station stats (O2 & SES/Rope Rescue)

[corocfs]

i woukd be interested to know other stations stats as in call type...

for instance our station has done 7 jobs so far this month (february)  and 5 have been vehicle accidents (i had a chance to be the first person to use one of the oxy sets on a casualty last week, weve taken it of the truck a fair few times, but had to use it for the first time last week (beat the ambulance to the job by about 8minutes))

[mengcfs]

Hi Coro,
Did your Brigade purchase the O2 set or are you part of a first responders group?
Adam

[corocfs]

no we are not first responders.
all of our groups appliances carry O2 sets, there intended use being for firefighters who are injured or sufering from smoke inhalation, however we can also use them on members of the public.

[CyberCitizen]

Our Call Stats Are Available Here.

http://www.fire-brigade.asn.au/Station_Display.asp?Service_Code=SACFS&Station_Code=ALDB

Doesn't Have This Years, However Gives You A Good Idea Of The Main Job's We Get.

[rescue5271]

We have been to more MVA's/fixed alarms this month than last we have had 10 jobs so far this month and have done 105 jobs for the year to date.

I would like to know coro how your group got the o2 on your appliances ?
as we have been trying to get it for awhile and have been informed it is not part of CFS gear,mind you we are RCR/HAZ/STRUC,and still the reply was no.........

[Good times]

Sturt group Bill, a law unto themselves, and CFS won't touch them!!

[fire03rescue]

Well, before you start a fight

[Good times]

Well its true, who else could get away with what they do.....

[Firefrog]

I don't know about specific CFS policy but there are other groups and appliances carrying O2.

Possibly there are groups that are very proactive, it might be worthwhile asking them how they went about it. Please word comments to prevent inflaming a thread.

[Good times]

ITs all fine to be proactive, but, we have SOP's and fireground practices, people just can't do what they like, I think we should do a lot of things, but I still stick within my SOP's and fireground practices.

In regards to the O2, are all people that use it qualified to use it or is it just a case of whoever does whatever.

[JamesGar]

everyone who uses O2 in our brigade must be qualified for advanced resuscitation, which is a CFS accredited course. O2 delivery isn't rocket science, and it's benefits will always overcome any downfalls (you can take that as a medical absolute). Particularly in Trauma and any burns or respiratory emergency.

I would personally like to see O2 on any appliance with BA.

[strikeathird]

Whole group carrying O2  


How'd they manage that!!!!

[mattb]

As GT said, they're a very pro-active group with lots of money.

I enquired about purchasing O2 for our appliance recently and was told by Region 1 that the rollout of a number of O2 kits for all RCR brigades in the Region had been put on hold, once that is sorted out there may be an opportunity for other brigades to also carry a kit.

[strikeathird]

So really, one group can have a set for every single brigade.  However, other groups miss out on having O2 all together.....??



I reckon, the group with a set for each brigade, start to hand a few out to those groups that don't have the gear!

[rescue5271]

There must be two rules in the CFS one for the region close to the city and one for those in the country? Why stop the role out or was it stopped because all region one RCR brigades have it?? The cfs is responding more to calls  for help with SAAS and in many cases are getting there before SAAS, I for one would like to see O2 on all appliances not just those in RCR brigades as long as people have done the training  are willing to help what is the problem??

Remember the fire service does more than put wet stuff on the red stuff.

[CFS_Firey]

Remember the fire service does more than put wet stuff on the red stuff.

Thats right... we also find them hot, and leave them wet

...or was it stopped because all region one RCR brigades have it?? ...

Stirling still doesn't have O2 either, and I don't know of any other Brigades in our group (mount lofty) that carry it, so thats at least 2 RCR brigades in region 1 that still don't have O2...

[Mike]

on a side issue..... to use O2, advanced resus. is required...
Try getting on a course if your not an instructor in something!

If a brigade/group has enough nouse and/or money to get the gear, then good on 'em. However, I would hope they didnt complain when other brigades get the stuff issued out by region/state....

Is a discussion that will never be solved, as human nature has proven over the years..... think of it like "keeping up with the jones'...." We'll never be happy unless we have what the next person does, and likewise, will always want something better...

Vicious circle isnt it....

[corocfs]

sturt group put o2 sets on every appliance because they had the money at the time and it was of benefit to the safety of firefighters and a benefit to the public also.

i dont agree with evrything that the group does and it does seem to me a lot of the time that they do what they like a lot of the time, which some of the brigades in the group are not at all happy with.

 but at the end of the day i think it is more important to keep ourselves safe. and having o2 on every truck does help. plus someone made a comment about if every truck in sturt group has o2 then it should be taken away from the group and spread out between other brigades??
i think this is a fairl.

if a firefighter needs o2, then im pretty sure it'll be at a grassfire, and how often do you take a rescue truck to a grassfire??? what benefit would it be to have it at all?

[Mike]

Ok, said my piece about the O2....

Now has anyone else found their response numbers are up this year?
We are a relatively quite(ish) brigade compared with some, having ~70 calls a year. However we're up by around 20 calls so far this year, (significant in our eyes at least)....

So, is it just a sign of our area "growing" or is this a trend across the state?

[strikeathird]

What kind of calls have had an increase??

See, you may sit on (For Example) 85 calls, for 10 years... One year there is a night of freak storm and wind behaviour, making 25 calls in the one night....

Your brigade totals for that year are 110 calls....  Although doesn't necassarilly mean the area is growing etc..



My brigade is down this year, as are quite a few from what some have told me...

The easiest way to tell, is see what calls have increased, and work out why...  EG - The freak storm, possibly an additional 20 alarms, maybe 20 MVA's, meaning that you have either more traffic, or more careless drivers.
 

[Mike]

Ah, now if we had anything like that, i wouldnt be quite so surprised. We've had our fair share of storms and flooding in the past. Cant say its an increase in any one particular area...... just a general increase......

Anyways, just seeing if it was/is a generalised trend for the service.....

[CFS_Firey]

Our call numbers are up as well... I don't know what jobs have pushed the numbers up, (Although MVA is most likely), we haven't had any freak storms either... we are now above our total for last year...
(We've done about 280 calls so far this year, and we got about 280 last year... so with a month and a half to go, we'll end up with a much higher call tally)

[corocfs]

ITs all fine to be proactive, but, we have SOP's and fireground practices, people just can't do what they like, I think we should do a lot of things, but I still stick within my SOP's and fireground practices.

In regards to the O2, are all people that use it qualified to use it or is it just a case of whoever does whatever.

every brigade has around 10 members trained BY the CFS to use medical oxygen, they are the only ones allowed to use it..

"administer oxygen in an emergency situation" is a recognised CFS course and currently being conducted at STC regularly

[Good times]

There must be two rules in the CFS one for the region close to the city and one for those in the country? Why stop the role out or was it stopped because all region one RCR brigades have it?? The cfs is responding more to calls for help with SAAS and in many cases are getting there before SAAS, I for one would like to see O2 on all appliances not just those in RCR brigades as long as people have done the training are willing to help what is the problem??

Remember the fire service does more than put wet stuff on the red stuff.

In regards to the city region getting better treatment, I think those days are gone, I have seen Naracoorte's fleet, they are not doing to badly, you are refering to the old days of council funding, thats when it was out of whack, but the group you are refering to is a rule unto themself, and no one can defend that, because its true.

[Mike]

every brigade has around 10 members trained BY the CFS to use medical oxygen, they are the only ones allowed to use it..

They do? Thats news to me!!!! I think your pulling our legs(no offence).... no-one from our area is - exept the couple of BA instructors we have in the group....