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Video: Worst Fire Department in the United States?

This article is also found at Daily Fire Fix

Probably Not.

 

Daily Fire Fix ran across this video with the interesting title and had to see what was going on.  It’s actually a compilation of videos of the Grant’s Pass Rural Fire Department in Josephine County Oregon which is in southwest OR along I-5 and the California border. 

Grant’s Pass Rural Fire Department is one of three private fire departments competing for fire protection “contracts” for properties in the county. See if you share the myriad of emotions that others have when you see these “firefighters” in action at a residential structure fire.

One you are past the “Oh my God’s” and the “What the &%^#’s”, I’d like to challenge you to watch it a second time.  Only this time, I want you to ask yourself, “if I’m watching this fire department floundering on video, how many other fire departments in the United States operate in similar ways, with no command structure, old equipment, no PPE, no money, and no clue?” 

My guess is that there are quite a few.

Now, let’s take this a step further.

I’d like to pose a challenge to you, the firefighter:  Put yourself into each of the following roles and think about what actions you would take based solely upon the information in the videos and what I have provided you in this article.

  1. You have just been appointed as fire chief of the GPVF and you have just seen this video.
  2. You are the fire chief of the Rural/Metro Fire Department, a neighboring combination department and you have just seen this video..
  3. You are a resident considering with which department to contract your fire protection services: GPVFD at a very, very low cost (45 cents per thousand) , GPFR at a cost five times that of GPVFD, or elect to opt out entirely from any fire contract and you have just seen this video.

If you’d like to, leave a brief comment to this article, or call in and leave a voicemail with your input.  I’ll report back later here on Daily Fire Fix with your ideas.

It's easy to identify the problems.  Got any solutions?  888-887-8718

Stay stoked!

-J

 

 

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Posted in Command & Leadership, Firefighting Operations, Fires, NetCast, News, Training, Training & Development, Videos

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Posted by on January 19, 2012 • 27 comments
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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=656994589 Rob Pendle

    Wow.  I’ve worked on small departments with no money.  At least the people have heart.  With that and some leadership, things can be improved.  First, I would get a command structure in place and concurrently get some training going. 
    Resources and capabilities need to be scrutinized as well as sources of income existing and potential.  Start writing grants…lots of them…every single one that can be found.  We got a grant once by simply stating the condition of our gear vs the quality of our training: we trained hard with current and new techniques, but our PPE’s were so old, we were actually doing field repairs on scene.
    Some kind of mutual aid agreement.contract needs to be explored from what I can see; simply from the lack of equipment.
    I cannot say more or less because I do not know any more than what I saw: a department of good-intentioned, brave folks struggling with a very difficult scene, secondary and tertiary hazards as well as a total lack of required PPE and gear and an apparent lack of training/command support.
    As a retied ISO, if I lived in the area, I would be more than happy to help out.  Unfortunately, I live a couple states away. 

    Perhaps, we as a group of brother firefighters can pool together some intellectual resources to help these folks on an advisory/consultant basis.

    I’d be happy to do so at any rate. If anyone decides to try to help and wants to, feel free to contact me via gryphonblade@yahoo.com.

  • WAHEID

    The video was, we hope, an extreme example. But how many built-up areas of the country don’t have hydrants because the residents are unwilling to pay for them? How many FD’s are cutting back on apparatus purchase and maintenance, communications equipment, PPE, training, overtime, etc. because elected officials can’t — or won’t — find the necessary funds. Truth is: you can’t have a champagne class FD with a beer budget.

  • Baddog78

    This in nothing new I am on two small departments one with only 6 members and equipment from 1971 amd no money to operate grants only go so far and no tax base to pull from all repairs and upkeep is out of pocket the county that i live in is wanting to close this department and let one that is over 20min away take the area. The other department is larger but money is not there the bigger departments in the area want to take this one over too but only to get the tax money thay dont seem to care about responce time or public saftey I do this job to help people and save lives not for the newest truck in the shed or or brightest lights on the truck I think that there are departments out there that have lost sight of whats important and we are all one big famly we are brothers we should be helping each other not pointing out the faults and failers of others we all need to help sacrefise is what we do so to all the volunteer firefighters that dont get payed when the call goes out dont give up remember you are not alone there are more of us out there than you know and if we dont show up who will

  • http://www.facebook.com/george.cazares George Cazares

    I’m not a professional FF, but I have served as a volunteer. If there are other agencies in the area (The video showed their “competition”) why is this department up and running? With the old equipment and lack of PPE and training, this is a department that is one major disaster away from…well, disaster. I can understand that you train with what you have, but at the same time they need to understand that they cannot run a “family owned” fire department when they cannot afford the equipment or training necessary to properly run it. I’m not here to bash on the men and women with this agency, but maybe it’s time that they hang it up and let someone with better equipment and training take over the fire protection. I’m concerned for the safety of the crew working there. Is the family running this agency because they care about the community? Or are they treating it like a business where they can make money? Fires are pretty rare. Bill them for protection services they may never use and collect the checks? It’s just terrifying and the risk of loos of life for the firefighters in that video was unbelievable.

  • Taillonmario

    40 years ago you put men on the moon, and today you can not afford a resonable fire departement…take care of your economy or you also will have lost the cold war…

  • Chefbeth12

    Grant’s Pass Rural Fire Department should not be allowed to have contracts with anyone. Nobody but an idiot would have sent away the other fire dept when they have run out of water! If I were that home/property owner I’d be beyond pissed!!!!!

  • Jamiehall4226

    From what I seen in the video I would say they are lacking training. I was Fire Chief in Missouri and trust my we did not get along with a neighboring fire district, but we put that aside to provide the best possible service. We would never turn away an agency helping us (personal differences must be set aside.)
    I am moving to seaside Oregon in two weeks I would be willing to try to help them out go down on a weekend and get some training going. Also if they would contact Fire Departments in CA alot of times they will give used equipment away. They gave our department bunker gear and helmets. Get the community involved chili supper, just fund raising in general. Get a good positive image going.

    If anyone else is trying to help them out contact me and I will see what I can do
    jamiehall4226@comcast.net

  • Shawley93

    I am a FF/EMT/BVRT in Pennsylvania. I am currently an active member of the Saltlick Township VFD. To be honest, I think people need to think a little different about the fire department in general. The people we help everyday whine and complain that the sirens are to loud, or the lights are to bright, or we aren’t fast enough. They need to realize that those lights and sirens are for theirs and our protection, and that we have lives also. But, on a different note, this company is obviously having financial difficulty, and cannot get help from their mutual aid companies most of the time. People need to realize that they are doing the best they can with what they have. When a crew pulls on scene of an incident the lives of the crew and the individual come above all. If we cannot save your home, you better believe we will do what we can with what we have to save as much as possible. These guys aren’t the greatest company, but neither is any other company. They are doing what they can with what they have. Nobody should have the right to bash another company because of their methods of putting a fire out or rescuing a person from a dangerous situation. Honestly, I commend these brothers and sisters for trying their best, they need all the support they can get.

  • Canada Son

    I have been a Fireman for 25 years and currently hold the rank of Captain. My heart goes out to small Departments like these because they truly do wish to do a good job, but lack training, funding and apparent leadership. Again, one could pick apart their attack, safety issues and the like, but it would serve them better if other Departments, even those in completly different areas, could provide them with the tools they need to improve. I know it may seem far fetched, but if professionals and volunteers from active departments could pull together for these smaller groups, we wouldn’t be considering who was the worst, but rather, who is MOST IMPROVED. Remember friends, lives, not reputations depend on it.
    -Captain Mike McAllister
    Washington State

  • http://twitter.com/lulzfunny lulzfunny

    To all of you with sympothy for Grants Pass Rural, It is a FOR PROFIT family owned department competing with the 2 other Contracted departments in the area, Clearly GPRural turned away the help from Rural Metro because they are a competing contract dept, GPRural has no intention of using Mutual aid, They are a family who just wants money. The 2 other contract departments actually do work together with Mutual aid situations. So yes there are volly depts that run like this, THEY deserve the help/support. I refuse to stand behind any FOR PROFIT dept that is FAMILY OWNED and WONT accept Mutual Aid when its offered. They put them selfs in this predicament.

    • Andrew Sutherland

      Have used the video as a part of “this is what happens if you don’t train..don;t follow SOP’s..”basically everything that is wrong.Shame you guys dont have what we have.. ’state supported, state backed cohesive firefighting. It is down to having one or two state funded organisations providing the fire fighting.  My neighbouring brigade is part of the same organisation. Same equipment, same funding, same SOPS. What I saw on this video, and how it has been explained to me..is something we had over a lifetime ago. You just wouldn’t see it.

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