FDNY: Frequently Asked Questions

[thefirefreak911]

A collapse must be with a ladder company because it is a rescue company and engine ff aren't trained for rescue work

 

[Chief321]

I was just at Engine 91 and it was in the bay behind the RAC unit.

 

[68jk09]

A collapse must be with a ladder company because it is a rescue company and engine ff aren't trained for rescue work

It is transported & used by a Soc Support LAD but can be stored anywhere if need be.

 

[Bxboro]

Please refresh my memory. Buffed alot in the 80's and used to hear the fellas use the term "Onion skin" often. What's it mean ?

 

[tem217]

onion skin is a term used to describe someone who is detailed to a unit long term pending official transfer on the dept. orders.

 

[Bxboro]

thx

 

[fdny747]

I was wondering if anyone new what brand of CO meter FDNY EMS uses? The ones that are yellow and they carry on the radio straps?

 

[FDNY793727]

I was wondering if anyone new what brand of CO meter FDNY EMS uses? The ones that are yellow and they carry on the radio straps?

I believe those are the BW Gas Alert Extreme CO meters. This is an article in reference to EMS personnel using it:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/events/2009/091909a.shtml

 

[raybrag]

G-Man Theory:

The "G-Man Theory", postulated many moons ago by long-time member (and mean ax-man) Tom Eve (guitarman314), states:

"For every 10-75 or greater job, the one thing that is most probable is that one or more 1st due or 1st alarm unit(s) is not available for one reason or another."

A corollary to this theory is that if a given unit is out of service for training, Medicals, PM, etc. there will be a big job.

You'll see this theory referenced again and again on this board.

 

[*******]

As a BC I transmitted an all-hands, legitimate, for a box. The relocating truck for the first due truck on the all-hands left qtrs. and a few minutes later a first due box for them came in. This box also went to an all-hands with a one year old child killed in the fire. Forty years later it still bothers me did I need the all-hands, if I didn't maybe that child could have, would have been rescued. It was/is always a fine line on additional units needed at a fire. You do your best, then you have to live with it. As a DC I pulled up at a 2nd alarm fire in a 1 1/2 story garage, didn't like the looks of the fire in the building and thru the roof so I ordered the line out of the building and the men off the roof knowing I was giving up the building. Line reached the sidewalk outside and the last member got onto the aerial off the roof when the roof collapsed. Four or five brothers wouldn't have gone home that tour, 35 years later I still feel good about that one, always was and will be a fine line.

 

[fdhistorian]

G-Man Theory:

The "G-Man Theory", postulated many moons ago by long-time member (and mean ax-man) Tom Eve (guitarman314), states:

"For every 10-75 or greater job, the one thing that is most probable is that one or more 1st due or 1st alarm unit(s) is not available for one reason or another."

A corollary to this theory is that if a given unit is out of service for training, Medicals, PM, etc. there will be a big job.

You'll see this theory referenced again and again on this board.

The ?G-Man Theory? is an excellent example of ?good ole? common sense and intuition expressing observations made over a long time into a theory that is actually based on very sound statistical calculations.

Every unit has a historical unavailability factor based on the percentage of hours that it is committed to responses, training, maintenance, etc.  The addition of EMS responses or the elimination of units contributes to unavailability.  The more responses a unit makes, the greater number of responses it will potentially miss.

The ?G-Man Theory? accumulates these unit percentages across all of the units on a first alarm assignment.  For simplicity, if every unit had a 1-in-10 unavailability, the probability that any one unit on the first alarm assignment, without indicating which one in particular, will be unavailable, is cumulative.  If the first due assignment is four units, the probability that one of them is unavailable would be 4-in-10.  Small odds ? less than half of the time.  However, when there are 8 units on the first due assignment, the odds are better 8-in-10.  Throw in the BC?s, the Squad and the Rescue and the odds are least 10-in-10 and you get the statistical certainty.  ?G-Man Theory? works!

The corollary also works because it applies to ?big jobs.?  A 10-75 loads up the 1st alarm assignment and that loads up the probability for the ?G-Man Theory.?  But does it only work for 10-75?s?  Actually, it works all of the time overall (time of day is also a factor, but that is another layer of complexity).  However, when a first alarm assignment does not result in a 10-75, it doesn?t get nearly as much attention or discussion because there are fewer adverse consequences.

The "G-Man Theory" is really the "G-Man Effect."  Budget and policy makers should be more aware of it.

 

[Bulldog]

...Always was and will be a fine line...

A "Fine Line" that you and so many others do a great job balancing on day in and day out!

 

[guitarman314]

G-Man Theory:

The "G-Man Theory", postulated many moons ago by long-time member (and mean ax-man) Tom Eve (guitarman314), states:

"For every 10-75 or greater job, the one thing that is most probable is that one or more 1st due or 1st alarm unit(s) is not available for one reason or another."

A corollary to this theory is that if a given unit is out of service for training, Medicals, PM, etc. there will be a big job.

You'll see this theory referenced again and again on this board.

The ?G-Man Theory? is an excellent example of ?good ole? common sense and intuition expressing observations made over a long time into a theory that is actually based on very sound statistical calculations.

Every unit has a historical unavailability factor based on the percentage of hours that it is committed to responses, training, maintenance, etc.  The addition of EMS responses or the elimination of units contributes to unavailability.  The more responses a unit makes, the greater number of responses it will potentially miss.

The ?G-Man Theory? accumulates these unit percentages across all of the units on a first alarm assignment.  For simplicity, if every unit had a 1-in-10 unavailability, the probability that any one unit on the first alarm assignment, without indicating which one in particular, will be unavailable, is cumulative.  If the first due assignment is four units, the probability that one of them is unavailable would be 4-in-10.  Small odds ? less than half of the time.  However, when there are 8 units on the first due assignment, the odds are better 8-in-10.  Throw in the BC?s, the Squad and the Rescue and the odds are least 10-in-10 and you get the statistical certainty.  ?G-Man Theory? works!

The corollary also works because it applies to ?big jobs.?  A 10-75 loads up the 1st alarm assignment and that loads up the probability for the ?G-Man Theory.?  But does it only work for 10-75?s?  Actually, it works all of the time overall (time of day is also a factor, but that is another layer of complexity).  However, when a first alarm assignment does not result in a 10-75, it doesn?t get nearly as much attention or discussion because there are fewer adverse consequences.

The "G-Man Theory" is really the "G-Man Effect."  Budget and policy makers should be more aware of it.

  Thanks, reading these comments makes me appear to be smarter than I could ever be. 

 

[mikeindabronx]

Thank you Brad

 

[raybrag]

Thanks, Brad.  Of course, you know that this means you've got to keep the list up . . . every time somebody on the list retires, gets promoted, changes jobs, or in the case of the political appointees, gets fired, goes for a greener pasture, etc.  Have fun.  : 8)

 

[Signal73]

http://nycfire.net/forums/index.php/topic,52684.0.html

Posted the EMS under EMS Operations

 

[68jk09]

DR Kerry Kelly who was Car 30 Retired recently.

 

[CFDMarshal]

Kinda feel for the driver of Car 2

 

[manhattan]

Thanks, Brad.  Of course, you know that this means you've got to keep the list up . . . every time somebody on the list retires, gets promoted, changes jobs, or in the case of the political appointees, gets fired, goes for a greener pasture, etc.  Have fun.  : 8)

You left out "political appointees being indicted".

 

[capthale]

What does the chief of uniformed personnel do ?