Kansas City area fire apparatus

[MFD76]

[quote name='Ladder 68' post='307228' date='May 20 2009, 19:58 ']Couple of stupid questions about KCFD Haz Mat and Rescue Co. ops...



Is there a "Haz Mat" Co. or just the aforementioned HM Support Unit 71? If there is no specific HM Co., who staffs, or cross-staffs, the HM Support unit?



Do the respective Rescue Co.'s each have a specialty? Trench, Hi-Angle, Collapse, etc.



Thanks in advance.[/quote]



Hi Larry,



Haz-Mat was created in November of 1988 and is funded through a sales tax passed in 1989. This was a direct result of the November 1988 explosion that killed six brother KCFD firemen on Pumper 30 and Pumper 41. The number 71 is a memorial to Pumper 30 and 41. They added the two numbers equaling 71.

Haz-Mat is stationed a Fire House 27 on the Far East side of KC off Truman Road and is only Haz-Mat 71 no other companies. This fire house was slated to be closed in 1977 since Fire House 24, Pumper 24 and Fire House 23, Pumper 23, Tiller Truck 10. and Car 104 are very very close. The neighborhood fought to keep it open so since 1977 the 1910 27's operated with just a two man Midi-Pumper Squad 27. In about 1993 one fireman fell through the stairs and was injuried and the fire house closed and raized. At that time Haz-Mat was crammed into Fire House 47 at the Fire Acadmey and needed a perment home. The neighborhood which is very rundown petioned to rebuild Fire House 27. Chief Fisher decided to build a new two story Fire House 27 with brass fire poles and make it home of Haz-Mat 71. This Fire House is special built for Haz-Mat and has a lab with a 40 hour chemist. Haz-Mat 71 has a very small first due area.

So Today Haz-Mat 71 has a crew of eight, two Captains, two FAO, four Firemen each shift. They are divided between Pumper 71, Support 71 each has a four man crew. There is a 40hour Haz-Mat BC Car 110 stationed at 27's. The Pumper is a demo E\-One rear mount pump, they purchased it because of the compartment space. Support 71 carries all of the air moniters, suits, everything under the sun and has a lab area. They also are responsiable for cross staffing Foam-Tanker 1 and Utility 71 and the Metro-Wide Command Bus. The Foam-Tanker can respond metro wide purchased with Homeland Security money. Utility 71 carries lots of oil dry and respondes to spilles all over the city of KC. Haz-Mat is a closed OT box so only Haz-Mat members can fill over time. If assigned to 71's it is three year comitment for FD members. So normally they call overtime if the Command Bus is need outside KC city limits. KCFD operates its own command bus at FH47. It is a very unique company and they will respond with both units to fires in or outside of 27's first due. There is no unit in the KCFD numbered 27 only the Fire House.



NOTE: Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department KCKFD has operated a Two Piece Haz-Mat company since 1977 and theirs is cross-staffed by Quint 2 and Pumper 3 two seperate fire houses. At one time it was housed at Fire House 2 and staffed by Pumper 2 and Truck 2 but budget cuts made Two's become a Single Quint and the company was split between Quint 2 and Pumper 3.



The KCFD Rescues all do the same specilty and if any rescue incident IE water, High Angle, RIT comes in all three 1,9,31 respond. Rescue 9 also brings Rescue 75 the Tractor Trailer Rescue Support Unit a Freightliner/ Hackney. They have six person staffing one Captain, two FAO, three firemen. Every fire and pin job gets one Rescue Company inaddtion to Pumpers and Trucks.



Stay Safe, Rick