How many fire fighter members?

[Don Blaisdell]

just celebrated 50 years of active with the Manchester NY volunters am still active and have held every position in the Dept. and am presently 1st asst chief Don



05 srw 3500 quad cab hiniker snow plow, pace edwards jack rabbit bed cover , rhino spray in bed liner, pulling a 29' laredo 5er.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Have you guys ever felt for a split second that your life was in danger while fighting a fire?

Thanks guys for answering my question. The answers are interesting.

 

[Skydiver]

The practice fire last Saturday went very good.

We had a 3 bedroom double wide no sheet rock.



I was the first in with an experienced firefighter on my heels . We were told to crawl in with full turn out gear and stay to the right feeling our way and looking for this stuffed animal. We had set a couch a blaze in the far bedroom . There was another firefighter in the diagonal facing bedroom with a hose keeping things under control. I did not take in a hose the first time.

Everything went fine until I reached the burning couch. The flames were completely over the ceiling and my face mask was not sealed properly. Smoked my lungs a little. Everything went black for a while and I had to stop and think about where I was and depend om my memory to get out. lucky me I walked through before the burn. That won't happen again.



Next trip in with full turn out gear we took the hose and extinguished the bed room using ppa ( positive pressure attack ) but, our face mask hose was stuck in our front pocket instead of being on the bottle. The ppa worked great.



We had one lady member that might quit.



I am 6' 4" 215 at 14:00 and at 17:00 I had lost 4 lbs. My jeans would not fit me on Sunday morning. Got too Hot I guess.

 

[Fireman Dave]

Have you guys ever felt for a split second that your life was in danger while fighting a fire?

1994 - 3 story house - balloon constuction. Mutual aid call (not our fire), so we were called in after it was goin' good! The whole house was on fire inside the walls. We were on the second floor when the big open stairway tipped over on its side and collapsed. This sealed off our primary exit. Airhorn sounds - evacuate - but can't get out the way we came in. Finally went to a window in the back of the house and got out by ladder. All of this with about 10 minutes of air left. It was a rush, but for a few seconds I wondered if it was the end of the line for us.



16 years - paid on call (volunteer)

currently LT and fire inspector

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Occasionally a Forest Fire or two. Mostly just help to let'm burn :-laf

 

[BFoughty]

1994 - 3 story house - balloon constuction. Mutual aid call (not our fire), so we were called in after it was goin' good! The whole house was on fire inside the walls. We were on the second floor when the big open stairway tipped over on its side and collapsed. This sealed off our primary exit. Airhorn sounds - evacuate - but can't get out the way we came in. Finally went to a window in the back of the house and got out by ladder. All of this with about 10 minutes of air left. It was a rush, but for a few seconds I wondered if it was the end of the line for us.



16 years - paid on call (volunteer)

currently LT and fire inspector

We mutual aided another dept. on a balloon construction 3 story house a few months back. It had been burning for 4 hours before we got called out on it. They had 6 engines working the whole time. Making entry was not much fun. The house ended up being for sell and had been set on fire in 4 different places. it was kind of scary as well.

 

[fj40dave]

Currently a volly with Mason County Fire District 5 (Allyn, WA)

Formerly with MCFD2 as a Capt/PM..... probationary - lasted 10 months with 'em :--)

Before that, 11 years (last 7 as a Lt/PM) with Anacortes Fire Dept, Anacortes, WA

Working for Mason County Medic One now as well... ... just a plain 'ol Paramedic again... ... and happier!

Testing too..... have some hopefuls, but no one beatin my door down.



Life threatened... ... . nah.



Ask yourself: (if you have had that feeling)



Why was I in the situation that generated the feeling or situation?



I bet you can't say it was in an effort to save another persons life.



As for the burning couch event... ... man-o-man... ... . a serious NFPA violation there!

NFPA 1403

Get it and use it next time... . please!

http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=1403

One of the "issues" I apparently had with my former employer was for spending too much time preparing the burn-2-learn that I ran in December.

Mind you, they mentioned over and over about how one of the previous B-2L's went bad, and they nearly lost someone..... so I - being the "new Capt"..... put on my best training burn to date. NO REGRETS from me!





Be safe out there... ... go home to your family's... ... and if you're in a position of leadership..... make decisions based on good reason and experience so that your crew goes home the same way they showed up for work.



Dave Alberts

Allyn, WA

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Off Topic..

Marlborough Vol. Fire Co.

10 years - past LT.

Running for the Capt Position.

Mactruck, I found one of your Chairs @ work. :-laf

 

[SNGLESHOT]

23 Years Volant Volunteer Fire Co, Volant, PA. FireFighter/Paramedic-Captain EMS Squad and President, Past Treasurer and Secretary. Should have followed my heart and made this a career instead of a volunteer effort. Best job in the world.

 

[BIGNASTY]

and that's the way it is

San Clemente Fire Reserve retired now couldn't get hired full time figured out my skin was the wrong color. I needed to be a black female with a spanish surname to get a job. I loved it though something about it. Son is a firefighter/medic for C. D. F.

Sorry to say that you are 100% correct in Commie Calif if your white your not rite. It's sad that they get the job because of race not smart enough to do with brain power.

 

[Hoefler]

Volunteer with Central Crossing Fire for 14 years

Captain / Engineer

 

[HEMI®Dart]

What happened to the Nineteen firefighters in Arizona? A Fire Chief that works with us said Poor Training

 

[jhenderson]

I've been a volunteer firefighter for 25+ years. I'm also a pilot with a commercial rating. When something bad happens we all try to reason why that could never happen to us. What mistakes did they make, that we never would? Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Sometimes we think we are better than we are. Sometimes we get tunnel vision about the task before us. Sometimes we are all at fault. Sometimes nobody is. I'm not about to second guess the decisions made on the other side of the country.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Close Calls

I had printed this for my coworker who is a Firefighter. Some of you guys my be in it.



In 2007 a topic came up at the website I belong to: TDR or Dodge/Cummins Trucks.



"Any Fire Fighters member here?"



Later on in the topic I asked the question: "Did you guy's ever feel for a split second your like was in danger fighting a fire?"



Here are their responses:



BFoughty: Yes... in 20 plus years a couple of times. Once when I fell through the floor of a mobile home fire and once on a wild land fire.



Hummin Cummins: Happened once to me at a fire at a country club. Interior operations were evacuated building was collapsing. We were drug out on our behinds by the guys outside pulling us out by the hoseline.



Fireman Dave: 1994 - 3 story house - balloon constuction. Mutual aid call (not our fire), so we were called in after it was goin' good! The whole house was on fire inside the walls. We were on the second floor when the big open stairway tipped over on its side and collapsed. This sealed off our primary exit. Airhorn sounds - evacuate - but can't get out the way we came in. Finally went to a window in the back of the house and got out by ladder. All of this with about 10 minutes of air left. It was a rush, but for a few seconds I wondered if it was the end of the line for us.



BFoughty: We mutual aided another dept. on a balloon construction 3 story house a few months back. It had been burning for 4 hours before we got called out on it. They had 6 engines working the whole time. Making entry was not much fun. The house ended up being for sell and had been set on fire in 4 different places. it was kind of scary as well

 

[JSoloman]

23 yrs as a volunteer for, last 9 as Captain. Training is never ending. The hope is that it all becomes second nature when put into action. I can't think of anything more dangerous, yet more thrilling that running into live fire.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Paid call FF/AEMT checking in.

 

[Ram4Sam]

Living in socal where something is usually burning somewhere, thanks to all firefighters!



A shot from by backdoor at work... ... . this guy really rattles the building when he leaves.



Sam

 

[JR]

What happened to the Nineteen firefighters in Arizona? A Fire Chief that works with us said Poor Training

My brother in law was called to the fire after the Hotshots were killed. I've talked to him a little about it, and from what he saw and heard while there it was a combination of a lack of prevention and rapid weather changes. The fire was supposedly started by a lightening strike and remained a very small fire for a few days. They had the chance to get up and snuff it out, but instead they continued to send little twin engine planes to dump retardant over the few acres that were burning to try and contain it, hoping it would eventually burn out on it's own. After the 3rd or 4th day they supposedly had a big storm blow in with high winds, the storm didn't last long but the winds stayed and the fire began spreading at a very quick pace. This is when they sent the Hotshotters in to try to assess the situation because the winds were too strong to deploy any planes. They made their way up the hill, the winds rapidly changed direction and the fire overcame them quicker than they could retreat. Brother in law said this went from a 100 acre fire to over 1000 in the short time the Hotshots were deployed.

However it happened, they surely knew they were doomed and it had to of been a horrible way to go.

 

[p-Bar]

My brother in law was called to the fire after the Hotshots were killed. I've talked to him a little about it, and from what he saw and heard while there it was a combination of a lack of prevention and rapid weather changes. The fire was supposedly started by a lightening strike and remained a very small fire for a few days. They had the chance to get up and snuff it out, but instead they continued to send little twin engine planes to dump retardant over the few acres that were burning to try and contain it, hoping it would eventually burn out on it's own. After the 3rd or 4th day they supposedly had a big storm blow in with high winds, the storm didn't last long but the winds stayed and the fire began spreading at a very quick pace. This is when they sent the Hotshotters in to try to assess the situation because the winds were too strong to deploy any planes. They made their way up the hill, the winds rapidly changed direction and the fire overcame them quicker than they could retreat. Brother in law said this went from a 100 acre fire to over 1000 in the short time the Hotshots were deployed.
However it happened, they surely knew they were doomed and it had to of been a horrible way to go.

Anytime you have to deploy your shelter your pretty much doomed. The shelters are nicknamed "shake and bake" for a reason. I'm glad the truth finally comes out on how seasonals don't get the same benefit package as someone "fulltime" . This also goes for reserves, PCF's and Volunteers. Maybe one day they will all be taken care of like a "fulltimer"

 

[JR]

Anytime you have to deploy your shelter your pretty much doomed. The shelters are nicknamed "shake and bake" for a reason. I'm glad the truth finally comes out on how seasonals don't get the same benefit package as someone "fulltime" . This also goes for reserves, PCF's and Volunteers. Maybe one day they will all be taken care of like a "fulltimer"

It is absolutely horrendous a "part timer" that gave his life is worth a penny less than a full time fire fighter. If your dead your dead, and your family needs an income more than ever now that your gone... I hear they are trying to re work some of the laws, hopefully this is not another publicity stunt and they really do good on the family of the deceased...