SA Firefighter

Any body want to have a wager on how many Burn Off's out of control that the Fire Services will attend in the next month. There's been a few of significance in the last few days (Marble Hill and Bradbury!) I know it raining today, but I bet that won't last!!

Should be as follows:

Nasal Cannula: 1-3LPM
Simple Face Mask: no less than 8lpm
Bag and Mask (For Resus): 25Lpm

Hope this is what you need

Not sure where I'm sitting with the PBI gear yet. Working at Ohalloran Hill Station today (colocated with MFS) and looked at the gear, First impression is how heavy it is, seems very cumbersome.

Talking with the crew they know that a couple of county fire services in the UK have union bans on the equipment purely on the increase temperature that they feel in just standard MVA and small fires, there has been a number of cases of firefighter being hospitalised with Heat related illness whilst wearing the PBI gear, don't know how it's going to related for us particularly during summer.

According to the pages I received I thought it was a Total Fire ban in the Mt Lofty and other fire district yesterday...

Heard an interesting rumour the other day that a CFS brigade has an account of close to $200 000 in saved funding for brigade usage. As I said only a rumour.

It was worded to me that the brigade would like to eventually get a Scania Pumper for there station, which only has SFEC classification of Rural/Urban

Would be interested in what you think of fund raising for brigade's need (which my brigade still does), and if so should this be limited, or at leat monitored buy SAFECOMM? Should brigades still be able to purchase there own appliance, should they have the choice to unite funding with Emergency Service Levy funding for bigger better appliances, Is this equitable for other needy brigades out there? Is this ethical to fund raise to this extend if the community already pays there levys?

Again only rumours, no substance to this, but interesting to ponder anyway!

Your thoughts!

I received a PM from jason our Mt Barker member on the forum who has informed me that they had the Dennis last weekend and found around 27 faults with it in a weekend, so it's been offline being repaired this week and they hopefully will get it back tomorrow night.

Also talk to a member of our brigade who is a MFS mechanic/engineer who said the dennis would keep up, if not out do the MFS on pumping capability! Looking forward to seeing it in action!

I agree with most of what has been written. My concerns differ somewhat with work though, as an employee on shift it would be hard to say no to responding to a need from the community, regardless of nature and size. Obvious the need of safety and not putting yourselve at risk is a primary concern of mine.

I believe that if an attack with ever happen (GOd Forbid!) that it will come on a smaller level, not the large thermonuclear device. Attacks on large crowd at AAMI Stadium with an airbourne organophosphate, or other chemical of biological device would devestating, but if you believe the people further up the line the services in this state are well prepared for such an event with adequate levels of PPE, Decontamination Equipment, and antedote supplies... Believe that if you will.

Do I believe the services are equiped enough to handle such an event? No is an easy quick answer. Most some HAZMAT incidents of the last 10 years would give some proof to that, there has been a number of incidents where MFS and SAAS personel have been hospitalised after exposure to simple organophosphate ingestions (not sure about CFS personel though). I would like to see increased training and equipment for all BA brigade. Maybe Splash suits and decon equipment on all BA appliances to enable Rapid Rescue and Decontamination of immediate personel (particularly the people in green strippy uniforms lying about on the ground!).

I don't believe that Adelaide or SA is a soft target for any attack. Areas like Port Adelaide/Osbourne with the Australian Submarine Corp, and hopefully Airwarfare Destroyer Shipyard (i'm all for it for employment and infrastructure reason, not for the product!) I believe would pose as interest for some nasty bad people somewhere in the world!

I better stop now, bit lengthy and haphazard (like my brain after studying for IC Paramedic Exams!)

Catch you soon

Hi all, just wanting to know who's assisted SAAS with a patient lift? I've often been at work in situations where we can't get another SAAS crew to back us up for a lift, or other situation where I've had to use CFS ff's to assist with patient treatment (used one firey from Mt Compass that I know quite well and has a lot of experience to do CPR on a traumatic patient arrest once!)

How have you felt doing this? Do you think the Senior First Aid is adequate to enable assistance with patient care? Manual Handling, do you have any training with local crews about lifting techniques, SAAS equipment? Does the current situation work or is this something that the fire service should be involved in (lifting etc) what's your thoughts?

As a SAAS Manual Handling instructor I'd like to know if we need to make any changes?

Cheers

Sirens...mmmm big problem in my household! We live about 150m from the station and the siren, and it goes off almost daily, it's been hell with a baby under 1yrs trying to sleep during the day. Blackwood, Eden Hills and Belair sirens are all connected from when all three brigades we're automatically responded during daylight hours to any incident in any brigades area to address daytime crewing issues. The response griteria has changed, but not the siren. Belairs siren still goes off if Eden respond to a Animal Rescue or private alarm or whatever...Very annoying. Tried to get it changed to no outcome.

The siren system in Sturt group was turn off last year, but the community complained reasonably quickly. I was informed by a number of local residents that they find it reassuring to know that if something is happening, that the fire service is responding.

Personally I would like to see the siren used as a back up for communications (ie pager failure) and for a public notification for times of concern (going fire in local area). To enable this I feel manual activation at stations should remain for use under consultation with a Brigade Officer.

From what I gather from the Promo Unit website Mt Barker have finally taken delivery of Dennis!    I'll wait and see how it goes...

Hi All,

Whilst procrastinating today found a new appliance by Skilled for CFA, mark Heavy Tanker. Some of the concepts look good, Like:

-Crew Deck access from crew cab
-4000L with spare 750L for spray protection
-Mack Dual Cab with 270Hp (mmmm nice!)
-Not sure about the GAAM 325 Pump, would prefer a 750gpm 3 stage!
-Reasonable locker layout, though would prefer aluminium roll down door!

Have a look anyway:

http://www.skilledequipment.com.au/vehicle_details.php?vehicle_id=1450

Catch you soon

Personally speakling I've seen so many situation and incidents where CFS personel aren't wearing appropriate PPE that I've given up worrying about it. Most of the time's I seen DGO's and GO's (just varifying that not current ones) rock up to incidents in command vehicles with no PPE. My view is the OHSW one that if you're supplied with the equipment, and get injured whilst not wearing appropriate PPE then you're at fault not the CFS, and you're infact liable under OHSW legislation...

Ha, some people...

Don't want to turn this into a fire cause competition, but one below was a personal stand out!

Worst cause for shed into house fire I've been involved with was a shed fire at Normanville (whilst I was in Yankalilla CFS), early morning response to going stucture fire, 0n arrival shed fully involved and house partially (1 room and eaves). After extinguishment and interviewing the resident it progressed that with the very cold night (1-2 degrees) they we're concerned about the old family dog being outside, so they moved the kennel into the shed and placed an electric blanket in the kennel for the dogs warmth! Poor dog was well and truly roasted in kennel!