Please use this thread for pissing and moaning about how someone else is managing their fire.
Also, this is a good thread if you want to complain not being ordered yet.
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yep yep this would be a great thread for that bravo bravo
I cant believe LNU didnt order MNF resources right away what is wrong with ordering team green resources… 
22 years ago when I was a rookie, an old engineer told me, “Relax. They’ll call us when they need us.”
So until then, just enjoy the air conditioning, hot chow, and beds.
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It’s a tough order but someone has to stay home and protect the women…
and the children too.
It’s a tough order but someone has to keep the Beer Fridge stocked for the crew when they get home…
It’s a tough order but someone has to stay home and Text the crew about how smoky it’s getting at home and to tell them to “put that damm fire OUT!”
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Fku ordered everything north of fresno including the green for what turned out to be a dust cloud near shaver lake so why didn’t they order oes engines from clovis.
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Then the op area dropped the ball, the local departments have had all apparatus listed available for quite some time
For our Op area we can’t fill any orders because there is a total lack of strike team leaders and engine bosses. Most depts in my region (all paid muni) have their status as avl and I see multiple type 3s and type 1s but we miss that critical piece.
We had a strike team formed up last night to launch but zero strike team leaders to take with us. It’s slim pickings due to retirements, covid shutting down classes last year, and just resources stripped
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There is a lot of hoops and levels that must align before LG S/T’s get the call to form up and go to an incident. Just because your agency gets a request to fill doesn’t mean it’s automatic. The Unit Chief, L/G Agency Chief, USFS Chief, etc. still have veto power. I’ve sat in numerous E.C.C.'s as well as the Region Office, So. Ops, and worked expanded dispatch and where all the decisions are being made. Individual engine company staff at fire stations will sit on these blogs and scream why aren’t we going we have plenty of engines available and not realize a good part of the time your Chief’s turned the request down. It’s not always black and white on the why’s and how come’s. Lots of layers can stop a request from being filled, including your own agency. The best anyone can do, instead of complaining, is to be ready when you’re called upon. If you control what you can control in your immediate environment and you, your crew, and your equipment are ready when the call comes then you’ve done your job to be at peak performance for the assignment. Like I side, there are so many layers to a request before it even gets to your level you’d need to know every thought and decision by every person in the approval chain before you could make a judgment on why you are sitting in a station on an engine instead of on a S/T headed to an incident.
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This Strike Team thread should probably be moved to its own at this point. Getting off topic from the Fire itself…myself being just as guilty.
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Yes, sorry I didn’t specify that it was a LG ST
Yeah, hearing some went UTF because they had no STEN’s. Some are UTF’ing because they just don’t have the staffing or apparatus. Things have changed and you’re right…just because you get an order doesn’t mean you can fill it. Hearing even depts with OES equipment are struggling to meet those expectations.
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Lol…we should just create a thread called bitch and moan! Doesn’t matter the subject matter…just air it all out!! In all seriousness…thanks for moving this though. We are all passionate about what we do and we all tend to get way off track.
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One thing about the bitching moaning, it’s all from men and women that WANT to go out there and work. Funny that in our reality we are most frustrated when we are told we can’t work or can’t fill an order.
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I stress this to my FF and we work for CF. “At the end of the day, the bills have to be paid.” Meaning nothing happens for free. While this isn’t a business, it must be run like a business. Look no further than all of the issues with CFAA and the Fed’s.
I ask this question all the time WILL YOU WORK FOR FREE? Not once has the answer been yes. So who pays and how much matters. In this case(Dixie Fire 40 S/T anytime engines) the financial coding was CFAA. Now if you don’t know what CFAA is, I suggest you learn. There is a HUGE difference between CFAA, MMA, MA, & CFMMA.
Those young FF that want to promote, it would be good to learn. Those FAE & FC looking to take the next step where not only are your decisions some times LIFE & DEATH. But they can also affect the financial health of the agency you work for.
Let’s be honest and face facts. The FS bean counters look at CF and LG when it comes to ordering resources as the expensive date that when the bill comes due, has alligator arms and can’t reach the check.
I can’t stress this enough, if you want to learn and promote. Get out of the station. Go on a ride a long. Better yet, go spend time and work in a busy ECC or even get on a expanded support team. Learn the inner workings. Because eventually, you can’t just sit back, batching, moaning, complaining and throwing grenades from behind a keyboard. Eventually, you have to drink some Kool aid and promote. Then when you get on the inside and make the changes you’ve always wanted to make. You’ll understand why & why not. But also make the changes you wanted as long as you didn’t get drunk on the Kool aid along the way.
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