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Are we making to much out of grass and field fires.
Hello all,
Are we as the fire service making to much ta do over grass and field fires? I'm not talking about the fires that will endanger lives and physical property, just the ones that really can't go anywhere. The only thing these fires seem to do is burn up the ground. Hey, I like a blaze as much as the next firefighter, but come on people running into the firehall thrashing about yelling and hollaring while gearing up, screaming down the streets, people running helter skelter all about, cars dodging or fire apparatus dodging cars and people really worth it.
I see this as a nuisance type call or a public service type call and barring any threats to lives and property, I can't see this as some big emergency call either. I have seen even before arrival on the scene the line officer in the seat of the engine or brush or the chief on the way to the scene start calling for darn near every brush and tanker in the county because of seeing a little smoke in the sky on the way. By now we have more than enough manpower and equipment on hand we could probably begin fighting a western U.S. wildfire. Only to arrive and see as the dispatcher said a grass, weed, brush fire in a field with no potential for harm. So why all the big ta do, over a weedbeater.... I've seen 2 fellow brothers in my 34 years of fire service while responding to a weedbeater have heart attacks on arrival, I've seen actual firefighters chase these fires around the feilds with water on their backs and tools in their hands up hills down hills and it leaves me wondering are they gonna need a ambulance too before were done.
And the above referenced guys were relativly young in their mid to late 40's and the feild firefighters were young guys good shape most just out of high school. I've seen the brush truck wrecked enroute, guys fall hurt legs ,backs, get debris in the eyes and so forth, 6 years ago I ended up with a fractured jaw when a dead tree limb crashed through the side window opening and hit me in the face. I know your gonna say well its part of the job, or is it? I think we need to start rethinking our response position on these type of fires, what about you?
Stay Safe out there,
Bob.
Are we as the fire service making to much ta do over grass and field fires? I'm not talking about the fires that will endanger lives and physical property, just the ones that really can't go anywhere. The only thing these fires seem to do is burn up the ground. Hey, I like a blaze as much as the next firefighter, but come on people running into the firehall thrashing about yelling and hollaring while gearing up, screaming down the streets, people running helter skelter all about, cars dodging or fire apparatus dodging cars and people really worth it.
I see this as a nuisance type call or a public service type call and barring any threats to lives and property, I can't see this as some big emergency call either. I have seen even before arrival on the scene the line officer in the seat of the engine or brush or the chief on the way to the scene start calling for darn near every brush and tanker in the county because of seeing a little smoke in the sky on the way. By now we have more than enough manpower and equipment on hand we could probably begin fighting a western U.S. wildfire. Only to arrive and see as the dispatcher said a grass, weed, brush fire in a field with no potential for harm. So why all the big ta do, over a weedbeater.... I've seen 2 fellow brothers in my 34 years of fire service while responding to a weedbeater have heart attacks on arrival, I've seen actual firefighters chase these fires around the feilds with water on their backs and tools in their hands up hills down hills and it leaves me wondering are they gonna need a ambulance too before were done.
And the above referenced guys were relativly young in their mid to late 40's and the feild firefighters were young guys good shape most just out of high school. I've seen the brush truck wrecked enroute, guys fall hurt legs ,backs, get debris in the eyes and so forth, 6 years ago I ended up with a fractured jaw when a dead tree limb crashed through the side window opening and hit me in the face. I know your gonna say well its part of the job, or is it? I think we need to start rethinking our response position on these type of fires, what about you?
Stay Safe out there,
Bob.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jim on
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I sorta agree with ya Bob. What I would like to see is the first in truck respond emergency, but the rest respond non-emergency. That way get a good size up. The thing is with wild fires you don't know where they are going to end up.
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Permalink Reply by Robert C. Baker on
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Thank ya Jim, Thats exactly what I was hoping to hear, and where I was going with this. I hope other FFN members jump on this and we hear their views also. BB
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Permalink Reply by Holly on
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Ive gotta agree with you on this one. Our station has had a kind of "turn over" in volunteers resently and it seems like the younger crew taking over dont understand the concept of non emergency. Its all out balls to the wall for every call. People gotta slow down and think.
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Thank you, Holly, I see you only understand too well what I am saying here. Somehow we gotta get these young bucks too slow down and start thinking SAFETY remember it was burning when 911 was called and its still gonna be burning when we get there.
Stay Safe,
Bob -
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