firefighters: what piece do you ride?

City of Huntsville Alabama FD Im stationed at st.11 any given day I could be on the engine, ladder or a rescue truck. much rather be on the engine though. More fire experience. but the rescue truck is pretty fun when ya got a good wreck to work

 

When I was in, drove and rode in the engine, ambulance and ladder.

 

Basically whatever is going out I'm on unless I'm at work. We're a call/vol
dept. We have 2 engines, 1 tanker w/cascade, a brush, rescue squad and 1 rescue boat. I joined 3 1/2 years ago at kind of a late age(45 and out of shape) I'm cleared to drive our Rescue Squad, brush truck and boat. I have my driving time in on the engines but still need to take the pumps test before getting cleared on them. I thought I was going to die when the burn building class came up. I made it through 7 rotations but just couldn't do the eighth. It was still fun and quite a learning experience. Most of our calls are medicals and being a small farm town, you know who you're going for. The kids know a lot more than I ever will but I enjoy it and it gets me out of the house on Thursday nights.(drill night) There's a public safety employee skydive coming up this summer and I'm looking forward to that. There's always something interesting.

Greg

 

Driving the engine tonight and the next three. Next rotation I'll be driving an Oshkosh Striker. Hope I can wheel it in some mud.

 

I work at Altus AFB Fire department in Altus oklahoma. work along side military members in the same position. our response area is anything inside the base fence. 2 Engines, 5 P-23's (aircraft response) 2 tankers, 1 medium Rescue and 1 heavy rescue....we run BLS on the Engines and work with the county for ALS and transport.

 

In my career I have worked everything on our job......Assigned to an Engine for the first seven years, a 100 foot ladder tower for a year, our heavy rescue for seven years, two other engines for seven years and now a 75 foot quint for the past two. Well since the first of the year I can now add Platoon Chief 's truck to the "units worked" list.......Qualified as an Acting PC and move into that position every couple of months for a tour or two.

 

There should be an "All of the Above" box.

 

Not a ff but couldn't resist getting this pix today! Highest respect goes out to you guys!

 

I miss the fire service- I was paid on call for years, had to retire due to so many injuries it was interfering with my other job. We had two houses (covering 36 sq. miles), each with a tanker, engine, rescue and medical rigs, plus one airboat, and you had to be proficient on all of them because you never knew where you where going to end up. Be safe, everyone.

 

I'll be on a crash truck when I go back to work on Thursday after four short days off.
Buried two brothers on the 30th and 31st who were gunned down responding to a house fire on Christmas Eve.
Ask me why I don't like people.

 

i ride engine company..hose humper ftw

 

I guess we are changing how our station assignments happen with the new year. I hope I stay on the truck or move to the tower. To be honest I don't care what I'm on engine or truck company as long as my pay checks keep coming!

 

Does it count if i'm a Junior?

 

it depends, where you a junior at?

 

Captain on the Busiest Truck Co. in the State


2003 Pierce Tiller 100' Aerial







Stuck in the Ice





View from the Tiller Cab









Me top left a few years back when I was still a Engineer. Just got through venting the roof (you can tell where the thick black smoke is where my hole was) when it vented itself in the back.
Lot of good that did huh? lol


​

 

Your buddy behind you might get a little hot on his calves when he's interior the next time...

Sweet self-venting

Matt

 

Haha.. That's exactly what I told him.

BTW... He no longer works with us lol

On a side note... It is amazing how far turnouts have come since then. Those were "Quest" turnouts and now we have "Morning Pride" and it is night and day difference. Then I've got a set of "Globe" boots that are amazing. Imagine what it will be like in 10 more years?

 

Nice pics! This is our tower 51 which I am on now.

 

I miss the service too... Had to get out of it for the same reason... injury... Mainly my choice because if I went at it any longer, my back and knees were messed up, I would be in a wheel chair by the time I was able to retire.

To my fellow FF's, stay safe out there.

Also, RIP to the 4 FF's that were killed the other day out in Houston. Hopefully the others that are in the hospital make it out alright and can get back to work soon.

This was the truck I road on:

 

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Pierce-Oshkosh makes some good stuff. I sold my old company (sold my part) & Pierce-Oshkosh ended up buying it in the end.

Now that Pierce is under Oshkosh ... they will get most of the military contracts and the civilian contracts will continue as usual.

They are even doing joint-venture-manufacturing in China now.

Was in that business all my life (fire apparatus, speciality & military vehicles) and watched those companies grow from tiny outfits.

I remember when Emergency One aka E-1 was started in a garage in Ocala, FL building the first aluminum extruded mini-pumpers on a shoe-string budget.

A buddy of mine started an emergency equipment sales outfit out of the trunk of his car on his BankAmercard .... he later sold that company for $17 million and quit.

Sorry about my mindless rambling ... but I sold out and cashed in my chips at 46 y/o (20 years ago) and really miss it. Love to watch you young guys now with your equipment.
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