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Should volunteer fire departments do rescue?
So recently a couple fire departments decided to go rescue and do auto extrication in their district only. I seen no problem with this because the only thing it would do is step u response time to possibley fatal car wrecks. This infuriated the Rescue squad we had in town because they lost the two busiest districts in the county. This makes me mad because we should all be doing what ever we do for the same reason "to help the citizens of our communities that are in trouble" not for the glory of saying well you cant work wit out us. Just wandering what people who live else where think about this ordeal?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brad Carlson on
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Our county fire dept's all do rescue.We have added a new rescue sled to our station.This will be used for hunters and wild land search-rescue etc.We do alot of rescue work from car accidents to interior rescue.I think its a good thing.Everybody in youre district should work together on this and not grip about it.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
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Wes, is the Rescue squad a part of a volunteer ambulance outfit? I'm asking because I'm trying to figure out how a rescue organization sprouted up independently from either FD. I'm guessing it's part of an ambulance squad.
Having asked the question, my thought is that it is prudent for the FDs to have their own rescue tools and be skilled in extrication. Vehicle extrication tool sets often come in handy at structure fires too.
The rescue squad filled a need in the area, namely providing vehicle extrication to other FDs who didn't have their own tool sets. Now that these FDs are up to speed, this outfit's members may not have a purpose any more. Maybe they would be interested in joining the FDs?
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Permalink Reply by Jerry Stafford on
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Amen to that.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Henry on
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We took over the Rescue from the Ambulance Service in the town that I live in.Since 1997 we have came along way and we are 1 of 4 Rescue Companies in our county and we cover over 400 Square Miles of Rescue coverage.The ambulance service came to us and asked if wee would take it over because they didn't have the manpower to do it,Since then we have replaced the old rescue truck that they had with one that was a little mewer and could carry more people and recently just purchased a newer rescue that can carry up to 11 personal.We also do RIT in the county that I live in because the county I live set it up that the rescue companies do it.Did the Resuce Squad in your town bill for the wrecks that were responding to and is this why they are really mad about the whole thing or did the 2 other fire companies look at if the Rescue Squad have enough staff to do it like the ambulance service did in my town knowing the we had enough staff to do the job.
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Permalink Reply by Joey Carrow on
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For better than 20 years my department ranextrications fo 6 other towns and recently these towns are looking at purchasing their own equipment which at first worried me about cutting down our responses but then I realized that this just cuts down on my lack of sleep so what the hay and if they need help with training call me ill be there to help
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Permalink Reply by Tony Leonard,Jr. on
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Ok.A Neighboring Town Has a Similar Problem.2 Fire Companies & Ambulance & Rescue Squad.And the same thing happened.But this is whats Happening Now,THEY ARE WORKING TOGETHER.They have been anyway since we all take a pumper to car accidents anyway.Now with that settled,If the Squad is Doing a Extrication at one End of Town and There's another need for it at the othter end,Then The Fire Company Responds with thier tool and a Mutual Aid Ambulance.With the Current Man Power Shortage with all of us Volunteers,Teamwork is Essential.They Did this by TRAINING TOGETHER.It all starts with the People In Charge Sitting Down and saying "What do you Want From Us?"Plus it can be done at the lower levels too,since you'll be incharge someday.
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Permalink Reply by Tony on
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Interesting, our department has been dealing with this same issue. It's only been a couple of years since our department took on basic rescue operations. Prior to that our main services were Fire Supression and Hazmat response. Once Chief retired and a new Chief was brought on board he could not believe we did not offer basic rescue to our community. Granted the county rescue station is located about 2 miles from our station. They are a volunteer organization. Don't let me lead you to believe these guys are not valuable, cause some of them are the best in the region. It's just the fact of providing a better service to community. I tell ya these guys have got some pretty cool toys, and the experience these guys have is unmatched. Our rescue cache consist of hydraulic tools, air bags, stabilizers, some Walmart lifevest with throw bags, and a small amount of rope rescue stuff. The departments level of training includes a class here or there but nothing consistant. Beyond a simple door-pop, or inital stabilization we are out of our element. When we first got our hydraulic tools you would have thought it was the end of the world! I feel that locations where these two agencies exist independantly, management need to find a way in which the agencies can function more effective together. Train together. Call on each other for all emegergencies such as Rescue responding to fire for RIT, Collapse Rescue, Scene lighting etc. as well as the Fire Dept respond to rescue calls for additional manpower.
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Permalink Reply by Mason on
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dumb, sounds like you all need to start working together a lil more. we just started pulling all our resources in our district together and are now starting to work and train with near by departments to be even better at what we do. we all, as firefighters need to get out of the im better than your department state of mind, and need to pull resources and start to work together.
face it we're all voulunteers and we come far and few in between, nobody wants to give time, so if we help each other out, work together we can do so much more. we're all in this together whether we like it or not.
im a little confused tho, in all of your districts, are you ambulace, rescue separate from you fire departments, and if so, why???? they arean't here we do it all.
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Permalink Reply by David Klotz on
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My town also has a rescue squad which I am a member of. Until about 2 years ago the squad did all the rescue themselves with some coperation with fire company. When I first joined the fire company joint members where never heard of. As manpower began to become short at the rescue squad the two departments began a joint effort called TF43. With this effort the firefighters are allowed to ride on the rescue truck and squad members can ride of the fire truck to MVA's/Rescues. This his had some bumps in the road especially since the fire company recently took delivery of a quint and put a combi tool on the truck. Some members feel with this combi tool that they can do rescue. When I say few I mean a few. However I think this was a great joint effort by both orignizations that allowed for eveyone to work together and create a power of one taking over another.
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Permalink Reply by David Hancock on
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I don't see anything wrong with it our department does aapi accidents and we do vehicle extracations. We have been doing those for quite some years know.
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Permalink Reply by Wes Walker on
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no the rescue squad was just an independent agency that came around when the fds back in the early days of fire departments didnt have th eman power to do all of this. now they are mad because they dont have the power trip they used to have in thinking that we had to have them on every car wreck before we coud be of any use. it is all one big power trip and it makes me mad because as i have said we should all work together for the same reason "to help those in need"
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Permalink Reply by Roger Mosley Jr on
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In the county I live in in North Carolina all departments are fire and rescue. Our county does not have a rescue squad only department. It sounds like your town needs to learn from those of us who do both and work together. I agree with what is more important, "The community".
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