Mutual and.or Auto aid Do you have it or not ?

[Weruj1]

the IL boyz posted this at their place and I though since our FINE state is stirin the post with this .............what say you all ?

PS- both means auto and mutual aid...........could not edit that !

[EdShanks]

We got mutual aid all around us, which leads to an amusing story. Quite a few years ago we got called for mutual aid to one of our neighbors. The dispatcher gave the address and said that they requested our aerial truck. So that's what we rolled, and when we showed up they were fighting a basement fire! "What the . . .?"

A quick talk with their ICO revealed that he'd said to a subordinate, "We need air bottles - call Boardman and have them bring some air, Earl!" Luckily, we carry air bottles on our aerial truck!

True story!!

[kghemtp]

New Hampshire seems to know ALL about mutual aid setups & automatic calls to neighboring towns. Some of the more progressive systems out here seem to have dispatch run cards set up very well in terms of automatic aid to neighbors. Our town goes automatically to a 1.5 mile stretch of business route in a major city to our south, just because of resource layout (ours & theirs). We have setups where certain types of calls (med calls/crashes on the line, boxes or fires in various parts of town) will get an automatic mutual aid piece or two. It's nothing for a neighboring town or our own to have it already planned where certain departments will be asked to respond for action or station coverage. The system is alive & well, but I know not without its share of difficulties & problems at times.

[WTFD10]

We have automatic aid with a department just across the Michigan border. 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week for structure fires, 0700-1600 weekdays for MVAs, water/ice rescues and several other types of incidents.

It has worked out very well for us. We had an apartment building fire last summer and had 30 firefighters on scene :cool:

We also have written mutual aid pacts with all departments in our county and the MI county north of us.

[80FIRE]

Hey! Can a flatlander vote over here?
Thats to bad I voted anyway.:D

We have both mutual aid and auto aid. With daytime staffing problems
the auto aid for structure fires is great. We also have a county wide mutual aid agreement along with our new MABAS division.

[Weruj1]

Les,
All you good flatlander folk can visit and post here anytime !

[ff7134]

Our county has a area wide mutual aid contract. Then most of the surrounding dept have auto aid. Works well that way we have water and manpower coming right then.

[firenresq77]

Both.







:D :p :D

[Weruj1]

hey I am tryin...............one day we may catch the IL boyz......

[lmrchief2]

Even though I am from MI we also have automatic aid with our neighboring department. They respond on all structure fires with us and us with them. We also have a countywide mutual aid agreement that we can call anyone else in the county that we may need. Our county even has set up what we call a signal 13 in which if we call one, dispatch opens up thier little book and it tells them who is to go where (depends on what dept.called the 13) as far as the departments. Some will go to the scene some will move into cover other stations. Only been called once or twice that I am aware of but it worked fairly well.

And yes WTFD10 that means I can get you all the way up to our area with your mutual aid agreement with your neighbor in MI.:D

[PFD109NFD107]

One Dept. Mutual Aid Only

The Other Has Automatic With A Booming Metropolis Right Next To Us...:)

[WTFD10]

Originally posted by lmrchief2
And yes WTFD10 that means I can get you all the way up to our area with your mutual aid agreement with your neighbor in MI.:D

Hey Les, you know our motto: "Wherever Needed, We Go!" :cool:

And as MCFA members we have a mutual aid agreement with every department in Monroe County, not just "Billy's Boyz"

[WTFDChief730]

I feel auto-mutual aid is the way to go, especially for volunteer departments. Getting enough staffing and equipment on the scene to handle a fire emergency is most critical within the first 10 minutes of a fire. Its within those first 10 minutes where good decision making by the first in officers as well has having enough FF's and equipment on the scene to handle a situation, those factors are going to greatly affect the entire incident both good and bad. You cant argue the safety factor it has on your FF's with having enough staffing and equipment on the scene ASAP. The old mentality of "lets wait and see what we got" just dont cut it anymore, by then its too late if its a good working fire. By the time you decide you need mutual aid, and the volunteers respond from home, get their equipment and then respond to the scene, your looking at at least 15 minutes or more depending on the distance. Thats to much time your FF's will have to work short staffed within that critical first 10 minutes of a fire, god forbid there is a legit rescue and your FF's have to go in and make a rescue with no real back up on the way.
Most of my focus is on daytime situations when most volunteers are working their regular jobs, most departments have decent staffing in the evening and weekends. As a volly Chief, I'm tired of worrying on how many people are in the area to respond to a fire in the daytime, with our new auto-mutual aid agreement, at least I know I now have 2 stations responding to a fire, instead of just our station. On my department (WTFD), I always know I have those paid guys sittin' over in that station (E24) across the river who could respond right a way if needed, so we are kind of lucky. I truly feel auto aid is the way to go, for those departments that are not using it, you really need to look into it, its the best way to assure your FF's have back-up coming right a way.

[Weruj1]

Hey Ron ! thanks for jumpin in !how's that S-7 assignment workin out for you ?

[WTFDChief730]

It's goin' great, were definitely keepin' busy.

[firenresq77]

Ron, glad to see you join us. Have you looked at the new state standards? Check out the "Fitness Stuff Thread" in the Ohio Forums if you haven't...........

[WTFD10]

Originally posted by firenresq77
Ron, glad to see you join us. Have you looked at the new state standards? Check out the "Fitness Stuff Thread" in the Ohio Forums if you haven't...........

Believe me Chief Jogs 20 Miles-A-Day has definitely seen anything that has "fitness" in the title :D

[WTFDChief730]

:D LOL Moe (I'm not quite up to 20 miles yet ;))....yes I saw the fitness posts firenreq77, personal fitness and fitness programs for firefighters is very important to me and I take a sincere interest in that subject. I'm glad to see ohio BWC setting some standards in that area.

[firenresq77]

LOL Moe (I'm not quite up to 20 miles yet )....yes I saw the fitness posts firenreq77, personal fitness and fitness programs for firefighters is very important to me and I take a sincere interest in that subject. I'm glad to see ohio BWC setting some standards in that area.

Did you see anything about mandatory Physical Agilities? One of our guys says he swears he saw it in there, but I have been unable to find it.....

[WTFDChief730]

Yesterday was the first I saw these standards, I'm going to review them today here at work. Not sure yet on the physical agilities test...I'll let you know. Damn...its cold out today, hopefully no fire today :(

[ff7134]

Chief,

Its been the "Q" word here today. I called the Chief this morning and asked...Do you REALLY want us out doing inspections..driving the Engine?? Glad to say...I have been in my little cubbyhole all day:D

[WTFDChief730]

Me too....I just crawled out of mine and woke up from my 2nd nap of the day ;) Its Friday night, I'm sure we'll be runnin' all night :mad: Oh well...time to go crawl back in my hole.

[WTFD10]

Originally posted by WTFDChief730
I just crawled out of mine and woke up from my 2nd nap of the day ;)

Geez you paid guys have it rough huh? :p

[WTFD10]

BTW, cool avatar!

GO IRISH

[Weruj1]

me and '77 wil try and not rough him up to bad after 1600 !

[WTFDChief730]

Oh Boy....its now after 1600, I bet josh and 77 are looking up a run for us to go on :eek:
If you do...make it something worth while for once instead of all these goof runs.

Thanks Moe, I thought you'd like that one.

Go Irish !!

[firenresq77]

It's coming. will happen during your dinner!!!!!!!!

[engine1321]

We have mutual aid all the time... auto aid is only in certain areas. Central State University EMS, sitting right at the top of a big hill it's hard to get our medic over, will run to calls in the corner of our response district and start treatment then allow us to transport.

We also go auto aid with tankers to areas of Xenia City that aren't hydranted yet.