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I live across the street from a firehouse in Manhattan. They are noisy and politically untouchable so calling 311 doesn't help. They test these devices to get
by spodek 7y ago
I live across the street from a firehouse in Manhattan. They are noisy and politically untouchable so calling 311 doesn't help.
They test these devices to get through doors that are basically chainsaws every day at random times.
I once asked a fireman why they test them daily. He said, "It would be a shame to find out it didn't work when we got there."
I asked innocently, "When you test it, you know it works, but as soon as you stop it, you don't know if it works any more. That test might have been its last working. How do you know daily is the right amount?"
He said, "It would be a shame to find out it didn't work when we got there."
I took away that there was no reason for daily. They just did it that way.
If anyone out there knows a proper testing frequency for chainsaws, I'd love to find out, especially if it's well documented and less often than daily.
- BurningFrog 7y agoMy impression is that there isn't much to do in a firehouse when there is no fire. So "testing the chainsaw again" might end up being done a lot. Since it's a thing you can do.
- brendanw 7y agoI vaguely recall reading a few articles about how firehouses are less necessary as we have less fires today, but we struggle to reduce their numbers as they are heavily unionized. This is the narrative I at least have floating in my mind. https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/19/palo-alto-cuts-11-firefighter-jobs-after-stanford-reduces-contract/ https://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/19/palo-alto-cuts-11-fir...
- switch007 7y agoThis is a UK perspective but IMO much of the reduction in fires has been because of the work done by the Fire Brigade. Education, information campaigns, pushing for reforms, calls to action etc. Any reduction in numbers – and the manner in which it happens (in case it has a multiplying effect of disuasing new recruits when they're actually needed) – should be done very, very carefully.