Vito Impastato provided a reality check last night by providing information about what other services the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District provided to the County as they fought two-large vegetation fires. Remember, just because there is a large fire, it doesn’t mean other incidents stop.
Kirker Pass burned nearly 500 acres and was fully contained by about 6:45 pm, however, the road was not fully opened until about 3:00 am. Meanwhile, Brentwoods vegetation fire, where ConFire also sent resources, burned 274 acres.
Ultimately, by reading this, you should see just how unfortunate the recent and future cuts are to the public and how dangerous it really is out there. To all the firefighters in Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, we salute you for your efforts!
Here is what Mr. Impastato shared last night.
Today was the day that Contra Costa Firefighters have been warning about for months. High heat, traffics problems and dwindling resources led to an overtaxing of the fire services in the County. This afternoon the equivalent of 7 alarms, 35 fire engines, were working at one time today in Contra Costa County on fast moving and dangerous fires. This did not include all the miscellaneous medicals calls and alarms.
Here is a sample of what was going on, all at the same time:
- Two 200 plus acre grass fires going on simultaneously in Pittsburg and Brentwood as well as a working Structure Fire in Concord.
- An engine from the Concord/Clayton area responded to a stabbing in Antioch.
- An engine just happened to be passing the area where a 3 month old was in cardiac arrest. They were on their way to another medical and got diverted. Had they passed the area, or not been dispatched to the other medical, there would have been a severe delay to this medical.
- Multiple Contra Costa Fire Protection District units were committed to East Contra Costa Fire Protection District at one time (including Battalion Chiefs)
- Sunshine station(CalFire) on Mash Creek was left uncovered for hours.
- ALL of ECCFPD was left completely uncovered during the Brentwood vegetation fire for several hours.
- Kirker pass was closed. All Central county units responding to those fires had to take a round about route to those fires….again, delaying response times.
- At one point, we were no longer dispatching engines to medicals below Bravo (lower priority medicals) and only sending one engine to all commercial fire alarms (normal response is 2 Units.
- Only 1 engine, from Benicia, a neighboring fire department, was covering the entire Martinez/Pacheco area.
- Engine 3 and Engine 1 were covering all of Lafayette, Walnut Creek, and Pleasant Hill
- Benicia, Federal Fire, SRVFD, MOFD, East Bay Regional, and CalFire all had resources either committed or assisting ConFire.
- With Bart shut down, Kirker pass shut down, Bailey shut down there was severe traffic and response delays throughout county.
With luck, no one was hurt. A total of 6 units have been closed since January of 2012. On July 8th, one more unit, Engine 87 in Pittsburg, will be closed. A third of our department has been shuttered, yet we are running 100% of the calls. The level of danger has reached a boiling point. Summer is in full swing, resources continue to dwindle and Contra Costa Professional Firefighters continue to provide services beyond their means, stretching thinner and thinner.
48 comments
Not included in this post… but I’ll add it was a reported residential fire in Brentwood. The first engine was in the area thanks to CALFIRE… however, believe it or not the second engine was coming from Concord off Ygnaccio Valley. Over the radio, this is similar to how it went:
That engine stated to dispatch upon being put on the call. “you realize we are in Concord”…. Dispatch said “yes, you are the closest available engine”.
Thankfully it was a false alarm.
There will be many of those “….you are the closest engine available” dispatches in the future, especially after the grant money runs out.
Of course the whiners we have today who put down fire will be the same ones yelling the loudest when they have to wait 20 minutes for the first engine in and watch their house along with 3 of their neighbors burn to the ground.
Being stupid has a cost. Some just haven’t gotten the check yet.
When the insurance companies who provide homeowners insurance in East Contra Costa County start realizing this we will see our insurance rates go up!
Not only is the public and property in danger because of dwindling resources, but our firefighters are in danger if they fight fires without backup. The loss of life in Arizona should give us all pause and remind us that these men and women put their lives on the line ever day for us. They need resources to do that. I don’t like paying taxes, especially when I see the waste in Washington. But I will pay more if my taxes are going for important things that like police and fire protection. This affects my and my City and County directly. We can’t afford yet another station closing.
Now is where the empty suits realize that in the battle between nature and politics, Nature always wins.
while i 100% fully support fire stations remaining open, this caused me to pause and flat out scared me. very glad I did not have to call 9-1-1 yesterday.
Way to vote responsibly east county people. If you had voted to keep these station by agreeing to pay less than your Starbucks drink, this may have been a lot better. Thank heavens nobody died
It’s simple, we are screwed. Thanks to all of the clowns that voted down the fire tax. Hope you are enjoying houses & open acreage being burned, fire resources being stretched to their limits and increased human suffering. After all, that’s what you voted for and that’s what we are getting.
You might want to ask Kris Hunt, Dan Borenstein or Dave Roberts how their advice to the voters paid off. I’d hate to be in their shoes right about now.
Stay tuned……..more pain and loss to come.
For the record, I voted FOR Measure S.
But, they did handle the calls, false alarm or not.
If another measure comes to a vote, I’ll once again support the addition of more fire and EMS resources. But…
the mood of the general public has not been improved upon in lght of the BART strike. That will only serve to further the resolve of the voters who feel we have a government filled with greedy employees, and our EMS personel will take the brunt of it in East County.
You may not like what I say, but you should at least consider it and the effect it has on an already highly taxed and angry electorate.
Medium Rare,
If you believe what you posted and honestly support increasing revenue then you should encourage the fire board and Board of Supervisors to put an end to the aid agreements. Only when the electorate gets beyond angry and begins to feel the impact via losses will their votes change.
This is an unfortunate reality that is currently playing out.
Just as with math, the equation never changes. How quickly we arrive at the result (solution) is what matters.
ECV,
I do… encourage our BoS to do exactly that. As to getting beyond angry, I’m not sure the capacity exists within the majority to come to any logical conclusions, let alone get angry. That is how we ended up here in the first place, an electorate fueled by emotion rather than logic, if one guy gets XXX per year in retirement, the others do too. Guilt by association is how it is seen by most, whether it’s accurate or not.
This is the inherent problem with things left purely to democracy, the mob will rule and get their way. Had it not been a voted measure and instead left to the elected officials, they still most likely would have gone the path we have currently as well, because, as with most elected officials, the main thought is staying elected, or what the next posting will be, so they’re mostly thinking of their own longevity in office vice doing the right thing. Can’t win either way.
As to it taking some sort of tragedy re fires et al, brother I’m telling you, I’ve lived it, and it ain’t fun. I lived in San Diego for 22 years. We had more neighborhoods blown up by fire storms than you can imagine. In October of 2002, if you lived in San Diego County, you either A) lost a house to the fires, or B) had a close friend/family lose a house to the fires, or C) You almost lost your house, and instead lost years on your life fighting to keep your house from burning (ignoring the evacuation orders to stay and fight). I did not hear of any people who got by not being in one of those categories. Add to that, I’m a retired Military Fire Fighter. So, I do have some knowledge of the subject, it was not a fun time. It was tragic.
What we had yesterday was nothing comparatively to what I’ve lived through. And, our Fire Services handled it very well considering the resources they had available. Since you seem to be certain it will take a tragedy, and I’m fairly certain that it will take action, a push for some form of volunteer service should be considered to stem the tide. Of course that is just my thoughts on a solution… aside from enacting some form of tax to raise revenue to add to the Fire Services.
I know… it’s long and windy and verbose, but the problems are big too. Oh, we were in category C btw…
Negative.
Volunteer doesn’t work for the geography and it’s considered high risk. There are not a ton of people with 200 spare hours per year just to keep up with the training requirements. Then there is giving up about 3 weekends of your month. That would be every month. You still end up with a less than professional average grade FD. The insurance companies won’t ignore that forever and your cost savings just went poof!
You don’t have to enact a new tax. But the alternative is a big mountain to climb and that is to rewrite the formulas in Sacramento. The size of the pie won’t change, but someone would have to give up some of their slice to help fire.
Any suggestion that the fire fighters should take another one on the chin comes from the resident extremists who are a lesson in hypocrisy. They rant about liberal government and handouts being the problem in one sentence, then insist the government should give them a handout in the form of funding more fire in the next.
The government(County in this case) doesn’t have extra money laying around. A concept the simpletons just can’t seem to grasp.
Difficult problem. No easy solutions. No freebie solutions. But some of the poisonous dialog that is fiction and emotion based is making it worse.
You do realize that 3/4s of our country is covered by volunteer forces, per NFPA? Granted, it would not be preferable to full FFers, but, if it is the only option left on the table, it shouldn’t be summarily dismissed. Have an open mind…
You do realize that 80-85% of the geography of the United States is rural? Some official government census reports put it closer to 90%, depending on the definition. Which is why 3/4 of it is covered by volunteer.
Yours is a stat that has been repeated without qualification, but with deliberate intent to deceive.
Let me better qualify:
Yours is a stat that is repeated EITHER out of ignorance or out of deliberate attempt to deceive.
Ignorance can be fixed. The latter, not so much, and the latter has been done often by the naysayers.
What is it with people on this news blog and their inability to engage in discussion without acting like jerks? I was not trying to deceive, I’m merely attempting to point out that volunteer fire departments exist, and it can be looked up on the NFPA website. Of course they’re are mostly rural, but, they do exist in communities nearly the size and composition of Brentwood. I’m trying to find reasonable approaches to solving a problem, and you just want to take your ball and go home. So go… we don’t need your ball.
Look, Bud, I went to the trouble of going back with a follow-up post to include the word “EITHER” so as not to offend you. It appears you get butt hurt easily regardless. So now I’m asking why I bothered.
This is the wild, wild internet, where facts don’t come sugar coated and touchy-feely doesn’t rule the day. You may not be cut out for it.
I’m not the one boasting about my resume. As retired fire you, rather than me, should have a better handle on volunteer vs. professional and rural vs. urban/suburban. If you think a bedroom/commuter community is your best resource pool for maximizing availability of personnel for fast response, I beg to differ. And oh by the way, the area already has a track record of having done it with volunteers and some if it wasn’t pretty. But with more people now, more road congestion and just generally more property available to burn up, you somehow think this time would be different?
You isolate some cherry picked example and think anyone can do it. Well, some goofball just walked a tight wire across a canyon with a 1500 ft drop last week. So I guess anyone could do that as well?
The pros of volunteer begins and ends with lower cost. The cons is a list as long as your arm, particularly in this day and age. But you only want to bring up half the story.
Perspective: it’s not just a multi-syllable word.
Jigger is a known commodity in the wild, wild Internet world. Too scary to go outside…he sits at his keyboard and acts like a tough guy. Fastest fingers in the west…and making up for all the crap he put up with in high school.
Dave, Bob, Brian, Tim, Mary, EVC, Jigger…..they keep this little blog updated with their myopic visions and attack anyone who disagrees with them. Wo cares, really. They can compare a brush fire that doesn’t even threaten a structure with the sky falling. See how many votes that gets them next time.
Enjoy the circle jerk that Burke runs here. Bob, that’s not frosting on that cookie!
True OakFan… very true.
I only add the volunteer idea as an opportunity to look for some possibilities that may provide an interim solution, but, since the all seeing all knowing Jigger has determined that it can’t be done, I guess I’ll just bury my head in the sand and wait for some massive fire storm to overrun our neighborhoods… of course, the likelihood of that occurring is the same as Jigger having an amicable debate online.
“This is the wild, wild internet, where facts don’t come sugar coated and touchy-feely doesn’t rule the day. You may not be cut out for it. ”
I am, I just thought I’d try an do this without getting nasty about it. But, since that is the way you want to operate, we’ll just sit back and watch you dig into your vast reservoir of superior knowledge and intellect while you stand up on your used acne cream crate and preach to us from the confines of your grandmas basement.
“If you think a bedroom/commuter community is your best resource pool for maximizing availability of personnel for fast response, I beg to differ.”
Beg all you want clown, I never said it was the best solution. I offer it up for discussion, but, clearly you don’t want to discuss, you just want to run around waving your arms screaming like a little girl that the sky is falling. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again, a FULLY staffed Fire Department that can cover all necessary needs in the entire community would be our ideal solution. We tried to get that, and we failed because of two things: an electorate that is angry, and low voter turnout. So now we need an alternative solution to bridge the gap.
“You isolate some cherry picked example and think anyone can do it. Well, some goofball just walked a tight wire across a canyon with a 1500 ft drop last week. So I guess anyone could do that as well? ”
If you think the fire storm of 2002 in San Diego is an isolated incident, then you truly are lacking in the basics of cogent reasoning. San Diego, as well as many other areas in Southern California suffer large scale loss of structures nearly every year. I won’t do your Google foo for you, look it up and get a clue. And equating what the tight wire moron did with volunteer fire fighting would be the equivalent to asking an 8 year old to beat Michael Phelps in the 50M freestyle, of course, with your logic, I’m not surprised.
I would like to think that volunteers would work in East County, however, if I recall correctly EECCFD put out a call for volunteers per the direction of the Fire Board. In which they received under 30 applicants those of which only a small handful met the MQ’s required by the district.
So explain to me, where in a bedroom community where most people live but don’t work these volunteers would come from, explain where the money to train and equip these volunteers would come from, where would the additional money to cover them for workers comp would come from, and furthermore explain why we continue down this rhetoric of promoting volunteers when it’s been evaluated, pursued and found to be not viable.
We can’t even keep our fire stations open, how are we going to fund this program? And before we go down the path of saying that, lets use the FF’s that work for Daly City or elsewhere as volunteers for us- what happens when there are injured as a volunteer for us do you think DCFD would keep their job open while they rehabilitate?
The only viable solution is a revenue enhancement or a modification to Prop 13. Or some combination of the two, or get used to serving 250 square miles with (3) stations.
I suggest that if anyone who thinks they do not have enough public services should just pack up and find a better place. The fact is you won’t. You will have to give up something else where it be police, medical, food stamps, housing, or pay. If you continue to pay six digit salaries along with 30 more years of six digit retirement and full health care cost for one firefighter you will be chasing your tail like a crazy cat forever. Unlike my big bro who promotes chaos by restricting mutual aid, the only answer is to consolidate or change salaries and benefits. It may be hard to swallow but it is reality. We have over paid and received less for our dollar from the politicians down to many of the public employees for several years. It is time to reform or reorganize. Some parts of government are just bloated. You can only grab so much of peoples income via taxes before they revolt. Ask the president to cut some of the one and a half billion dollars for free obama phones. Ask the Supervisors to find the pork in county funding and put it into fire or police. Just like the country, it’s not a funding problem it’s a political problem. You are a fool if you think the problem can’t be fixed by the supervisors without a tax.
Who’s making six figure salaries in ECCFPD? Do you even know what they make or do you just live in some parallel universe of your own creation?
Rambling on about food stamps and all the rest of that nonsense is exactly why you naysayers have nothing to contribute as far as solutions. Property tax revenues that fund fire have nothing to do with any of that. You’re just ranting with absolutely no clue on how revenue streams work in government.
Love the Obama phone reference, by the way, because it screams ignorance. For anyone wondering what Mr. Clueless is referring to:
http://gawker.com/5947133/the-obama-phone-program-has-nothing-to-do-with-obama
So maybe we should rename that the Reagan phone for truth in advertising? Or maybe we should recognize the lifeline supplied phones have nothing to do with tax dollars to begin with?
You advocate for moving money around to fund fire which can’t be done. County is not obligated to provide you fire services. Their mandated duties are police and EMS and it stops there. If you or I are not willing to pay the cost of what it takes to provide fire service in 2013, the service simply goes away.
It’s really that simple. If you can’t grasp it, check the mirror for an example of a fool.
Mutual aid is fire suppression supplied by a neighboring agency. Some amount of it is reality in practice. But abuse of it is a misuse of public funds. Here it would be central county effectively paying for the cheapscrews like ECVsbrother who is expecting a handout. Nowhere is mutual aid guaranteed to be free either. Just ask Richmond.
And once again we can’t have an open discussion without name calling? I think both of hou have valid points. No matter… let’s just get angry and hurl insults instead of trying to understand the other point of view.
Hmmmmm. I think Jigs up made perfectly valid points. I’m guessing he is simply tired of explaining “common sense” to those who lack it….or worse, those who want to sabotage the district so they can avoid paying for it.
With this subject in particular, discussions don’t seem to work. A select few have their minds made up and do not want to be bothered with FACTS.
This is why the fire board will never get the CCTimes or CCTax to support a revenue ballot measure. Mr. Smith and the rest of the fire board need to come to grips with that and move past it.
Once they understand how to do that via a good campaign strategy it will underscore how out of touch and irrelevant the CCTimes (Borenstein) and CCTax has become. Both groups are extremely “special interest” (Another fact more and more people are realizing as they watch their emergency services dwindle).
Hey little bro, why don’t you do the following;
1. Get your facts straight.
2. Stop the hyperbole.
3. Work on understanding reality
4. Take your own advice…Pack up and leave.
The is the only way you will ever get past your own pent up frustration. You need to figure it out little bro; You are the odd man out and that is why you are so easily dismissed (you are a freaking nut case). And that is putting it politely!!!!
Bro from another mo, you and jigs are so far out of touch with the real world its hard to take you serious. Facts are derived from different sources. Some come from people trying to promote an agenda like you knuckleheads while other facts speak for themselves. You both are fools if you think throwing chump change at a Rolls Royce will actually work.
Bro, your comments are becoming more ignorant and moronic as this thread continues. Go back and read your rhetoric again. Both you and jigsy promote no fire service because it is not a right to have if the county does not want to provide it. So what. Then you go on to say that fire districts should not help each other. Did you forget to bring the last rock in your head when you said that? The most stupid comment is about reserves or volunteers. Brentwood, the Sheriff, and many other agencies all over the bay area put a gun on the side of volunteers and you can’t fathom a firefighter volunteer with a water hose. You two stooges are a real treat for solving problems. LOL
When mom dropped you we never thought it would be this bad. Your comments are entertaining like the comments about this grass fire creating death and destruction to all of east county. Keep entertaining me while the good solutions are ignored.
@ECV’sbaby brother,
Oh lil bro….Hahahaha! Now that was your best post yet!
You are coming unhinged right on schedule.
Keep ranting fool. We are all getting a kick out of your little outbursts. 5 year olds ain’t got nothing on you!
I find it hysterical that you think your solutions are realistic Is that why you keep being ignored, dissed and considered a wack job by those that actually do make the decisions?
That’s reality little bro and you have spent a lifetime clueless about your relevance.
It’s no wonder you don’t get it. You’re just not that smart!
You got so wrapped up in being a smartass you forget to let the folks in on the big secret you’re keeping, You, know the one having to do with solving the fire problem?
Instead you just drop the hint about volunteers and run like some kid who rings doorbells? Is that how you expect to be taken seriously?
BTW, the Sheriff doesn’t arm reveres in CC County, so if you were going for fact based, you just did a face plant.
It’s obvious reading comprehension is not your strong suit, because I said nothing about discontinuing fire service or not receiving mutual aid. I said it’s not a given. ConFire is not going to send a unit when they don’t have any available and they don’t have to send us anything for free. Today they get billed by RIchmond for mutual aid. What makes you think we will get it for free from ConFire indefinitely? Especially with the well publicized dire straits they find themselves in.
But let’s hear from you. Give us your vision of what a volunteer fire department means in 2013 for ECCFPD. Do you just skip the required training? Gloss over the background checks? Just hand ’em a hat and a hose and yell “go for it!” as they run into a burning building?
And after you and the weekend warriors F it up, what’s it going to cost us to fix it? Will you be indemnifying my house and my family for your ignorance and attempt to talk well above your pay grade?
Step up little buddy and grace us with your vast knowledge of how to get this done. Or answer directly some of the points made here.
Or you can do what you usually do, ring the doorbell again and run.
I have always wondered why during a medical emergency a fire truck as well as an ambulance is dispatched to the same call. It seems like a duplication of effort here.
Xworkerbee,
That question has been asked and answered over dozen times. I suggest either you look it up or ask a Fireman. There are plenty of reasons for both.
Best of luck to you and have a safe 4th of July.
So, in other words, you don’t know. I can say from my personal experience in dealing with my elderly mother that whenever we called 911 for a medical emergency at least 3 firefighters plus two AMS ambulance people showed up. It was so crowded in her room that it was hard for all these people to move around efficiently. In these times of economic slowdown, it seems rather unnecessary expense having 5 people show up to do the work of 2, not to mention tying up firetrucks.
To xWorkerbee & Medium Rare,
Please stop asking the same questions over and over. Unless you have been wandering in the desert for the last twenty years, the issues you have both raised have been raised and answers numberous times. (See the definition of insanity).
This brings the average reader to one of two conclusions;
Number 1. You don’t like the answer. Unfortunately that doesn’t change the answer so please do us a favor and quit asking it
Number 2. You think by repetitively asking the same question it may confuse the issue (waste time). Luckily that tactic has worn out its effectiveness.
Personally I am not going to spend any time providing an answer to what has been answered, for there are no stupid questions……just stupid people asking them.
You both proved the latter.
Good luck with your future endeavors on this topic. As far as I am concerned you both punctuated the term EPIC FAIL.
Don’t tell me what to do. Demonstrate where I’ve asked ANY question more than two times? My 1A rights are not trumped by your annoyance. Go away if you don’t like the discussion. Clearly, you don’t actually read what I write, just the responses. The only fail I see here is the inability to discuss ALL sides of the issue and consider other options to fix the problems.
Easy Rider,
Instead of acting like a first-class asshole, why not just answer the question if you can. I suspect you don’t have a valid answer and prefer to fill space with your idiotic rants. I agree with Medium Rare that multiple responses by different agencies to a single medical emergency call is superfluous and costly. I have also experienced the occasion when the police also showed up for no apparent reason. Frankly, it smacks of trying to justify job security.
Perhaps some other informed individual can answer this question. Easy Rider, since you have demonstrated a complete lack of usefulness in this matter, kindly stay the hell out of it!
That’s what happened when my Dad had his stroke too. The fire engines showed up just before the ambulance, and they had to move the two fire engines so the ambulance could get close to the driveway. There were 6 FFers in the house, then two BPD units rolled up, and in they walked too. Meanwhile, the EMS guys had to maneuver around them to get at my Dad. At the hospital, while I was talking to the EMS guys, thanking them, they apologized for being late to the scene, and complained about all the Fire Trucks blocking their access.
At the time I did not give it much thought, as it was before our troubles began with the Fire Service, and closing of stations. So, it was isolated and I think maybe not common. I will say that I’ve seen Fire Units provide a great service to victims while waiting on EMS Ambulance, first responders usually have a great impact on survivability. So, I guess there are pluses and minuses. In the end, I’d rather have them, and not need them, than the opposite. Just my view on it.
Really Dick? I expected you to know more by being in the field? Shall we bring that to light so that the readers here know who you are nd how you are playing the issue and them for suckers?
Please, Make my day.
Medium Rare in East Co.,
He just did! Lol!! From my read you just had your ass handed to you on a plate.
Good work Easy reader. You just posted exactly what the rest of us were thinking.
Happy 4th of July!
Let’s see what we have in common:
We both want more professional Fire Services to East County
We both think the current model sucks
We both think it is only a matter of time before our insurance rates go up
I think you mistake what I talk about as being against that.
I’m not. Not sure why this is so difficult.
For a couple of folks who want to try and convert the masses, I’m not sure what your idea of convincing people to consider your points of view are if all you do is fight with everyone here.
As to “who I am?” Go ahead if you can. I haven’t done anything wrong, or said anything I’m ashamed of. I just want to discuss the issues and have my point of view heard.
You two seem bent on denying people the right to have their opinions heard.
I’m betting we agree on more than we disagree on.
Why Do We Send A Fire Engine To A Medical Emergency?
Many people haven’t thought of what to expect when they dial 911. If they have, they may figure that a call for help means that someone will show up relatively quickly and deal with their problem. If someone were to ask you why you would call 911 you would list a handful of situations. At the top of that list would likely be a medical emergency, fire, burglar and the like. But do you give much thought to who shows up or how they get there and who decided that is the best way to respond to your emergency call? In these challenging economic times, we are all looking for ways to save money, reduce waste, and eliminate duplications in services, but is sending a fire engine with three specially trained professionals a duplication of service?
When you call 911 in Contra Costa County, your 911 call is routed to the Fire District for emergency medical calls. Every Fire District dispatcher is certified in emergency medical dispatch (EMD) and trained to ask a series of questions to determine the best response.
Why send a fire engine? The Fire District is the primary medical first responder in most communities due to short response times, a skilled workforce, and the ability to bring time-sensitive, life-saving interventions to a patient quickly. Think of a fire engine as a multi-use platform for fires, rescue, and emergency medical service (EMS) calls where three trained professionals are always ready and available for the next emergency call, whatever it is. The apparatus are big and expensive but very versatile. They are like a giant tool box filled with the tools that can save your life.
The current EMS delivery model in our county includes a priority dispatch of the closest paramedic fire engine with a typical response time of 4-6 minutes. A simultaneous dispatch of a private paramedic ambulance with a required (by contract) response time of no more than 11 minutes and 45 seconds occurs. The Emergency Medical Dispatcher will give pre-arrival instructions to the 911 caller, if applicable. The engine will arrive to evaluate the situation and begin patient treatment. The ambulance will arrive and, depending on the situation, either assist fire paramedics already at the scene or take over patient care prior to transport to the appropriate hospital. Regardless of who arrives first, the fire and ambulance crews work together to provide you with patient care.
Recent advances in emergency medicine have contributed to increases in patient survival rates. Our county has a survival rate of 35.5% for witnessed cardiac arrests with a shockable heart rhythm. That percentage is astounding compared to the national average of 20.5%. The combined efforts of the County EMS Authority, our Fire District, AMR ambulance, and the hospital system continue to make a difference!
While the primary mission of the fire service has changed dramatically in the past fifty years, fires still occur with regular frequency in our county. In our Fire District, we still experience a significant level of fire activity, both structural and wildland. The geographical coverage afforded by fire station locations and the number of fire engines within our Fire District allows us the capability to address both fire and emergency medical response.
Our County has an integrated EMS team. The County EMS Authority, who has the ultimate responsibility for the delivery of these services, has worked diligently to provide the highest level of EMS care possible. Working together, the emergency medical dispatch, fire engines with advanced life support paramedics, transport ambulances, and emergency rooms do not provide a duplication of service but rather an organized systematic approach to medical emergencies in our county. The initial response, detection, and treatment of critical trauma, stroke and heart attack provide our residents with the best chance for survival. Current survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest are at the highest in the county’s history and every responder in the system makes significant contributions to that success.
Outstanding post!
Thank you.
Jig – I can’t take credit for the post. I simply went to Con Fire’s website and found the information and then cut and pasted for the reply.
EasyECVJig are just children who have been called upon to promote firefighters because they could never be one. These wanna be firefighters have faked their little lives trying to be something their pee brains will never achieve. The only response they can come up with is an attack on others comments because they have no real brain to provide a logical rebuttal.
I still stick by my opinion of you three stooges. You can’t fathom a reserve with a water hose in hand but support a gun at the sides of police reserves. What fools you are.
Big bro from the other mo I suggest you call any local law enforcement agency and educate yourself. I know promoting lies is your specialty but you are getting sloppy at it.
I do not have the only solution. I think it will take many. I have read several peoples expressed solutions. Some right here under your pug noses. They are all good solutions too. Too bad putting a water hose in the hand of a reserve firefighter is forbidden. Read the last sentence back to yourself and see what fools you are for not supporting what many people would like to see.
The whole issue is just a political game. I think people are smart enough to know when they are being played.
Reading simple English never was your strong suit. The information about not arming comes from the Sheriff. Are you saying he’s lying?
Quick, change the subject……
Reserves have their place in the big picture. Being the first and only responders isn’t it. Again, simple command of the English language might help you understand the meaning of the word “reserve”. Maybe you could have your Mom help you look up the definition when you get back home from ringing all the neighborhood doorbells again.
No one called upon me to advocate a position. I just recognize a disaster in advance. You, on the other hand, can’t seem to get past holding onto those two nickels in your pocket and harboring some neurotic fear that someone is trying to steal them from you. Pretty sad way to stumble through life if you ask me.
I notice you kept with your M.O. of vague responses and innuendo when it comes to answering a direct question about your solutions. You’re nothing if not consistent on that one.
Are you saying that no reserve officer in the bay area carries a handgun? I should have expected that IQ answer of you. Your responses are predictable. It only shows dishonesty for any real civility. Like car salesman and lobbyists you stooges fit the mold. Your comprehension of truth is pathetic. Twist and attack. Its like crack to you three pee brains. Why don’t you come up with some constructive positive comments?
Don(ECVSbrother), I feel sorry for you. I really do. Normally I don’t go anywhere near your posts because I know it’s just a game for you. It’s never been about discussing issues or resolving problems. It’s just the act of arguing to see what sort of a rise you can get out of people. Whatever mental quirk you have that creates that need is beyond my comprehension.
But it’s not just me. It’s the dozens of local and county officials you’ve used this same tactic on in the last 5 or 6 years. How sad this little patronizing game you play in public because it belies what you do behind the scenes. The constant bombardment of agencies for records requests. The hundreds of hours of staff time wasted for your witch hunts. The tens of thousands of dollars in staff time hours wasted. To include staff time you have wasted for this money and staff strapped fire district. All for requests that half of the time you don’t even pick up. Maybe it’s just some weird control thing for you?
To watch you preach about offering productive comments knowing that backdrop is incredulous. But, of course, you’re banking on the readers here not knowing about your antics in the shadows.
I have no problem having an adult conversation about issues and possible solutions with an adult. You don’t fit the description. Not even close. I could get in the gutter and play your little game and beat you at it. Because the facts are not on your side. But what’s the point? Your instability is so unpredictable one never knows where or when a person like you SNAPS and becomes that lead story on the 6 o’clock news.
But it’s your drunkedness at public meetings that suggests other deep rooted issues are driving the behavior. I’m not a mental professional, so I can only speculate. Maybe you should consider some help? It’s just a suggestion. No need to blow a gasket.
Fire meeting on Monday. You should try to make it. That is if you can find a designated driver. Bring that little travel mug you like use. Nobody will notice.
I was looking at the picture posted by MB and don’t see any fire breaks. Isn’t there suppose to be fire breaks? 500 acres burned should have had a fire break or two. Prevention is a major player if no one is paying attention. Where is the fire marshal.
Yep, no firebreaks! The fire marshal is probably busy responding to medical emergencies too. Heck why not? Everyone else is!
Hey little brother, how ’bout you STFU? Based on your B.S. and your loose grip on reality, that’s the only constructive positive comment I can offer you.
None of us can help you beyond that, because you are living proof that “you can’t fix stupid”. Clear enough for you little brother?
Someday you might actually figure it out. None of us want to waste time debating with you clowns. The best part is, we don’t have to. You and your little buddies make yourselves look foolish enough. No one here is buying your armed reserve fantasy and the option of a volunteer fire department ended years ago, yet you keep believing it. . Even your active imagination leaves a lot to be desired.
You want to know what is really pathetic?
Pathetic=not being able to spell “pea brain”. And yet you want to battle IQ’s…now that’s pathetic. You’re not in the same league. Not even close.
Thanks for the laughs Bozo.
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