Explorer safety

[Bacdrafted]

Wednesday in Memphis (I pretty sure thats where it was) two firefighters, and a cop were shot dead when they responded to a fire. A guy (who was also a firefighter ) shot them until they died. I was wondering, with this in mind do you as an explorer or junior feel safe on the fire engine? Does your dept carry firearms (on the paramedics) or bulletproof vests?

[This message has been edited by Bacdrafted (edited March 09, 2000).]

[JR95]

A fire department that carries weapons?!?!?

[FireManL1]

Number one it was only two firefighters and a sheriffs deputy, and second I have never heard of a fire department carrying firearms. I could see having bullet proof vests, but not firearms.

[Haligan125]

Ok, Let's give firefighters guns. Genius Idea. Next thing you know firefighter will be shooting everyone in sight. Maybe not but hey think. Firemen are not cops. If you are going somewhere that a gun is needed then call the cops. We don't need guns.

[firecadet613]

Firefighter do not need guns! We should be issued bullet proof vest to wear under our bunker gear though, and the dispatchers should find out more on the atmosphere at where the run is going to, and decide if we need an officer there with us, or let the crew responding to the call decide. If they knew the atmosphere in Memphis, they might still be alive.

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Real hero's wear SCBA's, not capes. Let's try for a record year of below average LODD's. You never know, it could always be you or me.

[FireManL1]

The police department should automatically be dispatched at the same time as the fire department if not before. The town where I work there is not one call that the police do not show up to. There have been a very few times where we have arrived on scene before them and had to withdraw, and we get on the radio and have them step it up some, but atleast they were on their way already. That is one of the reasons that we do not let our explorers be on the first in truck or go to the scene as soon as the call comes in. We want to have a semi-controlled atmosphere before we allow our explorers on scene. If there were a situation that had a possibility of something like that there is no way that we would allow our explorers on scene.

[Fyrbub_4011]

The FFs that were killed were killed in the L.O.D. That is to be expected. of course, that kind of K.L.O.D. is really unheard of in the fire seervice. It happens so rarely, that it really doesn't make any sense to have weapons and/ or bullet-proof vests on the rig. Why? The police are supposed to cover that!

Jerry Pera
Explorer Captain

[Kelly Tool]

Guns? we don't need them, besides we already have weapons. I'd rather call the police but i heard on the news that european firefighters used a hand line to stop an attacker they were faced with. I'm not saying use your tools as weapons but keep it in back of your mind, you never know...

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Put the wet stuff on the red stuff!
Visit our Dept. Schodack Valley (http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/svfc32)

[michael101184]

obviously firefighters fight fires not shot and kill people. thats for the men in blue.

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Michael Niesen

[NMFD33]

Granted durring the Rodney King LA riots hoe teams were being backed by national guardsmen with M-16's. how often does this happen? If you take the whole picture of that riot i believe only one firefighter was actually shot while driving a truck, This incident in memphis is a freak incident.yea vests. but do we need to carry MP5's along side the hose line? blah its stupid and not safe

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Chris Kerrigan
ILiveInACage@aol.com
~Junior Fire Fighter-NMFD Co.2
~EMT-B-NMVAC
~Ex-Chief Fire/EMS Explorer Post 402
New Milford,NJ


"Species come and go, but the earth stands forever fast. All river runs towards the sea, but the sea is never full"-In Flames

[FGFD43]

The incident in Houston was an isolated incident.(in spite of what the media hype seems to portray) However, there is a tool that can keep you out of a lot of bad situations. Your brain! Before you hop off a truck and charge onto a scene. Stop just 1 second take a breath and THINK. I am not saying that the guys in Houston were not thinking(I don't know all the details), but using your head can keep you out of a lot of bad situations.(This goes for bad fire problems as well as bad people problems) As far as firefighters helping in law enforcement situations(and I believe there was a article in a recent Firehouse issue on this), I am very concerned with firefighters being perceived as being "government men" instead of helpers and protectors. What if you are called to save the person tomorrow that you washed into a gutter yesterday. They might not like seeing you coming.

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Kevin Sink
Fair Grove Fire Dept.
Thomasville, NC USA
kevinsink@northstate.net

[CV639]

Firefighters with guns?....Hmmmmmm?...NO!...Can we say stupid. I run squad myself alot and we go to some rough places. but I trust my dispatchers to find out most of the situation and if they dont when we get there we dont get out of the truck. Its that SIMPLE. THere is no need to have a gun or knife or anything like that, thats just another way we could hurt our public image. Cause the first time a firefighter shot someone, it would be a HUGE story and we would look like the bad guys and it would mkae our job tougher.

[fm2b]

vests and guns are equally unnecessary.

[michael101184]

The reason an explorer signs an release form is because you may be injured in the line of duty.