Be Kind to a Fire Truck Driver

[firedoc5]

"Engineers" are the crews from engine (pumper) companies, and "Truckies" refers to the crews from truck (hook and ladder) companies.

Them that drives the BRTs (Big Red Truck) are chauffers, at least here in NYC, in the FDNY.

Nine times out of ten, our first engine in was only two man, usually a Fireman and an Officer. The Fireman drove. When arrived the Fireman would grab the first line and hopefully the Officer would charge it. If not the Fireman would have to run back (100-150 ft. depending what pumper you are in) and charge the line. We had the governors pre-set so all you had to do was spin the throttle and you were at 100 psi at the nozzle. Hopefully the next units would be coming in and hopefully someone would become the "Engineer". That's why everyone was trained to be an Engineer. No wonder our burn-out issues were a little higher than normal. But like in another post, I was in the middle of the change-over from the old to the new ways.

Now when I visit one of the stations, they have many more men on duty full time. A fourth station fully manned 24hrs.

In my day, it was not unusual to have four stations. Two men at two of them and one man at the third (airport) station, and the fourth station was used just for maintenance and storage. We rarely operated out of there, and more rarely for more than just a few hours a day. So that was five guys on duty for a town of a little less than 20,000. Luckily nothing serious happened, and that Chief retired, that the city council approved the new men, trucks, and the fourth station to be manned.

[Richard B the EMT]

Sorry, using my New York City mind-think again.

FDNY, which is a paid municipal service, minimally uses 4 crew (wo)men and an officer, both on engine and truck companies.

[spenac]

Wow leave it to the fire guys to try and hijack the joke of the year. Is it because you are worried some of us my employ the use of such bait? :twisted:

[toutdoors]

I gotta admit, that was funny.

[itku2er]

wow Arc that was funny I didnt think you had a sense of humor has the came that ITK was not right?

[firedoc5]

Wow leave it to the fire guys to try and hijack the joke of the year. Is it because you are worried some of us my employ the use of such bait? :twisted:

Sorry, force of habit. :oops: