SA Firefighter

These were photos taken by Dr Steve Schueler.
Good photos, some good looking fireman in some of those shots.

The numbering of crew refers back to the days of the hose cart training method and the four man hose drill. No 1. Branch to scene of fire, No 2. Harden couplings and back up No 1, No 3 Clear hose and connect to water source, No 4 Sink Standpipe and turn on. The Officer gave the commands by way of a whistle.
This was then changed to the fire appliance, where No 1 was the firefighter responsible for taking the branch to the scene of the fire, No 2 was to assist No 1 and back him up if reqired - remember the hose they were using were all 64mm caanvas with a straight bore branch. The driver became No 3 and 4 and his job was to get water to the branch and then get water into the truck (sink a standpipe). The Officer was not part of the numbering system as he still require to size up and give commands.

On 204 the crews responsibilites at fire alarms are the rescue crew and they are to carry out a search and rescue of the floor above the fire floor. This is in preparation of a worst case scenerio.

For forcible entry, the New York Fire Department use  - a force axe and a forged Probar. Rescue One test their guys by giving them a door with five locks - a two man team have to force open the door in 30 seconds. These guys are serious and don't like to fail. It is acheivable using team work and a set procedure.

Isn't it funny how over time peoples memories blur. What I have read here is not how I remember it, and I was on the second arrival appliance.