Recent content by fdhistorian

Firehouses are mixed occupancies with the sleeping areas considered to be Rooming & Lodging, Dormitories or Hotels. The model codes require separation, sprinklers and smoke alarms. Departments purchase PPE and safety equipment for their employees, but do not provide the protection in sleeping...

Sta 52 is just up Santa Fe Ave. The County still owns former Sta 9 and former Vernon Sta 3 is still nearby.

On the videos, E9, E13, E16, E52, E165, L13, L147, and BC13 are visible. E164, L164 and S164 can be seen destroyed. LA TF21 is also located very close by.

That is to be expected. It's when a Fire Chief says it (not necessarily this one). "Don't let the issue be confused with facts."

When fire stations are opened, response times will improve. When fire stations are closed, "response times are not impacted." Must be magic. Were all of the nearby LA City units unavailable? None seen on the video.

And the Mianus River bridge that fell in 1983, and the Gold Star bridge closed by a tanker collision/fire last year . . .

Bridgeport some years ago.

Exposures - Fairfield Avenue bridge and Norwalk Fire HQ (upper right)

Alarm levels, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. were originally established to dispatch a predetermined number of specific companies to a specific location, and to make predetermined relocations, all by sending one telegraph signal. Each additional alarm essentially multiplied the 1st alarm response...

If you don't have any agreement beforehand, you cannot expect, guaranty, or even know what you'll get, if anything at all.

Some mutual aid agreements include provisions for reimbursement of expenses and for insurance liability.

Great engineering estimate. Cost effectiveness as measured by purchase cost divided by number of times used is just one method of determining value. The easiest way to make aerials more cost effective by this approach is to have more fires. Many devices have a specific, critical utility. Some...

In an AVL system, an available unit is assigned based on its actual location. In a non-AVL system, an available unit is assigned (and becomes unavailable) and replaces another unit, making that unit available. The unavailability of the relocator is concurrent with the availability of the...

Most GPS based CAD programs give companies that are on the air a 20 to 60 second response time advantage because their turn out time is zero. This translates to approximately 1/2 mile less travel time. If the CAD sees two companies, one in the firehouse and the other sitting outside on the...

Although Baltimore County has a combined fire department, career stations and volunteer stations are separate. In 1992, the County established career Medic 58 on the Back River Neck peninsula, already served by 3 volunteer fire companies, so 58, a career unit, was placed in its own quarters.