Kansas City area fire apparatus

[MFD76]

[quote name='MFD 61 KS' post='308844' date='May 26 2009, 11:08 ']Glad you had a good time. The KCFD guys are great, they are a extremly agressive fire department on the fire ground and the knowledge base is incrediable there. Drop me a line on the Fire Pics mail next time you are headed here it KC.



1. Forever the Chief's Driver-Aide was a FAO. The FAO was a second set of eyes and ears in the rear of the building or inside for the Chief or a command aide. In 1996 the city cut this postion and the Batt Chiefs had to drive themselves for three months. The Union and Fire Chief went to work to regain this postion. This was when safety was taking off in the fire service. So the Union presented a plan to the city that was rather genuis. They stated they need Safety Officers in each of the seven Batt districts called DSO District Safety Officers. The city agreed. The Union stated they need to have the ability to supervise or lead so they need to be a Captain. The city agreed. They also said they will drive the Chiefs so they arrive at the same time when command is estiblished. Now the first arriving Batt Chief takes command and his DSO serves the same role as the old FAO-Aide did support for command. The second arriving Batt. Chief and his DSO assume safety and work as a two person team or might be placed in charge of a division inside. This was the great switch routine seven FAO-Aides are now seven Captain-DSO-Aides no real cost savings for the city. Now DSO's will step up and be the Acting Chief when the Chief is gone but most Batt Chief try to rotate all of their Captains through the Acting Cheif role. So when the Chief is gone the CAR rides with two Captains one as DSO and one as Act Batt. Chief. The DSO always has to be a Captain by the policy book and contract.



2. KCFD has not had Lieutenants since the 1920's. At some point they went to all Captains. My only guess is the job discriptions are so close why not pay all supervisors the same and it keeps the same level rank all the time in the muilti company fire houses. Lieutenants are not big in the KC metro. It is funny only four career departments out of the forty or fifty in metro use Captain and Lieutenant. The rest reflect KCFD with all Captains. Also in the mutil comapany houses the senior captain on the pumper one of the three shifts is the house captain.



3. Rescues have One Captain and Two FAO's. In KCFD most of the time the FAO rides out as Act Capt. when the Captain is gone. So on the fireground the Captain, FAO, Fireman form one team and the 2nd FAO senior, Firemen, Firemen form the second team spliting the company. The Trucks work in the same way. 1st due truck Captain and Fireman form the Search team and the FAO and Fireman go to the roof and Vent. 2nd due Truck opens up walls and pulls celling for the pumper company.



Hope this helps, Stay safe, Rick[/quote]



Having a driver for the Chief in my view is very important. It is a second set of eyes and ears. We always teach in rookie school to work in at least two person teams so why should the District Chief (Batt) work alone. This helps maintain the two people for safety.



I forgot to mention in the Mid-West we work three shifts A,B,C either 24-48 or the Detroit/Berkley rotation of 24-on, 24-off, 24-on, 24off, 24-on, 4days off. KCFD and KCKFD and most Missouri side suburbs are 24-48. All Kansas Side Suburbs are the Detroit/Berkley. This is differnt than the 9x6 four group rotation that is common on the East Coast.

So where in NY and Boston you have a Company Engine or Truck with a Captain on one group for supervison and overall command of the company and Lieuteant's that supervise the company on the other three groups. So even in double companies you each company has its own commander the Captain.



In the Mid-west you find either all Captains like KCFD or Like my department A Captain and Lieutenant on each shift. So in my department we have three Captians and three Lieutenants one of each on A, B, C Shift. In KCFD and a few suburbs (Olathe, Independence ect.) you are assigned to a company and do not rotate between companies unless you are detailed to fill-in. So you are a Truckie or an Pipeman and you always work with the same guys. KCFD you bid on senority to switch companies if you want to switch.

The other side is were all members rotate each day between the Truck and Engine never having a perment assigment (Merriam, North Kansas City, KCKFD, Overland Park ect.).



So I ride as a Lieutenant on the Engine 1st day the Truck 2nd day the Engine 3rd day and after four days off I ride the Truck 1st the Engine 2nd and the Truck 3rd day. All the while my Captain rides the other rig Engine or Truck. I really do not like this rotation and believe in perment assigments for safety and crew readyness, but it is my departments decision and as an officer I support the Mission of the Department and Chief's decisions. Haveing no real companies and one on each shift really can create problems and issues, you become the jack of all trades somewhat. I am lucky because my Captain and I have an excellent relationship and we work well together. This is not always the case. So I am an advocate in our Mid-west situation for all Captains with assigned companies or assigned companies with a company commander like the east coast.



Stay Safe, Rick