Fire truck

[Crankin]

I guess stupidity doesn't take a break from those who are in life saving professions. A paramedic/EMT/fire dept. SUV from the town of Acton turned left in front of me and Hirakukibou while we were riding Friday. It wasn't super close, but I could see him hesitating and then decide to go for it... I actually braked a little.
He was turning into a cemetery, and really have no idea why the paramedics would be going there. Probably for his lunch break.

[bmccasland]

He was turning into a cemetery, and really have no idea why the paramedics would be going there. Probably for his lunch break.

1) Or to pay respects to a fallen camrade or family member.

2) because live people also visit cemetaries and then have medical problems.

[Crankin]

He wasn't attending to a medical emergency. His siren wasn't on, no flashing lights. I would have, of course, stopped if it had been an emergency. He was just driving down the road and turned left, like any other regular driver. While he may have been going there to pay respects, I really doubt it. It was lunch time and it's a popular place to picnic and walk. I think what bothered me the most was that I could tell by the way he hesitated and then gunned it, that he did "think" about it and he made a bad decision. Like many other drivers, he didn't realize how fast we we can go, which is why I braked.

[shootingstar]

Not all firefighters are such virtuous people, they use their huge fire trucks to go somewhere for their lunch breaks. Saw it all the time in Toronto (for their peameal bacon sandwiches at the market) and Vancouver. They were on their break.....and it's timed for unionized paid career firefigher staff. Make no mistake, their buddies on shift back at the fire station to cover for real emergencies.

It's still a macho world with the few women still trying to break into that world.

Anyway, that firefighter should have never driven so close to you ny rider.

[lovelygamer]

I am sorry this happened to you. I am in Maryland too and two Fridays ago almost got pushed off my bike by a van who didn't give me clearance. I was approaching a railroad track and he actually went around me then came back right in my space. Oh, I had nowhere to go because there was a stop sign on my right.

I often want a huge pop up billboard that say "THREE FEET, NOT THREE INCHES!" I think this is the most inconsiderate driving trait. You don't even have to know the law, just give other humans basic respect and room. It really is frightening.

[Desert Tortoise]

NY Biker, a fire truck did something similar to me a while back. I was so stunned and that it was from our local station just a half mile up the road. After that I checked out the drivers everytime they passed by. I noticed the younger drivers were not as cautious as the older appearing drivers. Nothing scientific here, just observation. It's gotten better since then. But I did realize that should this happen again, I will note the time, place, direction, truck number and notify whoever is in charge over there. I thought, of all the people to cause an accident with bicyclist because they didn't drive safely, that would be quite the black eye to them.

In fairness to our fire dept., they have gotten better about it. I'm not sure why but I'm glad they are doing it. This area is heavily used by cyclists, especially on the the weekends.

[PamNY]

Not all firefighters are such virtuous people, they use their huge fire trucks to go somewhere for their lunch breaks. Saw it all the time in Toronto (for their peameal bacon sandwiches at the market) and Vancouver. They were on their break.....and it's timed for unionized paid career firefigher staff. Make no mistake, their buddies on shift back at the fire station to cover for real emergencies.

Shootingstar, are you sure they took the truck to go on break, leaving their buddies back at the house? When I see firefighters at the grocery store with the truck, it means the whole company is there; they bring the truck in case they get a call. They are required to do it that way. I've seen them abandon their groceries and race out the door many times.

Nybiker, that sounds scary. I wonder sometimes if drivers of emergency vehicles get in the habit of taking chances.

[shootingstar]

Well, Pam I've seen 2 firefighters only in a firetruck, stop at the market to get their peameal bacon sandwiches...in Toronto. There was a particular time I would see them during the day. It was my favourite market too where I went often enough.

Yea, it's alot of gasoline/fuel for a non-emergency run.

I worked for govn't provincial agency (9 yrs.) in fire protection/firefighting that set standards on firefighter training, had a good sense of fire department management practices (that is not overly wasteful on taxpayer dollars)..and the culture of firefighters. It's a whole world and culture that members of the public really don't know unless...you are part of the brotherhood.

(Women in direct firefighting duty is still a rarity..even in the 2lst century for the major big city fire depts. I'm not talking about fire prevention training, educating public on fire safety and doing fire safety inspections...that's still seen as "less" status / "tough" in the firefighting world.)

I worked in a library that had resources on firefighter training. Fire/emergency vehicle driving, is a trained skill / course(s) that must be taken. It is not just granted to a person with van/ truck driving experience and license. The agency had people who were ex-firefighters, etc.

Firefighters are like police officers, some great folks and others not so great (or have slid in their career). Like any other profession/occupation.

[PamNY]

Well, Pam I've seen 2 firefighters only in a firetruck, stop at the market to get their peameal bacon sandwiches...in Toronto. There was a particular time I would see them during the day. It was my favourite market too where I went often enough.

Yea, it's a lot of gasoline/fuel for a non-emergency run..

Fuel would be the least of my worries in that situation. I'd want to know how this practice affected their response time.

[2wheelr]

Shootingstar, are you sure they took the truck to go on break, leaving their buddies back at the house? When I see firefighters at the grocery store with the truck, it means the whole company is there; they bring the truck in case they get a call. They are required to do it that way. I've seen them abandon their groceries and race out the door many times.

Nybiker, that sounds scary. I wonder sometimes if drivers of emergency vehicles get in the habit of taking chances.

My husband is a FDNY Lieutenant. The whole company goes for the meal-because they do respond to calls from the store-absolutely right. Nobody stays behind because how could they respond if the rig is out?

Fire rigs in urban areas get into the habit of doing what they feel is safe for all involved, most times it turns out ok, sometimes, not so much. The problems that the chauffeur faces are amazing sometimes-people will throw things at them, double/triple park in the road so they can't get through, even the police work against them sometimes (there really is a whole rivalry there-it's awful) I'm not excusing what happened to you in any way, I'm glad you're ok. Sometimes the person driving the rig shouldn't be. I've seen some of these guys-ones my husband won't ride with-they just do dumb things or they can just be terrible drivers.

Shootingstar, as far as women in the fire service, the physical exam has been reduced so that more women can pass. Very few women want the job-it's not easy for a woman. Nor do I agree with lightening the physical. In more than one instance, one firefighter has to carry another out. If a woman can carry my husband out, with his gear (about 50-70 pounds) then sure-she deserves the job. However, if she cannot, do you feel she should have the job? I have 4 kids that depend on daddy to come home. I don't care about the semantics of equality. If someone (and I don't care who it is) cannot carry my husband (180 pounds) with his gear (another 50-70 pounds) out of a building, they should not have the job. Period.

That being said, the women who DO have the job many times start studying right away for a promotion-once they become an officer (captain and above) the physical demands are less, so they do excel at the job. But they need to do their time at the FF level until then, and I appreciate my husband being safe.

[Pax]

My husband is a FDNY Lieutenant. The whole company goes for the meal-because they do respond to calls from the store-absolutely right. Nobody stays behind because how could they respond if the rig is out?

Fire rigs in urban areas get into the habit of doing what they feel is safe for all involved, most times it turns out ok, sometimes, not so much. The problems that the chauffeur faces are amazing sometimes-people will throw things at them, double/triple park in the road so they can't get through, even the police work against them sometimes (there really is a whole rivalry there-it's awful) I'm not excusing what happened to you in any way, I'm glad you're ok. Sometimes the person driving the rig shouldn't be. I've seen some of these guys-ones my husband won't ride with-they just do dumb things or they can just be terrible drivers.

Shootingstar, as far as women in the fire service, the physical exam has been reduced so that more women can pass. Very few women want the job-it's not easy for a woman. Nor do I agree with lightening the physical. In more than one instance, one firefighter has to carry another out. If a woman can carry my husband out, with his gear (about 50-70 pounds) then sure-she deserves the job. However, if she cannot, do you feel she should have the job? I have 4 kids that depend on daddy to come home. I don't care about the semantics of equality. If someone (and I don't care who it is) cannot carry my husband (180 pounds) with his gear (another 50-70 pounds) out of a building, they should not have the job. Period.

That being said, the women who DO have the job many times start studying right away for a promotion-once they become an officer (captain and above) the physical demands are less, so they do excel at the job. But they need to do their time at the FF level until then, and I appreciate my husband being safe.

It's too bad they've lowered the requirements. When I was a boot I had to meet the same requirements as the males.

That being said, the tests were, in many cases, not representative of what firefighters actually do so some revision could have helped level the testing field. For example, doing pull-ups is a strongly male dominant test, they pass, many women don't. Does it really show if you can do the job?? No. A test where you have to retrieve a 180lb. dummy and remove it from a hazardous situation, does.

When I graduated from the academy there were less than 100 female professional firefighters in the world (1983), it was a very rough road to the department... but I'd do it again in a heartbeat, best job ever.