- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 23:01:57 Nature: Subject Fallen City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 22:22:19 Nature: Subject Fallen City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 17:49:00 Nature: Sick Subject City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 16:31:09 Nature: Sick Subject City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 15:52:39 Nature: Pi Accident City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 15:41:45 Nature: Sick Subject City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 15:24:15 Nature: Overdose City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 15:16:17 Nature: Sick Subject City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 14:48:35 Nature: Difficulty Breathing City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 14:47:17 Nature: Delayed Ambulance Address: 709 Jefferson St Salisbury, MD 21801
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 14:03:36 Nature: Difficulty Breathing City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 14:00:11 Nature: Difficulty Breathing City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 11:10:12 Nature: Sick Subject City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 10:40:50 Nature: Sick Subject City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 10:05:21 Nature: Pro Qa Fire Address: 1310 Belmont Ave Salisbury, MD 21801
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 03:24:29Nature: Medical Alarm City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 02:16:23Nature: Chest Pain City: Salisbury
- Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 00:40:16Nature: Hemorrhaging City: Salisbury
50 comments:
I notice a lot of entries are repeats. Sort of like padding the bill so to speak to look busy.
Who calls an ambulance because they are sick? It seems like a misuse of services to me.
If the homosexual pansy mayor looked at how calls are EMS calls veruses actual fire calls any idiot that knew how to balance a budget would see there is not a need to have paid fireman who sit on their butts and wash their cars and go joyriding in a fire truck and sleep all at the expense of the taxpayer. I feel sorry for the residents of the city of Salisbury. Hope their town does not end up like Detroit!
Thank god for EMS Runs it Saves FF Jobs.
If you're trying to make a point about misuse of taxpayer dollars, why are you only focusing on the FD? There are other Agencies within the city and county that waste money. Off hand I can think of County Roads. How often do you see 6 guys standing around watching one guy dig a hole. Why don't you post their calls for the day and post how many people and equipment are used to get the job done. You should do this for all the City/County Agencies not just the Fire Department. It'll be an eyeopener for sure.
Anon 8:43,
These are automatically generated anytime Wicomico Central dispatches a call for service for SFD. The FD has no way to "pad" the calls as you allege. So please educate yourself before making allegations.
And I understand how seeing that 90%+ of the calls for service are EMS related would to some justify getting rid of all paid "firefighters". But I would challenge you to check the stats for EVERY fire department, from major metropolitans to small rural departments. The nationwide average is 85% of these calls being EMS related. So would you say that all "firefighters" that receive a paycheck shoul be fired nationwide? The sad fact of the matter is that with the current state of the economy a lot of the current volunteers response is being hindered by the fact they are having to work more to support their families. I for one will never knock someone for putting family first. This is also in turn slowing down recruitment of new volunteers because people just simply don't have the time to give like they used to. Contrary to what some of you like to believe volunteering is more than showing up and riding the piece. Yes Salisbury volunteers have it easier than some because everything is funded. But these men and women commit to making a pecerntage of about 800 calls per station, per year. Comply with OSHA mandated annual training, continuing to take new classes to better them as firefighters, train, educate the public, and anything else that may arise. Your talking an average commitment of 20+ hours a week average, all being done on top of one, two, or more jobs. It's truly a viscous cycle. And daytime response is almost nonexistent. So that would leave a big hole in the response for emergencies.
And I'm glad that the majority think that we "paid farmin" just sit back and collect a check for nothing. Yes there are some who do just enough to coast. You have those types everywhere. But for the majority it is strictly business. I'll give the layout of an average day. Report to work 06:30 (to get report from the day before in time to let the off going crew to get off on time), apparatus and equipment checks (time spent varies by the day of the week an station you are at), daily housekeeping assignments (plus anything that needs attention), building preplans (we've been doing at least one per shift average), conduct training EVERY SHIFT, cover any calls, participate in community education projects (static displays at schools, fire prevention demos, station tours, etc), fix any equipment that can be repaired in house (this includes systems within the building). This doesn't even cover it all. But it's a start. So most days we don't sit down (other than to grab a bite at lunch) until dinner time. And yes we do get paid to sleep. But the distinct difference is that at any moment that call could come in that keeps us up all night. Not complaining, just explaining. I love what I do, and I love this city. So rather than sit behind your keyboards and make the comments that you do, I invite you to come and see for yourself. I don't agree with some who say "if you don't like it volunteer your time". This job isn't for everyone. But our doors are always open. If we aren't taking care of business off premise we will gladly take you on a tour, show you what we do, answer any questions you have, and show you what your tax dollars are spent on. But I doubt any of the nay sayers will accept this invite because it takes no effort to continue uneducated about a topic, rather than getting some facts and formulating an educated judgement.
Very well said!!!
Bravo!
10:40 AM Appreciate your writing the post and appreciate Joe for posting it. Sadly the uneducated loons will peck it to pieces but I do believe majority of Joe's readers will recognize what you have written is true.
Thanks for the kudos on the post ladies/gentleman!!! And before the grammar police show up, I'm aware there are a few errors. I posted this from my phone while rocking my little one to sleep.
They can pick and peck all they want to. Because the invitation is on the table. After that I personally will waste not a single ounce of energy reading, nor responding to their rebuttals. I will entertain all educated questions or rebuttal, as I believe our organization is a great one. It has its flaws, but show me an organization that doesn't have them and I'll bet it's found in a Hollywood script. Regardless to things that may have happened in the past, under previous administrations, Chief Hoppes is moving the department in a new direction. One that is laced with forward progress. But some apparently expect it to be an overnight metamorphosis, and they will be severely disappointed. It took months for Chief (or lack there of) Simpson to deal devastating damage to this department. Sadly it will take Chief Hoppes years to undo the damage. "They didn't build Rome in a day", and if you were to knock it down, it would take it twice as long to rebuild it. Because reconstruction can't commence until the dust settles, the rubble has been cleaned up, and a strong foundation has been restored. But his dedication to this city and the department alike should be enough to buy him at least a little time before the "anonymous administrators", who are clearly better candidates for chief (at least reading their posts on this blog would make one think so), make attacks on his professional capacity.
And I'm sure there will be some personal attacks to soon be spewed in regards to my posts. But my outlook will never be swayed by the argument of an uneducated individual. However I do sincerely hope that at least one person will accept the invite to come and see us. The only weapon capable of defeating ignorance is education...
Cant be to much to repair in a brand new building.
Seriously? Apparently you haven't moved into a brand new house.
You can only win over the gullable with that speech. Volunteers make out just fine and find ways to raise money for the up keep of their buildings and trucks. I don't have any respect for the SFD. They are no better than someone living on welfare. Mooching off the tax payer.
Again many of the ems are also firefighters. Love the ignorance if uninformed people making judgments!
Thank you!! Finally, someone who is educated and makes sense. You're right though, you will have to disregard all the silly ignorant rebuttals.
Anon 12:13,
That's only one of the three. And the building is six years old. Ask anyone who has any experience in commercial building maintenance, things need more attention than in a residential setting. Light ballasts don't last forever, plumbing fixtures fail (especially with the amount of use they receive), appliances need cleaning and maintenance, light bulbs burn out, etc. And that's just the building. Not to mention th maintenance and repair of our saws, hydraulic tools, etc. We must maintain "battle ready" at all times. How much faith would you have in our department if we showed up to cut you or a loved one out of a bad wreck and our tools didn't work because of being in poor shape, or your whole house burns because we didn't maintain our saws and couldn't properly vent the structure to save some of your property. Just the tip of the iceberg, come on pug and see for yourself...
*come out and see for yourself
And the operating costs of the volunteer departments that your speaking of are covered mostly by the county fund and the sinking fund. So their fundraising efforts supplement their budget, not support it. And show me one of the departments in this county that runs 11,000+ calls a year. And before Mr. Kentland shows up to boast the "all volunteer, all the time" statement I'll shed some light on their ability to do that. People beat down the doors to get into that department. And their membership is comprised of firefighters from this and other states. They are a busy house of dedicated individuals. I'm not trying to discount their ability to serve their community. But the truth is PG county burns a lot!!! And people are willing to travel hours on end to staff their pieces because they stand a really good chance of "catching a fire" while there. But let me bestow this little fact on you. Their pieces are "staffed" by firefighters who basically cover a shift. And because of Kentlands busy reputation they have a plethora of people willing to come fight their fires from all over. Truth be told Salisbury doesn't have enough fire to attract the attention of those that can't breath unless they are wearing SCBA. We run a lot of EMS, MVC's, and smells and bells. So who would want to travel hours to do the unglorified part of the job. Figured it out yet? Almost nobody. So please sir don't compare the county departments that may run 2,000 fire and EMS calls combined to a city of 33,000+ people and 11,000+ calls for service. That would be comparing apples to oranges. When compared with other cities in the state research has shown that we are closest to Annapolis City. Call volume vs population density is comparable. But they have more employees per call ratio. So if you want to make a "comparison", take a note from a realtors book and at least make them comparable.
Why is anyone wasting their time responding to the ignorant halfwits on this blog? Seriously, SFD... Let these mouthbreathers hyperventilate all they want. They can take their complaints straight to Mayor Albero. Oh, wait...
So now you admit 90+% of all calls are for EMTs so why not have more EMTs then paid firemen.
All sworn positions within the career component of the SFD are at minimum certified EMT-B's, MFRI Firefighter I, and MFRI Hazardous Materials Operations. Personnel are rotated between the staffed ambulances, engine, and quints to maintain proficiency in all aspects of the assignments that each individual piece of apparatus require. What this translates to for the citizens of the city is a well rounded force that is capable of addressing whatever their emergency is. What some of you are considering a waste of resource actually serves to better protect you. Again, please come down and see for yourself.
We are more than willing to give you some insight into what some of you call a waste. The only thing that you chance to lose is a biased, uniformed opinion...
Primarily because I've stood by and watched some "alleged" members of our organization try to combat the opinionated with thick headed, "because I say so" arguments. As I stated in a previous post. The only weapon to combat ignorance is education. If people want to bash what they don't know I will attempt to educate until I'm blue in the face. That is one of the many roles we must fulfill, educating the public. And because it seems that there are some of our alleged members that aren't smart enough to simply use facts to combat the comments I will use my free time (when I have it) to shed some light to some of these left field allegations.
Those of you who can't bear the facts , should at least consider the truth.
We don't need paid firemen , that's a fact jack.
The proof is in the pudding!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Anon 12:13,
That's only one of the three. And the building is six years old. Ask anyone who has any experience in commercial building maintenance, things need more attention than in a residential setting. Light ballasts don't last forever, plumbing fixtures fail (especially with the amount of use they receive), appliances need cleaning and maintenance, light bulbs burn out, etc. And that's just the building. Not to mention th maintenance and repair of our saws, hydraulic tools, etc. We must maintain "battle ready" at all times. How much faith would you have in our department if we showed up to cut you or a loved one out of a bad wreck and our tools didn't work because of being in poor shape, or your whole house burns because we didn't maintain our saws and couldn't properly vent the structure to save some of your property. Just the tip of the iceberg, come on pug and see for yourself...
July 31, 2013 at 1:05 PM
Battle ready? LMAO!!
You forgot to mention all of those maintenance items you are referring to are subbed out and a paid contractor maintains. Yes the contractors change the light bulbs, cuts the grass and maintains the tools. There is a maintenance budget for that. The only things the paid firemen do is check the gas and oil. DUH!
Good try though. You keep repeating this crap over and over again and someone is bound to believe you.
I have a question that enquiring minds would like the answer to.
Why doesn't any of the paid firemen cut the grass at either of the 3 fire stations?
Paid Fireman said...
If you're trying to make a point about misuse of taxpayer dollars, why are you only focusing on the FD? There are other Agencies within the city and county that waste money. Off hand I can think of County Roads. How often do you see 6 guys standing around watching one guy dig a hole. Why don't you post their calls for the day and post how many people and equipment are used to get the job done. You should do this for all the City/County Agencies not just the Fire Department. It'll be an eyeopener for sure.
July 31, 2013 at 10:36 AM
Nice try paid fireman, but this post is about the Salisbury Fire Department and not county roads or other city agencies. You sound desperate for your job. Heck since 4 out of 5 Americans are unemployed I guess you are desperate for your job.
Anonymous said...
Who calls an ambulance because they are sick? It seems like a misuse of services to me.
July 31, 2013 at 8:58 AM
Do you think anyone is going to go on a campaign to educate the public on when to call 911? Heck no that would be like telling someone you didn't want your job any longer.
10:40 AM, 10:56 AM, 11:14 AM, 11:28 AM, 12:13 PM, 12:56 PM, 1:02 PM, 1:05 PM, 1:30 PM, 1:47 PM, 1:50 PM, 2:42 PM, 2:49 PM,
Has anyone else noticed that these 13 comments were written by the same person?
And the way that 12:13 PM bashes Chief (or lack there of) Simpson and praises "Chief" Hoppes we know who the author of those posts are.
Why doesn't any of the paid firemen was windows? That is contracted out also?
So what kind of work does the paid firemen really do around the station? Empty their own trash out or does a contractor do that for them?
Check your facts there anonymous. My shift changed some bulbs just a few weeks ago at HQ. Dave Cox and Logan Helmuth have made it so a single saw hasn't left the building for repair or maintenance in a very long time. There are some on every shift who can trouble shoot minor problems (spark plugs, fuel filters, etc). But if it gets too involved one of the two of them fix it. Cox has repaired parts on the pump panels that have worn out. He has also repaired electrical malfunctions on the apparatus (bad switches, lights, etc). I would say just between those two they save the department thousands of dollars a year. Not to mention what all the others who know small motor maintenance have contributed. A pump went up for the hot water and I believe it was a guy from C shift replaced the pump. Again saving the department money. The dish washer wasn't working properly and one of the shifts fixed that. The volunteers at station 2 hung their new gear racks. One of their guys ran the new lighting to the center of the bays. That same person replaced an outdoor light fixture that had malfunctioned. They ran the new speaker wires for the additional speakers in the bay so you could actually hear calls. These are just a few instances of the many times some of our members have done what needed to be done to maintain equipment and save the city money. And yes I did credit the volunteer component because we collectively do what needs to be done. And yes the grass maintenance is outsourced, as to why, I don't know. Feel free to exercise your right as a taxpayer and send that question to the appropriate authority. Because I for one would cut grass while on shift. I mean what's cutting a little grass when I scrub toilets, take out trash, and dust, scrub, or mop whatever's needed to show pride in my job.
So before you try to poison some of the readers with a statement that is far from true, why don't you collect some facts. Ask anyone on the shift with the two guys I mentioned how many hours they spend fixing and maintaining equipment. Oh I'm sorry, I forgot it takes less effort to fire from the hip with what you believe to be true.
And his sexual orientation has what influence on his ability to do his job. Are you homosexuals are less qualified to do a job because they bat for a different team? Please explain your logic, bigot!
10:36, That is the most worn out stereotype ever. Oh please tell me where you have seen 6 guys standing around while one guy digs a hole? You can't...
Wrong jack ass, I'm not a paid fireman. I know this post is about the firemen. That's just my point, why is Joe (you) only targeting the FD when there are other city/county agencies who waste taxpayer money. I'm sick of you targeting the FD. Why don't you take photos of the county roads guys taking their lunch break using the dump truck?
When public works was fixing the fire hydrant at the corner of Ward St and Main St. There was two guys working while four others stood about ten feet away, huddled up talking. So please sheep, go find your herd...
Please enlighten me as to who I am. Because I can guarantee I'm not anyone that you would be thinking. Feel free to stop by on any given day. You have a 25% chance I'll be there. And if you happen to stop by on a day I'm working not only will I identify myself, I will personally guide your tour and answer any questions you may have. But I have a better chance of hitting the lottery than any of you actually showing your face. So continue to amuse yourself with the thought that you know who I am.
Windows are done monthly. It's a part of the cleaning detail schedule that is posted at each station in a spot that's accessible to the public who so choose to take a tour...
And just so you can keep an accurate record I'm only responsible for posts 10:40, 12:13, 1:05, 1:47, 2:42, 2:49, 4:14, 5:14, and 5:17. The rest are, well, anonymous...
Anonymous said...
And just so you can keep an accurate record I'm only responsible for posts 10:40, 12:13, 1:05, 1:47, 2:42, 2:49, 4:14, 5:14, and 5:17. The rest are, well, anonymous...
July 31, 2013 at 5:30 PM
And yours are, well, anonymous... Unless you are the fat wannabe Far Cheef.
You are talking about City Public Works, not County Roads. Sounds like you need to go find your herd of sheep. Open mouth, insert foot. HAHA
You must be really baaaad at reading there my wooly friend. Because his post said "there are agencies within the city and county that waste money". He used the county rd example. You asked to cite when it's been spotted. Because according to you it doesn't happen, EVER!!!
Nice try 7:19. It was County Roads that was being called out about standing around...and when asked to say where, you talked about the City because you don't know the difference.
"There are other Agencies within the city and county that waste money. Off hand I can think of County Roads. How often do you see 6 guys standing around watching one guy dig a hole." Original post
Now your post:
"10:36, That is the most worn out stereotype ever. Oh please tell me where you have seen 6 guys standing around while one guy digs a hole? You can't..."
You may want to checked for Alzheimer's. Because I answered your question and my post clearly stated "public works".
If anyone supports Rick Hoppes and his wasteful spending ways as their fire chief then then are just as lazy as he is.
Come on down any day of the week and find plenty of people who support Chief Hoppes and you'll find that laziness isn't a reality within our battalions. Seeing is believing, come and witness it for yourself...
Anonymous said...
Who calls an ambulance because they are sick? It seems like a misuse of services to me.
July 31, 2013 at 8:58 AM
It is misuse and abuse. There are several factors. 1) They think they might get waited on quicker. 2) They know they won't have to pay cash up front like they would with a taxi. 3) They are dumped on 911 by family members who want to get rid of them for the holidays or don't want to miss the football game.
Who is at fault? The Salisbury Fire Department is as fault because they do nothing to educate the public about when to call 911.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
And the operating costs of the volunteer departments that your speaking of are covered mostly by the county fund and the sinking fund. So their fundraising efforts supplement their budget, not support it. And show me one of the departments in this county that runs 11,000+ calls a year. And before Mr. Kentland shows up to boast the "all volunteer, all the time" statement I'll shed some light on their ability to do that. People beat down the doors to get into that department. And their membership is comprised of firefighters from this and other states. They are a busy house of dedicated individuals. I'm not trying to discount their ability to serve their community. But the truth is PG county burns a lot!!! And people are willing to travel hours on end to staff their pieces because they stand a really good chance of "catching a fire" while there. But let me bestow this little fact on you. Their pieces are "staffed" by firefighters who basically cover a shift. And because of Kentlands busy reputation they have a plethora of people willing to come fight their fires from all over. Truth be told Salisbury doesn't have enough fire to attract the attention of those that can't breath unless they are wearing SCBA. We run a lot of EMS, MVC's, and smells and bells. So who would want to travel hours to do the unglorified part of the job. Figured it out yet? Almost nobody. So please sir don't compare the county departments that may run 2,000 fire and EMS calls combined to a city of 33,000+ people and 11,000+ calls for service. That would be comparing apples to oranges. When compared with other cities in the state research has shown that we are closest to Annapolis City. Call volume vs population density is comparable. But they have more employees per call ratio. So if you want to make a "comparison", take a note from a realtors book and at least make them comparable.
July 31, 2013 at 1:47 PM
People would beat down the doors to volunteer in Salisbury if they new they were needed and some real volunteer recruitment and retention was done. Get a real fire chief and it will happen.
Anonymous said...
I have a question that enquiring minds would like the answer to.
Why doesn't any of the paid firemen cut the grass at either of the 3 fire stations?
July 31, 2013 at 3:25 PM
Has anyone answered this question yet?
Anonymous said...
Come on down any day of the week and find plenty of people who support Chief Hoppes and you'll find that laziness isn't a reality within our battalions. Seeing is believing, come and witness it for yourself...
August 1, 2013 at 2:09 PM
WTH is a battalion? Some wannabe farmin is dreaming about being like PG County again.
10:10 AM A battalion is a military unit with 300 to 1,200 soldiers that usually consists of two to seven companies and is commanded by either a lieutenant colonel or a colonel.
Obviously 2:09 PM is in LaLa Land!
Tuesday July, 30 2013 @ 00:40:16Nature: Hemorrhaging City: Salisbury
Look at the nature: Hemorrhaging City: Salisbury
That is so true, but I think it is to late to rescue our hemorrhaging city!
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