Southern California - How helpful are rescue firefighters?

I came across a group of "volunteer" firefighters helping an injured mountain biker and dug into the nitty gritter -- only to discover they may be an endangered species! Just the details on this one event are pretty amazing though. http://tinyurl.com/r7u763

I'd like to have those guys around if I needed them...

Thanks for posting this.

Priceless!!

Did the OC Register publish a more objective account of this event, and (if they did) can you post that story? Your story seems to be a little overdramatic, lacking details of the event or if this was a SAR-specific or an OCFA rescue. SAR here in OC (and most of So Cal) is a voluntary organization as far back as I can rememeber, Aliso Woods Canyon Park is an urban park with lots of wide dirt roads that could easily take vehicle traffic and make it easy to retrieve someone (though not a full-size fire truck), and why was a helicopter dispatched for this rescue; the park may be 4000 acres (really? that big?), but did they have to search the whole thing to find the injured person?

Guess its just my disgust with the sad state of journalism today. You and you paper need to get back to presenting the facts and let the public make there own conclusions, not write over dramatic prose or sensationalistic accounts of events, then post it on BB like this for the publicity.

Aliso Woods is far from backcountry as Griffith Park is. After serving in the communications field for public safety in Mesa County Colorado for ten years, reading the dramatizations in that article made me laugh out loud. Surfrider is right, forget about the drama-mama local news BS and get to reporting the facts. You're not fooling anyone but the fools.

BTW, "mountain biking" in Orange County is a sad joke compared to surrounding counties.

Did the OC Register publish a more objective account of this event, and (if they did) can you post that story? Your story seems to be a little overdramatic, lacking details of the event or if this was a SAR-specific or an OCFA rescue. SAR here in OC (and most of So Cal) is a voluntary organization as far back as I can rememeber, Aliso Woods Canyon Park is an urban park with lots of wide dirt roads that could easily take vehicle traffic and make it easy to retrieve someone (though not a full-size fire truck), and why was a helicopter dispatched for this rescue; the park may be 4000 acres (really? that big?), but did they have to search the whole thing to find the injured person?

Guess its just my disgust with the sad state of journalism today. You and you paper need to get back to presenting the facts and let the public make there own conclusions, not write over dramatic prose or sensationalistic accounts of events, then post it on BB like this for the publicity.

It's likely, considering David really doesn't post anything here but links to his own published articles that he's just seeking readership since that's what a decent percentage of what determines how people get paid now. The more clicks, the bigger the paycheck. Personally, I don't click anything he posts because I do believe this to be the case and especially because he's never contributing to "normal" dialogue on the forums like us and everybody else.

Thank you for a more accurate account of the surrounding area and questioning the facts of the story. Maybe I'll visit the article in a couple months after his paycheck has already been cut.

Clarification is probably necessary here. This is a hobby, a side gig if you well. My job is News Director at the Orange County Register. As stated in my profile, my goals are to build community, promote safety and connect people. As for the money on clicks, The Register, not writers, gets less than a penny per page view. I think it's about a half-cent. I write a column on the outdoors because of a passion. This is not supposed to be an objective account, so it is labled a column. Additionally, this was a relatively minor event, not one which the Register would cover normally. It was intended to represent a day in the life of what thes OCFA folks do. My apologies for any misunderstandings. Finally, I wish I did have the time to spend here. Simply doing this column on the weekends means time gets away from me. Anyway, thanks for the positive comments!

Hey David I've always enjoyed your posts and the ensuing discussion that follows, but then I read an awfully lot...what, eight cycling forums daily? (three that I post to), about twenty blogs, ten email lists.

Oh and now there is Twitter?

I don't live in OC but I still like to hear about stuff that goes on there, especially from an enthusiast's point of view. When you post here it saves me a few clicks, thanks...

Thanks very much for the kind words. This whole thing gets discouraging sometimes. Maybe I'm overly sensitive with the criticism. Yikes!

David,

My rule of thumb is that when someone posts a link to another site without any discussion of what you're asking people to read, that is shilling. I'd like to see the reference placed in context, and lacking any real explanation or discussion that just isn't happening. You might as well be saying, "Here. Read my stuff." Maybe it's the newsman's objectivity coming across, I dunno, but I tend to think of posts on the forum as a conversation, with back and forth.

You've got a unique position, and a little more personal participation here might gain you a better response. I understand you're busy, but what I'd ask for is a more personal perspective on what you're wanting to discuss. Share with us something of what you really think about the issues, perhaps something not in the article or some more unusual aspect of what you're presenting.

That, and keep a flame suit handy, just in case. ;)

I enjoyed reading about the time that you went down Silverado on skis but I still wish that you would participate in the BF community rather than hit & run with your newest article.

Over the years the folks in the So Cal Forum have gotten together for rides, lunches, dinners, etc. We've shared helpful hints, asked questions...generally interacted and got to know each other.

You probably wouldn't get any flack from anyone if you logged on once a week and contributed in other ways than a link to something you wrote.

I don't get why everyone is getting so upset. If you don't like the guy or his articles, don't read his posts or articles. And MTV, did the OC Register run over your puppy?? Geez, it was just a column. He wasn't reporting on the war or the economy or something that really matters (no offense, but in the grand scheme of things I think everyone would agree with me).

Yeah, the news is getting worse and worse by the day, but the author clearly isn't claiming to be the editor of the NY Times or the WSJ. He just wrote a column and wanted to share. Kinda like when people buy a new bike and post a picture of it.

I don't get why everyone is getting so upset. If you don't like the guy or his articles, don't read his posts or articles. And MTV, did the OC Register run over your puppy?? Geez, it was just a column. He wasn't reporting on the war or the economy or something that really matters (no offense, but in the grand scheme of things I think everyone would agree with me).

Yeah, the news is getting worse and worse by the day, but the author clearly isn't claiming to be the editor of the NY Times or the WSJ. He just wrote a column and wanted to share. Kinda like when people buy a new bike and post a picture of it.

I agree with you. If people don't want to read DW's posts or columns, they shouldn't click on the links.

This are hugely great ideas! I'm still wearing a little of that "j" hat prolly. I get the point about not really going beyond what I write. Thanks very much for the helpful suggestions. Truly. I'll mention was feeling left out of the community. And that was my own problem. It's weird cause in my day job -- which I should be doing come to think of it. Thanks totally.

I don't get why they are supposedly an "endangered species".

Yeah, should have made the endangered more clear. It's a big deal in OC, at least for cyclists and others who are out and about. The reserve/volunteer firefighters face major budget cuts May 26, which they feel could end their effectiveness. Naturally, with money scarce, there are different views on who should get the dough and the firefighters union has a pretty strong view on this thing as well.