Okay so the rookie messed up and now the CENTCOM GOLD wont work

Station 3

Member
May 21, 2010
3,395
Edinburg Texas
Ok so im trying to go to sleep because i just got out of work grave yard shift and the rookie calls me that he hit a bump on the road while on patrol and now the fire extinguisher went off and there is this "Green looking stuff" everywhere and its in powder form. Well i explain to him that the thing in the back of the tahoe that is red and is straped down and marked fire extinguisher in the back of the unit throws this "stuff" out when you press the lever. Ok well now the Whelen Centcom gold that was mounted in the back next to the extinguisher does not want to work all the lights and even the PA system work but the siren does not i checked the fuses and nothing was burned out.


How can i fix this please help.
 
May 25, 2010
7,072
Tunkhannock, PA, USA
I would suggest getting a can of compressed air and gently blowing the unit out... There is most likely residual dry-chem in the CenCom brain... Maybe even take off the cover and see whats going on...
 

Station 3

Member
May 21, 2010
3,395
Edinburg Texas
Ok i will let the Chief know to let me check it out before he sends it to the install guy who will probly try to rip us off and order a new one with out even checking it.
 

Station 3

Member
May 21, 2010
3,395
Edinburg Texas
The extinguisher was still strapped in but the rookies crap "patrol bag" some how caused it to discharge i have no idea how the safety pin fell off.
 

RL1

Member
May 20, 2010
1,649
Ga
I say don't blame the rook. Things happen. I've seen both the SGT and Sr Patrolman have extinguishers go off for no reason.
 

theolog

Member
Dec 27, 2010
731
North Carolina
RL1 said:
I say don't blame the rook. Things happen. I've seen both the SGT and Sr Patrolman have extinguishers go off for no reason.

Agreed! Most of us who have any time in at all have seen it happen, or had it happen to us. But it's certainly funnier when it's the rookie... :D
 

Respondcode3

Member
May 23, 2010
1,936
Northen Il USA
If the pin was in place where was the plastic tag that holds the pin in? Take the battery off. Vacume up as much as you can that powder can be irritating if inhaled. Then blow out the cencom. Reattach the battery.
 

theolog

Member
Dec 27, 2010
731
North Carolina
Maybe it's an old beater Tahoe. At least I hope. In some places the corporal with 11 years in has a 2005 Crown Vic with almost 100k miles on it. :rolleyes:
 

Station 3

Member
May 21, 2010
3,395
Edinburg Texas
No its a 2010 Tahoe its this one http://www.youtube.com/user/showandgo72#p/a/u/0/Wa-EOeUSWuE and yeah he did not know what comes out of the fire extinguisher he thought it was deadly to inhale that stuff so he called me to make sure i was like are you serious! Ahhhh rookies and no he is not getting fired or anything like that but we did laugh at him alot. :)
 

RolnCode3

Member
May 21, 2010
322
Sacramento, CA
theolog said:
Agreed! Most of us who have any time in at all have seen it happen, or had it happen to us. But it's certainly funnier when it's the rookie... :D
Yup. At least he didn't crash or anything. I've heard it can be quite spectacular inside a vehicle. And I've seen plenty of extinguishers with pins that aren't very secure. Quite easy to see how this could happen.
 

rwo978

Member
May 21, 2010
5,196
ND, USA
My first day ever "in the bag" and of FTO, I got the pleasure of vacuuming out the trunk of an Impala from a discharged extinguisher. Ahhh, the lovely car checkout... Thanks previous driver!!! There's a couple hours of training I'll never get back. :)
 

ranair911

Member
Jun 30, 2010
135
(near Toronto), Ontario
Replace little plastic thingie(s) with a good quality tie wrap. If the extinguisher should ever be needed the "rookie" will be putting out enough adrenalin to pull the arms off a brass monkey.
 

HFD eng1ine

Member
Jul 27, 2010
974
Essex County. MA
Station 3 said:
Ok i will let the Chief know to let me check it out before he sends it to the install guy who will probly try to rip us off and order a new one with out even checking it.


NO.NO.NO. Trust me we had this happen to us. The dry chem that comes out of a fire extinguisher will DETROY all electronics in a vehicle within days or sooner of the incedent. Here we had a extinguisher go off inside a CVPI. My father, (about 28 year veteran Firefighter, deputy Chief, firre inspector, and fire prenvention officer) went to the chief of Police the next day to explain to him the risks. He adivsed him every thing he had to know regarding the dry chem and what it does to electronics. It WILL find its way into EVERYTHING. My father told the Chief that he MUST bring the car to be professionally cleaned or the car will pretty much slowly die. Well...of course the chief didnt listen to him...soon after the incident. The portables dont work in the car, the radio, the lights, the radar (i think) the siren, power locks and windows, pretty muhc everything in the console... So, the car had to be scrapped because of not bringing it to a cleaner. I advise you to find someone who could clean it IMMEDIATLY or i can almost guarentee you more than just the cencom wont work.


KP
 

HFD eng1ine

Member
Jul 27, 2010
974
Essex County. MA
RolnCode3 said:
Yup. At least he didn't crash or anything. I've heard it can be quite spectacular inside a vehicle. And I've seen plenty of extinguishers with pins that aren't very secure. Quite easy to see how this could happen.

Ok, so dad and I are responding to a kitchen fire via our POV, we see a cop car out in the distance, i told my dad i thought it was on fire...we drove up and the cop was out of the car and waved and it didnt look like any help was needed. We continued to the fire. After we got there, most of the fire was put out by LEO's who arrived first which alot of the FF's were not happy about but all in all...the fire was OUT. The cop who used the extinguisher used a little, then put it in the HARD backseat of his CVPI. On his way back to the station, it rolled around and discharged.The smoke looking dry chem is what i thought was smoke coming out of that car on the side of the road when we were responding to the fire. Read my post above to see what happened.


KP
 

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