OT: Huge Fire at Industrial Park in Hillsborough

[T2Kplus10]

Not being anti-FF here. Just hey - big fire, budget cuts, put the old POS truck in harms way - get new truck - might be the only way to get it funded given our current crop of politicians.

And if not, that fire must have REALLY surprised them that one guy wasn't close enough to jump in the seat and drive to safety.

The Hillsborough FDs are volunteer and have independent taxing authority (like most suburban towns). They haven't been impacted by the type of budget cuts you are talking about (i.e., for cities and paid FDs) and I'm sure their equipment is top notch.

 

[greenknight]

Screw I recall reading that winds changed direction and that fire was raging. A FF'R is not going to risk his life to save a truck.

 

[RU Diesel07110]

Sprinkler systems are designed specifically for the construction and intended use of the building. This includes assumptions on how high certain materials are stored and the overall arrangement of a warehouse. Facility/Warehouse managers should abide by whatever those rules are for their particular location, but often times they don't, which basically renders sprinklers close to useless in some fires.

Aside from that, some shit just burns hotter and faster than other stuff.

Insurance nerd here -- can you tell?

Property is federally owned so doesn't have to adhere to state codes and cannot be fined.
We did inspections at a post office and found a lot of fire sprinkler violations but we're told they can basically do what they want.

 

[T2Kplus10]

Property is federally owned so doesn't have to adhere to state codes and cannot be fined.
We did inspections at a post office and found a lot of fire sprinkler violations but we're told they can basically do what they want.

Yup, this is true. Feds can do whatever they want and the locals have no authority over them.

 

[RUMBA-JK]

Not being anti-FF here. Just hey - big fire, budget cuts, put the old POS truck in harms way - get new truck - might be the only way to get it funded given our current crop of politicians.

And if not, that fire must have REALLY surprised them that one guy wasn't close enough to jump in the seat and drive to safety.

Don't know who lost trucks, but all reports give the impression that it was pretty crazy there - with somewhere in the range of 200 pieces of Fire Fighting equipment on the scene & over 30 different fire companies responding.

Not saying that it would never happen - but in general, it just isn't in the classic Fire Fighter DNA to sacrifice a piece of equipment - they spend a lot of time & energy on maintenance & preserving full functionality - even on relics that are overdue for retirement to just appearing in parades - and they tend to have a strong focus on the near term - like if there is a fire two days from now - and they know that a new piece of replacement equipment takes months to obtain - so they would rather have their 1973 Fire Engine with the various limitations than have nothing and have to swallow their pride and call the next town for help with simple stuff.

 

[miker183]

Not being anti-FF here. Just hey - big fire, budget cuts, put the old POS truck in harms way - get new truck - might be the only way to get it funded given our current crop of politicians.

And if not, that fire must have REALLY surprised them that one guy wasn't close enough to jump in the seat and drive to safety.

If it was an aerial ladder, and the ladder was up, its not so simple to just drive away. The same with an engine that had numerous lines stretched from its pump panel.

Not having been there, I won't second guess, but most often you TRY to anticipate potential fire spread, both the where and how much.

I don't know anyone that would deliberately leave an apparatus in harm's way, since you can never trust that the piece would be replaced. Budget limitations are a reality, and one can never assume anything.

 

[RUScrew85]

If it was an aerial ladder, and the ladder was up, its not so simple to just drive away. The same with an engine that had numerous lines stretched from its pump panel.

Not having been there, I won't second guess, but most often you TRY to anticipate potential fire spread, both the where and how much.

I don't know anyone that would deliberately leave an apparatus in harm's way, since you can never trust that the piece would be replaced. Budget limitations are a reality, and one can never assume anything.

Good point.