Rules to Live By.............

[hwoods]

Everyone has Some Little Thought stuck away in their mind that helps provide Guidance when you are going to do something. It occured to me that sharing these thoughts may be the Groundwork to get some of the older folks to think again, as well as to stimulate "Thinking for yourself" by the newer guys and gals. To kick this off, Here's a couple of Mine:

1. You can never have too much Cribbing.

2. A Vehicle that has gone over a Bank is always Unstable, Occupied, and Just beyond the reach of your Tool Hoses.

There's more, of Course, but see what you can add to the discussion.......

[PaladinKnight]

I'll play Harve...

You can't have too much water... Can't happen.

That would be like having too much fun. Impossible!

[L-Webb]

You never have too many tankers.

Always pull an extra line, Better to have it on the ground if you need it than to need it badly and have to pull it.

Put water in the right place and the fire goes out.

Always start at least two IVs on any bad pt

If you turn the fan on and things get worse rather than better turn the damn fan off.. had a bad exp with this one.

[BLSboy]

4 aggressive firemen on the inside beat the pants off 12 outstanding firemen.

[FWDbuff]

If Dispatch calls you and states "Police on location advise you can recall", keep going.

If the first-in Engine and/or Truck are not stripped of their ground ladders, someone wasn't doing their job. (usually.)

You have two hands, take two tools, dammit. One striking and one hook.

If you are going to vent a window, do everyone a favor and make it a door- take the damn sash out with the glass. Don't worry, the whole window is going to get replaced anyways.

Firetrucks are red, school buses are yellow.

If you are going to be the first-in engine and there is a report of smoke or fire showing from a structure, drop a line. The excuse "I wasn't told to" is not acceptable. You are the engine company officer, act like it.

If you are the first arriving officer or company and you have heavy fire or smoke showing, and are in a limited daytime manpower (volunteer) situation, call for additional companies and/or a second alarm. It's easier to send them home when you realize you don't need them than to say "aww crap I need help" when the stuff hits the fan.

If you think you need a deuce and a half, you probably do. Just pull the damn thing, either way you are packing hose.

Officers do not criticize in public- EVER. You have something negative to say to one of your members, you do it away from other ears or behind closed doors, no matter how ****ed you are.

ANYONE can stop an unsafe situation. Newbies- If you think it might be unsafe, it probably is, tell an officer.

If there is a report of possible or confirmed entrapment, you do your damnedest to get the fook in there and make the pick- you do whatever you have to do. WHATEVER. Anything less is cowardice and should be criminal. If you go home knowing that you did everything you could possibly have done to change the outcome, you did your job and you may sleep comfortably. If you go home, and think "Too bad" and have no guilt, you need to stop offending the rest of us by calling yourself a firefighter.

Drivers, when you get down to 30 pounds on the intake, and it looks like they might need some more from you, now might be a good time to call for more water from the piece on your hydrant, to tell command to get a piece on your hydrant, or to tell command to have another engine company drop a line!!!!

If you are going to an offensive battle, please take the fog nozzles off of the master streams- they only make you look silly, and will make you have to stay there longer.

[BCmdepas3280]

It can happen here...!

[FWDbuff]

It can happen here...!

"Tonight could be the night!"

[voyager9]

If you have to go to the bathroom, go now. If you wait until the next commercial the pager will probably go off.

[d_holder86]

if you turn on the siren dont forget the lights... Ive seen it happen and was close to not bein pretty

[rm1524]

Always know where your smokes are.
Don't make the officer wait on you.
Don't make the driver wait on you.
A clean truck is a happy truck.
Don't mess with the cook.
Hide a couple of ink pens on your truck.

[MarcusKspn]

If ANYTHING in your gut tells you to do it, put the helicopter on standby.

Always err in the direction of too much help and resources.

Always try everything at least once, in a controlled environment. It has more credibility to say "It didn't work" than "It won't work".

[Acklan]

At shift change...


1) Never assume your SCBA is ready.

2) Aways assume your portable need a fresh battery.

[RFD21C]

Put water on it, it might just surprise you and go out!!

Take time now to make time later

If you are not filthy dirt and dog tired after a fire. You didnt work hard enough.

Never give up your nozzle or tool.

Heard this one night on a fire as I was about to make entry into the fire room. From my officer.

"Hold on a sec, it looks ****ed off. Let it do it thing then go get it." About two secounds later the room flashed and rolled over our heads.

[ARH176]

If 1: Lightning started the fire,
2: lightning is still in sky above you,

get off the f'in roof.

[SPFDRum]

Nothing will be done by the "B" shift.....