You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
PLEASE NOTE: Do NOT use an optonline.net email address when you register, as you will not receive your activation email. Why? Because CABLEVISION AND THE DOLANS SUCK.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.
Here's my FD's SOG on backing up apparatus into the firehouse:
Pull the truck on the ramp and let all personnel exit the vehicle.
Put 2 people in the street to stop traffic.
Have the truck back in with a 3rd person directing them in.
Does it make sense to have people stopping cars in the street?? NOT TO ME!! We've already had people get hit while backing in apparatus.
we also have a light but we were blessed with a huge front parking lot where you can easily turn any rig around but you still must have a spotter back you into the bay chiefs orders
we have a traffic light however hardly anyone ever stops when it is red.
also with our new chief now requires a spotter
we do it this way the truck pulls onto the ramp, one member gets out (member gets out on the ramp side of the truck not street) and then that one member is the spotter
i think putting FF in the street to stop traffic isn't the way to go we need a way to enforce an active traffic light
those lights to stop traffic are called pre-emptor lights, and where i am, they get no respect at all. sometimes i just throw them on for the hell of it and i see absolutely no one stop. as far as not having anyone get out and hold traffic, all you need is to properly train the guys on proper eye contact with the driver of the car and they WILL stop. i think that having people to back you up is a great idea, because some of these people dont even stop if they see you backing in, and will run right into you.. and try to sue YOU!!! its been done
We're not on a main street, but it has it's share of traffic. Of course, we have one member (usually person riding in the officer's seat) back the driver in, then all the rest of the people on the rig block the road. It's happened more than once that people try to drive up onto the ramp and zip behind a rig backing in. Worst part is that our radio room sticks out about 15 feet onto the ramp out of the middle of the firehouse, and if you're coming from the wrong side, you wont see the radio room, and you try to zip around the rig and end up smack into the side of the radio room.
M-LFD Co. #4 is located on a main street on the North Shore; Northern Boulevard. It is an extremely busy roadway, especially during rush hour times. We have the traffic pre-emptor and we request a Signal 5 every time we return to the firehouse from an alarm. We also teach all our members to always get off the apparatus and stop traffic in order for our apparatus to get back into quarters. They are also instructed to always have a handlight at night and carry their helmet in their hand. If a car gets too close we tell them to "let the helmet go flying". People always only stop at one of the pre-empted traffic lights, but never at the one that is usually flashing yellow. It is not the safest practice, but its what we do.
Having members jump off and backing up your rig is a no-brainer. It takes 5 seconds to do and you make sure your chauffeur doesn't hit anything.
We are on a side street with little traffic.Also have a long ramp.Apparatus comes down the street and up on ramp.Has room to use ramp to back into station without going into street.Members on apparatus stay in their seats until apparatus is in its bay.Nobody gets out to help driver back up.Never had a problem yet.
Officer hops out to guide the rig in once it is on the ramp. All other personnel stay in the rig until it is secure in quarters. Firehouse is located on a two lane street with a traffic light, so it isn't too hard to stop traffic, although there are still those idiots that don't understand the concept of a red light, and that when it comes to cutting off a 30-40 ton firetruck, your little toyota doesn't win..
those lights to stop traffic are called pre-emptor lights, and where i am, they get no respect at all. sometimes i just throw them on for the hell of it and i see absolutely no one stop.
Most pre-emptor lights don't. Everyone is so used to seeing the blinking yellow that they pay no attention to them otherwise and when they are actually solid yellow into red, or green into yellow into red people rarely take notice. The light was tripped the other day to let out our pick-up with trailer and we watched 2 people fly right through the red (opposite lane the pick-up turned into luckily)
What we do is, the truck will pull up in front of the firehouse, everyone gets off the rig, some will stop traffic, help back up the chauffer and hook up the exhaust hose.
We have a large ramp but because the two rigs are ladders, they have to go out into the street to make the "swing" onto the ramp. We recently had a light installed, which works on and off depending on the intelligence of the drivers of the cars. No one gets off the rig in the street; if a car if going to hit the truck I would rather deal with the injury being on the truck than be the person in between the car and the truck. Once back on the ramp one guy gets off with a radio and backs the rig in (unless someone is in the truck room, then they back the truck in.
Truck pulls up on to the ramp. All members jump off and two guys who back the rig in have radios on. Our truck is very tight to get in, so if the driver is too close we jus say stop over the radio.
No members should be getting off the rig to stop traffic. Like underthedome said, I would rather have an injury inside the truck than having the member being hit by a car with no protection. We can easily fix a dent in the truck; fixing a broken femur is a little harder.
Where do your spotters stand? My department wants the spotter in FRONT of the rig, next to the driver's window at it's backing in. I find it to be really distracting, since I look at my mirrors when backing, NOT in front of me.
Where do your spotters stand? My department wants the spotter in FRONT of the rig, next to the driver's window at it's backing in. I find it to be really distracting, since I look at my mirrors when backing, NOT in front of me.
yea that makes no sense... spotter should be drivers side rear of rig and should stay in visual contact with driver
nice thing that we got is the back up cams great when your pulling in to the barn and someone who was waiting for apparatus to come back isn't paying attention you see them instead of hitting them
Backing up apparatus
yea that makes no sense... spotter should be drivers side rear of rig and should stay in visual contact with driver