x635

Awesome photos as always, Joe! Enjoyed seeing Ladder 72 and Squad 11 in the Sept-Oct edition of FAJ!

From what I'm told, the roof will have solar panels.

OK, here's a problem I've never had before and I hope you guys can help. Today, I went down to south Austin to photograph Quint 27 (http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php?showtopic=37913). It was in the 70's, with higher than normal (usually none) humidity. My Canon 40D DSLR sits in my office in a nylon bag in a shelf in my closet of my office, in the cold A/C that I keep my office at. I hang a Damprid bag in the closet to keep out any moisture. Today, I drove down to south Austin from Round Rock (about 40 minutes) with my A/C going. I take the camera out to ph0otograph the quint, and my lens fogs up. Wipe it off and clean it with a solution, stillo fogged up. Luckily, I had my backup Canon Powershot 12MP digital camera. How do I prevent this?

Thoughts and prayers.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20100819/NEWS02/8190314/Laid-off-White-Plains-police-officers-find-new-homes

Date: 8-18-10 Time: 1530 Location: FM 1431/ Arrow Point Drive Cedar Park, TX (Austin Metro Area) Departments: Cedar Park PD, Cedar Park FD, Williamson County EMS, Williamson County Sherrif, Texas DPS, Texas Rangers Description: Officer Leonard Reed was traveling on his police motorcycle training to become a motor officer when he crashed his bike. His riding partner immediately started CPR, and he was transported to St. Davids Round Rock Medical Center where he died during surgery Links: http://www.statesman.com/news/local/central-texas-digest-cedar-park-police-officer-killed-867304.html Writer: x635

Awesome! Looks very nicely spec'd! Somers always switching it up with apparatus manfacturers every couple years, now with a Sutphen Engine. Thanks for the photos, JM15!

Does anyone have RIM's new Blackberry Torch slider? What do you think of it? I didn't even know one was in the works until I saw the commercial and read the review.

This is a great move by Somers, and long needed. As far as hiring from within, it is way cheaper to (at least start out) with a contracted service who has everything already set up. It takes a lot to start a paid ambulance service Anyone trying to dissect this to something it's not and twisting around words to try and further their anti-EMS agenda and distaste for volunteers needs to stop. It's WAY out of line. Those familiar with Somers know that EMS calls are frequent, and Somers has grown to the point where you can only expect so much from volunteers, especially with the way Heritage Hills pumps out calls (yes, a dedicated ambulance to Heritage Hills has been talked about). The volunteers have personal lives too. Some people who "draw a paycheck" from a paid agency needs to do their homework and see how their agency evolved. And, regardless about how I feel about SOME volunteer issues, these people still sacrifice their time to help their communities and fellow citizens. I've personally seen volunteers go for 16 hours straight in Somers running EMS calls, and putting aside other functions. firegui, thanks for posting this news. Best of luck to both agencies!

http://www.uticaod.com/police_fire/x2092792261/New-Clinton-fire-truck-in-the-shop-after-fire-house-collision

Most agencies I have seen down here have it, at least in some of their cars. And I've heard LoJack or some other company was planning to upgrade the boxes to be GPS compatible with a more robust application on the MDT instead of the box.

Thanks for the tip guys! For some reason, it only happens when it's humid out, which is rare in this part of the state.

Looks like a very cool device. Has a lot of great features. However, as far as the scanner goes, a touchscreen picture frame with internet connectivity and a pair of speakers will do the same trick for less then $100. Also, the easier ability of Joe Q. Public to listen to a scanner may have negative conseqences for true scanner enthusiasts, leading to more encrypted system. Plus, the untrained ear may hear incorrect information in an emergency which could become viral and intrusive/obstructive to us doing our jobs, or place them in danger.

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/08/firefighter-critically-injured-at-restaurant.html R.I.P.

KME has redesigned their website: http://fire.kovatch.com/ProductDivisions/FireDivision.aspx

Date: 8-9-10 Time: 1230AM Location: of Avec restaurant, 615 W. Randolph (West Loop) Departments: Chicago FD, PD, EMS Description: Firefighter Christopher Wheatley, 31, was carrying an ax and a hose up a fire escape on the side of a restaurant, when he fell about 35 feet around 12:30 a.m., according to Fire Cmsr. Robert Hoff. Links: http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/08/firefighter-critically-injured-at-restaurant.html Writer: x635

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/theticker/entries/2010/08/10/dell_unveils_streak_tablet_pc.html?srcTrk=RTR_729919

Sounds like a pretty cool idea! http://weareaustin.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=82365

Well deserved and earned! Congrats!

Me too. Summertime though...gotta keep that A/C flowing. However, I know of some EMS agencies that have systems where you take the keys with you and leave the vehicle running. If the vehicle's brake or accelartion pedal is touched, or transmission is changed during this time, it kills the engine. That should be a law that it be required on all ambulances. I can think of NUMEROUS stories in the metro NYC area over the past few years where this kind of thing has happened.

I'll gather my thoughts and try to get this figured out sometime this weekend. I'd like to hear from some more of the site photographers about this policy, and more members on how we could come up with a way for constructive discussion only. We need more people posting photos. Incident and Apparatus photo threads were turning into mutli page threads, discouraging a lot of fire photographers from posting. We don't want anyone to be discouraged from posting based on the fear their photos will cause a conterversy. Howeever, I also do agree that it's frusterating not to be able to compliment someone on their photo or ask a question directly, and very inconvienent.

Down here, a majority of departments use David Clark headsets or a similar brand. The have always had a jack at the pump panel. However, now I'm see a lot of jacks for headsets at the back of the rig, so that the spotter can communicate directly with the driver. Does anybody up north empoy this? I think it's pretty smart, better then a backup cam (which is also still useful)

I haven't listened to 60 Control in a LONG TIME, but now I am listening via internet feed. I AM ONLY MAKING OBSERVATIONS AND POSING QUESTIONS TO PONDER BASED ON WHAT I HAVE HEARD ON THE RADIO.(I LISTENED FROM THE TIME OF DISPATCH UNTIL THE FIRE WAS PLACED UNDER CONTROL. Also, I am curious about the logistics in Westchester, which don't seem to have changed much. I think I am listening to a fire in Briarcliff, and although the dispatcher is doing a excellent job in keeping up with this despite all the demands placed on him. And, it sounds like a mess on the operations end of the radio. Some units were on 46.26, some on Fire 12, etc. It doesn't seem like much has progressed since I moved as far as radio etiquete, incident command, and SOP's go. Here's a satellie view of the building involved in the incident. Looks like a a 4 unit attached woodframe townhome built in 1984: OVERHEAD VIEW OF STRUCTURE Shouldn't there be, AUTOMATICALLY, a a first alarm confirmed structure fire, one and one started, a FAST team added, Safety Battalion, Con Ed notification, an ALS ambulance and an EMS supervisor. AND in heat like you guys are having, a rehab unit, additional ambulance(s), and additional manpower due to longer and more rehab cycles? Also, the County's Fieldcom so the IC's aren't out the in the heat and have a controlled and well equipped enviroment to make decisions?. All responing units with the proper amount of expected manpower to accomplish their task with an identified staging area? I wonder, if there were more resources available/dispatched immediately, would this incident have spread further causing further manpower and other needs like it did? Sounds like it was fully involved when the call was placed though. These, some very basic resources, were all requested at different times on an as needed basis, piecemealed, starting at least 10 minutes to WELL over an hour after the first IC arrived on scene. Shouldn't some of these obstacles have been foreseen? Some had to be toned out multiple times for manpower before giving up the call and going to the next agency. Shouldn't they be started immediately in the first place? And the departments who had to give up the call noted and investigated why. Does this strip down a large portion of the county if another fire or major EMS incident were to occur? Also, some of the neighboring companies couldn't respond or were out of service. Are a lot of the main guys who cover calls in Baltimore or on vacation? Now, as I'm listening now, well over an hour into the incident, Battalion 12 is requesting a FAS team from Yorktown so Croton can go to work when they get there. Shouldn't the original FAST stay as the FAST? Millwood is requesting additional manpower respond in their utility. And Ossining Rescue 14 is responding for "traffic control". A Rescue unit, one of the most specialized units/members in a department, are going to do traffic? As EMS 11 is getting hospital bed counts- Phelps 6 and WMC 6. And EMS is really busy throughout the county. Absolutely unbelievable. I'm sure everybody worked hard and did a great job, especially under the sun on a hot day. It just sounds messy, antiquated, and unorganized on the radio.

At 8:11 CST this morning 8-3-10, Madeleine Rose Granville was born. She is our first child. She is absolutely beautiful. Weight was 6lbs15oz Height is 19 3/4. Both Mom and Baby are doing excellent and Kristen and I are in compete baby bliss. The hospital has wireless,the staff here is awesome. We've been reading your comments om Facebook and emails and are lucky to have such loving and supporting family and friends. Best birthday present I've ever gotten. Seth, Kristen, and Madeleine.