Riding the tailboard.

[Acklan]

How many would like to be able to ride the tailboard (for the older FFs "again")?

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

I rode the tailboard once... it was on our quick attack rescue for a medical (cardiac arrest) that involved the father of a member of my group. I was ordered to go with the Rescue, and since it had a 2 man cab, I had to ride the tailboard.

I lost a $100+ pair of Corning Optics Serengeti Driver sunglasses and thought I was going to die.
The Rescue hit a good sized bump in the road.. and I went airborne, almost coming out of the saferty harness. the travel distance was about a mile, and it was terrifying (of course, the adrenaline rush of dealing with one of your own had a lot to do with it).

I would have to say no.

[RFDGloWorm]

How many would like to be able to ride the tailboard (for the older FFs "again)?

I had a chance to ride for about 12 hours back in 1998. The only reserve in the fleet left was a tailboard rig. Pretty fun, but riding through the ghetto at night being the only one back there would give me the heeebeee-geeebeees!!!

Then the Ops Chief found out we were riding tailboard, and that came to a screeching hault!

[nameless]

I guess I'd try it once just to say that I did. But I definitely wouldn't want to do it on a regular basis.

[JayDudley]

I had to ride the tail board for four years.....had a few close calls of being thrown off. There were "NO" straps to hold you on.

[LVFD301]

I hate to say it, but I don't think my knees could handle it - or if I would subject them to it again.

[PaladinKnight]

I hate to say it, but I don't think my knees could handle it - or if I would subject them to it again.

At least you still have knees.

I rode the tailboard in the '70s up to about '83.

Let's just say... it was an adventure.

I saw alot of guys lose their grip or slip off. I fell once and that was enough.

You know you're having a bad day when you hit the pavement after falling off a Big Red Truck moving at 30 mph.

[Capt387]

I rode for 4 yrs and was the very last to ride. normally we had 2 on the tailboard and one morning, while the cook was at the store in the pickup, we had a vehicle fire at the Mcdonalds in my district when everything went to hadeez. I was strapped onto the rear handrail when I could hear airbrakes approaching. I looked around to see a concrete truck (rear unloader w/pump on the front bumper) approaching a bit too fast and I start to try to unbuckle and the strap won't open. I started to panic. I even tried to climb up the back wall. When the truck got stopped I could step from the tailboard right to the bumper on the truck. As I looked backwards over the hood I could see the driver laughing, I thought I was going to be crushed at the least. When we backed into the station my Captain realized there was something wrong with me. They got me back in his office and got me calmed down enough to talk. The Chief came out and I explained it to him. A police officer came out I explained it to him and he visited the concrete company and the driver was fired on the spot. We were already off the tailboard at the other station and had our engine on order to take us off the tailboard. Until it came the Chief ran a backup engine to get us off the tailboard

[BryanLoader]

We operated engines with tailboards up to early 80s. On a summer evening, nothing better than to feel the wind in your face, in the winter, nothing worse. For nostalgia sake, i miss those days. From a common sense point of view, thank the Good Lord they are gone.

[FWDbuff]

no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no

[Bones42]

Yes. Call me what you want, but it worked for us.

0 injuries from back step riding.
2 injuries from guys stepping out of enclosed cabs.

Would I want to ride 5 miles on the back step? Nope. Course, my response area is 1 sq mile so that is not much of an issue.

[tree68]

Rode back there once or twice, but never on a response. Our old engine (Ward LaFrance Fireball) had seats at the back of the cab. No belts, just five seats. They were no fun on a response either, especially in foul weather or a north country winter.

The new engine came in after the no tailboard edict had arrived.

[ChiefKN]

I rode the step for a few years. I enjoyed it.

Then we got belts and had to wear em, not as much fun, but still fun.

While we had no injuries from riding the back step, amazing since they were riding long before "zerol tolerance" if you know what I mean.

I would say there's no going back.

[FD1976]

Yes. Call me what you want, but it worked for us.

0 injuries from back step riding.
2 injuries from guys stepping out of enclosed cabs.

Would I want to ride 5 miles on the back step? Nope. Course, my response area is 1 sq mile so that is not much of an issue.

Ditto

I rode for about 12-14 years and I guess we were pressing our luck, but all of our injuries were from the jumpseat area, never the back step. We also had "subway straps" which were great for holding on.

Tactically, I also thought it was better. You definitely had your job assignment. No ifs, ands, or who go out of the crewcab first got the nozzle. Since all our lines come off the rear (no crosslays), the man positioned by one of the outboard locations had the knob. Center backstep personnel were hydrant, jump seats had F/E, search with the only (2) SCBA!

Ah the good old (cold!!!) days. Some of my best memories.......

[jyonkin]

I rode the tailboard "in the day" when I was younger. Our runs could be out to 5-10 miles over rural roads. Not sure why we didn't get someone hurt or worse. Done that... not again.

J Yonkin

[LaFireEducator]

Rode tailboard for the first 2 years or so.

Was it a good idea? Hell no! But it was the way things were done, and it's one of those things that never should never be done again.

But it did look damn cool.

[The 52nd]

I'll stick with the comfort of a closed cab. Riding an open cab in rain and snow sucked. Forget about having to stand and hold on.

As for re-instating things from the past; I'd like to see bunker gear go away and be back in a pull-ups and a long coat.

[FlyingRon]

I had a chance to ride for about 12 hours back in 1998. The only reserve in the fleet left was a tailboard rig. Pretty fun, but riding through the ghetto at night being the only one back there would give me the heeebeee-geeebeees!!!

Then the Ops Chief found out we were riding tailboard, and that came to a screeching hault!

Even when we had engines where we rode the tailboard, except for laying line, NOBODY rode back there alone. The more modern Seagraves had a nice wide tailboard and a reasonable suspension, but our reserve engine was a 50's era Mac pumper that was one hell of a wild ride (HOLD ON TIGHT!).

[donethat]

When I was a kid in a small midwestern town the volunteers would ride four guys on the tailboard of the 1953 chevy with the front mount pump. Since it was a rural fire dept. they road miles back there. Don't know if anyone got hurt but the shop keepers, mailman, butchers, etc took a big risk riding back there.

I can remember seeing rigs with a windshield mounted at the rear of the hose bed for the tailboard riders.

I can also remember seeing Chicago fireman riding standing on the side of tiller ladders hanging on to the side of the ladder sections because the tractor was a two seat Cornbinder cab over.

I think the Fire Service has moved on and understands there are better ways of doing the Job!

[NewHampshireFF]

Regularly? Of course not.

But yeah, I'd like to try it once. Hell, I jumped out of a plane and dove off a cliff. Why not?