x129K

Every Tom, Dick, and Harry defines alarm levels and it can change every time the chief changes in some departments.
It ought to be standard so everyone knows the severity of the incident but if you compare a 3rd alarm in X to a 3rd alarm in Z they could be completely different.
As was said, first alarm: 3 engines, 2 ladders, rescue, chief.
Second alarm, 2 engines, 1 ladder, mask service, chief.
Third and subsquent, 2 engines, 1 ladder...
If you need something special, ask for it. That's why they say "special call".

It is clearly different from one dept to another and even when the depts have the "same" i.e. 2 engines + 1 ladder = 1st alarm the staffing can be 3 or 13 for that same alarm. It really should not be that.
30 years ago we would send 2 engines + 1 ladder + 1 chief to a fire and that would get you 13-15 ff's.
Now we send 2 engines + 2 ladder + 1 chief and you get 14ff's. Plus once its a worker, you get 2 more engines (1 for water & 1 FAST).
The ISO standards require a minimum of 2 engines + 1 ladder (or rescue) + 1 chief and a minimum of 13 on duty members or 37 on call members
NFPA 1710 require a minimum of 2 engines + 1 ladder (or rescue) + 1 chief but a minimum of 16 or 17 (the extra 2 over ISO are for 2 out and for a search team), if its a worker they require you add 2 more to the 2 out to make it a FAST and add a safety officer.
Historically each alarm duplicated whatever the 1st alarm sent and as far as I am concerned that how it sould be. Just because your dept does not have enough rigs to make the next alarm level with what you have should not mean you run short.
Now whats really interesting is why:
Before phones and radios we had street boxes and everyone knew if there was a fire you ran to the closest box and pulled the lever AND waited for the FD to arrive so you could direct them to the call. When you pulled the lever the # on the box would be transmitted via telegraph to all the fire stations in the dept and either a bell would sound the number (VFD's had the horns sound the #) &/or a tape would be cut with the number of holes.
So if the box was #236 the tape would look like this: << <<< <<<<<<. The man on watch would look up on a big wall chart and find out what intersection #236 was at (VFD's had a little pocket manual) and what the pattern was. Then if the pattern included that rig they went. The standard was a minimum of 2 engines (an engine was a steamer and hose wagon) and a ladder or city service unit).
If they got there and the chief want more help, he would have someone run to the next pull box (say #237) and "Pull or strike the 2nd Alarm" or if they had a telegraph key in the box he could go back to the original box and "tap out or strike a 2nd alarm"
When that # came in the house watch would look at the chart, see that the 1st alarm units were not available and additional units would go to the new box (not knowing if they were going to the same job or a different one nearby).
If this was still not enough, go to the third box and "Pull or strike the 3rd Alarm"

End of the day shots sent from the shop, hose bed grating is in and the compartment are topped with diamond plate for the drip edge and appearance, the item that is boxed in on the right front of the hose bed is the CAFS air compressor cooling fan.
Yep even the hose bed grating is yellow



And one other shot of the ladder storage area with the three lengths of 10' 2 1/2" suction, the 9' and 10' folding ladders and long tools will be placed at the station once the rig is delivered

Same thing happens in our area, it's become a large pet peeve of mine. I see it as a sign of the first due person/officer at the minimum, not understanding the value of the size-up report, something that should be understood before someone is given a radio, regardless of their rank.

Watching Dan make the rear doors today for the ladder and suction areas was pretty cool and a few of Seth's I added to caption them.
Door being constructed

Dan welding the pieces together

Dan testing for fit

Ladder door installed, chevrons to be added and Dan was off to finish the suction door

Seth's photo, this is the driver side rear wheel well compartment which houses one folding wheel chock and the flare container, the front one houses the other chock and a 20# fire extinguisher.

Seth's photo showing the rear of the tool board, they added three aluminum boxes, one on the board and the other two in the side corners to house the SCBA masks, also this one is for x129K so you can see the 36" Griff hook mounted.

Here are mine from today
The pump brains

The hydrant wrench and spanners and the LDH spanners (upper right) mounted to the extended front bumper area

The mini slide out custom tray made to fit the hydraulic pump

A side shot of the LED compartment lighting on

Open cab door shot showing the yellow powder coated grab handles at the entrance to the cab that we asked for at last weeks visit, in the background you can see under the console an open boxed area, this is for the AED and you can also make out the TNT tool mounted vertical to the right of the AED box. You can also see the water can which is mounted under the rear seat, you can see the handle, yes the rear seat bottom always fold up when not being sat in, this allows more access into the rear of the cab to get any of the items there or on the rear part of the console.


The Q finally has it's cover on

The knox boxes installed on the passenger side front officer's seat riser

The 6600 watt generator and reel tray pullout

The completed front of the tool board with the red reflective tape and the mini bolt cutters added today and custom mounted, also you can see on the right side of the tool board mini Amber LED flashers, they were added to the front and rear of the tool board and will flash when the board is unlocked from the D handle

I LOVE fires.
BUT I ABSOLUTELY HATE TO SEE BARN FIRES! Farms, and barns are becoming few and far in between, and it is nearly impossible for the average farmer to recover and rebuild after a fire like this...this can end a farmer's life as he knows it..very, very, sad.

Pawling has one of best Fire Chiefs I have ever had the pleasure of working with.

"Back in the day you could tell the number of alarms a fire was by the length of the "stringers" hangin from the truckies noses when they poke their heads out of a window ...two inch stringer was two alarms, four inch stringer was four alarms and so forth."

Pawling has one of best Fire Chiefs I have ever had the pleasure of working with.

a few more

OK -Back on topic-How about the huge fire in White Plains, when a propane tractor trailer struck a bridge abutment and exploded setting structure fires on both sides of the interstate in residential neighborhoods, now that produced enough fire for everyone, sometime in the 90's

Engine is at the International dealer to get the governor programmed to communicate with the CAFS compressor and they sent me a shot, finally get to see most of the rear of the unit, the suction area was removed yesterday to place the ladder box in and will be placed back in when the rig returns this afternoon to the Firematic shop.

Dan I know I am an old man now, seen a few "tricks" in my days

ATTABOY!

Our good buddy formerly of Red hook now in Ulster showed me the trick, I did my 36" griff hook that way, I donated it to the new Engine, now if I can only find the roll of tape!!

When it comes in I will show you another needed "trick" Brother...in the mean times, buy a few rolls of black hockey tape.

When it comes in I will show you another needed "trick" Brother...in the mean times, buy a few rolls of black hockey tape.

And just sent from the shop the box is now mounted and for 4093x, we decided to not add those lights to the ends of the arrow stick and here you can see the new stainless trim piece placed around the light!

The custom ladder, small suction and hook area is now completed, by opening up the little giant ladder and lying it flat fully open we were able to mount four hooks above it, thus freeing up an open space for some long tools (upper right boxed area). The custom box was mounted on the Engine this afternoon, thanks to x129k for the input on the hooks, as you can see there are now six hooks, with different sizes and types, much appreciated Dan!!!!

I did take just a few pictures today
Tom installing the bottom mount for the cutter/spreader, you can see the wiring harness for the passenger side of the truck that has to be run to each light, this is the main reason for the extra two days until delivery

One adaptor left to be mounted, awaiting the mounting bracket which came while we were there today

The custom area designed to hold the ladders, small suction, 6 hooks and now one open area to be able to place long tools in, which is the upper right area.

As of today the delivery is supposed to be this Friday at 11 am!

This is a rural fire district in Central Oregon, sorry for the indoor shots it's was not a good weather day. I didn't want the students to have to clean the rigs. It's a combination department with a very good resident student program.

Call your radio vendor

Things must be pretty quite around EMTBRAVO land to throw that hand granade!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE fires.
BUT I ABSOLUTELY HATE TO SEE BARN FIRES! Farms, and barns are becoming few and far in between, and it is nearly impossible for the average farmer to recover and rebuild after a fire like this...this can end a farmer's life as he knows it..very, very, sad.