Emergency Questions

[Commander Rasseru]

FDNY hands down, but then again it's like comparing apples to oranges:

FDNY # of Sworn Personnel: 14,000+

LAFD # of Sworn Personnel: 3,500+

FDNY # of Stations: 240+

LAFD # of Stations: 106

New York Population: 8,000,000+

Los Angeles Population: 3,800,000+

They also have a lot of older construction then LA city does since many of our buildings have been retrofitted/replaced due to earthquakes and other safety concerns.

LA needs another 100 years till they start building up also.... I guess?

[Sirius7dk]

What is the Los Angeles Regional Common Operational Picture Program response vehicle being used for?

i dont think that its being used to see satellite tv in the coffee breaks on very long tasks?

do they record tv from accidents and fires to give it to the media, so you can control that the medias are not going to close to the action?

From the your latest uploaded pictures ( http://forum.emergency-planet.com/index.ph...ost&p=60497 ) it looks like the picture program car is from the police, but on your webpage you have an LACoFD ( http://mikesphotos.us/gallery2/v/Action/Ev...h-2008/LARCOPP/ ) picture program car so do all departments have such a car?

EDIT: just had a closer look at the google results that made me find the LACoFD car, and found the answer to my questions here: http://www.officer.com/print/Law-Enforceme...re/1$37896

and looks like i was a bit wrong with the telly idea, as it is a command vehicle

[MikesPhotos]

What is the Los Angeles Regional Common Operational Picture Program response vehicle being used for?

i dont think that its being used to see satellite tv in the coffee breaks on very long tasks?

do they record tv from accidents and fires to give it to the media, so you can control that the medias are not going to close to the action?

From the your latest uploaded pictures ( http://forum.emergency-planet.com/index.ph...ost&p=60497 ) it looks like the picture program car is from the police, but on your webpage you have an LACoFD picture program car so do all departments have such a car?

You can find quite a bit of information from google re:the LARCOPP system so I'm not going to write too much about it. But here are some key quotes that will give you a basic idea.

""This vehicle is designed to go out and gather Intel and feed it back to the decision makers so they can decide the best course of action. Hypothetically the more solid information they have the better they will be able to mitigate an incident."

"Allows on-site incident commanders to electronically gather data and transmit it to those at off-site emergency operations centers (EOCs) and to other agencies, jurisdictions and disciplines."

"LARCOPP can provide information to all levels of that structure and from each incident site, thereby giving command staff the "ground truth" from each location. Each bit of information gathered by LARCOPP thus becomes a piece of the puzzle that, when put together, becomes the common operating picture."

" The LARCOPP Portal is easily the most innovative technology and the one that will provide real-time situational awareness and a common operating picture. It is a secure, Web-based platform that can transmit real-time video of an incident via deployable wireless broadband digital cameras, through a video uplink from a news agency camera or from footage shot by a public safety agency's helicopter. It allows for the transmission of perimeter information, street maps, aerial views of the site, traffic routes, emergency vehicle access and a host of GIS data. It lets commanders locate, track, and move manpower and equipment resources."

"The system works in real time, sending the same information to other responding agencies, off-site EOCs, or if needed, to the state EOC or the DHS National Operations Center in Washington, D.C."

"The technology, known as AntaresX, has been installed in agency SUVs or mobile command posts. Attached to the top of the vehicle is a 1.2-meter dish that sends information via satellite. The satellite component makes the AntaresX technology extraordinarily robust because it uses a system powerful enough to transmit through rain, smoke or heavy cloud cover.'

"In its first phase the LARCOPP suite of hardware and software has been installed in eight California law enforcement and fire agency vehicles (either SUVs or mobile command posts) and two operations centers. There are plans to add 19 vehicles in the next two years and to add the technology to other area operations centers."

" can disseminate mapping, as well as video, information to aid in the evacuation of the area and transport of the injured to nearby hospitals."

"In addition to the Los Angeles city and county fire, police and sheriff's departments, the project has included the Long Beach police and fire departments, the Glendale PD, which is the third largest city in the operational area behind Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the Pomona Police Department, located on the eastern edge of the county."

Bassically it gives the incident commanders an on scene host of tools that are all networked and linked in a small portable package instead of a huge command post vehicle. During the pomona earthquake, it was used to take photos and videos of damage and feed it back to the EOCs for damage assesment and mitigation.

Mike

[billyfromhill]

Sounds like the SatCom vehicle from EM2.

[firefighter111]

Mike, noticed that the LAFD picked up a segrave engine for airport use. Is this because segrave was the lowest bid, or was there some reason for going with segrave?

LAFD segrave engine

[MikesPhotos]

Mike, noticed that the LAFD picked up a segrave engine for airport use. Is this because segrave was the lowest bid, or was there some reason for going with segrave?

Due to the large quantities of apparatus purchased each budget cycle, very few manufacturers can fulfill the whole order. The last order was split 13 and 13 between Pierce and Seagrave equally, and the airport rig just fell into that purchase.

Mike.

[firefighter111]

Due to the large quantities of apparatus purchased each budget cycle, very few manufacturers can fulfill the whole order. The last order was split 13 and 13 between Pierce and Seagrave equally, and the airport rig just fell into that purchase.

Mike.

gotcha, I'm just not used tomanufacturers not being able to fill a full order because I always here about the FDNY's contracts, and there almost always filled by segrave.

[Ami89E1234]

whats the difference between deputy chief and district chief? is the deputy chief the guy 1 lower than BC, and district would be stationed at a firehouse?

[ARMYBDYGUARD]

whats the difference between deputy chief and district chief? is the deputy chief the guy 1 lower than BC, and district would be stationed at a firehouse?

Hello, the difference between the district chief and deputy chief is the the deputy is higher in rank, one below the chief. the district chief is only for the district (area) that they are in control of.

I hope this helps

[firefighter111]

whats the difference between deputy chief and district chief? is the deputy chief the guy 1 lower than BC, and district would be stationed at a firehouse?

deputy usually means assistant, so henceforth, deputy cheifs are usualy assistant cheifs and are one step below the cheif of the department. I'm thinking that a district cheif is usually similar to a division cheif, who usualy controls an area several battalions large, and are in between a BC and a Deputy Cheif.

[Newfoundking]

Well here, I know it goes Chief, Assistant Chief, then Deputy chief then Cpt.(Like Batt Chief)

[Ami89E1234]

thought so. thx. was just making sure so i could keep writing the manual for the EM4 STLMod

[jab16]

Am i allowed to post a example of bad procedure? cause it is old but Very Very Very good example of what not to do when your a cop and if not is there a place where i could?

Regards,

Jab16

[pyrothijs]

Am i allowed to post a example of bad procedure? cause it is old but Very Very Very good example of what not to do when your a cop and if not is there a place where i could?

Regards,

Jab16

I'd prefer you start a new topic since mikey intend this topic for serious questions about the differences between the various emergency services worldwide.

greetz,

[jab16]

Got it thank you

Regards,

Jab16

[USMC_NL]

hey,

In holland we have the Riot police (Mobiele Eenheid) an the "swat" (arrestatie team)

I know that the Swat aresteds high risk people and rescues people in some siuations.

But how controles the Riots in the States?? because in the game you have to take or the "normal" police or the SWAT.

[jab16]

i dont know about the rest of the US but where i live in the us we use horses and we have small groups in sort of wedge formations to slow down the people then after they get past them there is sort of a wall were all of the other riot police are lined up and block them off and the horse police just partol around but this just were i live in the US so in other places it is probably diffrent.

Regards,

Jab16

[MikesPhotos]

hey,

In holland we have the Riot police (Mobiele Eenheid) an the "swat" (arrestatie team)

I know that the Swat aresteds high risk people and rescues people in some siuations.

But how controles the Riots in the States?? because in the game you have to take or the "normal" police or the SWAT.

As demonstrated recently by the May Day demonstrations and the Prop 8 demonstrations in and around Los Angeles, Crowd Control and Riot Control is a complex operation involving every officer in the department. Motor officers and bike patrol units are used for quick response, quick barriers, and routing groups. Regular patrol officers with helmets, batons and other protection as necessary ,can form up platoons and response lines for direct control and confrontation. Metro Divison will deploy SWAT and Mounted Calvary Platoons for special needs and weapons deployment, with SWAT being tasked with all specialty weapons such as tear gas and other items in their arsenal. Other officers and commanders will be tasked with public address/information and deploy numerous loudspeaker vehicles.

Mike

[Grim_Wizard]

Yep he stole a ladder.......quint 9........ladders and pumpers do not have keys...they have a battery switch and an ignition button. it was on a med call at night and the 3 firefighters were inside we leave them running. he jumped in and drove through a brick fence and about 3 miles then rolled it . $750,000 USD strap metal now.

Wow, what a bastard, they rolled one over in Connaticut about five years ago by taking a turn too fast, it was a Pirce Dash 100 ft. ladder completly destroyed the cab nearly crushing the engineer. You should make the kid pay for the new quint.

Oh yeah Mike I wanted to ask you something...

Did the LAFD ever fully switch from the Crowns and Lafrance units?

[andrew2007]

Well, I'll just say if anyone does have any Questions about Australian Emergency Services, feel free to send me a PM or reply.

[MikesPhotos]

Oh yeah Mike I wanted to ask you something...

Did the LAFD ever fully switch from the Crowns and Lafrance units?

All LAFD Tillered trucks in front line service are American LaFrance. There are still some old Seagraves with the open rear in reserve.

[andrew2007]

Mike,

With the LAFD, how does their dispatch system work? I've never really grasped the concept of box alarms.

Thanks

[MikesPhotos]

Mike,

With the LAFD, how does their dispatch system work? I've never really grasped the concept of box alarms.

Thanks

We don't have Box Alarms in LA. You can read about lettered assignments for structure fires here in this post.

Beyond that, if you roll your mouse over an active call in the game, you can see a good representation of a typical LA response to that type of call.

btw- i am completely umfamiiar w/ LACoFD, do they operate quints?

The Los Angeles COUNTY Fire Department operates both tillered and non-tillered quints, and I believe even a few non-quint straight trucks, depending on what apparatus came over when the area was aquired via contract. The great overwhelming majority of trucks are 75ft tillered quints, with more 100ft being purchased in the last order.

Edited December 31, 2008 by MikesPhotos
Answered PFAExplorers question

[PFAexplorer]

To answer the debate about the ranks in US fire depts:

In most moderate sized fire departments it goes:

Firefighter

D/O (driver/operator)

Lieutenant*

Captain

Batt. Chief

District/Division Chief

Deputy Chief**

Chief of Department

*- A typical shift last 24 hours with three shifts. So there is usually a captain who is the head of the company and his subordinates are Lt's who run the other two shifts, that way there is a definate head of the station but still a seperate officer for each shift.

**A deputy chief is the fire chief's right hand man but in most departments they assume another role (Public Information Officer, Safety Chief, etc.)

[Grim_Wizard]

he D/O is called an engineer.

Heor She operates the ump panel and drives the truck.