SA Firefighter

Re 25mm layflat hose. My CFA Region has equipped all of our brigades with 2 x 20 metre lengths, but it's not general across the CFA.

Also re live hose reels (or on older tankers a coiled length of 19mm heavy rubber hose draped over the back of the truck). We generally refer to it as the 'PR' hose - the hose you use to make it look to the public as though you're doing something, whilst the rest of the crew roll out some 'real' hose! Although it does have value when blacking out or for small jobs, however it's heavy and bulky on a reel.

CFA Model? The CFA still have Groups! I'm part of one!

But in the CFA the role of Groups is to ensure that incidents are managed - not to take over the management themselves. Some members of Groups (OK, many members of Groups) have senior ICS role endorsements, and may form part of an IMT - but they do so because of their ICS endorsement, NOT because they're an officer of a Group!

CFA Groups have other roles as well, in coordination, training, representation to the Region, preplanned IMTs & field ops roles (sector commanders, strike team leaders and teams nominated)on bad days, etc.

In respect of truck licence categories, I speak from Vict. experience however generally speaking the standards are the same Aust. wide. (Although there a few exceptions! Just to confuse us!).

It is correct that a Medium Rigid truck licence will allow you to drive any vehicle of any weight - so long as it has only two axles!!!

BUT (and herein lies the 'practical' limit) - subject to the manufacturer's ratings not being exceeded, the weight limit for a steering axle fitted with two tyres is 6.0 tonnes (although if fitted with special equipment may be permitted to carry 6.5), and the weight limit for a single axle fitted with 4 tyres is 9.0 tonnes.

Hence the so-called 15 tonne limit (6 + 9) for a Medium Rigid licence.

Note also that '15 tonnes and over GVM' (ie. not the actual weight, but the registered GVM) also is the point at which BAC of 0.00 kicks in - not just when operating Code One (lights/ sirens) - but all the time!

There are a few vehicles (not many that also have only a single axle rear axle) that have the steering axle upgrade, hence the theoretical limit for a Medium Rigid licence is 15.5 tonnes. I'll also admit that there are some specialist mobile cranes that have 4 tyres on both axles - whilst I have no experience with them, I'd presume that their maximum is 18 tonnes GVM (subject to manufacturer's specifications)?

In respect of "is the scale 0 to 100, or does it go higher?" (see first post).

When McArthur developed the scale (back in the 1950s) he considered that 100 would be the worst case, however recent studies (and live burn tests) has shown that it can go well over 100, so the scale is now generally considered to be 'open ended". But remembering that anything over 50 is 'extreme', the difference between say 100, and 125 is getting to be academic. It's frightening!

Also recollect that McArthur's original ratings (ie. low, medium, high, extreme) are designed to describe to firefighters how difficult it will be to control a fire. It is more often used (in the public mind at least)to describe the risk of a fire starting and spreading, which is probably true enough.

However, as firefighters I believe we should always think back to the original concept - FDI above 50, rating extreme, it is going to be extremely difficult to control a fire under these conditions!

"Dozens of volunteer fire officers and brigade captains resigned this morning, abandoning their tankers and trucks outside the Legislative Assembly in protest against the restructure of the Emergency Services Agency (ESA)."

http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200703/s1872832.htm