Dont Drag Your Hose

[Hummin Cummins]

Any firefighters out there would like to hear this one Was the engine driver last night responding to a working structure fire in a log home. Rounded a corner in our 79 CF Mack and the one crosslay slid off and proceeded to drag on the ground Since it was dark, I never knew it until it wrapped itself around a speed limit sign, ripping it from the ground and bringing it along with us:--) Pulled on scene with the sign, and 200' of 1 3/4" line following along. The IC told me next time that I am to "lay in" use the big yellow 5"..... LOL. Luckily, no damage to the truck, just the hose and nozzle, man our insurance company is gonna love this one:{ '



Chris

Asst. Chief, Driver training officer, and Treasurer WTFD

 

[Rick Comenzo]

Don't Drag Your Hose

Interesting Story, a neighboring Fire Department had a similar incident, 1000 feet of 5 inch supply line slid off their pumper onto a busy main highway, causing several car/truck accidents. The pumper was enroute to the county training facility 30 miles from their station, they were unaware of losing the supply hose until their arrival at the training grounds. The pump driver was suspended from his fire company for 6 months. Luckily no one was hurt in the accidents, the chief sent the crew back to pick up the hose, many unhappy people watched this circus on the highway. Have to keep ones eyes open with response trucks! Rick.

 

[Whitmore]

Oh Cripes

This must be a murphy law in all depts. years ago we were in-route to a 10-50 over the mountain pass, we got a call from the WHP to pull over... ... ... . ya right smart arse we are in an emergency here... ... ..... no really pull over ... look in your mirror :{ we were draging the whole hose bed of 2. 5 inch down the highway, we pulled into the ditch and ran it until the WHP told us it was all off the road... upon our return we looked it over and it was all trashed so it went right to the dumps... ... ... best we can figger is there must of been a flake poking up in the front and the wind caught it, now thats what I call a fast foward lay... ... :-{} ..... not a good day... ... Kevin

 

[Joe G.]

Chris,



What are your driving students going to say now?

 

[Hummin Cummins]

Joe,



This will fall under the "do as i say not as i do" category



I'm not the first one this has happened to in our department, happened to the chief once, then they put velcro straps on to hold everything, when the pump was serviced last they never put them back on... ..... guess whats going back on the truck thursday night:-laf

 

[dseabaugh]

I guess that is why we put a tarp on our hose bed on the truck 25 years ago and tarp strapped it down. I think that is why we took the hose nozzel off and screwed it on a 'stud' on the back of the truck. was a little less convenient to have to put the valve on the hose but the weight of it couldn't drag it off the truck. I think that when we put the hose on the bed (on top of the truck) with the nozzel on, we did not run the top layer all the way to the back and the nozzel was folded back into the the last row of hose. We could grab the handle on the nozzel and run with it without screwing it on and save a lot of time but since that layer did not go all the way to the back it did not move much on rough roads, hill, or interstate because it wouldn't slide on the layer below that was layed further back. Probably cost us one less length of hose on the truck. In other words the 2 layers of hose were stacked like steps and then we still had a tarp over it. Yank one tarp strap, grab the valve handle and run. the hose would slide out from under the tarp.

 

[andyr]

When I arrived on scene one day the back end man demanded me to give him my helmet. I did thinking he had forgot his. During his rehab he came up to me at the pump and explained when I made a corner his helmet slid off the truck!!

 

[Fireman Dave]

Here's a few of mine...

One time when we were going on a mutual aid call, a bunch of 2 and 1/2" flopped off the side as we cruised down the highway. I had to jump off at an intersection and toss it back on before we could keep going. Funny feeling listening to the siren with the truck stopped and me out running around like a Chinese firedrill.



Another time, I grabbed my gear and jumped on the truck. My gear had been hanging out to dry from a previous call. I just gathered it up in my arms and went. Funny thing happened as I put my bunker pants on - no boots!! They fell out in the firehouse as I jumped on the truck. Oh crap! Luckily, there was another guy's gear on the truck who wasn't along, so I just stole his boots.



And then there was the time that I was standing in the laundromat with my gear in the washing machine when we got a call. I ended up wearing the gear that belonged to a guy who was 100 lbs heavier and about 8" taller than me.



LOL- life at the firehouse. :-laf

 

[Whitmore]

LOL- life at the firehouse.

Life at the Firehouse has been one of my most enjoyable parts of my life, I also like the challenge and addrenelin flow that comes wit it. My ultimate dream as a Fireman is to pull someone from a working fire and then revive them back to life, I know I have saved many lifes but never in this manner yet, although I did this for a 80 lb dog, he wa sure happy, a clasp of the snout and a few blows goes a long way with a dog. .



I truely would have a void without the firehouse in my life

 

[Fireman Dave]

Well said, Kevin.

 

[Scot]

Bedford TX FD layed 1200' of 5" down the middle of 183/Airport Frwy a few years ago. They even got their picture in the local newspaper as they picked it up!

 

[TPCDrafting]

Used to be a volunteer and had similar situation only I let some rookie drive and didn't know he wasn't familiar with stick shifts. This was an old International Pierce and it wasn't a standard H. Anyway we were looking for a lightening strike fire and went down a steep hill and had to turn around on it. My blood was boiling with this guy who was freaking out. (He hadn't figured out yet how fun fires are) While turning around he started backing into a ditch and slammed on the brakes then put her in low and stomped on it to keep from going into the ditch. All the 2. 5" slid out the back (disconnected) and we proceeded to the fire. Got there and went to connect myself to the tanker and had no 2. 5". Good thing the tanker had some. Burned the summer cabin to the ground. I've since moved and I miss the fire dept. The dept here is about 8 miles away and I'd be the one showing up after the truck leaves and only ever doing paper work, maybe I'll join anyway...



Thank you firefighters for doing what you do.

 

[dseabaugh]

back in the 70's we had a 1951 International R-190 with American La france Body on it. On the way to a Rural fire the wiring caught fire and killed the truck. I yanked out a section of light wire off the back and tied one end to the coil and the other on the starter post, shorted the solenoid to crank it and we went on to the fire following a pickup truck since it was night and we no longer had any lights. Old truck made the whole run running off the batteries. That was what I was there for was the mechanical emergencies. I miss the challenge of the quick fix to keep things going in an emergency but sure don't miss the fires and the 2 am. alarms.

 

[Amianthus]

Re: Here's a few of mine...

Originally posted by Fireman Dave

One time when we were going on a mutual aid call, a bunch of 2 and 1/2" flopped off the side as we cruised down the highway. I had to jump off at an intersection and toss it back on before we could keep going. Funny feeling listening to the siren with the truck stopped and me out running around like a Chinese firedrill.

That kind of stuff never happens to me. I'm a super-stud, firefighting king.



(Brent, if you say one word, I'll put eggs in your boots. )