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Special services
What are special service's? I thought that a special service was a Truck or Heavy Rescue Squad. I live in a growing county with a naval base and the chiefs in my county want to make a rescue pumper a special service. It's hard to tell them no when there is no standard for a special service. We are starting some new box assignements were you get a special service on fire assignements. Some of the chiefs want to run there rescue pumper as a special service. Does anybody have any standards on special service units or know where I can get some. Please let me know. Thanks
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If what you mean by Special Services you are talking about Confined Space Rescue, Trench Rescue and others along those lines. The best piece of advice I can give you is call around to other departmnets in your area and see what they do. If you dont get enough information from them, expand your search to larger cities. Gather up as much info as you can from department that have OP's on this stuff already. That whay you can take bits and pieces from all of them to make one that works for you. Just make sure you try so stay within OSHA regs. Some times they can be a pain in the butt too. Hope you get what you need. -
You are right, squirrel, a special service is a truck or rescue squad (that might be a MD term, can't say I've heard it elsewhere). It sounds like the chiefs are thinking along the lines of the quint concept in wanting to utilize a rescue pumper as a special service. How many rescue pumpers and special services does St. Mary's County have? With the new box assignments there might not be enough trucks and squads to fill them, so a rescue pumper might be able to serve that purpose. I can check for the P.G. general order on special services and let you know what I find. Take care and be safe.
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Phil Clinard
Laurel VFD
Prince George's Co Sta 10
Laurel, MD
www.laurelvfd.orgComment
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Philip C this county has 2 staight trucks, 2 tower ladders(1 is ran by NAS Fire Dept), and 3 heavy Rescue squads. That is out of 15 station( 2 of them are NAS fire stations). The two stations that want to run there rescue pumpers have no truck or squad and are mad because they are going to miss out on some calls(just my opinion though). If you can find some info on this that would be great and would help out alot.Comment
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squirrel,
What should be done, is the chiefs need to come to a consensus as to what equipment is carried on a piece and also the manpower neede to consider it a Class A Pumper, A Ladder Truck, or a Rescue Squad. Once that is done, the chiefs who want to run Rescue Pumpers as a special service, need to meet the equipment and staffing requirements of both a Pumper (to run as an Engine) and a Rescue Squad (to run as a Squad). If they can meet this, then let them run. Just my opinion.Comment
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In my neck of the woods a Special Service Unit handles everything non-fire and non-rescue; so it carries speedi-dri, lighting, small generators, cellar pumps, board-up materials, etc, etc, and basically handles as many nuisance calls as possible to keep the engines, trucks, and rescues from getting tied up. Ours are old ambulances packed full with everything but the kitchen sink.Comment
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Squirrel,
You may want to see if you can get some info from FDNY. They reinstated their "Squads" which are pumpers fitted w/ rescue equipment to free up and provide coverage to their 5 rescue companies. To me this is a "special service" being that I believe (I've only read about this and casual conversation w/friends on the job there) that they carry equipment not found on other "regular" engine companies. In my personal opinion it all depends on the function. If the rescue engine is set up to handle technical rescue (rope, etc.) and not just extrication then they can be a "special service." Extrication to me is a normal aspect of the fire service that any engine/truck company should be able to perform.
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The above is my opinion only and doesn't reflect that of any dept/agency I work for, deal with, or am a member of.
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