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MoFire390

How Does Your Department Rehab?

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After admiring the photos of the Chelsea fire i noticed that rehab for the firefighters was set up. As the hottest month of the year is upon us and august is approaching, i figured i would see what departments use as REHAB ( either VAC, or fire EMS personal). if so what units ur department uses for rehab.

thanks in advance stay safe,

Ken

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After admiring the photos of the Chelsea fire i noticed that rehab for the firefighters was set up. As the hottest month of the year is upon us and august is approaching, i figured i would see what departments use as REHAB ( either VAC, or fire EMS personal). if so what units ur department uses for rehab.

thanks in advance stay safe,

Ken

I know Hartford, CT FD has an Engine Company man and respond with a Rehab. Bus to most, if not all working fires, special called now however. The Engine's crew paired with the Rehab. Unit works as the Rehab. crew.

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We rely on a commercial EMS agency to provide services during daytime hours....you'd be hard pressed to get them out of the AC'ed bus.

We just put a mini-fridge stocked with water on our ladder truck.

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Similar thread

Pleasanville FD utilizes Pleasantville VAC for rehab.

Pleasantville VAC has a Rehab Unit (7605)

I will try to list everything we have rolling out to a rehab call with 7605 (Rehab unit)

  • 2 pop-up tents
  • 1 enclosed heated tent
  • 8 cooling chairs
  • 4 non-cooling chairs
  • 2 misting fans
  • cold water/gatorade
  • cold wet towels
  • vital monitoring equipment
  • Carbon Monoxide detector (detects levels in the body)
  • food (typically granola bars)
  • ice
  • oxygen
  • propane heater
  • generator with portable lights

Feel free to give us a call 24/7 365, FREE of charge.

Typical Set-up (Warm months)

post-16367-0-83757700-1309993643.jpg

Edited by PFDRes47cue
tglass59, BFD1054, sfrd18 and 2 others like this

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We have Gatorade in the summer and hot chocolate in the winter. On all 3rd alarms or greater all members have their CO measured via Rad 57 prior to returning.

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If we can staff it we run our ambulance for rehab and also have mobile life come in. Depending on how hot the day is we also have mobile life respond with their SORT truck.

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Another question, based loosely off of the original post, if I may;

What EMS resources, in addition to rehab, do you have at your hot weather fires and "working" incidents?

Do you have additional standby/transport units? Do you call them?

Do they have a set assignment; as in park as to not get blocked in, report to the staging area with stretcher and gear, etc?

In my opinion, only ONE ambulance at a scene of a fire or manpower intensive incident is inadequate. We need to be ready to have immediate treatment AND transport for located fire victims, injured MOS, distraught homeowners, etc....especially in areas where it is common to not have an ambulance respond immediatly.

Plan now...be ready now.

firemoose827 likes this

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Another question, based loosely off of the original post, if I may;

What EMS resources, in addition to rehab, do you have at your hot weather fires and "working" incidents?

Do you have additional standby/transport units? Do you call them?

Do they have a set assignment; as in park as to not get blocked in, report to the staging area with stretcher and gear, etc?

In my opinion, only ONE ambulance at a scene of a fire or manpower intensive incident is inadequate. We need to be ready to have immediate treatment AND transport for located fire victims, injured MOS, distraught homeowners, etc....especially in areas where it is common to not have an ambulance respond immediatly.

Plan now...be ready now.

In addition to our ambulance that rolls to all fire calls, we have one additional unit for the FAST, and another on standby for ours, both for additional calls and if we transport anyone from the scene they can move up.

Our county regs require a dedicated ambulance just for the FAST to be on scene, being its a county FAST.

We require all interiors to get rehabbed after their second air bottle. They need vitals checked, re-hydration and monitoring for heat related illness. This is a mandatory 15 minute brake before they can return to the scene.

x129K likes this

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Do you have additional standby/transport units? Do you call them?

There should always be a minimum of two ambulances, one for treating and one for transport. That is in ADDITION to a Rehab Unit.

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SHOULD BE and what happens are usually two very different animals.

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Several EMS units are assigned to all all-hands and higher fires. In addition to buses, EMS responds with at least one MERV to check the CO levels of members who operated at the job. That's not really rehab though, that's EMS.

Rehab consists of the RAC unit. A RAC (Rehabilitation and Care) unit is assigned on the 10-75. They bring coolers filled with water, gatorade and cool towels. Guys grab what they need as their company is relieved. (A good junior guy will usually pick-up a round of water for everyone else ;) )

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my old dept.uses the back of the rescue it is at every call and has A.C and heat and a fridge with water and can hold between 10-15 people and has everything for the chief so he is out of the weather if he likes or he just stays at his car

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thanks for the feed back all.... here in montrose and buchanan cortlandt VAC has a REHAB/ MCI uint. which is a chevy work van. unit holds 2 tents, 1 tent attaches to the van for the winter holds in the heat, 1 propane heater for the winter months, 1 mister fan, 2 cooling chairs, 4 regular camping chairs, 2 tables, a portable generator w/ power strip, 6 cases of water 2 coolers filled with water just needs ice when unit gets called, unit has a full set of BLS gear as well as many extra supplies. usually unit rolls with 2 emts, also the fly car with members as well as if we can we try to staff 2 rigs for txp one is designated for the fire scene and starts pt care then turns the pt over to the other rig for txp to the hospital. rehab unit stays on scene and its small enought to make it closer then the ambulances.

PFD would love to hook up with u some time to get a better look at plesantvilles rehab unit please pm me.

Ken

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thanks for the feed back all.... here in montrose and buchanan cortlandt VAC has a REHAB/ MCI uint. which is a chevy work van. unit holds 2 tents, 1 tent attaches to the van for the winter holds in the heat, 1 propane heater for the winter months, 1 mister fan, 2 cooling chairs, 4 regular camping chairs, 2 tables, a portable generator w/ power strip, 6 cases of water 2 coolers filled with water just needs ice when unit gets called, unit has a full set of BLS gear as well as many extra supplies. usually unit rolls with 2 emts, also the fly car with members as well as if we can we try to staff 2 rigs for txp one is designated for the fire scene and starts pt care then turns the pt over to the other rig for txp to the hospital. rehab unit stays on scene and its small enought to make it closer then the ambulances.

PFD would love to hook up with u some time to get a better look at plesantvilles rehab unit please pm me.

Ken

PM Sent

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Another question, based loosely off of the original post, if I may;

What EMS resources, in addition to rehab, do you have at your hot weather fires and "working" incidents?

Do you have additional standby/transport units? Do you call them?

Do they have a set assignment; as in park as to not get blocked in, report to the staging area with stretcher and gear, etc?

In my opinion, only ONE ambulance at a scene of a fire or manpower intensive incident is inadequate. We need to be ready to have immediate treatment AND transport for located fire victims, injured MOS, distraught homeowners, etc....especially in areas where it is common to not have an ambulance respond immediatly.

Plan now...be ready now.

On the transmission of a 10-75, at minimum we get two ambulances and a Paramedic. For a 2nd Alarm (or at the direction of the IC) we get a rehab unit from Cortlandt or Pleasantville EMS.

One ambulance is expected to bring their crew and equipment up near the scene for Firefighter care. The other ambulance is expected to transport one of us if needed, leaving one rig on scene.

The EMS OIC is also expected to remain at the CP so if we need them, we don't have to hunt them down. Often times, the Paramedic assumes the EMS OIC role and will call additional resources as he/she sees fit.

It's been our SOG for almost five years and has worked well for us.

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On the transmission of a 10-75, at minimum we get two ambulances and a Paramedic. For a 2nd Alarm (or at the direction of the IC) we get a rehab unit from Cortlandt or Pleasantville EMS.

One ambulance is expected to bring their crew and equipment up near the scene for Firefighter care. The other ambulance is expected to transport one of us if needed, leaving one rig on scene.

The EMS OIC is also expected to remain at the CP so if we need them, we don't have to hunt them down. Often times, the Paramedic assumes the EMS OIC role and will call additional resources as he/she sees fit.

It's been our SOG for almost five years and has worked well for us.

Some of the smoothest operations I have seen... Always a pleasure to be on a croton job with the van.

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That sounds great John - and actually right along the lines of what I am thinking. However, up in Dutchess, we dont have a 10-75 designation, other than in the City of Poughkeepsie. I am working on a "working fire" designation instead fore "someday"....

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