Open letter to the SES

[6739264]

Forgive me if I am wrong, but isn't the theory of lights and sirens to signal other drivers to move out the way and to allow emergency vehicles right of passage through intersections etc and not to drive fast. In the above scenario, could the crew still stick to the speed limit and use lights and sirens to clear traffic? I have seen SAAS do this many times, for example it's late night and there are few cars on the road, so they might do just above the speed limit with just the lights on and use the siren through intersections.

This is true, and people tend to forget this very often. Lights and Sirens aren't a magic "drive fast and reckless" switch. My original suggestion was regarding the use of lights and sirens after a substantial amount of time eg:

If its urgent enough to travel to P1, then shouldn't an emergency service attend ASAP?

So, shouldn't the Fire Service (who can perform exactly the same at storm & tempest events as SES) attend as well?

And if the SES don't default and are happy to job stack, then doesn't that negate the need for a P1 response?

If it takes you 30 minutes to finish the last job and book mobile to the next, then the couple of minutes you save under P1 conditions isn't going to matter is it?

[bajdas]

Where does the assumption come from, that because a computer program classifies taskings as P1 to SES, it automatically means 'lights & sirens' driving ?

From my understanding, 'lights & sirens' are NOT always used during large 'storm & tempest' events. Even if the page states P1.

Yes some Units do, but I do not believe the majority.

But the triage of taskings will mean that P1 taskings are higher in the list than P3's etc.

During the 3rd September 'storm & flooding' event, many taskings for tree down on roads were sent to MFS/CFS via Adel Fire.

The integration of computer systems to enable easier MFS/CFS/SAAS/SES response and triage is happening. So I believe it will get better, but is taking time to happen....

** my personal opinion only & correct me if I am wrong (nicely pls) **

[drmz]

    The point was why do the SES respond past the local fire station when they could deal with the situation.  A sensible point of view? There must also be a point in time when any Officer can no longer justify a P1 response because the notification was too long ago. So in the situation where multiple jobs are received and their are no resources left to respond tells Comms to send someone else.  Because asking for help is not a failure. 

[Andrew K]

sometimes i'd say they can;t deal with the situations or they try to and make it harder for themselves and us , more from lack of proper training and practice than anything else

i've been to a number of tree downs where the  mfs have got their saws stuck in the tree cut a touch to far and the tree has compressed on the blade and most trucks only carry one saw.

Or the senior officer walking under a wall where the only supporting column for 10m has been taken out buy a car and the whole thing is sagging with cracks showing in the brick work, - again maybe its best at times to wait cordon it off as a few hundred kgs of bricks will spoil anyones day

or in a rescue from a roof, 6 firefighters standing on a room held in by 8 roofing screws

so really if the fire brigade responds should depend on the job and if they can do it.

as for the when is it not a lights / sirens job, for our unit we say 8mins from time of page if the truck isn't out the door then go standard road rulles unless the UM, DUM, or RDO tells you to come lights / sirens


IF during multi taskings  we get a rescue / person trapped/ shoring job etc and we are on a flooding that is just water somewhere or a tree in back yard job then they truck will go and leave maybe 2 crew at the job site and will send a support vehicle down to assist / transprot

[Pipster]

And I've witnessed SES members doing dangerous & stupid things with chainsaws, which put my CFS members in danger.....

When it comes to multiple jobs, it makes sense that the nearest & most appropriate service be responded.    In my area, it makes sense for the local CFS to remove the tree across the road - as we have the right gear, the trained & experienced people, and members of the community don't have to wait for 45 minutes + to have someone attend and start removing an impassable obstacle from the main road!

On the other hand, if a house roof needs tarping, then often the nearest & most appropriate service may well be the 'local' SES, who carry the tarps etc to do the job - something we only carry limited numbers of.

Pip

[jaff]

Maybe some sanity from the new chief officer might be injected into the mix......Oh hang on he's a Tasmanian

[ftstn]

Do you want us to remove his second head before he arrives or will you fix that ?

[rescue5271]

Well he must have been the right person for the job,2heads and all.....

[bajdas]

I love how the rumour mill knows info before it is official .... first I have heard of who the new CO will be      
"just found the announcement after I originally posted this message"

At least the proper dispatch system is being developed where the 'closest & most appropriate' resource will be paged (if the data is correct)...

I agree with what you are suggesting...at the moment it is a complicated system with many steps and this makes it difficult.

Will wait & see how it works when the new system is implemented.

[Andrew K]

Pipster i'm not saying the ses doesn't have some idiots that do stupid things, and if your unit has the people with the equipment and experince to do the job fine, but in our area our mfs units are great at road crash and putting out fires but from some other things they need to stand back, and let the people with the training do the job rather than "we are the fire service and we can do anything" pile in and wing it / pray it which seems to be the current attitude, including pulling out acro props from lintals while standing under a collpsing roof.

[Pipster]

We all know of, or witness people in various services do things that are stupid / unsafe / not appropriate........

My point was that the nearest & most appropriate resource should be responded - not necessarily the nearest resource....and in my area, for trees across roads, the appropriate, and nearest resource is the local CFS......in other areas of the state it may be SES or MFS....

I've been told the three services have signed an agreement to send the fastest & most appropriate resource, yet we are still seeing inappropriate resources being sent......I can only hope that SACAD will address this problem....but I won't hold my breathe!

Pip

[SimpleJack]

Pip they also carry ample sandwiches for us firies thisis what they are best at! S-send - extra S- sandwiches

[Pipster]

Not if they have Spam sandwiches... I'll stick with our truck's snack pack...!!

[OMGWTF]

Watch this space, change is on the way.

[bajdas]

Watch this space, change is on the way.

If you are talking about the volunteer review, already happening & fully announced. If not, then fishing lines are stupid unless you care to elaborate 

[CFS_Firey]

If you are talking about the volunteer review, already happening & fully announced. If not, then fishing lines are stupid unless you care to elaborate 

What's the volunteer review about?

[vandog]

when it comes down to it the ses will get them selves into trouble one day by job stacking and slow response times all due to their pig headedness towards other services. (not saying ll ses just some)