CFI609D

Finally!
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/06/kenneth-ellerbe-d-c-fire-chief-will-step-down-next-month-103812.html
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/5/embattled-dc-fire-chief-announces-retirement/
No doubt there are many smiles today at the DCFEMS DCFD!!

The Westchester Special Operations Task Force(WSOTF) is a mutual aid group consisting of 11 Career FD's. The departments are divided into squad companies. Every squad is trained in Hazmat/WMD, Trench, Building Collapse, Confined Space & Rope Rescue. Each Squad is equipped with Hazmat/WMD equipment (except Yonkers handles it outside the squad). Greenville, New Rochelle & Yonkers squads have collapse rescue units in addition (which carry Trench, Building Collapse, Confined Space & Rope Rescue equipment). White Plains Squad also has collapse (but I am not sure if they carry trench).
The squads are assigned as follows:
Squad # 1 Yonkers
Squad # 2 New Rochelle (with Larchmont & Pelham Manor recently being added)
Squad # 3 Mt Vernon
Squad # 4 White Plains
Squad # 5 Eastchester / Scarsdale
Squad # 6 Fairview / Greenville / Hartsdale
Each squad must respond with a minimum of 5ff's & 1 Off. But some respond with more.
Yonkers Squad Responds with a Collapse Unit. Their USAR Trailer responds with the Rescue and a USAR Task force to support the squads.
Both Greenville & White Plains have collapse units.
New Rochelle Responds with either hazmat/WMD support unit or Heavy Rescue and Collapse Rescue unit. New Rochelle was also designated for swift water rescue, has been equipped and officers have been trained as instructors. Members will be training this summer.
The system is set up so that their are approximately 54 trained/certified responders on duty in the different depts. available to respond.
Many of the squads have responded as far as Delaware County. NRFD has responded as far as Canada.
We can be requested via 60 Control. Dispatch times are generally under 5 minutes to get sent out of district.
When a tornado hit California Closets in Hawthorne (17 miles from NRFD Sta. #1) 60 Control Requested us immediately and YFD, GFD & NRFD had 50+ responders and equipment on-scene in under 25 minutes.

This is Eatchester's R-5. It went into service in the mid to late 50's

Minority this, minority that. When is everyone going to put race, gender, sexual preferences, religious background, completely behind us, and simply acknowledge when great work is done. What this explorer has done, was exceptional and will surpass the abilities of many Senior firefighters. We shouldn't segregate her any further by saying "this female did this, this female did that" but rather including her in the bigger picture of "this firefighter did this, this firefighter did that." And that should be applied across the board, regardless of the job title or task. The only way to truly include everyone without discriminating, is to remove superfluous titles of race, gender and sexual preference.I don't care who you are, or what you are. If you can cook an excellent cake, you're a great baker. If you can legally get me more money back on my taxes, you're a great accountant. If you can stretch a line, and force a door, vent a roof, follow the chain of command, then you're a Great firefighter.
What this video shows is a great firefighter.

Kudos to the HFD for a job well done, especially given their limited resources. The first-due crew and IC made an excellent size-up, and succeeded initiating an effective attack AND rescuing one of the occupants. Once again, the HFD's culture of training aggressively and often paid-off.
To the Monday-morning quarterbacks who have posted above, I was there and this was a text-book operation. Well-trained and combat-ready FFs & officers went above and beyond, which resulted in a life being saved.

Kudos to the HFD for a job well done, especially given their limited resources. The first-due crew and IC made an excellent size-up, and succeeded initiating an effective attack AND rescuing one of the occupants. Once again, the HFD's culture of training aggressively and often paid-off.
To the Monday-morning quarterbacks who have posted above, I was there and this was a text-book operation. Well-trained and combat-ready FFs & officers went above and beyond, which resulted in a life being saved.

Kudos to the HFD for a job well done, especially given their limited resources. The first-due crew and IC made an excellent size-up, and succeeded initiating an effective attack AND rescuing one of the occupants. Once again, the HFD's culture of training aggressively and often paid-off.
To the Monday-morning quarterbacks who have posted above, I was there and this was a text-book operation. Well-trained and combat-ready FFs & officers went above and beyond, which resulted in a life being saved.

These are some of the most ridiculous comments I have ever seen on this site. Is it that you guys can't read, can't count, or know absolutely nothing about firefighting? Read the narrative again and re-think your comments.

Kudos to the HFD for a job well done, especially given their limited resources. The first-due crew and IC made an excellent size-up, and succeeded initiating an effective attack AND rescuing one of the occupants. Once again, the HFD's culture of training aggressively and often paid-off.
To the Monday-morning quarterbacks who have posted above, I was there and this was a text-book operation. Well-trained and combat-ready FFs & officers went above and beyond, which resulted in a life being saved.

I normally don't post on this site. However, I take exception to your comments. Furthermore, I have to question your integrity and validity. A 360 is an integral part of any emergency operation. As was previously stated it is even taught in (exterior) Support Scene Ops & FFI or CFR or EMT. Action without a plan is simply freelancing and haphazard. The utmost priority is to your guys, it trumps all else. Attitudes such as yours gets people killed, injured and open to litigation. Instead of having one victim you have exacerbated the op exponentially to the possibility of multiple victims, not to mention a reallocation of limited resources to effect a rescue that may have been avoided to begin with. Especially when it's unsubstantiated. Not having a handline operational, with new structures specifically, premature entry may contribute to flashover or backdraft conditions. Stating that all residential dwellings are similar if not identical, further displays your obliviousness. People are not identical, nor are there homes. To assume (well you know the saying). In the 21st century (the century we live in) you have a multiude of complictions. Clandestine meth labs, people who possess explosive materials, active shooter, photovolatic power, LOX, Collard's Mansions, etc. Not to mention alterations to existing structure that may have been done without proper authorization, or a significant drop off in grade on the Charlie side from the Alpha, or any other obstruction or hinderance to the operation. Moreover stating that anyone did nothing, lacks "balls" or "check your nuts" as you so eloquently stated, further displays your incognizance. Knowing all involved that is the farthest from the truth. I am not sure how many fires you have been to, but your statements would allude to the contrary. Thank God you are not my Captain or DC.
Great job guys. I am proud to be a member of the HFD. Job well done. Another example of the professionalism, integrity and the high reputation of our department. As for your HGTV comment, maybe you should stop watching Backdraft, it's a movie.

You obviously don't get it and are just starting to get defensive now, so I am done here. I just really hope that if you ever get put in a leadership position in the fire service you develop a better attitude, because this is the type of thinking, or lack thereof, that gets firefighters injured or killed.

The brothers from HFD did a good save. Maybe some the the keyboard commanders should keep their comments to themselves. Everybody goes doesn't knows sounds like a buff to me.

You are truly showing your ignorance here by continuing to try and defend an indefensible position. Anyone who has taken the most basic FF training, has ever read any article on firefighting tactics or NIOSH LODD reports, or attended any firefighting seminar, knows that one of the first things an IC should do upon arrival is a complete 360 of the fire building. You need to follow 1911's lead, re-read the narrative again, and admit that you made a mistake and move on.

That's ok because it is part of everyday FD tool maintenance.

Shamelessly, I'd like to side track the thread a bit by congratulating the new Capt. John Baker. A great teacher and a well deserved promotion. And now back to the political wrangling.......

The arbitration board is the DC arbitration board and seems to be pretty lopsided towards management. The current schedule is 24 on 72 off a 4 platoon system. The proposed system is 3-12 hour days followed by 3-12 hour nights followed by 3 days off which is a 3 platoon system. The average workweek will go from 42 hours a week to 56. I don't think DC intends to pay the members for the extra 14 hours. While it may seem that 12 hour shifts will better combat fatigue the reality is that is not true. A member working their 3rd consecutive night tour will be beyond exhaustion. In a perfect world people will believe that everyone is getting 8 hours sleep in between these tours but it's just not true. Our chart in the city is 9 hour days and 15 hour nights and members frequently trade to make them into 24s. From personal experience I am never more exhausted than when I'm working consecutive nights. In reality you will be late getting out of work (awaiting relief, fires near the end of the shift, and regular administrative duties) then you drive home how ever long in my case an hour and then your young kids never got them memo about daddy needing to sleep and you need to eat something....before you know it it's time to get back in the car. So in a practical sense 24s work better on the human body. Also they save money in that there are less times when overtime is incurred for calls overlapping the end of the shift. They result in fewer vehicle trips, less gas usage, and a lower carbon footprint.
This whole thing is much more about thinly veiled racism and an political machine agenda.

Chief Elleber is just trying to destroy the fire department even more. The guy is a legit scumbag. He has an axe to grind because people are comfortable. I imagine when he was on the line he was the 2% guy and no one wanted to help him out.

Some rank and file EMT who has no idea what they're talking about.
The issue is not, "what took them so long to get there". The issue is, why was there a delay in dispatching them. There was too much time between the transmission of the 10-75 (which should initiate an EMS response) and the actual dispatching of ALS and BLS units.
This individual, Marcella, is clearly taking the press coverage personally. When in reality, the EMTs and Medics on the street are not being questioned about the adequacy of their response. EMS members should really be asking the same questions. "Why did it take so long for us to be sent?". I'm sure they are asking themselves that.

Because our culture demands that it must be someone else's fault. Nobody takes responsibility for anything and we should not expect the parents or guardians to take responsibility for the fire or the lack of warning. It must be someone else's fault.

Kids in High school belong in bed well rested for the school day. They don't need the added stress of responding to emergencies, nor do they need the distraction. If your dept. relies on 18 year olds in school, then they're in trouble.....

School rules before FD rules for students who have yet to graduate from high school.
If the FD is that dependent on FF's who are still in high school, then the FD bears responsibility to find itself some qualified people who are beyond high school. The school is not cutting into the FD's resources; the FD placed too many eggs in one basket.

I think that before you take to the keyboard you should get the facts. You make quite a serious allegation of your department being influenced by an outside source, do you know this to be true? Question these types of things in house before going to the all mighty internet.
Now as far as the policy, good job! They are kids in school. Schooling is required for a job, a job is required to feed a family. I don't think my volunteer department had ever bought dinner for my kids.

Todays Boston Globe http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/03/29/incident-commander-deadly-boston-blaze-was-faced-with-agonizing-decision/IrzBTxR22wbQ0JwcUuMHEK/story.html
Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said firefighters are trained to follow protocols and procedures on such things as mayday calls, building evacuations, and trapped victims, although he did not provide specific details on what those policies are.
MacDonald said a Rapid Intervention Team of 10 responders is dispatched to each scene of a one-alarm fire to assist firefighters. A team was sent to assist in Wednesday’s fire, he said.
How many send 10? How many even have a 4 member FAST (AS per NFPA) and having 6 additional ff's in staging?
In some communities we are more concerned with covering the station, but statistically the chance of a 2nd fire is almost zero, while the active fire is more likely to require additional resources. Other parts of the country will send units to staging a block or 2 away and they will also cover the community from staging. That way if needed at the scene they are already geared up a few blocks away.
Why 10? How many do you need? Read what Phoenix FD determined when they studied it.

On one of the tapes It was at about 8.5min from the initial tone out.
You are correct and most depts. have trouble getting a couple of members on scene in this time, much less your full 1st alarm assignment including FAST. This is in a similar time frame to our mayday incident last month. Since the 2nd alarm was struck BEFORE the 1st rig arrived on-scene we had approximately 30 responders in route/on-scene within the 10 minute mark. By then members had already performed a rescue of a civilian and started attacking the fire. At around the 10 minute mark, members were bailing out of upper floor windows.
This brings us to the 2 biggest issues for firefighter safety;
1) YOU MUST HAVE SUFFICIENT INTERIOR FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVING WITHIN 8 to 10 MINUTES. The fire does not care if you are career, combo or volunteer.
2) EVERY FIREFIGHTER & EVERY RIG MUST BE ABLE TO BE A FAST or RIT TEAM.
This means if you do not have at least 16 (and in most cases 20) interior firefighters on the initial alarm your system is broken. To many depts. are fighting to keep the status quo and this is just wrong.