SA Firefighter

Just a few points on this discussion:
ForestrySA do the same CFS burnover training as everyone else.
ForestrySA also do the Deadman Zone training.
ForestrySA does BBFF1, Suppress Wildfire, Leadership, AIIMS, ....... and everything else a rural brigare should.
There was no pressure boosting of a FireKing at the Bluff fire, you just cant pressure boost a fire king.
There were no 30 length hose lays at the Bluff Fire.
The safest place to be is on the burnt edge, whether its one length or twenty lengths away from the truck.
ForestrySA has attended 76 fires to date this year, only 1 was started accidentally by an employee (with a slasher).
The vast majority of fires that ForestrySA attends are away from the forest.
The biggest causes of fires in forests are lightning and arson.

Anything else, just ask!

Movie

Not bad to drive.  Fully automatic Allison gear box, as mentioned before you have to be very careful with the diff locks.  Can screw the axles out of them if you hit the hard with them still on.  Very effective trucks for scrub, grass, forest, designed here in SA by Woods & Forests (ForestrySA) and hand built in Sydney by RFW.

I'm not really sure how to do it, but putting the age up to 18 will really hurt a lot of country kids.  Its not just that they wouldnt be able to get out socially, they wouldnt be able to get to work either.  Distance is the unrecognised devil for country people and depriving country kids of the ability to travel is not an option in my opinion.

Now I would be in favour of some sort of restricted licence  for country kids that allowed them to drive during maybe set hour, for instance between 5:30 in the morning and 8:00 at night perhaps.  If they wantedf to stay out later they would have to get a ride home or stay over.  Not sure how it could be managed.

I guess like everything else it will be driven from the city and country will have to wear it!

I like to note down interesting things and sayings as they happen and keep them up my sleeve for training and any other occasions that comes up.  Here are a couple, anyone got any of their own they can add.

You can fool the spectators but not the players.

If you think training is expensive, check out the cost of ignorance!

Don't ever develop a plan that is so smart you cant explain it to those who have to carry it out.

If you aren't dressed to play, stay in the stand and off the field.

etc. etc

Mmmmm and the permit burning season has started down here in the SE.  It's the silly season, smoke everywhere and hot as hell.  Hope everyone does the right thing.  I am not too keen on chasing rekindles.

Now there you go then! I dont know any heroes.  I dont beleve this media hero stuff. Just good honest hard workers doing the best they can.  Its not heroic.  I always feel uncomfortable when I see media reports referring to the Fire Service heroes (no matter which service).  I am certainly not a hero. Ah well got that off my chest, feel better now.

FireKing specs just briefly, Water capacity 3700 litres with 700 dedicated to safety (you cant get it unless you perform specific control function) water sprays, Full pump and roll with water pump hydraulically driven from main engine.  Pump capacity up to 1000 L/minute plus, although main forestry use 90 litres/minute at 100 PSI.  20m lengths 38 mm canvas, 2x 25 mm live reels 30 m long light weight hose.  1x 25 mm dead reel lay flat.  All reels hydraulic rewind.  Robwen electronic foam induction.  4WD, diff locks and 6 speed automatic transmission, central tyre inflation and heaps more stuff.

As for VHF - CFA have access as do I believe NSWRFS to some of our frequencies enabling cross service communications

They are not 'our frequencies'. These VHF narrowband frequencies have been allocated nationally by the national licensing authority to emergency services.  Along the SA/VIC border some of the users are, NRE, CFA, CFS, ForestrySA and probably more. That is the reason that RFS can use them locally when they come and is a little bit of sense in the total confusion that is the huge number of differing communication systems across the nation.

WEll Strikeathird, without being too contraversial I know that they are perfectly designed for forestry firefighting and are probably the best forestry firefighting unit in the world for the conditions for which they were designed.  I have seen no other unit anywhere which I would rather take to a forest fire.

For any number of reasons I would prefer them in a grass fire situation as well.

Obviously they are not designed for use at RCR, HAZMAT, or structure fires, although as a water delivery unit they have the capacity to perform as well as any standard 24 or 34 appliance that I have seen.

Cheers

Dave

Sorry guys, it was me that posted the FireKing photo, not quite used to the site yet but getting there. Photo taken at Ngarkat a couple of weeks ago.

Cheers

Dave