SA Firefighter

Dropping the speed limit down to 25km/h when emergency vehicles are under red & blues's also presents an additional risk of "secondary accidents" in certain circumstances.

For example, a car is driving along a section of freeway in medium to heavy traffic with a posted limit of 110 km/h. There is fog patches about and it has been raining. The road starts turning through a bend to the left, just on the apex red and blue lights become visible. What should the driver do?

Brake hard to slow down from 110 to 25 could risk skidding / loosing control or be hit by other vehicles traveling behind.

Now I hear you say that they should be driving to the conditions. I challenge anyone who has had to respond to an incident on the SE Freeway to say that ever happens!


Best solution is for enough police to provide traffic control further back to give prior warning of the incident ahead and to allow a progressive reduction of speed. How often do we ever see this able to be done? Even with the current level of 40km/h it is still an issue we have to consider and input risk control measures, this often take the form of crew members being used solely as safety observers looking out and provide a warning should they see a wayward vehicle.

You don't hear me say "They should be driving to the conditions" but you will hear me say "Darcyq, go and read SACFS Operational Bulletin 25/2010 - Road Traffic Management"

Ops Bulletin 25/2010 clearly states that the "Taper Zone" should begin 165m from the Work Zone in a 110 km/h Zone. This is easily achievable with multiple resources on scene. It also states that among other things, weather and road topography must be taken into account, prior to setting up a traffic management zone. Any IC with half a brain should be switched on to this and manage the scene accordingly.

You can't simply park your appliance and expect everything to be fine. Its all about creating safe zones, and acting under the assumption that motorists will not slow down.

If all else fails shut the road until SAPol have enough resources on scene to manage traffic appropriately.

And we are all ignoring other things that they have got pretty much done such as the exemption form driver fatigue laws, the 25kph past emergency vehicles which is now just getting final paper work done. As well as continual pressure on Adelaide fire to improve there act which hasn't always been adequate for CFS.

Hooray. I may not have a fit for purpose fire trucks, but thank Christ people will drive past it slowly!

The fact that the CFSVA are claiming things like the above as "wins" merely goes to show how toothless and gutless they are. We STILL have appliances that defy logic in the problems they have when the roll off the production line. We STILL have appalling stowage that defies logic and is simply unfit for use on a modern fire appliance. Busy brigades have nill support from both the CFS hierarchy or the CFSVA.

Thanks CFSVA...

What is your number 1 issue you want fixed?

Appliances and stowage that is fit for purpose and not a complete joke. Its not hard.

There is a simple lack of willpower high up to fix endemic problems (eg. regular 15-30 minute, or more, delays in rescue resources being responded to car crashes, a problem that has been reported for years now).

We have fire trucks (the 06/07 hinos?) that conk out on the fireground because the air intake is mounted behind the front wheel so gets blocked up instead of having a snorkel up to the roof level. Or trucks (the isuzus) that lock themselves when no one is in them with the engine running. Or trucks that come with insufficent lockers to hold standard essential equipment. These are clearly not fit for purpose yet they were delivered to brigades like this and HQ says there is no money to fix these things.

Firstly, you should realise that the Rescue resource problem is generally SAAS based and is almost impossible to fix until the implementation of SACAD.

Secondly, the issues with the appliances has far more to do with the people at I&L section being so far out of touch with what the Firefighters on the ground need, than getting money to fix problems... These issues do not just magically happen. They are only caused by gross incompetence on the par of those who design these "Fire Trucks".

Money can't fix idiots.

CFSVA and Some CFS training staff member ( not sure who) have put together a plan to fix it for 1.8.

Ahahahahahahaha...

It still sounds like the minister is solely focused on the training being provided to combat the risk of bushfire, yes this is important, but i believe  a broader scope is required to take into consideration the other two thirds of responses for a lot of brigades and that is additional training be provided in CABA and RCR skills.

And then there are those brigades where rural responses are NOT their core business...

Quote from: Bill Corcoran on October 17, 2010, 07:58:07 AM

why highlight the section WOMEN OF THE CFS??

The Ratio of women to men in the service is about 1000 men to 1 woman* and to be honest there isnt a difference weve got two in our brigade and theyre exactly the same as the men they do exactly the same things


* from safecoms equality in the workplace module

Uh... are you suggesting that there are only around 18 - 20 women in the SES/CFS/MFS combined? Or in the "service" being just the CFS?

Your numbers are WAY WAY off...

Im confused with all this talk of battery location... regardless of where you put it (outside of the passenger compartment) it runs the risk of being impacted on when a collision occurs.

If we are to suggest that it is MORE dangerous to have a battery in the boot, are we suggesting that there are MORE boots involved in accident impacts than engine compatments? Are there a large number of persons driving around in reverse running into things?

Im very scared now... All these cars and hoon drivers reversing post-haste!

What ever AFAC call things that is the way we are going....they should be called 34 tankers

NO.

According to the latest SOP's they are to be called "34 Pumper tankers" just like the "Rescue Tankers" and "Hazmat Tankers". Don't forget either that an "Urban Pumper" is defined as a "Tanker with large volume pump..."

So... according to SOP'd a 34P Tanker and an Urban Pumper are THE SAME THING, only the 34P Tanker has 4wd!

Stay Classy CFS, stay classy!

Everyone is entitled to their person opinions and the are NEVER STUPID for expressing them.

That would be true if many of the opinions proffered in these forums were not purported to be factual statements 
[/quote]

Awww look at the cute little hypocrite!

In all seriousness, (for this post only) the other consideration you may want to investigate is career progression.

I am but a simple Fireman, and do not know the numbers, but look at the number of positions available for specialisations such as SOT/ USAR in SAAS and then compare them with other interstate organisations. Based on the fact that Vic/NSW/Qld are states with significantly larger populations and a larger area to cover, they are, by this fact alone, able to offer you more positions in vastly different roles down the track...

The other thing that lies behind the interstate suggestion is that you're obviously still young and essentially unattached (I imagine you dont have kids!) which means you're in a unique position to begin your employment in ANY service you want country wide. You'd be mad not to look at those that will be able to offer you better career progression than SAAS.

I don't want to work for a govt.run ambulance service because it's a "cosy, tuck you into bed in night, state run service;" I want to work at SAAS or somewhere equivalent in the future, because of the nature of the work. NEPT doesn't appeal to me as a job prospect.

Then you've already made the decision to move interstate?

19-10-10 14:20:17 MFS: JODIE SAID WE HAD TO CHANGE YOUR A/T CODE TO 57, BUT WE LIKE YOURS BETTER


SIXTTTYYY NIIIIIINNNNNEEEEEE!

I like the part "and has lifted the vessel from the sand bar." Big crane that one on the Gallantry.

They just "borrowed" the one off the back of the 4!

Quote from: Bill Corcoran on October 17, 2010, 06:09:35 AM

What a waste of tax payers money, Sorry you pay your ESL so we will do anything.....Time for those NZ bumper cops of the tunnels....

In the same week that someone was killed near their broken down vehicle on the same road, I think people can be forgiven for being extra careful. 
Let's face it, Glen Osmond probably have more chance of saving a life directing traffic than they would watching Foxtel in their station...

The waste of time and money was the fact that it went from a single appliance response to an auto 3xStation response. Silly, just silly.