FFSiano

Let me clarify that it is not the instructors who are watering down the info. The instructors are actually all some of the best i have ever been trained by and worked with, all with a vast knowledge of the fire service. I meant from the state curriculum stand point. The amount of info and having it reenforced over the entire career academy is what sets it apart from the FF1 and FF2 classes.
Also the career academy is much more structured with the falling in at the start of the day and at the end. (Raising the flag, saluting the white shirts, etc.)

While he requires no defense here I will point out that if you follow these threads Bnechis provides plenty of good information. If a volunteer any depatment was looking at all the ways to make themselves more compliant you could get a lot of good information from his posts. And then there is ISO if you take note of the information he provides and apply it I'm sure a lot of places could improve their ratings. Plenty of good information that your getting here for free.

Here is a good start LOOK IN THE MIRROR! It is up to the individual career or volunteer to make change. Depts can set guidelines and other nonsense but it up to the individual to be ready to go. If your not you put the rest of the members in jeopardy when it is time to do the job.

Matt, I'm very sorry to hear of your health issue. Please accept my sincerest hopes that your future finds no further issues.
As far as the career vs. volunteer coverage, I'm not seeing a direct line or corollary to your issue. Does your diagnosis indicate the problem was as a result as your duties as a firefighter? I'm pretty certain none of my "career firefighter specific benefits" would include an illness or injury that was not job-related. My healthcare benefits as an employee would. The difference is that my healthcare benefit as a career firefighter is the same as our police officers, public works crews, and clerical staff. I would assume that your healthcare plan provided by your primary employer would be key. Of course I know many do not have health insurance which is a huge issue we all struggle to answer. My point being my healthcare benefits as a career firefighter are really just healthcare benefits as an employee on a job where healthcare is offered and constantly renegotiated and adjusted. I must give you that I'm not a career firefighter in NY, but I know of no specific benefits that are only extended to career firefighters in my state.
I wish you all the luck in the world.

Perhaps I didn't do as good a job as I should have while trying to make some very important points:

I am not saying that a career department will necessarily be able to handle a working fire as well as providing it's own F.A.S.T. (depending on size of F.D.). I was saying that common sense dictates that career departments are capable of much quicker responses than volunteer departments that must wait for a crew to arrive at the station prior to starting to respond.
ALL Firefighters must be trained in F.A.S.T. operations as a part of their basic (proby school curriculum). It should not be an option.
F.A.S.T. is a basic Firefighter function, NOT a Speciality.
What is of paramount importance to me is to try to get the message out there that it's essential that volunteer departments explore ways of insuring a rapid response of a crew to fill the role of F.A.S.T. when Firefighters are committed to interior structural firefighting,or any I.D.L.H. environment. SECONDS COUNT when a life is on the line ... there's no room for: "XYZ Fire Co. #1 is still awaiting manpower, time of your 3rd dispatch is 0357 hrs."

John, I will develope a officers course and provide it at the county level.

DC Pells,
Knowledge, Skills and Experience must count for something chief. Lets say that the intent here was good and Unionvale just wanted to train some up and coming firefighters, don't you think that sending Firefighters this young to FAST training while other Departments in the county needed FAST training just to establish their FAST team and had to wait merits asking what the heck!!! In the military we end up with very young Soldiers, we spend most of our time training the "new guy" on the art of the job. We don't put him on point still wet behind the ears. We put the skilled warrior out front on point with the experience and knowledge to get the job done safely. Through coaching, mentoring and teaching you build probie skills to prepare them for the job. No disrespect intended to those motivated 16 year old firefighters, but to be a trained FAST team member requires more then a state course to to make one, the course only adds some more tools (skills) to the tool box.

Note: Incident Alerts should NOT be updated inside a working fire. But we appreciate the dedication...

I have lived my entire life in the nyc area and I have never seen a "Tefillin" in my life. If a guy like me who grew up in an area with more Jews than anywhere outside Israel doesn't know what they are, how is a 25 year old stewardess from Kansas with a junior college degree and an 8 hour course in diversity gonna know what they are?