FireMedic049, things in the fire service are the same all over! Your last line in the post about the disciplinary action sounds similar to where I work!
I received a written repremand about 13 years ago for backing our 1994 E\-One pumper into a commercial mailbox in a condominium complex. I did have a spotter but took my eyes off of him just ever so briefly to make sure the front bumper of the engine was going to clear one of those short squatty round green plastic telephone boxes on the corner of the street where we were located and as I was turning the steering wheel, and the next thing I knew I had struck the mailbox, tilting it over somewhat, but not breaking the post. The damage to the pumper? A teeny tiny ding in the rubrail of the backstep that was barely visible. My Captain received a verbal repremand and wasn't even there when the accident happened. We'd been out checking hydrants and he was up the street around the corner when this occurred. He didn't even know anything had happened. The postal service's reaction to this incident? "It happens all the time. It's no big deal." Needless to say I had this in my personnel file for a year. I didn't press the issue with our union at the time, by the advice of my Captain, because I was up for a promotion to Lead Firefighter (and got it a month or so later).
When I showed the damage to a friend of mine who is now a chief, and the disciplinary action I received, his response was, "You gotta be kidding!"
Fast forward to 2 years ago and one of our newest guys has had 3 or 4 very minor accidents involving our 2009 Osage/Chevy C-4500 ambulance and NEVER had any disciplinary measures against him. I'm not upset with him but I am upset with the system. You have to make discipline consistant, and in these two cases it clearly was not.
Now, as far as the pumper with the bald tires and the chains breaking and you taking your concerns to the chief and them being dismissed, that's a crime! He sounds like an arrogant jerk, like no one tells him what to do or how to do it. Typical with some chiefs, as we all know. Not all but some. Some chiefs still remember where they came from and will bend over backwards for us. But your boss sounds like a piece of work. Good luck with him, Brother! Stay safe out there! Karma has a way of working things out!
Just talked with the Max Fire Rep this last week. Springfield, MO has ordered four Spartan Metro Stars/ Generals. The big news is they will be solid RED!!!! Finely all of the major career fire departments in the State of Missouri will be in RED fire apparatus. He said the firemen are excited about the change and are super excited to be phasing out the Freightliner/ Fire Master pumpers.
Rick
This leaves the midsize to small Missouri career departments of Lee's Summit, Central Jackson County FPD, Chillicothe, Belton, Crestwood, and Affton FPD in Yellow or Lime Green. Its just so hard on the Camera and Eyes!!!!! <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/fireman.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> <img src='http://www.firepics.net/groupboards/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/stirpot.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
Now, as far as the pumper with the bald tires and the chains breaking and you taking your concerns to the chief and them being dismissed, that's a crime! He sounds like an arrogant jerk, like no one tells him what to do or how to do it. Typical with some chiefs, as we all know. Not all but some. Some chiefs still remember where they came from and will bend over backwards for us. But your boss sounds like a piece of work. Good luck with him, Brother! Stay safe out there! Karma has a way of working things out!
[/quote] "Arrogant jerk" is definately not the proper term for him. "Inappropriate, unprofessional buffoon" would be way more accurate.
He's not a "my way or the highway" type of chief. He's more of a "leave me alone and don't bother me with your problems" type of chief. I'm positive that the concern was dismissed largely because it came from me. I've never really been that "go along to get along" type of person and typically outspoken when stuff's messed up or doesn't make sense. Some might label me as a "trouble maker", but really it's more of a being an "advocate" for doing the job the way it's supposed to be kind of thing.
Quote:Just talked with the Max Fire Rep this last week. Springfield, MO has ordered four Spartan Metro Stars/ Generals. The big news is they will be solid RED!!!! Finely all of the major career fire departments in the State of Missouri will be in RED fire apparatus. He said the firemen are excited about the change and are super excited to be phasing out the Freightliner/ Fire Master pumpers.
Rick
This leaves the midsize to small Missouri career departments of Lee's Summit, Central Jackson County FPD, Chillicothe, Belton, Crestwood, and Affton FPD in Yellow or Lime Green. Its just so hard on the Camera and Eyes!!!!!
wouldn't you have to add Metrowest FD to that list since they still run an all yellow fleet and are a career department?
Grandview is now Black over Red. Althought Truck 3 and the Reserve Pumper are yellow. Carthage might be changing they had a change in administration. Word is CJC will change in the next few years. I forgot about Metrosbest. All of the career fire departments in Kansas are finely Red with Coffeyvilles new HME/ Aherns Fox, although they still have some yellow rigs. Garden City has mostly white but there last purchase of a Pierce Tender was Solid Red and the Chiefs cars are red now.
does North Kansas City of Clay County still ran an all yellow fleet?
[/quote]
Engine 7 was delivered White over Red the newer Pierce Velocity PUC. Yes the remaining are Solid Yellow. But as they say North Town is ripening up these days, the men are pretty happy. All future purchases like Grandview will be red.
Engine 7 was delivered White over Red the newer Pierce Velocity PUC. Yes the remaining are Solid Yellow. But as they say North Town is ripening up these days, the men are pretty happy. All future purchases like Grandview will be red.
[/quote]
I know not StL but here is Grandview and North Kansas City in the new color combo.
That was a really well put together report. I'm impressed. A few of our guys tried to get the grey over red that we had on our 1928 Engine back with our two latest pieces but it was unfortunately voted down and we are still white over lime.
Was out checking a new asphalt shingle recycling dump in our first alarm area last week and came across this classic St. Louis FD rig. What a shame!!! I remember this rig at plenty of multiples back in the 80s. The 1954 International was the Shop Service Light Wagon back in the day.
Neat find! It's a shame that it's in that condition, though. It would be cool that since it's a unique rig if some fire apparatus collector would take it and totally refurb it.
On a side note, O'Fallon Fire Protection District has taken delivery of their new Pierce Quantum PUC pumper, which will soon be the new 9134. I saw it a few times today out on the road on drivers training. It's currently sitting in their Station 3.
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