Driver stays with the rig

[ex-commish 490]

In reading the article about the Mt. Vernon truck that was driven away by a civilian during a fire I am wondering what departments have policies that make the driver stay with the rig he/she has driven regardless of wether the rig is committed to the operations of the incident or not. My department does.

Andy Mancusi

Chief

Hawthorne FD

[calhobs 110]

Here in Sleepy you drive, you stay

[hudson144 150]

i'm sure many depts have a sop pertaining to this topic,its always a good idea to have someone stay with the rig but in some cases especially places with limited manpower this is almost impossible.if we left a man with each rig that is not actively involved fighting the fire we would be in big trouble,we would lose the services of 6 or more firefighters,not good especially when on our 1st due assignement we actually roll in with an average of 12-14 men. in the situation in mt vernon the other day this man was in the street yelling at us as we arrived. scene security which is up to the PD is important. at this point of the alarm i know that officers were on location but they may not have been in the area that this "HERO" was. this could have been reaL bad but fortunately the outcome was good. nobody got hurt!

Edited February 20, 2006 by hudson144

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

Years ago our department followed the practice of driver stays with the apparatus ( a good practice) but over the years, bad habits and shortage in manpower have had drivers come away from their assigned units. This as you would imagine does not apply to apparatus that are in operation. Still the practice of driver with the truck is something that if nothing else makes logical sense.

I'm thinking the apparatus operator on this particular TL may have been toward the rear near the turntable? Or. the fact that "over staffing" a rig in Mt. Vernon has not been an issue for many years. You may have had the driver fall in with his company.

[Guest]

In reading the article about the Mt. Vernon truck that was driven away by a civilian during a fire I am wondering what departments have policies that make the driver stay with the rig he/she has driven regardless of wether the rig is committed to  the operations of the incident or not.  My department does.

Andy Mancusi

Chief

Hawthorne FD

←

i dont know about anyone else, but when i drive my 2004 seagrave engine,i stay with the rig. i have a friend who dives ladder 3 in mt vernon and he told me that the driver was going in the fire building to help out when the truck went for a joy ride

[Guest]

what if the truck chauffer has to go in to assist w/ a rescue? MPO I understand, but a truck chauffer may have to go to work...

[IzzyEng4 427]

My department, the operator stays with the truck unless there is someone there to take it over or watch it. Very, Very rarley does the apparatus driver leave the vehicle unattended.

[ajsbear 11]

In Mt. Vernon, even the days as a combo dept. the driver always went in. The only ones outside were the working chief, his aide, the MPO's on the 2 first alarm engine co's.

Edited February 20, 2006 by ajsbear

[TAPSJ 30]

In The East Fishkill Fire Department You Have To Stay With The Truck At All Times. Most Of The Times Thier Running The Pump, Or Staying Warm If It Is Cold Out, Or Cool If It Is Hot Out. If The Driver Does Leave He Is Less Then Ten Feet Away At All Times. When They Do Leave They Are Bring Equipment To The Scene.

Thomas

[mfc2257 464]

In many cases, you will see the Truck chauffer fall in with his company if the apparatus is unable to be utilized for its aeriel capabilities due to apparatus location on the scene.

Even so, if the aeriel device isn't being used immeadiatly upon arrival, the chauffer may be throwing ground ladders, assisting with the OVM, or if the first due truck is a quint, and the MPO is operating the pump, the second due truck chauffer may be assigned to the turntable of the first due truck.

Staying with apparatus when possible is a logical choice, but the fireground is a fluid environment and having an MPO or Chauffer stay with a piece of apparatus that is onscene but not in use is not always practical.

Also, there is an inexpensive way to fix this problem.... If an apparatus is left unattended, there are kill systems that can be installed so that if the brake pedel or gear selector are moved in any way, that the engine dies. They are common in ambulances and police cars, but I've never seen one in a fire truck before.

[grumpyff 1,159]

The kill systems require a key in the ignition to override the safety system. Unfortunately, I have not seen to many fire apparatus that have a key ignition, but there has to someway to install a system like this

[gss131 212]

I think the most concern comes in for later arriving rigs,(that are parked around the corner ,or at hydrant 2 blocks away.Manpower i know is an issue and its unfortunate for the guys in MV,but there should be a diver with truck at all times so stick or bucket can be moved as needed for either rescue or ventillation.

[Guest]

On my job, the 4 man rescue is "all in." Sometimes the truck driver will suit up, and the RIT engine driver suits up and leaves the rig

[Guest]

at my department, regular sop is driver/pump operator stays with the truck. we also have a lot of non interior guys that show up to calls so if i'm driving, they stay with the truck in case we need to hook up to the hydrant. we don't have crews or anything like that so first engine that shows up has to do the investigation.

[fireman 0]

In The East Fishkill Fire Department You Have To Stay With The Truck At All Times. Most Of The Times Thier Running The Pump, Or Staying Warm If It Is Cold Out, Or Cool If It Is Hot Out. If The Driver Does Leave He Is Less Then Ten Feet Away At All Times. When They Do Leave They Are Bring Equipment To The Scene.

Thomas

←

I just hope this is a SOG in your dept. If one of the many engine's your dept. has are not pumping and just siting ther with a interior FF in the drivers sit mean wiel you need man power get a fire police to watch the rig.Put that FF to work .

[210 91]

I just hope this is a SOG in your dept. If one of the many engine's your dept. has are not pumping and just siting ther with a interior FF in the drivers sit mean wiel you need man power get a fire police to watch the rig.Put that FF to work .

←

Not to hijack the thread but I still dont understand why MV needs a Deputy Fire Commissioner. Put that money towards another firefighter.

[210 91]

Not to hijack the thread but I still dont understand why MV needs a Deputy Fire Commissioner.  Put that money towards another firefighter.

←

My bad I didnt mean to include that quote in this post.

[Guest]

in the village of mamaroneck we have to stay with the truck at all time yes it sucks i know i am a driver alot of time i do not have to do anything but i still have to stay with the engine and can not see what is going on the only time i can leave the truck is if someone with more time and a driver shows up they i can go to work but the only time that happen is at a working fire we control part of I-95 and when i drive that means that i have to stay.