BFD389RET

Yesterday 02-15 -2015- By noon-ish, FDNY had responded to 11 all hands fires. Add 2 more around 1315ish and Per NYCFIREWIRE, as of 1500, 15 All Hands, 3 2nd alarms. just saying and I admit I am from Elsewhere... I am not really trying to start anything, I am just trying to figure out what your trying to say , Engine 82's Big year was nearly 9,000 over the course of Many years an Average of 6,000 is pretty realistic

Just looking at the pictures....just....wow! I didn't listen to much of the podcast (because I get distracted too easily), but just looking at the pictures and see what a beating our gear can take. I'm just in awe. Obviously when someone's life is on the line we take extraordinary measures to make the save, and it's absolutely amazing what conditions that we, as firefighters, can survive solely based on what our PPE can withstand.

One fire a week is nothing like E82 in the hey-day when the "Bronx was burning".

Even if the department is increasing it's runs every year, I am not sure that you can make the anaolgy to E82 that this writer makes. I am sure that if Spring Valley were burning the way the Bronx once was we would have heard about it by now.
That being said, lots of runs, especially non-fire runs, can burn out a volunteer fire department maybe more so than lots of fires would. Ever hear the phrase "everybody comes out of the woodwork for fires" or something similar? That is because firefighters sort of like going to fires.
That being said, the writer does bring up some good points, about landlords, code enforcement and public education. I think the last one can be solved internally. My old department did just over 1,000 runs for most of the last few years I was there and we were one of the most active in public education. We even went and helped out with public education in other districts when we could.
Now as for what runs were actually necessary, we almost cut our runs in half by reducing Automatic Aid on fire alarms and adopting a more sensible EMS response policy. That took the burnout rate pretty much away for the last couple of years I was there.
When I was an officer I found an old annual report from the 1950's that listed us as have 52 runs that year (yes only one a week) but 26 of them were classified as structure fires. Since it was a summary I don't have fire details. But think about it, you only go once a week, but half the time the horn blows you are going to work. Compare that to going out 1,000 times (almost 3 times per day) but only 15 of those are fires. Like it or not the fire service has changed.

I watched both videos...both were quite handsome to watch. First, I have to say I've never seen a roof plume up like that. It puts perspective on the fact that you don't know what happened prior to your arrival. That roof is definitely compromised, bu the FD won't know until a bystander says something.
As for the second video.....where's the support to stop the garage door from closing? I can understand how you can approach an oped overhead door and believe that it will stay up, but there is no definitive reason for it to stay up. A little force from even blowing smoke/hot gasses can move a heavy object (especially when tat object has wheels on a pre-defined track). I'm sure a well placed 2x4 or even a pike pole would have prevented the closure. [bTW, don't take this comment as a Monday morning QB remark; I'm simply stating something obvious because it can and will save a life. I'd rather make it seem like a MMQB remark than attend a LODD funeral.]

Fort Lauderdale Paramedic/Firefighter
Fort Lauderdale, Florida "On Line ONLY Application" and other opportunities also available on the below HR link.. if you click the page, you might find the information... or someone to answer your questions about what color they're fire trucks , gear and speedos are
http://fortlauderdale.gov/departments/human-resources/current-job-opportunities

http://youtu.be/TB733ALC9gw (backdraft)
Mind You its an older post of a backdraft that occured You can see what sure LOOKS like The cause if you watch it through,
The real action Happens early in the video watch carefully The owner (?) it seems As if he is going to enter the front at the exact moment a Backdraft occures and It literally lifts the roof, and you'll see the dude come away from the door.....
Here is another great Teacher of Men Video North Carolina Garage door closes On the line and trapping a couple guys for a couple minutes
http://youtu.be/Zd6bAEMu5Yk Garage Door entrapment

http://youtu.be/TB733ALC9gw (backdraft)
Mind You its an older post of a backdraft that occured You can see what sure LOOKS like The cause if you watch it through,
The real action Happens early in the video watch carefully The owner (?) it seems As if he is going to enter the front at the exact moment a Backdraft occures and It literally lifts the roof, and you'll see the dude come away from the door.....
Here is another great Teacher of Men Video North Carolina Garage door closes On the line and trapping a couple guys for a couple minutes
http://youtu.be/Zd6bAEMu5Yk Garage Door entrapment

Here is a FEMA referance to snow loads on rooves generally speaking a good general reminder post
http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/7d8c55d1c4f815edf3d7e7d1c120383f/FEMA957_Snowload_508.pdf

Private citizens are in no way obligated to protect patient information. Welcome to the digital age of nosy neighbors.
I never understood putting the last name of the residence in a transmission. But the rest of that information is mission critical, is it not? I'm no lawyer, but it would be hard to argue privacy violations there. If someone really has a problem with that information being put over the air, then I suggest they call a taxi to take them to the hospital...

For about 6 years our ordinances have required residential sprinklers in all new one and two family dwellings (in line with the IRC, IBC and NFPA 101). About four years ago the City Council sought to have some exceptions making it easier to build in the area covered by the municipal water system. Since then, we added an exception that requires some caveats. One of these is that no lightweight building material are used as primary structural components. The one we've gotten some push back on, directly from the industry, was not allowing engineered beams like Glu-lams, Micro-lams, etc. They seem to understand the dangers of wooden I Beams, but still argue the glue in the full dimensional engineer beams is "safe". We ask for proof, they never have any, so it currently stands as is, but the reps from one of the large manufacturers keeps calling us every few months to argue this point. Nonetheless, until we seem proof their glue and particle board stands up to heat while under a load, I'm convinced these should be protected by sprinklers. We do allow them as small window and door headers where the floor load is not depending on them.

Funny that we get worked up over the trivial things about the fire service, but we don't get as agitated about the important stuff.
Anyway, what other parts of buildings are becoming "lightweight?" Is there any one around here that works construction and is seeing cheaper cost-effective construction?

Meriden, CT just fired one of their Officers after several videos surfaced of him beating handcuffed, minority suspects on multiple occasions. IAD tried investigating him, but being the Chief's son, it took a federal civil rights charge to finally get him gone.
Is it annoying when people video the police? Absolutely. Does it get edited by those with an agenda? Sure does. Does it sometimes catch a good cop on a bad day? Without a doubt. Do we live in America, where people have a right to videotape in public? You're goddamned right we do.

While there is some problem or at least the risk of a problem with interferance, the need to maintain freedom outweighs that concern.
I have a much bigger problem with the way the media edits these videos down to make them as incriminating as possible. Les Moonves the head of CBS once said that there was no more impartial news media. Look at what happened in the Zimmerman case when NBC removed a question from a dispatcher to make the caller seem to be saying things diferently than he was. Even more frightening was that a judge recently rules that NBC was not wrong for doig that.

Nearly 30 years ago, I built a log home. I specified full 3/4" plywood for the main subfloor with 2x12's for floor joists. Being a log home, we used double thickness 2x12's for the rim to support the extra weight of the exterior log walls. I also spec'd the joists to be 18" on center instead of the usual 24" that most builders will do unless told otherwise. That also contributed to more load bearing capacity on the rim.
I did consider the OSB "I" beams as they were just gaining acceptance in the manufactured housing industry at the time but rejected them as being too susceptible to water damage and possibly fire damage.
Guess I made a good call.

HOLY $H!T!!! I did not realize that stairs were being built "lightweight" as well. Thanks for this heads up....I would have never known.
It's a shame that construction and the respective building codes allow this kind of construction at all. I understand that it's been proven safe [when it's not on fire or damaged by water or nature], but at what point is someone going to stand up and say enough is enough? Is it 5 FF-LODDs? 10? 1,000? And why can't the almighty insurance lobby step in and say, "Hold on, these homes burn to the ground and cost us millions extra in payouts. Stop this."? Oh, wait...I forgot it's about the bottom line. Apparently it's worth it to someone.

I hear you Steve and Having many years of working in Building materials wholesale and retail as employment and side work I agree strandboard is strong and Rigid and also affected by heat and cold and water and chemicals and when That happens looses very quickly its Integrety.... I recall telling another employee NOT to stack 4 units under an exterior Pole shed, he did and 7 months later Guess who got stuck trying to removed said Units of Strand board the top most unit had expanded up between the 2x8 roof rafters of the pole shed even with Steel bands securing the unit together... the moisture is sucked up like a sponge.... I did get the units out without breaking anything but it was a pain in the... its crap and used more and more IN places it was NEVER intended to be used....
and here is the "I stair" configured death trap
http://www.greenmaltese.com/2013/01/24/the-i-stair-a-new-building-construction-hazard/

given The vast discussion of Last weeks; condos in edgewater of Lightweight Construction a buddy of mine who's living in southern Pa. had this Post arrive from an Incident in Bryans Road Maryland which is a bedroom community along the Potomic River.....
(The 1st Photo shows extensive Basement Damage to a residential fire In which the "Engineered strandboard I beams" burned 87% away and are sagging in the photo,)
"This is a photo from the basement of the House Fire today. Notice the burnt out I-beams. These are the engineered beams that are common in construction over the last few years. The floor in the living area above had sagged about a foot and was on the verge of collapse when noticed by interior Officers and crews. Fortunately no one was injured and the area was cordoned off. Just another reminder of what can and will kill us. Thanks to Mark Kaufmann for sharing the photo."
below (2nd Picture) shows The general configuration of these OSB I beams in another larger structure, Obviously These are being supported By 2x 6 headers and studs for a larger structure...obviously larger then a single fam dwelling

given The vast discussion of Last weeks; condos in edgewater of Lightweight Construction a buddy of mine who's living in southern Pa. had this Post arrive from an Incident in Bryans Road Maryland which is a bedroom community along the Potomic River.....
(The 1st Photo shows extensive Basement Damage to a residential fire In which the "Engineered strandboard I beams" burned 87% away and are sagging in the photo,)
"This is a photo from the basement of the House Fire today. Notice the burnt out I-beams. These are the engineered beams that are common in construction over the last few years. The floor in the living area above had sagged about a foot and was on the verge of collapse when noticed by interior Officers and crews. Fortunately no one was injured and the area was cordoned off. Just another reminder of what can and will kill us. Thanks to Mark Kaufmann for sharing the photo."
below (2nd Picture) shows The general configuration of these OSB I beams in another larger structure, Obviously These are being supported By 2x 6 headers and studs for a larger structure...obviously larger then a single fam dwelling

given The vast discussion of Last weeks; condos in edgewater of Lightweight Construction a buddy of mine who's living in southern Pa. had this Post arrive from an Incident in Bryans Road Maryland which is a bedroom community along the Potomic River.....
(The 1st Photo shows extensive Basement Damage to a residential fire In which the "Engineered strandboard I beams" burned 87% away and are sagging in the photo,)
"This is a photo from the basement of the House Fire today. Notice the burnt out I-beams. These are the engineered beams that are common in construction over the last few years. The floor in the living area above had sagged about a foot and was on the verge of collapse when noticed by interior Officers and crews. Fortunately no one was injured and the area was cordoned off. Just another reminder of what can and will kill us. Thanks to Mark Kaufmann for sharing the photo."
below (2nd Picture) shows The general configuration of these OSB I beams in another larger structure, Obviously These are being supported By 2x 6 headers and studs for a larger structure...obviously larger then a single fam dwelling

given The vast discussion of Last weeks; condos in edgewater of Lightweight Construction a buddy of mine who's living in southern Pa. had this Post arrive from an Incident in Bryans Road Maryland which is a bedroom community along the Potomic River.....
(The 1st Photo shows extensive Basement Damage to a residential fire In which the "Engineered strandboard I beams" burned 87% away and are sagging in the photo,)
"This is a photo from the basement of the House Fire today. Notice the burnt out I-beams. These are the engineered beams that are common in construction over the last few years. The floor in the living area above had sagged about a foot and was on the verge of collapse when noticed by interior Officers and crews. Fortunately no one was injured and the area was cordoned off. Just another reminder of what can and will kill us. Thanks to Mark Kaufmann for sharing the photo."
below (2nd Picture) shows The general configuration of these OSB I beams in another larger structure, Obviously These are being supported By 2x 6 headers and studs for a larger structure...obviously larger then a single fam dwelling

given The vast discussion of Last weeks; condos in edgewater of Lightweight Construction a buddy of mine who's living in southern Pa. had this Post arrive from an Incident in Bryans Road Maryland which is a bedroom community along the Potomic River.....
(The 1st Photo shows extensive Basement Damage to a residential fire In which the "Engineered strandboard I beams" burned 87% away and are sagging in the photo,)
"This is a photo from the basement of the House Fire today. Notice the burnt out I-beams. These are the engineered beams that are common in construction over the last few years. The floor in the living area above had sagged about a foot and was on the verge of collapse when noticed by interior Officers and crews. Fortunately no one was injured and the area was cordoned off. Just another reminder of what can and will kill us. Thanks to Mark Kaufmann for sharing the photo."
below (2nd Picture) shows The general configuration of these OSB I beams in another larger structure, Obviously These are being supported By 2x 6 headers and studs for a larger structure...obviously larger then a single fam dwelling

given The vast discussion of Last weeks; condos in edgewater of Lightweight Construction a buddy of mine who's living in southern Pa. had this Post arrive from an Incident in Bryans Road Maryland which is a bedroom community along the Potomic River.....
(The 1st Photo shows extensive Basement Damage to a residential fire In which the "Engineered strandboard I beams" burned 87% away and are sagging in the photo,)
"This is a photo from the basement of the House Fire today. Notice the burnt out I-beams. These are the engineered beams that are common in construction over the last few years. The floor in the living area above had sagged about a foot and was on the verge of collapse when noticed by interior Officers and crews. Fortunately no one was injured and the area was cordoned off. Just another reminder of what can and will kill us. Thanks to Mark Kaufmann for sharing the photo."
below (2nd Picture) shows The general configuration of these OSB I beams in another larger structure, Obviously These are being supported By 2x 6 headers and studs for a larger structure...obviously larger then a single fam dwelling