AwolRJ Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Coming in last night at Crystal Beach there was a cigar boat stuck in a few feet of water broke down. I went a tried pulling him in, but his boat was way too much and i couldnt control the steering and was going shallower, While I'm trying to help 2 firetruck show up with there fireboat about 15 firemen all scramble for there life jackets and have sirens on like this guy is drowning. He is in 3 feet of water directly off palmwood, he could have walked 40 feet and had a beer. What would all these firemen do if they all went to this call then had a real emergency down the road or out in the middle of the lake? I woulda made the guy call a tow company like I have heard many in the past have had too. He was in no danger, I wonder if it was a 12 foot aluminim instead of a 40 ft cigar boat if they woulda even came? I have lots of respect for rescue workers, but I think this is a bit ridiculous. There were more firemen to save this guy in 3 feet of water then there were at the falls last year when the guy was standing at the edge. In closing just to show you how smart the area is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 I was chatting with a few guys who were launching a big cigar boat at Port Dal. last year . The boat had two Chevy 454 cu.in engines & the gas tank would take 300 litres . These aren't exactly good fishing boats .....as one fellow said , they are just going out to burn up the lake . I suspect the owner of the boat you are referring to may be a VIP 's boat like D.Susuki ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super_monkey78 Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 that sign made me laugh haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik.T. Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 In Dunnville they have a Cemetary across the road from a seniors home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 In Dunnville they have a Cemetary across the road from a seniors home. I would worry more if the cemetary was across the road from the hospital .......think I'd have my surgery done elsewhere...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little cleo Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 I'll be honest in saying that this isn't the first time that I've heard people voice their opinions on what they feel is emergency service worker overload. I'll also be honest in saying that it bugs me. Therefore, a rant : Here is a rough sketch of how the firemen get called - Person calls 911. 911 dispatcher hears what the problem is, dispatches appropriate number of trucks. For example - emergency medical assist, 1 truck (with first aid/ defib equipment and responders) ( 2 people) Motor vehicle accident - Trucks that have extrication equipment, enough manpower to extricate and assist victims. (approx. 10 people) Structure fire - Pretty much everything they have. (20 + people) However!! If it an unknown 911, they also have to send all of the vehicles, treating it as if it is a worse case scenario (structure fire). Unknown 911s/ popular non-calls - Car overheating, steam coming out of rad (car fire), Man cuts telephone line with lawnmower/ weed trimmer (unknown 911), Person doesn't know how to use a home security system (alarm system activated to security company), Various fender benders where there is no damage to people (motor vehicle collision), structure fire (coffee company roasting their beans... This happened numerous times) So, given this situation, someone must have called 911 for some sort of water rescue assistance, the firefighters would have heard "boater in distress" and responded appropriately. Standard procedures are to don all necessary equipment on the way or as soon as you get to scene and then take action. I can understand how seeing 15 firefighters show up for a non-rescue left you shaking your head, but that's what its like to live in a society with a fairly good safety net. Any call could be a disaster, or they couldn't be required at all.. But still you have to react as if it is a worse case scenario. As far as your concerns of tax payers dollars, I was a volunteer for a city in the middle of niagara for 5 years until I moved away to work in the north. The city budgets approximately $120,000 - 140,000 a year for its 100+ volunteers. I usually had good (80+ % ) attendance at firecalls and training nights, and I would get paid $1500-$1800 a year, the first week of december. Captains and the handful of people who had added responsibilities would get $500 per diems so they might make a little over 2 grand. Of course there were some guys who worked shifts and had family commitments whose attendance dropped below, and they would make less. We trained every tuesday and had roughly 130 calls a year, average 2 per week. Along with the volunteers, there are 12-18 full time guys, where they are manning the station, 2 at a time, 24/7. The full time firefighters would be called to every incident and roughly be "in command" of the scene. These guys get paid your normal firefighter wage so I assume the city budgets 1.5 - 2 million a year for their wage. So, on top of the full timers salary, they pay out an additional $140,000 so that in chance that there is a structure fire, or a horrible car crash, they will have the manpower of 20 - 60 people, whatever, to efficiently deal with the emergency. I personally think that's kind of a bargain, even though it may look like overkill when you see 15 guys show up for a non-rescue. But you never know until you show up on scene. But as a former volunteer who loved his work and quite honestly misses it a lot, I have an obvious bias about this topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwolRJ Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 I agree with you on everything expect the one question. What would happen if a lil kid was drowning on the other side of town and all the firefighters are at the crystal beach boat launch helping this rich guy tow his boat back to shore? Once they got to the lake and evaluated the situation, why did they keep acting like the Pope was drowning. I think it was all a big show for the public. Even heard the one fireman ask who's driving the boat, so it was a joy ride for them basically. What does a firetrucks have to do with lake Erie? Last I checked they didn't float, they would be better off at the firestation waiting for a fire. 2 Firetrucks and a boat is a lil overboard if you ask me. I was thinking it has something to do with quota and they gotta spend the money to keep getting the money. I would of told the guy to walk to shore he was in 3 feet of water, next time my car breaks down I'll make sure to call 911 and say vehicle in distress! Save me some towing charges and a taxi ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik.T. Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 I would worry more if the cemetary was across the road from the hospital .......think I'd have my surgery done elsewhere...... LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little cleo Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 "...... and I would get paid $1500-$1800 a year, the first week of december. "...you got paid to volunteer? Must be nice..... All volunteers* in niagara, all of canada possibly, get paid a little something or other. I've heard of volunteers in the Bradford-west gwillimbury area, who get paid on an hourly basis, making more than $20,000 a year as they service the wrecking yard area of the 400 (therefore they get many calls). It has to do with being an employee of a city corporation and, as such, needing to be insured. Giving us a little bit of pay makes us official employees and therefore we can be insured, be covered under WSIB etc.. I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of labour law but that's how it was explained to me. In regards to if there was a drowning baby on the other side of fort erie, I had to do a little searching to give you a good answer Look here . Fort Erie has six different fire stations - Crystal Beach, Ridgeway, Stevensville, Jarvis St in FE, Dominion st in FE and Bertie st in FE. These station each have a defined geographical area to service, and a separate roster of firefighters who man the stations. Therefore, if there was a call on the other side of the city, it would be a different station that was dispatched to the incident and response times would not be compromised. I'm going to assume, as well (but don't take my word for it) that since FE is surrounded on two sides by water, that they have more than one boat. The dispatchers know all of the vehicles at every hall, and therefore would make sure that a boat made it to the scene quickly. If a boat was not available, they also have rescue - oriented inflatable craft that fold up and are stored on the trucks, as well as floater suits. In regards to your questioning the "full out, lights and sirens, regardless of the call" responding of the firefighters, the dispatcher will keep in touch with all of the trucks and if one truck arrives before the rest and realizes that it's not a dire emergency, they will call over their radio (which all trucks can hear) to respond Level 2 (lights, no sirens) or level 1 (no lights, no sirens) or even stand down, return to station. If you ever see a fire truck, or even a personal vehicle with a flashing green light that is not obeying the rules of the road (ie - speeding, running stops/reds, passing on the shoulder etc), feel free to call the local fire chief to report it or ask for an explanation. You don't need to get a plate number, just a description of the vehicle will suffice to figure out who the offender is. This happened more than once in my hall (although never me personally) and the offending person was given a much needed slap on the wrist (or in some cases, suspension) and warning to never do it again. Remember they're in the business of public safety, it's not smart for them to be endangering the public on the way to the call. Any more questions or concerns, I'll try to pull from my experience to let you know what I know.. *The term volunteer is not official any more, some people prefer to be called "part time professional firefighters", because they do, in fact, get paid. Volunteer is just so much more recognized and familiar to people that it continues to be used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwolRJ Posted June 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 I didn't realize there was so many stations, I guess it wasn't the whole dept like I thought. I still don't agree with giving the rich guy in 3 feet of water 40 feet from shore a free tow though, but it is what it is. Sorry if I offended any Firemen I might need ya someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Andrews Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 They pull allot of boats off that reef at the lighthouse every year. You would think the lighthouse would be a hint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.