MikesPhotos

I'm curious what you mean by new police siren? This is the second time in this thread someones mentioned it and I'd like to point out that in the state of California the only sounds allowed are Wail, Yelp, and air horn. To quote the California Code of Regulations Title 13, Section 1023 Part (d) (d) Control Markings. Electronic siren controls shall be marked to indicate each siren function by the words "Manual," "Wail," and "Yelp" spelled out or abbreviated. Markings for other nonpermitted functions, such as "Hi-Lo," may remain on the control panel provided the function is made inoperable on sirens manufactured after January 1, 1978. From what i've heard while playing the game, the Wail and Yelp that Hoppah has chosen is dead on to what I hear daily here in L.A. I'm curious, why should it have been an SUV? As mentioned previously on these forums, the LAFD only has one EMS supervisor vehicle that is not a Crown vic like the one so excellently modeled by Hoppah. It is just a test vehicle, and has not been well recieved. In regards to the CHP officer, I'd like to throw my vote in to keep it. It just looks sharp and they're very proud of it as you can see in their publications. It gives them a real State Trooper look. In regards to the Charger, thanks for posting that article ranger211. As you can see by the article, it's not meant to replace the Special Duty/Special Purpose camaro, but meant to replace the standard crown vic in service if it is adopted. Personally I love the Camaro that Hoppah has modeled, which is the great thing about his mod, and the freeplay aspect of the game. It lets you play it the way you want with what you want. He's done a lot of hard work and effort to provide a mod that works for everyone.

The CHP is constantly testing and evaluating new vehicles to see what is best for their Officers all along the state. I've personally seen everything from the Volvo S-70 to the Chevy Impala in CHP colors. The department has currently purchased somewhere along the lines of 80+ Chargers in both the V6 and V8 packages with 9 of them going to the Academy and a hand full to each area of operations for testing, training and evaluation. The remaining 70+ will be unmarked, and remain in factory paint for undercover operations. In San Diego County, the charger has taken a good foot hold from the crown vic in numerous departments, and while the officers complain about the lack of space inside, they due tend to rave about its performance and overall use. In regards to the Campaign Hat. The CHP website does indeed show their officers wearing the campaign, and even the fuzzy russian hat as well, but like I mentioned before, it is only authorized for long term traffic control and formal occasions. They just love to show it off because they're very proud of it. For some great detail shots of the hat, I recommend this website. Hope that helps.

That is indeed them! The great men and women of the California Highway Patrol fought long and hard for the right to adopt what is known as the "Campaign Hat" as their official headgear in 1991. Per their regulations it is only to be worn when attending formal functions or at their discretion when conducting long term traffic control during daylight hours. What this means is that they virtually never are seen with one during routine duties and having asked a good friend of mine with over 20 years in the department, he can remember only wearing his once and that was to a funeral. You can see and read more about their uniform here Mike

Thought I'd chime in here as well As some of you know, I'm Mike from http://MikesPhotos.us and I shoot Fire/EMS and Law Enforcement in the Southern California, US area. I've recently posted an update to my website over the last couple of days that includes LAFD Fire 1 and Fire 3 Helicopters from the Canyon Fire in Malibu a few weeks back. Enjoy!

As mentioned previously, the events is attached to my prior posts for you and everyone to enjoy. After reading this I decided to put together this little guide to supplement the tips that you find in the files. · Fire Stations ○ Main Station - FS 1 § I keep the main HQ staffed with 1 Task Force which is a fully staffed Engine, Truck and Water Tender, as well as 2 RA's. Sometimes I'll keep a 2nd engine in house as a move up company. § I use the Truck and the WT together as a Light Force which I will explain below. § Avoid having a 3rd RA at the station. The medics have trouble getting into it when you have that bay filled and you never want to dispatch an empty ambulance. ○ Harbor Station § Find a nice parking area near the SE corner of the map and place a Single Engine and an EMS Supervisor there. Due to it being so distant from the rest of the area, it'd be a hassle to use an ambulance for transport, and then move one into the area to cover behind it. Just use the EMS Capt to treat the patient and call for an air ambulance. In real life, it would just be a Paramedic Engine company. § Consider an LAX WT as well due to the commercial and hazmat in the area. By using the WT you don’t expose your firefighters to the hazmat and you can pump a lot of water onto the fire. Use fireboats as needed as well. ○ NE Station § There is a nice parking lot along the east area of the map just south of the house in the midst of all of the trees. It's large enough to hold a full Task Force. 1 Engine, 1 Truck and 1 WT. Use the Truck and the WT as a light force and don’t forget that Firefighters can be used to stabilize pts before the ambulances get there. ○ South Staging area. § Even though it is close to FS 1, the area along the beach and park is difficult for units to get around in. I keep a Brush Patrol staffed with 2 FF's and a trailer in a parking lot across from the big parking garage. ○ Off Map Station. § For extra resources and calls in the North west part of the map, I will usually call in resoures from off the map. That keeps the stations available for other calls and keeps them in their First In areas. · Dive Patrol Boat. ○ I keep it staffed and at the south end entrance to the main river. This allows me to quickly reach the 3 spots that I get the calls in. · Task Force / Light force ○ A Task Force / Light Force is a concept that is rarely seen outside of Los Angeles. By staffing a truck with 5 men, and an engine with just 1 man you create a Light Force that is versatile and doesn't come with the limitations you find on a Quint. By adding a fully staffed 4 man engine company as well, you now have a Task Force that on it's own can handle many situations without the need for any other resources. How this works in 911/Emergency is that the Light Force is great for Physical Rescue assignements (traffic accidents) since you have the extra man power for stabilizing victims and extrication with the jaws/shears. For structure fires, depending on it's location you can use the WT to pump water while still using the truck for its aerial stream. Or you can use one of the aerial streams and use the men as what is known as a RIC. The RIC is a concept that is used throughout the United States under various names. Rapid Intervention Crew, Rapid Intervention Team, Safety Team, and many others. The concept is simple though. Firefighting is a dangerous endeavor and safety is the #1 priority. By keeping a couple of guys suited up in SCBA's but not part of the actual firefighting effort, they are available to go in and rescue any injured firefighters in the event of an emergency. By having a 6 man Light Force, you have more then enough to man the aerial, grab a hose line, and still have a RIC off to the side. Another plus is that by keeping the light force together at all times, even if you are on a Jumper call, if a fire breaks out near by, you can still respond with enough man power and water to hit it without waiting for the WT to meet you there. No matter where you are or where you go, you have the capabilities of a truck and a Pumper and that cannot be underestimated. ○ The reason I use the water tender instead of another Engine is because of the games physics, the Aerial seems to be very picky at what it wants to reach, this way instead of messing around with it, you can just use the WT's as a quick solution. · Battalion Chief ○ In addition to responding him to the incident, I keep 1 BC standing by the small console at Fire Station 1 for use as a dispatcher. By keeping him on Hot Key #1 I can always call for resources fast, even on incidents that don't have a chief on it. · USAR Rig ○ For Physical rescue assignments on the top left, I usually just respond the USAR rig. There's no reason to tie up a truck or engine company that might be needed elsewhere just to pop a door. Physical Rescue assignments are really the bread and butter of the USAR companies in the LAFD due to their extra cribbing and gear. · Parking ○ On an incident, just like in real life, parking is a primary concern. Los Angeles is a very old town in many ways, and some of the streets are narrow and unforgiving and just not accessible to large apparatus. The same is true in the game! Here are some tips from real life that will help in the game. § Send the first onscene engine past the involved structure so that other units can pull in behind him. Otherwise he will end up blocking the area and preventing other units from getting in. § Have the second engine park near the front of the involved unit and assign them as backup fire attack. What that means is to have them pull hose and assist the 1st engine crew in putting out the fire. § Have the 3rd engine park either to the rear of the involved structure or to the side it is burning towards and protect the other structures. Having the chief park with them allows you to assign him a hot key and quickly see if the fire is spreading to other exposures or not. § Use the light force as needed, either aerial streams or for use as RIC. § PD as traffic control can be essential especially in areas with railroad tracks. The last thing you need is to backup traffic onto the tracks and cause a bigger problem. · Police Incidents ○ One thing I've noticed in the game, there is no penalty for shooting an unarmed suspect. From the pickpocketer to shoplifter, if you shoot the subject you can easily haul him away in an ambulance and not have to worry about getting your officers injured. Not quite realistic, but saves time. ○ In the illegal demonstration call, remember that you don’t need to arrest everone, just the person with the Sign. By using the armored vehicle with a water canon, you can easily shoot the instigator and keep others away while your medics pick the suspect up and transport them. I usually respond the armored vehicle, an EMS supervisor, an ambulance, and a few patrol units just in case. ○ For traffic control and other response, I prefer to use the LAPD motor units simply because they have a much easier time of getting in and out of traffic. The fire apparatus also seem to have a much easier time navigating around them as well. · Mechanics ○ I keep 2 mech's at the fire and police station. They tend to be usefull for fixing aparatus I am very grateful to Hoppah for his hard work and efforts in showcasing the brave Men and Women of the Los Angeles City Fire Department. Having had the chance to fight fires all over the US as well as in Canada, Australia, Europe and the Phillipines, I've learned that LA is very unique in its methods and operational procedures. Hopefully this guide along with the tool tips in the edited file will give users of this game a chance to see how we do things the LA way. The other tips are just from my own experience in the game.

Sorry for taking so long to respond. You are quite welcome and I hope you enjoy playing with the new files. I will add one thing though, while having spent the majority of my career in the Fire Service, due to also being an Incident Dispatcher with a command team, I am a California POST certified dispatcher as well and very familiar with the LAPD's communications. All of the Law Enforcement dispatches follow their structure with the exception of no codes used. Because they change from city to city, county to county, state to state, I felt it would be a greater hassle to people all over the world who enjoy this game to try and figure out what a 187 (murder), or a 415 (disturbance), or a Code 37 (stolen vehicle) was. Completely. From numerous studies throughout the US and abroad, they've found that codes not only complicate and lengthen communications between members of different departments, but has the same effect on those in the same department. Because of that, it has been mandated in the US that all agencies, be they Fire, EMS, or police abandon brevity codes for clear text as part of the National Incident Management System. You can read some great articles on the switchover and the reasons why at this website. The file was attached to the bottom of my previous post and I changed both fire and pd to reflect the way LAFD and LAPD communications handles those types of incidents as well as tips on what units are typically deployed. Mike

PD with extinguishers will be a nice addition. An incident that stands out in my mind is from a few years back where a driver noticed smoke and coming from the engine compartment of his vehicle and decided to pull into the gas station as opposed to parking across the street in what was then a wide open dirt field. The Huntington beach PD were first on scene, even though this was next door to the CHP Westminster office, and expended 3 extinguishers before Orange County Fire Authority's Truck 64 (a 75 ft non tiller rear mount quint) arrived on scene. You can see a couple of pics of it here. I mostly took video that day which i still need to upload. Also in response to the Los Angeles Air Force Base, you are quite right in saying that F-15's do not fly out of there. In fact, nothing does! Unlike most air force bases, this one does not include any aircraft but is the west coast home of the Space and Missile center. In addition to their role in developing ICBM's and other military missiles, they have accomplished many achievements in peaceful meterology and navigational systems. You're right in saying that the nearest location to find an F15 would be Edwards AFB. Named after Test Pilot Glenn Edwards, Edwards is home to the USAF's Flight Test Center and is also the west coast landing site of the Space Shuttle. While not having a Fighter Wing permanently assigned, you can find virtually any and every aircraft in the US arsenal there at one time or another. But in game it'd add a great element and can't wait to see it! Mike

The Los Angeles City Fire Department does indeed operate tillered truck companies but they do not refer to them as quints. What I believe you are thinking of is The Los Angeles County Fire Department which does indeed utilize tillered quints. For the most part, these are 75 foot aerial KME tillers with a pump and a tank, as well as the full complement of ground ladders, hoses, and extrication gear that one needs to qualify as a Quint. Unfortunatly, they have not been well recieved due to the difficulties in grabbing the hose lines as well as repacking them as opposed to on a traditional Engine in addition to the other compromises that come with a Quint apparatus. This is why both City and County run Light Forces of a fully staffed Truck and an engine with just one man so that they do not have to make the compomises.

I am not certain if it is a law or just a recommendation/guideline, but along with the red to the front, they must have at least one flashing amber (yellow) to the rear. For Fire/EMS Vehicles you will usually see an alternating red and amber pattern to the rear, for law enforcement, it will be blue, red and amber. For LAPD, they usually just have a single dual flasher on the drivers side of the vehicle (left) that flashes Blue and Amber for their unmarked cars like this pic of a Santa Monica PD unit . Other setups include blue/amber, and red/amber with a traffic advisor. Here is a closer view of a typical chp setup like that. One law that is in the California Regulations book that very few people know about or even bother to follow is that there are only 3 tones allowed on a siren in California. Yelp, Wail and Airhorn. Two tone, phaser, and all of those other sounds you find on a typical siren are illegal in this state. Though I've rarely seen it enforced, i can recall an accident that occured in Riverside County where the unit was running through an intersection with phaser. Even though the civilian turned left in front of him to try and beat him to the intersection, the operator of the vehicle was found to be at fault for using an unnapproved tone. Oh and as for the SEB rescue truck, here is a walk around of that vehicle used with Air 5.

You are quite welcome. In regards to the xml file, I have gone over it again and noticed that there were actually 2 files that were in use when a call is dispatched. The events.xml and the supervevents.xml. By syncing them up using the fp file in specs, I was able to edit them in a way I feel is more concise. Now, the events.xml has the actual dispatch in a short and concise form that remains in the tab window, as well as tooltips with helpful information regarding what units are typically sent. The supervevents file has the extra information that you see when the call is first dispatched but that you really dont need to remain in the tab window. For example a structure fire call will now show OCD: Structure Fire and the tool tip will show CAD recommends 1 Chief, 3 Engines, 1 Light Force, EMS Supervisor and Paramedic Ambulance for all Residential Structure Fires. Add an additional Engine and Light Force for all Commercial Structures. Request PD as needed for traffic control. And when its dispatched, you'll also see the extraneous info about a tv exploding or whatever the call particular is. As for the Old 80's van, I was just going through all of the units and commenting on them. Personally, I absolutely love seeing them in game and use them for nostalgia's sake. In regards to the driver, I think you may have misunderstood my point. By adding a second seat to the vehicle for a Firefighter ( a captain really), it becomes usefull for large events like a gas explosion or the arsonist. By assigning him a group hot key, say 6, you can quickly jump to that side or area of the incident. As units move around and are redeployed, he can remain in place as what we call the division or group supervisor. The vehicle still acts as all of the other vehicles do, but I've found that the game translates really well into real life tactics in this regard. Right now i'm using the vehicle itself as one of my division supe's but it'd be easier with the "driver" to head to the back area so i can keep a better eye on all aspects of the incident. No need to edit the core game mechanics of the vehicles, but I'm always a big fan of more bodies on an incident. I do have one question that you might be able to answer. I've tried looking in the editor and in the various xml's and haven't quite found the info I'm looking for. Is there a place that defines the power, strength or gallons per minute/ammount of water put out by 1 hose, the water tender, the lax tender, and the truck's aerial? I'm curious if they are equal, or if one puts out more then the other so I can better utilize the resources in game. Oh and one other thing that is trivial at best, but in the State of California, all Emergency vehicles, be they Police, Fire, or EMS have a single steady burning red light facing forward. On vehicles with a lightbar, it is usually a smaller lower level light steady burns. LAPD and most other Law Enforcement agencies will steady burn a red and a blue lower level, while the CHP usually has 1 or two pods that steady burn just red. Fire and ambulances will just have 1 steady burn red light in the lower part of the bar or satisfy the requirement with a grill light. For slicktops, most PD be they CHP or LAPD will have a steady burn red by the rear view mirror, and rarely, they'll add a flashing blue next to it. Fire slicktops just stick with the single red. LAPD Crown Vic with Red and Blue steady burn CHP slicktop with the center mount red steady burn CHP with dual reds on Even the motor units have to have a single red steady burn light Los Alamitos Motor Unit with Center Steady burn red. It's one of the quirks of California that you don't really see anywhere else in the US or the world. This is all just for info only, since I figured some of you might be interested. events.zip

Ah good point about the new animations, that is unfortunate. I've also gone back and cleaned up the post, there was a mix of html and bbcode that was conflicting so it should all work now. Mike

File attached below.

Hi Hoppah and Everyone, I finally found a friend with the game and spent the last few days playing it. I have to say that while there is a steep learning curve for some of the freeplay events, I've really had some fun with it. The mod is very well done, and the game itself lends to using standard tactics for the most part too. I took down some notes while playing the game and I hope they will be helpful to you and your team * · EMS Supervisor * · * · ○ The Battalion EMS Supervisor vehicle staffed by 1 Paramedic Capt for use as the medical unit leader and for supervision on certain incidents. He responds on all Air ambulance, Structure Fires, Large accidents, and Law Enforcement Incidents such as shootings, stabbings, and whenever a patient in custody is transported. * · * · ○ In the game, you might want to think of adding the ability to call for an Air ambulance and additional ambulances much the way a chief or police officer can. Perhaps make a special unit for this, similar to how you did with the Battalion chief? * · Ambulances * · * · ○ LAFD has 3 types of Rescue Ambulances (RA's) in its fleet * · * · * · * § RA's with the station number on them are paramedic resources staffed by 2 Firefighter/Paramedics. For example, RA-88 will be the paramedic resource from Fire Station 88. These units perform all Advanced Life Support and Cardiac care and transport. * · * · * · * § RA's with an 800 or 900 series number are EMT staffed ambulances and perform Basic Life Support care and transport. They are staffed with 2 Firefighter/EMT's and an example would be RA-888. * · * · * · * § RA-51 responds out of LAX airport which is why the Lime/Yellow paint scheme to comply with FAA airport regulations * · * · ○ Most of the ambulances in service now are the all Red, with Diamond plate (silver) roof and 4 corner flashing LEDs. The 2 tone white over red are still found in service at times but mostly as reserve ambulances and 800 rigs. * · * · ○ The White over red Van style is no longer in use, but is a classic from the 80s and 90s * · * · ○ Pictures of the roof: (NOT taken by me) * · * · * · * § Pic 1 * · * · * · * § Pic 2 * · * · ○ I don't know if you've considered this, but have you thought about not using the Single Paramedic, and jut allowing the one with the strechers to both treat and transport? It'd save money in freeplay, save the number of clicks, and mean less units on scene at one time for better command and control. Plus it's bassically the way it is done in real life. You could then use the current single paramedic for the EMS supervisor and allow him to still treat, but have the additional functions. * · Mass Casualty Unit * · * · ○ While LAFD does not have an apparatus like this, they do have Mass Casualty trailers similar to the one found at the Fire Station in game. The trailer is towed by a utility truck or other truck and it contains extra materials needed for large scale incidents such as extra tarps, signs, and medical equipment. * · * · * § Photo of LAFD Stake Bed truck taken by me * · * · * · □ Pic 1 * · * · * § Photo and info of MCI trailer not taken by me * · * · * · □ Article * · Rescue Helicopter * · * · ○ As hoppah has noted that he will probably not change the model of the helo, this model is that of the bell jetranger used by the LAFD for Command And Control and observation duties. It is not used for water dropping or air ambulance/rescue duties or for transportation. * · * · ○ LAFD currently uses the Bell 412 with a belly tank for High rise Helitac (land firefighters on top of the roof of a large building), Water Dropping, and Air ambulance/rescue duties. Helitac duties are performed by the firefighters at Fire Station 90 near the airport. * · Battalion Chief Vehicle * · * · ○ All BC's in the city are staffed with 1 Capt who is the driver, and 1 Battalion chief. This allows the BC to concentrate on maps, radios, and the computers without being distracted by driving. * · USAR Squad * · * · ○ LAFD's has recently purchased new USAR trucks for it's fleet. Staffed by 2 USAR trained firefighters, they respond to incidents as a rolling toolbox as well as to all search and rescue, confined space rescue and specialized incidents. Typically USARs will respond to Traffic Accidents and calls where forced entry is needed when the nearest Light Force is already on a Call or unavailable. * · * · ○ When needed for USAR duties, the USAR squad will roll with the stations Light Force to form a USAR task force. The Truck and Pumper provide extra equipment and provide the extra staffing needed. For example, USAR 88, Truck 88, and Engine 288 would form USAR Task Force 88 * · * · ○ Photos of new unit will be up on my site shortly. Here are some NOT taken by me * · * · * · * § USAR 88 pic 1 * · * · * · * § USAR 88 pic 2 * · Motorboat Carrier * · * · ○ LAFD does indeed have a navy! Using a mix of large and small fireboats to patrol the waterways to conduct firefighting and rescue operations, they are able to assist in the Harbors and rivers of the Los Angeles city area. * · * · ○ While I do not know for sure if the LAFD has a specific motorboat carrier, they do have a large fleet of Heavy Equipment and Semi-truck/trailer Transports. These are painted yellow and are used for moving Firefighting Dozers and Earth moving equipment as well. * · * · ○ Photos Taken by me: * · * · * · * § Pic 1 * · * · * · * § Pic 2 * · * · * · * § Pic 3 * · * · * · * § Dozers and Transports Folder * · Light Equipment Vehicle. * · ○ The LAFD does not have a truck like this in its fleet. The LACoFD Heavy Squad is staffed by 2 County Firefighter/Paramedics and is shaped quite a bit differently. Since LACoFD does not have it's own ambulances, it instead contracts out to local ambulance providers such as AMR, McCormick and others for its transportation. The Heavy Squads respond with the two paramedics and then the patient is either transported BLS just with the ambulance crew, or ALS with a paramedic and an EMT from the ambulance crew. The squad is equipped with a full complement of ALS medical gear, as well as cribbing and extrication / forceible entry tools. * · ○ While some have noticed how great it is to use this apparatus in game, which is what the Los Angeles County feels is its great benefit, the LAFD would use the USAR rig for that purpose. * · ○ Photos of LACoFD Heavy Equipment Squads including roof shots * · * · * § Squad 8 * · * · * · □ Roof: Top view of Squad 8 - West Hollywood * · * · * · □ All Squad 8 pics * · * · * § Type Squad into search window for hundreds of pics of various County Squads * · Aerial Ladder Truck * · ○ LAFD uses Tiller trucks which hoppah has stated are unable to be utilized in game. Having had the game only a couple of nights, I don't know for sure whether or not the Basket is neccesary, but LAFD's trucks do not utilized them. * · ○ LAFD and LACoFD utilize a Task Force/Light Force concept that is foreign to most people not inside of the department. The Light Force is made up of the Truck company staffed by 1 Captain, 1 Apperatus Operator and 3 Firefighters, as well as what is known as the 2 Car. The 2 Car is an Engine (pumper) that is staffed by 1 Engineer. The 2 car and the Truck respond everywhere together, and this allows the Light Force to act as either a heavily staffed Engine or Truck company on scene of an incident. The complaint against Quints is that they do everything, Just not very well. By responding 2 apparatus, this alows the light force to secure it's own a water source, have a full complement of hoses, and have all of the tools and equipment that the truck has without comprimise. A Task Force would be a fully staffed engine plus a light force. * · ○ It would be nice if you could somehow have one of the engines in game function as the 2 car, and be somehow tethered to the Truck in a Light Force way. For example, when the BC calls the Truck to the scene, both the Truck and the 2 car respond. * · ○ Another thing that might be worthy of changing is the effect of the aerials master stream. One of the key components of the Truck company is the effectiveness of the Aerial Master Stream for use in Structure fires. By utilizing a firefighter with a hose or attaching the monitor to the tip of the ladder, this allows Firefighters to have an extra reach and angle on the fire. Right now the stream has a very very short range for some reason, and I don't know if that can be changed. It should act much more like the water tenders canon, if not in flow then in range. This would increase the effectiveness of the Truck company in game and make it more accurate. * · * · * § Photos of LAFD Truck 9 and LACoFD Q125 at the Canyon Fire, Malibu, CA. Since County's quints only have a 75 foot ladder, LAFD T9 was requested for its 100ft aerial on Day 2. Running a hose off of Engine 35, they were able to hit all of the remaining hot spots and overhaul the collapsed tower better. * · * · * · □ Truck Ops at First Bank and Trust Q125 & T9 * · * · * § Truck 73 roof * · * · * · □ Truck 73's roof * · * · * § Truck 88 roof: * · * · * · □ T88 * · LAX Crash Tender * · ○ Great job on the model! The LAX Crash units are staffed with ARFF (Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting) trained firefighters for use in airport incidents such as Fuel Spills, Medical Aids, and Crashes. * · HAZMAT Squad * · ○ One thing to note, the word Truck has a very specific meaning in the Incident Command System. A truck is an apparatus with an Aerial ladder as well as a complement of ground ladders. Rigs like the USAR and Hazmat rigs are known as Squads which is a general term for any vehicle that does not have an aerial ladder or a pump. * · Firefighting boat. * · ○ Just an amazing and great job on this! I'm very impressed on the level of detail and accuracy on this. * · Fire Engines * · * · ○ Due to the LAFD being such a large department, you will find a mix of different makes and models of engines currently in use. Recently the department purchased both Seagraves and Pierces due to the need for new apparatus quickly and neither company being able to fulfill the complete order on its own. That is why you see Engines that look like 1 and 2. * · * · ○ One thing to note is that almost ALL apparatus that appear to be all red, actually have Diamond Plate (silver) roofs to refelct heat and sunlight away. * · * · ○ Typical staffing is a Captain, Engineer (driver), and 2 Firefighters, but in many areas the Engines are now either fully Paramedic or Paramedic Assesment Engines. Paramedic Engines have 2 members on board that are Paramedics, while PAUs have 1 member. * · * · ○ I was wondering if the Hose disconnect script could be modified to bassically be the reverse of the hose connect script? Right now they just disconnect and stand there. What I'd like to see would be that they disconnect and then enter the fire engine. Maybe I'm still new at this, but I find I spend a lot of time getting them back in the rigs and disconnecting everything. * · * · * · * § Photos of top of engine: * · * · * · * · □ LF73 from above * · * · * · * · □ Pic 1 * · * · * · □ Pic 2 * · * · * · * · □ Pic 3 * · * · * · * · □ Pic 4 * · * · * · * · □ Pic 5 * · Brush Truck * · * · ○ The LAFD has a small complement of Brush Patrols that are not staffed fulltime. Kept at the station, they are either staffed by 2 firefighters from the Engine, or are up-staffed during specific weather as a precaution. * · * · ○ Most are the pickup truck configuration like this one with a skid pump and tank in the back, but there are a few Hummer patrols in service as well. * · * · ○ The model isnt quite right, looking more like the US Forest Services patrols. * · * · * · * § LAFD Brush patrol Pictures including close up of skid * · * · * · * · □ Brush Patrol 28 Walkaround * · * · * · * · □ Pic 1 from Topanga Fire * · * · * · * · □ Pic 2 from Topanga Fire * · * · * · * · □ Pic 3 from Topanga Fire * · Fire Fighting Aircraft * · * · ○ While the LAFD itself does not have it's own fixed wing aerial assest. On large incidents they can and often do request Aerial Tankers to respond to brush incidents in their jurisditcion. The California Dept of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has a fleet of S-2T trackers that are available to all Local Government Fire Departments as specified in its Seven Points of Light policy which states that any LGFD can request Cal Fire resources for mutual aid and not have to worry about reimbursement. Also the LACoFD contracts with a company in Canada every summer/fall to bring CL-215 Super Scoopers into the Los Angeles area. In addition, there are numerous federal and call when needed aircraft like Tanker 910, a converted DC10 used for retardant and water drops. * · Water Tender * · * · ○ The LAFD has a handfull of old water tenders in it's fleet. They are used on brush an grass fires and used at Helispots to refill the helicopters between drops. None have a water canon or look as nice as the model in the game. I believe the model used is of the LAFD Foam Tender which is a rather new rig and an amazing one at that. Used for Large Commercial Fires and other specialized calls, it can be a great assistance to firefighters on scene in safely putting a fire out. * · * · * · * § Photos of LAFD's Water Tenders * · * · * · * · □ WT66: Pic * · * · * · * · □ WT88: Pic * · * · * · * · □ LA City Park Ranger WT: Pic * · Law Enforcement * · * · ○ I'm not an expert on these, though I work with both on a daily basis. Good job on the models and they are definetly fun to use in game. * · * · ○ One thing to note is that, while it would seem counter-intuitive, neither the motor officers no traffic and standard patrol officers wear Hivisibilty vests. Due to the call volume in the city, most traffic direction and such is either immediately handled by, or quickly passed on to the city's department of transportation units. LA DOT has a fleet of Parking and Traffic enforcement officers that respond to non injury accidents and defective street signals to free up LAPD units for handling Emergency calls. These men and women do wear Lime green/yellow hivis traffic vests for safety. * · * · * · * § LA City DOT - LADOT * · * · * · * § Photos not taken by me * · * · * · * · □ Pic 1 from flickr * · * · * · * § If you care to model them, let me know and I'll go out and grab some for you. * · Misc Equipment * · * · ○ Bulldozer and Crane and Carrier * · * · ○ As noted before, the LAFD has numerous heavy Equipment vehicles in it's own paint scheme and markings. Staffed by department HFEOs (Heavy Fire Equipment Operators), these units are used to assist in brush fires, rescues, building fires, and for maintance and improvement of the city's fire roads in the hills as well as brush clearance. * · * · * · * § Photos * · * · * · * · □ Dozers Album * · * · * · * · □ Dozers Album 2 * · * · ○ One Special vehicle is Heavy Rescue 56, a tow truck/crane that reponds on Physical Rescue Assignments and over the side rescues. It might make an interesting replacement to the Crane in game. * · * · * · * § Photo not taken by me * · * · * · * · □ HR56 Pic 1 from Firenews * · * · * · * · □ HR56 from Webshots * · * · * · * · □ HR56 from Pbase * · The Engineer van modeled has the states CALTRANS (california dept of transportation) paint scheme and decals. The City of LA has it's own department of transportation and engineers for use on its roadways. Driving all yellow vehicles with the city symbol on its doors and Engineering or Transportation in block black letters under it. * · * · * § Photos * · * · * · □ This color and Markings cept says Engineering or Transportation * · * · * · * · □ Pic 1 * · * · * · * · □ Pic 2 * · Standard Dispatches ○ "A" Assignement: Residential structure fire, unknown type fire. Normal response would be 1 Battalion Chief, 3 Engines, 1 Light Force/Truck Co, EMS Supervisor, and a Paramedic RA. Hazmat and USAR squad if near by for manpower and equipment * · * · * · * § Example: B10, TF88, E83, E78, EMS 10, RA88 ○ "B" Assignment: Commercial or High Rise structure fire. Normal Respond would be 1 Battalion Chief, 4 Engines, 2 Light Force/Truck Co, EMS Supervisor, and a Paramedic RA. Hazmat and USAR squad if near by for manpower and equipment * · * · * · * § Example: B10, TF88, TF39, E78, E83, EMS 10, RA88 ○ "C" Assignement: Special dispatch like a brush fire or search and rescue * · * · * · * § All calls get nearest engine and light force ○ Traffic Accident: Usually a light force or Engine and Paramedic ambulance ○ Physical rescue Assignment: Patients trapped insie of a vehicle. Nearest light force or USAR squad, for extrication and tools added to standard traffic accident, plus EMS supervisor depending on number of patients. ○ ALS Medical Aids: Engine or Light Force and Paramedic RA or Paramedic and BLS RA together * · * · * · * § The extra units are for man power to assist with lifting, treating and CPR ○ BLS Medical Aids: Engine or Light Force and BLS ambulance. * · * · * · * § The extra units are for man power to assist with lifting and treating * · I have only had a chance to play the game for a very short bit, but I found the file that included the dispatches and tooltips for the freeplay events. I spent a few hours last night rewriting them to the correct LA speak and removed most of the codes. While I greatly enjoyed the sense of humor the original writer used, and his time and effort, the fact is many of the codes do not "travel" well. I have no idea what a Signal 4 or 38 is, and I'm pretty sure that many of the other users around the world do not as well. * · Some things of note in the phrasing I used. * · * · ○ RP: Reporting party/person - responsbile person … the person who called 911 * · * · ○ PR: Same as PR but used by LAFD dispatchers more often. * · * · ○ CAD: Computer Automated Dispatch. LAFD is pretty high tech in their dispatch matrices and procedures. Many times you'll here a unit on scene request an additional piece of equipment, such as a light force and the dispatcher will reply with "E98, the CAD recommends an EMS Supervisor, Light Force and BLS RA. Do you just want the light force?" * · * · ○ Metro Division: LAPD's special divison that includes SWAT. * · * · ○ OCD: Operations Control Division. The name of LAFD's dispatch center. On the radio you would hear "OCD, please respond an additional RA to my location" * · * · ○ Code 3: Lights and Sirens, emergency response * · * · ○ Stage 1 block out: Scene safety is important for all personell. When fire responds to a scene that PD has not yet secured, they will stop and park usually a block or 2 away from the incident until PD waves them in. * · * · ○ Light Force: a fully staffed truck and a pumper with an Engineer on it. events.zip

Thank's for the welcome and I don't mind the traffic at all! In fact, that's the reason why my site is a bit different then most. While many others will show one pic of each apparatus, you'll find dozens of the same rig on my page to help facilitate gamers and model builders who are looking for just that one angle or detail that isn't visible from the usual quarter angle shot.

You're quite welcome Hoppah, and that's not stupid at all! With a fleet as large as LA City's, you'll find that there are many differences between makes and models, from the Pierces to the Seagraves, and from year to year. The basic rules are that Engines with Silver Roofs have a square red rectangle with white numbering as can be seen in this photo of LAFD E98. Trucks GENERALLY do not have any numbering on the roofs, though some may have a similar square, but its rare. RA's (Rescue Ambulances) that the new full red paint also have silver roofs and either have a small red rectangle with white number or a rectangle that stretches from left to right at the very back with the number in white. The pictures I have of this cannot be posted in this forum due to copyright issues, but if you pm me with an addy, I will gladly email them to you. Most of the two color White/Red box ambulances are now 800 series BLS rigs and also feature the same square on their roof. LAFD Runs two types of ambulances. If it has the station number on it, say RA88, that is a paramedic ambulance from station 88. If there is a BLS (2 emt's staffed, no paramedics) ambulance at that station it is RA-888. On the radio, many times you will hear them call for "an 800" which is their slang for a BLS ambulance. This way people know just by looking at the numbers whether the rig is ALS or BLS. Division and Battalion Chiefs and staff vehicles have so many varied paint schemes and models its almost impossible to have a definitive answer, but usually they have the number on the roof as well as in the side and rear windows as can be seen here and here. EMS Captains have white roofs, with the battalion number on the roof. EMS 12 would have a 12 on its roof and be the Capt. for all of battalion 12. To be honest, I think you've done a very very thorough job and what I meant by mistakes and misinformation was what some other people were posting TO you regarding the LAFD. One post stands out in particular, though I have not been able to find it again as of late. In it a user mentioned that LAFD used Blackhawks for their rescue helicopter and pasted a link to County Air Ops. LAFD Currently has a fleet of Bell 412s and 1 Jetranger for Air Operations. The 412s serve in the dual capacity of helicopter ambulance and are capable of dropping water with its belly tanks. A very critical mission for the 412s is to transport firefighters onto the roofs of High Rises in the Los Angeles Area to facilitate rescue and firefighting. The Jetranger is used for command and observation purposes only and is equipped with FLIR and other tools for mapping, searching, and assisting with fighting brush fires. It neither drops water nor performs any rescue duties. They have also just purchased two AugustaWestland AW139s which will be put into service shortly. LA County Fire is the sole user of what is known as the Firehawk. A Modified UH60, the county uses it to transport County Camp crews to brush fires, conduct water drops, and function as an air ambulance. We also have 412s as well, but the Firehawk can carry much heavier loads and a lot more water which is critical for the Wildland Urban Interface. They also contract 2 Canadair SuperScoopers every fire season which are usually based at Van Nuys Airport. As far as realism goes, the LAFD does not have a light equipment truck in its fleet. The closest thing to it would actually be the USAR rig which functions as a rolling toolbox if the nearest Light Force or Truck Company is otherwise occupied. Recently the LAFD has updated and replaced their USAR rigs with a new model. I've got some pics of it that if you care to bother with a new model and paint scheme. Are you familiar with LAFD's concept of Task Force/Light Force by the way? It is something I've found to be very unique to the way we do things out here in LA, but has seemed to have spread to other parts of the country as well. Also while reading the threads I noticed references to Sunstar and Signal's. LAFD does not use any signal codes, but instead uses the horribly named Clear Text method of dispatch. After the disastrous Oakland fire, a group was formed in california called FIRESCOPE. They looked at a lot of factors of what went so horribly wrong in that incident and developed the Incident Command System. One of the key "rules" is the use of clear text or plain speech and getting rid of all of the codes different departments were using at the time. Unfortunatly, clear text isn't all that clear at times. Most people outside of LA don't understand what a Physical Rescue assignment, or the difference between an "A" and a "B" assignment. Even the concept of Task Forces, Light Forces, USAR Task Forces (which generally consist of the two man USAR rig and the Light force at the same station) are gobbly gook to many outside of th department. Also as the person said, Sunstar is their local FL EMS company. LAFD has it's own transport units. I have, and it looks like I'm going to be buying a new game very soon! Do you (or anyone) know if the download includes the manual? One thing I've found that I dislike about purchasing games that way is the lack of even a PDF manual at times! You are quite welcome, like I said before, if I can help in any way, be it with phrasing, pictures, or anything. Please let me know.

In Los Angeles, both City and County, most Firefighters are only trained to the HAZMAT FRO-D (First Responder Operations - Decon) level. It's only the men and women assigned to the HAZMAT Squads that are trained to use and operate within a Level A suit. With normal SCBA and turnout gear, Non HAZMAT units are not allowed to operate inside of what is known as the Hot Zone. Instead, the dudes that glow in the dark and enjoy it get all of the fun of removing the patients and mitigating the danger. Since 9/11 WMD training has stepped up quite a bit and has enforced these rules even more. We have recieved Mark 1 injectors for dealing with nerve agents as well as some other fun tools for detection, but if I understand the posts above, the game is actually a lot more true to LAFD's protocols as it is then by giving everyone a Level A suit.

Just a quick note about the LAFD Battalion EMS Captains. Most battalions have a battalion EMS Captain that drives a red crown vic and is used primarily in a supervisory function. On a large incident, he functions as Medical Unit Leader in the ICS (incident command system) and calls for additional ambulances, air ambulances and such. It's staffed by just 1 paramedic captain, and they usually respond to shootings, accidents requiring more then 2 ALS RA's (rescue ambulances.. lafd term) and bassicaly any incident involving law enforcement. Battalion 14 is currently testing the truck you see in the pictures above and as far as I am aware, it is the only Batt testing it. The main plus to it is the fact it can carry an extra stretcher and backboards which is critical in LA due to our problem with ER's being overcrowded. Some RA's have experienced wait times over 30 mins just waiting for an available bed or to get their patient off of the stretcher. This will allow the EMS Capt to get the RA back in service faster by having the spare stretcher available at the hospital. Battalion 5 has a vehicle that is very similar but is used by the BC for wildland fires in the Hollywood hills area. From what I've heard, the EMS captains haven't responded favorably to the vehicle though and it doesn't look like it will be picked up en masse. There are no EMS SUVs, just crown vics. Also, as long as I'm on the topic of LAFD's EMS program. LAFD has pretty much phazed out all Single Function Resources, which was their fancy term for Paramedics who were not Firefighters. There might be one or two old timers left but as a general rule, all Paramedics and Paramedic Captains are trained firefighters and every RA and EMS Capt is equipped with their full gear for use on incidents as the Incident Commander sees fit. The current plan right now is to make every Engine Company at least a Paramedic Assessment engine within the next few years if not decade, depending on the budget. I believe the figures are half of all LAFD Engines are either Paramedic or Paramedic Assessment level right now, with a few trial Paramedic Light Forces as well.

Hi Hoppah, I noticed an increase of traffic to my website regarding the LA Mod and while I have not played the game, I've noticed quite a bit of mis-information on the various boards regarding units and uses in Los Angeles. If I can be of any assistance to you regarding LAFD/LACoFD protocols and units, as well as codes and terminology please feel free to ask. I've been with Los Angeles County FD since 2004 and work very closely in a mutual aid area with City as well as live in City's jurisdiction. Prior to that I was with the California Dept of Forestry and Fire Protection working throughout the state. Just looking through the boards and screenshots, your mod looks very impressive. I can see you've taken a alot of time and care with it and if I can help in any way, just let me know. Mike