new level 3 gear (LION)

[strikeathird]

Unsure, you could ask your captain etc about your brigade.  I know a couple off the top of my head, and like most people, ask about the ones I don't.

However, their may well be a doc. that states every brigade and its classification... ?

[backburn]

Ah, Kat, thats where your region is letting you down badly, I have seen some pictures from other brigades in your region fighting a large factory type fire with BA operators in Proban, when I asked a member of this brigade I was told the Nomex was hanging in the station, they didn't know what they where going to!! !!

So I think you need to ask your region what is going on!!

So your Urban/Rural, interesting, has anyone tried getting there standards looked at lately? It seems nobody wants to know about it.

That sound like my Group as The Brigade Im from is Urban/Rural and we have been told that we will get the new levle 3 gear in about 2 years. Then it will go for the new BA members only not the older ones.

[Wagon 1]

Wouldn't the simplest ruling be to wear it for all incidents that require you to wear BA, which includes almost everything apart from grass fires.

[strikeathird]

^^  Couldn't agree more..

[CFS_fire32]

Has anybody sent their PBI off for cleaning yet, if so what was the turn around like?

My brigade sent two sets off for cleaning 2 weeks ago (and yes they were dirty from structure fires) and as yet have not seen or heard of a replacement set, let alone the return of their own gear.  Something is going wrong some where down the line, whether it be at region or the manufacturers/cleaners (Lion Apparell). So much for the five day turn around and temporary replacement gear deal that we were all promised would be in place!!!

[CFS_Firey]

When my group had PBI Gold washed, members were handed the replacements as they handed over their dirty sets... I suggest you ring Lion Apparel to check yours haven't been lost

[strikeathird]

They are like..   " What gear... "


hehehe

[CFS_Firey]

hehe... "Oh, that was supposed to be WASHED?"

[Wagon 1]

It might be a little more difficult being in the CFS as not everyone has it, and I am not even sure there are spare sets yet, where as SAMFS did one bulk purchase with a one off grant from the government, CFS are doing it in dribs and drabs so who knows what is going on. But chase it up, that is pretty poor at any rate.

[CFS_fire32]

Yeah, one of the guys was going to contact region today and find out what is taking so long.

...that is pretty poor at any rate.

Well, one of our sets got damaged - one of the brace stitchings came a drift on a pair of pants - and it took about 5 weeks to get repaired and returned back to our station, however we did receive a relacement set whilst this was happening, thankfully!

[kat]

On the urban/rural, rural/urban, rural thing.

When the SFEC document was last released each Brigade had what is called a Brigade Prescription which specfies what rating they are, what their ratings in the three areas (structural, special, urban) is, what equipment, resources and levels of training are required. We are prescribed lots of things that we don't have (as I am sure many others are) so it is not a magic recipe to receive resources galore. A lot of Brigades consider themselves urban/rural and may say that they are (and I'm sure they're morally justified) but there are actually very few "officially" and they're not all 200+ response stations - far from it.

Is HV Rescue or Hazmat? If they don't have these risks to cover their special service rating is probably fairly low. Also being EMA means that they have ready access to specialist resources?? I'm not sure how EMA affects the risk ratings but I would guess the risks are attributed to the red truck Brigade. The formulas many many years ago were done from insurance data, incident history and many factors like that but I'm hard pressed to ascertain how they've been updated and what goes down with them now.

[Wagon 1]

Its the typical CFS thing, we won't give you the trucks you need because the red truck can do it for you, and trust me, I have been told that to my face. But when we try the arguement in reverse, we are told "we are not here to prop up the MFS" Go figure!!

I feel the CFS becoming like the NSWRFS.

[24P]

Its the typical CFS thing, we won't give you the trucks you need because the red truck can do it for you, and trust me, I have been told that to my face. But when we try the arguement in reverse, we are told "we are not here to prop up the MFS" Go figure!!

And aint that the truth!

[strikeathird]

It's all about....


Money Money Money !!

[CFS_fire32]

Has anyone bought velcro name tags for their PBI yet?
My brigade/group is interested in getting them, but the group equipment officer has had no luck in finding out where to get them made. You'd think Lion Apparell would do them, but I'm pretty sure he said they didn't.
Could be wrong.

[TillerMan]

They are doing them at the moment and will automatically be sent out to the brigades. Last time i was at LION the girl was sorting through them. Eventually they will be sent out with the person's gear.

[rescue5271]

Ok, we have all CABA members had the gear now for a while and we do people really think about it??? I understand from someone that all PBI gold that was sent out to brigades has been returned for repairs as the stiching was coming apart on the arms and around the neck. I have done a little research and from what I have found out from members in the QFS and the CFA that there are too many problems with this gear and that in QFS members where being overcome by heat before they got to the job,so much so that they turn out with only the jacket on and if its a working job the put the pants on. There is also the issue of cleaning the gear why can't a local dry cleaner do this if lion sent out instructions? As for the cost well how are brigades/ groups ment to buy the stuff CFS should issue this gear when members complete a CABA course,that way it comes out of H/Q budget and not the groups.........

[OMGWTF]

agree that groups/brigades shouldnt have to foot the bill...

too many issues... perhaps we should have stuck with nomex? and not caused the problems that have arrisen in certain grous/areas, and the costs....

our old nomex would meet australian standards if they had issued liners for the pants.. wouldnt this have been a much cheaper and easier opton?

[Firefrog]

The PBI is world class and is far better than the Nomex in many ways. Granted there have been issues with communication and policy but in time I'm hopeful we will look back and be grateful for the change.

[Wagon 1]

Good call firefrog, remember the carry on when Nomex was first introduced. Also look at this, the yanks have been wearing this stuff for years, and it gets hot over there to, its all about managing the wearing of the garment. By the way, CFA wear Proban pants and woolen turnout coats still, so it will be a culture shock for them to upgrade to this.

[OMGWTF]

couple of people in operation mercury pics wearing PBI at QEH drill....

obviously just plainly ignoring the fact taht they have been told not to wear it to anything other than structure fires....?

[24P]

couple of people in operation mercury pics wearing PBI at QEH drill....

obviously just plainly ignoring the fact taht they have been told not to wear it to anything other than structure fires....?

Probably depends on which brigade you belong to to what you can get away with

[Wagon 1]

OMGWTF there is no rules, so until someone from HQ sends out an official document then, meh.

My groups policy is to wear it to any incident that you would use BA, that seems simple enough to me, takes the confusion out.

Also OMGWTF did you notice one of those people wearing the gear was a staff member from STC, whats good for the goose...........

[OMGWTF]

no i didnt notice... dont actually know every member of the CFS by heart, LOL...

just staying because that from everything i have heard it is fro structure fires only, because of the heat factor.... to me that would mean that it obviously isnt designed just to protect people from any hazard directly related to wearing BA, just any incident where the wearer is engaged in structural firefighting, and the associated hazards...

if ya know what i mean.

[strikeathird]

no i didnt notice... dont actually know every member of the CFS by heart, LOL...

Spose you don't really have to know every member off by heart... Staff members usually have the Blue stripe on their red helmets....That's usually enough to figure it out....