juniors as pump operators?

[Guest Close FirefighterReed]

How do you feel about a junior ff being the pump operator at a grass fire or a minor fire. Maybe even possibly a working fire? Just looking for feelings on this.

------------------
Find em hot......Leave em wet...

Fire Fighters job is never done

[Guest Close mark440]

Jr's as pump operators? Ha, let me stop laughing before I continue.
As a Firefighter it is very important to have exactly what you need. There are factors that play into operating a pump, more that driving and chocking the wheels. Engineers are usually on a dept 3-7 years before they are promoted to Engineer. In a VFD where the calls are not very many you need to have the most qualified person running the pump, it is somthing that comes with experiance. It is important that you have the firefighting experiance before you start operating the pump. You need to know how things are going to react when you push and pull knobs and levers on the panel. As a junior, hang out with the ADO and watch if you want but do not operate the pump. Get the firefighting experiance before you start operating the pump.
Take this as you may, but these are my feelings. You asked for them.

Mark

------------------
If in doubt - Call us out

[Guest Close Engine58]

Welll..I SHOULD be a junior firefighter but unfortunatley my town doesnt have a junior program but getting to my point.My brother is LT and Engineer For our ladder company and from going to wetdowns, drills, etc...I know how to operate the boom and SOME things on the pump but not always but my feelings are YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE A JUNIOR ON THE PUMP PANEL BECAUSE EVEN SOME EXPERIENCED FIREFIGHTERS HAVE SOMETIMES A HARD TIME OR SITUATION THAT THEY GET INTO WHILE PUMPING AND A JUNIOR WOULDNT BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE JOB I SAY.

------------------
Andrew
South Amboy, New Jersey
Junior EMS Responder
"EMTS DON'T DIE THEY JUST STABILIZE"

[Guest Close FirefighterReed]

I should have been more clear on what I asked I meant to say How do you feel about a junior running the pump on a day time call where you need all the senior ff that shows up. This would be on maybe an mva or grass fire absolutely not at a working fire. The reason I bring this up is because we had this happen the other day a truck was pulling a trailer full of hay that burst into flames and we had two guys and a junior show up. Well the junior had been trained and knew how to operate the pump so we stuck him on it and he done a great job. So what are your feelings on that?

------------------
Find em hot......Leave em wet...

Fire Fighters job is never done

[Guest Close FF.FOREVER]

There is a fire dept not to far from us that has a jr.ff that runs the lead pumper and can pump with the best of them. I believe if the jr.ff is interested enough in the fire service then they will put more of an effort to learn the fire trucks and their equipment. This jr.ff runs the pump at all different kinds of fires even working fires. I wouldn't of belived it if I didn't see it. I don't believe that all jr.ff can handle the responsibilty of pumping a truck, but there are a few jr.ff that will surprise you. Even though they are jr.ff give them credit where credit is due. The jr.ff just became a senior.

[Guest Close Fired0g]

What a sad, sad state of affairs.

[Guest Close BTFD11-19]

I think having a junior pump operator is a great idea. As long as you have enough juniors to change scba bottles. The junior ff can run the pump, more than likely freeing up the most knowledgable ff, the driver, to go interior. Ithink i've heard that only 20 or 30 years ago, 14 and 15 y/o's were driving, wearing packs, going interior, and fighting fires. some "kids" today may not be "the most responsible" but alot of them are very capable firefighters thatr will grow and learn, and are the future of firefighting.

[Guest Close iresq]

A driver/pump operator's primary concern is the apparatus. Even on a simple grass fire, he should not leave the vehicle. What if something happened to him? Would junior boy drive home? What if something happened to the pump? Would jr. have the knowledge to take the appropriate actions that could save a life or prevent major pump damage? I think not. If you need more resources, call for them.

[Guest Close SBFire333]

I beleive you should know how to be a Fire Fighter before even thinking about learning to become an MPO. I understand that some Depts. have staffing shortages and are ill expericeed due too lack of calls, but lets not stick someone in charge of running a piece of equipment that has lives attached to it. They are new to the fire service and in experienced at it. Let them learn to be a fire fighter first.

------------------
The opinions and views expressed herin are solely mine and not on the behalf of the organization I belong to.

[Guest Close Bob Snyder]

First off, this would be flat out illegal in PA. The section of the Child Labor Laws governing junior members under 18 years of age forbids this particular activity, among others.

Second, if you can't turn out more people than this for calls on a regular basis, or at specific times of the day or week, then you need to augment your response with automatic mutual aid, at least during your low-manpower times. I don't need to know the rest of the circumstances to make that statement.

Third, the importance of the activities of the pump operator to the safety of personnel and the success of the operation demands that the pump operator be seasoned and experienced enough to understand not only what's going on at the pump, but what's going on around the rest of the scene. I've often been told that when picking a safety officer, you should pick someone as or more qualified than you are to run the scene. A similar criteria should apply to the pump operator...he/she should be as good or better than you at that pump.

[Guest Close Quigs]

My department is "fully" ( ha ha ) staffed by career personnel. New Hires, no matter what their experience, are not permitted to be operators until they have completed their 3 year apprenticeship on the job. During their 3 years, they are trained and drilled on a regular basis, and are always with one of our older chauffers. No one is put behind the wheel until our BC, Capt. Sr. Chauffer, and the new guy all feel comfortable.

As for Volunteer companies, I'm sure there are companies that have "jr's" that have practically been raised by their dads or moms at the firehouse. I think the volunteers need to do what they feel is best for them on an individual basis. If you feel little johnny can manage the pumps at a grass fire, or a car fire or something, thats fine. I personally don't want someone who can't handle the job on the supply end of my knob, but I'm sure there are some kids out there who can handle it better than some older men...

If there is a staffing problem in your department, and you only have little johnny and his dad on the first-in, your town needs to look at ways of better staffing their department. Even if little johnny can work the pump... daddy shouldn't be pulling a line inside by himself.

Stay safe.
Quigs

[Guest Close Fyrball105]

OK, I'm back again, I'm not able to keep my mouth shut on here, so here's my feelings. I feel that a Jr. on the pump can and does work, I come though the Jr Squad at my dept.and the first classes we had was on pumper. I took the fire department engineer class at 16, and it was the jrs that got put on pumps to free all firefighters for fighting the fire. It was no uncommen for me to ride to scene in truck, then run the pump while my driver fight fire.I'm 26 now and an advisor on our explorer post and teaching these guys the pump. IF Not for one of my explorers, on two fires we'd had some guys hurt when the driver of the truck was unable to get water!!! YOU SEE THAT? a 14 y.o. saved the day!! and as using jrs on small fires, things like that I say do it, they have to get pump time somehow, that brings them up makes them good on pumps.

[Guest Close SBFire333]

I am sorry what kind of redneck dept. are you on??? Why is Driver driving an engine that he can not operate. It is the driver's job to that rig and he is responsible for it. To have a Jr. operate a rig is insane. Someone who is this young should not be even allowed on a fire scene and if they are it is only too watch and observe. Like I said before in my previous post "Let them learn to be a firefighter first". It is too much responsibility to put on a kid who doesnt even know what fire really is. It is no wonder why there are so many LODDs. Stay Safe and Be Smart for the next call.......

------------------
The opinions and views expressed herin are solely mine and not on the behalf of the organization I belong to.

[Guest Close Sand Creek Lynn]

Fyrball105: What does your insurance carrier think about the department using a 14 year old pump operator? And your township or the political body you serve?

I hope you were pulling our legs.

But if not tell us more about the department. It would likely be a really interesting story.

[Guest Close FirefighterReed]

The political bodies or township don't care who is operating the pump or the hose for that matter as long as it gets done. Do you think the guy living next door to the fire department even knows what the chiefs name is? No not unless he is in the department which in our case he is not. They don't care about us or how we operate as long as we are there getting it done. Then we you do show up it's always the same thing "What took you guys so long". When your on a volli dept. doing without any county, city, or state funding it comes from our pockets and the fund raisers we do. When we do have them people are so cheap it is hard to get any money out of them.

------------------
Find em hot......Leave em wet...

Fire Fighters job is never done