Author Topic: Co-Responders  (Read 8040 times)

Offline Cut Fire Service Pay

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« on: January 10, 2006, 08:17:48 PM »
I would be interested to know how many stations that operate a co-reponding system are actualy being used correctly. I keep hearing from Ffs in different brigades that pumps are being turned out for 'anything'. I understand that there is certain critera to be met for a fire service response but is this being ignored to compensate for ambulance response times?

Also I have heard of many occasions where a pump has turned up and the ambulance service is already in attendence. Alot of 'quiet' retained stations signed up for it and have seen thier shouts double or treble just on co-responding shouts but many Ffs aren't being given regular refresher training by their local ambulance trust.

With the ODPM wanting wholetime pumps to be used more and more in this way has anyone looked into if the system is working or just being abused?

With the fire service  trying to save money on attendences to AFAs (as we all know you never get an actual fire a an AFA - what planet are the CFOs on) is it then blowing it all on this to help the ambulace service get their response times down?

Chris Houston

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« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2006, 10:07:45 PM »
Quote from: Pete_P
as we all know you never get an actual fire a an AFA
Although the stats do prove that most fire alarm system activations are indeed not fire situations (98% of them, if my memory is correct), "never" is a pretty strong word, and perhaps the wrong one.

Offline fireftrm

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« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2006, 09:31:36 AM »
With the fire service  trying to save money on attendences to AFAs (as we all know you never get an actual fire a an AFA - what planet are the CFOs on) is it then blowing it all on this to help the ambulace service get their response times down?

Clearly tongue in cheek Chris. I got his message loud and clear. Read the paragraph again and revise your response?
My posts reflect my personal views and beliefs and not those of my employer. If I offend anyone it is usually unintentional, please be kind. If it is intentional I guess it will be clear!

Chris Houston

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« Reply #3 on: January 11, 2006, 09:01:12 PM »
Quote from: fireftrm
Clearly tongue in cheek Chris. I got his message loud and clear. Read the paragraph again and revise your response?
:
Was it? Oops, reading again I guess it probably was, sometimes hard to tell on this internet thingy. :D

Offline fireftrm

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« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2006, 09:47:47 AM »
The inflections just don't work do they!
My posts reflect my personal views and beliefs and not those of my employer. If I offend anyone it is usually unintentional, please be kind. If it is intentional I guess it will be clear!

Offline mark

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« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2006, 06:41:33 PM »
I serve on a two pump retained station and i can safely say that what we was told we would have to deal with, and trained to deal with, has somewhat been expanded ( with no refresher training).
Just to take a sample of the incident range, Bleeding  following fisty cuffs,rectal bleeds,child births (mid-wife in attendance and ambulance requested for transportation)........
From what i gather from speaking to many ff's both WT & RT the feeling towards this scheme is mixed, my personnal opinion is that it is a great idea, but the fundamental problems ( as with most things in frs ) is funding & training.
Only last night on our drill night we had the great privallage of our dcfo out for his annual chat, and when this scheme was originally mentioned the local authourity ambulance service was going to be funding co responding at 3 stations but from what we was told last night and from the way i understood it, it is now funded by our frs.

As i said before, i think it is a good idea but it needs to be properly funded, ff's need to be properly trained, and maybe it could be introduced into role maps????

But hey hoe we strive on to protect the local community from the perils of fire.................oh and anything else that needs doing!!!

Offline Rich

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« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2006, 10:28:50 PM »
Anyone out there from Retford want to chip in.  Credit to the Firefighters there, they have been ordered to co-respond but are refusing with the resulting consequence of docked pay.  They have seen the light - it is only used to make up a shortfall in the ambulance service, its not about utilising resources.

I wonder how long it will take for a brigade to go over budget paying retained ff's to co-respond as it was mentioned earlier perhaps doubling the stations calls as believe it or not the fire service foot the wage bill (and on that note I won't mention Lincolnshire!).
I am sorry if I offend anybody although if gold medals were dished out for it I would have quite a few!!

Offline Cut Fire Service Pay

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« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2006, 07:59:38 PM »
I read on the BBC website today that fire service co-responders in Cornwall are facing the axe as a result of a lack of budget!