East Coast Vs West Coast

[Lionpride17]

Just a minute guys.... since we are on this topic... when did FDNY EVER HELP SFFD during our largest quakes...... when did FDNY ever fight fires with the ground rapidly shaking beneath them..... WELL i dont KNOW 100% if they have our not but i do know SFFD has...where iin the world do your find 2 fire Training centers in one city I'll tell you San Francisco...granted we all depts have problems....but ill tell you SFFD LODD is low compared to so of the more major sized cities......hhhhhhmmmmmm guess it is all that trianing......did you alot of SFFD spends time training an nothing else.. i know station 48 close to where i live holds atleast 5 or 6 drills a week.... thats almost 1 a day......... this is training for the best FF you can get.... they dont mind.....some times the drills are two-dayers.....but no WE OUT HERE ARE STONE AGED.......

JUST MY 2 cents............oh i am not a FF just a soon to be FF RESERVE.......

[SDFDD5]

7Tower please do not mention San Diego City in any more of your posts, we would prefer not be assosciated with your rantings and ravings about stuff you have no clue about. If you feel so strongly about LA City/County move there or fix your profile if you are there allready. And if you are there, please stay, we don't want you down here. To my FDNY/East coast brothers, 7Tower is a lost bitter soul who is confused about where he lives, do any of you guys know where he lives? And 7Tower a little math lesson, 4 is more than 3, safer than 3, quicker than 3, therefore better than 3. So sayeth the NFPA and common sense.

[MIKEYLIKESIT]

All this chest-puffing and name calling reminds me of a retired Chicago Fire Dept. Lieut.(who worked in the days when they were REALLY hoppin). When a young firefighter from the suburbs told the Lt. "We only get a few fires" the good Lt. instead of giving a "yeah you guys dont know anything".."we are so great in the big city" etc. He said so purely and simply "smoke is smoke, it dosent care what neighborhood its in" If this experienced ghetto firefighter could see this, I do not understand why all you so-called "experts" cant figure it out. IT ONLY TAKES ONCE TO GET KILLED. I believe you are dishonoring our fallen brothers and sisters by playing armchair quarterbacks. As far as I can tell no one goes to work expecting or wanting to get killed. In our part of the world we are gearing up for that dreaded time of year,winter. The brothers in California have their own problems with brush fires etc. This East coast vs. West coast is starting to look the the infamous Rapper/Gang wars of the 90's...Lets remember folks..WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM.

[Lionpride17]

[ 11-25-2001: Message edited by: Lionpride17 ]

[SDFDD5]

Mike, well said.

[PaulGRIMWOOD]

Well said LocalPrezMike....I agree this thread has (and will continue to) displayed some unwanted statements and emotions and you people should be advised that you most certainly are dishonoring the fallen of every city or dept that has suffered LODDs.

I had the opportunity to spend a three month detachment from the UK visiting and working alongside 11 of the USAs finest departments (and I KNOW there are more than 11 of the finest!). Here are my views - as an outsider who has fought fires alongside these people.........

FDNY - Boston - Chicago - Los Angeles City - Las Vegas - San Francisco - Seattle - Phoenix - Dallas - Metro Dade (Fla) and Miami......

East coast .v. West? Well firefighters all over the world are faced with their own set of problems in their own style of structures and each and every one of them adapt to suit their locality. It doesn't matter at the end of the day - Brick or timber; concrete or whatever....You guys are ALL fantastic! Take an FDNY firefighter and put him in the heart of Los Angeles and he has to start learning all over again - and vice versa! Of course there are major differences in organisation, IC, tactics, structural design, construction and fire protection arrangements etc etc but NOBODY is better than the next! Each has evolved to deal with their own set of problems. I can tell you EVERY department I worked with were highly professional.....they were the elite.......and I know there are more out there I have yet to work with.

Stay safe brothers (n sisters)......be proud.......be professional.....but above all - respect that to be different makes us all so interesting to each other.

[ 11-25-2001: Message edited by: Paul Grimwood ]

[truckie_ladderco_147]

Amen Mike from a fellow midwester.I have been to the Windy and trained with some of their guys.There are non better than some of CFD's guys.I can relate that a member of CFD once stated the same thing in a little more Ghetto tone.
Lets do a little check here.Washington D.C. Engine company 10 6,656 for last year.followed by LA City with 5,611 that was Engine 9.Now what is your point? LA is a big damn area!DC has its share of crime and fire.Boston does some of the best truck work PERIOD!If you want to debate this go ahead.Everyone does it different but the goal is the same.And 7 I think you are a 15 yo snot.Bring up the LODD go ahead if it makes you feel good I for one will just ignore your ramblings and rantings.How about St Louis using only Quints?Why didnt that get a response?Or the fact that Bruno is the best damn chief in the world!!(for those wondering I am talking about Alan Brunacini Phoenix Fire Dept.)Now that last one is an opinion of mine.But I am confused why the bickering?Cause everyone knows my dept is the best dept in the world.This is what every firefighter thinks.And that guys attitude makes his department the best in the world.Get over it guys and look at the real reasons why it was stated,as posted in the second and third posts.Plus how about those hand made wooden ladders and the red and white helmets truckies wear.Stay safe and Happy Hollidays

[BucksEng91]

SDF -

I hadn't directed my comments at you and your department...I made a general statement about the correlation between LODDs and aggressive interior firefighting. If you somehow feel guilty or ashamed enough to personalize and internalize what I said, and apply it to your department, then so be it. Not my problem, brother.

But you are right about one thing you said - you don't know me, not at all. So why you feel this burning need to engage in personal attacks is a bit confusing. But hey, like I said, if you feel like making this personal, sounds like your problem, bud.

All I said was that you don't get many LODDs when you're standing around outside.


[ 11-25-2001: Message edited by: BucksEng91 ]

[BucksEng91]

I'd love to see the entire article that FP&LS quoted from in the orignal post. I just love that reference to "throwback culture".

Oh, and SDF - I'd love to take you up on the ride-along. I'll show you how a stone age fireman does it. Then I'll buy you a beer.

[gah74]

For a second I started to think 7Tower was 1000 alarm Larry.

...and another thing, where are you guys getting those graemlins from? Those are pretty funny.

[NozzleHog]

Mike & Paul-
You guys are, of course, 100% correct. Some of us around here just enjoy a little hobby called breaking balls.

7Tower- I too, am convinced you are a silly little teenage poser who knows nothing of life or this job.

LionPride- Look pal...I mean, "hey dude" you sound like you've got it bad for SFFD. Are you a gay (not that there's anything wrong with that) fire buff or something?

[ 11-25-2001: Message edited by: NozzleHog ]

[Lionpride17]

San Francisco has rebuilt herself seven times after fire lay her in ruin. During the Gold Rush, the town was devastated by six great fires, each of which almost wiped it out of existence! Until 1866, the retrievers of valuable property and saviors of those caught in the midst of smoke and flame were a hardy band of volunteers-men who, arm-in-arm, hand-pulled wagons full of water up the hills to the rising flames lighting beam and canvas, and became Heroes for a makeshift community. Racing to blazes in early San Francisco, firemen cleared the streets ahead with ringing bells and clattering noise makers. Their acts of courage were the stuff of legend! Their brawn and bravado set many a woman to swoon, while at least one made a career out of chasing the engines as they sped toward the flame.
San Francisco's trials by fire inspired inventions by Fire Department Maintenance Shop Supervisors. Use of the Hayes Aerial Ladder (1868) and the Gorter Nozzle (1886) spread to fire departments throughout the world.

By 1906, San Francisco had grown into a city that was the pride of a nation-Crown Jewel of the Pacific! Her port called all cultures and trade, in her financial center beat the heart of Western commerce. Her people felt cultured and proud and showed off their fortunes in tastes of Queen Victoria and gold leaf.

At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, the greatest natural catastrophe in the history of the United States shook San Francisco to its knees. The fire that ensued wiped most human artifact from her face. But San Francisco's symbol is that of a Phoenix which rises from the ashes always to be reborn. Without water to extinguish the flames, (water mains were broken), her firefighters wedged wagons pulled by trusty steeds throughout a city of rubble and fought the flames with ax and dynamite. For three days they battled the blaze and delivered the living to safety. Refugees of the Golden City gazed from the hilltops in disbelief as the fire quelled in the hands of their consummate heroes.


From the ashes, rose The City once again. There are 23 Vintage Firehouses in San Francisco which remain as proud relics to a group of heroes who brightly blazed their own pathway to glory with a courage and defiance against adversity that continues to epitomize the pioneering spirit of our City by the Bay. Historic sentinels of our past, sentries and protective reminder for our future, may they always stand as beacons signaling a unique heritage.

[Lionpride17]

NOZZEL HOG----------- excuse me first i am a lady...... second i will be joining the SFFD RESERVES......hopefully sometime soon..(jan. it think they hire again) and third of all I WAS EXPRESSING MY VIEWS.............
and 4th NOZZLE HOG.... I AM A FIRE BUFF AND PROUD OF IT......

[Just a new name]

Just to recap on my post. I was NOT trying to talk down on any one or group of departments. I was just trying to defend us east coasters. I just got REALLY MAD when LODD's was brought in to this. Mr tower 7 or whatever, I sit here in amazment at your comments. The start of this topic was just an observation by some people and a fire chief. It was never knocking the SFFD. Nor was I ever knocking LA or LA co. How this elavated to this level is truly amazing. It nice to see life is getting back to normal when stuff like this happens. West vs East? it is all the same to me, Americans kicking fires *** and getting the job done PERIOD.

[Lionpride17]

okay i agree with you but since it turned into a dept bashing i had to defend SFFD as others where degrading it ;