Arrowxt

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Posts posted by Arrowxt

  1. Posted

    This works both ways. Yes they were noticed by the public and emergency services responded.

    So it shows the public and the proper agencies are on the look out for something that is askew.

    Did Boston over react? Maybe but it shows to those thumb- tacks that trying to gain attention to there cause through the use of fear campaigns, that everyone is watching and we are prepared.

    Who really wins. The ad campaign (and the movie), because we are all talking about it. !

    Arrow

  2. Posted

    Go to a hardware store and buy a fuel ratio mixing cup. They also sell them at motorcycle shops, they have the ratios on the measuring cup and will make your mixing much more easy. I would suggest buying different fuel cans for each mixture and mark them. Engines with too much oil will foul the plug or just not run to peak performance and engines with too little oil will make good boat anchors, door stops and conversation pieces.

    I wouldnt mix up too much gas for the snowblower this year. smile.gif

    Arrow

  4. Posted

    Not a lot was said about the rear mount pump, one that I like but I like even more when you are trying to incorporate two trucks/engines into one , such as a Rescue/Pumper. The compartmentation is huge.There are a lot of other benefits.

    But when I go back to driving, I want an enclosed top mount, with heat and A/C .

    Arrow

  5. Posted

    I agree about all the Chiefs going to a Mutual call. In my district only one Chief usually goes and the rest assemble back at our house. The Capt smile.gif and lue always go if available. It helps to better protect our district and is less confusing. If we get called for or again for manpower than more than one Chief will respond in, but for just an engine or tanker you will usually only get one Chief .

    We also in some cases during the day have Chiefs from our surrounding districts respond to our station and ride rigs. (they either work here or live close by) When this happens they are there as Firefighters and do a heck of a job at it. They do the work and are great sources of information, but never try to command. We return the favor and it works well , when it happens.

    Arrow

  6. Posted

    What about the towns and districts that border other counties or other states. It comes down to common sense. Most departments will not allow members who cannot fight fire in there district to go on a run or to a fire in a mutual aid district. I know what the mutual aid departments are going to send my district when we call for them and they know what we will send if called for. I have confidence in that.

    Arrow

  9. Posted

    I know this may spark some outrage, but the older I get the less I like the Blue/Green lights, They are just courtesy lights to begin with. Having one on when responding does not permit you to do anything above what is legal to do with out one in operation. They seem to just cause more accidents and pose more of a risk to the public.

    I know some are used in a responsible manner( I SOMETIMES and I mean Sometimes use one ) but never out of district and never to disobey the speed limit or a traffic control device. And when I do have my daughter with me I either do not respond or just drive in at a very normal rate of speed.

    Our district has rules governing them as for what calls they are to be used and how far out of the district you are. I will give credit where credit is due, we do not and have not in the past had many if any issues at all with them.

    Arrow

  10. Posted

    With all do respect ArrowXT; I find it offense to call another members post ignorant. While the wording may not have been ideal that is not the issue here.

    The issue is that fact that this persons actions not only endangered the life of his family, other motorists, and the Police Officer it is also embarrassing to Emergency Services as a whole (unfortunately, and in this case volunteers in particular ---Note the title of the aritcle).

    Education and Training on all levels (career and volunteer) could hopefully prevent situations like this from occurring but there are always those few bad apples that no amount of training can help. (A little common sense does wonders!)

    The question is how do we teach members of Emergency Services how to understand that making a call does mean that they can risk the life of others. In other words, we need to teach them that end does not necessarily justify the means.

    Good points. And a very good question as instances of this always seem to appear. In the end the entire organization is hurt by the actions of just a few.

    Arrow

  11. Posted

    Glad to see he was arrested and held. Hats off to the trooper for doing the right thing in a difficult situation. It's instances like this that really make me wounder about some of the mentalities volunteerisim breeds. First and foremost, 85 MPH...i cant even think of any instances where i have maintained that speed in my 96' VW Jetta. I can only imagine what 85 in a min-van is like. Throw your wife and kids into the mix, that just leaves me speechless. Why do some people think that this kind of behavior is acceptable and justified - so much so that this guy had the balls to ask that the trooper be turned away. This just goes to show how deadly tunnel vision is. While i am critical of those volly agencies who cannot get adequate personnel out the door when a call comes in, this is an instance in which i would condone not responding to a call.

    I can agree with most of your post. Yes he should have been arrested not for just speeding but for endangering the welfare of a child , and for just flat out being a moron!(and ignoring a police officer)

    But what is with the "volunteerisim". Yes there are some of the "blue/red lighters" out there.

    I find your post offensive and just plain ignorant.

    I see you are an EMT . Something you just walked into or were you a "volly" to begin with ?

    And if you were or were not I do not care , as a Volly (as horrid as that sounds) I would choose to not drive over the speed limit to start with , let alone with my daughter in the car.

    I have met a few "pros" that are not worth the same that comes out of there mouths.

    There are a few in every bunch.

    Arrow

  12. Posted

    Glad to see he was arrested and held. Hats off to the trooper for doing the right thing in a difficult situation. It's instances like this that really make me wounder about some of the mentalities volunteerisim breeds. First and foremost, 85 MPH...i cant even think of any instances where i have maintained that speed in my 96' VW Jetta. I can only imagine what 85 in a min-van is like. Throw your wife and kids into the mix, that just leaves me speechless. Why do some people think that this kind of behavior is acceptable and justified - so much so that this guy had the balls to ask that the trooper be turned away. This just goes to show how deadly tunnel vision is. While i am critical of those volly agencies who cannot get adequate personnel out the door when a call comes in, this is an instance in which i would condone not responding to a call.

  14. Posted

    Here is the way using/downgrading rescue rope is handled where I work:

    If the front line rescue rope is used for training purposes and is not shock loaded and appears in good condition during post-use inspection it can remain front line rope.

    If front line rope is used on a job it is to be cut up or downgraded to training rope.  Again the determination for this is made based on findings in post-use inspection.

    The bottom line is all rope use must be documented and a log kept.  Also all ropes must be inspected after each use and rotated/inspected/knots re-tied every 30 days.  If any rope is shock loaded cut it up.  If the outer sheath is damaged cut it up.  If you suspect the inner core is damaged cut it up.  Always pay attention to edge protection and how the rope is being used.

    As for personal bail-out rope, I have trained with mine numerous times and worn it into fires but I always inspect i afterwards.  If it comes down to hanging on that rope or dying I'll hang on the rope.

    J,

    I agree about the hanging on the rope thing. True about the inspection as I inspect mine and look for damage to the outer sheath. Kermantle core does not like shock, thanks for the information, and I am going to grab my training rope in the afternoon, now that you mentioned knots, I havent been practicing for some time now.

    Arrow

  15. Posted

    Whaddya think ALS? We can bring it back! Pleasure to work with ya back in the day... we really ripped it up huh!?!

    Oh and how's about;

    1st Senate

    CMT

    Hudson Valley Ambulance

    New Windsor

    Isn't New Windsor back? I thought I read in the paper they were. I thought the town supervisor did away with them and once he was voted out they came back.

    ???

    Arrow

  16. Posted

    Who says when you use a rescue rope for training it can never be used again?

    When I took low angle rope rescue , I was told that the ropes once used could not be used again, or the ropes used in training could not be used for a rescue, so in fact if you train with your rope.............

    my point was I carry one just in case, as I wear my seatbelt just in case.

    Arrow

  17. Posted

    Here is a comment and question. I dont carry a bail out kit, my preference. But I do carry some rope and webbing for closing doors, hoisting tools etc. My question is this...When we deploy our life safety rope for training or an actual emergency, we wear special gloves, not our firefighting gloves to avoid getting carbon on the rope which will over time degrade the rope. If you keep rope in your turnout coat and over time expose your bail out kit to the products of combustion, wont it degrade the rope as well ?

    I'm not being negative in any way form or fashion on the use of bail out kits. Just a question ? On a purchased kit, not a throw together kit, is there a care requirement.

    I bring this up , because I teach a lot of classes ansd have about 10 days a year at the smoke house and maybe a half dozen or so jobs a year and as such, I clean my gear after every couple of uses and throw my tools, including my rope in a pile, never really cleaning them. I noticed that my webbing and rope get dirty even being in the pocket. So, I just wonder if a person has a bail out kit and see's a good amount of work [real fires and trainig] that we are not ruining the bail out kit and in the event need to deploy it that it does not fall apart.

    Again, not being that familiar with the kits... just wondering.

    I am not an instructer , but when you use a rescue rope once , you are not supposed to ever use it again, so if you train with it , it renders the rope useless. And the one in my pocket is the same one I bought almost ten years ago, but I bet in a pinch it would work and if it did not I guess I was pretty screwed anyhow. As far as bulk it has settled nicely and actually my spare gloves and the other stuff I carry makes more bulk than the rope.

    Its just like a seatbelt, dont ever want or plan to use it but...........

    Arrow

  18. Posted

    This happened awhile ago but I think it adds to the subject:

    A district over from ours got hammered with a lightning storm. They had at least ten trees and wires calls when they were dispatched for a house struck and on fire. At that point my department was called mutual aid to the structure fire quite a ride from our house. On the way they were again dispatched for a large commercial building struck and on fire, which was about a mile up the road from where we were currently. As I looked in the direction of there latest call I observed a large column of black smoke.

    As we approached the road that the last call was on we could not get through over the radio (due to large amounts of units responding to the first call) and could not give IC an update of our visual. We kept proceeding to the first call.

    Once we had made contact with IC and gave them an update and our location, we were then directed to turn around and proceed to the second call. Also once contact with IC was made we advised them that our other two engines were manned and at his disposal if he needed.

    We then pulled a u'ey and fought the fire and they dispatched another unit from us.

    It was a good lesson for the young guys we had on the rig, that is you do what you were dispatched to do.

    Arrow

  20. Posted

    Just saw the video.

    The truck is short, high and is fighting itself. I would love to see a spec on the unit , but watching the video( and the clarity is not that great) I have to go back to the part of my post that stated the axles are too light in the rear and they tried to compensate with a heavy front axle.

    The rears are throwing the weight to the front axle and the front is throwing it back to the rears.

    Arrow

  21. Posted

    Sounds like a drivetrain issue. Probably an unbalanced drive shaft. I should read more into it , and wonder if the unit has a pump , and if it does what make and model the pump is. That to me sounds too simple, but with the speed being a factor they have already rebalanced the tires and checked the rims. (I hope) The driveshafts would be the next to check , but can remain a problem if the correct shafts are not used in conjuction with the correct pump. The next area to look into would be the rear.

    Other than not driving it that would be my angle of approach, but I also question the axle weights and overall truck length and wheelbase. Too light a rear and trying to compensate with a heavy front will give you "rock and roll" .

    Like I said , I have not looked into it any further than the original post.

    Has anyone tried to seperate road speed and RPM of the drivetrain?

    Arrow

  23. Posted

    I agree , but in a case of low man power on scene I say the Asst chiefs can or have to change roles. The only reason I will not make a run for a Chiefs spot now , is that I still want to be involved in the interior work and hands on , on the scene. This is not saying that the Chief officers are not involved , I just find more pleasure in the jobs that I am responsible for.

    The Happy Captain smile.gif

    Arrow

  24. Posted

    I was wondering something.

    Often, in the fire and EMS service, we're often very critical of neighboring departments and other agencies, especially after a significant incident. We often form opinions, do the shoulda/woulda/coulda routine, and spark rumors. If a photo or video was take, we often use that as a judgment tool.

    However, when it's our turn to have the incident, we often get very defensive when people talk critical of us.  For example, if a person was caught in a photo obviously performing a tatic wrong, putting themselves at risk, etc...we often don't blame the person in the photo or the officers at that scene, we get defensive,  don't learn or accept the mistake, and for instance, blame the photographer or whoever else we can, as long as it's not us- we'e perfect after all.

    My point is, we can give it, but we can't take it.

    To improve in the fire and EMS service, we must be accepting of our mistakes, and look at other agencies and people for advice, opinions, and most of all- constructive criticism. Our peers can be one of the best tools for learning- if we'd only listen. To be a better firefighter- and person....own up to your mistakes, and learn from them. And make sure others learn too.....

    Very well said x. I have seen this type of stuff going on since I joined the service. You know what? At a mutual aid call , as long as my guys are not in danger( and the two departments we most work with are very good) I let the district officers call the shots. Some guys rag on the calls made , and then try to arm chair what they would have done.

    You know what , I think going mutual aid is and has been some of the best firefighting I have done. I have gotten to see what works , what does not, and some things I thought would work and would not have worked.

    Arrow

  25. Posted

    In NY we still have not beaten the record for not having snowfall up until the point we are in , a record set some time ago. You know what the "global warming" issue is over? The fact that no one can or ever will be able to predict the weather. And because of that they make excuses such as "global warming" . It is not a secret that the climate has changed before.

    Arrow