Explorer ride-out Drama!

[Drama911dotcom]

Our explorer post at our department here in SoCal only allows ride alongs for 12 hours. How long do you guys get to ride along?

There is a big debate about letting them ride out longer. We get such good fires at night and they can learn even more.

At least we film many of them and post them on our player.
http://drama911.com/

Let me know.

[backsteprescue123]

Our explorer post at our department here in SoCal only allows ride alongs for 12 hours. How long do you guys get to ride along?

There is a big debate about letting them ride out longer. We get such good fires at night and they can learn even more.

At least we film many of them and post them on our player.
http://drama911.com/

Let me know.

First of all..............


It sounds like someone has way too much time on their hands.


Second of all..........

We only ride for 8 hours at one department and 9 at the other. (We are hosted by two neighboring departments, so we have much greater access to equipment, training, specialized training, etc. and one dept's shift is 8hrs while the other's is 9)

Have I gone to fires at night to watch and been put to work? Yep.


But ride alongs at night................I've been all over the country and talked to dozens upon dozens of explorers, advisors, chiefs, and firefighters and I don't believe that I have ever heard of a department that allows ride alongs during the middle of the night.

On non-school nights, our explorer post can be called to the scene of a large incident, but we cannot ride. Well it would be kinda hard to ride anyways cause we only have a truck manned from 8-4. (except in times of really really bad weather, we have been known to staff both a medic unit and an engine)

[NWOhio157]

For an Explorer... in a department in SoCal... 12 hours is PLENTY. Even what we get to do around here, as RFRD said, 8 or 9 hours is perfect.
The decision should be left up to the higher-up officers in the department or the crew whom your riding with.

[ndvfdff33]

I got to ride along any call I wanted too.


Well actually not medicals.

[FireDawgEMT22]

Have I gone to fires at night to watch and been put to work? Yep.

Go get the other extension cord, start staging cylinders, go get some coffee hot chocolate, here take this nozzle and have some fun for a bit with us in overhaul...

In all seriousness, a very valuable asset on scene...they may not be able to do much, but what they can do is done without complaint, with vigor and zest, and done properly.

[Geinandputitout]

We do not allow explorers, ride-alongs, job-shadows, etc for more than eight hours. When you ride-along you are expected to learn, and any time spent in quarters is supposed to be devoted to studying / learning about the trade.

Frankly, I'd rather not have someone I don't know hanging out in the station after 5 o'clock anyway.

[rawbff15]

our program can ride you can ride for 8,12, or 24 hours your choice. then once you have been riding for a while you can start riding along for longer, theres been times that i have stayed at the firehouse for 3 or 4 days, the more time you put in the more you get out of the program.

[firemonkey311]

Go get the other extension cord, start staging cylinders, go get some coffee hot chocolate, here take this nozzle and have some fun for a bit with us in overhaul...

In all seriousness, a very valuable asset on scene...they may not be able to do much, but what they can do is done without complaint, with vigor and zest, and done properly.

When i was a jounior thats what i did. I was allowed to ride along at night. I could spend the night at the station. Fire calls only though.

[FireDawgEMT22]

the particular fire that RFRD and I are referring to was just earlier this week. I was on the pump, and of course was very busy, even well into the fire, after the lines are chearged and set and the water supply is set up, and the generator is running, still need to get equipment staged, keep track of what is going where, and so forth....explorers and juniors might not realize it, but being around the engine and willing to help, makes a big difference for the engineer and although some may think once the line is charged our job is done, there is alot of stuff that goes on through out the fire for the engineer and not only are you a big help...but you will learn alot just doing that stuff, equipment, locations, so forth...I am very grateful for their assistance on scenes...

[Drama911dotcom]

For an Explorer... in a department in SoCal... 12 hours is PLENTY. Even what we get to do around here, as RFRD said, 8 or 9 hours is perfect.
The decision should be left up to the higher-up officers in the department or the crew whom your riding with.

I agree with what we currently have in place also, but a few of the kids in the post would like to see it changed.....

.......12 hour ride alongs but NOT overnight.

Just wondering. Thanks for the input guys!

[NWOhio157]

I agree with what we currently have in place also, but a few of the kids in the post would like to see it changed.....

.......12 hour ride alongs but NOT overnight.

Just wondering. Thanks for the input guys!

Understood.
Sounds like the 'kids' are getting a little too carried away...

[jccrabby3084]

In all honesty it seems here that no matter how long someone rides along, we get nothing. After they leave it is call after call. Our Explorers can ride 12 hours typically and exceptions have been made in the past. However, given the previous statement, I think we would welcome ride alongs at night for the chance we will probably sleep.

[johnny46]

Unless there's a curfew, what's to stop you from following with your Radio Flyers in tow?

[NWOhio157]

In all honesty it seems here that no matter how long someone rides along, we get nothing. After they leave it is call after call. Our Explorers can ride 12 hours typically and exceptions have been made in the past. However, given the previous statement, I think we would welcome ride alongs at night for the chance we will probably sleep.

HAHA... good point.
I have been out 15 times and been on only 8 runs (4 back-back my first time out and then all the rest of the rides, there was one run here and there).
My rides occur at one of two vollie/POC departments that have dayshift crews. One department runs dayshift 0800-1600 with with 2 FF/EMTs(Medics most often) and they staff a squad. Monday-Sunday. The other department runs dayshift 0800-1700 with 2 FF/EMTs(always at least one Medic) and they staff a mini-pumper Monday-Friday. Outside of the 0800-1700 (Monday-Friday), the highest level EMT available staffs a Medic/Echo Unit that responds to everything in the city...
That being said, makes a little easier for my to keep rambling on...
Whenever I schedule a ride, they either have a longgg night before or they're in for a longgg night. Seems like every time I ride...
2 bad cases-- Night before my 10th ride, a person hit a tree at 100+ mph, needless to say, we spent the day cleaning equipment. 2nd case... kind of on the humorous side... I was riding with a lady who works career at a near-by big city who had 7 fires runs the night before (one was legit and her engine was RIT so they didn't do anything, thank God). Well, we had one run that morning and it was just a lift assist. She took the Medic Unit for the night thinking she'd have a quiet night... Well... She hijinxed herself or I owe her an apology... I think she ran 4 that night.

Sorry for my rant. But I agree with Crabby. And it's 1227.

[Drama911dotcom]

In all honesty it seems here that no matter how long someone rides along, we get nothing. After they leave it is call after call. Our Explorers can ride 12 hours typically and exceptions have been made in the past. However, given the previous statement, I think we would welcome ride alongs at night for the chance we will probably sleep.

That's not how it is for our explorers. In san bernardino we are very busy. But I know what you mean....It sure does seem that way a lot of times.

[WichitaFDChief]

Our explorer post at our department here in SoCal only allows ride alongs for 12 hours. How long do you guys get to ride along?

We allow a full shift, 24 hours and explorers cant ride again until 24 hours past their shift they rode with.

[ExplorerLt1991]

Full 24 hr Shift here... sometimes two in a row... 48hrs

[TexasBaptist]

We normally are allowed to ride for a maximum of 15 hours in one day.

0700-2200

They dont like observers at the station after 2200. Firefighters are going to sleep soon and dont want to have to worry about there observer 'wandering around the station messing with things at 0300'

[RFDExplorer]

I was an explorer with Riverside City a year or so ago, and they allowed 24-hour ride-outs. You had the opportunity to stay overnight, but obviously not overstay your welcome. The explorer is and always should be the first one up in the morning, and the last one to go to bed. The first one in the apparatus bay for a call, and the first one off the truck to help.

[Buxton71E1]

we are call... we go when the pager goes off!!!