Rural/Metro Fire Department, Arizona , incompetent & lazy

[Team Sergeant]

Rural/Metro Fire Department, Arizona, a fire department of incompetent firemen earning the same even if they sit on their asses and tell the public "We can't put out the fire".

We've had a fire burning near Luke AFB for about a week now that Rural/Metro , Arizona will not and cannot put out. It has destroyed Thanksgiving for maybe a few million that had to breath the fumes from one moron's mulch pile. The Rural/Metro Arizona fire department is sitting on their asses collecting money and doing nothing.

As one Arizona resident breathing the fumes of the mulch pile that the lazy incompetent Rural/Metro Fire Department, Arizona can't put out I'd just like to say thanks for doing nothing.

Contract firemen, do yourself a favor, hire local men to do the job and not contractors........

[Debo]

"Contract firemen, do yourself a favor, hire local men to do the job and not contractors......."



Well said. I have never liked those guys.


D.

[JJ_BPK]

Several yrs ago an article about a fire in one of the New England states was very similar to this,, kinda-maybe..

The local government had put in place a process where the police and fire/rescue were "purchased" by the locals.

The gov had determined that to have services available for the far corners of the area was to expensive, based on a historical lack of use/need.

So they set up a pay for coverage for the outlying areas. The Vigorish (VIG) was exponential, the further away you were, the more you paid.

Found the article, Tenn not NE..

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39516346/n...let-home-burn/

A lot of people said "screw you" and refused to pay the VIG.

They ended up with fires like you have, TS. Refusing to respond because the VIG wasn't paid..

[craigepo]

Oh crap. Fires like that burn a long time. That is mounded-up organic mulch, 20 acres of it. No way to get water down through it, no way to get machinery in there.

My mother dumped ashes out of the wood stove when I was a kid. The ashes lit a grown-up field, which in turn lit a stack of 70 large round bales of hay. Those bales burned for days.

[Debo]

We have one of those here in Austin every couple of years. Same deal, big mulch pile. It takes days to put it out but it gets done. No fun that one. Lotsa foam and earth moving equipment.




D.

[cold1]

Here in NC, the majority of the FDs are Volunteer. The ISO has changed the requirements this year on the volunteers. Many more hours, both training and Community service, are required to keep your ISO rating. The scuttlebutt is that the powers that be are trying to make the Volunteer services go away and only have Paid FDs.

The "Pay for Spray" coverage that was mentioned above is the way most FDs started out at the turn of the 20 century. You bought coverage straight from the company firehouse. You displayed a sign on your property and only that Fire company would tend your fire.

Large mulch fires are a PITA, most cannot be put out. There is no way to get the internal temp of the pile down low enough to prevent reignition once oxygen can get back in. You would have to keep it suffocated for weeks. Not cost effective. Sorry TS.

[PRB]

With a mulch fire like that all they can do is contain it, let it burn out.

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by PRB

With a mulch fire like that all they can do is contain it, let it burn out.

All the residents are saying "NO" and to put it out immediately. The smoke is very thick and very nasty for those living within a few miles of the site.

We (Arizona) has the ability to put it out but no one is stepping up to the plate. Rural/Metro Fire Department, Arizona was there for 2-3 days and walked away and it got bigger.......

I'm really starting to despise some state employees and state choices such as private contractors firemen........

[NurseTim]

Originally Posted by cold1

Here in NC, the majority of the FDs are Volunteer. The ISO has changed the requirements this year on the volunteers. Many more hours, both training and Community service, are required to keep your ISO rating. The scuttlebutt is that the powers that be are trying to make the Volunteer services go away and only have Paid FDs.

The "Pay for Spray" coverage that was mentioned above is the way most FDs started out at the turn of the 20 century. You bought coverage straight from the company firehouse. You displayed a sign on your property and only that Fire company would tend your fire.

Large mulch fires are a PITA, most cannot be put out. There is no way to get the internal temp of the pile down low enough to prevent reignition once oxygen can get back in. You would have to keep it suffocated for weeks. Not cost effective. Sorry TS.

This may sound stupid, but what about either a straight up bangalore torpedo or an injection of some dry ice at the base of the mulch? The explosion would expose more material to ambient temperatures, making it slightly more trouble to reach ignition temp. With the dry ice, two benefits, reduce temps and displace oxygen. Or what about spraying liquid nitrogen in large amounts for the same effect?

Someday, I'll be right, I just know it.

[PRB]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

All the residents are saying "NO" and to put it out immediately. The smoke is very thick and very nasty for those living within a few miles of the site.

We (Arizona) has the ability to put it out but no one is stepping up to the plate. Rural/Metro Fire Department, Arizona was there for 2-3 days and walked away and it got bigger.......

I'm really starting to despise some state employees and state choices such as private contractors firemen........

I'll bet they are...I take it you are down wind...I believe the last one burned for 8 months.

[Team Sergeant]

Seems the property owner is taking care of it by himself. Should be out by Monday.

[Surgicalcric]

"Contract firemen, do yourself a favor, hire local men to do the job and not contractors......."

Fire and EMS for that matter.