Firehouse/tools -- The Road Maven and Maveness Forum

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Date Posted: 16:55:18 03/12/03 Wed
Author: Steven Patchkofsky
Subject: Firehouse/tools

Jennifer, Bob:
I'm deeply hurt by the comments and bashing that I've read off of your e-mails. I respect your opinion but believe it is very unfair. You also haven't told the whole story (or been told the whole story). No one has mentioned in the e-mails I read about the 1 inch wide gap going through the building, or the mouse infested kitchen that we were suppost to cook in, better yet, how about having to get out and push the mirrors all the way in on the truck just to fit it through the garage doors? Jennifer's comment about "disrepair" doesn't tell the half of it. I particularly liked it when an extrication came in. Because of the limit of bays, trucks were parked two deep. On certain calls, you had to pull a truck out to get the correct truck to respond to the incident. Makes for a quick and safe responce, eh? The firehouse took over 10 years to get approved by the town. It was not a speedy item. The Mayor has been in office for much longer. You make it sound like all of sudden he wanted a firehouse. Far from the truth. It took longer for the high school to get built because of the bickering between the two towns on where it should be built. The town would have gladly built it sooner if this mess could have been straightened out. Volunteers are a dying breed. A new firehouse and high quality equipment help attract volunteers. Not to mention, many town clubs use the firehouse for fundraisers and meetings. Something that was not safe to do in the old "house". Much of the equipment we have is bought by money from us that we raise in fund raisers. No ladder truck in this town. In responce to the comment about no buildings over two stories high, have you ever vented a roof or climbed one for a chimney fire that was covered in ice? You need a longer ladder to reach from the road or drivway to the house. These trucks will sink if you take them onto the grass, exspecially durring a fire with water and mud. Most house are easily fifty feet from the road, so A 75' ladder makes sence. They can also be used for ice rescues, tether points for confined space and getting the occasional tree trimmer/homeowner out of the tree that cut his leg with a chainsaw. I don't know what town you came from, but most of our trees are taller than two stories LOL. About two months ago we had an MVA fatality. There was nothing we could do. Despite are dammest efforts, the young lady was deceased befor we arrived. If I could turn back time so that the accident never happened, I would in an instant. That night amid the sleet falling on us, we had every available tool there to try to get her out. I won't go into details, but that night was our darkest and finest hour. Dark because I had to look into her eyes and see the black pupils that once were bright and filled with the future. Finest because I saw department members risking thier life for this young lady, working together and helping each other to come up with the best solution. That night we guarded her privacy from the on-lookers and idiots that were walking up trying to get a look at a body. I didn't sleep at all that night. Partially because I was replaying the scene in my mind, questioning our every move and if we could have doine something better. I am a PROUD member of Prospect and I'll risk my life in an instant to help my neighbors. Including yours! Well Jennifer, you talk the talk, now walk the walk. Stop by any Thursday and ask for Patch. I'd love to give you a tour of the fire house, show you pictures of the old, and give you an application and get you going on your 180 hour fire fighter 1 course. After that, average about five hours a week not including emergency calls and additional training. Then you can tell me how much equipment we don't use.

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