Hi everyone.
Someone asked me at one of the meetings earlier this summer what kind of response and effectiveness emergency crews (ie: Fire, Police, Paramedic, etc) would have if the S really did start to hit the fan. There is a video I would like everyone to watch on youtube that can show just how hard your fire department and its front line firemen will work to save a community that is in shambles.
I believe that everyone on here is aware of the situation in Detroit. It is the epicenter of the declining US economy, and if you were somehow unaware, perhaps this video will shed some light on just how bad things truely are there. Many cities across the States are begining to look like this, but in Detroit the decay has been occuring for almost a decade now. It has been a long, horrific fall into what most would call worse then a third world city. This isnt in some backwoods jungle in Africa people. This is what used to be the crowned jewel of American Industrialism, and the heart of the Gigantic automotive industry. This video is an extended trailer for a documentary that will be coming out shortly. It is called "Burn", and it chronicles the crew of Engine 50 located in Detroits East Side. please watch it, and see just how hard these people will work to save you and your belongings. The situation is as near to what I believe a SHTF scenario will look like, and these guys are still showing up every day to do what they can. please watch, and look for the documentary when it is released.
BURN trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI261NDLWlM
As this is a subject close to my heart, I will be making a post soon regarding things that we as preppers can do on our own to help protect ourselves from Fire Events in the situation where our Emergency crews are too overworked to respond to us. I hope that it will be helpfull and insightfull, and perhaps give us all an edge when the rest of the world starts to look like detroit.
See you all after.
Looks like an intersting show...I admire them ...the last time I watched something like this was about Flint. Will the city be able to come back from this?
Fire is not a thing to be taken lightly at any time I thank Buggie for the posts and helping people become aware of the dangers associated with fires. Smoke alarms are a must and in Ontario it is the law that there must be a smoke alarm on every level of a residence and outside all sleeping areas. Few of us have experienced a fire. As a volunteer fireman I can honestly say that this is one experience that you can definitely without.
Once started fires grow at an unbelievable rate. Please spend the two minutes to watch the video in the link: http://www.stamfordfiretruths.org/index.php/2010/06/10/how-fast-does-a-fire-grow-you-ask/
Install smoke alarms and develop an evacuation plan with your family. Practice your plan on a regular basis so that should a fire occur your actions will be automatic. If your alarm does go off evacuate the building and call the fire brigade from a neighbors house. If the alarm sounds don't go looking for the fire the time it takes you to look can prove disastrous. In the video it takes a few seconds for the smoke alarms to sound. Within 2 minutes that room was engulfed. Imagine you are woken in the middle of the night how long would it take you and your family to become mobile? If the alarm sounds evacuate!
Fire extinguishers are useful but IMO over rated. If it is a VERY small fire, contained and you are right there you MIGHT be successful in extinguishing the fire. Extinguishers last for only a few seconds and even though they may put out the flames there is a good chance the fire will reignite. Don't take the chance, evacuate with your family. I lost two friend a few years back who alerted other members of the family to the fire and then tried to put it out.
If there is a fire priority one is to protect life. Remember, objects can be replaced, people can’t! Never re-enter a burning building. GET OUT & STAY OUT!