Hello from Pennsylvania

Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 5:59 am

Hello, just wanted to see what is going on across the pond. I am a career firefighter for the City of Jeannette, Pa IAFF 78 just outside of Pittsburgh. Always wanted to visit London to check out the LFD. Well stay safe and maybe I will see you all soon.

Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 6:32 pm

Hi and Welcome :)

Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 8:04 pm

Hi mate,

Welcome to the site, you'll find us very similar in our attitudes just a little difference in the way we do things.

Just a little one, London is a brigade (about 6000 fire fighters) and not a department.

Stay safe and have fun

Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 1:34 pm

Yeah I never understood that, I mean here in the US we mimic the military for the fire service. We have platoons, companies, battalions, divisions and then somehow it goes to department, how we skipped brigade between battalion and division is beyond me. I read an article once in firehouse magazine that was written by a man who went to London and done a ride along with one of your units, after reading that article I have always been very interested in visiting London and stopping in at a few stations to have a look around.

Well stay alert, stay alive

Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 5:00 pm

There you go Mr Cyclops, Utopia is waiting for you. :lol:

I'll pick up an American visa application for you, next time I'm passing Grosvenor Square.

Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 12:51 am

Thanks buddy

Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:39 am

The government and other agency's hate the fact that we still have a certain military style to our job, they would have us acting just like we worked in and office if they could.

We don't march anymore and sometimes it feels like the standards of some of our fire fighters (not just trainees) have dropped. The majority of us love the job and are very professional about the way we act I imagine just like the world over

Post in some of the other areas and tell us how your dept, watch works and how you job, training and days at work differs from ours

Rob

Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 3:40 pm

I'm quite happy to say, and have stated on here that the 'Army' influence is a throwback to times before most of us were born. I'm not sure how marching the first time I joined benefited lads from my first squad, anymore than my second comeback when marching had ceased. On both occasions I saw a bunch of professional lads (and lassies) who were over the moon to be starting a career with the Brigade.

Having witnessed 'Military discipline' first hand on both the picket lines of Soho and Clerkenwell when we were spat at, threatened, and generally abused by serving servicemen, I for one can quite happily live without the Military influence that these thugs displayed. The professionalism of the LFB lads that endured these attacks outshone the so called discipline of those 'pro's' that were handing it out.

If you have any doubts, chat to the lads at Soho, they bore the brunt of it.

There seems to be a great deal of belief that unless we have Military style training / influence, we're all going down the road of a lawless brigade? We're not, we will manage, and indeed, are managing just fine.

There's always been a few clowns who get through the net, that's life. Luckily most of them get promoted very quickly. :wink: