NFPA Reports State-by-State Findings Of Fire Department Needs And Response Capabiliti

[firenresq77]

Has anyone read the ARTICLE on the front page and/or looked at the results for their state? What's your thoughts? Do you know if your FD submitted a completed survey?

They say it was sent to 26,000+ Fire Departments and they were happy about receiving 12,000+ completed surveys.......

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

I'm printing it now...all 93 pages of it.

I hope my print cartridges have enough ink!

edit: damn printer ran out of ink!!!

[hwoods]

I looked up Maryland's Numbers, and nothing makes sense. The numbers don't even come close. 3 Departments were usually listed in the Over 500,000 Population group, as being all Career. Baltimore City is the only one I know of, and I'm very familiar with Maryland's Fire Service. All 23 Counties have Volunteers, with at least 10 of them having No Career people at all. And the list goes on.........

[BCmdepas3280]

I read the survey and found it to be pretty much dead on with thier assesments of departments in New York State. I can plug my department any place in the study and its on the mark!

[Bones42]

Yes, I read it and I remember doing the survey. Unfortunately, after looking at the survey, it does not tell me much other than stuff we knew. Need more people and can't respond to everything.

[SamsonFCDES]

Things in Montana are much much worse then I originaly thought.

I do feel a little better knowing that 2 of the 3 VFDs I work with are doing better then average.

Some of the more disturbing stats:

- About 3/4 of the departments have trouble delivering 4 FFs for a daytime structure fire.

- 40% of FFs fight structure fires but lack any training in structure fire fighting.

- 29% of FFs involved with EMS lack formal training.

- 76% of Departments have no fitness and health program.

- Engines: 18% are 15-19 years old; 29% are 20-29 years old; 26% are 30+ years old. So 73% of all fire apparatus is at least 15 years old.

- 44% of FF are not equiped with radios at emergency scenes

- 63% of FF do not have PASS devices

- 14% do not have any PPE

All of that gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside...

[pete892]

I have read the report and did not find anything new. Any department that cannot respond the equivalant of two engines, a ladder and a chief with 13 people to a structure fire is in bad shape. That being said, there are many departments in "bad shape".

I know, they do the best they can under the circumstances but that still doesn't make it right. Career or volunteer/paid on call does not seem to be a factor except in the very large and very small departments. There are career departments running two person crews and volunteer departments that will turn out 20.

Perhaps, and it's only a perhaps, we can use this survey to get the message out that we need people, equipment and training regardless of department size or type of organization.

At some point we must stop being the step child of the mutts.

Stay safe,

Pete

[EFD840]

I just read the Alabama one. Like everyone else said, we need more people, training, and equipment - tell me something I didn't know.

[SON044]

Read the California report,
I think the Departments overestimated their technical rescue abilities. In my opinion most departments would require a state response if there were 50 occupants trapped in a collapse.
otherwise no surprises

[Weruj1]

I just got done reading the Ohio report and I think it is pretty fair....I noticed for our demographic it seemed on the mark. Although as many have noted, nothing really new in said report.