to differ. They may cover different territory and have different SOPs, but there are things that are COMMON between the 2: 1. Staffing: Every Engine,Ladder,Tower Ladder, Rescue, Squad, whatever the hell you want to call needs good staffing. Obviously, the staffing of a Chief's car will be different than the Engine. However, it is my opinion, that from a safety standpoint, we need 4-5 personnel minimum staffing a company AT ANY GIVEN TIME. I know I don't want my company to have 5 guys and my 2nd due have only 2. If a FD cannot staff more than 2 at any given time, it's time to regionalize and take the surplus members (i.e. more than 5 per company on a shift) and give them to their 2nd or 3rd due that only has maybe 2 or 3 members at most per shift. 2. Response Time: If any given FD cannot guarantee 5-6 minutes or less of a response time, that needs to be fixed PRONTO! IF the FD has the resources, build another station (or 2 or 3) and cut down that time. If you've got suffiecient personnel on 1 side of town in a station with 2 companies and you have frequent 7+ minute responses to the other side, BUILD A STATION on the other side and STAFF IT with 1 company! 3. Training: ALL FIREFIGHTERS need to know what the guy who's got their back has for training. If there is a STANDARDIZED TRAINING statewide and ALL FIREFIGHTERS ARE TRAINED TO THE SAME LEVEL, there will be no asking in our heads, "Does the guy that has my back really been trained to the same level I have?" Mike

Rob, who's to say a committee like that couldn't be formed here on EMTBravo? We've got over 8 thousand members on here, why not? Mike

The ideal fire department is one that puts safety for their FF's and the citizens of its district above all other priorities. NO IF's, AND's, or BUT's about it! Then again, I'm only an explorer Mike

Is that bull feces I smell? Or is it an odor of natural gas call that he's gonna dispatch? Mike

Oh boy, now we're getting into more ego crap with regionalization. I'm gonna need some more popcorn! Mike

That seems to be the most probable reason. Mike

In this case, I side with the homeowner. If he didn't know what he was doing, well, that would be another story, but I condone his actions. Mike

BUMP. C,mon, I know more people here have scanners. I'm not asking you to do say what you scan, only what you scan with! Mike

As a representative of RED SOX NATION (trademarked) it is hereby decide upon that this person involved in the incident is no longer a member of RED SOX NATION. (trademarked) Mike

Hey I never said I eliminated that possibility. My point was that it could've comforted the kids alittle bit and been a good PR move. That's not to say that it would've been a priority, but as it seems the public sometimes seems it necessary to bash us occaisionaly. But never mind that, you claim to have all the answers and you say your location is in JERSEY!? Somethin seems wrong to me if I'm reading someone give me the fire details and they reside in Jersey. You got anything else against me of the like, take it to PM. This is what I don't get, if it was propane fed, shutting off the gas at the meter IS A MUST!!!! Mike

Happy Anniversary Seth and Kris! Mike

The nozzle stream doesn't look like a smoothbore either. It appears to be a narrow fog. Mike

Way to go Dave! Great pics! Mike

How far is Lake George Village from Otisville Heading up there (Lake George) the 20th, but could make the trip a day earlier and attend this. Mike

Ok, now the fire also involves propane and/or flammable Natural Gas. A couple other things to point out: 1. I don't know if down there they carry utility shut off devices, but up here they do (at least where I buff anyway [not to be confused with where I'm an explorer at]). IF they had the tools, they could've shut off the flow of gas into the house. This would've made the fire easier to knock down and the property could've had a few items, not alot, but isn't our goal PROPERTY CONSERVATION done in a safe manner? The kids maybe could've had their teddy bear to hold while looking at their totaled house. 2. Where is the propane tank at? Is it a small, grill type tank, or is it a much larger tank resembling the size of an oil tank? If it's a grill tank, extinguish the fire around it and shut the valve on it, but if you do, at least put a fog above your heads to keep the propane in the air from igniting. If it's like an oil tank, look at the building and determine the possible locations of a shutoff valve. If it's like a natural gas meter, see #1. Mike

Doc, does it even have a radio? Mike

Hmm.... Here's what I see that could of been improved. 1. I see jacks extended, but no aerial over the building. Not even a ground ladder thrown. Even with the ground ladder compartment door OPEN! Where's the truckie's at? Where's the vent hole that would've STOPPED that fire from extending? So far posted, nowhere in the pics is a vent hole shown. 2. Reports of OCCUPIED house fire, it appears very little entry was made, and then pulled out for a defensive attack. What happens if the occupants were on the 2nd floor? Multi-casualty fire? The only way this attack could be justified is if AND ONLY IF, the home's occupants are found to be out of the home upon arrival, then it's not very smart to go in with that much flame showin' until a grasp on it could be reached (see below). 3. Improper attack. Those exterior lines are not putting water on that fire. It appears to be an improperly placed DIRECT attack. A NARROW fog could've knocked down some of those window flames. After that, they could've done an EXTERIOR INDIRECT attack to slow the fire until they streched a hoseline to the inside and k/d the seat of the flames. 4. WHOOPS, missed this earlier: A/C unit bieng poured with smoke and fire. Exterior BLUE attack line performing a indirect attack. on the "B" side is close to right under it. If it goes, it'll roll over and land on top of the FF on the nozzle. 5. Missed this earlier too: With fire in the back on the C side, it appears the blue attack line on the B side is fighting both sides of that. The FF on the nozzle should've knocked down those flames first and then flanked the fire on the C side instead of going back to the B side. If I missed anything, let me know. Mike

C,mon noone else wants to show off their scanner(s)? BUMP Mike

Great job so far. Is the aerial gonna be made operational? Mike

Damn, they start young these days! Mike

The drilling rig's too big for it! Want a shovel? Mike

Depends, the turret has 2 guns, and it's a vehicle. Buy them seperately and.....LOOPHOLE! Mike

From what I understand, MOST American ladders are not intentially designed for lifting. However, the METZ aerial company and a few american companies actually rate their ladders for lifting. The tip capacity of a TL varies based on structural components. I believe the maximum tip WEIGHT capacity for TLs are around 1000 pounds as required (?) by NFPA 1903, but as I stated before it varies on the aerial. This help at all? Mike

Was it the one that sank at the dock? Mike

Take a stop too hard, roll over on the roof, land back on your wheels and keep going! Mike