We had a small roof fire after the roofer fixed a leak. He used a torch to melt the membrain roofing. Once the fire trucks arrived (4 trucks 10-20 firemen) it took 15-18 minutes for them to get water on the fire. I was using my hose to control and knock out all visible flames. But I was stopped by the police and had to watch the fire reignite and cause more damage.
2007-04-17 09:57:03 · 6 answers · asked by dadchin 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I had a chimney fire about 2 months ago. It took 8 minutes for the fire department to arrive after my neighbor called 911. It took them 3 minutes to get water on it after they arrived. You can go to the fire department and get an incident report. Mine cost $5 and it was very telling.
2007-04-17 10:11:36 · answer #1 · answered by eskie lover 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The time for water to be put on the fire should be a lot quicker. There really is no set time limit on how fast you have to put water on the fire. Everyone knows that the faster water is put on the fire, the less damage occurs. I am a volunteer fire fighter and my Dept likes to have a hose charged and operating within a couple of minutes of arriving on scene. This all depends on where the fire is located and what measures are needed to reach the fire. Every Fire Dept is different on how they work, it sounds like yours needs some more training. There may have been some circumstances delaying their response.
2007-04-18 04:22:34 · answer #2 · answered by Mr Mike 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Response can be faster if they are equipped with a truck that has its own water, otherwise they are at the mercy of locating a hydrant. Delay factors include height of fire and how much hose and or ladders/lifts they need to attack the fire with. Without pictures or more details I'm limited.
The police are responsible for your personal safety and the safety of the response personnel who might have to rescue you. In this scenario the property is not their primary concern. I would only hope that they had a legitimate reason in their assessment of the scene that would warrant stopping you from the activity you described. I've seen them man garden hoses in similar situations - along with the resident/owner.
2007-04-17 10:16:54 · answer #3 · answered by KirksWorld 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say chances are you're suffering from the same thing most people do when they're the first on scene at an emergency - it seems like things are taking a lot longer than they are. Late last year, we had a car fire. The first on scene, and the one that called it in, happened to be an officer from another fire company. He ended up getting county to dispatch company after company for this car fire because he was sitting there watching it burn, and it seems like it's taking A LOT longer for crews to get there than it really is. A few weeks ago we had two accidents in the same location, a couple of days apart. The first one, I was last on scene, and there was a nearby neighbor directing traffic til I got there. He claimed it took my company 10 minutes to get there. The second one, I was first on scene, and I could've sworn it took my company 10 minutes to get there after I did, when really it only took about 2. What I'm getting at, is, it always seems like everything is taking much longer than it really is.
And, the reason the officer was able to stop you, was because when fire personnel get there, they have complete control over the property, and other than that, they likely felt that there was no reason for you to risk yourself or possibly hinder their efforts by trying to handle it yourself.
Anyway, I would suggest sending a letter to or calling your first-due company and questioning their response. Who knows, they may have had some equipment malfunction or failure on scene. I'm sure they would be able to give you an accurate timeline of events, as well. Be nice, though.
2007-04-17 13:40:37 · answer #4 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know there would have been some wet cops before they arrested me. What were the firemen doing for the 15-18 minutes? After talking to my insurance person, I would be filing lawsuits. Now, I would love to know EXACTLY what was happening at the time. Having been in DIY Forums for a long time, I know all the facts are not always given in the original posts.
2007-04-17 10:10:58 · answer #5 · answered by sensible_man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do not understand why the police stopped you from keeping your fire under control. Wow!! If I was you I would ask the police chief why?
2007-04-17 10:05:25 · answer #6 · answered by ruthie 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋