Author Topic: You hear a DSU  (Read 26035 times)

Offline fireblade

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #25 on: December 31, 2007, 07:46:59 AM »
They don't need to teach you how to use VHF radio's, if you're attending a B.A. course you should already be proficient in the use of a radio. I think they don't use them so you concentrate on your other skills such as communications with your buddy, other crews and effective infomation hand over to the ECO.

As for responding to jobs down the street my brigade has 3 VHF's on every appliance. One for your OIC, one for your driver/pump operator and one for your BA crew that all you need. Otherwise you look like a bunch of CFS gong beaters all carrying radios!

Offline Pipster

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #26 on: December 31, 2007, 09:25:13 AM »
Did your brigade fund its own VHF radios?  You're lucky if you have three per appliance

Pip
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Offline Blue

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #27 on: December 31, 2007, 09:43:36 AM »
And even luckier if all three actually work Pip!

As a BA instructor we teach 'communications', which in part is about how to use a radio (when you've got a set on you need to speak directly into the handpiece of the radio, rather than across it like you normally would, as the voice is projected forward from the mask) but apart from that you're right there is no radio comms per se, as someone else said at a reaccred you've been there for a while and I would hope you've done some radio stuff with your brigade by then. But then we should never assume anything should we! I'm all for training how we play and if that means crews go in with a radio where available during reaccreds then bring it on.

Its true that we're taught the first thing you do when you hear a DSU is CONTACT IOC AND NOTIFY THEM and this either means via radio or you get the hell out and let some one know, rather than attempting to cross through the building to locate the DSU. It may be that the DSU that has been activated can be safely snatched through a window, which the IOC will be able to assess, but those inside may be walking directly into trouble. Hard to say really, would need to weigh up the sitation - complexity of the building, how advanced the fire is, visibility, crew availability outside (yes, not all of us are flushed with resources, some CFS brigades not only don't have radios to go around, they don't have another back up BA crew for another ten or so minutes)...

I've heard people say that if they came across a heavy casualty that they would activate their DSU to bring in support crews... Radios are a much better option but I've rarely been in the situation where we've had enough to go around on a fire ground.




Offline fireblade

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #28 on: December 31, 2007, 10:00:43 AM »
I could be wrong but I think our brigades in our group kicked up a storm so we could have 3 radio's per appliance Pip!

Offline Pipster

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #29 on: December 31, 2007, 10:01:55 AM »
Good luck to you if you were able to get that many!   :-D
There are three types of people in the world.  Those that watch things happen, those who make things happen, and those who wonder what happened.

Offline Darius

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #30 on: December 31, 2007, 10:55:32 AM »
Good luck to you if you were able to get that many!   :-D

Pip the allocation was supposed to be three per 24/34 appliance and two per 14/QAV, in our neck of the woods anyway.  My group purchased an extra one per 14 appliance to bring it up to three in each appliance in the group.

Offline Pipster

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #31 on: December 31, 2007, 12:35:20 PM »
Our Group was 2 per appliance, and one for the Captain.....

There are three types of people in the world.  Those that watch things happen, those who make things happen, and those who wonder what happened.

Offline 6739264

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #32 on: December 31, 2007, 01:01:54 PM »
One for your OIC, one for your driver/pump operator and one for your BA crew that all you need. Otherwise you look like a bunch of CFS gong beaters all carrying radios!

I'll happily look like a 'gong beater' at a structure job with one each :)
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Offline mattb

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #33 on: December 31, 2007, 01:31:58 PM »
We must be big Gong Beating Nufties then, we have six per appliance.

I definitely wouldn't be sending anyone in with BA without at least one, although we try and make sure every operator has one in case something happens and they become separated.

If brigades want more then you can purchase them - just speak with your Group Comms Officer put your case forward and order them. I understand though that the Icom ones may be hard to get now so you may have to look at a different brand.

Offline SA Firey

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #34 on: December 31, 2007, 08:07:04 PM »
Interesting that when you do BA reaccreds they dont use any VHF's in the course,nor teach it.

But if I hear a DSU im dropping everything and going in with a buddy real quick, to find our fallen brothers

Good to hear more solitary action on the fireground! :roll:

Don't forget about you OIC and ECO who have th bigger picture :)



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Offline Darius

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #35 on: January 01, 2008, 06:32:39 AM »
Our Group was 2 per appliance, and one for the Captain.....

your group must have decided to reallocate one of the 24/34 allocation to the captain instead then (for what purpose is another question altogether!)

and I agree with Mr Numbers and MattB, in an ideal world every FF on the appliance would have a VHF, it's not always necessary but your crew being able to communicate with each other is pretty vital.  If your brigade/group don't want to pay the $700-odd each for the Icoms, and given the current model we have is pretty much gone so you would be getting a different model anyway, then there are much cheaper options available to your group comms officer.


Offline mattb

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #36 on: January 01, 2008, 08:38:54 AM »
Your right Darius, there are a number of brigades out there now using radios other than the standard Icom VHF portables. On K.I. I was on a Sturt Group appliance that had the usual 3 Icoms and 3 others - I think they were similar to these http://cgi.ebay.com.au/WOUXUN-KG-669-VHF136-174Mhz-w-FM-RADIO-Earpiece_W0QQitemZ190180425244QQihZ009QQcategoryZ48703QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

Given that these can be sometimes purchased for less than $100 ea they might make a reasonable alternative for brigades wanting more radios.

They might not be as sensitive as the Icoms but for the pumpy to speak to the branch man they would be fine. Only thing is I'm not sure how keen the HQ Comms people will be about brigades putting different radios on appliances, I guess it opens up more issues about training and different batteries etc, then again when have brigades stuck to the rules when it comes to 'standard stowage equipment'.



Offline Robert-Robert34

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Re: You hear a DSU
« Reply #37 on: January 02, 2008, 01:05:55 PM »
Your right Darius, there are a number of brigades out there now using radios other than the standard Icom VHF portables. On K.I. I was on a Sturt Group appliance that had the usual 3 Icoms and 3 others - I think they were similar to these http://cgi.ebay.com.au/WOUXUN-KG-669-VHF136-174Mhz-w-FM-RADIO-Earpiece_W0QQitemZ190180425244QQihZ009QQcategoryZ48703QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

Given that these can be sometimes purchased for less than $100 ea they might make a reasonable alternative for brigades wanting more radios.

They might not be as sensitive as the Icoms but for the pumpy to speak to the branch man they would be fine. Only thing is I'm not sure how keen the HQ Comms people will be about brigades putting different radios on appliances, I guess it opens up more issues about training and different batteries etc, then again when have brigades stuck to the rules when it comes to 'standard stowage equipment'.



I brought a OMDI Handheld off ebay a couple years ago and its really good radio cause you not only get the standard 40 UHF Channels but extra channels to use  :-)   
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