Big ideas!

[6739264]

At the risk of starting some meaningful discussion, are there any interesting ideas/procedures/bits and pieces that people have seen used around the place or at their station and would be willing to share? I know that some are only to going applicable to certain areas/brigades, but I'm sure most of you can work through that and not get hung up on things like "That doesn't work in rural areas". If it works for someone somewhere, then thats good enough to be here.

So, to get the ball rolling:

The Mt. Barker rostering system. I like the fact that there is a consious effort made to ensure that there is enough correctly trained crew on trucks during certain hours. That and the fact they have made a rostering system work with stubborn people who are 'just volunteers'.

I also ran into a crew accountability system somewhere... I forget where, but it was basically snap hooks with nametags on helmets, with buckets next to the door. As you get on truck, tag goes into bucket, thus the everyone knows who is on the truck. It's a little better than trying to guess cars/gear hooks.

[Alan (Big Al)]

I also ran into a crew accountability system somewhere... I forget where, but it was basically snap hooks with nametags on helmets, with buckets next to the door. As you get on truck, tag goes into bucket, thus the everyone knows who is on the truck. It's a little better than trying to guess cars/gear hooks.

We have one of these but being a board behind the trucks wtih all FF's keytags on one side, and 2 other parts for Not Avail and Non Active, and at the bottom are two places where tags can be put for 24P/34
Seems to work well as long as theres constant vigilance to get people in the habit.


We also have 2 foam nozzles for the sidelines of our appliance, they are great for mopping up and leave a much better foam layer on .1-.5% mix than normal sideline branches, have not seen these in use on very many trucks.

[bajdas]

I have seen this used in Surf Life saving & scouting camping trailers, but not in other emergency services.

Bicycle inner tubes stretched over the equipment they have loaded on roof racks and trailers. The inner tubes loop over one end, stretched and are attached to a strap on the other end.

Quick, safe, firm hold, does not damage the equipment (surf ski's are expensive) and they are free from your local bike shop because the tube cannot hold air from a puncture.

[Pipster]

One of the members of my brigade built a hose winding handle....slides under the tray of the standard 24, and 14, is capable of winding 25mm, 38 mm & 64 mm hose on the same handle, and enables the brigade to wind up layflat hoses to a dutch roll more quickly and more comfortably than on the ground.

Pip

[jaff]

Name keytag board for all members, Officers being yellow, firefighters being green, cadets being white, below the keyboard the appliance board, place your coloured nametag on the appliance your riding.
Softpack drinks bag stored in the fridge fully stocked, bells drop grab the bag from the fridge, grag 4 frozen water bottles from the freezer put em in the soft pack and your gone.

[safireservice]

Softpack drinks bag stored in the fridge fully stocked, bells drop grab the bag from the fridge, grag 4 frozen water bottles from the freezer put em in the soft pack and your gone.

We've got the same concept, 3 bags in the fridge in the PPE area, carry 12-15 bottles, enough to carry you over till the fridge on the truck gets cold.

[safireservice]

One of the members of my brigade built a hose winding handle....slides under the tray of the standard 24, and 14, is capable of winding 25mm, 38 mm & 64 mm hose on the same handle, and enables the brigade to wind up layflat hoses to a dutch roll more quickly and more comfortably than on the ground.

Pip

Got a pic you can post?, have been looking at that type of thing for our trucks.

[OMGWTF]

I have seen this used in Surf Life saving & scouting camping trailers, but not in other emergency services.

Bicycle inner tubes stretched over the equipment they have loaded on roof racks and trailers. The inner tubes loop over one end, stretched and are attached to a strap on the other end.

Quick, safe, firm hold, does not damage the equipment (surf ski's are expensive) and they are free from your local bike shop because the tube cannot hold air from a puncture.

Car tyre inner tubes are handy for that to. Cut them into segments, and use them as big rubber bands to hold your rolled 25mm together. not sure if this is common outside of my brigade.

[Alan (Big Al)]

We use inner tubes to hold our layflat together

[Bagyassfirey]

One of the members of my brigade built a hose winding handle....slides under the tray of the standard 24, and 14, is capable of winding 25mm, 38 mm & 64 mm hose on the same handle, and enables the brigade to wind up layflat hoses to a dutch roll more quickly and more comfortably than on the ground.

Pip

our entire group has somethin similar tot his..its gr8 isn it

[Zippy]

yep my brigade also use innertubes....seems to be a common thing.

25mm Layflat, Cross the line while rolling it (with a hose winder) every 3 metres to bind the double rolls together.  Achieve a better Bowl each time.

[Alan J]

25mm lay-flat stowed in canvas bags with shoulder straps for hands-free carrying into the scrub. 2 lengths per bag.  Especially useful when long-lining, & double as carry bags for drinking water & etc.  Side pocket on #1 bag has hose clamp.

LED torches replacing MagLights as they die. Similar price for a much longer lasting light. Once they are done, we may do same for Dolphins.

Cheap-ish LED torches on each member's helmet - fixes OH&S issue of moving around in the dark & leaves both hands free to work. People who want to spend much more for a 'proper' helmet torch are welcome to do so...

Hose-winders.  Yeah.  Can't remember when I last rolled a hose by hand.

Hey Numbers... did I read you correctly - "...for the sidelines of our appliance, they are great for mopping up..." ?    This implies you folks don't dismount to mop up. Please say it isn't so.. !!!

cheers

[6739264]

Hey Numbers... did I read you correctly - "...for the sidelines of our appliance, they are great for mopping up..." ?    This implies you folks don't dismount to mop up. Please say it isn't so.. !!!

Uh.. you read Alan correctly, but misinterprted I think. I believe he means side mounted hose reels, not the deck mounted, crew protection lines:

We also have 2 foam nozzles for the sidelines of our appliance, they are great for mopping up and leave a much better foam layer on .1-.5% mix than normal sideline branches, have not seen these in use on very many trucks.

[Pipster]

One of the members of my brigade built a hose winding handle....slides under the tray of the standard 24, and 14, is capable of winding 25mm, 38 mm & 64 mm hose on the same handle, and enables the brigade to wind up layflat hoses to a dutch roll more quickly and more comfortably than on the ground.

Pip

Got a pic you can post?, have been looking at that type of thing for our trucks.

As requested, pic of hose winder on a 14 appliance, and being used on a 24....

To add them to your appliance, a CFS "Form 3" ( I think!) is all that is required to be submitted.

Within my brigade, we would not go back to rolling hoses on the ground!!

Pip

[Bagyassfirey]

yup fully reccomended..we just welded ours on i think.

[Alan (Big Al)]

Uh.. you read Alan correctly, but misinterprted I think. I believe he means side mounted hose reels, not the deck mounted, crew protection lines:

We also have 2 foam nozzles for the sidelines of our appliance, they are great for mopping up and leave a much better foam layer on .1-.5% mix than normal sideline branches, have not seen these in use on very many trucks.

[/quote]

Yep misinterpreted, they have wajax fittings and are stowed in a locker for use on the 60m sidelines.

[senti@nt]

Cheap-ish LED torches on each member's helmet - fixes OH&S issue of moving around in the dark & leaves both hands free to work. People who want to spend much more for a 'proper' helmet torch are welcome to do so...

What torches have you been fitting?  I've been looking for something a little cheaper than the UKE 4AA eLED and mount for my wildfire helmet.

[Bagyassfirey]

Cheap-ish LED torches on each member's helmet - fixes OH&S issue of moving around in the dark & leaves both hands free to work. People who want to spend much more for a 'proper' helmet torch are welcome to do so...

What torches have you been fitting?  I've been looking for something a little cheaper than the UKE 4AA eLED and mount for my wildfire helmet.

i have a LED energizer miners light on my helmet its awsum..gives ya a spot light flood and a red beam of light.

[Alan J]

What torches have you been fitting?  I've been looking for something a little cheaper than the UKE 4AA eLED and mount for my wildfire helmet.

StreamLight approx $25 - $30  3x AAA

totally different class of light to the UKE4AA
more like cheap-as-chips by comparison

If I was in your shoes, I'd buy the mount for your rural helmet & transfer
your UKE4AA between them as needed.

The Streamlights are merely a cheap(ish) way to overcome a HS&E problem.

cheers

[6739264]

You could also do a few other things - mounting right-angle torch on your turnout coat or dropping the use of your rural helmets all together (if your brigade workload is suited to it).

[Zippy]

You could also do a few other things - mounting right-angle torch on your turnout coat or dropping the use of your rural helmets all together (if your brigade workload is suited to it).

Yeah, Structural helmets indefinately...and lets drop the name "structural"...because they definately provide more protection for every sorta job.

[6739264]

Yeah, Structural helmets indefinately...and lets drop the name "structural"...because they definately provide more protection for every sorta job.

Perhaps for your brigade, but there a are still a ton of brigades that would use their rural helmets 99% of the time, and may not even be issued with structural helmets. Rural/Structural/Rescue helmets! If only we could be personally issued the rescue lids.

[Zippy]

Rescue lids can stay with SES and SA USAR....sorry numbers, not on your side this time   On the other hand...SACFS getting involved with SA USAR, would be nice and interesting.

[bittenyakka]

I have both helmets and although i prefer my structual there are times when i have been very glad to have the lighter one. Some hills at Norton summit are a real bugger without ppe.

[Darcyq]

Toughen up princess!  A young strapping lad like yourself shouldn't have a problem.