efdcapt115

Rest in Peace Officer Figoski.

Date: December 8, 2011 Time: 1330 hours Location: Virginia Tech vicinity Departments: Description: Sketchy. AP is reporting a police officer was shot in a parking lot near campus, with a possible second victim. update 1: update 2: 1346 hrs: School newspaper is reporting the police officer has been killed. http://abcnews.go.com/US/virginia-tech-lockdown-shooting-campus/story?id=15114257#.TuEF12PNlGV update 3: 1410 hrs-AP confirming officer killed, with one additional death: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/va-tech-police-officer-killed-15114522#.TuELUWPNlGV update 4: 1700 hrs: AP: Virginia Tech says there is no longer a threat on campus and that law enforcement officials say the gunman is believed to be dead. Writers: efdcapt115/firedude/peterose313

What sad news this morning. Worcester, Mass. IAFF Local 1009. We all bear witness once again to them getting hit hard. And news of our Brother lost this morning from Mount Vernon. December 8, 2011. Suddenly another infamous date. While we all commiserate here on the site, waiting for news.....a name....mornings like this one always bring you back full circle to other similar mornings..... Today feels like....The Father's Day Fire. Black Sunday. Manlius, New York. It's hard to make sense out of these days. Why? It reminds me that the career fire service in America is actually not all that huge; and how we are all entwined together with a culture created and passed down through generations of firemen. I cannot help but to think of the outpouring of respect that will be shown for these Brothers. I cannot help but to think of the absolute devastation that has occurred to two separate families this December morning. The trying days...months...years now put before families who only last evening had holiday plans in the works. Christmas forever changed for a lot of people in an instant. In 2002 I traveled to Colorado Springs to pay respects at the IAFF National Memorial, hosted by IAFF Local 5, Colorado Springs Firefighters. The day before the Remembrance, I had a rented Toyota Four Runner, and decided to drive to the top of Pikes Peak. The Service the next day would be right in front of this mountain, where the Memorial is located. When I reached the top after a couple of hours drive, standing there in the parking lot of the lodge I recognized the President of Local 1009. "Hey Worcester" I called out. "Hey, how's it going?" the President of 1009 replied. "You want a beer?" And so we shared a brew at 14,000 feet and spoke quietly amoungst ourselves. The irony was not lost on me that there were six Brothers from 1009 standing there. And now two more names will be chiseled into the face of that black wall out in Colorado Springs. In the shadow of Pikes Peak, surrounded by beauty, yet carved from tragedy. Once again, Worcester Brothers will make the solemn journey, and this time our Brothers from Mount Vernon will accompany them. So Rest now...jobs well done, the Lord has called you home.

Date:December 6, 2011 Time: approx. 1800 hrs. Location: U.S. 1 The Overseas Highway @"the 18 mile stretch" Departments: ATF/DEA/ICE/Miami-Dade Sheriffs/FHP/Monroe County Sheriffs/Miami-Dade Fire Rescue/multiple air units including medivac/numerous other LE agencies Description: Six month investigation into a South Miami-Dade based drugs/automatic weapons dealing gang. Federal agents were on a buy and bust for a kilo of cocaine and a fully automatic AK-47. This lead to a vehicle pursuit with the suspects ramming a DEA vehicle, and an ICE unit in lead pursuit (you'll see the relevance of that if you click the link and check out how many units ended up on scene). The suspects in a Chevy Avalanche type truck fled through Florida City and had just reached the Everglades portion of U.S.1 when they rolled the pick-up. Two very bad perps allegedly came out shooting, one apparently with an automatic rifle. LE returned fire, killed one, and shot the other. The incident led to U.S.1 being shut down in both directions overnight; luckily Card Sound Rd an alternate route into the Florida Keys remained open. Links: http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/12/06/police-chase-ends-with-1-dead-1-shot/ Writer: efdcapt115

Of Law Enforcement in Westchester. The days before cameras caught your every action. The days of comedy...humor.....seriousness... I know the period of the early '80's. Posted some in another thread. There's got to be tons of retired cops that read this, or guys here that post that have been on a long time, the game sure has changed. Davie L. one of the funniest cops I ever knew. Drew open eyeballs on paper and stuck them inside his glasses, while he was on the midnight desk watch.....snoozin' away waiting for a phone to ring. I had to come in @6 AM.....up the side stairs to the "old desk" Started Davie a few times, he was Vietnam and he almost drew down on me once coming from a deep sleep... Ahhhh.....the greatest cops I ever knew.... the "action" never stopped...lol Edit: This is a humor thread, not an offensive one, so don't nobody shoot the mechanic...

These were the days of innocence "in a sense" because I'm writing about a period of time before the War on Terror, before the 9/11 attacks and subsequent madness of the world. I'm writing about when cops and firemen knew the threat, it was domestic in nature, nobody ever had to think of "foreign interests" threats, or every single PD ending up with an ESU... When there were less EDP's, less 24/7 cameras everywhere, less violence, less crime... C'mon tis the season.....

"The Duff" Now this guy was slick. Unmarked 47 or Sector 2. NEVER wrote a ticket. Strong SOB. The girls adored him. He used to slink around and always be in the right place at the right time. The Duff.

Mikey C. The Enforcer Grew up bouncing at bars on Long Island. Came to our place, started a class a weight room, with a steam bath thank you, wore a great white north hunting cap in winter in uniform, "don't call me unless I'm needed" he'd be home on the portable waiting for the inevitable fight somewhere, off he'd go in the unmarked car specially for him, reach the offending party, and if they needed it, were choked by a bouncer who knew how to choke guys out if they became aggressive. Fell down a flight of stairs, had to leave his beloved PD, carries a couple of '38s down south now, still a big boy @ 260. We laugh about stuff.

I was a civilian employee of a PD for 3 years before I got on the FD. Driving the "RMP"'s a term I learned here, not at the PD I worked at. They were simply called sector cars, and oh boy did I have the run of the fleet. They got me a carry permit, and I bought a S&W 686 from Seth's father I think in 4 corners, the gun dealer am I right Seth? Now I got a 4" barrel 357 in a 9m holster on my body, it literally went from my belt to just under my armpit. Oh jolly gee......I had to collect them parking meters back then.......I was packin' baby.... I got to know "that feeling" of being behind the blue glass of a patrol car, very well. They used to call them Sectors 41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48...the chief was 40.....all until Michael Frey died..... Then they all become 51,52, etc no more 43 or 53, that number was retired...... As a civilian, I drove a lot of police cars....the chief and his staff were old school, that's how I carried...that's how we rolled boyyy... I have no idea how this ties in except to say imho arrest that woman, how dare you touch the wheel of that emergency vehicle...without authorization! And some very funny memories thanks.

Here is why I love Florida: "S.U.S? Meet S&W!"

It would have been an even greater story, if she left you millions in her will..... "And to Ralph Kramden, my favorite busdriver.....I leave 'my fortune'" "I Knew it Norton!"

Well first thing Seth, if a dept has the resources, it should be both, an engine to protect, and a truck to extricate.

Not really. It all depends on what you actually are. If you are a fire district you are precluded from charging for any service. If you are a private corporation, as most of the VACs are, whole different ballgame. I was thinking of the triad response we have in Eastchester and the villages, and how the, 3 PD's, 1 FD, and the VAC/EMS/Medic have worked well together for a long time. Could be used as a model of cooperation in SOME places; of course some of our upstate Brothers who've traditionally provided both ALS and BLS transport have had to compete with the likes of Rural Metro through the years; and that too my friend is a whole different ballgame.

Hey, Nice post, explains the system very well, better certainly than I did. Stay well Kev. Edit: for shaved head comment; different Kevin lol

Sounds to me like the Brothers did one hell of a job here. Could we get a little more info? This is the type of incident where the Brothers truly earn their mettle. "Multiple reports of people trapped on floors above", yet as the old saying goes, putting water on a fire saves the most lives. You're talking a multi-million dollar property here, around the holidays, possible deaths if the proper action isn't taken, residents' displacement, we've all seen the worse of it. I just don't think a good job like this should go the wayside of a simple (yet excellent) I.A. so if there's input from any of the HFD companies, or their union Brothers of GFD, FFD, with help from SFD, I'd sure love to hear it. Congrats Brothers. Great job.

Yeah, what's up with that?

Bottom Line: VAC's in Westchester (many of them) have not been able to provide 24/7 BLS for a very long time. Answer: Many came up with a billing scheme (I say this word in the English fashion, it's not defamatory) if insurance pays for the transport and ALS service many of the VAC's responsibly set up the per diem system years ago; they collect the revenue for the ALS and the BLS systems. Most of the Medics I've known through my career, made ends meet by working their A job, which wasn't enough to pay the bills, and then a B job at a VAC, call it EMS now, fine. The Medics in particular (from my FD BLS provider background) have been a welcome addition in a system I worked where we often had a PD stand-by, a late FD response because of no BLS VAC bus (so we looked like dopes showing up 25 minutes later). Because EVAC years ago was able to obtain primary medical responder status for the entire EFD district, including the villages, we as an FD could not have upgraded to ALS if we wanted to. I credit one or two guys Paul and Fazz for setting up the EVAC/EMS system. As far as I know it's been able to function with additional help from the TOE for equipment, like a bus purchase would come from the Community Fund.

Spac/Spock?

It's no secret Eastchester EMS (VAC) whatever, has been employing per-diem EMT's and Paramedics for years. Have to say, they do a great job working with the FD/PD. How come Seth can't get a damn answer to his question?

NRFD restores staffing? http://www.lohud.com/article/20111130/NEWS01/111300311/In-brief-New-Rochelle-restores-firefighter-crossing-guard-jobs-Greenburgh-Library-plans-book-sale?odyssey=mod_sectionstories

Your posts made me think I was wrong to say what I did. Looking back at it, I viewed this video with the thought this same guy was also an accused arsonist. It was in that mindset that I threw barbs at him. I didn't listen to the audio. Others do bear some responsibility for this kid's actions. If I had a do-over, I wouldn't have posted what I did.

Great copy and paste, but a ridiculous point when you say "call the following people". I'm getting really tired of you throwing peoples' names around. Have some respect that you claim to major in apparently. You've made your point about the Mahopac fireman. Obviously some agree, and some don't. DO NOT start throwing around deceased Brothers and Sisters names here. How dare you!

What matters to me is whether somebody is full of it or not.

Roger that. But I'm going to repeat this; the most proactive thing any individual cop or firefighter can do today is join the New York State Police and Fire Retirees Association. Dues are a mere $30 a year. We have representation in Albany, and NYSPFRA works tirelessly for ALL of us, retired, or going to be someday.

For a new member here you sure didn't waste any time jumping right into a fray. Yet you posted virtually nothing about yourself. You talk so brazenly about how many "funerals" you've been too, and how you'll be at "Joey D's" funeral. In another thread you refer to "just calling Rende but it's late and you don't want to wake up the babies". Since you seem to be the most experienced, most known by others, most having been to funerals, most whatever,.....care to share who, what are/were you? Or does that remain the big mystery....