Westchester's Numbering System-Is It Time For A Revamp?

[spin_the_wheel 460]

Most Departments in my neck of the woods buy quints to address manpower issues. They figure this one wonder rig can do it all, and makes a great all purpose first due rig. My answer to them when talk of mutual aid is brought up, is if this is your thinking, then that rig should never leave the borders of your district. If it's the super rig, then it should never be a mutual aid rig. Keeping that in mind, we never call for this type of unit mutual aid into our district. Its either an Engine or a Ladder, maybe a special need for tower ladders, ladder towers.....a bucket. If a Dept. has a quint, it was probably bought for a special purpose or need in their own area, it should stay in their district. JMO.

Edited August 11, 2009 by spin_the_wheel

[NYRangers30 1]

The thing is that most of the time an incident commander knows what his neighboring departments have, whether their ladder is a quint or not. Calling for a quint could actually end up screwing you over because it could be coming from further away as to where if you were to just call for 1 and 1 your response time would probably be better along with greater staffing. Call for it early and if you don't need it send it home. Don't run the risk of coming up short