Pact To Quicken Fire Response

[efdcapt115 1,511]

A fire sparks after a pan is forgotten on a hot stove. It begins to smoke and chew through the kitchen.

If the home is near 36th Street — the edge of the Papillion city limits — it could take up to 12 minutes for emergency crews to respond.

But a Bellevue firetruck could make it in 2 to 3 minutes.

The Omaha, Bellevue and Papillion Fire Departments announced a new plan Wednesday to erase city and county boundaries and provide quicker response times to those in need.

With the new automatic aid agreement, residents will get a response from the nearest emergency crew, regardless of which city they live in.

Officials from all three cities praised the new system, which begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Imagine that.....

http://www.omaha.com...01/705099884/-1

[Bnechis 3,961]

Great idea. I would love to see this happen, But to make it work you need minimum standards for staffing and training.

[firemoose827 324]

Great idea and I hope it helps them out.

This is similar to our day time mutual aid plan with the 3 mutual aid departments that border us, we are toned out simultaneously for all fire calls in our district from the hours of 6AM-6PM, and the first unit on scene handles the call. The first officer on scene is IC regardless if they are from our mutual aid dept or not. We are getting equipment on scene faster this way WITH enough manpower to handle the call as well, and no ones ego gets in the way.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Great idea. I would love to see this happen, But to make it work you need minimum standards for staffing and training.

Barry if all the chiefs from the departments included in the consolidation study came together, couldn't you bring every department into a standard of operation; making necessary adjustments as manpower availability decreases in towns and villages? In other words lay a piece of the groundwork for the future, however long it takes to get there.

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Please allow me to expand on the idea for a second. In my former department's case, we had to fight for years just to get two firefighters on each rig. Power to the people, it eventually happened thanks to some political help from oncerned citizens within the community, some of which served as Fire Commissioner.

Great now we had four two-man engines and two two-man trucks. I spent considerable time trying to alter my squads thinking about job function.

You take four two-man engines (women included of course) and those two trucks and I would bring them together and say, forget about how many rigs you showed up on; we've got eight engine-men, and four truckies. An ideal number to begin a fire attack on a private residence.

We adjusted for "two-out" and wrote a RIT grant for that job function. Add the tour commander and aide, and the two chiefs, bingo there's your initial fire attack.

First and second engine become one engine, doubled up to stretch the initial attack line. Third and fourth engines equals a second engine company to cover necessary assignments.

Firt ruck, two guys make the iniitial decision for exterior rescue or go together, two firefighters as the interior team. Second truck arrives with two firefighters and completes one truck company. The third and fourth truck position assignments fall to them.

It never went anywhere though, because one chief wasn't on board with efficiency changes to operations. If I would have taken that asst. chief's job I would have worked for even more consolidation within the department, as well as maintaining existing equipment and physical plants to be able to rapidly expand upon call-back.

My point is, with internal improvements like that in town, village, fire district fire departments, it is possible to bring them out of their areas with enough personnel staffing a rig to be a company and perform RIT for surrounding cities. To have progressed enough internally that they cn now fit into an auto agreement.

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

Please allow me to expand on the idea for a second. In my former department's case, we had to fight for years just to get two firefighters on each rig. Power to the people, it eventually happened thanks to some political help from oncerned citizens within the community, some of which served as Fire Commissioner.

Great now we had four two-man engines and two two-man trucks. I spent considerable time trying to alter my squads thinking about job function.

You take four two-man engines (women included of course) and those two trucks and I would bring them together and say, forget about how many rigs you showed up on; we've got eight engine-men, and four truckies. An ideal number to begin a fire attack on a private residence.

We adjusted for "two-out" and wrote a RIT grant for that job function. Add the tour commander and aide, and the two chiefs, bingo there's your initial fire attack.

First and second engine become one engine, doubled up to stretch the initial attack line. Third and fourth engines equals a second engine company to cover necessary assignments.

Firt ruck, two guys make the iniitial decision for exterior rescue or go together, two firefighters as the interior team. Second truck arrives with two firefighters and completes one truck company. The third and fourth truck position assignments fall to them.

It never went anywhere though, because one chief wasn't on board with efficiency changes to operations. If I would have taken that asst. chief's job I would have worked for even more consolidation within the department, as well as maintaining existing equipment and physical plants to be able to rapidly expand upon call-back.

My point is, with internal improvements like that in town, village, fire district fire departments, it is possible to bring them out of their areas with enough personnel staffing a rig to be a company and perform RIT for surrounding cities. To have progressed enough internally that they cn now fit into an auto agreement.

You are to smart for yourself , Stop and go fishing or get one of those tall drinks they talk about !

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Stop and go fishing or get one of those tall drinks they talk about !

How did you know? lol

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

Your going to need a bigger BOAT ! Try mine