Briarcliff's General Alarm 7-24-10 (Discussion Thread)

[DMA327 12]

First, what's going on here is that people are asking questions about problems which they are seeing from pictures and listening to from radio chatter which most of the writers on bravo find offensive. Secondly, everyone is also putting these questions in a format that other people on this website can never handle because they're being told what was done wrong instead of suggesting what could be improved for the next incident.

Instead of people ranting about what they don't like about Briarcliff's operation, they should put their opinions in a more constructive format... and for that matter, the people answering the questions should exert a little more control over themselves before getting all riled up for nothing!

I wasn't at this job so i cannot comment on the operation of this fire...However, maybe all the Departments in Westchester County can start by putting written orders into 60 control's CAD system for automatic dispatching policies. This in itself would solve the major debacle going on in many small communities at most major fires in this microcosm we call Wastechester!

Putting a truck in front or as near to a private dwelling fire or any other structural fire for at least the use of its ground ladders and specialized equipment is always a great idea. We don't necessarily need the aerial at this job but we're gonna VES the hell outta the bldg. more quickly and more efficiently with a couple of 24' extention ladders!

As for 5" across a street, with water loss or any imminent water problems, you do whatever you have to do to make sure there is a positive continuation of water for anyone working inside (especially those working above a fire). With that said, anyone experiencing water problems should be on the air giving an urgent to the IC with confirmation back from him that he and everyone else is aware of the situation.

As far as a FAST Truck goes, at minimum!, 2 firefighters need to be fully geared and ready to go to work outside of the IDLH if there are members operating inside of any area that is going to labelled as an IDLH atmosphere. If the IC decides he wants to relieve them with an additional team, that's his decision. But remember that the original FAST truck has hopefully been there since operations commenced and they know exactly what is going on from the start of the incident to the incident/fire being placed under control. If the incident is prolonged, they should be complemented with a unit which keeps them hydrated at all times. If they came on a TL which needs to immediately be placed into service for whatever reason, that's a different story... for another day. But note that if this does occur, we still need to keep the 2 in 2 out minimum in affect at all times until and additional FAST truck arrives.

Lastly, if anybody, whether a chief, lieutenant, or just a regular ff is running any type of prolonged operation where the men are going to be exerting themselves or overexerting themselves he/she should think of having at least 2 ambulances (BLS and ALS) and a rehab unit on scene--one bus for standby purposes and one for transport.

That's my 2 and i hope this thread doesn't go for another 10 or 20 pages like the rest of them do.

Stay safe everyone!

[x635 4,066]

All I have to say is listen to the audio of this incident. It tells a lot.

[eric12401 77]

Just have to say thanks to everyone who offered up information. I've been a volunteer firefighter in Ulster County for 5 months, and I'm still learning, so reading all this from a different perspective was very insightful. Thanks again!

[1075thebox 1]

some will learn from this and possibly change and be more pro-active and some will not....like everything else some things just never change....think outside of the box and know whats around you and avalable to you....and for the future listen to ideas of people....certain ways are not the only ways....the times of "we have done it like this for years" is over in some circumstances...as usual this has been beatin to death.....

Edited August 5, 2010 by 1075thebox