Interesting Standbys.....Ever Done One?

[Firefighter1219]

Today I did a special deatail/standby at the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy.

I got paid to stand around and watch some guys from the FBI blow lots of stuff up. They taught me and a lot of other people different things about several bomb types and their characteristics. You can't beat getting paid to stand around in the Florida sun watching things explode. The only bad thing is I got sun-burned.

Anyone else ever do any interesting, cool or neat standbys?

[SAFD46Truck]

Back when I was in private EMS in Mass. I got to do standby's at Fenway Park and Foxboro Stadium. Fenway was a blast, Foxboro was always lot of work thanks to the tailgaters.

[firepics]

We used to standby while the vets in our area had 2 Vietnam era Huey choppers fly large logs to the top of the mountain for a Memorial Day tribute bonfire. Watching those things all day long was a blast!:D

[len1582]

About a year and a half ago the Army was shipping wrapped up helicopters to a large trucking terminal in my city to be assembled,fueled,and flown to a military base. Since there was alot of avaition fuel flowing at various times,we had 2 engines and a ladder there.This went on 8 hours a day for a few weeks.One day I was on one of the rigs detailed for the day. The mechanics and air crews were used to us being there so were very friendly. They took us into the choppers & gave us a tour.They couldn't give us a ride,but when one FF asked if they wanted a ride on the engine their eyes lit up.We put them into an angine and the ladder and drove them around,siren and all.They loved it.After that, we put the aerial up to the blades of a CH-46 and the pilot and crew got on the aerial for a picture.After we told them how much we appreciated them and thanked them for the job they were doing,and said it was a pleasure meeting them. They in turn said the pleasure and honor was theirs,and thanked us for the job we do,and thanked us for the ride.

[BFDLT32]

Only have done stand-bys on movie sets in the local area. Oh yea football games and other sporting events.

[Bones42]

Demolition derby at local race track.
Refueling (CAM2) of powerboats before and after ocean race.
EMS standby on Memorial Day weekend for PLJ radio station.
Helicopters being used to install air conditioning units on boardwalk buildings.
Annual Seafood Festival (lets shut down 2 main streets, pack 30,000 people in there, put up 10-15 temporary "kitchens", and pray nothing happens)

[DennisTheMenace]

Landing of Marine One would have to be the neatest stand-by so far.

[Dave1983]

Working my PT ambulance job I did a stand-by at a civil war reinactment at a local fort. Was VERY cool :cool:

A couple MLB spring training games and quite a few at the local drag strip. My favorite are the local HS football games;)

[12TruckIrons]

Had to go over to another base due to some of their apparatus being down, in order for the aircraft carrying the New England Patriots Cheerleaders to land.

[martinm]

We got fire watch detail on the making of a film (movie) a few years ago. It was a film set in medeival times and included burning people at the stake!! We were there for a couple of days as the makers were filming REAL people for part of the scenes just as the fires were lit, then swapped them for dummies as the flames got bigger. Worst injury suffered was a singed toe, thankfully.

[CaptainGonzo]

Three other firefighters and I did a hazmat standby detail for a drug research firm headquartered in our faire city. The company was having old, expired and inherently unstable chemicals, such as picric acid disposed of from their laboratories.

We were there with an engine,tied into a hydrant in full PPE and a protective hoseline deployed "just in case". The disposal firm employees were wearing "bomb suits" for some of the chemicals being disposed of, level B for others.

As not to raise suspicions, the company also had a few video cameras set up videotaping the events that were transpiring. We were asked by the company, who was paying for the detail, to tell anybody who was inquiring about the event that we were hired to provide fire protection for that we were "playing firefighter" while they were "filming a training video" to give it "realism".

For $45 an hour with a guaranteed 4 hour minimum, we had no problem playing along! ;) :D

[StayBack500FT]

After what was left of Hurricane Ivan flooded out the Pittsburgh area, we sent a tanker to West Mifflin Duquense Annex (75 mile trip) as their water system was out of service. Great people...made us feel right at home.

[ROOKIELZ]

Every year our VFD does standby's at the Rodeo and the Demolition Derby. Everyone in the engine has to pay admission at the gate. Neither event could be held if we don't standby due to insurance regulations. The topper is that we have to have M.A. cover our area while we are on standby because we don't have enough equipment or manpower to cover everything adequately.
Sometimes you gotta wonder:rolleyes:

[Bones42]

Back in late 70's or early 80's, we had a four day standby while they filmed Amityville Horror at my church. Couple times during it they had us wet the entire area down. 1 member can be seen playing basketball in the park with a nun in the background.

[ffexpCP]

Originally posted by Bones42
lets shut down 2 main streets, pack 30,000 people in there, put up 10-15 temporary "kitchens", and pray nothing happens

Sounds very familiar. We do the same several times a year. Last year we had a fire caused by a can of non-stick spray that came too close to a grill.

We have EMT bike teams and a ‘transport rescue golf cart.’ We use them for races, walkathons, parades and other events downtown.

[DennisTheMenace]

Originally posted by ROOKIELZ
Every year our VFD does standby's at the Rodeo and the Demolition Derby. Everyone in the engine has to pay admission at the gate. Neither event could be held if we don't standby due to insurance regulations. The topper is that we have to have M.A. cover our area while we are on standby because we don't have enough equipment or manpower to cover everything adequately.
Sometimes you gotta wonder:rolleyes: If a commercial venture not only does not reimburse you for the standby time, but additionally makes you pay for the "honor", just say no.

[LeuitEFDems]

We did statndby for a horrible movie (Before and After) that was filmed around here. There was one scene where a statue was lit on fire, we were on scene for 12 hours as they did and re-did that scene over and over again. Meryl Streep was in it (she lives just south of here in CT) and was "not nice" to the FD. She fell in the fake snow, so we went over to help her up...She screamed at us to get away and that she only wanted the paramedics on scene (AMR had this contract) to touch her...So much for being nice...The movie was on a few weeks ago on TNT or some channel like that late at night...I forgot just how bad a movie it was...but it was nice to see alot of local areas in the movie.

[CJMinick390]

We standby at a couple of local steeplechase horse races every year. We also used to standby at a senior open golf tournament until they hit hard times financially and basically asked us to do it for free. Providing a medic crew for eight hours a day for an entire week with no compensation didn't fly well with little or no compensation (we're volunteer).

The neatest standby I ever did was similar to one that Bones described. We got to watch a Sikorsky "Sky Crane" helicopter lift an air conditioning unit to the top of a 10 story office building. That is one big helicopter!

[dmleblanc]

Originally posted by DennisTheMenace
If a commercial venture not only does not reimburse you for the standby time, but additionally makes you pay for the "honor", just say no.

I agree. What a rip! Not only getting the service for free but charging the emergency crews admission? That sucks!

We have a drag strip that opened in our area 3 or 4 years ago. They approached us about providing standby for medical, rescue, and fire. The chief at the time turned them down for 3 reasons:

1. Reimbursement for the firefighters, for spending their entire weekend in the hot sun waiting for someone to crash, was to be free hot dogs and cokes. No actual money or anything. Like EVERYONE would just be dying for the chance to go watch the drag races for free. Maybe some guys would, but most would not.

2. We have no reserve apparatus and could not commit an in-service unit to his event all weekend. Only 1 unit has extrication equipment so we could not tie it up, there could be an MVA anywhere else in the district. We would not want to accept the liability for a delayed response in our district due to providing a "private" service at the track.

3. We realized that for the first couple of months this might seem like fun, but it wouldn't be long before it became a real chore....keeping up with event schedules, finding crews to cover them, etc. Had it been a once or twice a year thing we might have considered it, but this place has something going on every weekend and most weeknights.

He has since come to the realization that if he wants to run a professional operation, he would have to pay someone. He now has his own part time employees and his own ambulance...in fact, a couple of our firefighters work there, but the fire department is not involved.....

[EFD840]

Every year our VFD does standby's at the Rodeo and the Demolition Derby. Everyone in the engine has to pay admission at the gate. Neither event could be held if we don't standby due to insurance regulations. The topper is that we have to have M.A. cover our area while we are on standby because we don't have enough equipment or manpower to cover everything adequately.

That is a joke. Someone needs to grow a little backbone and tell the organizers of the events exactly were to put their admission charge.

I bet the mere suggestion of the VFD being 'unavailable' that weekend will cause a pronounced change in the promoter's attitude.

If it doesn't, then don't show up.

[WTFD10]

Nothing too exciting here: EMS at HS Football games and a church festival.

We do send our fire boat (on mutual aid to the USCG) to the neighboring city's downtown river area for their 4th of July downtown fireworks.

[50FFEMT]

Our area is used extensively for western movies and tv shows. We've done lots of standbys for those, as well as commercials and rodeos. The coolest one I've ever done though, was Edgefest '99. (Music festival with some pretty big bands) It was held inside the circle of a race track, and the weather was smokin' hot. We had lots of action, (OD's, seizures, heatstroke, giant falls from the back of the bleachers, even some drunken yahoo who decided to "run" from the police by driving around the track. When he realized that he was about to get caught, he bailed out of the truck at about 45 mph) We got to be backstage with all the bands, do lots of patient care and we were fed like kings. The festival even had a field hospital set up with docs, so REALLY short transport times. :p

[ROOKIELZ]

It is our own Town and RM that sponsor these events.
It's not so much the standby or lack of a "donation" to the Dept. It's the fact that 2X I have to fork over cash for working. Call me cheap but I don't think I should pay at all. And I don't think we are in much of a position to refuse since the promoter is our money machine.
We are embroiled in such nitpicky politics right now it seems (to me) like one more way to turn the screws on the Dept. Basically we smile and do it for the PR.

[ffemt156]

We do standbys at a jet ski race twice a year which is pretty cool. Also for a bike-a-thon, which is nicknamed the drunk-a-thon. Grade school football games, soccer tournaments.

[PuffyNPFD]

At the private ambulance company I work for in RI we do satnd by for all events in the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence as well as the Pawtucket Red Sox. We also do air shows, concerts and anything else they can think of. At the private I work for in Ct, they do Foxwoods Casino as well as many other details.

[gunnyv]

Hotspot on the runway at a Marine Corps Air Station. Sitting in the blazing sun at some armpit like 29 Palms for two hours at a time waiting for a plane to crash. It's cool the first time you watch Harriers or F-18s doing their thing, but gets boring real quick.:o

[DennisTheMenace]

Originally posted by ROOKIELZ
It is our own Town and RM that sponsor these events.
It's not so much the standby or lack of a "donation" to the Dept. It's the fact that 2X I have to fork over cash for working. Call me cheap but I don't think I should pay at all. And I don't think we are in much of a position to refuse since the promoter is our money machine.
We are embroiled in such nitpicky politics right now it seems (to me) like one more way to turn the screws on the Dept. Basically we smile and do it for the PR. Sounds almost like a kick-back for the donations!
There is no reason for them to be charging you admission to provide them a service. it is really that simple. Can you imagine if a night club had a patron get hurt and they charged the cops and the medics a cover charge to come in for the response and provide treatment?

[Bones42]

Another possible reason...

Years ago, when doing our standby's on the boardwalk for fireworks each week, one of the boardwalk restaraunts had to clear all it's patrons off the deck during the show. People did not like it, but they did it. Restaraunt began having to answer why all the patrons had to leave, but 20+ FF's (with family, friends, etc.) were allowed in that same area. Could be that the race event (in the past) was a "popular" standby event and wanted someway to limit how many people they were letting in. Don't know, just an idea.

[DennisTheMenace]

Originally posted by Bones42
Another possible reason...

Years ago, when doing our standby's on the boardwalk for fireworks each week, one of the boardwalk restaraunts had to clear all it's patrons off the deck during the show. People did not like it, but they did it. Restaraunt began having to answer why all the patrons had to leave, but 20+ FF's (with family, friends, etc.) were allowed in that same area. Could be that the race event (in the past) was a "popular" standby event and wanted someway to limit how many people they were letting in. Don't know, just an idea. Real simple, you only allow the standard number on the apparatus in, not the entire department.

[Bones42]

Not aguing that, just shooting out a possible reason. Maybe it was taken advantage of in the past. And yes, there are better ways to handle that.

[DennisTheMenace]

Originally posted by Bones42
Not aguing that, just shooting out a possible reason. Maybe it was taken advantage of in the past. And yes, there are better ways to handle that. Yep occasionally a few dummies screw it up for the rest of us/society. But it should be nothing that can't be fairly worked out.

[TFD2069]

We did a standby for President George W. Bush during his 2004 campaign.

[LaFireEducator]

Just waiting for the day when I'll be asked to do medical standby for the Sports Illustrated Bathing Suit Edition photo shoot. Ya know, one of those models could stub thier toe on a seashell or get bitten by a crab ....

[EFD840]

Originally posted by LaFireEducator
Just waiting for the day when I'll be asked to do medical standby for the Sports Illustrated Bathing Suit Edition photo shoot. Ya know, one of those models could stub thier toe on a seashell or get bitten by a crab ....

And either injury would obviously require a DETAILED head-to-toe assessment, couldn't take a chance on missing something....:D

[captstanm1]

No one can top this one..... When I was a District chief at Land O'Lakes VFD in Pasco County we did a standby for a 5K race at Paradise Lakes Resorts..... So...now you are saying....so what! Well........ Paradise Lakes is a Nudist Resort......:eek:

[captstanm1]

Also did a standby for the innaugral trip that Bill Clinton made due to the fact that he travelled through my town and stopped for a speach in the center of town... No where near as exciting...

[CJMinick390]

Not that I have a lot of experience with nudists, Stan, but when we went to an island with "clothing optional" beaches for our honeymoon, both my wife and I agreed that most of the people on the beach should have "opted" to keep their clothes on...

[LFD2203]

We had a company that went out to the Univ. of KY a couple of weeks ago to "make mud" for a sorority's mud volleyball tournament. The best part of the gig was when they got called back a couple of hours later to wash 'em down....all 300 of them.;)

[PattyV]

I once babysitted a smoldering tree! :D
There was a giant gum tree that got hollowed out by fire during a small bushfire and firecom asked us to babysit it whilst a contractor cut it down. The best part about it was that there was a bees nest in the tree. Me and Dave discovered that spraying bees with a fine fog of water works just as well as smoking them out :p
The honey wasnt too bad, a bit burnt in areas though

[dmleblanc]

No one can top this one..... When I was a District chief at Land O'Lakes VFD in Pasco County we did a standby for a 5K race at Paradise Lakes Resorts..... So...now you are saying....so what! Well........ Paradise Lakes is a Nudist Resort......


Originally posted by captstanm1
Also did a standby for the innaugral trip that Bill Clinton made due to the fact that he travelled through my town and stopped for a speach in the center of town... No where near as exciting...

I don't know....seems to me that anytime Bill Clinton's in town there's a better than average chance that there'll be some nekkid women around....:D

[RyanEMVFD]

Here we get Presidental Standbys, Boat Race Standbys, College and High School Football Standbys and every once in a while a movie standby. When I worked up in Dallas, we used to do "Walker, Texas Ranger" standbys.

[PattyV]

is that the show with chuck norris?
God i hate chuck norris!

[RyanEMVFD]

Originally posted by PattyV
is that the show with chuck norris?
God i hate chuck norris!

Yes, that's the show. It was good the first couple of seaons mostly since I recognized alot of the areas they filmed in. After that I'll change the channel.

[sublimecharger6]

Originally posted by TFD2069
We did a standby for President George W. Bush during his 2004 campaign.
done that one also.
also had Mr. Kerry come threw our town about 3 weeks before the President did. The President actually had his caravan due the downtown route instead of the highway bypass and he was in the front on the bus talking on the Loudspeaker and waving as the caravan went by. Kerry not even a peep just getting through the area on to the next stop.

also due a standby for the Highschool bonfire during homecoming week every year.

have EMS at the varsity football games also.

[reeveo]

Originally posted by LaFireEducator
Just waiting for the day when I'll be asked to do medical standby for the Sports Illustrated Bathing Suit Edition photo shoot. Ya know, one of those models could stub thier toe on a seashell or get bitten by a crab ....

How 'bout the Dallas Cowboy Cheeleaders Tryouts? Been there done that out at Valley Ranch and Texas Stadium. Also the Dallas Deperado (Arena Football) cheerleaders and various HS and college cheerleader competitions.
Moto-X and freestyle are pretty cool as are NASCAR, Busch, and Indy care races at Texas Motor Speedway.
All kinds of concerts. From Jimmy Buffet to Eminem (next month).

[ndvfdff33]

We do EMS Coverage at the local moto-cross...Always a good time..Plenty of eye candy to keep me occupied...As well as stand by during the local exhibition,On Friday "Fight Night"..Always good for a laugh

[cellblock]

Never did any exciting standbys when I was with the FD. Some church fairs, a bike tour, lots of funerals and highschool football games.

[Firefighter1219]

Where you been cellblock?

I did another stanby the other day. I was supposed to hang out at a church while they had some kind of big picknick. Well, when I got there the whole place was deserted. I called the supervisor and he told me get back in service and come back to the station. The next day the billing office sent them a bill for the time I was supposed to spend out there. :p

[cellblock]

Originally posted by Firefighter1219
Where you been cellblock?
Been doing the EMT thing at a steel mill near New Orleans. I'm checking in here at Firehouse pretty regularly. Where am I now? If I'm out running the roads I'll have my Ham Radio based vehicle tracking system on- http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=kc5sas .
If I'm online I might be in the forums on any one of many sites such as-
http://www.qrz.com/ - a Ham Radio site
http://www.eham.net/ - another Ham Radio site
http://www.hamsexy.com - still another Ham Radio site
http://www.popularwireless.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro&BypassCookie=true -Not a Ham radio forum site but one for General Mobile Radio Service discussion.
http://www.radioreference.com/ -A site for scanner hobbyists.
http://www.louisianagasprices.com/ -Posting gas prices and posting in the forums.
http://www.emtcity.com/ -posting with the other EMTs.
http://www.consumptionjunction.com/home.asp -checking out the porn and grossness.
http://www.atheistnetwork.com/ -Hanging with my godless friends.
http://www.ratemykitten.com/ -I always like to see the cute kittens. I check the Top 20 every couple of days.
Then I'm also a member of several Yahoo Groups where I post or just lurk. I play with my Ham Radios and sometimes I gt the assault rifles out and go to the range and blast some targets like I did for my Birthday on Sunday. I posted video clips of some of my shooting at- http://briefcase.yahoo.com/cellblock776 .
Steve,
Security/EMT-B
http://www.geocities.com/cellblock776

[bwspeer]

A couple of weeks ago we were toned out for a run to the station. On arriving we were met by the State Plice bomb squad. They asked us to quietly get two engines running and on site (about 1/4 mile north of town) and stand by while they served a warrant and searched for pipe bombs at a local residence. They found four or six pipe bombs in the trunk of a car and exploded them. First for our rural department.:eek: :(