Rehab, Response Times, Reality Check

[Dinosaur 844]

Date: 4/12/11

Time: 19:53

19:53 Fire & police responding for a reported occupied car into the river

20:22 Cmd request hire back 1 firefighter for rehab and to bring a tent to the scene

20:35 Dispatch reports dive team from ______ county responding

20:52 ________ County responding with 10 divers & a zodiac. Cmd now canceling all mutual aid dive teams.

ONE firefighter for rehab? How effective is that going to be?

42 minutes from request to "responding" and then another 17 minutes between the time a team says they're responding and they're actually responding? WTF?

If it takes an hour to get a dive team out why bother? Just let the police recover the bodies.

When are we going to stop representing that we have resources that we don't. If the response time is an hour it's a recovery team not a rescue team.

[99subi 121]

Listening and watching some depts its seem to be a complete mockery of how things should be done... with that said what can you expect?

[201/65 94]

ONE firefighter for rehab? How effective is that going to be?

A 1 to 9 ratio for FF rehab isn't as horrible as it seems, although a second would be helpful

42 minutes from request to "responding" and then another 17 minutes between the time a team says they're responding and they're actually responding? WTF?

First, your numbers are off, City of Newburgh PD Dive Unit was the first requested and on scene, the ___ County Team was requested MUCH later.

Second, there was a representative on the air responding and divers assembling, they never claimed to have the full team responding.

If it takes an hour to get a dive team out why bother? Just let the police recover the bodies.

When are we going to stop representing that we have resources that we don't. If the response time is an hour it's a recovery team not a rescue team.

[xfirefighter484x 234]

So at what time were the additional dive teams requested, AND, when did they call out responding? If so, were the called in an "emergency response" mode, versus called as a recovery team? Even if they were a 'backup' (as a FASTeam would), compare the times, and are they acceptable?

I do not know much about this incident, or any units involved, I am going on what the news outlets, and here are reporting, I am just throwing out some food for thought.

[Dinosaur 844]

Listening and watching some depts its seem to be a complete mockery of how things should be done... with that said what can you expect?

Given the taxes that are paid for the service that may not be provided we should expect and demand much better.

[billwiegelman 1]

Its the same as some departments that list their response times as 3-4 minutes when that was actually when the Chief in his landscapers truck showed up..the rig shows 10 minutes later or more..or even worse..not at all

[201/65 94]

So at what time were the additional dive teams requested, AND, when did they call out responding? If so, were the called in an "emergency response" mode, versus called as a recovery team? Even if they were a 'backup' (as a FASTeam would), compare the times, and are they acceptable?

I do not know much about this incident, or any units involved, I am going on what the news outlets, and here are reporting, I am just throwing out some food for thought.

Listening to the fire side only, the chief called for the NPD Dive Unit immediatly, and if there are divers already on duty they normally begin assembiling immediatly upon dispatch. After the FD realized they couldn't locate the vehicle quickly, and they were going off a 10 y/o child's report, that walked to the fire house easily a few minutes run up hill from the river. They called for West Point FDs Marine Unit to search for the vehicle, obviously now a recovery several teams were requested for the search. Once NPD divers located the vehicle all add'l resources were cancelled.

As far as response times, with the exception of the NPD Dive Unit, nothing is close to acceptable for rescue in this area of Orange County. NYSP has a dive unit out of I belive Troop F HQ in Middletown, and NYSP was on scene so that dive unit may also have been on scene.

For this area of OC the dive teams, in my best judgement of travel times.

City of Newburgh Police

Hughsonville VFD (by land or river)

NY State Police (by land)

Dutchess Co SO (by land or river)

Stony Point & Thiells VFD (by land or river)

Sparrowbush & Port Jervis VFD (by land)

Monroe VFD (by land)

Ulster Co SO (by land or river)

Ulster Hose VFD (by land)

[Remember585 815]

Its the same as some departments that list their response times as 3-4 minutes when that was actually when the Chief in his landscapers truck showed up..the rig shows 10 minutes later or more..or even worse..not at all

In my eyes, an Engine or a Truck showing up with one FF (paid or volunteer) isn't doing much either. It's the same as a Chief rolling up.

The overall public perception is that "the fire department is here," regardless the number of rigs / people showing up. Often times, the calls we all go to are false alarms, non-fires and non-life-threatening, so the homeowner is actually satisfied with less people and vehicles.

On "game day" we better be bringing as many apparatus as we need to ensure the right number of people with the right equipment show up in a timely fashion. Since most municipalities aren't going to hire more guys where they're needed, and most of us in volunteerland can't stop working, Mutual Aid will be the "solution" for a very long time.

I have family in Michigan, and I talk to my cousin often. He works in a city very similar to Mount Vernon that has TWO CAREER FIREFIGHTERS STAFFING TWO RIGS 24/7. They rely on Mutual Aid and callbacks. They often go to work at a legit house fire once a day, so in perspective.... we all have it pretty good!