Watch how you store it!

[Fx51LP308]

The above is a YouTube video showing a real-time response by Vandergrift, PA firefighters to a house where a $hitload of live ammo was being stored in the attic. Hence, the crackling sounds. Be very careful how you store your ammo in your house.

Being retired EMS, I often look at these YT videos of firefighter responses just to see how the different crews respond. . Some of the lessons learned (for homeowners) include:

1) Always know the location of the closest Fire Hydrant to your house and tell the dispatcher that so the crew doesn't have to waste time looking for it. Some crews may not have "auto-location" systems or remember all of the locations.

2) Don't park in the street, if at all possible. The apparatus may not be able to get through. Especially in urban or city areas. Where I lived in the PRNJ, it was against township ordinances to park in the street, in front of my townhouse, unless it was a quick delivery or something. The streets were more narrow anyway. Even a type 3 ambulance could not get by, let alone a std. fire engine, if blocked by a parked car.

3) If you park in the driveway outside the garage, park a few feet away from the door, so whatever's burning inside doesn't catch the car on fire. Lots of things can fall from the roof and catch the car. Also, it gives the crew some room to work in re: sawing the door down.

4) Don't expect them to get water on your burning house for at least 10-15 minutes after they arrive. It takes that long to tap the hydrant, set the main 4" line from the hydrant to the pumping engine intake and then to charge all the outgoing lines. Even longer if they don't know where the hydrant is and they have to look for one (see #1 above).

5) Stay out of the A.O. I know you want to save your house, but understand... that's not likely to happen anyway by the time the apparatus arrives and they get water on it. Let them do their jobs as best they can. Expect to have holes cut in your roof or your garage door for venting purposes. And be sure your homeowners insurance is paid up! And if there are electricity lines nearby, it's even worse as it may take at least 1/2hr or more for the power co. to cut power. If a line burns down. it's on!

6) If you live in the "sticks" where there isn't a hydrant network, consider digging a duck pond that will serve as a water source for the apparatus, if you have the space for it. Gators...Shmators! Your house is more important! If not, then they'll have to bring in "tankers" with water to feed the engines. Advise the dispatcher accordingly.

I'm sure you folks know most of this already. But these are some of the things I see as I watch these videos Searching for the hydrant is the biggest one. Know where yours is and be able to tell them.

Be safe folks!

 

[hollowoutadime]

I'm moving mine to a secure outbuilding just for this reason. Already moved the powder out.

 

[Maser]

Still less dangerous than storing e-bike batteries.

 

[Srgt. Hulka]

That’s the sound of sadness right there.

 

[CowboyBart]

The fist responders have watched too much TV. The bullets will "fly" less than 5', but on TV it shoots out of the fire and kills people.

Mine is in ammo cans in a concrete basement, covered in drywall.

 

[Pillow Gun]

tragic!

 

[AmmoFort]

The fist responders have watched too much TV. The bullets will "fly" less than 5', but on TV it shoots out of the fire and kills people.

Mine is in ammo cans in a concrete basement, covered in drywall.

I’ve never thrown pistol or rifle ammo in a fire personally. But my understanding is that the projectiles don’t really go anywhere, though the cases could get rowdy.

 

[JR_77]

The fist responders have watched too much TV. The bullets will "fly" less than 5', but on TV it shoots out of the fire and kills people.

 

[Basher]

…though the cases could get rowdy.

Sure, but turnout gear’ll stop brass like it’s nothing. I think it was Federal that did a pretty informative video on ammunition fires some time ago. They’re generally a non-event for first responders in proper PPE.

 

[mi650]

I’ve never thrown pistol or rifle ammo in a fire personally. But my understanding is that the projectiles don’t really go anywhere, though the cases could get rowdy.

I once threw a belt of 7.62 blanks into a fire. They went boom, but didn't really go anywhere.

Although, the one that waited about a 1/2 hour to go off right at my feet was a helluva surprise!!

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

City dwellers are funny people.

 

[Holliday]

This thread does have me looking at my storage.

 

[XP1K]

Makes me think about a time I was helping an uncle clean out a shed in his backyard.

We were just sweeping stuff up and throwing it in a fire. Boxes full of trash, old scrap lumber. Mostly junk left behind by the previous owners.

Unbeknownst to us, there was a brick of 22lr in a box we tossed on the fire. It was like you lit a string of blackcats. Fun times.

 

[ColinW]

I love the fire service. But, at the same time.....I REALLY dislike those stupid fuckers too!! I had been trying for over a year and a half to get hired on to a FD. Didn't get so much as a single call back. EMT Fire 1 Fire 2Hazmat Awr Hazmat Ops Wildland red card Veteran bonus points 2.5 years volunteer time

Perhaps i should've played their bullshit woke game against them and put pronouns and gender dysphoria in my application. Probably would've been picked up in no time.

 

[Fx51LP308]

I love the fire service. But, at the same time.....I REALLY dislike those stupid fuckers too!! I had been trying for over a year and a half to get hired on to a FD. Didn't get so much as a single call back. EMT Fire 1 Fire 2Hazmat Awr Hazmat Ops Wildland red card Veteran bonus points 2.5 years volunteer time

Perhaps i should've played their bullshit woke game against them and put pronouns and gender dysphoria in my application. Probably would've been picked up in no time.

How long ago did you try? I was involved in the late 80's - early 90's. And no such wokeism existed. Certainly not in the FDs. And LGBTQ personnel were still "closeted" at the time. I recall a few of the EMTs that were LGBTQ, even 1-2 LE. But narry a firefighter. That was all "macho."

 

[sandhiller]

I love the fire service. But, at the same time.....I REALLY dislike those stupid fuckers too!! I had been trying for over a year and a half to get hired on to a FD. Didn't get so much as a single call back. EMT Fire 1 Fire 2Hazmat Awr Hazmat Ops Wildland red card Veteran bonus points 2.5 years volunteer time

Perhaps i should've played their bullshit woke game against them and put pronouns and gender dysphoria in my application. Probably would've been picked up in no time.

Come join our VFD
We'll take ya!
Pay sucks but you will get to fight fire, respond to MVA scenes and help with search an rescue if that's the itch you're looking to scratch.

We got a great bunch of guys, no bullshit allowed, woke or otherwise

Seriously, look into joining a VFD

 

[ColinW]

How long ago did you try? I was involved in the late 80's - early 90's. And no such wokeism existed. Certainly not in the FDs. And LGBTQ personnel were still "closeted" at the time. I recall a few of the EMTs that were LGBTQ, even 1-2 LE. But narry a firefighter. That was all "macho."

I started pursuing the FD in 2022 when I got honorably separated from the military(34 y/o at the time). I got all of my fire certifications and fire academy done while I was still active duty. I applied from June 2022 till early 2024. I got so damn fed up with repeated Public Safety testing fees and repeated applications that I folded my cards and called it quits. I couldn't push needles, determine EKGs and ride in the back of the box as a medic. So, that was a potential limiting factor. But, I reached my wits end after so many applications and a few hundred dollars spent on testing fees with no interviews that I had to say "FUCK YOU FIRE DEPARTMENT!" and go my way. It left a real bitter taste.

 

[Fx51LP308]

I started pursuing the FD in 2022 when I got honorably separated from the military(34 y/o at the time). I got all of my fire certifications and fire academy done while I was still active duty. I applied from June 2022 till early 2024. I got so damn fed up with repeated Public Safety testing fees and repeated applications that I folded my cards and called it quits. I couldn't push needles, determine EKGs and ride in the back of the box as a medic. So, that was a potential limiting factor. But, I reached my wits end after so many applications and a few hundred dollars spent on testing fees with no interviews that I had to say "FUCK YOU FIRE DEPARTMENT!" and go my way. It left a real bitter taste.

Reading EKGs isn't all that hard, with a bit of practice. You learn the patterns, the arythmias, the heart blocks, the variations of V-TAC (including "Torsades"). Starting IVs *is* hard... especially in the back of a rolling, rocking rig. In a "clinical" hospital scenario, it's better, but you need to know how to do it in the back of that bus. And with "seniors" whose veins jiggle all about... even tougher. Once the IV is established, pushing the drugs isn't hard at all, Just do it through the tube port. But remember to kink the tubing distal to the IV port so the drugs don't go back into the bag. Intubation is also a bit of a challenge in the back of that bus, but that you can get pretty well with practice. Use a MAC blade and hit that vallecula pretty well.

But the hardest thing of all, more than he skills and the knowledge is the "assessments..." both the "Scene" assessment and the Patient assessment. In the clinical setting, there are people there prompting you with signs and symptoms to help you along the way. When you're out doing you field internship, you're just out there. You have to pick up on those signs/symptoms and formulate a diagnosis yourself. And, not only from the patient, but also the scene and what it might have to say. And the only way to get proficient with that is to ride as a basic EMT and go on call after call after call. Hopefully, your crew chief will quiz you on what you saw and thought about after each call.

 

[LuckyLuke80]

Come join our VFD
We'll take ya!
Pay sucks but you will get to fight fire, respond to MVA scenes and help with search an rescue if that's the itch you're looking to scratch.

We got a great bunch of guys, no bullshit allowed, woke or otherwise

Seriously, look into joining a VFD

Volunteer is the only way. Maybe the big city paid departments are good, but in a small town like us they have been trying to have a paid department. Or at least partially paid. We are a town of less than 1,500 inside city limits and our department has been operating in the red. They and the ambulance can hardly find Main Street cause they don’t know the area. Then when they get there no one knows how to put water ON the fire. The previous mayor owned a bar and grill on Main Street and the idiots sprayed somewhere around 150,000 gallons or more OVER the building while it burned the whole thing out. Flooded the alley and the street for a few blocks. Residents put out sand bags to keep water out of their houses and the highway. It’s pathetic. But, at least the chief and a few officers are making $60k/year plus benefits.

 

[Fx51LP308]

Volunteer is the only way. Maybe the big city paid departments are good, but in a small town like us they have been trying to have a paid department. Or at least partially paid. We are a town of less than 1,500 inside city limits and our department has been operating in the red. They and the ambulance can hardly find Main Street cause they don’t know the area. Then when they get there no one knows how to put water ON the fire. The previous mayor owned a bar and grill on Main Street and the idiots sprayed somewhere around 150,000 gallons or more OVER the building while it burned the whole thing out. Flooded the alley and the street for a few blocks. Residents put out sand bags to keep water out of their houses and the highway. It’s pathetic. But, at least the chief and a few officers are making $60k/year plus benefits.

Where I lived in the PRNJ, it was pretty much all "volunteer" FD/EMS, except for large cities. Most municipalities had paid LE, but if you also had paid FD, it was a "city..." not a Township or Town, etc. etc. And, the Paramedic units were not part of the FD. They originated from each Hospital. I gather that was so the doctors could keep "medical control" over the Paramedics and mitigate liability. The PRNJ is an extremely litigious state, especially when it comes to medical malpractice. The doctors had ultimate control over everything. They would not even allow "PA's" in the state.

The problem with "volunteerism" and especially in the PRNJ is that the volunteers are much fewer and farther between. Nobody wants to volunteer anymore. Hence they have to resort to "paid" services, especially during "business hours" when everyone is off to work.

 

[LuckyLuke80]

Yeah that’s why I say I’m sure it’s better in larger cities. Our quaint little village is not large enough to support it and is too closed minded to try to bring new businesses in to make it a more prosperous town. Our emt service is run by the fire department with the fire chief being the main leader of both groups and it’s a clown show. All that said, if my ammo storage catches fire, I’m on my own. Definitely something I’ve thought a lot about. A large, high quality gun safe is a very good way to store ammo and protect it from a fire for at least a little bit.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Come join our VFD
We'll take ya!
Pay sucks but you will get to fight fire, respond to MVA scenes and help with search an rescue if that's the itch you're looking to scratch.

We got a great bunch of guys, no bullshit allowed, woke or otherwise

Seriously, look into joining a VFD

Just become an arsonist! You get to go to all the fires. They’re fun to watch. And they won’t haze you by making you polish the trucks after every callout and do dishes!

Hey, I love my “Nozzle Buddies.” But deep down, they are all a bunch of pyros!!

Sirhr

 

[CowboyBart]

I started pursuing the FD in 2022 when I got honorably separated from the military(34 y/o at the time). I got all of my fire certifications and fire academy done while I was still active duty. I applied from June 2022 till early 2024. I got so damn fed up with repeated Public Safety testing fees and repeated applications that I folded my cards and called it quits. I couldn't push needles, determine EKGs and ride in the back of the box as a medic. So, that was a potential limiting factor. But, I reached my wits end after so many applications and a few hundred dollars spent on testing fees with no interviews that I had to say "FUCK YOU FIRE DEPARTMENT!" and go my way. It left a real bitter taste.

I'm guessing your a straight white male.
When I separated I applied for postal positions at several hubs. When I put I was a white male, I never got a response. When I put black male, I got a response in about a month. When I put that I was a black female, I got a response in 3 days. That was in the '90's - it has only gotten worse.

 

[chevy_man]

I started pursuing the FD in 2022 when I got honorably separated from the military(34 y/o at the time). I got all of my fire certifications and fire academy done while I was still active duty. I applied from June 2022 till early 2024. I got so damn fed up with repeated Public Safety testing fees and repeated applications that I folded my cards and called it quits. I couldn't push needles, determine EKGs and ride in the back of the box as a medic. So, that was a potential limiting factor. But, I reached my wits end after so many applications and a few hundred dollars spent on testing fees with no interviews that I had to say "FUCK YOU FIRE DEPARTMENT!" and go my way. It left a real bitter taste.

You're too old.

Seriously. They want 18-22 yr old kids to train and abuse.
The military already abused your body, and they look at that as a huge detractor.

Although, my 36 year old co-worker who tried for a few years to get on a fire department at least got call backs that he was rejected for age.

 

[Fx51LP308]

I'm guessing your a straight white male.
When I separated I applied for postal positions at several hubs. When I put I was a white male, I never got a response. When I put black male, I got a response in about a month. When I put that I was a black female, I got a response in 3 days. That was in the '90's - it has only gotten worse.

Could that also be not "racial profiling" but, perhaps, "income profiling?" That is, were they using the selected race to determine how "little" a starting pay they could get away with offering you?

 

[ColinW]

I'm guessing your a straight white male.
When I separated I applied for postal positions at several hubs. When I put I was a white male, I never got a response. When I put black male, I got a response in about a month. When I put that I was a black female, I got a response in 3 days. That was in the '90's - it has only gotten worse.

Your assessment would be correct. I'm the white, Christian, conservative male that CNN warned you about.

I'm jobless currently too. I've submitted at least 50 applications for jobs in my area. Residing in the vicinity of the woke hell hole Seattle, i should start bullshitting my resume a little to reflect their "diversity" quotas. Maybe when I fake a mental illness with Pronoun usage, i'll get a job offer above minimum wage. FFS!!

 

[Rodney65]

This thread does have me looking at my storage.

My powder storage could be better.