CHIEFPHIL

http://www.fxnetwork.com/shows/originals/r...cueme/main.html

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The web site has a neat little game where you pick an engine co to fight a fire .

There are several good drills when it comes to the use of SCBA's. One key thing I try to get accross , especially in my firefighter 1 classes is that you need to be comfertable with tha SCBA's use. Not to panic when that alarm goes off . FETN has a great saferty and survival tape series on SCBA use. Every year our department has a mandatory refresher on the use of SCBA's, we use them all year long, but once a year is just dedicated to the use.

1] class room setting on all the components of the scba

2] don full gear with a scba and begin a course event where they perfom the following:

escape thru a wall, we have a portable wall built with studs and wires, they must become low profile and get thru 2 studs, get there profile up and then crawl to a tunnel where they must again make there profile small to crawl thru the tunnel. the tunnel is about 10 feet long and has pipes, wires and an obsticale they must manuver around, then they walk to a room that they must search for a victim. We black out the mask. All this is done on air. Then they must enter the basement and navigate there way thru with a TIC. The final station is a blacked out room where they must don a SCBA totally blinded.

as a added bonus we blead each bottle down to the alarm limit. sit theguys down and let them breath until there is no air left. This is a confidence builder , as say they get pinned and cannot move, if they dont panic, this is how long your air could last. I have had people go 45 minutes on 500lbs of air. The last group I did the average was 18 minutes.

When it comes down to rear vs mid, you need to look at your particular situation.Where is it going to operate, where in the response does the rig respond , what are you using it for. Each rig has its advantages and disadvantages.

People will say mid mount TL's have too much overhangand can hit cars on sharpo turns. Well, We have mid mount tower and the bucket has been replaced twice but not due to cars, but because of no dead man switch in the bucket and they vented peaked roofs with it. I agree a rear mount has a better scrub area. Rear mounts are good on long driveways where you have to nose up to a house, whereas midmounts cannot get low enough and will be too far away ro be effective. I guess the best course of acrtion is to have both !. Mid mounts are great when you have a truck equiped with a pump as the tt operator and po are together. Mid mounts have a lower center of gravity. Most of the aerial rollovers I have read about are rear mount due to the higher center of gravity.

But it all comes down to the following..

department needs

department limitation and response area

training

training

training

Ken is a treat, my wife cant stand him and she has stopped watching.

Horton, we have used Hortons for over 25 years. The two rigs we have now are our 4th and 5th Hortons,going to be buying another in 18 months.

I would stay away from the GM chassis and go with a Ford. that was our only mistake last time.

For wha tis worth, the Brewster FD web site has a series of pictures from the other night.

http://brewsterfiredepartment.org

Polo's was the former For'& Aft night club. Additional; units included Connecticut companies from the City of Danbury and Town of New Fairfiled.

The building was located on US Route 6 between Danbury Ct and Brewster NY.

Mill Plain [e-12 tanker] DFD

Miry Brook [e-13 tanker] DFD

Ball Pond [tnaker 18 [NFFD]

Although I'm just over the line in CT. I have some general info on a matter like this. If the class meets NFPA standard 1001, then the class would have reciprocity in all states but california and florida and the federal service. Usually if the class meets the criteria, then you can apply to the National Proffesional Qualification Board at NFPA and for a small fee have a National certificate issued. As of right now there is no national testing. Each state makes up their own testing based on the standard. In Ct it is both a written and a practical skills exam. If you fail the practical you cannot take the written and then have up to 12 months to pass the test or retake the entire class. California and Florida have there own academy and you must attend those and be certified before you can get appointed. If the class is following the 4th edition curriculam, then it is the curriculam that is followed today.

GK does excellent work, they have refurbed several of our Engines in Bethel Ct.

there service is great. craig Palmer is the man to talk to there.

The new 61 is quite a battle wagon. The old yellow bird , as she was known when she was first delivered was a battle wagon in her day. I remeber it well when it was placed in service on N. Main st. It was bittersweet , because of the incident it was at. My dad was Lt then . Later that day he took me and my brothers to Holy Rosary to pray for everyone. That old Maxim saw some work over the years. I never got to drive it, but I do drive the LAST MAXIM ever built here is CT.

good Luck new 61 !