Friday, March 23, 2012

Your opinion

Firefighters:  What is your opinion of the recent stories on the LAFD?  How would you solve the problems?  How do you feel about the Mayor's 6 ambulance proposal?  Koretz' motion to return to pre-MCP levels?

7 comments:

  1. The proposal to "staff 6 RA's" is little more than putting lipstick on a pig and calling it a prom date. The current RUMOR is that they will be "V" staffed, 10 hours. Great to move them around to try and cover area's but it is still window dressing. Great if they happen to be in the right area, at the right time, during their 10 hour shift. We need more paramedic RA's. MOST calls end up being ALS OR an ALS RA takes a BLS patient, creating a hole where there used to be Paramedic service. We need MORE resources. More RA's, MORE 800's, MORE Fire Companies. How many resources can we staff with ONE lawsuit?

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    1. I wonder if these few excuses for RA coverage in the form of 10 hour basic life support rescues will start taking the place of moved-up 24 hour advanced life support rescues. Just this last weekend Rescue 92 was moved out of their district two days in a row consecutively. On Saturday, our neighbors just west of us in Santa Monica had their entire city depleted of all their resources at a structure fire. So of course, since we have resources to spare, we left Century City unprotected in order that we could lend Santa Monica a rescue so that they could be protected instead our own residents. Awesome isn't it?

      Not to be outdone on the following day Sunday, Rescue 92 was once again the lucky recipient of a move up to Fire Station 70. That's right, in case anyone doesn't know where fire station 70 is, just take a drive twenty and a half miles north over the Sepulveda pass and when you get to Northridge, you've arrived. Its nice to be without your rescue knowing that they're 20 miles away enjoying a nice warm day of running calls in the Valley. Better even yet is that while they were moved up for Rescue 70, Rescue 70 became available from their drill at twelve o'clock and was driving around in their district having lunch and enjoying the day but OCD didn't bother letting Rescue 92 know that they were permitted to go home until two o'clock, a couple of hours later. So Northridge had two ALS rescues available, Century City..... ZERO

      No!!!! the mayor, the chief, chiefs, and city council that think this is a great idea and solution to augment the increase in workload that we've all picked up, is WRONG. THIS IS NOT GOING TO HELP!!! If they want to help, maybe start by constantly staffing these RA's for 24 hours, plus reopen your closed engine and truck companies and turn them all back to Task Forces.

      My 2 cents

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  2. To the person who wrote: "Your efforts to help us do our job and out the ruthless politics that are putting everyone at risk is appreciated."

    Your efforts keeping us safe is appreciated. Stay safe.

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  3. Why is the mayor adding 6 RA's? Is there truth in the numbers? The mayor is trying to appease the media storm, but its not helping that poor family in 105's district where the man burned in his house. The question everyone should ask themselves is why are there only two men holding back and not returning all the closed companies. There are no checks and balances going on here. Each day that passes the City's liability increases. Our Council members need to step in and make this happen. Stop the musical chairs game!

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  4. Happy Cinco de Mayo. Well the department decided to honor and celebrate this festive day by once again picking on the local firefighters at 92's. While I'm sure it’s probably going on all over the City, I'm only concerned with what goes on here where at this moment it’s affecting my safety and the rest of my crew’s safety. Oh yeah, the publics safety is jeopardized as well. A little while ago I got wind that Paramedic assessment Truck 92 which has a paramedic on it was ordered to take said paramedic, and send him to fire station 68 in the Mid-City area so that he could staff an ambulance over there that needed another paramedic. Now I don't know the reasons for why 68's needed our paramedic, that’s not really any of my concern. It’s too bad that 68s needed another paramedic, I hope that the paramedic that had to go home for what ever reason is alright and nothing too serious is going on. But it’s funny how 92s is always on the department’s short list. So the powers that be figured, they'd take a paramedic off of Truck 92 and fill the void at 68s. Awesome isn't it. Now this poor guy who was at his own station working a trade for another friend of his has to drive in his own car in the middle of his dinner and go and finish off the shift at a different station.

    But what’s not right is that the chiefs that decided on such a wonderful idea (I'm sure they patted themselves on their own backs) thought that it is okay for Truck Company 92 not only to run as a basic life support truck since it can not be considered an Paramedic Assessment Truck with out a paramedic on it, but that we are running as a non-fully staffed truck company. Instead of having the usual 6 people that ride on the truck company, fire station 68 took one of our guys and we're expected and supposed to run and be alright with having one less guy on our team. Sorry folks, you ask what difference one firefighter can make, let me tell you, the difference between life and death, plus he's our paramedic for us in case something bad happens to us, yet alone any of you in the public that we serve. But that’s okay; ask the mayor what he thinks about this, he'll tell you he's okay with this. After all he already took 4 firefighters away from our station when he shut down Engine 92, what's one more going to do, hurt somebody? Well in the case of the gentleman that unfortunately lost his life about a month ago in 92's first in, I guess it could have made a difference. Hopefully we won't have to ask ourselves that question again, tonight.

    I'm just saying....

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  5. Amazing. West L.A. is so sparsley covered by rescues and what does the department do? They take Century Citys ambulance and move them down to South L.A. where they have rescues coming out of stations two at a time. Station 57's three resuces they have at their station isn't enough. Lets send resuce 92 down there as well. Four ambulances in 57's first in, while 92s has zero, makes for an awesome ratio of rescues per 1000's of people in your district, well if you live in South L.A. at least. It's a good thing that it wasn't the day before yesterday when a lady fell and severly broke her hip. West L.A. isn't busy? Nope, 25 minutes to get an ambulance from Baldwin Hills over to Century City isn't too long to wait for some pain managemnet. It amazes me how we all work for this great big city and how the department picks and chooses certain rescues to move up and how we get picked more times than most. Well at least no one died yesterday, which can't be said for the unlucky guy who wished his engine wasn't closed down when he ate his last burrito. Great job LAFD. Paint a rosey picture that Engine 105 is being restored, thats going to help us a lot over all of the rest of the city. Not likely, try opening up all the closed down companies. Then we'll start being able to provide the service to the citizens of Los Angeles, that they really deserve.

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  6. Firefighters: Remember that criticism of the LAFD is not criticism of the amazing work you do every day keeping us safe.

    We will keep fighting to get the City to give you what you need to make us safe and to keep you safe.

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