[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
bigflamer wrote:
100meters wrote:
Of course “cut and run” (sounds bad) is RNC speak for a “timetable for withdrawal” (sounds sensible) again something supported by a nice majority of the population and Lamont.
100m,
The very same thing IMHO, just a different marketing spin don’t you think?
I’ll say this, I certainly don’t respond to a structure fire with the intent of clearing the scene in “X” amount of time.
The job is done when the job is done.
The structure fire also doesn’t spread in from other buildings,[/quote]
Sure it does. It’s refered to as an exposure fire. Heat, either conducted, radiated, convected, etc.; can significantly contribute to the spread of fire. Directly following rescue needs, exposure control is a primary concern to the incident commander.
[quote]
blend in with the walls, burn when it wants, and then fade back into the wallpaper.[/quote]
Man, balloon frame construction is a bitch and backdrafts can kill. A small fire in the basement can spread to the wall and race right up to the attic. Thereby causing an even bigger fire in the attic. You can think you have a small basement fire out and BAM!, big fire in attic.
Hell, I’ve seen on a number of occasions a plumber who was sweating pipe and inadvertantly conducted heat down the pipe and into the wall starting a fire in the wall that causes a large fire in the attic. Plumber keeps on working and doesn’t even know there is a problem till he smells smoke and hears someone outside yelling “there’s fire coming from the roof!” That particular incident burned half of the damned apartment building to the ground.
I can remember Chief Ray Hoff saying that a fire should be B.A.G.ed (where has the fire Been?, where’s the fire At?, where’s the fire Going?)
I’m begining to think that we need more fire chiefs and less generals in Iraq :-]
[quote]
When would the job have been done in Vietnam? Or for the Soviets in Afghanistan?
Things aren’t black and white.[/quote]
I agree that things aren’t always black and white. But my point is that no matter how many twists, turns, and hurdles we face as a nation; I don’t think it will bode well for us to leave before the job is done. Wouldn’t be right IMHO.
Now, as long as we’re throwing around firefighter analogies, I learned in my fire officer classes that a good incident commander needs to know when the incident action plan needs to be revised. Incidents change and so should the plan for victory.
It’s my hope that we come up with a plan that gives us some undeniable success in the middle east. I just don’t think that the nation will have the patience that “victory” in Iraq will require. We are a very impatient nation.
-Bigflamer