WAYNE’S STUFF 33
HEY RETIREES
I JUST DROPPED IN AT THE OLD FIREHOUSE ON SATURDAY TO SEE IF THE “YOUNG WHIPPER SNAPPERS” STILL SQUEEGEED OUT THE APPARATUS ROOM OR JUST DAMP MOPPED IT.
I DO SEE THEY ARE DOING IT ALL WRONG.
HOLD ON WHILE I TEACH THEM HOW TO DO IT RIGHT.
I KNOW ALL YOUNG WHIPPER SNAPPERS REALLY APPRECIATED US OLD TIMERS GIVING THEM ADVICE.
“HEY KID” DON’T YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO “PUSH” THE WATER WHEN YOU HAVE A “ PULLER”
LET ME EXPLAIN,
DUE TO THE MAKE AND AGE OF A SQUEEGEE, THEY BECOME PULLERS OR PUSHERS. IF YOU TRY TO PUSH WATER WITH A PULLER, THE ANGLE OF THE RUBBER MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DO. LIKEWISE, IF YOU TRY TO PULL WITH A PUSHER IT ALSO IS HARD TO DO.
A YOUNG WHIPPER SNAPPER CAN BEND REAL LOW AND PULL VERY EFFICIENTLY WITH A PULLER WHILE WHEN YOU AGE YOU HAVE TO STAND STRAIGHT UP AND USE A PUSHER.
THEN THERE ARE SOME OF THOSE NEW (SO CALLED IMPROVED) SQUEEGEES THAT ARE NETHER PUSHERS OR PULLERS. THEY JUST SORT OF DO A “JIGGLE WALK” ACROSS THE FLOOR. YOU HAVE TO LOOSEN THE BOLTS ON THE BLADE TO BE ABLE TO USE THEM.
SEE KID, AREN’T YOU GLAD ONE OF US RETIREES DROPPED IN TO TEACH YOU HOW TO DO THINGS RIGHT
I GUESS TODAYS “WHIPPER SNAPPERS” DON’T TAKE ADVICE VERY WELL..I WAS GOING TO TELL HIM THAT THE BOTTOM OF THIS MANHOLE IS FILLED WITH MUCK AS IT’S UP TO MY ANKLES AND HE SHOULD CALL THE REPAIR SHOP TO GET THE “SCOOP TO CLEAN THE MUCK OUT…THEN I SAID TO MYSELF “SELF, MAYBE YOU BETTER COME BACK ANOTHER DAY WHEN THE GUYS ARE IN A BETTER MOOD.
FROM A WEB SITE................Extinguishers
Two types of extinguisher have since disappeared in modern day. The first being the soda-acid water extinguisher. Similar to mixing baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar, the reaction was used push the water agent out of the extinguisher by creating CO2. The extinguisher had a stopper bottle full of sulfuric acid at the top. To use, one would invert the extinguisher and the stopper would fall out. The acid would mix with the solution of sodium bicarbonate and water. The reaction created CO2 which pressurized the extinguisher and pushed the watery solution out. There was no shut off valve to prevent excessive pressure building up in the extinguisher. This was because it might otherwise explode if the pressure was contained. These extinguishers were removed from service during the 1960's - 1970's and replaced by the pressurized 2½ gallon water extinguishers. They are safer and cheaper to maintain than the old soda-acid extinguishers.
The other extinguisher that has disappeared is the carbon tetrachloride extinguisher. This was the first liquid halon extinguisher. You had to pump the liquid out of the extinguisher to get it onto the fire. It was a very effective extinguishing agent. The problem was you had to get close to the fire to apply the agent. The other problem was if the liquid came in contact with a hot metal surfaces the chlorine would be chemically release. Due to the short range of the extinguisher, the user would often inhale this chlorine which may damage his lungs or kill him. These extinguishers started to disappear during the late 1950's early 1960's.
The next extinguisher that is going to be extinct is the halon 1211 extinguisher and the 1301 extinguishing systems. These were pressurized extinguishers and had a much better reach that the carbon tetrachloride extinguisher. The chemical manufacturing of most chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) chemicals that harm the ozone layer are being phased out by world agreement known as the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Halon production falls under the regulations that govern CFC and HCFC production and will no longer be available in the very near future as existing supplies are exhausted. Several replacement agents are on the market but none are widely excepted yet.
Also of note here is the Indian tank. This was a five gallon metal tank back-pack hand pumped water extinguisher used for fighting small brush fires out of reach of hose lines. During the late 1970's and 1980's plastic eight gallon vest style extinguishers began being sold. Sometime during the 1980's fire departments got rid of the Indian tanks opting to use 2½ gallon water extinguishers where the hose lines could not reach.
Some other types of extinguishers that were meant to be use by building occupants are the extinguisher grenades and extinguisher tubes. These are nothing more that ancient history now. The first grenades were glass ball type that were filled with a salt water and soda or murite of ammonia. The salt prevented the grenade from freezing. The grenade would be thrown at the fire. These were around from about 1860 to1900. After the 1900's they were filled with carbon-tetrachloride (a type of halon) and they were hung over everything from boilers to Christmas trees. Some had spring loaded brackets that would melt and "throw" the grenade to the floor breaking it. These were phased out during 1950.
Dry powder tubes were very popular during the end of the 1800's. These were 22 inch long by 2 1/4 inch fiber tubes fill with a chemical. More than likely they were filled will sodium bicarbonate, the fore runner of today's modern extinguisher. To use the extinguisher you would pull the top of the tube off and shake the contents at the fire.
FROM A WEB SITE
Hose Fittings
Most of yesteryear hose fittings are still in use today. In different parts of the country you can find ¾", 1", 1½", 2½", 3", 3½", 4", 5" and 6" hose. All of these different hose sizes require adapters to be connected from one size hose to another. Tread size often varied at the end of the 1800's before it was standardize. There are two basic thread standards in use today. National Pipe Tread (NSP) is often used in large chemical plants and refineries for fire hose and fittings. This is because of all the pipe used in the plant already built to the pipe standard. Most of the fire service uses National Standard - Hose (NST). Both of these thread fittings have male and female couplings. This requires additional adapters if the wrong end of the hose ends up at an engine.
Large Diameter Hose (LDH for short, is supply hose 3½" and up) is often fitted with Storz couplings today. These are uni-sex, half turn, locking couplings. Uni-sex coupling do not have male nor female ends. This saves the need for extra fittings.
Also still in use are wyes and siamese fittings. These take large hose lines and either spilt them into smaller lines or take smaller lines and join them to feed a larger line.
Some of the things that are disappearing from the fire service today are the Jones-Snap coupling. The Jones-Snap fitting female end had two ears that snapped over the male end.
Another thing is the Cooper hose jacket. The hose jacket was a small sleeve that fit over top of a 2½" hose leak.
With the use of LDH, hose ramps are not as common as they once were. Hose ramps for 2½" were very commonly carried so that cars and fire trucks could drive over top of the hose. They make hose ramps today for 5" hose but they are so large it is not practical to carry them on an engine with the limited space available.
Also disappearing is the hose clamp. These were very commonly used on 2½" hose to stop the flow and repair broken hoses or give the engine operator time to connected up the hose to the engine. They still make hose clamps for LDH but they are not as popular as the 2½" size. The use of radios, street hydrants and storz couplings has reduce the need for hose clamps in most areas.
A street hydrant or water thief is a form of a wye. Often a 4" or 5" hose will enter a street hydrant. The street hydrant will have a relief valve, and a 4" or 5" gated through outlet, with two or more 2½" male fittings, all with shut off valves. This lets a engine lay a supply hose to a hydrant and charge the supply line with water. When the engine at the fire scene is ready it can hook up to the street hydrant as needed or more than one engine can be supplied or supplemented if required.
FROM A WEB SITE.................Hydraulic Rescue Tools
There are more power hydraulic rescue tools than the Jaws Of Life that is so popular with the television news. The Jaws Of Life was the first mass marketed hydraulic rescue tool for automobile accidents.
(Hurst is the maker of the Jaws of Life). It was developed for auto racing rescues.
The first hydraulic tools were hand pumped jacks, rams and spreaders.
It was the Port-A-Power (a brand name). They than moved up to a gasoline powered unit in mid 1980's. The Phoenix Tool was a combination spreader and cutter. equipment was bought. The main use for this equipment was to tear and cut away automobiles from accident victims. These tools have limited use in other kinds of rescue. These tools can do small lifts or spreading using up to 16 tons of force. They can also be used to spread
metal bars or cut metal posts.
DO YOU KNOW:
SOME COMMUNITIES FIRST RIG WAS A HOSE CART, LADDERS WERE PLACED IN GARAGES AND BARNS THROUGHOUT THEIR TOWN.
THAT WAY THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE A HEAVY LADDER TRUCK TO DRIVE A LONG DISTANCE TO THE FIRE. IT WOULD ALSO BE AN ADDED EXPENSE AND WELL AS AN INCREASE OF MANPOWER.
THE SAME PRINCIPLE WAS USED IN SOME COMMUNITIES IN THAT THEY PLACED FIRE EXTINGUISHERS IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN CASE OF A FIRE.
THAT ONE COMMUNITIES VOLUNTEER FORCE HAD TO BE BETWEEN AGE 16 AND 65.
LIKE TODAY IT DEPENDED ON THE COMMUNITY, WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF MEN DUE TO VARIOUS FACTORS.
NOT ALL COMMUNITIES USED HORSES. SOME WENT DIRECTLY FROM MANPOWER PULLING THEIR RIGS TO THE MOTORIZED ERA.
SOME DEPARTMENT HAD A TWO PLATOON SYSTEM THAT WAS SPLIT INTO A DAY SHIFT, 0800 HRS TO 1800 HRS AND A NIGHT SHIFT, 1800 HRS TO 0800 HRS
YOU WORKED THE DAY SHIFT FOR HALF THE MONTH AND
THEN WORKED THE NIGHT SHIFT THE SECOND HALF
WHEN THE GUYS WENT FROM DAYS TO NIGHTS THEY WORKED 24 HOURS FOR THAT ONE SHIFT.
THE NIGHT SHIFT GUYS GOT IT OFF THAT SHIFT.
IT ALL BALANCED OUT OVER THE LONG HAUL.
REMEMBER USING THESE
NO, I DON'T EITHER
I GOT THESE YEARS AGO FROM AN "OLD TIMER" WHEN I WAS A YOUNG "WHIPPER SNAPPER"
HE TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS THE DEPARTMENT ISSUED INK PEN AND WELL
.THERE IS ONLY ONE PEN , I TURNED IT SIDEWAYS TO SHOW HOW YOU OPEN THE LEVER TO FILL THE INK FROM THE WELL.
THAT LEVER PRESSES ON AN INTERNAL RUBBER TUBE TO SUCK UP THE INK.
THE " OLD FIRE BOOTS" BEFORE BUNKER PANTS
(1) FOLDED ALL THE WAY DOWN, AS SHOWN IN SOME MOVIES BUT MOST GUYS WORE THEM AS IN # 2, BELOW
(2) FOLDED PART WAY UP, AS MOST OF THE GUYS WORE THEM
(3) PULLED ALL THE WAY UP TO PUT OUT A FIRE, EVEN THOUGHT THEY WERE ALL THE WAY UP WATER STILL GOT IN THEM
AND EVERY NOW AND THEN A BURNING EMBER GOT DOWN THERE.
(4) TODAY'S FIRE BOOT TO GO WITH BUNKER PANTS..
NOTE. ONE GOOD THING ABOUT THOSE HIGH BOOTS WAS WHEN ALL THE WATER FLOODED A BASEMENT YOU COULD "WADE IN THERE. WITH THE SHORTER BOOTS THE WATER CAME OVER THE TOP.
FROM A WEB SITE
"I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a firefighter. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which the firefighter has to do believe that his is a noble calling.
There is an adage which says that, 'Nothing can be destroyed except by fire.' We strive to preserve from destruction the wealth of the world which is the product of the industry of men, necessary for the comfort of both the rich and the poor. We are defenders from fires of the art which has beautified the world, the product of the genius of men and the means of refinement of mankind. (But, above all; our proudest endeavor is to save lives of men-the work of God Himself.
Under the impulse of such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring, even at the supreme sacrifice. Such considerations may not strike the average mind, but they are sufficient to fill to the limit our ambition in life onto make us serve the general purpose of human society."
Chief Edward F. Croker
FDNY circa 1910
HEY OLDTIMERS
BELOW ARE
EIGHT NAMES FOR FIREFIGHTER
FOLLOWED BY EIGHT COUNTRIES
MATCH THE COUNTRIES WITH THE TERM THEY USE FOR FIREFIGHTER
SCROLL DOWN BELOW FOR THE ANSWERS
ΠΥΡΟΣΒΈΣΤΗς
BOMBERO
POMPIER
FEUERWEHRMANN
POMPIERE
BRANDBESTRIJDER
BOMBEIRO
FIREFIGHTER
PORTUGUESE
DUTCH
ITALIAN
GERMAN
FRENCH
SPANISH
NORWEGIAN
GREECE
ΠΥΡΟΣΒΈΣΤΗς.......................GREECE
BOMBERO..................... SPANISH
POMPIER..................... FRENCH
FEUERWEHRMANN........... GERMAN
POMPIERE.......................... ITALIAN
BRANDBESTRIJDER......... DUTCH
BOMBEIRO.......................... PORTUGUESE
FIREFIGHTER....................... NORWEGIAN