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Do You Keep Your Bay Doors Closed?
I Just started volunteering at a department 40 minutes away that I knew little about previously. I've noticed on numerous visits to all 4 stations that every apparatus bay door was up at each one. I was able to walk inside each station in plain clothes. Once I walked right through the bay and into the living quarters only to discover everyone was out on the engine staging at some planned event. When I returned 30 minutes later to find them in quarters, one of the FFs told me to go wait for the captain inside as if he were suspicious of me looking at one of the trucks. Some of the stations also have ALS ambulances assigned there.
This makes me very nervous considering today's climate and the fact that I am very security obsessed at home. I hate the idea of people being able to walk in and out or sneak around. Perhaps hide and wait for us to return. I cringe as I run scenarios in my head.
I know the department in my county, which I grew up around, has a policy requiring the doors be kept down at all times. I also know of a foiled plan to steal a fire engine in this county, an incident where a bunch of bunker gear was stolen out of a rural station, and recently a teen had a joy ride with lights and siren in a reserve engine.
So the question: What's your policies, and and also your habits? I am new at the department and feel awkward asking questions, but this is a dangerous practice.
This makes me very nervous considering today's climate and the fact that I am very security obsessed at home. I hate the idea of people being able to walk in and out or sneak around. Perhaps hide and wait for us to return. I cringe as I run scenarios in my head.
I know the department in my county, which I grew up around, has a policy requiring the doors be kept down at all times. I also know of a foiled plan to steal a fire engine in this county, an incident where a bunch of bunker gear was stolen out of a rural station, and recently a teen had a joy ride with lights and siren in a reserve engine.
So the question: What's your policies, and and also your habits? I am new at the department and feel awkward asking questions, but this is a dangerous practice.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by hambone22 on
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Well, my first thought was why the hell does that matter? But I will respond by saying that while we are in quarters the doors are open and often the rigs are on the front pad. When we leave the doors close. No questions asked. Try to explain to your pissed off chief that anything was stolen. Good Luck. Be safe everyone.
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Permalink Reply by Shareef Abdu Nur on
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At my full time FD, we have glass doors and a watch desk. During the summer days, the guy on watch usually opens the bay doors and the kids from the school next door always stop by or wave as they pass. when we get a call, the guy on watch shuts the doors and we all leave. At night, we keep the doors shut as well. At my part time, we usually keep the doors open if we are out in the bay, but if everyone is in the day room or bunk room, we close the doors. At both FD's we encourage the public to visit and we never turn anyone away. After all, it is there house and they just allow us to come and work here, but safety is paramount Ours and the community's safety is first and foremost.
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Permalink Reply by lutan1 on
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You people gotta think like a bad guy.
This is sad, but so true.
We're no longer the "friends" of everyone where we can expect that no one would do wrong by us. It's just not reality anymore.
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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Small station. No day staff. When people are on station, and it's a nice day, the bay doors are usually up. Remote key lock-down when we leave on a call. Monitored security alarm. Can't trust anybody these days... Sad.
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Permalink Reply by KClark903 on
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We close our doors when we are not at the building. When ther are guys around they are encouraged toopen them up so the public can see them. If it is cold or the heate is running we do not open them up. We have security cameras all around the firehouseand they cover every exit so we will see if anything was taken. We also have motion sensors that alerts us when someone walks into the building
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Permalink Reply by Dennis Brown on
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Well i agree with all the other post when where there open when gone closed
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Permalink Reply by Kimberly A Bownas on
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We have a gentleman that sits during the day in the engine bay and answers the phone. He is there for when we get deliveries also but, the only time the bay doors are open is when it is warm and the weather is nice and there is someone there. When we have a call the bay doors are closed and the building is secured. Every now and again but very rarely do the doors get left open. The public tends to know when we are there cause of the cars parked in front. We also have an ALS unit that is there during the day Monday through Friday. So our rule is that the doors get closed when there is no one there at the station.
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Permalink Reply by John on
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Depending on weather conditions ours are usually open during the day but closed when on a call, when we leave at night unless someone else is there we close them as well.
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post 9-11 close them unless there are people there
Scott, it's not even post 9-11.
Simple security from drug affected persons highlights the importance of keeping them closed...
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Permalink Reply by Justin Buck on
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we keep ours closed if nobody is there and if we are there working on a truck or just standing around we will open the bay doors
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Permalink Reply by Kenneth Holley on
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While we try to keep our doors closed at all times it can ber hard to do. With a volunteer dept you need to get out as soon as possible and sometimes we forget to close our doors. True it only takes a few seconds but those seconds could mean alot. We have push button electric door open/closers. I did give our chief some info on remote control devices for the doors. Each engine would have a rermote that would open/close its own door. Each door would have its own code so only its door would be affected. Of course keeping a door closed and/or locked would not stop a determined thief.
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Permalink Reply by Rom919 on
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I think it depends on where you live. I can't fathom anyone going in our station and stealing anything. We are out in the boonies and more people are watching the station then you think. Mostly anyone in town driving by keeps a eye on it. We live in a open society and thank God for that. Now for you big city slickers.. well doors down makes sense.
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