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Fire Log
2005
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“Lies, Damn Lies and
Statistics”
by Jay Pozark
Sam Clemens used the above statement to give his opinion of numbers. It has also been said that figures don’t lie, people do. That having been said, as we enter the new year, a time of danger and doubt, let us look back sixty years to 1943.
It would be the second full year of World War Two for the United States. The Rescue Company was running with the vehicle converted by the members of the Department, a 1930 Maxim open cab, open body chemical truck to which they had added compartments. The old jalopy traveled 1039 miles using 360 gallons of gasoline, 6 quarts of oil and 3 1/2 lbs of grease. I wonder what the EPA recommended MPG was? Even if money was available the war made replacement of vehicles or equipment nearly impossible.
There were 473 City Box Alarms transmitted. At that time City Boxes got a full assignment. The rescue company responded to 436 of those boxes and 154 Still alarms, being absent from quarters 229 hours and 23 minutes. It should be mentioned that the Rescue Company was not alone. On most of these calls there would be at least an engine or truck company assigned with them. I have used the rescue report to give a view of the variety of work the department did.
The company threw 600 feet of ground ladders and used its generator 11 times for a total of 32 hours and 55 minutes. Gas masks were used 28 times for a total of 8 hours and 54 minutes and 9 cannisters were replaced.
Medical aids? The Inhalator was used 23 times for a total of 7 hours 57 minutes and they went through 11 tanks of carbogen. Doctors at the time were concerned that administering pure oxygen would depress the breathing reflex. So they had first aiders administer a gas mixture of 93 % oxygen and 7 % carbon dioxide. This was called carbogen. The carbon dioxide was supposed to stimulate the breathing reflex. The company responded to 13 Accident calls, (Auto, Elevator, Industrial etc.) performing First Aid 7 times. Their stretcher was used three times. Yes, they would, as a last resort, transport in the back of that vehicle. That must have been a wild ride in the winter. There were 2 Rope Rescue calls. The boat was called out nine times with the grappling irons used to drag three times and the under water lights used once.
They had Hazmat calls too. Twenty five calls for refrigerator leaks and eight calls for gas leaks. No freon back then reefer leaks were usually ammonia or stinky sulphur dioxide systems. And the gas used by the LG & E was manufactured gas without an odorant. Today we call it carbon monoxide and it was frequently deadly.
And of course there were the “stupid calls”. Twenty five lockouts and that fireman’s favorite, one call for a cat in a tree.
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