Joe McClelland's Comments

Wow, I didn't realize that you guys were running so short! LaGrange tried to run 2 engines, a truck and an ambulance with only 5 men (sometimes 4). That was 1 of the reasons we unionized. I kept records for over a year a proved statisticly that there were fewer injuries and better fire suppression with a 3 man engine than a 2 man. Then our truck went out of service for almost a yera and we went to a 4 man engine. Wow, what a change in how we worked. With only 1 engine in service, we were forced to use auto aid all the time which meant a 3 man eng. from Pleasantview and 2 more 3 men engines from Brookfield and Western Springs. For a year, we looked like a professional fire department.

Thanks for your coments Joe. I had a big discussion with one BC about engines putting out the fire and not the truck. I think that they could help solve their problem if the had 4 or even 5 on the Quint so they could lay a line and do Truck work with one team. I also think that part of the problem is the officer asigned to the company on a given shift. If he has always been on a TK then that's all he knows. Stay safe.

hey brother..i'll be there..u making the trip down?

Hi Joe,

I am not so sure amazing is right... but committed to helping others ....that is me. I love my assignments as Chaplain and when my "real jog" as a Salvation Army Officer opened the door for me to take CISM I discovered a tool that really works and saved lives... I went after it and discovered that I am pretty good. My leadership agreed and sent me to become a trained trainer. My county leadership (Kern County, CA) loved the way we help so they paid for me to take all the incident command trained trainer materials and EOC Management training, too.

The web site is free... and in the 2 months we have been open we have saved one firefighter life from suicide and are working with 8 others with traumatic issues. This response got me motivated to inform others about the web site as a confidential tool that can help them help others.

I would humbly request that you would join our site and then with you looking around then refer others. We provide live chat, video games, a place to post videos and pix from the scenes we are at... and then when they feel safe... a safety net for tough days.

Thanks for caring,

Blessings,

David Ebel, Major
Kern County Coordinator
The Salvation Army
Kern County VOAD Chairman
Bakersfield City Fire Chaplain
Kern County Fire Chaplain
CISM Trainer

Visit Emergency and Disaster Responders
A site for responders by responders.. please check it out for yourself. Be honored to have you see for yourself.

Joe,

-Read your profile, and saw that you list truck company operations as one of your interests. I hope that you will consider joining and contributing to the discussion in the Truck Company Operations Group.

Be Safe,
-Christopher A. Barry, Sr