16fire5

OCSO does not do road patrol.

I read an article about a department in an affluent suburban/rural community using a 65" squirt as the first due engine. I seemed like a good option for tight driveways and gave a stable ladder to operate off for chimney fires and venting peaked roofs.

While crosslays have many benifits I think one of the drawbacks is engine chauffeurs in many cases position engines to use the crosslays.

ALS brings up a good point about the TIC. All TICs pick up a temperature gradient of less than one degree. Hot(white) is a relative thing. I usually go with the rule of thumb that if the wall is too hot to hold your hand to it needs to be opened. I would lower my threshold a little when checking for chimney fire extension. A hot wall adjoining the chimney should be opened if it's relativly hotter than the other walls in the room. It's the same as when paramedics are taught to treat the patient not the monitor.

The closing will severly effect response times to the west end. Add that to the fact that they will now be responding with 7. The surrounding departments have already gone on the record that they will not pick up the slack.

If you don't have a truck having one on the box is a good idea. It seems an increasing number of chimney fire become structure fires these days. Probably because chimneys get older and the mortar and other materials deteriorate over time. So sending a full first alarm assignment is warranted. I would cover these bases. Inside Team: Gain entry, put down a tarp in front of the fireplace, remove the contents of the fire box, report condition to command, use the TIC to check the run of the chimney for indications of extension. Roof Team: Get up to the roof have a roof ladder or two if your not operating off an aerial or tower. Remove the cap. Drop ziplock bags with full of ABC powder into the chimney to extinguish the fire. Thin non freezer bags are thin and melt quickly to extinguish the fire. Many places have chains to clear blockages. I would use them if necessary to get the fire out but be careful the last thing you want to do is cause damage that will allow the fire to extend. Also remember it's not your job to clean the chimney for the resident just put the fire out. Additional Staff: Standby to stretch a hoseline, search the upper floors with the TIC for extension, RIT. I will say that I have seen it done multiple ways and the way I described it above is what I personally found to be the most effective, professional, and safe. There are multiple methods and most work but the above way is least likely to damage the chimney and possibly cause extension. Some other methods. Misting nozzle: Idea is to steam out the fire with a small amount of water and not crack the flue. While this works I don't see the benifit over the ziplock bags. Add this to the manuvering you have to do on the roof to get it down the chimney its more difficult and increases the chance of falling off the roof. Also unless your connections are perfect water will leak onto the roof and potentially freeze causing additional hazards. Application of a can or dry chem up the chimney: Can may crack the chimney. ABC undoubtedly will push back a little and make a mess. Both usually work because the natural flow of air carries the agent up the chimney. Chimney Flares: Only have seen this method used once and it was not that effective. Others may have better experience. Hope that answers your questions. If you have more ask. I'll get on after the Jet Game.

What's sad is that the county continues to maintain a hazmat team when you have a federal fire department in the county well staffed and equipped. Training level is not even a question.

I saw the video and it's obvious the officers are out numbered by drunkin college students failing to comply with their orders. They have just had to shoot the driver of a car attempting to kill them because he was probably worried about getting a DWI. I would spend more time thinking about how the officers viewed the situation and in that light their actions appear completly in line with the situation(s) they were confronted with.

My heart goes out to the officers involved. It is very tough for me to read the comments from the public in general in fourms. The officers involved in 2 shootings in the past week in Westchester were presented with situations that immediatly threatened their lives and others. In the end both acted quickly and decisivly and have their lives because of it. It is unfortunate that there appears to be a large section of the public that just dosen't get it.

My experience was not the same at GCT. I estimate the fire brigade met me at the command post 20% of the times I responded there. Stuck elevators were like a wild goose chase. Outside of normal buisness hours they were not really there.

I have read some material from Mr. Stevens and he seems to have undertood the ISO rating schedule better than ISO.

It is my understanding that the VA does not have a fire department for their hospitals if the local department can adequately protect them to their standards i.e. staffing and response time. That is why the VA hospitals in cities with fully career departments don't have their own departments. So if what has been stated is correct the VA department is now covering for a department that didn't measure up to their standards and by doing so is leaving the hospital unprotected. Actually we the taxpayers of the US are financing fire protection for Canandaigua because they have decided not to adequately fund the department.

I'm suprised elevators are not included. I find it hard to respond to them in the emergency mode. If you look at it nothing the FDNY considers structrural is involved. The one thing I see that is missing is the ability of the dispatcher to upgrade the alarm.

I was thinking the same thing. I think "disparate impact" is the issue and Justice Scalia touched on this in his opinion he wrote in the New Haven case. But the problem I found with the judges ruling is that he found the city intentionally discriminated. Everyone knows that is far from the truth.

We check our SCBAs at the start of every tour (0900 and 1800). And when I say check it's not look at the gauge and make sure it's there. The cylinder is turned on a hit is taken through the facepiece and the integrated pass is run through it's paces. Another bad sound I'm sure. But there is absolutly no excuse for not having ear protection for this and I know my guys wore them when checking also when starting the saws. While we don't have the FireComm system I did have one chauffeur who would use the ear muffs on response and I will say he heard pretty much anything I told him during responses. I agree with you Cap nothing bothers my ears more than the irons bashing together in a tight hall.

There was at least one Saturday I remeber where there was over a dozzen memorial services and probably close to 20. We were stretched very thin. From the worst we get the best of people as was the case here with FF Rockhill who did his part to give FF Bucca a proper send off. With so much going on at the time the little things like this went largly unnoticed. Thanks for the story Cap.

As already said there is no reason to be on this roof. Plenty of hazards the pitch, the near certainity of lightweight construction, and the proposed prencence of photovoltaic panels. UL is conducting a study funded by DHS to study the dangers to firefighters posed by photovoltaic panels. They may carry high voltage and may be very difficult to isolate power to. http://www.ul.com/global/documents/corporate/aboutul/publications/newsletters/fire/fsa_issue_2_2010.pdf If a firefighter did make their way to the roof with the saw and start cutting it is very easy to cut through the top flange of the steel bar joists and the spacing between joists increases the chance of a firefighter being dumped into the hole through which they are trying to cut.

A member who thinks of others before themself makes a good firefighter. I always found that the whole thing starts falling apart when people worry too much about themselves and forget about the team, company, firehouse. If a guy shirks his duties when it comes to house work are we really going to trust him to get the roof.

In a state right of way during rush hour?

My question for anyone who was there is if all the occupants were out do members operate under next to the side resting vehicle to employ a more advanced stabaliztation device? Here's my thought if there is no one in the car and you don't have to operate in or around the car just use some step chocks/wedges to stabalize the car.

Paid

The Vulcan society previously argued that firefighting question or questions that tested ones knowledge of the fire service on the entrance exam were discriminatory since test takers from firefighting families would have an unfair advantage. Fast forward 30-40 years and the test is discriminatory since it's not job related. In my opinion the city must do a better job of proving the fact that today's firefighter needs basic reading comprehension skills. M Ave. your on the money Disparate Impact however well intentioned is nonsense. I'm not a constitutional law expert but I don't believe it's constitutional. It was codified but not sure it by itself has passed a real challenge. I'm glad others besides myself took time to read the New Haven decision all three opinions are worth the read and it's obvious that Judge Ginsburg has plenty of preconcieved notions of the fire service.

Not only are building permits required but in most cases the planning and zoning process dependent on local code must also be followed.

I would disagree since the OSHA respiratory standard requires 2 out while operations are underway in the IDLH. The FAST is being used to comply with the law and most important be ready to render aid to anyone in distress. If the FAST needed relief then how can they be ready to go to work? Relax brother reread the posts no one questioned your skills dedication or the job you and the other responders performed. But we think a FAST team and additional resources need to be on the road right off the bat to back up and protect first due. And Barry hits the nail on the head if the truck is not on the initial assignment there is a real good possibly of them being blocked out. Plus the occupants in the window won't have time to wait for the chief to get there and see them in the window. Good job by the Engine Chauffeurs leaving room for the truck its great when they keep the truck in mind.

Following the 1993 bombing the procedure for inserting FDNY Ladder Companies onto the roof of a high rise office building was developed. Drills are still conducted but an actual insertion has never been done.