2013 afg

I am looking to get started early on our 2013 AFG, after waiting till the last second on the FP&S. This is the things i am hearing come across the tables.

*10 SCBA's to replace older models that are of a different brand and pressure.
----(Training & Safety Difficulties)
----(Assumed from a neighboring fire station that closed in 2012)
----(2011 Grant was issued for SCBA's Prior to contract with city)
* 20 Full sets Turnout gear to replace old/tattered gear and for (15) new recruits that have no / 20-30 year old gear.
* Gear Extractor and Multipurpose Dryer
* Vehicle Exhaust System for both Stations (9 apparatus v/s 11 bays)


I know the Exhaust System requires the Environmental / History Survey. Can anyone shed any positives / negatives on which one would score the best?

IMHO I think the SCBA's and Gear would be a slam dunk if you justify and be sure to include WHY these items are not NFPA compliant. Include the NFPA standard as well. Worked for us in the past. The way that the grants were this go around, the exhaust system could be easily justified as well as a "Firefighter Safety" issue. There again. We were successful in this as well. I believe this would be 2 seperate grants submitted, but someone else with more info than me can tell you. If you need any assistance, let me know!

Your station occupancy level will determine your scoring priority for exhaust extraction.

Keep in mind that not being compliant will not justify getting awarded. So many other factors will determine awards. Seen alot of apps that really hit hard on not being compliant and that was about all. Just a thought. Jeff

If your station got the 2011 award for SCBA prior to taking over for the other department then it will be an uphill battle to get another 10 depending on how many you were awarded. Every 2002 or 2007ed pack counts as compliant, so if you got 10 on the award then you're 50% compliant now (10 new, 10 old). Puts you behind anyone that's less compliant.

Same story with the PPE, although there is more leeway here since gear has to be sized properly. And if you brought in a lot of new bodies and have nothing for them that's also a positive thing that's being negatively affected by the lack of gear. Makes it hard to keep people around if they can't train or participate without sharing gear.

Exhaust is leaning heavily towards 24/7 building occupation, and since it's an Ops grant also you'd be better trying for the SCBA or PPE. Unless you can create regionals and attack all 3 in one shot, done that successfully several times over the past few years.

Go for the turnout gear and the washer extractor and leave everything else off. In this day and age with AFG do NOT mix multiple projects together which are going to require separate sets of narratives for each project... the reviewers hate it. Just because the program says you can, does not mean you should!Your SCBA project is too risky given prior awards for SCBA, wait and do it as a separate project when turnout gear is not so crucial to win. Your running the risk here also of getting your cost benefit so high that you will not score well at computer and then subsequently not make it to peer.;)

depending on call volume : I might only go turnouts head to toe for everyone that has more than 10 yr old gear. If your cost /benefit is low enough then add in the gear washer/dryer.

Don't go laundry list and put multiple items on the same app. Do the very best to sell the NEED for safe modern, properly fitted turn out gear and how it will help your FF's be safe and come home.
Having everyone equipped with proper protective gear is and always has been a high priority of the AFG program..

Climbing on my soapbox a minute::: By this time there should not be a single firefighter in this country with outdated unsafe turnout gear. Long before any federal $$$$ went to buying exercise machines and command board simulators with little lego cars other fluff they should have equipped all with new safe gear.

Stepping down off the milk crate now.

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Originally Posted by islandfire03

depending on call volume : I might only go turnouts head to toe for everyone that has more than 10 yr old gear. If your cost /benefit is low enough then add in the gear washer/dryer.

Don't go laundry list and put multiple items on the same app. Do the very best to sell the NEED for safe modern, properly fitted turn out gear and how it will help your FF's be safe and come home.
Having everyone equipped with proper protective gear is and always has been a high priority of the AFG program..

Climbing on my soapbox a minute::: By this time there should not be a single firefighter in this country with outdated unsafe turnout gear. Long before any federal $$$$ went to buying exercise machines and command board simulators with little lego cars other fluff they should have equipped all with new safe gear.

Stepping down off the milk crate now.

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You didn't have to use and ice climbing axe to get up on that soapbox did ya? LOL You ought to be warming up some now that I am out of the area.

<soapbox>With cardiacs still the leading LODD cause, the PPE is a waste of time if it's over a certain size. Or someone can't run a mile without walking, or some other measure of being able to engage in one of the top 5 physically most demanding jobs. Whether you collect a paycheck or not, it's still a job with tasks to complete. Know a career officer nearby that's shorter than me and over 350lbs, couldn't zip his bunker coat and wouldn't go get it resized because they'd claim he was overweight and couldn't so his job. Rode as an engine company officer. Last time I checked, company officers are supposed to go in with the crews, can't go in if you can't zip a coat or wear an SCBA, so how is that job being accomplished?

Like I said in another forum, I don't live an a glass house, I resembled that remark (258lbs in 2009) and corrected course before I was a statistic, and I had convinced myself I was fine. Wrong. Mandated exercise and PT tests should be in place for every department. I'm not maxing out any PT tests, or the epitome of fitness, but in a world where reducing risk is supposed to be job #1, and people are #1, you have to take care of the insides of #1 before you can take care of #2. I was made to think by someone else that was talking about fitness, and their mindset was their lack of endurance or strength wasn't going to be the reason they couldn't pull their partner out of a building if need be. Crappy thing to live with knowing you were out of shape and couldn't get your brethren out....I'd rather not so I work out. But like I said, I drank the koolaid and thought I was fine before that. Boy was I wrong then, and dang lucky nothing happened. I'm not going to be a harping harry and keep after everyone, it's called personal responsibility: take the time to reassess your own situation and then make a decision you can live with. </soapbox>

PS: for non-nerds like me, those are HTML-like tag markers, indicated page formatting. In case anyone wasn't sure about that being a soapbox post or not.... ;)

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Originally Posted by ktb9780

You didn't have to use and ice climbing axe to get up on that soapbox did ya? LOL You ought to be warming up some now that I am out of the area.

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Today was the first time in 12 days we got to freezing Kurt. Supposed to be back into the 50's for the next two days. Glad you went back south and took the cold with you.
Ed

I don't know if it will be available in 2013 grant timeline, but they are saying it will be there for 2014. I want this.

http://blog.taitradio.com/2013/01/29...elligent-vest/

Gotta agree with Brian's soap box, you don't have to be the incredible hulk. But if I'M the one getting dragged I hope you can do it! Yeah I'm 48 and a little soft around the edges but I still wear the same size PPE as i did when I joined the dept. in 1983. If any depts. held annual c-pat i would guess they would lose 30% of their members the first year. Keep fit, stay safe.

LVFD301....kinda neat but I'll stick with my tinfoil underwear, it keeps the govt. from seeing what I'm really up to:)

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Originally Posted by lfdmichael

LVFD301....kinda neat but I'll stick with my tinfoil underwear, it keeps the govt. from seeing what I'm really up to:)

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I don't plan on getting rid of my tin foil hat...

The way that the allows were this go around, the fatigue program could be quickly validated as well as a "Firefighter Safety" problem. There again. We were effective in this as well. I believe this would be 2 seperate allows posted, but someone else with more details than me can tell you.

Does anyone have a narrative for EMS training? I have tried for the last 5 years and can't get awarded. It makes it to peer but just can't get over the hump. We are trying to upgrade all our firefighters to EMT.

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Originally Posted by chief60

Does anyone have a narrative for EMS training? I have tried for the last 5 years and can't get awarded. It makes it to peer but just can't get over the hump. We are trying to upgrade all our firefighters to EMT.

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Chief60 if I might suggest,perhaps you would be better served by having someone look at your existing work and telling you what you were doing wrong and how to improve what you have already done.Give me a shout and lets talk about it. 863-551-9598;)

BC, I hear ya on the physical fitness. I noticed when I first joined, I was well overweight and out of shape. I noticed on some of the bigger wildfires we had and on late night runs, I was tired. And that bothered me, because I could feel my ability to make decisions wane as fatigue set in. So I decided to do something about it.

Still not a fitness model by any means, but I noticed last year my "peak" effectiveness lasted much longer. When we got called to an afternoon fire and were there a while, fatigue didn't set in before midnight any more.