[AT] Can you hear me now?

[Steve W.]

David Bruce wrote:
> In an emergency vehicle are such really needed?  I get the idea of a 
> black box but with my experience with sensor failure I think this is 
> really problematic .
> 
> I could make a case for emergency vehicles NOT having the various 
> interlocks or having reasonable non-computer back up systems.
> 
> David
> NW NC
> sharing the soapbox
> 

The computer controls are not really needed. They are used mainly
because of the WOW factor. The only item I do like out of the new crap
are the digital flow gauges. They show you directly how much water
you're actually putting out of the lines. They make it a little easier
than doing the math in your head to determine flow rate based on
friction loss and pressure at the pump.

The problem is that NFPA does not have to answer for any of what they
do. They are an independent outfit that is not elected and they don't
"have the power to make or enforce laws". I don't have a problem with
some of the ideas they have. However they seem to have forgotten that
fire fighting is inherently dangerous work. There are going to be
accidents and people are going to dye because of some of them. Just a
fact of the job.

Take the new turn out standard. They have required the makers to improve
the heat transfer out of the gear because it retains a lot of heat. FFs
are dying because the gear is HOT. Then they turn around and say that
the gear has to better protect the FF from the heat.
A few years ago they mandated that we wear Nomex hoods to protect the
head and neck. This now means that we can literally walk into the fire
because you cannot feel how hot things are around you on your ears,
neck. This allows crews to go deeper into the buildings and into hotter
areas, with the side effect of killing more FFers because they run out
of air OR the higher temps cause air pack or mask failure.


-- 
Steve W.