any big city explorers

[expvol]

Are there any explorers here from a large city department. I noticed that most on here are from rural vol/paid departments.

[explr985]

I’m on two city departments, line-ups are as follows.
Department #1 Pop. # 175,000 Dept. Strength- 300 Full-time
Engine-1-2001 Spartan
Engine-2-1998 Quality
Engine-3-1999 Quality
Engine-4-2001 Spartan
Engine-5-1993 Quality
Engine-6-2003 Spartan
Engine-8-1988 Mack
Engine-9-1993 Quality
Engine-10-1999 Quality
Engine-11-2003 Sutphen 75’ Quint
Engine-12-1997 Quality
Engine-14-1995 Quality
Engine-15-1996 Quality
Engine-16-1987 Mack
Engine-17-1987 Mack
Engine-18-1994 Quality
Truck-1-1998 Sutphen 100’ Stick
Truck-2-2002 Sutphen 70’ Tower
Truck-3-2003 Sutphen 75’ Stick
Truck -4-1998 Quality 75’ Stick (P.O.S.)
Bat.-1-1999 Expidtion
Bat.-2-2002 Tahoe
Bat.-3-2003 Tahoe
HM-1-2002 Pierce
HM-2-1986 Top Kick
Brush-1-1993 F-350
Air -1-1991 F-350 (Ex City Maint.)


Department #2 Pop.# 231,000 Dept. Strength- 406 Full Time
Engine 1 2002 ALF
Engine 3 2003 ALF
Engine 4 2002 ALF
Engine 5 2002 ALF
Engine 6 199? Sutphen
Engine 7 199? Sutphen
Engine 8 2000 ALF
Engine 9 2002 ALF
Engine 10 199? Sutphen
Engine 11199? Sutphen
Engine 12 2001 ALF
Engine 14 199? Sutphen
Engine 15 199? Sutphen
Engine 16 2001 ALF
Engine 17 1986 Pierce (ex-county department)
Engine 18 199? Sutphen
Engine 19 2001 ALF
Engine 20 2002 ALF
Quint 5 1992 Sutphen 100’
Quint 6 199? Sutphen 75’
Quint 7 199? Sutphen 75’
Quint 9 2000 Sutphen 75 ’
Quint 10 2001 Sutphen 100’
Quint 11 199? Sutphen 75’
Quint 17 1999 KME 102’ (ex-county department)
Quint 19 2001 Sutphen 75’
Rescue 5 1991 Pierce
USAR 5 2003 Frieghtliner
HAZMAT 19 2001 Freightliner
Decon 19 2002 Freightliner
Chemical 17 197? Foam unit (ex-county department)
Air 1 2000 Freightliner
Air 16 199? Chevy Stepvan
Car 1 2000 Crown vic
Car 2 2000 Crown vic
Car 3 2003 Crown vic
Car 4 2000 Crown vic


Is that what your looking for?

[expvol]

I was looking for anyone who was an explorer at a large city. My views and experieces are alot different than the rural explorers and I would like someone who can relate to some of the stuff. Because there are some subjects that are very different between city and rural.

[expvol]

What city is that. Where I am from we have a city with about 300k and a fulltime roster of about 160. But we are just a part of about 9 departments that make up the entire county.

[GFDSlappyRob]

There is nothing different between big city firefighting and rural. We all wear the same underwear and fight the same fire and run ambulance calls. So talking to a rural explorer really isn't different except for you may have more experience. think about it You have probably seen more high rise that rural explorers and rural explorers have seen more brush and fields fires, and single family dwelling fires. So in actually talking to rural explorer or FF is nothing different than tlaking to a "Big City" ff or explorer. Just my 2 cents worth I am definatly not trying to start any arguements.

[expvol]

What I mean is we all have different ways of going about things, such as response, who can run blues, etc... I was just trying to find out if there were any explorers or jrs from large cities, not to start somehting. In fact I would rather be rural, alot more peaceful suroundings and I love to live out in the country, you cant get that in a city.

[BLSboy]

I live in a small city, but prefer the big-city type dept. I run with I can run on anything, but I have to hear the tones, or see it on the news. No pager, and my scanner dont pick up my dept. (damn sheriffs office LOL). I personally love staying busy, and running loads of calls.
We have 7 stations as of right now, but are looking at explanding to 8, and later 9. that means we run 7 engines, 7 squads, 1 Truck (a quint) 1 on duty B/C and 2 crash trucks for the airport.

[FDNY101TRUCK]

There is nothing different between big city firefighting and rural.

The only different thing I think of would be drafting. For example how often does the FDNY partake in drafting?

[Moose2028]

our aera is a rual aea. the tallest building is only three stories tall. we have three stations. 3 engins, 4 rescue units, 3 brush trucks, 1 tanker,1 command vehicle,1 utility truck, 2 cheif cars,and 1 staff vehicle.

we have about 30 paid on call members. and 7 explorers. we can run on any call that is in curfew. and can ride on any pice of appurattus.

[GFDSlappyRob]

Originally posted by FDNY101TRUCK


The only different thing I think of would be drafting. For example how often does the FDNY partake in drafting?

You bring up a good point. The only drafting I could see is maybe from a swimming pool in the more residential areas. By the way EXPRVOL I know you weren't trying to start anything and niether was I your question was just worded like you thought that big city firefighting was different. I have only been to one high rise fire where I had to use the "hotel pack", trust me high rise ops aren't all that fun.

[firefiftyfive]

Big city firefighting IS different from Firefighting in small towns and rural areas.......I will deffinitely agree that fire is the same no matter where you go.....it burns the same and it kills the same and we all risk the same. But big cities have many different types of contruction than small towns or rural areas which lead to different overall tactics. For example in a small town or rural area I'm sure you don't have 5-6 story Old-Law tenaments, which is different than fighting a fire in a wood frame private dwelling. You also have staffing difference w/ big cities and small towns. Also cities are usually hydranted whiled most small rural areas are not, again leading to different tactics.These are just some of the differences.

I also want to add that this is just a stereotype because I know that there is always the exception...nothing is ever certain!!

Stay safe.

[ffexpCP]

At barely over 2 sq miles I don’t consider my station to be a big city but it is certainly a city department. There is NO empty space anywhere.

I agree with drafting being a major difference between urban / rural. The first time I EVER saw a portatank was at Moose’s station. I was then promptly baptized in it with help of my post.

The last time my department drafted was in training to prepare for the potential Y2K mess. Thank God that never happened.

Another difference would be grass and brush fires.

[Moose2028]

Originally posted by ffexpCP
The first time I EVER saw a portatank was at Moose’s station. I was then promptly baptized in it with help of my post.

Another difference would be grass and brush fires.

we have porta tankes on all of our front lie trucks (except rescues and grass rigs) we set them up and use them like it is nothing. they are verry common around here. we do not have alot of hydrants here so knowing where the closet lake, river, stream or swimming pool is, is verry imporant. that is one of the most imporant things here on a fire.

grass fires are real common here too. each station has a grass rig.

Station 1 has GMC pick up with a flat bed put on it and a 250 Gal. tank

Station 2 has a 1980 Jeep CJ-5 with a 80 gal tank. (i think this is the best grass rig ever.

Station 3 has a 2003 GMC pick up with a 80 Gal. tank in the back.

[amtrakphan]

I would suppose I'm from a "big city" county department, but my department is much more suburban then urban. However we have every type of territory imaginable, from rural to dense low income urban. We have 57 stations around the county split into 13 batallions, and about 1,500 firefighters. Most of our stations have two units, however we have several single company stations. About half of our firefighters are Paramedics, with the rest being EMT's. We are a combined Fire and EMS department, and we're known throughout the world for our Venom response team--the first and I believe only fire department based venom bank in the USA. Hazmat, TRT, ARFF, Marine Firefighting, Dive Rescue, Air Rescue, field thrombolytics, you name it, we probably do it.

Anyways, I'm sure my experiences are very different from someone in a rural department, and vice versa. Personally, I would rather work on a large dept rather then a smaller one, but thats just me. We're all brothers and in the end, we're do the same job.


And by the way, YES we do draft