Have You Sent A Team?

[batchief99]

Have you sent a team in response to the FEMA request?

Where has your team ended up for duty?

We submited on Friday at 1710, got the approval email at 1400 Saturday and they left today at 1330 for Atlanta.

They are to spend a day or two getting prcessed, inoculated and trained.

They get assigned after that.

[webteam]

]We want to hear from folks participating in these teams. If you or someone you know is participating, please e-mail their information to news@corp.firehouse.com

Here's an email we received tonight from the spouse of one responder:

FEMA's use of 1,000 2-man professional firefighting teams is a disgrace. The teams FEMA recruited spent two days in Atlanta in the Sheraton hotel processing paperwork and taking remedial classes unrelated to firefighing. They are being deployed as consumer relations crews to distribute literature with FEMA's 800 number. They were told not to treat casualties, but to call 911 for help.

As a wife of one of these firefighters, I can say these brave men and women feel very underutilized. I spoke with the Lousiana's Governor's office who was looking for relief for its exhausted emergency teams. Unfortunately, this is not what FEMA will be doing.

For all fire service personnel who are wanting to contribute their services to the Katrina victims, FEMA is not the avenue to use. They are oblivious to the real needs of the area now.

[webteam]

Folks

Please have one on one conversations over e-mail or PM, not in an open forum

Posts deleted.

Thank you

[nbfcfireman]

sorry webteam

[firenresq77]

I, too, feel they are not using resources properly. It's actually kinda screwy.....

My brother, a career FF in GA, can go as a 2-man team and get paid his regular wage. I, as a POC FF in OH, can go and make $23/hr+....... All to hand out paperwork..... Something that they can pay an un-trained person less $$ to do and utilize the trained people for the things they are trained for......

[Stevethomson907at71]

I also feel that they are under-utilizing our brothers, but they did say that this was a paperwork job, and it was in bold on the request page. They should be asking for firefighters to rotate into service so we could relieve our brothers but who knows if that will ever happen.

[batchief99]

Back to the original question....where have the teams been ending up for their assignments?

[oj3205]

Our department is sending a 4 person engine company along with an engine and ladder from Mpls, a ladder from Blaine, and a medic company from St. Paul under the command of a chief. They are leaving Wed for a 2 week deployment. Don't know where specifically but I heard New Orleans was a strong possibility.

[losdogedog]

Where's the disconnect??
In reading this and other threads, its seems there is a great need for our services. Administrators from towns in Mississippi are writng here saying that they are desperate, need help, and to self-dispatch. The mayor of St Bernard Parish LA, after requesting help for days, finally gave up on FEMA and recruited his own forces. This morning on the news, Sean Penn was requesting that volunteers with boats self dispatch to look for survivors. On and On and On!!!
FEMA is requesting highly trained FF hand out flyers?? Give me a break.
Is allthis true or just media hype.
Since I dont believe in freelancing, I think some of the higher ups in the fire service should immediatley try and do something. Our fellow citizens need help. If people cant depend on the fire service for help during a time of need than who can they depend on.

[LaFireEducator]

Our department, as well as both of the career departments and a few of the smaller combonation departments in our area, has had personnel down there since Monday. In fact, I just returned from a 3 day stint last night. Up to this point, the regional response has been department by department, but starting yesterday we are now sending a combined 56 man team from our 2 parishes, to be rotated out every 3 days, under a unified commmand structure. They are furthur divided up into 2 divisions, and then furthur broken down into squads to be assigned independently as needed but still under of the overall supervision of the Task Force leader. We expect to send these teams down every 3 days for the next 6-8 weeks or longer.

We have been told that in all likelyhood, part of the team will be involved in "active" operations and part of the team will be assigned to relief functions in existing firehouses using local apparatus.

We have been working through LSU Fire Training, who seems to be the coordinating agency for in-state fire resources. I beleive the state EMS agency in handling all EMS deployments.

[LasVegasFTO]

I understand everyone's fustration, but you MUST understand what you are volunteering for. As someone stated, the request from USFA specifically indicated "non-operation position, handing out forms and explaining how to apply for aid". Also, check out the other forums on this (USFA Request for 1000 "2" FF Teams). This might help explain.

As far as requests to deploy. By reading these forums, it seems like there isn't any consitency with personnel, apparatus or regions. One stated they are taking and engine and ladder company. First of all, where are you going to drive to?? Most everything is under water. Second, there is still sniper fire, so placing a ladder truck into service would only make someone a sitting duck.

Our USAR Team (Nevada-1) left Tuesday. This 80 member team with 50 thousand pounds of emergency supplies was diverted to Dallas. They finally left Dallas this morning (Monday) for NO.

My suggestion, if you are requested to go.....Make sure you have all the facts before jumping in. (The moth and the light bulb syndrome, don't be the moth)

[len1582]

We're sending 17 FF's and 3 Captains in the morning.Don't know exactly what they're going to be doing, but were told specifically to bring turnout gear. Two Bn.Chiefs went the other day with inflatable boats and water rescue equipment.

[DougVelting]

Myself and 3 other members of our department are heading out on saturday to be under used. I'll "see" you all when i return and try to let ya know whats been going on.

[batchief99]

Our team is working with evacuees at a shelter site in Fort Worth, Texas.

[dchomen]

Our team was deployed on Tuesday August 30 at 1000, left 1400 to Mississippi. They returned last evening and we awaiting further orders as to further deployments. As to the two man teams, to do public education, we had many untill the true nature of the work was revealed. Our department felt that deployment as a S + R team is more appropriate. The ARC , Salvation Army, local governments can help direct victims to the FEMA 1-800 phone number on the flyer. The expertise of our firefighters is not in public relations when a true emergency is ongoing.

[sevenfingers]

I'm absolutely amazed I lived long enough to see my Department get involved, haha. Many of our Members have gone to, and desire participation in these helpful roles. But officially my Department hasn't allowed US&R participation. One of our Retirees has been with DMAT for many years, and they've deployed as well.

But we're one of the local DFW agencies sending a "two-man" team to the Community Relations effort. True, our kinda people can do other things, but people need to think about this a little more, IMHO. Trained people like ours are better suited for this role than somebody handed a clipboard and a title. After training to facilitate connecting citizens with available services...imagine the conditions these Firefighters will find out there. No supportive infrastructure perhaps, and many hazardous conditions. They'll know how to recognize hazards and when to assist or direct affected people. They'll know what to report back to coordinators, so recovery efforts can be better directed. And the education they'll bring "home" is always useful.

Also my Department has control of an asset ("DECON" shower trailer thingy) that was intended to support the DFW area. Our people have been showering evacuees for days already.

[LaFireEducator]

The joint parish task force that our two neighboring parishes started sending on on 9/4 aere no longer going because of a lack of a need. The first two teams that were sent spent thier entire 72 hour tour in staging as have many other teams that ahve gone down since the first week of operations. There seems to be a very limited need for fire and EMS now that all rescues have been performed and the number of people in the city have been greatly reduced.

At one point last week it looked like we may be sending a tanker, but the day after arrangements were made with NOFD, they called back and cancelled our response as they had just gotten 85% of thier hydrant system back up.

[DixieFire53]

Thanks for all the help. We have teams from all over the country in Gulfport. FEMA and MEMA keep giving us teams for tasks then reassigning them after their task are done. It is just amazing how many different departments have worked with us in the last two weeks. Thanks to you all!!!!!!!!!!

[ShldBaDOCTR]

First of all, to orginize any rational thought is very hard in regards to the cluster %*&$ FEMA and Denis O'Neil lead FF's down to help under false pretenses. I survived Atlanta, Ga. and the riot FEMA practicaly started by telling 600+/- firefighters, during your reledial 8hr training, you will hand out this number 1-800-621-FEMA. YOU WILL NOT be operational. FEMA didn't have a clue what the hell would happen when you put 2,000 FF's in and around Atlanta, say one thing and do another. Expect them to stand-by, patient while our brothers are getting their *** kicked, CNN shows people screaming for help and you are put up in a 3 star hotel. I feel like crap! Meaning the backpack with 30 days of survival gear, sleeping bag, underwear, socks and crap I was told to bring I don't need. FEMA issued each FF a Goverment credit card, 1 cell phone for 2 FF's, bug dope and a flashlight. Here is your bug dope. I heard the bugs in TX are hug blood suckers from hell!!!! I should have brought a briefcase, pocket protector and PDA to store the 1000 phone numbers to get people housing and check on their $2,000.00 check. We (me team) introduce ourselves as FF's bailing out FEMA.
Why is it when everyone needs help they call a FF? We get the job done to our best ability and we are damn good at what we do.
-Lu
FF/Medic

[FHandz15]

Our 2 FF/Medics/Hazmat's have been in Atlanta since Wed.

They said they have stayed in 4 or 5 very nice hotels, and took a trip to the Atlanta Zoo.