SA Firefighter

Did a COQ to Salisbury for the One Tree Hill fire in February 2004. Responded Priority 1 from Belair to Salisbury at Regions request! Seemed a bit funny driving past a 2 MFS pump station to Salisbury priority 1, when both MFS pumps were less than 2 km's away! My crew didn't mind going through the CBD for it though!

I think there should be official SOP about COQ procedures!

All right, I'm going to bid in on this topic...

Scania 94D Cab/Chassis in current MFS confiruration is a great urban fire fighting appliance! Good brakes, good layout for the crew of 4. It has a 260hp engine not 310 as stated (that's from MFS engineering).

It's an expensive truck, and before people start going on about the same risk, same job yadda yadda yadda, they are a lot busier and have a much higher risk coverage than the CFS does on a whole. I'm talking more about career station's and busier retained stations.

I see a lot of short falls in using Scania's in the CFS fleet, starting with BA seat! I like the concept, but stop and think hear for a minute. With two BA seat in the rear of a scania they can fit only a maximum of 5 people in the cab. I'm sure if you keep missing the truck being the sixth person to the station then you might get a pissed with it. I like having 6 or 7 on an urban pumper, so you can quickly cover additional scene need, ie exposure line, stand pipe, traffic control, safety/first aid...

For less money I'd prefer a Mack Midlim Cab.Chassis with 260hp, Allison Auto G/box and 7 seats in the cab (IF you could have 2x BA seat and still have seating for 4 more crew then ok). Base this on the URP (with crew deck in areas that need it, and with additional lockering in areas that need that!) appliance with a 750gpm (or greater) pump and things would be looking ok.

Personally I don't care what the appliance looks like, ugly white, red, blue, pink with daisies on it. As long as I'm a volunteer and the pager goes off I'll still rock up and do the best I can with what I've got. Sorry but got to say in the CFS stop dreaming about Scanias, they're not the bees knees and I'd prefer to fix some training needs and PPE.

I know on Jan 11 MFS had a COQ to Belair Station initally. They firstly sent 203 then another pump was there for a short time. Both appliances ended up tasked to Mount Osmond thought, then an appliance from Strath Group was placed there.

I have no problem with COQ by CFS for CFS and think it should happen more often. IE once there's a Second alarm (or greater) response within an brigade then an appliance from a neighbouring group should be used. This would cover shortfalls in the immediate area and the covering group wouldn't have it's response ability affected too much. An example of this may be if Happy Valley had a going inident in a nursing home at second alarm greater (say needing 6 appliances) then send Belair or Blackwood on COQ. Likewise if Aldinga had a second alarm greater in there response area then cover with Mount Compass or Yankalilla.

The new 203 got it's commisioning today, but with by out of action for the next month or so. The one that was at Camden used to be a spare appliance I believe as all the spare fleet are kept there. When the axle got drop of the Woodville Skyjet a few years ago they ended up with no spare ladder appliance.

Bigger doesn't necessarily mean better guys! Chinook and Blackhawks both have their limitations (including range) as well. Probably the most suitable helicopter for this state is the Eurocopter EC-145. This is a bigger machine than the BK117 and EC130 that is coming to SA, but a bit smaller than a Bell 412. The benefit of this aircraft is better layout options in the cabin and better loading options for a patient. Cost is a lot cheaper as well.

Any aircraft that is running around coastal SA should have autohover which basically means the pilot can put the chopper in this mode and it will stay in the exact point that you set it. A must for nightime/low light winching operation over water.

Now we're dealing with a lot of health issues around the number of patient requiring transfer from region and rural areas of this state for medical treatment in Adelaide. If we were able to maintain adequate health services in rural and region SA you would have the manual handling problem of the huge number of transfers carried out by SAAS and RFDS every day.

As for basing helicopters in key regional locations around SA, would love to see that personal, but can't see it happening without significant private sector funding. It's been hard enough updating the current contract requirements between all service users of the helicopters! I'd love to see a long range aircraft (even a vertical take off, short landing rotating wing plane) at Port Augusta which could be mained with 2x intensive care paramedics and 2x rescue trained firefighter to cover the far north, west coast and flinders ranges. So you might be able to free someone from a MVA at Yalata an hour before the CFS arrives!

If only it was so easy... few comment from above about gazetted fire areas MFS vs CFS, and paid fire fighters in the CFS.

Firstly I think the CFS needs to be progressive and future driven, not just responding to current needs. So in this the need in some areas for the CFS to have paid career firefighters and retained firefighters may arise.

Secondly the MFS isn't just going to move into an another fire services area purely on call rate, if so then Dalkieth and Salisbury would have a greater MFS presence. Further to this how would other communties such as Peterborough, Wallaroo, Moonta, Victor Harbor and so on like it if the CFS moved in and said we're the fire service now. The MFS in Tanunda has a larger operating budget with 5 retained firefighter than the whole of the Angaston group. I say explain that!

Thirdly, if Mount Barker CFS is maintaining adequate day time crewing to respond to the communities needs, why pay a significant wage to career firefighters to cover the same risk! Suddenly becomes a very expensive exercise. Don't think that having the MFS move into the CFS area wouldn't effect that CFS region and groups funding, The additional costing would have top come from somewhere.

I guess an easier way of fixing crew would be to integrate the fire services in this state in a controlled manner, then a communities requirements for a fire service would be managed in a equitable manner from post code to post code, not as is current as per a gazetted line on a piece of paper.

I say let volunteers be volunteers. If they can handle the job let them. You don't see SAAS kicking our volunteers out of stations just because they're busy! Just support them as best as we can!

Alex bit quick to mow the Dennis down. This was the first time something like importing appliances has been tried for the CFS. Of course there's going to be some teething problems the first time. I think if they want to truely try this idea out to save money then it should be done on a 5 to 10 appliance trial, not just 1. It's not giving us an accurate point of view. I agree that this truck hasn't been cost effective, but I'm sure that the CFS has learnt from it's mistakes this time and if there was another dennis to come over that it would be a much smoother and cheaper operation.

I believe the Type 2 Pumper is going to replace both Mount Barkers 24P and Rescue appliance, leaving a 4 appliance brigade.

I'm also under the impression that the main problem with Dennis is the lack of Air Conditioning. Heater works very well, in fact the Pizza's at the House Fire the other night stayed very hot with the Heaters on in the cab!

Sorry about the station numbering thing, was thinking Oakden, but they got the newer International 3 or 4 years ago I think.

As for the Hose reels they look like 75m not 90's. Only got a brief look though

In US Gallons Per Minute the 34P has a 500GPM pump, 34 has a 350GPM and current Type 2 Pumper has a 750GPM pump. Most MFS Scanias has a 1000GPM and I believe Mount Barkers Dennis is a 1000GPM. I'm not sure how that relates to litres but should give you a bit of a comparison!

No Joke, about 7 years ago I heard that CFS was considering changing it's name to SA Fire And Rescue Teams (SA FARTS!) Happy didn't happen!

You're right I believe they've taken 54 recruit for 3 intakes of 18. My brother got in and has got a spot at Pt Pirie! He starts on the 5th of September.

Good luck to anyone else who got in!

Legislatively speaking a combined emergency service is quite possible and probable, and I like the concept (I've you haven't got that feeling from my preivous posts!)

As for Ambulance being involved, I'd say not likely. This is purely based on SAAS coming under the Department of Health and Health Ministry know instead of the Justice Portfolio.

I would like to see co-location between the Ambulance Service and other emergency services continue though, but I think some of the hassles that have come from a few MFS/SAAS station will end any further colocated stations and teams, in fact I believe that colocation of career staff and career stations won't exist in 10 years time!

I'd love to run a pole on combining all services, but the model base would have the be states to stop confusion about responses adn arguments like SES vollies responding to Fires and the like. One service for all doesn't have to mean everybody responds to every incident...