Add a Comment

Comment by Paul Montpetit on January 15, 2009 at 4:20pm

We usually have the regular "Diehards" that swarm to the station just before the tones hit the air...I think they sense when it is going to go off.....if it is bad then we will "man" the station...if not too bad then we respond from home....we have a huge area to cover and our members are all close by.....Paul

Comment by limerick on January 15, 2009 at 12:40pm

at the station we will have 5-10 people standing by ,most of us are emt/fire fighter so we cover bolth rescue and fire sides, but we are also in maine, and if we get anything over 8-12 inches we will standby at the station, but we dont have any cotts, we have one couch lol,but most of us will end up sleeping on the bumpers of the trucks or in most cases on the floor of the day room,for food most of the time we bring our own food with us ,or we will get a voucher from the towm manager(frm:depty chief),and will go into town and get food,

Comment by FIRE BEAR on January 15, 2009 at 5:59am

Here we dont really man any of the stations but we will go there on our own. we have 2 couchs but who can sleep you know when everyon knows we are going out if we need food we are on our own but we do have a big kitchen and we will stock food there just in case

Comment by Dustin J. Millis on January 15, 2009 at 4:44am

We dont officially stand by on station unless requested by dispatch or a neighboring dept. However, during power outtages, tornado watches/warnings, real bad snow storms, etc, 5 or 6 guys will usually come down and hang out just because we know were going to get a call. As far as staying overnight, we have two couches that are pull-out beds and four recliners. Theres pillows and blankets and food so usually we are pretty comfortable if it comes to that point

Comment by Bryan Kreitzman on January 15, 2009 at 3:32am

I live down on Long Island, but anything less than 6 inches we dont usually have a formal stand bye... But usually the younger crew gets together and we get an Engine, Rescue/Ladder and Ambulance out right away.. At that point its on us to get our own food, but we are able to get to cots, blankets or whatever we need...

If the dept does call us in, then food and everything is on them... Bad snow falls we set up out BRAT (Brush truck) as an intial attack truck b/c it can get their alittle quicker than the others...

Comment by Mary Ellen Shea on January 15, 2009 at 12:00am

We're a small village department. We don't "man" the station in the strict sense of the word; our coverage area is only one square mile, and all 60 members of the department live within that radius. During the last big ice storm, in the initial stages, we were responding, returning, going home, and then coming back again.

It reached a point where we stopped a.) returning to the station and b.) going home. The longest stretch that all of us were out at one shot was roughly seven hours. Our L.A. showed up with a hot meal and coffee at some point near dawn, but other than that it was all about taking turns in the Pierce to warm up and rest for fifteen minutes or so.

If we had a multi-day situation, I still don't know that we'd man the station. Everyone is almost within running distance (and I've done it in nicer weather).

Comment by Pete on January 14, 2009 at 11:48pm

If we lose power, then we will generally have a crew on standby in the station. Sometimes due to high winds, ice storm etc. Our county (Saratoga County, NY)dispatch will tone us out to standby in station to cover calls, although it is often at the discretion of the local Fire Chief. We have no beds, so it's first come, 1st served for the couch and 3 recliners in our ready room. After that it's claim a small area of the meeting room floor, with a sleeping pad and bag you bring on your own. We have been fortunate in that our station has a large generator, so even if the community loses power, we still have heat and lights at the station. As for food, the dept. has a large freezer we keep stocked with food for just such situations.