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Right or Wrong
About a month ago or so we were toned out for a fully involved structure fire we got on scene and there was a member from another dept there he was not a member of any dept that we called for mutal aid. Some of OUR fire dept members told him join in and help us on the call. In my opinion that was wrong. Now I ask them what would of happened if this person got hurt,or even killed then what would we have done. Now I guess my question is am I wrong for telling this person to stay away from the fire or should I have let him help? None of the people that told him to help were officers just firefighters. I myself am not a officer either but I think that i did the right thing. This fire fighter was only on a dept for only about six months or so.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by rav3375 on
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i would say you did the right think caus where i come from if you are fro0m a nother dept and you hapen to come acrost a fire or axedent that a nothe dept is working you are to go to the cheif and interdus your self and ask if they need help then if the cheif or officer say it is ok then you are covereed under the mutrealaid
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Permalink Reply by Steve on
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You did the right thing here, guy. Now where im from our insurance will cover us anywhere inside our county if we come across a fire. That being said, its about more than just that. This business you have to be able to trust those your working with, if you have never seen them work or know their qualifications it could hurt you more than help. Im also with most of them who say if this was not ruled accidental i would have him talked to, it may turn out he was passing by but the question would be ask.
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Permalink Reply by Ron Maddox on
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As an officer I will tell you that is exactly what I would have done. We like help but in today's world it comes down to CYA!
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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I'll add a little more. Not knowing the person or their qualifications is a huge problem. In my Region, with 60 Fire Brigades, we have photo ID cards. But they don't specify your qualifications or training level. Useless for this purpose then! So if we don't know the person offering to help, then they're a civilian. A civilian may, and I stress may, be allowed to assist in dragging hoses to a hydrant, but even that's doubtful.
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Permalink Reply by KARL on
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You did the right thing!!!! Most likely if he would have got hurt or killed, your insurance company would not have covered him. The way we do it is if we get toned out for a call and we have a member from another departmet around the area then we give them permission to respond with us and then our insurance will cover them. But if they just show up and start helping then they are asked to leave the scene and if need be escorted off by law enforcement.
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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So based on your 2 years of experience in the Fire Service, and the limited information from this post, you're ready to condemn this person as an arsonist? Please! I also feel the need to point out that here in the U.S. (where you're from according to your profile), people are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Permalink Reply by Just Plain Craig Moyer on
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I was in this position on the other side. A company that we only run with on 4 or 5th alarms had several calls during a thunderstorm. I was driving by the station when they got toned out for another run and needed one more FF. I stopped in and ID'd myself with name, company and that I was a member of Belvedere. They let me ride. I was an assist chief at the time. I've riden with other companies with no issues. Mostly because they aleady knew me.
Now the question is who would have covered me if I got hurt. The host company or my companies insurance because it's all firefighting. It's like being on a mutual aid call. But hey it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.
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Permalink Reply by Chief 29 on
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The answer to your question lies in your insurance policy. Check with your insurance agent and have them clarify how your particular policy reads. Have them check all the fine print. Not every companies policy is the same.
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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Without you or any of your mutual aid departments being able to account for this person or their training history, you were 100% correct to have them NOT help. For all you know they could have started the fire, be a total probie with no experience or training (when their own dept isn't there they will attempt things they have no training on like interior firefighting) and the insurance liability alone would have been a nightmare. Good call
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Permalink Reply by Fire Capt. 1304 on
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You did the right thing if he got hurt at that fire you might as well put for sale signs on your trucks because somebodys paying for it and sure as hell not the insurance company. I was told by a few members of a department that we mutual aid to that since I work so close to thier jurisdiction I could respond to thier calls if I wanted to. I didnt think that was a good idea since I wouldnt be covered.
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Permalink Reply by Sara Hall on
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IN some states there are laws that allow firefighters to help out at other scenes if they are told they could, because they are covered by state insurances and their insurances
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