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Do you still get to do this?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by josh slagel on
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In my dept we are not allowed to ride tailboard but sometimes i wish i could.
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Permalink Reply by Kenneth Holley on
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No. No Way. Not Ever. Are You Crazy?
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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on
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Only in parades but my dad tells me all kindof stories of the "good old days" he still has loop of rope with a hook on the end he said you wrapped it around you and hookedit to the truck.
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Permalink Reply by Megan on
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nope nfpa and osha said bad thing and dangerous and the whole seat belt thing is in there to
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Permalink Reply by Mark Montgomery on
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Not anymore, but when I first started in 1977 you still could and we did. Never had anyone fall off, but we certainly had some scary moments.
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Permalink Reply by Trainer on
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WOW you guy's got buttons! I got on in 87 and remember 1 fire before it was baned, I can still see those guy's as I road behind in a truck, they entered the field for a grass fire, and hit a rut, 4 sets of legs 3 feet of the tailboard. Theres this story I always hear from the oldtimers, well use to, about a dept comming to us for a MA call, bitterly cold, 4 guy's, no button, did not get to fight the fire, but did have some minor frostbite. I see some talk of still doing this in the right place, just so you know, a FF in the central part of this state, while sitting on the tailboard with 2 others, rode 1 block at low speed, slipped off and hit the back of his head on the pavment, did not survive. This should be a warning to all!
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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In other words, the only speed that is 'slow' enough, is stopped? I'll agree to that.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
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I'm even leery of a truck that's parked in the fire house. Our 2007 pumper is higher than any of our others and has very little solid footing on top. It's all hose bed, extension ladder and tarp. My big fear is that someone will slip and fall from that height and really get messed up.
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Permalink Reply by T.J. on
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I agree Joe, we've got a tanker like that, its a real narrow ledge to step on and include some rain or snow and you better watch out!
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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We still use the tailboard...
As additional SEATING when we are in the apparatus bay, sitting around after a drill or a call.
It's comfy.
No one is allowed to ride back there anymore like in the good ole days.
I can't count the number of times I rode there. The reason?
First off the truck got the nozzle.
Trainer's right about the frostbite.
We got a call one night. It was before we got pagers, so we heard no message. Siren was going off, so I headed to the station and figured that it couldn't be that far away. Temperature that night was about 20 degrees. Jump on the back of the truck, grab the bar and off we go. We are headed to the next town over on a mutual aid call. We get there and they had to pry my hands off of the grab bar. Talk about dumb. After that, I always made sure that I knew where the call was before I jumped on the back.
We used our rope hose tools for harnesses. Only problem with that is that occasionally, the rope would break. That would give you a little scare. Sometimes, I would throw my gear up on the hose bed, jump up there and get dressed on the way to a call. Ah, the memories.
Glad we got that out of our system over 20 years ago. Wouldn't fly today.
Put "riding on the tailboard" right up there with lights and sirens on POVs.
TCSS.
Art
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Permalink Reply by SMOKEnPipesJim on
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LOLOLOLOL... Ahahahahahahahaha......let me begin BY saying AHAHAHAHA... When I began My "career" as a vollie, One Of my departments had 2 1963 R model Cornbinders Front mounted 750 and carried 750 gallons so with two guys in the front and a STANDARD tranny You rode the step.. I can recall, Mutual aid runs 12 miles one way in the winter during snowstorms riding the step.. In My other department, we Had a '73 Maxim C 5 man cab no"mansavers" in the jumps butwe had grabrails over the cab and across the engine box NO mattydales No preconnects at all. duel 2 1/2" split bed and two 1 1/2" beds each with 300 feet, one guy pulled the knob and teh second broke and connected it , and as it was charged and the attack started , the 2nd guy would go in the compartment and grab his scott 2 a, don it and grab a second 2a and bring it, the nozzleman would give him teh nozzle and don his mask... everything was done off the rear step, so we rode the step... all the time.. Now I understand all about why it was stopped, safety wise it wasnt the best senerio, between bumpy roads and Idiots tailgating ( Prolly a bigger issue today then back in the 70's) but IF the step was designed to be ridden there were some great benefits to ridning the step.. size up done on the fly as you arrive for instance 360 degree full view when the driver and officer are limited ... Someone said when firemen were firemen. and PC or not its true, YOU always rode with your helmet, one hand for you always and one if needed for your partner if needed Tall guys ( me) Always ride the drivers side and Pay attention forward or risk getting wacked by a tree.. ( used to love Branch grabbing ) just not at 30+ mph..lol Being taught HOW to stay safe was a big part of and Experiance/ anticipation/ knowing your area.. are some of the most important things you had to know/do ... even in the late 80's when I got On the job we were riding mostly old school rigs, while we didnt ride the step Often.. we often rode the sides steps/jumpseats because we had manning of 7 max and 6 minimum on the trucks which consisted of two rearmount ALF's, two ALF old school tillers, a Hi ranger Bucket O'Bolts style platform and a 78 seagraves that somehow was puchased "accidentally" with a fully enclosed cab...lol Rear stepping was only ever used when issues of unauthorized riders ie: kids in de ghetto tryed to hitch a ride, it was pretty funny to see the LOOK on theyre faces when they ran alongside and "snuck around the Ladder to leap on ONLY to find ME standing on the step scary as I happen to be....lol....
We had a few Instances / issues we had one guy who was shot in the leg with a Pellet gun while riding as the 5th guy on a rear mount (standing on the side step) I was riding behind the officer when My partner was wacked off the helmet with a rock, lol , Deb turned and said a few experlatives in spanish at them, and said basicly translated You wouldnt hit your mother upside the head with a rock, would you? you little.......
IT didnt hurt deb..... the big issue is collisions and thankfully we never had one in all the years I rode standing up.. ( sorta like the only MVA I was ever involved in was when I was doing less then the speed limit when my average when i drive is 10 over...lol) when I drove rigs you have to be aware the guys arehanging on and try your best to NOt be stupid too.... anyway Been there done that loved it and survived it, it was cool.. and I even rode it in the snow and rain...lol .........but thats when firemen were what you want to be..we dont need no stinking "harnesses" LOL
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Permalink Reply by BillySFCVFD on
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Great story, you're lucky you survived to tell. Emphasis on lucky and survived. I'll look for a seat and belt thank you. TCSS
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