@DrParasite, I would put money that few if any OCFA guys will jump ship to this new Placentia FD, to go from a large, ALS, all risk agency to a 2 station BLS startup. Absolutely not. OCFA sucks to work with, not for.
I think that's a pretty safe bet, however, if the pay and benefits are comparable, and they have a FF who is offered a captain position, or a captain who is offered a chief's position, especially if their chances of getting it at OCFA are slim..... Again, I think it will be offered, but I agree, I don't think many will take it, unless they really want to get off the ambulances.....
What sort of org/staffing is the new Placentia FD looking at? I.e. 3 or 4x Engines with 3 or 4 FFs plus a Ladder (or relying on OCFA Mutual Aid for one?) Just curious? I'm assuming at least one fire medic on each engine?
according to the article, it was 3 FT FFs and 1 reserve FF, and only two engines.... no ladder was mentioned. I'm guessing BLS only, as they have lynch in a non-transporting ALS QRV to handle the EMS calls
I like my current system best. Fire is BLS/EMR only, with municipal third service ALS ambulance, Fire only going on maybe half of EMSs calls?
I agree (although I think having career FFs only being EMR level is embarrassing, and if you want to be a career FD, you should at least be an EMT level department). A fully staffed EMS agency should be able to handle the majority of EMS calls without the FD to hold their hand, or stop the clock. Alas, too many places will over staff the FD first responders to compensate for an understaffed EMS system.... But that's another topic for another day...
It’s all speculative at this point, but a FFPM friend of mine is claiming it’ll be like up where I am. The FD will respond to all Echo, Delta, and Charlie calls—so, Priority 1’s & 2’s, or “L&S” calls—assuming that they’re going off of the foolproof EMD codes.
So they are going to send a lynch QRV with 2 ALS personnel and a 3 person BLS engine to all ALS coded calls? I can understand going on Echos (cardiac arrest and such, when you need muscle and hands, not necessarily ALS providers), or ALS calls if they are closer than the ALS squads (which shouldn't happen in most cases), but going on all calls sounds kinda redundant and wasteful to me.
I heard at my work from a FD captain working for a local la co. city, he predicts what will happen is Placentia becomes an island. he stated back when Rural Metro FD took contracts the other city fd municipalities would not provide mutual aid. (makes hand washing gesture) "the surrounding depts. would act like ,"you wanted the contract, handle it bro. you got it."" Surely if such a tactic was used OCFA will find a way to not provide mutual aid, so Yorba linda is out. would the new Placentia FD build an "alliance" with Fullerton/Brea FD, and Anaheim FD?
That would be my one area of concern. If the new Placentia FD had a major incident, OCFA would refuse to respond due to political BS, despite being the closest mutual aid provider. Still have that question about who is providing a ladder/special service for those structure fire calls handled by PFD, since they are only staffing two engines.....
