Virginia apparatus - miscellaneous

[davemcclung]

[quote name='GA_Dave' post='312676' date='Jun 10 2009, 19:40 ']I think you missed the point. I don't even think that tradition is the real issue. I believe the real issue is authority and the question of who truly has the authority. Tradition is the victim. Yes, time does march on and when it does, progress should march with it. I fail to see any progress here, just change. Change because an outside "authority" dictated that there be change. It was nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to the situation at the time. Suddenly there are a bunch of clowns scrambling to come up with a plan, because "HE" said so. Instead of developing a plan that works for everyone, they plagarize an existing plan that works in a small area of the country, then force it upon the rest of us. No testing phase, no input, just "Do as we say or the terrorists will kill us all". What a load! Terminology is not the same because the Fire Service is not the same. The Fire Service is territorial because WE are territorial. We are the United States of America. Fifty indivividual entities with common ideals that reserve the right to accomplish those ideals in our own 50 ways. Obviously the Feds have forgotten that part of the Constitution! Obviously the Feds don't have a clue what we firefighters do and how we do it. And that a water-carrying vehicle was called a TANKER way before the first helicopter was flown. And that an ENGINE and a WAGON and a PUMPER might not be the same thing. We use terms like LADDER, PLATFORM, TOWER, and SNORKEL because they have different capabilities, even though they are all "Truck Companies", but if I call for a Tower, don't send me a ^%%$#%^#% stick!!!



Now don't go taking this as an attack on you for saying what you said. It's directed at the politically correct masses in the Fire Service who follow those clowns like the sheep they are. The same folks who couldn't even listen to what Ray McCormack was saying any more than to know that it didn't fit into their politically correct world. Then they shun him like he's the devil himself. Yet another load!



Getting back to the post that started this whole thing....



I hear ya, Good2Go![/quote]



I hear your thoughts and respect that you have them.



My opinion is that standards and the COG numbering scheme in Northern Virginia and the SOPS that the Northern Virginia departments have worked together to create have allowed for a safer public, which is ultimatly why a fire service exists.