# You're Kidding, Right ?



## Dudester (Dec 22, 2010)

Just a couple of fun stories. 

I was working an extra Security job (Shift Supervisor)at a high rise complex. Guard on duty screws up when the fire alarm going off. Instead of notifying Supervision, he goes upstairs to check it out. When he can't find the fire, he comes back downstairs. He sees the fire truck pulling up and he calls the fire in over the radio.

I respond to the location. The fire truck doesn't have a Captain on duty (???). A Senior firefighter is in charge. I can't go up, but I give firefighter (and crew) directions to the location (roof). Firefighter and crew get lost, twice. I finally go upstairs with them and we find the mechanical room blazing away. Senior Firefighter asks "What do we do now ?"

"You're kidding, right ?"
___________________________________________________________

Out beyond the complex, a warehouse. Another time, late at night, fire alarm goes off. I had entered the door to see smoke right at ceiling level. High rises in the city, warehouse in the county, so Volunteer Fire Department rolls up. Out of the truck are three firefighters who look like three Actor/Models who look like they came straight from a magazine photoshoot-a Ken Doll and two Barbie dolls. I tell the Ken doll to suit up because there's a real fire going on. 

Ken doll suits up (the other two didn't). We enter and I'm the only one seeing and smelling smoke. The three want to leave, but I insist on having a Captain/Chief at the scene. Ken doll reluctantly calls a Captain. 

Another truck rolls up This crew actually looks like firefighters. The Captain orders Ken doll up on the roof. Ken doll goes up and finds an air conditioner blazing. He calls down to the Captain "What do we do ?"

"You're kidding, right?"


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## medicb (Dec 22, 2010)

hmmmm Two separate occurrences?


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## Dudester (Dec 22, 2010)

bbartell said:


> hmmmm Two separate occurrences?



yes


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## TransportJockey (Dec 22, 2010)

Sounds like our VFD. They have yet to lose a foundation.. everything sitting on top of that foundation OTOH...


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## JJR512 (Dec 22, 2010)

jtpaintball70 said:


> Sounds like our VFD. They have yet to lose a foundation.. everything sitting on top of that foundation OTOH...



The same can _almost_ be said about the entire Anne Arundel County, MD fire department. I say "almost" because they actually have lost at least one foundation. :wacko:


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## lightsandsirens5 (Dec 22, 2010)

What do we do? What the heck? I tell them what my academy instructor said. 

"See that? (Points at burn tower) That is fire. See this? (Holds up a hose) This is water. Water (gestures toward the nozzle) goes on the fire (gestures towards the tower)......fire goes away, imagine that! This is a good thing."


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## EMT-IT753 (Dec 22, 2010)

*Don't care....*

for volunteer firefighters I take it? Seems the story may be a little embellished, IMO. 

To the OP- do you happen to be a firefighter in a neighboring department? I know many VFD can be a little redneck, but to be that incompetent is somewhat hard to believe. Did you tell them how to do it the right way? If they were that negligent and they were at a working fire for your employer, and you had the knowledge to protect your employers property, why didn't you do so? B)


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## TransportJockey (Dec 22, 2010)

EMT-IT753 said:


> for volunteer firefighters I take it? Seems the story may be a little embellished, IMO.
> 
> To the OP- do you happen to be a firefighter in a neighboring department? I know many VFD can be a little redneck, but to be that incompetent is somewhat hard to believe. Did you tell them how to do it the right way? If they were that negligent and they were at a working fire for your employer, and you had the knowledge to protect your employers property, why didn't you do so? B)


For mine, not embellished at all, and I regularly see 15+ minute response times before they even get enough people at the station for a full crew. Good thing they only run 300 or so calls a year... and they :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: that EMS became paid and the city wouldn't make them paid.

And no, I don't care for volunteers, be they EMS or FD or both.


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## Dudester (Dec 23, 2010)

EMT-IT753 said:


> for volunteer firefighters I take it? Seems the story may be a little embellished, IMO.
> 
> To the OP- do you happen to be a firefighter in a neighboring department? I know many VFD can be a little redneck, but to be that incompetent is somewhat hard to believe. Did you tell them how to do it the right way? If they were that negligent and they were at a working fire for your employer, and you had the knowledge to protect your employers property, why didn't you do so? B)




I was a VFD member for 12 years (not now), I had the Ken doll call his Captain to make sure my building didn't burn down. I worked VFD, like I said, and I worked for ten years in "Firefighter accounts" (where they work their second jobs). I hold a firefighter certification but my employer doesn't allow me to fight fires. I just train the guards how to deal with emergencies (and I'm reports and safety administrator).

No I didn't embellish the story. I've worked with firefighters for 22 years and I've never before seen magazine perfect models on a fire truck. THey also seemed to be in a hurry to get back to whatever they were doing. Once their Captain was on scene, things got better. He did a great job of supervising.


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## ffemt8978 (Dec 23, 2010)

Thread closed.  This is an EMS forum, not a fire-bashing forum.


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