Mass Causality Event: Jan 8, 2013

[Mopar1973Man]

I'll be involved in a Mass Causality Event training with both Idaho County Search & Rescue and Salmon River Rural Fire Dept. So grab both sets of gear and haul out to the training site tomorrow. As far as I know of its involving 3 counties (Adams, Idaho, and Valley Counties) then going to have EMS, Police, Search & Rescue, Fire, and a few other agencies there too. So its going to be a big event. I'll see about grabbing my camera and taking it with me.

[Mopar1973Man]

I return. Lets say I'm not impressed. :rolleyes:A lot of things went wrong and typically don't happen for us in normal every day call outs. Chief's selection of fire truck for the call was bad. (2 wheel drive structure trucks) and very icy slick conditions, then not being able to access the site (we had to walk in), call out timing was all wrong we are local at less than 4 miles and should of been there before other outside town depts (New Meadows or McCall). Communications was extremely poor (which is fairly typical). But by the time we got to the scene everything was done. The EMS were loading the last injured person up for transport. There was a total of 9.Now if it was a normal call out I would stopped at my station grabbed Engine 11 which is a 4WD Chevy 1 ton diesel with 300 gallons. I could of easily got down to the scene been taking care of the fire issues (if any), assisted with EMS, etc. It's the fact that there is no information of what the call was that hurt. Normally when dispatch calls out we know if its a house fire, vehicle accident, support call for EMS, etc. Being that no one knew left us at a disadvantage that typically not there. Also typically we don't report to a IC per say but within our own and keeps confusion down. So like if I rolled up and had a grass fire I would jump on the radio and called for water tender for extra support. But since it was set training exercise and variables are not normal then everything went wrong.

[diesel4life]

If they didnt put out any information about the scenario, how did the other units make it there quicker?Sounds alot like the crap we get put through every quarter at work. I am a welder/fitter in a very large chemical plant. Lots and lots of confined spaces on site, pits, tunnels, vessels, reactors, silos, the list goes on and on. Alot of times we have to go inside to perform repairs. Many years ago the higher ups decided if there ever was a true emergency by the time the fire dept or ambulance showed up lots of precious time could be wasted so they formed a voluntary in house C.S.R. team (confined space rescue). Had to learn to self repel as well as ascend using only ropes and prussiks. No mechanical devices, period. Learned how to make 3 to 1 and 4 to 1 pulley systems for retrieving personnel. And to make it all the more interesting we always train in level b acid suits and scba bottles with full face respirators to simulate an emergency chemical response. The initial training we got was from certified instructors and was very good. But then they got cheap and sent one of the employees out to get certified and now he does all the refresher classes every quarter and he really has no buisiness being an instructor.

[Mopar1973Man]

Kind of in the same boat. We get to go to college course up in Orofino, ID and get courses in just about anything fire fighting. Which is fine. But when you take the course your working with 2013 course with 2013 equipment but when you come home the rest of the fire crew is still untrained, working with 1960's to 1980's equipment, then in a hybrid condition of structure vs. wildland. It's like how do you make what you learn in the college course work with the older equipment you got? Sad but true...Engine 6 - 1972 Ford F-550Water Tender 2 - 1963 MilitaryMy two in Station 1 - 1986 Engine (GM Diesel) and 1994 Chevy 1 TonReally tough to be up to date with out-date stuff...