RAC Changes

[FDNY793727]

Here are some changes to RAC procedures that were outlined in the latest FDNY podcast episode with Deputy Chief Joseph Jardin. I don?t believe a timeline was mentioned on when these would happen.

They will be creating a 6th RAC unit, RAC units will be staffed with two firefighters (part of this is being able to establish a ?forward RAC? closer to the operations), and they will staff a ?Rehabilitation Manager? position (aka RAC battalion) for 2nd alarms or greater to take RAC efforts off of the Incident Commander.

 

[enginecap]

This is a joke , right?

 

[TLTruckie]

unfortunately, its not ....did you see the name of the DC associated with this ???    Yes ,they are creating a RAC Batt .

 

[68jk09]

I have said it before...there is no reason not to have at least one RAC in each DV....there are plenty of light duty FFs to handle that & as far as the Rigs well the new ones look nice but back when the RACs were started they used a spare Suburban....nothing fancy just jugs of Gatorade etc.....adding a second FF is a good idea especially for safety however a RAC BC ? ...i never thought the RAC was a problem for the IC to handle ...as one when the RAC arrived they announced their location & if i felt there was a better spot from another direction i let them know....when things became more under control i would see how many Units were using it & encourage them to do so..."use it or loose it"....but to have a dedicated BC ? JMO.

 

[manlt]

More to this than just the RAC. Jardin is helping to spearhead the cancer prevention. A lot of input from MO. Going to become mandatory to go to RAC/Medical unit at all hands. Each 5 degree increase in body temperature increases absorption by 400 percent. Also higher temps and cardiac events. It?s about members health.

 

[mack]

Boston issues clean disposable towel to each FF to immediately wipe away soot after working at fire.

 

[manlt]

Mack, that is in the works.  There are wipes available via Central Storehouse that the companies can buy.  UFOA and Safety are pushing for it to be job issued.

 

[IRISH]

will the 6th RAC be a citywide RAC?

like if 1 of the 5 current RACs go to a job the 6th relocates to that boro?

 

[STAjo]

will the 6th RAC be a citywide RAC?

like if 1 of the 5 current RACs go to a job the 6th relocates to that boro?

Wow ! That would make entirely Too Much Sense.

 

[enginecap]

My guess is a FOMI project thought it would be a good idea for our light duty FFs (not unlike the field com  light duty BN).    Gimme a guy with some water and some Gatorade.  That?s all the men need.  Come on HQ!!  Now you?re going to start micromanaging the RAC? 

 

[TLTruckie]

Queens need a RAC that is actually in Queens , centrally located in the Boro ,not Roosevelt  Island ,  The 13th Div is under served by the RAC unit w  40+ min ETA . 

 

[enginecap]

They can put them in every Battalion for all I care, but they def do not need to be managed at a fire.  Last thing we need is more management at fires.  30 Minutes seems like a reasonable ETA....first due units will be in there at least that long

 

[nfd2004]

Boston issues clean disposable towel to each FF to immediately wipe away soot after working at fire.

More to this than just the RAC. Jardin is helping to spearhead the cancer prevention. A lot of input from MO. Going to become mandatory to go to RAC/Medical unit at all hands. Each 5 degree increase in body temperature increases absorption by 400 percent. Also higher temps and cardiac events. It?s about members health.

I remember watching a video and a few Boston Firefighters and family members were talking about cancer as it affects firefighters.

Most firefighters love what they are doing - that of fighting fires. They know the risks involved. But I'm sure most had no idea of some 400 % increase risk of getting cancer. And as I see it, if that fact comes from the FDNY, "I take it as the Real Deal". In fact, I have passed that info around to many firefighters that I know and they could NOT believe that themselves.

I also passed around the idea of those disposable towels as used in Boston now. I think a lot of places might take that idea up too. If a couple of cheap disposable towels can help prevent a few guys from getting cancer, then "why not" ?

I remember when both my brother and myself had been issued bunker gear. We hated it. We remember when wearing air packs became mandatory. Why, we didn't have to use them before. Or when they made us wear those hoods. How would we tell how hot it is in there ? The firefighters of today may later wish that the FDNY had added an additional RAC unit or had disposable towels to use to wipe off the soot from their face and gear years earlier.

But then we heard that the FDNY was getting bunker gear and that was after a serious fire on Watts St that had taken the lives of THREE FDNY members of Ladder 5 who had been badly burned. The FDNY looked into it and realized that this gear was needed to be worn by the members of the department.

Later of course my brother and I, as well as the members of the FDNY probably realized, "it was just something that needed to be done".

So with these new FDNY policies, once again as we so often see, the FDNY takes the lead in trying to do what's best for it's members and their families.

This is that video from Boston that I never forgot. If this new policy helps prevent this from happening, I say as an "outsider", Give It a Shot.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOvBypsaHog

 

[twoteamtease]

This is a joke , right?

Its not a joke, and neither are the many, many brothers coming down with crippling cancers.

This is long overdue.

Unless you think its better to be dirty and stinky while simultaneosly increasing your chances of dying.

 

[twoteamtease]

unfourtinitly, its not ....did you see the name of the DC associated with this ???    Yes ,the are creating a RAC Batt .

If you're going to insult FDNY DC's, at least use the grammar of a sixth grader or better please.

 

[enginecap]

Here?s the deal....I applaud anyone attempting to reduce our risk of cancers, period.  Mask policy, no cheaters, gear cleaning etc.  All good stuff.  We have had RAC units for at least the last 20 years I think.  RACs have been handing out towels for many many years....granted, most guys just put them around neck to immediately drop their Core temperature, but they are using them none the less. 
I,  for one, am not insulting any staff chiefs....they have a job to do, but they often get their hooks into projects for various reasons.  RAC is a light duty position and I wouldn?t be surprised, like I said, if this all revolves around someone?s FOMI project ?efficient ways to use light duty firefighters and officers?. 
I entered this thread when the RAC Battalion was mentioned.  That?s when I jumped in.  Fire scenes are way overmanaged as it is....HQs answer to everything is ?stick another Battalion Chief in there?. 
I?m glad the job keeps moving forward in cancer causing awareness, but reality is the majority are 9/11 related.   
If someone really wants a project, let them figure out how to keep everyone from taking their masks off during overhaul when all the carcinogens and CO are floating around. 
How was my grammar BTW ?

 

[mack]

Thanks Enginecap.  All good points.  This is a good awareness thread.  Too many FFs have been killed and incapacitated. 

 

[manlt]

I'm not 100% positive on the RAC BC.  Hearing he might be with the "Super RAC".  It is what it is.
Engine Cap, most of our guys RIGHT NOW, are 9/11 related.  Not all though.  Here are some numbers: 30% of Miami Dade firefighters have cancer!  2017 70% of IAFF deaths were cancer. Finding increase nation wide of firefighters with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and MS.  Nation wide 1 in 204 kids have cancer.  Children of firefighters are 26 time more likely to get cancer!  This isn't even about us, it is now extending to our kids.  Those towels that we use to cool ourselves off are just that, cooling towels.  A 5 degree increase in your skin temperature increases absorption by 400%RAC and companies are going to be getting cleaning towels to use.

You might be happy with the gatorade, but we always say, "they should have did something".  They are doing something.  It is just about us, it is about the future us.  Change takes time on this job, they are trying to get ahead of things.  BTY, I am not involved with any of this.  Just seen the powerpoints on the diseases that we (all accross the country) are getting.  Coming down to you need to shower within an hour if you used your mask.  Ton of guys on this job don't shower after a job, and go home dirty.  If you put your bunker gear on or get in the rig durring the tour, you should shower before you go home, job or not.

 

[8060rock]

Well said manlt - at times, we have been our own worst enemy - the almighty peer pressure - if you wore the mask way back when, you weren't the "tough guy" - so you would do without the mask as best you could - didn't wanna be thought of as less than a tough guy, right?.
Back in the day, wear your mask during overhauling/washdown - too humorous to even think of - fire is out, first thing that came off was the mask.
Great observation on the shower - or as you said - the lack of. Fire is out, overhauling done, washdown done, hose repacked - back to the firehouse - and maybe a birdbath before heading off to "wherever it was" in the house that you convened to "talk about" who did what or who woulda, coulda, shoulda done this, that or the other thing.
Biggest point of all that you make - the higher percentage of firefighter children likely to come down with a cancer of some sort - really big issue - so anything that, even remotely, may help in bringing down that percentage can only be seen as a good thing.
I still like the old enginecap though - like myself - I think he's just a grumpy old engineman who wishes he could go to just 1 more good job - love that sarcasm of his though - and when he wants to, his grammar ain't all dat bad!   

 

[twoteamtease]

I was referring to another poster about the grammar not enginecap.