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horse-drawn fire carriages
I just read the news today for Manila Philippines and I seen Firefighting made the news today.
Here is an article from: http://mb.com.ph/articles/204846/unruly-residents
Unruly residents
By ROY MABASA
May 4, 2009, 5:36pm
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando has pointed out rowdy residents in fire-prone areas and some undisciplined motorists have hampered responding firemen to quickly arrive at the scene.
“We have experienced in the past that residents of the area and firefighters have been fighting over whose house would be doused with water first,” Fernando said.
As this developed, the agency is contemplating on using horse-drawn fire carriages to reach residential sites with narrow roads during a fire.
“I think this would be useful and these fire carriages would be manually operated to douse water in areas that would be hard to reach by large fire trucks,” Fernando said.
In worst cases, firefighters get hurt not in putting out the flames but when they are mobbed by unruly residents who grabbed the water hoses from firemen, Fernando added.
“Some of motorists also do not give way to a responding fire truck and even hog the lanes for such emergency cases,” Fernando said.
He added they are coordinating with the Bureau of Fire Protection hierarchy and other fire volunteer organizations to help the government agency to quickly respond to such incidents in the future.
“This way we could help each other since the MMDA is the disaster coordinating council in Metro Manila,” Fernando noted.
He said volunteer fighters would be a great boost in firefighting since they have larger water tankers and well-maintained firefighting equipment and gears.
“They have these big water trucks that could pump water for two hours without refilling their tanks,” Fernando said.
Here is an article from: http://mb.com.ph/articles/204846/unruly-residents
Unruly residents
By ROY MABASA
May 4, 2009, 5:36pm
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando has pointed out rowdy residents in fire-prone areas and some undisciplined motorists have hampered responding firemen to quickly arrive at the scene.
“We have experienced in the past that residents of the area and firefighters have been fighting over whose house would be doused with water first,” Fernando said.
As this developed, the agency is contemplating on using horse-drawn fire carriages to reach residential sites with narrow roads during a fire.
“I think this would be useful and these fire carriages would be manually operated to douse water in areas that would be hard to reach by large fire trucks,” Fernando said.
In worst cases, firefighters get hurt not in putting out the flames but when they are mobbed by unruly residents who grabbed the water hoses from firemen, Fernando added.
“Some of motorists also do not give way to a responding fire truck and even hog the lanes for such emergency cases,” Fernando said.
He added they are coordinating with the Bureau of Fire Protection hierarchy and other fire volunteer organizations to help the government agency to quickly respond to such incidents in the future.
“This way we could help each other since the MMDA is the disaster coordinating council in Metro Manila,” Fernando noted.
He said volunteer fighters would be a great boost in firefighting since they have larger water tankers and well-maintained firefighting equipment and gears.
“They have these big water trucks that could pump water for two hours without refilling their tanks,” Fernando said.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jason McDonald on
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I live in a 3rd world country and have some modern equipment but horse drawn carriages? Thats taking firefighting back to old school hard work and maintenance.
Guys and Girls, what are your thoughts on this article ranging from horse drawn carriages to people fighting over who gets water first?
What would you do if someone ripped the hose out of your hands to fight a fire on their home?
I am happy that Volunteers are mentioned in a positive way and they are thought of highly. I am happy to be a volunteer.
TCSS
-Jason
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Permalink Reply by Jake Fireman on
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Sounds like the good ol USA....bout 150 years ago.
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It does but so far we have Tenders, Tankers, Ladder trucks, Engines, Tricycle Tenders, and other apparatus but going back to horse drawn carriages is just crazy in my opinion and the cost of food for the horses and someone to take care of them is just going to make the government spend so much more money. I have a feeling that if we end up with horse drawn fire trucks it will look cool but cost a ton of money.
Thanks for the reply Jake.
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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I'm not impressed with the story Bayani Fernando tells. Do I know a lot about Manila? Only what I've learned from another member of the Nation who lives in Pasig City, Manilla - Michael Vito. But. And it's a big but, "big water trucks that could pump water for two hours without refilling their tanks"? Not from what I have learned! Horse-drawn fire engines? I don't think that man knows what he's talking about, but I may be wrong.
I've heard that Manilla has a poorly supported career fire service, that does it's best. They have many volunteer Brigades that also do their best, but with even less support. They have many areas with narrow roads where trucks have extreme difficulty getting close to a fire, these areas are highly populated and dense. Water supply is also limited in those areas and they often heve trouble with terrified residents trying to control hose usage to protect their own homes. Police SQUAT teams get called for help with those situations. None of these things occur in my country, for which I am extremely thankful!
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Permalink Reply by Michael Vito on
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That's correct Tony, he is clearly insane ! Actually, the chairman of the National capital region administration during is term is the most controversial man I've ever seen. He made a lot of unorthodox proposal from putting your plate number of your motorcycle helmet, pink fences to this latest HORSE DRAWN !
That is not definitely a solution for crowd control ! In where I live, we have that issue for a long time but now, our city government has tapped a lot of manpower for firefighting like sending SWAT Team or police units to the scene in every residential fires we had. And our traffic units have done a great job for the past 5 years.
SO NO NEED FOR THE PROPOSAL ! I think he should need a straight jacket !
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Permalink Reply by jeff beall on
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Jason, It's been some twenty years since I was last in the P.I., that was back when Mt. Pinatubo was still intact. I still remember the Angles City F.D. responding with 3/4 boots and a helmet and not much more as they bounced down the street 5 wide on the tail board. Rowdy crowds didn't appear to be a problem for them cause most of them had either an M-16 or M-14 strapped to their back....... Yea those were the days.
I've checked out a few P.I.F.D. sites, gotta love those Japanese mini rigs and the 4000gal tankers. If you've never been there you wouldn't understand.
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Rowdy crowds didn't appear to be a problem for them cause most of them had either an M-16 or M-14 strapped to their back....... Yea those were the days.
Yup JEFF those were the days....during those times. The national fire service was part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines before. But 1991they become separate from AFP and was placed under Department of Interior and Local Government. So those firemen who has guns has to give it up. So security is provided by the police force. Then again, as I grew up in my city. I've seen both worlds before. Guns with no guns it does not made a difference. Crowd control was still an issue before especially you live in a city.
Now, as I mentioned already. Our city is coping with this issue, one example we had a 4th Alarm fire in a notorious neighborhood a week ago. Because 5 years before that, the fire went on General Alarm because the fire was too fast and the crowds became unruly that the responding units has to retreat to the staging areas as a precaution and because word got out that one Fireman was shot. Anyway, so upon hearing on my radio and that known location. I've responded and when we got there, to my surprise... the crowds are generally cooperative unlike 5years ago.
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Mike, Today I was busy but I did stop and ask a firefighter when I was in Manila and he said that they were starting to have a ton of problems with people blocking their way and they were looking at smaller trucks to get to tight areas. I asked the station commander about horse drawn carriages and he said he had not heard about it but he smiled and said he would love a horse haha.
Remember that Pasig City is not Manila, its Metro Manila and that is very different. For example, Tondo Manila has a ton of squatter areas thus many fires are there. Pasig City just relocated a chunk of their squatters.
The good news is that volunteers were mentioned and praised in the article.
Still some of my questions are not answered:
What would you do if someone ripped the hose out of your hands to fight a fire on their home?
What is your SOP for dealing with unruly people at a fire scene?
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What would you do if someone ripped the hose out of your hands to fight a fire on their home?
Try to get it back, as if your playing football. Seriously, yes.. to get it back if not. Advise your engine man via radio to push for full throttle so that the civilian will drop it. Or if a clear threat is imminent like a civilian brandish a gun or knife. Drop the nozzle and get the hell out. Pull back and regroup call the cops. (most of the time cops cannot be seen).
What is your SOP for dealing with unruly people at a fire scene?
Exercise maximum tolerance.
Do not provoke the crowd, if they say something bad or swearing at you. Ignore them as much as possible.
Explain once to a home owner but no debating at the scene.
If it's out of control... pull out.
Lately, we visited our career counterpart the Bureau of Fire Protection Headquarters in Pasig. We had a chat with City fire marshall and update us with the news that the new fire code law 2008 includes - that we can press charges for civilians who harass firefighters on firegrounds.
In my 10 years of experience, I've been throughout the whole region for mutual aid and compare the different styles of crowd control in respective cities or municipalities. Yes, Jason Pasig is different from capital city of Manila but all I'm saying is... the solution of crowd control is not HORSES but more manpower and more coordination (communications). There are few cities in the region have cope up with this issue. Like Makati City, Marikina, San Juan to name a few. But worst is at Manila and Pasay, Baclaran area.
One thing I fear most is getting shot with no warning. And thank God I never experience that or experience staring at the muzzle of a gun, aimed squarely at your face like some of my buddies did.
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Mike, remember when we responded to Pasig Market? That is a care where shots have been fired and EMS and Fire need to be careful. It was also a great demonstration on how the police used crowd control, too bad they were not wanting us to transport the victims.
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Micheal, I guess it was a good thing taking the Fire Service away from the AFP, those guys didn't look like they were to excited bout doing the job. Good to hear from you.
Jeff
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