This is a question to all the services, not just CFS...
What procedures do you have in place for relatively small incidents? For example, if major crash need to investigate an MVA, and you have to sit around for 3 hours providing fire cover, is there a system in place that will make sure you're fed?
I've heard some groups have standard practices to get Pizza / Hamburgers if an incident runs longer than a certain amount of time..? My group has 'strike team packs' on the trucks, but these are only on trucks that go on strike teams, which leaves the long MVA's, house fires, etc. uncovered...
wikid, call in a pizza while waiting is a good idea.
been to a fair few jobs that have been prolonged, and never been fed.
i reckon the only time ive actually been fed atan incident was yankalilla strike team a few years ago... and that was after 7odd hours on the ground anyway.... hence why it is always a good idea to have snacks and stuff on the appliance.
If its a prolonged RCR/fatality we usually get some one to bring out an urn with tea/coffee/biscuits. Always welcome on a cold night and the coppers appreciate it too.
toughen up.
bottles of cold water from the appliance fridge, and crackers.
crackers, ohh mister la dee da fancy. You got something against half eaten already stale bread?
Maybe you might get lucky and the crashed car is coming home from the supermarket, can have a feed then.... :-P
stale bread..... hmmm
Toughen up......
hehehe...
Nah, I agree - We are volunteers and at the end of the day waiting 6 hours for major crash etc is a big ask... Maybe implement a group policy - like a local food store has an account set up, like subway or the likes (i have heard of this in the past)...
We have comfort packs on our trucks which contain, GasMate cooker, kettle, coffee/milo, lollies, musli bars, milk, biscuits. Tecnically were not meant to touch them until an incident runs in to a couple hours but we often can't help ourselves.
A couple years ago we had a lady join our auxillary who was a lead caterer in the NSWRFS, at the moment if an incident is lokking to run more than three hours we can have hot food like a BBq, and cake, drinks etc for up to 40 people ready within half an hour of calling her, however unless group approves it, it comes at our brigades expense which is worth it a lot of the time.
But listening to some of you guys we've got it pretty sweet compared to others.
Nothin like two/three year old fruit cake and fruit bars to push away the starvation!
QuoteNothin like two/three year old fruit cake and fruit bars to push away the starvation!
Yeah one of the first big incidents I attended (still a cadet - don't ask) resulted in us being fed frozen fruit cake at about 0730 after a full night of firefighting.
Seriously though, our brigade keeps a supply of frozen lasagna in foil trays in the freezer - just add heat. We also have frozen pies pasties and sausage rolls that can be heated in quick time and taken out to the scene, this food will last forever in the freezer so it makes a good quick option that's always ready to go.
Hot water for tea and coffee always goes as well, if it's Summer then cold cordial goes.
It's pretty easy to cater for up to about 40 people quickly, anything more than that and we let the Group Catering Coordinator handle it.
Nothing like a good operational group support brigade !! :wink:
Every group should have one ! :mrgreen:
a couple of the boys around our way have very high metabolisms (sp).... they soon get the ball rolling if its needed (the right way!)
but its generally tea/coffee/bikkies etc...
One of the metro SES Units ran a 24 hour USAR exercise last year. The rescue teams self catered using army ration packs during the exercise. I understand a supply is now in the vehicles.
I understand the ruling is that each Unit is to self cater for the first 24 hours of operation.
Thank god for the Salvos catering truck.....
well, CFS_firey, we went to a prolonged RCR with you guys and someone from your brigade rocked up with a thermace, tea, coffee, bikkies and a couple of cans of soft drink. That was a hit, especially with the cops, who seemed to just mob the thing. they came out of nowhere!
i've been to a fire where after about 5 hours, we had a briefing of what we're gonna do now etc. mid way through the brief someone just rocks up in a group car and throws about 10 pizza boxes and about 30 loaves of garlic bread on the bonnet and says "there ya go boys". i don't think anyone listened to the end of the briefing. then when we left we got fed by salvos at the local footy club.
salvo's = awesome
Nothing beats the Parndana pub for tea after you have arrived on K.I and they don't know what to do with you !! :-D
(then to sleep for 9 hours and then hit the fire ground !! :roll: )
We have a very good set up here in Naracoorte we have a catering trailer that we send out with drinks,food and if needed we can send out the meat to cook on the BBQ that is fitted to the unit. If its late at night we have access to after hours contacts for woolworths,the baker,or the pub if we need accommodation for anyone.But you have to have a good back up in people to do this and we have a very switched on Auxiliary and with one phone call we can have 5 members down cooking at all hours of the day and night..
I can remember responding to a large grass fire out at Monbulla a couple years ago and our DGO catered for the brigades out there by purchasing pizzas from a local deli in Penola and handing them out during lunch break :-D
perhaps we could carry cans of this stuff around?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NslAj4zw8HM
i think I'd rather go hungy medevac... :-o
can't see it at work, what is it ??
TV commercial made by some American comedy show. The company thats being advertised has is selling a whole lot of products pre-mixed, to save time... Donuts and coffee, milk and cookies, coffee and cigarettes, pizza and beer, tea and crackers, beer and pretzels etc
erghh :P
you never know... with a bit of extra blending and some more refinement it might take off one day ;)
cant say Id be to keen though, some of that looked discusting!
SES have an urn etc in one of their rescue appliances...we were very glad of a cuppa at 3 in the morning..and it was freezing cold..
We are supposed to carry ration packs that can sustain your crew for the first 6 hrs...ours struggles to be refilled...I often grab a box of shapes on my way out..
If it looks like its going to go any distance and it's been or coming up to a meal time..we start asking for sustainance early...
Quote from: rescue5271 on June 20, 2006, 06:52:55 AM
We have a very good set up here in Naracoorte we have a catering trailer that we send out with drinks,food and if needed we can send out the meat to cook on the BBQ that is fitted to the unit. If its late at night we have access to after hours contacts for woolworths,the baker,or the pub if we need accommodation for anyone.But you have to have a good back up in people to do this and we have a very switched on Auxiliary and with one phone call we can have 5 members down cooking at all hours of the day and night..
Blinky, what training do your auxiliary do ? Our old SES Welfare section had to do First Aid and radio. Then later on, they had to do a council based 'food preparation' hygiene course.
Are they all partners of brigade members or people who just want to help, but not on a truck ?
I hope they get good recognition, because they would be genuine helpers not after the 'lights & sirens' adrenalin rush.
Can you butter bread?
Can you spread vegemite?
Can you fold gladwrap?
Congratulations you have PASSED !
:P
Sometimes it is not that easy (wish it was)....the question was posed because of the food poisoning risk and the following pager message:
"11:41:41 21-06-06 GROUP INFO: A FOOD HANDLING COURSE IS BEING RUN BY THE COUNCIL TONIGHT AT 1900 AT THE HACKHAM SPORTS CLUB (NEXT TO MORPHETT VALE STATION) ANYONE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING PLEASE CONTACT M/VALE LT 1 - MATT - - MAWSON BASE"
Food handling and safety courses are essential in todays society. It's not as easy as it used to be as if a food poisoning incident breaks out and the people handling the food caused this and did not have the proper training they can then be held personally liable for any outcome of the outbreak.
This may be worst case scenario but even if the food is not being sold to people all the food safety and hygiene rules still apply.
I am SO very proud of my food handling course that I did. It was great. There were about 10 of us, two of us were operational firies, the rest were Brigade Auxillary, and my god, its the closest I've ever come to seeing an all out fight.
But hey, another usless qualification.
Anyways, in regards to what probie_boy said with people coming in and saying, "OH HAY heres some pizza and garlic bread, go for it!" Its been more than once that I've seen that happen with no correct allocation of food-crews, and hence some get stuffed full of food while other go hungry :(
law of the jungle, first in first served.
Sadly, its bullshit on the fireground
Quote from: Toast on June 21, 2006, 04:00:29 PM
Anyways, in regards to what probie_boy said with people coming in and saying, "OH HAY heres some pizza and garlic bread, go for it!" Its been more than once that I've seen that happen with no correct allocation of food-crews, and hence some get stuffed full of food while other go hungry :(
had that happen to me a couple of times... very filtering unhappy
Our auxiliary have done a food handling course,some have done level one and some have done level 2,first aid, radio and few have done road law. there are 15 members who do a great job and I have seen our station turned into a fast kitchen in a matter of minutes and meals walking out the doors.. Just come and do a CFS course here in Naracoorte meals are great...
The potential for food poisoning during Black Tuesday resulted in eskies of food being chucked out because nobody knew how long they'd been there...
Imagine feeding everyone and then having them all end up in A & E with food poisoning...
I managed to find a ham and cheese sandwich that had been sitting on the dash of an appliance at 1530...I hadn't eaten since 0400 and I didn't care if it gave me food poisoning..it was food!
that is why when you do large scale catering you need to date/time and pack the food in ice and send out to the fireground.also check that people who are doing the catering know what they have to do and make sure that you also meet the needs of members who have special food requirements...This is a good job for the brigade/group logistics officer to follow on with...
It reminds me of that VB ad on tv where the 3 guys end up in A&E because of eating kebabs after having a few VB's :lol:
after a hard nights drinking, a kebab and if the garlic sauce doesnt kill you the next day your missus will.
How many brigades out there carry kettles or portable stoves on their appliances for coffee? Theres nothing like a hot drink at 3am...
Quote from: CFS_firey on June 23, 2006, 12:27:33 PM
How many brigades out there carry kettles or portable stoves on their appliances for coffee? Theres nothing like a hot drink at 3am...
I know that Field Commands are different, but one of the first tasks the volunteers do when arriving on site is to setup the big urn, get the water boiling and setup the coffee/tea/soup supplies. We also carry six 10litre packs of filtered water for crews to use.
This helps especially for a pre-dawn gathering for a land search. It can get the crews coming to us rather than chase them for crew lists paperwork to be completed. :wink:
I admit we keep the biscuits within the Field Command for during the day, otherwise they disappear toooo quickly. :roll:
Uh PF i think it was if the missus doesnt kill you then the garlic sauce will :lol:
Quote from: CFS_firey on June 23, 2006, 12:27:33 PM
How many brigades out there carry kettles or portable stoves on their appliances for coffee? Theres nothing like a hot drink at 3am...
Yep.... both trucks, bloddy fantastic for the long nights at jobs.
mundcfs: What setup do you have? A kettle or stove? Do you use a 240 volt kettle and generator, or 12 volt?
Quote from: Robert34 on June 23, 2006, 01:55:39 PM
Uh PF i think it was if the missus doesnt kill you then the garlic sauce will :lol:
:lol: yeah thats the one, my bad.
mobile coffee and food shop would be great.....at some early morning calls.
Quote from: mundcfs on June 23, 2006, 03:26:57 PM
Quote from: CFS_firey on June 23, 2006, 12:27:33 PM
How many brigades out there carry kettles or portable stoves on their appliances for coffee? Theres nothing like a hot drink at 3am...
Yep.... both trucks, bloddy fantastic for the long nights at jobs.
Gas Mate stove that run off the cans of gas and a kettle. We used to have a electric kettle but our gen. set would trip out when using it.
Once used Golden Chef van (when they were around) at a hazmat. Worked ok but probably a bit on the expensive side but was effective.
Quote from: probie_boy on June 19, 2006, 10:53:34 AM
salvo's = awesome
sorry for being off topic but i have an interesting story about the salvo's. One of my grandfathers mates fought in Papua New Guinea during WWII. During one battle, this guy and another soldier are being pinned down by machine gun fire when my grandfathers mate jokingly said "jeez, i'd love a smoke". As though out of nowhere this salvo dressed in camo casually strolls up behind them and says "would you boys like a smoke?", handing them a pack each. It completely freaked out my grandfathers mate, especially considering he had just said and there were bullets everywhere. strange stuff, good story i reckon.
Interesting pager message last night to 'SES State Duty Officer' and local resources.
20:11:23 03-07-06 MFS: RESPOND CATERING 03/07/06 20:09,QUORN TOWN,QUORN, MAP 0 0 0 ,,PLS CONTACT MFS COMMS RE CATERING FOR 16 TAFE STUDENTS FOLLOWING RETRIEVAL AT QUORN,79550*CFSRES:
18:51:34 03-07-06 SHQ: *CFSRES: QUORN RESPOND TO DUTCHMANS STERN CONS. PARK, SAPOL REQUEST LIGHTING AT DUTCHMANS STERN BUILDING IN RESERVE... LIGHTING EQUIPMENT ON SCENE - MANPOWER REQUIRED > 3/07/2006 18:51:18
18:38:15 03-07-06 MFS: RESPOND LIGHTING 03/07/06 18:34,QUORN SES,QUORN, MAP 0 A 0 ,,P3 FOR POLICE/SAAS FWD CONTROL AT DUTCHMANS STERN RESERVE, ALSO CATERING FOR 16 TAFE STUDENTS, CONTACT (mobile phone),76729*CFSRES:
yeah, what was that incidente about?
Does this mean that SES still do catering?
Quote from: CFS_firey on July 04, 2006, 12:52:26 PM
Does this mean that SES still do catering?
Not normally. The Welfare section of SASES was shutdown years ago.
But I guess this will fall into the 'assist other services as required' response.
Catering and logistics is still listed as part of a SES response requirement. But I would imagine it would be more co-ordinating, transporting, etc like the SES vehicles have done at the recent Kangaroo Island fires (SES 4wd vehicles transported food & supplies to CFS trucks)
Not sure though. Hopefully someone can give us specifics on this tasking.
not sure about the 16 tafe students... but i believe there was some kind of search/resc ue of an injured walker in the CP yesterday performed by SES.
perhaps the tafe students were with the injured person....