Firefighting: 10-75 on the box, dispatcher. Tone me out a second alarm.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Internet VFW > Firefighting: 10-75 on the box, dispatcher. Tone me out a second alarm.

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

senor punk posted:

Marx covered it pretty well.

Volunteers really can't do the job that well any more, but are resistant to change. Cities are hurting for money, and the total number of fires is generally down all over the place, meaning the staffing levels of 15 years ago aren't necessarily needed.

Firefighting is one of several professions that can't go away, however it's definitely changing. I will consider myself lucky if I can get onto FDNY Fire, since they are facing a lot of obstacles right now.

That's interesting! I had to go google it, but don't understand the results.
Why are the number of fires decreasing, but number of deaths and injuries increasing? Is this linked to scalebacks in local fire departments, and resultant delays in response, or something entirely different?

http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/statistics/national/residential.shtm

# ¿ Feb 15, 2010 17:15

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 11:51

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Crazy Dutchman posted:

Some of them are not even held together by gusset plates, but by glue.

I-joists are a miracle of modern construction! Cheaper and stronger than dimensional lumber, destroy fewer forests, and allow longer spans. If a fire has progressed to the point where the pressboard gussets are failing, the home is a loss anyhow. Drywall and firestops installed to code should, in theory, give at least an hour before that point.

Virtually everything inside a house is going to give off toxic fumes when they burn. Even if the structure itself is "safe", the house is packed full of plastic and other nasties.

# ¿ Feb 15, 2010 19:11

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Crossposted from the AI stupid pictures thread:

Anyone notice anything off about this?

# ¿ Jan 25, 2011 11:51

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

Kashew posted:

I finally got the pic from the OP back up.

We don't really get fires like that anymore.

The 2011 building code will require sprinklers in all homes now. Arc-fault detection breakers are already required, and should greatly reduce the number of "electrical fault" fires (though I doubt will make a dent in lazy investigators blaming fires on electrical faults).

I wonder if all this will lead to a false sense of security and a shrinking of FF budgets as time goes on and homes become safer and safer? We'll never eliminate fires, but complacency has a nasty effect on budgets for "just in case" stuff.

# ¿ Jan 29, 2011 15:40

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

invision posted:

Need: GPS in the trucks.

You don't? Are you still using archaic "map and guy looking at it" technology?

# ¿ Feb 3, 2011 11:56

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Internet VFW > Firefighting: 10-75 on the box, dispatcher. Tone me out a second alarm.