Thursday, October 30, 2008
Fire Extends To Zinn’s Grocery Store
On October 30, 1928 at 1:00 p.m. firemen were sent to East King Street near Earl Street for a fire. A pile of crates and boxes caught fire and extended to the rear of the Paul Zinn Grocery store. Firemen quickly rushed to the rear of the store with the two chemical trucks while hose lines were ran over the roof of the building. Damages were estimated at $400. One civilian was injured when he fell through a sky light in the Sherman Hotel while watching the firemen battle the blaze. The Vigilant Hose and Cumberland Valley Hose companies answered the alarm.
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16 comments:
Okay like before I try to keep my mouth shut, but you all know me, that’s not possible. Tell the truth how many of you out their sit and listen to the scanner? That’s right all of you don’t lie. How many of you realize how messed up the fire service has become, yep all the older guys. See I knew that, you younger guys don’t realize it because that is all you know. At this point you are saying where in the hell is this guy going with this. Well I am burnt out, ready to retire, walk away from the fire service and swear off any part of it for life. Here is a list of reasons why:
1.AED calls and a chief officer, apparatus and FIRE POLICE all go responding, I didn’t even mention EMS. It is a freaking ambulance call, what the hell do we need fire police for.
2.Establishing command on AED calls, I won’t even say anything else, if you don’t get it you never will.
3.How about arriving on a chimney fire and reporting smoke from the chimney. DUH!!!! It is a freaking chimney fire plus it’s a chimney smoke is supposed to come out of it.
4.Just heard this one today “we are going external” UH WHAT?
5.Fire Police unit x to command do you have an assignment.
6.Engine x is responding driver and three. Can you respond without a driver? How about “Headquarters Engine X is responding with four, we have no driver so we are pushing the engine”.
7.Remember when the radios were silent and the fires went out? I do, but know the radios never stop and if we are lucky they run out of fuel.
8.Operations and command at the same little incident. What do they do? Do you really pay attention in the ICS classes? I think not, but that is okay, you just gave another individual free reign to yak on the radio non-stop.
9.How about call class responses, an AFA is class 1, yet a dumpster, wires down, or transformer explosion is a class 3. If it is a fire how is it class 3? Do you know it is not close to a building, is there aerosol cans exploding and shooting against a building, is a calling party really that reliable with information. And how does anyone know that someone will not step on a downed wire and become a victim.
I would keep going but I need another beer, but before I go I need to post one of my favorites, “But everyone went home safe” That has become the new saying, we burnt down the house and killed a dozen family pets, but everyone went home safe. When do firefighters get their balls back?
If I offended anyone then you must be guilty of some of these no common sense offenses, so I will not apologize.
Amen brother, just ran a box with so much B.S. radio traffic that we had already squirted water when I could find the radio time to give a layout and size up
E4Lt
Brad, what you said is 100% correct, like why do we have to hear that a unit is "in quarters" when they just went available few minuets before? Or when the medic unit is a squad truck and has a emt drive, why does it have to go en route and out at the hospital, why can't it just go available why the medic is ready for another call? There are some others but why go into them?
Greg
former PHFD
Brad,
You ought to hear some of the things on my end of the radio. I feel your pain and I agree with you. Even though I'm a young pup by your standards. Everything you said makes sense..
Hey BTW, What is your work schedule like the week of Nov 23rd?? If you would be so kind to email me...
Well being an Old Dog I will have to leave my comment. I have yet to see a radio put out a fire. So why do we have six of them in the cab of an engine. I hate to say this maybe we don't have a problem with the 800 radios, maybe the problem is the everyone has one and tries talking on them. And as for the Every One goes home line, well it started what a year or two a go? And we in PA are still killing the same amount of Fireman. An for you Brad join the rest of the Myers sitting on the porch with a bag of peanuts and a beer/wine bottle. Ending comment think about this fire has not changed over the years, it is still red and hot, and smokey so what is the problem?
Well since I haven't been able to run firecalls lately. I have been sitting at home listening to the scanner and Brad I will have to agree with you. The scanner NEVER shuts up! The other day I couldn't believe I heard people screaming over the radio. Screaming is not going to put out the fire. Another thing I have noticed more and more lately... Is people arguing over who is going to talk on the radio or who is going to ride the front seat. Whatever happen to people actually wanting to fight fire??
Had to throw my two cents in Son. As one who was always accused of using the radio to much, I do know what you mean. But I do need to tell you that for all of the bullshit, the east coast still has it heads and tails over the rest of the country when it comes to progressive fire service. Believe me! In my travels, it never ceases to amaze me how behind the majority of this country is when it comes to progressive fire service. I am getting to old to fight the good fight any more. But still revel in seeing peoples eyes when I tell them the way it used to be. I am convinced that many of them think I am lying. So for as much as you have had enough, believe Dad when he tells you that it is much worse in allot of other places. Keep the faith son.
Dad in MN
Well I'm going to lose this bet.Right Little Brother,,
Well I sat around the house for 3 years and list to the scanner world.
Yes the 800 Radio's are working great.Because now I can hear the folk's on the West Shore & when I'm on the West Shore I can hear the people from the center of the univversal.Brad your 110% right.If you list to Franklin County it's worst. The other week I was on a crash,the Chief was sreaming on the radio ,intrapment,intrapment,,I walk up to car and pulled the door open,,if he would have gotten out of his car & stayed off the radio thing would have been better,,They had a control burn 6 untils talking on the radio,, Don't get me started on Fire Police,,we need them ,,but what the deal ? month's ago we had 6 Fire Police units on the call and no Fire Apparatus,,
Brad you forgot the new Vest program!!!!! OK my last issue,,having meeting to see when we are going to have a meeting,, Don't these people ever hear of the internet,,,send me a email instead of driving 3oo miles to a meeting,,,
OK Little Brother Where would you like to go for supper (American Legion)
I have been going to the National Fire Academy for many year's and the number have not changed at all,,
My personal favorite on my end of the radio is when you have 3 fire chiefs responding on the radio and their apparatus goes to double tap or fails. Then the 3 chiefs have a discussion as to who should go to the station, what's your location, well I drove past the station but I can go back and drive the rig..BLAH BLAH BLAH..
Or when a fire chief goes responding to a transfer assignment. Why?? I don't care that your responding, I care when your engine hits the street..
I just don't get it at times..
You are all correct and many of you hit on things I missed, maybe because I head my head so far up my butt at the time I couldn't think straight.
Dale I wasn't even thinking about Franklin County when I posted this but now that you mentioned them, what is up with the transfer thing going on there. It has been happening for years, tranksfers for MVA's, chimney fires and car fires. If you can't handle it shut the doors, go paid just quit embarassing the fire service. Anh Holy Shit do they run anough fire apparatus? Remember my bus idea a few months back? Sell over half the equipment in the county and buy two buses, presto the fire service just got more than 50% better.
I hear that transfer stuff also Woody, allot of times I hear a chief responding on the rig. I thought you were sworn to protect your own district, if so let someone else handle the transfer in the fron seat and the Chief can stay back and cover his own area. To much micro managing.
Okay my Minn. Dad, we did like to bust your stones about the radio didn't we, LOL. Different story now, they are basically reciting NFPA standards on the radio's now while the buildings burn down do to a lack of common sence and balls. The sad part is most of these people doing this were never really firemen to begin with, so they have no clue what is going on inside.
If we are good compared to most places, then the fire service is gone and lost forever, and if you want to see bad, I really emphasize bad on the east coast visit the Harrisburg Far Company some day (yes I know how I spelled it) we are now the photograph in the dictionary for messed up poorly ran what the F@*k fire service.
Four years three months and 15 days, and the faith will return. Well now that I got myself wound up again, it is time to head to the place I call work.
Brad as far as radio traffic goes, plug in the frequencies for Snyder County now that they are high band and repeater system is up and working, I am sure you can hear tehm in the city, you think Franklin is bad. WOW wait til you hear Fire police and EMS officers here.
Greg Shaffer
former PHFD
Greg, I wasn't picking on Franklin County until the last comment about the transfers, my jabs were at Cumberland. And I left dispatchers out, not because they are perfect, I just left them out. I really don't want to listen to another county, the ones around me are enough.
Here's another one that I'm sure everyone here has heard at least once. If your company has a tanker and is dispatched along with 10 other tankers on a task force assignment, what do you think you will be doing when you arrive at the scene??? Why do you feel it's necessary to ask for an assignment along with the other 9 tankers doing the same thing??
Sorry Guys.
Have been reading every comment and found myself laughing hysterically. Seems I remember allot of these same comments and discussions in the day. Don't get me wrong, you all are right on the money. Has the fire service changed so much or is it just the caliber of person in it these days. Where did the "you go, we go" image go. Now its "I'll go if it benefits me".
Still and all, even though you see yourself in a "far" department, your brethern across this country are by far worse off. Wish I could find the words, the time and the strength to change it. Unfortunately, I would be viewed as "ancient" and out of touch with reality. So be it.
Some interesting comments folks. Woody, I hear what you're saying. Within the last couple weeks I listened to 3 chiefs from a department go responding for something like 'debris removal' and than have a conversation about who was going to go get the rig out. Homeowner probably could have gone out with a broom and dust pan and saved everybody the embarrassment. I agree, too many people yapping on the radio. The problem though isn't too many people having radios. I do think that makes us safer. I think it's companies not training and pratrolling their own on using the radios. Just because it's in your pocket doesn't mean you have to be yapping on it. Transfers...just because a company has been out on the street for 10 minutes on the AFA doesn't mean you have to fill their house with someone else..enough said. Of all the issues that everyone has raised, I think for the most part it all comes down to us not running the fires we used to. I say this from my own experiences. I spent my first 5-6 years in Ship catching all kinds of fire and LEARNING. I can count on 1 hand the number of fires worth burning deisel fuel over during the last couple years for the newer, younger guys to experience and learn from. Now these guys are becoming officers and bestowing all of their 'knowledge' upon another generation. There will be some that will read this and say that I am a product of this newer generation, that I haven't seen near the fire that they did (and you probably did Brad) "back in the day". And you're right. But unfortunetly all I'm saying is that the gap in the number of fires we're going to has tremendously changed over the last decade. Finally go to a decent fire that you have to man-up a little and bunker down, and things go to shit. Why? We're fighting them with officers who aren't seasoned at handling a room and contents and troops who can't deploy a line or know to open up. So...what's the answer? (other than keeping Brad's dad from doing fire prevention! I know that's what ya'll were thinking!) Well, it starts with many of the ideas that have been spelled out in the master plan for the SFD. We are slowly losing our seasoned most seasoned firemen to attrition. Our experienced back-step guy has since moved to the country and had 2 kids and doesn't think twice about it because he did his stint as a ***-chief and got the shits of all the fundraising, meetings (ya Wally, 76 different meetings a week), training, calls, more meetings, fire prevention, more fundraising, etc. And to top it off, we don't even get to go to any fires anymore! When I compare the time invested into the quality calls ran, there's alot of bullshit for that 1 room and contents or trailer or barn every other month. Honestly Brad, I don't know how men like your dad and CW did it back in the day. I know, I know. I'm like 30 years old. Who am I to bitch about the stuff we have to do now. Back in my day, we used to go clean chimneys for a nickel. Well, that's fine but I'm lazy and a bitcher, so give me my soapbox for 5 minutes and hold on. Anyways, that's enough for now. Since I've moved into my new house in the country, I see there's a deer in the field across the street and a cold beer in the fridge. I think I'll go check them out (not necessarily in that order)
TJ
Brad, Sparky had told me about his post when I returned from my hunting trip. As I read it, I thought about what everybody posted for a second. Then I went and grabbed a beer. It takes good. Then I started to type something then I erased it. There is a good reason for it. Because the people that write the rules, forgot were they came from. So we should stop going to going to their lectures were they make at least $100 a person for showing up. Stop reading their articles that make no sense what so ever. We need to do what we been doing since are respective starts in our career’s. Protecting and Serving the Public and when the public starts complaining tell them your name is John Doe and point them in the direction of the Fire Chief!
Wally, make sure that you tell my Boss what I wrote. What is going to do make me ride the Amb!!!!!
J. Byers
Wagon Master In Training
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