SA Firefighter

Any idea as to what sort of station they are getting built?  We have been trying to get a new station for ages!

Im all for the SOP of minimum 4 crew 2.2 above.  But there has to be common sense involved.  No truck should be responding by themselves without the minimum.  Cant get a full crew page another brigade and dual respond, no point in the those that turned up going to waste.  But having said that there are times where they should not be the first due appliance, at grass fires, house fires due to the risk to the crews.  Wait at the station until it is determined another truck will be or is on scene for two reasons - crew safety and for professional reasons.  Also possibly they should not be responding P1? That is open for question - what do people think?

only 2 crew use them as a tanker, park the appliance and put them onto an available appliance, at a working structure fire there is no reason why they still cant be utilised.

Again i must point out a truck should not be operating without the minimum but in these cases why does it matter as a reduced crewing amount will no endanger anyone.

Seen something in the latest vollie mag.  only glanced at it so not sure what the full story is.

Quote from: chook on December 30, 2007, 10:21:10 AM

At least you will be able to change the tank onto a new chassis in a few years, that if the tanks don't deteriorate. Remember just cause you don't use something doesn't mean it won't wear out :wink:

Dont count on that.....seen a tanker with one of those tanks on it..less than a year old and already leaking like a sive.

Looks like a freedom transport tank but a little hard to confirm from that pic.

Why wouldnt you build a tanker on a new cab chassis?

You have a truck that will last 20-30 years & can hold 13000 litres compared to a 20 yr old truck that may last 5 or 10 & can only hold 5000-7000 litres.

Also looking at more reliability, easier access to parts, Firefighter comfort & vehicle performance. 

Sounds like a win win situation to me.  Hopefully the CFS will build alot more of these.

Quote from: Zippy on December 30, 2007, 09:12:03 AM
Chain Of command information "brickwalls" occuring??

HQ(planning and comms) > R6HQ > Group officers > Brigade Captains > Brigade Members.

What is chain of command?

Not sure it exists around here  :x

Quote from: chook on December 22, 2007, 05:20:11 PM
Not take over an SES job? Shock horror :-D
Why not? (joking of course!)
And what you say about CFS vs Retained MFS is quite correct - there is not much difference. And once you have the equipment then training and refresher training won't be an issue. As I said before if the risk is there then the equipment should be available. We have large wineries here with distilleries as well & large factories with sandwich panel inner walls (no sprinklers) so the ability to go up and over walls including large concrete tanks would be a bonus.
Good luck with your ideas on aerial appliances - I think you need them.
cheers

Yes it is strange that one of the Riverland MFS brigades dont have a skyjet.  A lot of large buildings in that area.  Same with Victor MFS & Maybe even Murray Bridge MFS.

Realistically i can only think of three areas that may require an aerial appliance within CFS areas.  That would be Mt Barker, Barossa somewhere (Nuri?) & Millicent.

So blinky if it was determined that an aeriel appliance was required for naracoorte you would support the MFS reopening a station?

It would be nice to say just let the MFS do it but unfortunately thats not always a feasible option

Called in a smoke sighting a week or so ago.  Took nearly 5 mins to explain the location to the comm cen operator and then in the end their was no brigades paged until it was called in by another agency 45mins later!

Where the break down was i have no idea but for filtered sake!

special purpose may include a fireking?

Quote from: uniden on November 26, 2007, 04:22:58 PM
MFS have a shortage of firies at the moment and are flat out just replacing retirements and trying to recruit for new stations. MFS utilise CFS so much in Adelaide as they probably need more appliances of their own but funds and resources just dont allow for it. CFS urban brigades will continue to be relied upon , you just cant shut them down that is ludicrous.

Which is why i stated that MFS be given more funds to acomplish this.  There is no shortage of potential recruits, just need the machine to print more money.

In regards to that G D is it best to supply the CFS with a new pumper for Salisbury or provide the MFS with more funding and a 4x4 Pumper? And close or downgrade Salisbury to a completely rural station?

This is looking at reducing duplication & improving coverage/response times - not a CFS vs MFS thing.

Feel free to explain your vote here.

was also one in murray bridge. with no fire or rescue.

happens quite often.  one of things to put up with i guess as nothing will change in the mean time.

Quote from: pipster on November 23, 2007, 09:10:56 PM
But it needs to be under 15 tonnes.....   :evil:

I dont mean to argue with a police officer but

Class: MR (previous classes: LT, LB) the holder may drive

    * any motor vehicle covered by class LR
    * any motor vehicle with 2 axles and a GVM greater than 8000 kg
      eg 2 axle trucks, tippers and buses.
    * 3 axle motor vehicles, but only where the GVM is 8000 kg or less
    * any special purpose vehicle with two or more axles and an unladen mass not exceeding 15000 kg
    * medium articulated vehicles, provided the GVM of the towing vehicle does not exceed 8000 kg

may tow

    * any farm implement or any trailer with a GVM not exceeding 9000 kg, provided it is within the GCM of the towing vehicle

may not drive

    * an articulated motor vehicle where the GVM of the towing vehicle exceeds 8000 kg
    * the combination of a vehicle and trailer where the GVM of the trailer exceeds 9000 kg
    * motor bikes or motor trikes

Minimum age/driving experience

    * must have held a class C Driver's Licence for at least one year
      Driver's Licence must be carried if driving a vehicle over 8000 kg GVM.


Posted from Transport SA Site.

How bout instead of sitting here whinging you start lobbying your local politicians/vfba/cfs regional hq etc to get more staff and more training for those staff in Comms.

Comms guys/girls are doing the best they can with the resources and training they have...give them a break.

Quote from: 6793264 on November 17, 2007, 05:28:39 PM
Oh wow, news just in.

You should be wearing 100% cotton under your turnout gear. Its not that hard!

You would be suprised....its getting harder and harder to find completely natural garments now days.  Alot are now blended with polyester.

Where is this SOP that states these things Blinkey?  I have not seen it

The only thing i can find relevant to Emergency Response Driving in COSO 8.  Which states we are allowed to do all of those things you have stated.

The weather conditions stated in the burnover drill are just a common extreme fire day.  50 FDI

Those weather conditions were seen 10 or more times last season.

As FF83 and i have said work from an anchor point and you will almost always be safe.

ff83 said it all.

Work from an anchor point and you will almost never have a problem.  Its all well and good to say let the water bombers put it out but they cant mop it up.  They will knock the head down and slow the spread but the ground crews need to chase down the flanks for an effective knock down.

As extreme as some forest fires are the average size of one is 1.5HA if you dont include Ash Wednesday.  With continuing improvements in Foresting the danger becomes less and less.  And the chance of big fires is reduced.

It is an initiative of the mt lofty group to improve safety to those appliances that respond regularly to the freeway.

And is paid out of their own pocket. (maybe a subsidy from CFS but i doubt it.)

fair enough i was under the impression it was in or near murray bridge....never mind.

I may have misread the pager messages but MFS were never paged?

Yet they call in crews from monarto and jervois?

From what i was told the group had to purchase them.  Some groups chose not to as the hats did not meet OHS standards or didnt want to spend the money.

I believe they were from Stewart & Heaton.

From the doco's i have seen they really need to get with the times.  Alot of lines they put in a gentle breeze would carry the flames across.  But this is just from the doco's i have seen so it maybe different.

If you look at alot of their forests etc there is really no vehicle access as well so they dont have a lot of choice either....

let it burn and catch it on the flip side?