Askhati
12/08/11 05:14 AM
196.215.113.87
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Another foray into non-combat 'Mechs.
The Fireaxe, at first sight, does not appear to be an IndustrialMech at all. Four squat legs, covered in heat dissipation rings, support a fat round body that hunkers a good eight meters above the ground, and the salvage arm that dangles down from its left torso makes it look like an alien invader come to steal women and children from some rural farming community. The turret on its right shoulder, outfitted with a trio of laser emitter lenses, does not help this menacing image either.
All of this has a very distinct purpose though. The Fireaxe is a RescueMech, designed to operate in urban disaster zones, with the FR-X2 variant focusing specifically on search and rescue mission operating in areas where fire has broken out. In the concrete jungles that form the cities of the Inner Sphere, a runaway fire can rapidly gut a city block, turning towers and subterranean parks into furnace-like infernos to rival the surface of a star. Concrete, heated to the point of combustion, will shatter and blast apart at the heat, and few things can last more than a handful of moments in such environments.
Carrying Heavy Industrial armour, full environmental hull sealing and outfitted with a jump capability of 90 meters, the Fireaxe has both the armour and the maneuverability - at short range - to survive these infernos for limited periods of time. Using the turret-mounted laser battery in its right torso, coupled with the advanced targeting gear in the IndustrialMech's cockpit, the Fireaxe pilot can carve a path into the flaming ruins he has to search, and can use his jumpjets to leap obstacles that cannot be shot apart. To combat the low visibility inherent in any flaming, smoke-filled inferno, the Fireaxe is outfitted with two massive searchlights, one per torso, and can use these powerful beams to penetrate the murk that it has to wade into.
For salvage operations - its main purpose - the Fireaxe carries a salvage arm in its left torso, allowing it to cut apart any final obstacles that might be covering its intended prize. It also carries a hydraulic sprayer in each side torso, with a total of 3 kilo-liters of liquid capacity for creating localized cool spots. In order to avoid potentially lethal heat-driven fuel explosions, the Fireaxe carries a fission engine instead of the more common IC engine that most IndustrialMechs use, and uses the five heatsinks that it carries - three on the engine itself, and one per rear leg - to negate most external heat sources that could affect it.
Deployment-wise, the Fireaxe entered general production during the 3040's, and saw extensive rear-line use during the Clan invasion with several Inner Sphere aeroforce units. As a RescueMech, the Fireaxe's ability to withstand heat - even the heat of burning aerofighter fuel - made it an invaluable tool on any airfield exposed to enemy attacks, and many is the fighter pilot who has their life owed to the courage of a Fireaxe pilot in rescuing them from the flaming wreckage of their craft. By the time of the formation of the Republic of the Sphere, the Fireaxe lost out to ICE-driven IndustrialMechs when it came to cost-based force-reduction decisions, and almost half the existing fleet of Fireaxe's was either scrapped or mothballed, their fission reactors considered too expensive to maintain compared to the relative ease of an ICE unit. When the HPG network fell, the few remaining Fireaxe operators suddenly found themselves in an enviable situation - not only were their 'Mechs armoured in military-grade armour, they also carried military-grade lasers and jumpjets, as well as hydraulic sprayers that could easily be converted to napalm flamers. Needless to say, the Fireaxe has seen extensive use since, and has become a much-coveted prize for any para-military operator.
Code:
Fireaxe FR-X2
Mass: 45 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Quad IndustrialMech
Rules Level: Experimental Tech
Era: Clan Invasion
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/X-X-E
Production Year: 3070
Cost: 1,690,861 C-Bills
Battle Value: 662
Chassis: Unknown Industrial
Power Plant: Unknown 90 Fission Engine
Walking Speed: 21.6 km/h
Maximum Speed: 32.4 km/h
Jump Jets: Unknown
Jump Capacity: 60 meters
Armor: Unknown Standard Armor
Armament:
2 Medium Lasers
1 Small Laser
1 Salvage Arm
2 Searchlights
2 Sprayers
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Industrial 83 points 9.00
Engine: Fission Engine 90 5.50
Walking MP: 2
Running MP: 3
Jumping MP: 2 Standard
Jump Jet Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT 1.00
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 5 0.00
Heat Sink Locations: 1 RLL, 1 RRL
Gyro: Standard 1.00
Cockpit: Industrial w/ Adv. Fire Control 3.00
Actuators: L: H+UL+LL+F R: H+UL+LL+F
Armor: Standard Armor AV - 160 10.00
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 9
Center Torso 14 21
Center Torso (rear) 6
L/R Torso 11 17
L/R Torso (rear) 5
L/R Front Leg 11 22
L/R Rear Leg 11 18
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Searchlight RT 0 1 0.50
2 (T) Medium Lasers RT 6 2 2.00
(T) Small Laser RT 1 1 0.50
Sprayer RT 0 1 0.50
Salvage Arm LT - 2 3.00
Searchlight LT 0 1 0.50
Sprayer LT 0 1 0.50
@Sprayer (Water) (30) LT - 3 3.00
Quad Mech Turret RT - 1 0.50
Environmental Sealing * - 8 0.00
Free Critical Slots: 10
* The Environmental Sealing occupies 1 slot in every location.
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 5 Points: 7
2j 2 1 0 0 2 0 Structure: 4
Special Abilities: SRCH, ENE, SRCH, SOA
Evolve or DIE!
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Askhati
12/13/11 04:41 AM
196.215.113.87
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No comments? I seem to be the only one around that is interested in IndustrialMechs...
Evolve or DIE!
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KamikazeJohnson
12/13/11 04:03 PM
74.198.150.133
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Seems that way...unfortunately there's only about 4 or 5 people active on the designs forum. I personally know very little about the Industrial 'Mechs, so I don't have much to say on it.
Kinda like my latest...oddball 'Mech, extensive fluff...I'm used to getting at least 3-4 people commenting on JMInc. special. Ah well, I'm sure folks will come back at some point.
Peace is that glorious moment in history when everyone stands around reloading.
--Thomas Jefferson
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wonko
12/14/11 06:45 AM
76.23.60.40
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i thought b-tech was a war game......
ind mechs are just fodder.....
why bother?
Democrats are the root of all evil
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Askhati
12/14/11 07:46 AM
196.215.113.87
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Because a good story will embrace ALL the aspects of the world, not just the aspects that are considered cool by a select few.
Evolve or DIE!
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His_Most_Royal_Highass_Donkey
12/14/11 07:47 AM
173.131.241.207
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I think this mech is like trying to use a 20lb sledgehammer to try to kill a fly. Its to big to be affective in the roll you want to use it in. Wheeled hook and ladder firetrucks would be far more cost affective.
But as for your V2-N Van IndustrialMech I think that it would be good for the very limited roll you came up for it.
Why argue if the glass is half full or half empty, when you know someone is going to knock it over and spill it anyways.
I was a Major *pain* before
But I got a promotion.
I am now a General *pain*
Yay for promotions!!!
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Askhati
12/14/11 07:58 AM
196.215.113.87
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I envision the Fireaxe as something that is sent into infernos to find critical objects - people, machinery, data cores, etc - and to bring it out no matter what. It is by no means a fire-fighting design, but instead a very aggressive fire-rescue design... if that makes sense? Vehicles cannot traverse terrain consisting of burning, collapsed buildings and basement levels, where the Fireaxe can navigate these with ease.
Evolve or DIE!
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His_Most_Royal_Highass_Donkey
12/14/11 07:20 PM
174.148.94.99
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You would have a better chance of doing a great deal of more damage than saving something in a burning inferno using a mech stomping around blindly. You are not going to see squat in all of that fire and smoke.
Why argue if the glass is half full or half empty, when you know someone is going to knock it over and spill it anyways.
I was a Major *pain* before
But I got a promotion.
I am now a General *pain*
Yay for promotions!!!
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Askhati
12/15/11 03:52 AM
196.215.113.87
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...hence the dual spotlights and water sprayers to clear the smog...?
Evolve or DIE!
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His_Most_Royal_Highass_Donkey
12/15/11 05:49 AM
68.241.3.43
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Spraying water will not get rid if the smoke, it might add more though.
Why argue if the glass is half full or half empty, when you know someone is going to knock it over and spill it anyways.
I was a Major *pain* before
But I got a promotion.
I am now a General *pain*
Yay for promotions!!!
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Askhati
12/15/11 09:05 AM
196.215.113.87
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Spotlights to penetrate the smoke at shorter ranges, water to damp down the immediate zone and prevent more smoke.
Evolve or DIE!
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KitK
12/15/11 09:40 AM
70.64.129.30
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... I don't think HMRHD likes your mech for some reason.
The Dark Age cross-over is an interesting idea. That's a challenge I have no plans of tackling anytime soon. Is it fair to say that the fireaxe is rescue specialized by fluff but really geared for Dark Age combat?
I wouldn't worry about smoke, that's what battlemech sensors are for.
KK
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His_Most_Royal_Highass_Donkey
12/15/11 01:05 PM
174.148.119.5
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Quote:
... I don't think HMRHD likes your mech for some reason.
You can just call me Donkey. Some like calling me by other synonyms of donkey. =P
I dont like using tech for techs sake. Most uses of IndustrialMechs that I have found even in canon is that IndustrialMechs are there for the sole reason for techs sake.
For example, Why would one use a mech to plow a field? From a wheeled tractor the mech would be slower, damage the field, cost a GREAT deal more to buy and maintain, be more reliant on high tech mechanics for repairs, and so on and so forth.
There needs to be a damn good economic reason to use mechs instead of other types of equipment.
When was the last time you saw a factory that had its own fire department? They don't, its more cost effective to pay taxes to a city for when there is a need for a service like a fire department.
Why would a city pay for a very expensive mech that would only be useful to a very few? This mech puts fire victims in danger of more harm than it would be helpful, like by stepping on them or causing roofs/walls to fall down. As for equipment, you could do more damage trying to move it than just leaving it alone and hope that it will only have minor damage from the fire. Also you could put other equipment, people, and buildings at risk of damage by stepping on it when the mech is moving blind in the smoke. Also when the mech is walking around in a fire its kicking up stuff that is burning and can cause the fire to spread to other buildings that are not currently at risk of catching fire.
This mech is tech for techs sake, its not of any real economic benefit. It can also do a great deal of more harm than good as I already said.
Why argue if the glass is half full or half empty, when you know someone is going to knock it over and spill it anyways.
I was a Major *pain* before
But I got a promotion.
I am now a General *pain*
Yay for promotions!!!
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KitK
12/16/11 12:39 AM
71.17.192.22
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Well, donkey, thats one good point after another. It reminds me of how police aren't really supposed to be in high-speed chases unless absolutely necessary, because of the inherent danger to other motorists.
But in the Battletech universe they do all sorts of things with mechs in spite of rational thinking. They use mechs to do stuff fire trucks, tractors, and even tanks can do better/more economically/etc. So although you're right in 2011 reality, and even right within the battletech construction rules etc., people in the 3070 battletech universe will still see your lips moving but not understand a word your saying.
So, I still give it thumbs of for innovative thinking.
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scheinlen
05/26/12 04:30 PM
204.111.96.106
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This article might be "OLD" but, I have something to add...
As a volunteer fire fighter in my younger years dealing with forest fires and such, there was firefighting units that had specialized equipment that just jumped from one major problem to the next. Oil fires, factory fires, or forest fires etc. A mech like this would be invaluable for that... and the sprayers could hold chemicals that could be exchanged for the different types of fires.
As ex-military (Air Cav) the same foes there...
The only thing I see missing is the Hardened / sealed cargo rescue bay for the casualty...
And as for the time of the blach -out any mech that is operational is worth its weigth in C-Bills... remember at that time some units are at what 80 % of there full strenght do to Stones Ideas...
It is not my job to judge my Enemies, that is there God's job. It is only my duty to arrange the meeting!
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His_Most_Royal_Highass_Donkey
05/28/12 12:13 AM
173.96.187.29
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Quote:
As a volunteer fire fighter in my younger years dealing with forest fires and such, there was firefighting units that had specialized equipment that just jumped from one major problem to the next. Oil fires, factory fires, or forest fires etc.
I have not heard of such a fire fighting unit that specialized in all types of firefighting, going from a oil well fire to a factory fire then to a forest fire. The equipment and training for each of thous types of fires are totally different and unrelated in how its fought.
Why argue if the glass is half full or half empty, when you know someone is going to knock it over and spill it anyways.
I was a Major *pain* before
But I got a promotion.
I am now a General *pain*
Yay for promotions!!!
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scheinlen
05/28/12 06:29 PM
204.111.91.54
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thru most units specialize in the types of fires that could happen in there defence area. IE in the area I live in there are electrical power plants and housing plus forested mountains to deal with, plus two major airports. so the regular units deal with all the normal stuff but we have two that specialize in Airports and chemical fires. The other specializes in forest fires and residential fires.
But the mech in this articleI can see it fighting in the forest areas and in a chemical fire easy.
It is not my job to judge my Enemies, that is there God's job. It is only my duty to arrange the meeting!
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His_Most_Royal_Highass_Donkey
05/28/12 08:46 PM
173.149.133.229
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In the BM universe I would think that forest fires would be left alone to burn them self's out unless the fire is in a actively logging area. Planet populations are just to small to be worrying about every fire that starts on a planet. But I can see the use of a mech in a logging area fire. Its hard to maneuver a large wheeled vehicle like a fire truck in a dense forest.
As for industrialized areas I still see the wheeled firetruck as the better vehicle for the job.
As for mining areas that would depend on the terrain where the mine is located.
Why argue if the glass is half full or half empty, when you know someone is going to knock it over and spill it anyways.
I was a Major *pain* before
But I got a promotion.
I am now a General *pain*
Yay for promotions!!!
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scheinlen
05/28/12 09:42 PM
204.111.123.23
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I agree for most of your claim, but in a built up factory area with maybe exploding fuels and chemicals... falling structures and caving in tunnels or underground storage areas I think a mech like the Fireaxe could be used to reach valves and shut-offs or rescue special equipment and or a trapped personbetter then trying to send in a team on foot. Just the heat alone of a house fire can melt combust or warp most man made items not fire retardent. and I have seen that a Fire proof boxes might not melt but the goods inside combust from the heat.
It is not my job to judge my Enemies, that is there God's job. It is only my duty to arrange the meeting!
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Carthaginian
07/10/12 02:24 AM
99.114.220.145
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Wow... long time since I poked my head in here.
But since I recently rediscovered the time to play BT:
I think the Fireaxe is about as subtle as squashing a mosquito with a sledgehammer.
She's big, she's bulky and she'd be hard to get into some of the tighter areas due to her quad chassis. That being said, I like the flavor. It's a very little thought-of aspect of a setting where 'Mechs of all kinds have proliferated in spite of the game's original premise that a 'Mech was a a rarely seen demon of the battlefield, and almost irreplaceable if lost! The longer Battletech exists, the more 'Mechs have to be produced to keep the setting 'interesting' and 'dynamic'... so now new "Mechs have gone from being like 'Hen's Teeth' (impossible to locate them) to being more like Dentures (anyone can get them if the go to a specialist).
For a 'fire 'Mech, I submit another design.
She is very small, relatively cheap, simple to build and easily repaired if damaged. Making use of commercial armor and an ICE to keep costs down, it retains all the capabilities that a fire-fighting IndyMech would need, yet costs only about 37% as much as the Fireaxe. I think they would make a good consort to your larger design, working in the 'hard to reach' places and serving less affluent communities. I even thought about making an exoskeleton design for this purpose- but the little begger winds up being as expensive as the IndyMech!
The only big drawback to this design is that it isn't environmentally sealed- meaning that a pilot will have to wear his own respirator in the cockpit. His air supply will be a limiting factor on mission duration.
Code:
Smoke Eater SME-20-A
Mass: 20 tons
Tech Base: Inner Sphere
Chassis Config: Biped IndustrialMech
Rules Level: Tournament Legal
Era: Succession Wars
Tech Rating/Era Availability: D/X-F-D
Production Year: 3025
Cost: 627,620 C-Bills
Battle Value: 122
Chassis: Unknown Industrial
Power Plant: Unknown 40 I.C.E.
Walking Speed: 21.6 km/h
Maximum Speed: 32.4 km/h
Jump Jets: None
Jump Capacity: 0 meters
Armor: Unknown Commercial
Armament:
1 Hatchet
1 Sprayer
1 Cargo, Liquid (2.0 tons)
1 Searchlight
Manufacturer: Unknown
Primary Factory: Unknown
Communications System: Unknown
Targeting and Tracking System: Unknown
================================================================================
Equipment Type Rating Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Structure: Industrial 33 points 4.00
Engine: I.C.E. Engine 40 2.00
Walking MP: 2
Running MP: 3
Jumping MP: 0
Heat Sinks: Single Heat Sink 3 3.00
Heat Sink Locations: 1 LT, 1 RT
Gyro: Standard 1.00
Cockpit: Industrial 3.00
Actuators: L: SH+UA+LA+H R: SH+UA+LA+H
Armor: Commercial (BAR: 5) AV - 48 2.00
Internal Armor
Structure Factor
Head 3 8
Center Torso 6 6
Center Torso (rear) 2
L/R Torso 5 5
L/R Torso (rear) 2
L/R Arm 3 4
L/R Leg 4 5
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hatchet RA - 2 2.00
Sprayer LA 0 1 0.50
Cargo, Liquid (2.0 tons) CT 0 2 2.00
Searchlight HD 0 1 0.50
Free Critical Slots: 39
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 1 Points: 1
2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: MEL, SRCH, ENE, SRCH, EE
L/R Arm 3 4
L/R Leg 4 5
================================================================================
Equipment Location Heat Critical Mass
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hatchet RA - 2 2.00
Sprayer LA 0 1 0.50
Free Critical Slots: 42
BattleForce Statistics
MV S (+0) M (+2) L (+4) E (+6) Wt. Ov Armor: 1 Points: 1
2 0 0 0 0 1 0 Structure: 2
Special Abilities: MEL, SRCH, ENE, SRCH, EE
Edited by Carthaginian (07/10/12 02:27 AM)
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scheinlen
07/10/12 10:43 PM
71.229.66.245
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The bigest thing I see is if you need the FIREAXE or the SMOKE EATER, then things have gone bad at the fire site, PAL suits will not work. and colateral damage is not the problem.
It is not my job to judge my Enemies, that is there God's job. It is only my duty to arrange the meeting!
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Carthaginian
07/11/12 04:05 PM
99.114.220.145
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Well, a PAL suit might not be sufficient for the kinds of fires that Battletech worlds will face. Imagine the kinds of blazes that sweep across the western US magnified thousands of times- think like the Great Miramichi Fire, or the summer of 2003 when 27 MILLION ACRES were burning at one time in Russia.
While having a low population on a world means that the chances of a fire hitting a city are lessened, it also means that 1.) the proportional impact of any fire is magnified multiple times and 2.) the likelihood of such a blaze developing unchecked is vastly increased. Also, since most of the planet is wilderness, it is much harder than RL to deploy assets to fight the fire. Sure, you can get aircraft on the scene- but there are proportionately less of them. There are also less people to fight the fire, less infrastructure to support those who are there, and less equipment to deploy with them.
You'd have to make every man do the job of a dozen or more!
A cheap IndyMech could do the job of an entire battalion of firefighters.
In the case of some planets, it would simply be too expensive NOT to buy something like these 'Mechs.
Edited by Carthaginian (07/11/12 04:09 PM)
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scheinlen
07/12/12 01:54 PM
71.229.66.245
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I got to agree with your point of view on this... But the equipment used would have to suit the problem, just like in combat tactics.
It is not my job to judge my Enemies, that is there God's job. It is only my duty to arrange the meeting!
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Carthaginian
07/12/12 03:37 PM
99.114.220.145
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Quote:
I got to agree with your point of view on this... But the equipment used would have to suit the problem, just like in combat tactics.
Yep... planets would purchase the kind of equipment that best suited their needs.
For most planets, a plain fire truck would likely suffice.
For planets that have higher risks, better equipment would be required.
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Prince_of_Darkness
08/13/12 11:58 AM
207.224.107.30
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Hate to bring this up after a month, but I like to see industialmechs no matter how inefficient they could be. As a design it's actually pretty good, but the speed is extremely low for something involved in EMS/rescue. You would be better off dropping the jump jets in favor of more speed.
----
Donkey,
It is clear to anyone like myself and scheinlen (who either are being trained in EMS/fire or have been) that you do not understand what you are talking about.
Quote:
Spraying water will not get rid if the smoke, it might add more though.
Firefighters are regularly spraying water to not only tamp down smoke (as the water mixes with that carbon in the air) but also to cool the air in an area before they enter it. Usually, when entering a room that is on fire, firefighters will enter on their knees with 2 hoses set to a wide-dispersal (normally after vents are cut) to tamp down the smoke and heat to better find the source of the flames.
Quote:
When was the last time you saw a factory that had its own fire department? They don't, its more cost effective to pay taxes to a city for when there is a need for a service like a fire department.
Large oil refineries and many Anhydrous chemical plants (like here in the midwest where we use a lot of Anhydrous ammonia) have their own small, dedicated teams for initial damage evaluation and early containment (via shutoffs and the like). They also usually train nearby stations on the plants workings, the materials/chemicals used and built, where the specialized papers are, ect.
Quote:
I have not heard of such a fire fighting unit that specialized in all types of firefighting, going from a oil well fire to a factory fire then to a forest fire. The equipment and training for each of thous types of fires are totally different and unrelated in how its fought.
It really isn't. Sure, in a chemical fire you are scared of runoff, but many times denaturing a chemical and having it go through a city's water treatment system is far better than having it released into the air and endanger a nearby area for several miles. It really is all up to what chemical is produced, what affects it has, and what it is capable of.
Besides, most firefighters will take "specialized" training, simply because it is a smart thing to do. HAZ/MAT courses are usually a quarter long at a community college and effective increase your pay by several thousands of dollars per year.
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