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News Story for Fire Fighters

Started by Ga_Boy, February 15, 2006, 06:26:56 AM

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Ga_Boy

10 Acers in the Blue Ridge Mountains

TexasTimbers

There is obviously more to this story than is being told yet. As bad as I want to speculate I won't, but something tells me it's one of a couple of possible issues ......... ::)
Whatever the case, the guilty should have to sit in a teargas-filled bunker for a couple hours or so...........
The oil is all in Texas, but the dipsticks are in D.C.

Kevin_H.

I can remember a time when something like this could happen, now with mabas in place we run more like a county or bi-county dept. anytime a first alarm structure comes in there are at least 3 dept. responding.

It is a shame that people get hurt over stuff like this.
Got my WM lt40g24, Setworks and debarker in oct. '97, been sawing part time ever since, Moving logs with a bobcat.

Kirk_Allen

I have been to many city departments where an officer was assigned to watch the rig for thugs stealing things from the engine but never have I seen two different departments fight as described. 


submarinesailor

I have only seen it one time.  We responded as the 2nd company to a house fire but we got their before the primary unit did.  We were inside using fog to knock it down a couch and curtain fire, when the other company got there and started blowing things all round with a straight steam – lots of water damage.  When our Chief saw what was happening, we told us to pack up and leave.  Later he got called on the carpet by the County Chief for leaving, until he explained why.  BTW, the county chief was wondering about all the water damage – holes in the walls, etc.

Bruce/subsailor

Captain

When I was a 23 year old Lieutenant on our Volunteer Fire Department back home in VT, I went toe to toe with the "new" Chief of the Career Department in the City.

We responded to a house fire, I was first due with another LT on Engine 3.  Two other members responded direct, and were knocking down the fire in a bedroom on the second floor.  I was working off a hydrant, the piece was committed, and I was in command of the scene.

The City Chief arrived with their Engine 1 and Ladder 1 per our mutual aid agreement.  He found out I was in command and came over for a "face to face".  He wanted me to relinquish command.  I informed him that we were standing 100 feet out of his jurisdiction.  I refused.  Then he told me to shut down my engine so he could position his ladder truck.  I told him no, that we had 2 companies committed to the engine for water and another proceeding with ventilation. The fire was confined to one room, there was no room on scene for his ladder truck.  In fact, his engine company could lay a supply line from the next hydrant and setup a charged handline for backup.   He came after me as if to push me, then thought better of it and walked away.  There were no witnesses. 

When my Captain got on scene and heard the story, he refused to take command from me, as he wanted to show confidence in my abilities to the "visiting" Chief.  We used the city guys for overhaul and hose rolling like they had used us so many times that night, it was poetic justice at about 4 degrees above zero.

Funny thing is I never had a problem with that Chief again....kinda earned his respect that evening. 

Makes me smile to think of those days in charge in Vermont, now I'm a "know nothing" Call Firefighter in a Career Department.....a know nothing who had been in charge at more fires than they have seen in their collective careers ::)

Captain


Kirk_Allen

Update on the event:

Prince George's County, Maryland, officials are looking into criminal charges against firefighters who were allegedly fighting each other at a house fire. Career firefighters from the Landover Hills station and volunteers from the Kentland station were at the fire in Landover Hills when they apparently got into an argument. Amateur video of the firefighters shows them cursing and shoving each other. But things reportedly got much worse inside the home, where two career firefighters claim someone deliberately shut off their air tanks and ripped off some of their protective gear. One volunteer from the Kentland station has already been suspended and county fire officials are set to complete their internal investigation today. According to a statement on their website, the Kentland VFD denies these false allegations 100% and feel confident that they will be cleared of any wrong doing.


And this one came across the wires this morning: Rural firefighters in MO. stood by and watched a fire destroy a garage and a vehicle because the property owner had not paid membership dues. Bibaldo Rueda — who was injured battling the flames Monday — offered to pay the dues as the fire blazed away, but the Monett Rural Fire Department does not have a policy for on-the-spot billing, Fire Chief Ronnie Myers defended the no-pay, no-aid policy, saying the membership-based organization could not survive if people thought the department would respond for free. The FD said it will fight a fire without question if a life is believed to be in danger. Rueda used a garden hose and buckets to fight the flames while firefighters stood by on the road, watching in case the blaze spread to neighboring properties owned by members. The fire eventually burned itself out. Rueda said no one told him about the dues policy when he moved in 1 1/2 years ago.

sawguy21

I saw that last one in our paper. It has been a prickly issue here. There have been several fires on a nearby native reserve that were not responded to. The band apparently had not paid their share of the levy so the county refused to respond saying they could not tie up resorces that may be needed elsewhere. The band has their own vfd but the chief never got around to fixing the pumper which had been out of service for two years. He had the parts ::) None of the residents carry insurance but with this situation they probably can't obtain it anyway. Now they are claiming racial discrimination.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Tom

I yearn for the day when a person in trouble was cared for whether he was indigent, cheap, stupid or ignorant.  Hospitals used to even bill for services knowing full well that it was in vain.   It seems that we all slept a little better back then. 

I had a neighbor, a few years ago, who I hated with a passion.  He was always threatening lawsuits, destroying property, never offering assistance to others.  His house caught on fire and burned to the ground.  He wasn't in it but I didn't know.  I spent the better part of a half hour trying to get into the house to see if he and his wife werer alright.  I guess it would have been easier and justified in today's morality to get some hotdogs out and watch him burn, but I just couldn't do it.   I've never regretted trying to do right.  To stand by and watch someone else suffer is wrong.

beenthere

Tom
It'd be great to serve all, and might work if the 'free' service wasn't abused.

Last year, about this time, my wife landed in an ER room in a small eastern Arizona town with a great ER facility. While there, for about 8 hours waiting to be transported to Scottsdale, AZ we experienced what a 'free' health facility would be like. The nurse said that the families of people brought to the facility during that time (there were several) were coming in via the EMS vehicles. Seems they learned that calling 911 would get the ambulance, a ride to the ER, and the family could go along to get medicine for colds, etc. all at the same time. Saves them the gas money in their car. It was amazing to see what the emergency personnel were putting up with. They were under an edict that they had to treat everyone that asked.
The care given my wife along with the others was superb, but I don't know how the staff was able to handle it.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Tom

I guess we will always have malingerers, leeches, worthless scum and crooks.  I'll bet the emergency room people had a clear conscience though.  Sometimes the acknowledgement to them of their good deeds helps to make it easier to bear.

Buzz-sawyer

Quote from: Tom on February 18, 2006, 12:40:02 PM
I yearn for the day when a person in trouble was cared for whether he was indigent, cheap, stupid or ignorant.     I've never regretted trying to do right.  To stand by and watch someone else suffer is wrong.
I heard a news report of a situation yesterday, where a volunteer department in southern Missouri reponded to a rural garage fire, where the person who had the trouble had not paid them fire dues(probably to the fire protection district)....so they stoood by and watched it burn and his car as he used a garden hose.....they where watching to see if it spread to nearby homes who had paid dues.......
    HEAR THAT BLADE SING!

Alta

WOW MAN! Here's a link to a fire we were first in on last week :

http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_044092355.html

Didnt have time to get into personal disagreements on this one

sawguy21

That really was a stupid thing to do. The pilot broke all the rules and now three are needlessly dead.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

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