Comments on: Escambia Fire May Move Paid Fire Crew From Century To McDavid For Expanded Coverage

By: Michelle D

Michelle D — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 15:20:19 +0000

I agree with Station 32 mom.

If things are changed it will mean many things:
1: Longer response time
2: Injured people have to wait longer for medical attention.
3: If there is an accident with entrapment and a fire with that accident, that person has less of a chance to be removed before full involvement of the vehicle.
4. As most of the homes in Century are older or mobile homes, usually 7 minutes is the time it takes fire to go through a home and it will be longer that that for them to get there.

If they want to put paid firefighters in McDavid, hire more and put them there!

By: sniper

sniper — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 15:38:42 +0000

Come on really:
If Escambia Public Safety wants to help its citizens why haven’t they posted a paid EMS unit at every fire department? I agree that a paramedic and 2 emts on a station based fire truck is a good move and can stabilize a patient waiting on EMS. But what you are missing is that in volunteer stations paramedic certified FFs are not allowed to operate as such AND every VFF isn’t required to be an EMT. Fire is so gung-ho to HIRE more FFs when what we really need are more EMS units. Just look at station 6 and 7. They spend over half of their time running medical calls. Not much time to train, put out fires, check hydrants, pre-plan, etc. Granted they both do a good job at providing medical assistance before EMS shows up but the fact still remains our EMS units are spread much thinner than our FFs.

By: Come on really

Come on really — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 21:56:11 +0000

Let me tell you why fire responds to medical calls. A fire truck stays put in a a firehouse waiting for a call in a certain district. They are stragictly closer than any ambulance when it comes to their own district. Sometimes an ambulance is 20-30 minutes away. A fire truck with 2 EMT’s and a Paramedic can get the paitent stable for EMS to load and go.

By: sniper

sniper — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 17:51:28 +0000

Putting a paid crew in a volunteer house ALWAYS causes more harm than good. Since 519 is already there and established I say let them stay. If you people want to really discuss a cancer in our department, lets talk about paid FFs not being allowed to volunteer after being hired on. I know several people that live in my community that want to volunteer but can’t.

Another note.

If you look at the numbers, most of the county’s “Fire Calls” are actually “EMS Calls” that should be taken care of with an ambulance. I get that Fire and EMS are both under Public Safety but stop trying to throw firefighters at medical calls.

Last but not least:

I think the county is wasting time and money with stipend. Pay the volunteers PER CALL and this “lack of volunteer response” will disappear.

By: just saying

just saying — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 12:05:01 +0000

Some of you are complaining about the fire truck having to come all the way from mcdavid to respond. But what about when the paid crew aint there? Ive witnessed several times E9 or Flomaton beating Century to calls in there own district. So why dont yall complain to them about that? It aint no different. Atleast if they move to mcdavid theyll have more people to respond. Just be glad someone is coming to save you. What if there was no fire men or anything. You wouldnt be complaining then where the paid crew would be.

By: Take care of yourself

Take care of yourself — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 04:34:25 +0000

Why does Century not have their own fire department to take care of their own people like Flomaton, Brewton, Atmore, and Pensacola do?

By: factual actual

factual actual — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 20:01:31 +0000

ifish4: a liability is when you do not have enough manpower to crew an engine to affect a difference in a citizens need for assistance. Nearly 10 years ago a chief advised public safety that his station could provide coverage on a holiday. That same holiday morning 3 children and their Mother perished in a fire. There was no initial response from the station. There have been several instances of the no response issue throughout the county; some with less tragic results. So when speaking of liability ECFR admin is trying to place a band-aid on a cut that needs stitches. Maybe the $200,000 someone eluded to can be used to fully staff McDavid or Century to.provide a guaranteed response. And be assured that McDavid’s personnel are satisfied that a crew is coming their way. Kudos to Chief Gilmore and his staff.

By: ifish4

ifish4 — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 04:00:18 +0000

The way I see it it’s a liability for the county to take the guaranteed response from a more populated area and move it to a less populated area. Nobody will want to move a business to Century when the nearest guaranteed fire response during the day could be 25 miles away in Molino or Barrineau Park checking fire hydrants. Flomaton does respond to Century and they do a fine job of it, but their first responsibility is to Flomaton, not Century and they have day jobs to so a lot of them aren’t available during the day. In addition to the business’s in Century you also have the Century Care Center. The additional minutes could be very tragic for a lot of these people that wouldn’t be able to get out on their own, if a fire were to occur during the middle of a weekday when volunteers may not be available because of their jobs. It seems like Cantonment is at the heart of this problem, which isn’t new several years ago before there were any paid crews in the county I stopped to help a man get some things out of his motor home that was on fire. We were only a mile or so from the Cantonment fire station yet the motor home burned to the frame before Ensley got a crew on site almost 30 minutes after the first call. If the people of Cantonment don’t want to help themselves, then why should the rest of the county be put out for them. I say move the Molino crew back to Molino and leave the Century crew in Century.

By: resident of north end

resident of north end — Sat, 26 Oct 2013 22:52:25 +0000

-There is only 2-3 EMT in Walnut Hill and i only kow of one in Molino. They may of 1 or 2 more.
-Century do run some calls in Flomaton but Flomaton also runs call in Century. Flomaton is on a box alarm for any structure fires in Century.

By: factual actual

factual actual — Sat, 26 Oct 2013 22:30:46 +0000

1. Its factual actual
2. My facts are correct
3. You seem angry and bitter
4. Your taxes WILL NOT increase due to a 9 mile move of 3 FFs to E9; not the same engine sorry bro but learn context
5. Training is a moot point; career ffs as a whole have more training simply sue to the fact more time is spent at the firehouse than vols
6. It would be nice if your ramblings made sense because I’m not sure why you mean by high speed training and some of your obscure statements
7. McDavid and Walnut Hill usually do get some type of apparatus or personnel out of the barn; what 919 will do is provide a “guaranteed” response barring thembeing on another call
8. I know the drill and will argue you down with whatever you come up with
9. Also don’t type angry; makes you seem small and uninformed
10. Have a nice day