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Topics - Blue

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2
SA Fire Fighter Events / Emergency Services run for a safe climate
« on: September 28, 2009, 02:35:15 PM »
I stumbled across an advertisement for "Safe Climate Australia", have a look at the video online. Is anyone participating in the run? I wish Id kept up my training now after last year's City to Bay! Did anyone know it was happening? I searched the forum but didn't find any comment.

http://www.safeclimateaustralia.org/run-for-a-safe-climate/

3
Fire Fighter Training / 24 for dummies
« on: August 11, 2008, 02:49:14 PM »
It's a working title....Not everyone learns by watching, and even less of us remember by doing things just once. Has anyone within their brigade created written training materials for new and existing members? I'm thinking about things specific to each brigade that one might want to know. Making things foolproof, or more fool proof than currently is the case.

Maybe another title could be 'Beyond BFF1'....

Some aspects might include
Where things are stowed and what they look like/what they are used for
How to prime/pump
Steps for burnover procedure (specific to the appliance)
BA related checks/procedures
Radio procedures and prowords
Etc etc

Is anyone out there trying to make it as easy as possible for people to do these things by supporting learning with written materials that members can take home, read and stick on the back of their toilet door to memorise?

4
SA Firefighter General / Mt Gambier combined services base
« on: January 16, 2008, 10:12:36 AM »
I'm in a different building now and out of the grapevine - does anyone know where the 'on again/off again' combined services base in Mt Gambier is at? I know the forestry buildings are being demolished on the proposed site, but what's going ahead now?

Last I heard was SES wasn't keen on moving out of the town centre and CFS didn't think there would be enough room out there, ForestrySA had some concerns with traffic....

5
The Humour Zone / One for the geeks
« on: September 17, 2007, 11:26:18 PM »
A hurricane came unexpectedly. The ship went down and was lost.
The man found himself swept up on the shore of an island with no
other people, no supplies, nothing. Only bananas and coconuts.
Used to 5-star hotels, this guy had no idea what to do,
so for the next four months he ate bananas,
drank coconut juice and longed for his old life and fixed his
gaze on the sea, hoping to spot a rescue ship.

One day, as he was lying on the beach, he spotted movement out
of the corner of his eye. It was a
rowboat, and in it was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen.
She rowed up to him. In disbelief, he asked her: "Where did you come
from? How did you get here?" "I rowed from the other
side of the island," she said. "I landed here when my cruise ship sank."
"Amazing," he said. "I didn't know anyone else had survived.
How many are there? You were lucky to have a rowboat wash up
with you." "It's only me," she said, "and the rowboat didn't wash up;
nothing did."

He was confused. "Then how did you get the rowboat?" "Oh, simple,"
replied the woman. "I made the rowboat out of materials that I found
on the island. The oars were whittled from Gum tree branches.
I wove the bottom from palm branches and the sides and stern came
from a Eucalyptus tree." "B-B-But that's impossible," stuttered the man.
"You had no tools or hardware. How did you manage?" "Oh, that
was no problem," replied the woman. "On the other side of the
island there is a very unusual stratum of alluvial rock exposed.
I found that if I fired it to a certain temperature in my
kiln, it melted into forgeable ductile iron. I used that for tools,
and used the tools to make the hardware.

"But enough of that," she said. "Where do you live?" Sheepishly, he
confessed that he had been sleeping on the beach the whole time.
"Well, let's row over to my place, then," she said. After a few
minutes of rowing she docked the boat at a small wharf. As the man
looked to the shore he nearly fell out of the boat. Before him was a
stone walk leading to an exquisite bungalow painted in blue
and white. While the woman tied up the rowboat with an expertly
woven hemp rope, the man could only stare ahead, dumbstruck.
As they walked into the house, she said casually, "It's not much, but
I call it home. Sit down, please; would you like a drink?" "No, no
thank you," he said, still dazed. "I can't take any more coconut juice."
"It's not coconut juice," the woman replied. "I have a still. How
about a Pina Colada?"

Trying to hide his amazement, the man accepted, and they sat down
on her couch to talk. After they had exchanged their stories, the woman
announced,
"I'm going to slip I into something comfortable. Would you like to
take a shower and shave? There is a razor upstairs in the cabinet in
the bathroom." No longer questioning anything, the man went into
the bathroom. There in the cabinet was a razor made from a bone handle.
Two shells honed to a hollow ground edge were
fastened onto its end inside a swivel mechanism. "This woman is amazing,
" he mused. "What next?"

When he returned, she greeted him wearing nothing but vines -
strategically positioned - and   smelling faintly of gardenias.
She beckoned for him to sit down next
to her. "Tell me," she began,suggestively, slithering closer to him,
"we've been out here for a very long time.
You've been lonely.
There's something I'm sure you really feel like doing right now,
something you've been longing for all these months. You know..."
She stared into his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You mean--?" he replied, "I can check my e-mail from here?"

6
Country Fire Service / Bushfire Prevention Management Review
« on: April 23, 2007, 02:42:24 PM »
For info. Has this been discussed already? I couldn't find it anywhere if it has.
http://www.bushfirereview.cfs.sa.gov.au/

Quote from the website:
"We live in the driest state in Australia. Our state is vulnerable to bushfires and the number of bushfires that our emergency services are responding to is ever increasing.

With this in mind, in late 2006, I instigated the first formal review into bushfire prevention management since the early 1980’s.

The review recognises that the management of bushfires occurs within the broader emergency management framework of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

You are invited to provide input into the review. The terms of reference and some accompanying questions have been developed to assist with this.

As part of the review a reference group has been established to consider community input. They will also take into account the recommendations from Project Phoenix, the CFS internal review into the Wangary Bushfire and the outcomes of the Independent inquiry into the Eyre Peninsula Bushfires.

At the end of the review it is hoped that South Australia will have a bushfire prevention management framework that reflects best practice; engages and involves those who have a stake in community safety; improves the bushfire safety of the community; and minimises damage to those things that are valued by the community.

I welcome your input.

Hon Carmel Zollo MLC"

7
SA Firefighter General / Sentinel
« on: March 31, 2007, 06:27:39 PM »
Is everyone aware of the sentinel website? Keep in mind it's hot spots, not necessarly fires, but makes for interesting viewing.

8
SA Fire Fighter Events / WPFG Photos
« on: March 29, 2007, 12:35:11 AM »
Took some pics at the Ultimate Firefighter comp at the World Police and Fire Games. Having trouble uploading them, so hopefully this works....

9
Emergency Aircraft / Air Tractor 602
« on: March 20, 2007, 10:28:02 AM »
"I wonder what this button does....."

10
OFF Topic / Drought
« on: March 10, 2007, 11:08:07 AM »
I got this email recently.
It's an issue that certainly affects CFS - both through increased fire risk and the impact on rural communities.
For all our rural stations doing it tough.
A poem from Murray Hardin.


   
RAIN FROM NOWHERE
 

His cattle didn’t get a bid, they were fairly filtered poor,

What was he going to do? He couldn’t feed them anymore,

The dams were all but dry, hay was thirteen bucks a bale,

Last month’s talk of rain was just a fairytale,

His credit had run out, no chance to pay what’s owed,

Bad thoughts ran through his head as he drove down Gully Road

“Gees, great Grandad bought the place back in 1898,

“Now I’m such a useless filtered, I’ll have to shut the gate.

“Can’t support my wife and kids, not like dad and those before,

“Christ, Grandma kept it going while Pop fought in the war.”

With depression now his master, he abandoned what was right,

There’s no place in life for failures, he’d end it all tonight.

There were still some things to do, he’d have to shoot the cattle first,

Of all the jobs he’d ever done, that would be the worst.

He’d have a shower, watch the news, then they’d all sit down for tea

Read his kids a bedtime story, watch some more TV,

Kiss his wife goodnight, say he was off to shoot some roos

Then in a paddock far away he’d blow away the blues.

But he drove in the gate and stopped – as he always had

To check the roadside mailbox – and found a letter from his Dad.

Now his dad was not a writer, Mum did all the cards and mail

But he knew the style from the notebooks that he used at cattle sales,

He sensed the nature of its contents, felt moisture in his eyes,

Just the fact his dad had written was enough to make him cry.

“Son, I know it’s filtered tough, it’s a cruel and twisted game,

“This life upon the land when you’re screaming out for rain,

“There’s no candle in the darkness, not a single speck of light

“But don’t let the demon get you, you have to do what’s right,

“I don’t know what’s in your head but push the bad thoughts well away

“See, you’ll always have your family at the back end of the day

“You have to talk to someone, and yes I know I rarely did

“But you have to think about Fiona and think about the kids.

 

“I’m worried about you son, you haven’t rung for quite a while,

“I know the road you’re on ‘cause I’ve walked every filtered mile.

“The date? December 7 back in 1983,

“Behind the shed I had the shotgun rested in the Brigalow tree.

“See, I’d borrowed way too much to buy the Johnson place

“Then it didn’t rain for years and we got bombed by interest rates,

“The bank was at the door, I didn’t think I had a choice,

“I began to squeeze the trigger – that’s when I heard your voice.

“You said ‘Where are you Daddy? It’s time to play our game’

“’ I’ve got Squatter all set up, you might get General Rain.’

“It really was that close, you’re the one that stopped me son,

“And you’re the one that taught me there’s no answer in a gun.

“Just remember people love you, good friends won’t let you down.

“Look, you might have to swallow pride and get a job in town,

“Just ’til things come good, son, you’ve always got a choice

“And when you get this letter ring me, ’cause I’d love to hear your voice.”

Well he cried and laughed and shook his head then put the truck in gear,

Shut his eyes and hugged his dad in a vision that was clear,

Dropped the cattle at the yards, put the truck away

Filled the troughs the best he could and fed his last ten bales of hay.

Then he strode towards the homestead, shoulders back and head held high,

He still knew the road was tough but there was purpose in his eye.

He called for his wife and children, who’d lived through all his pain,

Hugs said more than words – he’d come back to them again,

They talked of silver linings, how good times always follow bad,

Then he walked towards the phone, picked it up and rang his Dad.

And while the kids set up the Squatter, he hugged his wife again,

Then they heard the roll of thunder and they smelt the smell of rain.

 

Murray Hardin       

February 21, 2007



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Women of the Fire Industry / International Women's Day
« on: March 08, 2007, 08:02:51 PM »
It's International Women's Day today, so make sure you hug a female firie today!!  :lol:  *hug*

12
All Equipment discussion / Halligan tool
« on: March 04, 2007, 12:27:22 PM »
Does anyone know the tool in the subject line as it is named here?

Believe it or not, I can't find a reference to this tool anywhere in the MFS recruit development folder, it refers only to the Hooligan tool. I feel a bit sad for Mr Halligan that as the creator of this nifty little device his name has been forgotten as the bastardised (yet completely apt  :-D) name Hooligan it seems has taken over.

13
SA Firefighter General / Building bridges CFS/MFS/SES and others
« on: February 18, 2007, 05:15:10 PM »
One reason I wanted to start this topic was to be the 1000th topic LOL  :-D
No seriouly, I'm interested in a practical and positive discussion of ideas about how we can build bridges between emergency services across the state. Being operational in Mt Gambier has opened my eyes to lots of politics, miscommunication, arrogance and....well I'd like to hear from others about things that have worked in their area or ideas they have to get everyone rowing in the same direction.

Cheers,
Blue

14
Women of the Fire Industry / Female Firefighters in the Media
« on: February 18, 2007, 04:14:23 PM »
Coming back to a previous post about being labelled a 'female firefighter' in the media, I'm interested to hear what others think of the coverage of the recent full time crew at Mt Gambier. Every news report added in the fact that the station "boasts the highest percentage of female firefighters in the MFS" thanks to a media release from the Minister's Office. What has that got to do with the price of eggs? Who cares what sex the fire fighters are. Or is it just one of those media beat ups where you have to use words like 'longest', 'biggest', 'most', 'best' just to get some coverage...

Blue

15
Introductions / Hello from Blue
« on: January 01, 2007, 02:13:25 PM »
Hi all, quick intro - I've been a fire fighter for about five years now, much of that with CFS in region 1 and 5, but also was operational with ForestrySA and CFA for a season and have recently joined the retained ranks of MFS here in Mount Gambier.

Happy New Year all, look forward to catching you online.

Cheers,
Blue

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