SA Firefighter

One day the mongs might realise in this modern age someone is watching or listening. Then we might loose the YEAH before roger,send and my favourite you got a copy then applaince name!

:-D

Quote from: Darren on September 16, 2009, 11:54:05 PM
We push push push, but we don't have several hundred thousand in our account, so we can only push so far.

This isn't the worst idea, but needs to be looked at very carefully, and SHOULD NOT be seen as a one size fits all truck, NOT a hazmat truck, NOT an RCR truck, just a jump in and go to the fire vehicle. Hose, BA, and a decent pump.
I would hope brigades won't accept this to do the jobs of a full size rescue/hazmat pumper.

Wait till you have to operate one of these small appliances at a reasonably busy brigade not good mate!

I'd like to see one pumper fit all obviously it would probably fail with carrying HAZMAT gear but why not have a good general pumper design with decent stowage, hoses, pump and room for rescue gear. Possibly you could have a reduced HAZMAT storage on there for the HAZMAT brigades instead of the rescue gear.

What ever happened to having a standardized fleet like other fire services?
If we build the same thing for all brigades that require pumpers would not that make sense?

The wheel just seems to spin around not long ago we tried these small pumpers and years before that some 15+ years ago we had rescue vans. Infrastructure and Logistics in CFS HQ are not coming up with any innovations they are just going in circles.

Give me a good reason for not building decent size pumpers?

I'm not having a go I'm just throwing it out there!

My brigade has a number of cadets and we keep them separated from the operational fire fighters for a number of reasons.

We make sure we maintain the correct ratio of Cadet trainers to cadets. The only time we involve them in the brigades training the cadets will only ever have an observational role and not on an operational appliance at a training night.

We only train the brigade once a week so it's important our fire fighters have no distrations or hindrance's from the cadets. Plus a separate training for the cadets gives them more time to learn and develop.

Quote from: Hazmat206 on September 13, 2009, 12:40:38 PM
1919555 09:01:05 13-09-09 TBGCC: TUMBY BAY BEAT RAMBLERS IN A GRADE FOOTY UNITED YELLANA A GRADE NET BALL BEAT T/BAY CROWS LOST Q 13/09/2009 9:00:27 AM CFS Tumby Bay Group Info

WTF??? No wonder CFS looks like a backyard operation putting local footy scores on pager system. Who took their string and cans away!

Thanks for that was just interested to see what response I got.

The positives everyone came up with was a decent size pump and recognising a dedicated pumpers does not require a lot of water (but if it can handle it why not!) if working on the urban fringe or large rural township.

Can I share with everyone now don't let your brigade take on one of these small pumpers as if they are on a chassis such as a Mitsubishi Canter or a like it won't have the guts to pull the skin off a rice pudding.

The appliance will be grossly under powered with all the necessary urban kit and then if you've got to carry rescue gear or hazmat it will be worse. Plus they are not real roomy especially wearing PBI Gold.

I know this from experience due to being at a brigade that suffered with this sort of concept appliance a few years back on the urban fringe. I understand CFS has budget constraits like all businesses but be warned. A 34P would be a better option even though the storage on them is a pig of an idea.

I think Burnside has set the bar realistically for a pumper and why should we as firefighters that are unpaid except sub standard equipment to complete the task.

Fair call tree down to me usually means the issue is the tree not the motorcyclist of vehicle caught under it. Just goes to show you gotta read the whole damn message!
:-o

A little birdy told me CFS infrastructure and logistics department has come out with another cracker. 14 pumpers and they are based on Canter size applainces. God help us if this is a fact!

Mike Rann is just a member of Salisbury CFS a political game to keep that station alive!

:evil:

ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz
:evil:

Quote from: BundyBear on September 13, 2009, 11:48:23 PM

Quote from: bittenyakka on September 13, 2009, 10:16:44 PM
a box alarm is "drop the box" / kinda going fire right?

I could be wrong Bittenyakka but I'm pretty sure a box alarm is an American version of our manual call point's that you find attached to some monitored systems they are inside and outside on the street in NY and years ago they were connected to the telegraph system. :-)

Further to this I think they account for most of their MFA's!

Quote from: bittenyakka on September 13, 2009, 10:16:44 PM
a box alarm is "drop the box" / kinda going fire right?

I could be wrong Bittenyakka but I'm pretty sure a box alarm is an American version of our manual call point's that you find attached to some monitored systems they are inside and outside on the street in NY and years ago they were connected to the telegraph system. :-)

Quote from: crashndash on September 13, 2009, 02:10:01 PM
i wonder if Rainer, Mike et al have been on the phone again

VFBA?.....is that you i hear in the media <sounds of crickets chirping followed by silence>

Exactly the VFBA is a bunch of old toothless tigers if they had their way we would still be only going to rural fires! Hence why they don't push for paid CFS fire stations...

As for the CFS managers in town as if they would stand up to the Government ministers they answer to.

Nicely put Darius as we all know the lad's at the State Training Centre push for new idea's but are held back by budget and the corporate knife in the back if they voice their opinion. As for the leaders in Corporate HQ all they are worried about is the rural risk we face every summer and seem to forget the majority of the jobs we go to most now days are road accident rescues and structure fires. Plus when is the last time they went down the street to a job!

I think working groups from the STC and brigades that could use the equipment should be adopted more. You see it occasionally i.e. Tea Tree Gully's 14 CAFS appliance and other equipment tested at diffrent brigades.

CFS staff do produce risk assessments on all new appliances and equipment they have. From there the Fire Ground Practices are written and training modules are developed to capture the elements of competency required. Example the reciprocating saws!

Nothing is stopping individual brigades from doing risk assessments does not every brigade have and OHS&W rep?

I'm not going to hightlight Bridgewater with their rope rescue aspirations as I don't fully know their stance and what they're up to.

I've seen brigades go and buy PPV fans and disc cutters with no formal training. The training is done in house and does not really meet any training frameworks and off they go down the street and use this gear. With Region having no idea they have this equipment.

As for having the guts to go out and buy and use this equipment in such a way you need to take the emotion out of the argument and consider the "What ifs" like injuries and possible fatalities from using equipment without proper training (initial and skills maintenance), knowledge on the fireground and proper maintenance knowledge of this equipment.

All I am trying to get across is, brigades that can afford resources outside of the normal equipment issue have they considered is it going to benefit the community they respond in, will it aid other brigades and other emergency services in there area. Will we have funding in the future for initial and re-accreditation training, equipment replacement. Did they consult the chain of command?

You get this wrong and you'll be hung out by CFS management above and you'll be fair game for inspectors from Safework SA.

One thing we can't argue about is the passion for the job from CFS guys!

I've got friends and family in both paid and volunteer Fire Services, Police and the Ambulance Service.

Pretty funny some of the conversations at BBQ's but firey's volunteer or paid are just considered as drip stands with a little intelligence to my Ambo friends.

Quote from: crashndash on August 31, 2009, 10:48:27 PM

Quote from: boredmatrix on August 31, 2009, 04:48:45 PM
asked when needed most?  - like what exactly? 

Besides having the ability to tarp up houses, stabilise a structure or sandbag - their only other talents seem to extend to mass meal production and management during fires....but that seems to be only after its been declared a major incident and the purse strings are open.....

noooo bad Boredy....SES gave that job to the Salvos a few years back....and Spamelot Castle was born :) they do however graciously deliver meals to us out in the hero zone occasionally, which is always appreciated

"Deliver meals into the hero zone" that has to be the biggest gong beater comment of the year!

I think you're missing my point Crash there are avenues that can be taken to implement new equipment and technologies into service and I'm all for that. (example the new Stab-fast stabilisation kits)

So when these CFS brigades go and buy new items of equipment off their own backs has there been a needs analysis and a dynamic risk assessment completed.

Is there certified training so in the case of a catastrophic failure they are covered under the OHS&W act. Do they know what is involved in the skills maintenance program to keep operators current, is all this conducted like a professional service? (example all those brigades that bought PPV's fans a while ago no training course available from CFS!)

Then who pays for the training to keep operators current or initial course for new firefighters as CFS brigades always suffer natural attrition of staff or is it a case of a bunch of lads at a station saying we have this amount of funding what can we put on our wish list. I dare say the latter as I've seen it done before!

As for the last paragraph might give that a miss, a little melodramatic!

Ah one should look in before one looks out!

Plenty wrong with the CFS for example brigades having group responses to some incidents when they should not, so another station in the group can keep there numbers up. Brigades sending everything out of their stations to some incidents instead of having a justified and tactical response. Brigades doing their own thing when it comes to buying equipment. Brigades attending incidents with out the right crew for the given task instead of defaulting to the next nearest brigade. Brigade members doing tasks at incidents they're not trained for!

I'm not saying the SES is perfect but neither is the CFS when you put it under the microscope.

Plenty of times my station has been responded to vehicles into houses, trees down and once we have dealt with the possible inital rescue, securing the scene or the cutting up of the tree is going to be a prolonged task we hand it over to our local SES brigade, that arrives in a timely manner not under lights and sirens and gets on with it. Why you ask so our resources can be free for any other incident that our appliances can be used for that requires a response.

How I love listening to Mong's bang on about what other services are doing!

Well said Chook rescues from cliffs as stated by CFS firey would be rope rescue, mine shaft's would come under Confined Space Entry Rescue and water would be Swift Water Rescue all of which are seperate disciplines.

I'm not intending to have a go at anyone I've just seen evidence in the past when brigades have gone out and done things in the past i.e. buy disc cutters and positive pressure ventilation fans, one of the brigades I've been with has been guilty of and there has been no real systems in place to manage training, maintenance etc properly. Another concern is looking at the bigger picture could there be another brigade that needs this training first as they've got a higher risk in there area.

Looks like the new homes are well over due for SAMFS and SACFS. Good to see them get new stations!

Quote from: CFS_Firey on August 30, 2009, 10:45:21 AM

Quote from: BundyBear on August 29, 2009, 08:23:43 PMYou have to ask will these brigades be located strategically to benefit other brigades and the community or is it the case of just buying some bling!!!

If it is just the bling, is that a problem if they have the money and dedication?  I'd argue it's not.

So the foundation for your hypothesis if brigades have the money (a few) and the dedication (most) they can go out and buy what they want and do what they want, that's a sound arguement?

Quote from: crashndash on August 29, 2009, 09:31:10 PM
Bundy....yeah actually they do, and many of the hills Brigades have similar issues....big 2 or 3 story homes cut into the side of a hill....access to the roof one side isnt too bad....the other, big drop off on the low side.

Yeah fair enough Crashndash thats working at heights not a rope rescue job!

Quote from: Desert Dweller on August 23, 2009, 07:28:16 PM
Bridgater are rope trained but on a limited basis & have done this for uses such as working at heights eg of roofs & ladders.

I hear from a good source that they are thinking about expanding their training this year to incorporate stretchers pulley systems etc.

I wonder why Bridgewater would put such an emphasis on rope rescue, I can understand the working at heights but have they got a large number of risks in there area? Big call to justify the cost of initial training, skills maintenance training and the cost of initial equipment set up and the on-going replacement of equipment.

It does worry me a bit some brigades going out and doing things off their own backs if this is the case. You have to ask will these brigades be located strategically to benefit other brigades and the community or is it the case of just buying some bling!!!

Quote from: Bill Corcoran on July 02, 2009, 08:25:03 PM
Naracoorte and Robe will be doing it this weekend at STC,as both these brigades are rope rescue brigade's,I think and I am sure someone will correct me there are only 7/9 approved rope rescue brigade's within CFS.

Bill will CFS be trained in the single 11mm rope system SES use or the twin 13mm rope system SAMFS use?

Quote from: bajdas on August 10, 2009, 11:13:58 AM

Quote from: BundyBear on August 09, 2009, 08:20:09 PM
The way CFS is going a lot of brigades struggle to get two appliances out the door so the van would go for rescue so where would the fire pump come from the next nearest brigade? also how far away is that brigade in some areas? A van is not an OHS&W issue but I say stick to pump/rescues at least you can react if there is a fire or fuel spill....

For an outsider, would you need to fill all the seats in both vehicles ? Why not place 2 or 3 in the fire appliance and 2 in the RCR van. Total crew at the incident still is 4 or 5 (same as currently) and you have the extra equipment on site.

Even the van will provide more crew / scene protection at the incident (fendoff position on the other side of the roadway) and possibly accelerate faster than a 24 truck.

I understand what you are saying but personally I like a pump/rescue with a full compliment of crew, then you are only maintaining 1 vehicle not 2. Also at my brigade there has been occassions when we respond to an RCR and then on the way back to the station we are responded to a structure or another type of incident so therefore it is easier to manage crews and everything you need is available to you.

In my opinion the van is just a cost cutting tool if CFS was serious about rescue appliances with a rapid response capability why would they not look at a Ford F-350 at least that way you could mount a decent size pump and a 1000 litre tank on it as well as rescue equipment for MVA's.

Plus you have to say is this not just the big wheel turning around again I'm having visions of Smithfields old red rescue van and other brigades with Toyota 4x4's and trailers on the back.

Firefighters drive Fire Appliances  :x