Richard Rider Rant: Inaccurate rebuttal by a firefighter

Here's an inaccurate printed rebuttal column, written by a firefighter, responding to my North County Times op-ed on "Expanding our Firefighting Options."
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/10/31/opinion/rider/19_49_1310_30_0...
(interesting comments follow my article)

His column a fascinating insight into the myopic, selfish thinking of our labor union firefighters. I'd say it fairly represents the viewpoint of the many firefighters with whom I've debated online during the past couple years.

Apparently they are deathly afraid of anyone but professional labor union firefighters combating blazes. They'd far prefer that thousands of structures burn to the ground rather than have nonunion firefighting assistance in major brush fires.

I invite you to make NC TIMES comments on his story. Just go to the link and below the story are comments, and an easy way to add yours.
[You can also add comments to this blog post using the form below.]

The firefighters have long since learned to do these comments to make it sound like they have lots of support -- we need a little balance here. Furthermore, you can comment (indeed, MUST comment) without giving your real name, so you can write (as they do) using various nicknames. Indeed, ALL the positive comments supporting my opponent's commentary could very well have all been written by the guy who wrote the article!

There are so many errors of logic in his piece that I simply don't know where to begin. But I welcome his column, as I can now use my debate jujutsu to use his arguments against my opponent. I will make it the topic of my next NC TIMES column, but will write a longer point-counterpoint breakdown of his invalid assertions and misinterpretation of my thoughts.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/11/08/opinion/commentary/18_37_4411...

Column got firefighters' jobs all wrong

By: KEVIN LYNDS - Commentary:

This article is in response to Richard Rider's (column regarding firefighting options), which ran on Oct. 31. His call to "think outside the box" regarding firefighting options is absurd in its lack of logic and understanding of the job. It is also dangerous. Corrections and rebuttals to his article need to be made.

While it is true that a small portion of firefighters' time is spent fighting fire -- approximately 5 percent of our calls -- the remainder break down something like this: 80 percent are medical emergencies, 10 percent traffic accidents and 5 percent are public service. So although we are being paid while not fighting fires, contrary to what Rider would like people to believe, most of us are not just sitting around.

As for utilizing the Navy with their "rudimentary training," it should be brought noted that fighting a fire in the bulkhead of a ship is much different than fighting a wildland fire. And if we did use the military for fires, how long would it take them to mobilize all that gear you mentioned? What if they're unavailable, what then?

Oh yeah, we can mobilize the government-trained, -funded and -equipped private citizen to do the job. But more on that later.

What about other 911 calls? Who would respond to the house fire, heart attack, traffic accidents, etc.? There must be a reason Camp Pendleton's fire department personnel are nonmilitary. Maybe they realize soldiers are for defending the country and firefighters are for responding to fires and emergency calls.

What exactly is un-American about evacuating people from situations that could prove fatal and reminding people that a house is not worth dying for? Rider's advocating for homeowners to fight fires is both careless and dangerous. If someone does stay behind to defend their home, the priority for the firefighters becomes the safety of the homeowner rather than the structure involved.

When citizens get into trouble, firefighters have to drop what they are doing to rescue them. This scenario played out on the first day of the Harris fire, when four firefighters got burned trying to save the life of a private citizen. The citizen died and the four firefighters are in the UCSD burn unit, two of them critical. [Editor's note: One of the firefighters was released from the UCSD Burn Center on Monday; one remains in intensive care there.]

As for the government-trained and -equipped citizen force, what training requirements would it have? When and where would this citizen force train or store equipment? Maybe they could train after work, after they spend time with the kids and before they eat dinner?

Solving these problems is easy while sitting in an office at a computer, but I suggest before Richard Rider opines about emergency services in such a public manner, that he educate himself first. Perhaps he should spend a day at a fire academy or stop by a paramedic school program (every firefighter hired in North County has to be a paramedic first). Maybe then he would realize exactly what it is we do.

-- San Diego resident Kevin Lynds is a firefighter with the Carlsbad Fire Department.

Comments On This Story

To Kevin wrote on Nov 8, 2007 9:06 AM:
" You are 100% correct. "

esteban wrote on Nov 8, 2007 9:33 AM:
" You are right. Rider is just one of many know it all citizens who have the expertise and the answers for everything. Nothing the gov't does is good enough for these types. These types are society's down trodden, who lack life skills, motivation, and self esteem. No one should take them seriously. And count on the NCT for giving someone like that a forum. "

Our FFs Rock wrote on Nov 8, 2007 9:42 AM:
" Kevin, why don't you just get Rider's phone number and give him a ring every time you get a call? Then you can ring him back after you get back in quarters and finish your paperwork... So much for just sitting around. Keep up the good work. "

Reardon wrote on Nov 8, 2007 10:35 AM:
" Having spent 26 years in the Navy, enlisted and officer, (mostly in submarines) I have a feeling for military capabilities. The Navy/Marines are not, currently, qualified for directly fighting fires, but there are many current qualifications in support roles they can fill to spell firefights to go to the front line. (And we can train thousands in other than shipboard firefighting, because almost ALL are trained in shipboard fires!) The Navy (including Marines) has HUGE equipment, here, operated by highly qualified CB (Construction Battalion) personnel who can cut a mile-wide fire line in less time than I can write about it. You want people rescued? There is no one braver, or more qualified – or faster -- than Seal Team One! (They are right here in San Diego!) If you need hand crews – how many? 1,000? 10,000? More? Give the military an hour. Equipment? High pressure pumps, emergency lighting so powerful it can blind, portable electric generation…you want a hundred? IT’S ALL PAID FOR! Anything we don’t have in San Diego can be here via airlift in hours – we don’t have to get Cal Fire’s permission to fly, and we fly regardless of weather. No, fighting fires is not the first priority for the military, but we can make an aluminum overcast with planes filled with men and equipment, if called on, so you can fight fires. Fire trucks? We don’t drive them from remote locations for days – we airlift them in hours! Medics and paramedics – we have them by the thousands, and can set up field hospitals to save firefights and residents lives when they are overrun, with helicopter air-evac when necessary – and can handle more then a thousand casualties. Communications? We can set up a multi-screen video Command, Control, and Communications system, with remote (or completely autonomous) unmanned aircraft doing the infra-red fire spotting (day or night), while you are still drawing on scrap paper and using wall mounted maps! Oh, yes, the military is all volunteer, and doesn’t get paid overtime. The military does not want your job – it just wants to help. I’ll bet the public (our common Boss) wants the military to help. You should too. We have some useful capabilities. "