Comments on fire volunteers / fire trucks / emergencies

[FIREMEDIC11]

Hi All,Greetings to everyone!

I would like to get everyones insight on everything about Fire and Rescue particularly here in Manila. Experiences with Fires, Fire Trucks, Fire Emergencies, Fire Fighters and the like.

I am not here to criticize but to get a perspective on how the general public sees us.

Any comments, suggestions, criticisms (Good or bad), praise, clarifications, membership inquiries or anything that has something to do with being a fire volunteer will greatly be appreciated.

I will not try to correct anyone but will address everything to the best of my ability or at least direct you guys to the right person.

I respect all those who have created threads about this and this was not created in such a way to counter those threads (With respect to those who have reated a thread about this).

Again, my goal is to just basically clarify what goes through the mind of public particularly the motoring public.

Keep Safe Everyone

[impulzz]

hope this helps.

my fiancee started her med internship at a gov't. hospital. from time to time they would evac high risk patients to other hospitals for better treatment. she tells me that private vehicles usually give way specially those with nice cars. PUV's usually don't care and just drive along as if they don't even hear a siren.

there was even an instance when a besta van tried racing with them, so the ambulance driver got on the PA system and scolded the driver.

well my guess is that people have already gotten p!ssed off with the abuses with the use of the siren, so they just think.... "ah anak o asawa lang ni congressman yan manonood ng sine o mag cr na".

even scooters now have sirens.

the problem is how to implement the law on the use of sirens.

till then firefighters, ambulances will have to bear the consequences of those who abuse the siren.

[shadow]

hope this helps.

my fiance started her med internship at a gov't. hospital. from time to time they would evac high risk patients to other hospitals for better treatment. she tells me that private vehicles usually give way specially those with nice cars. PUV's usually don't care and just drive along as if they don't even hear a siren.

there was even an instance when a besta van tried racing with them, so the ambulance driver got on the PA system and scolded the driver.

well my guess is that people have already gotten p!ssed off with the abuses with the use of the siren, so they just think.... "ah anak o asawa lang ni congressman yan manonood ng sine o mag cr na".

even scooters now have sirens.

the problem is how to implement the law on the use of sirens.

till then firefighters, ambulances will have to bear the consequences of those who abuse the siren.

iba ang perspective ng tao between ambulance and firetrucks.

sa ambulance people will still think na wala talagang emergency gusto lang mauna sa traffic but for firetrucks IMO most of the time if not always people will give way..we don't usually see firetrucks naman na nag wang-wang para lang mauna sa traffic most of the time meron talagang sunog na pupuntahan.

I can say fire volunteers are doing a good job. I mean mas maganda pa gamit niyo sa BFP yata eh...hehehe

[huggybear]

^^ +1
I always give way to firetrucks.
- May nasusunog naman talaga
- Nakaka-intimidate kasi ang lakas ng siren
- Mahirap na baka masagi ka ng isang heavy and fast-moving vehicle

(Wag lng sana gamitin na pang-water cannon)

[FIREMEDIC11]

We have more than a dozen of fire volunteer groups within the metro alone. Members of these volunteer fire departments often find it really easy to secure a set of warning lights and sirens being one of the members. Unfortunately, not at all times it is being used for its purpose (in tructh and in fact). The FD that I'm currently a member of condones the use of sirens on our personal vehicles. This is to prevent any kind of abuse that such devices would result to. In fact, we cant even flash our ID's on our windshields, we cant tail a fire truck and we cant respond directly to a fire scene or accident scene using our own vehicles unless additional manpower would really be necessary. For one, personal vehicles would only cause traffic jams because we might end up leaving it anywhere and the obvious reason that our personal rides are NOT fire trucks.

In the case of the gears that we use? When the Government decided to really support its firefighters (RA 9514 New Fire Code of The Philippines) back in 2008, they have been slowly modernizing everything from gears to apparatus that our BFP needs to respond to fires. We volunteers secure our own gears unless we are issued gears that have been donated by an institution or respective directors.

But most certainly, di kami nag didisperse ng tao sa mga rallies. hehehe

[OTEP]

To prevent tailgaters, the company I ride with recently installed high-powered strobe lights on the tailgates/taillamps of the ambulances to blind drivers of vehicles who follow too closely.

Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. :D

[boybi]

What can you say naman about the volunteers who install sirens and blinkers in their private vehicles? They use their vehicles to the fire scene and need to use sirens and blinkers so go there quickly. Should this be allowed?

[s_quilicot]

I envy their whelen sirens and nice LED flashers and strobe hid-a-ways.

[OTEP]

May U.S. States (especially the more rural ones) allow P.O.V.'s (privately owned vehicles) of fire/police/EMS personell to be used in responding to calls.

However, there are regulations stipulating the level of equipment that may be installed on POV's (e.g. most prohibit roof mounted light bars). POV's are not just for racing to the scene. Some are used to control traffic to allow other emergency vehicles/apparatus safe passage. Other POV's are used to carry emergency equipment (e.g. a defibrilator/life pak). Some are even used to race human organs to transplant patients.

I wish our local laws would loosen up and also entertain green emergency lamps. They're for doctor's cars in the UK.

[dadz]

just to share my experience im also a volunteer way back when im still young heheheheheheh one time we responded sa isang fire alert sa mandaluyong shaw, while our truck is in motion a stupid car followed as to close as in close so noong lumagpas sa kanto at kailagan umatras nag truck, wala nag nagawa yung car kung hindi masalpok namin sa likod ang masama nito hinabol kami nag me ari nag car at bigla na lang kaming tinutukan heheheheheheheh buti na lang yung ibang group na naka civilian car na nag responce e me kasamang off duty na police, kami ang sinisisi hit and run daw. ang tanga hindi ata marunong bumasa me naka lagay na keep away 50 feet hehehehehehehe.

the stupidity of people that follow emergency vehicle just to skip a few kilometers of traffic.