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Age and The Ability to Perform
Should a persons age be a facture in determining if they can or cannot perform certain tasks for the fire department? What about a persons weight? Or should it be if you can perform your task performances in the allotted time no matter how old you are or how much you weigh? I have been reading a discussion (and participating in it) where if you are older you are more stubborn, and over confident in your abilities. What about those who are younger fresh out of school and academy should that same comment apply to them?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Patti Walz on
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I would not say it is just wertern rural fire fighting (nice little dig though). I think this can be any place in the world. This is how my academy was, each academy is different from what others have told me. We do have house fires and we do go interior. But I know that until I have some some hands on experience during the live burn to learns I don't want to put another FF at risk. Would you?
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Permalink Reply by james w. hunter on
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I'm one of the older guys (58). I've come to realize that I can't do what I used to 5-10 years ago. My department also sees that. On scene I tell them what I feel I can and/or can"t do. I fill the rolls of Training
Officer, Safety Officer, and Accountability Officer. I can be very valuable on scene without exerting a lot of
energy. I can stay safe, and keep the firefighters safe without jepordizing my health.
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Permalink Reply by Gregory Borg on
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Patti, Not talking about your academy, just the realities of small town, rural firefighting. You do not have many fires because you do not have the poverty, crime, drugs and people on top of people that city's have. It is just a fact, the engines in Spokane that are in the poor, crime ridden neighborhoods have lots of fires, those in the new subdivisions have very few. Example is our Engine 17, they had about 750 calls last year and maybe 3 fires in their first due. While Engine 3 had about 3800 calls and maybe 180 working fires. Big difference. City to rural bigger difference. Check out what Detroit, Chicago or the District of Columbia does.
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Oh yeah, Patti. Every time someone responds they are not trying to dig at you. I was not, just communicating a point. Don't be so sensitive.
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I know that there is a big difference between city and rural. At the same time it is not a problem that is central to western states.
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Not sensitive, say what you want.... It is your opinion.
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Permalink Reply by James Borsellino on
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I should stay out of this pissing match but....... There are so many factors in our job, where do you draw the line? For example... Yesterday My crew and four other crews had to go for SCBA recertifications. It consists of showing the proper inspection of the unit, proper donning and operation of the unit. Then there are the entrapment tests. One is getting through a hole in the wall 15 1/2" by 15 1/2" the second is 15 1/2" by 48" high. I'm 6' 270lbs, yes fat. i wear a 54 coat. I bruse my ribs everytime i go through those holes! but I did it in less time them my 5' 9" 195lb captain. The younger guy on my crew had alittle trouble doing the cork screw.
The other test is the intrapment tunnel. Lots of wires hanging down and its only 2'x2' square and 8' long. everyone goes in on there backs first. very easy to get through that way! I was the only one that got through without getting trapped out of 16 FF's of all shapes and sizes and gender.
Then we have to go into the tunnel on our stomachs. It only takes 2 feet int o get hung up on your air pack, now you have to remove your pack and roll over to free yourself! I not only freed myself without any help from the intructor, but I also did it in half the time as the next fastest FF and he was almost half my size!
So stop judging people on their looks because you don't know what they are capable of!
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No body is pissing, just talking. Be safe.
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Permalink Reply by Spanner 122 on
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a 5'4, 90 lbs person could NOT do it by him/herself. A 5'11, 190 lb person could likely not do it and a 6'4 220 lbs person would struggle to do it, if he/she could. There is an incredible (and very unfortunate) video of the result of a fire fighter rescue. BY the time they got the poor man out, he was naked. It took crew, after crew after crew to get him out. No one firefighter is going to (easily) get someone out, technique or not. It takes a team, with technique.
The most important thing you should know is packaging. You need to be sure the belt strap is loosened and done up through the legs so you can use the shoulder straps to pull. You need to check their air supply and make sure to have a spare bottle to add on, just in case it's needed. You need to be able to get that bottle on when the lines are pressurized (not always easy). You need to know carrying techniques and be able to work with your partner. You will want to know this if someone around you goes down. You will also want those around you to know this if you go down.
Speak with your capt for sure. No matter if you are big city, little city, rural, etc, these things can and do happen. You should know what to do in as many situations as possible.
You should also discuss Self rescue, if this is something you haven't been able to train on as well. Both of these things could save your life, or the life of someone around you.
Good luck.
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If you talk with the people at the main station and you ask who would be the ones to show you really good tricks for doing the PAT's and other task performances they all say "you would not even think to ask this guy but he is the fastest and he knows what works" James he is a little bigger than you but he can rock it on the course.
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Permalink Reply by Karr Quintero on
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oh, sorry :)
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Why? :)
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