x635

Thanks TR54...........West Warick's a pretty cool town, I stop there to eat/shop on my way back to NY when I take I-95. They see some pretty interesting fires there, being an old New England mill town and all.

FDNY Fire Alarm Dispatcher Exam.......will be open for filing from December 3 - December 23, 2003 filing...As soon as the notice is up, I will provide a link here.

In this edition (Nov/Dec) Fire Apparatus Journal Magazine, Joe Pinto wrote and photogrpahed a Yonkers FD Profile. It's worth picking up a copy (Sometimes available at Borders, indivdual copies are also availble from FSP Books and Videos) According to the article, 303 rcvd a Sutphen in 1993, which I remember seeing as 303 in 97-98. That Sutphen was placed in the spare pool this year, and a refurbished 1990 Mack CF/Ward 79 replaced it.

IMO, I had heard that the Sutphens had multiple quality problems and were falling apart,this just proves that nothing beats a Mack for the City Of Yonkers!!LOL

It seems all the major manufacturers are guilty of slapping there names on a few pieces of crap.

I tottally agree. Fire apparattus is custom built, one piece at a time. Alot of it i think has to do with how well you spec the rigl. Hiring a Fire Apparatus consultant is one way to avoid some problems and keep a closer eye on the construction proccess. And most important, you get what you pay for.

From The LA Times and the LAFD

FITNESS BOUND

Exercise to the Rescue

From scaling stairs to swinging an ax, Firefighters' workouts are designed to keep them fit for their jobs.

By Martin Miller

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

November 17, 2003

In the recent wildfires that swept through Southern California, more than 14,000 firefighters battled walls of flames, cut trees, set backfires and plowed firebreaks for days at a time. The stamina and strength required for the job obviously demand a strong dedication to physical training.

At the Los Angeles Fire Department, firefighters engage in a range of vigorous workouts designed to enhance strength, conditioning and flexibility. Their individual routines, which vary depending upon personal ability, aren't by and large anything you can't do at home or at a health club. The key difference is that a firefighter's commitment to exercise is driven by the sobering knowledge that a life may depend on his or her performance.

Although the department suggests a 30-minute circuit-training program - which includes basics such as push-ups, stomach crunches and pull-ups - each firefighter usually chooses his or her regimen. Encouraged to exercise during their shifts, most firefighters hit the cardio machines and free weights, which are standard equipment in most fire stations. But when emergency calls interrupt training, physical fitness becomes something firefighters must pursue on their own.  

Recently I tagged along with a platoon of firefighters from Fire Station No. 95 (near Los Angeles International Airport) for a workout at a nearby city training facility - one equipped with a track, outdoor obstacle course and first-rate health club equipment. Everyone from the group headed over to the health club except rookie Ken Reindl - he wanted to shore up his stair-climbing skills.

If there's one thing all firefighters must be able to do efficiently, it's navigate stairs. On a recent drill, Reindl, who's been at his current post for about two months, had trouble making it up 17 flights. Of course, at the time, the 170-pound Corona resident was carrying - as firefighters often do - an extra 110 pounds in gear and equipment.

But before we hit the steps, we began with a 10-minute warm-up jog around the track. After that, we outfitted ourselves with about half the weight firefighters typically must lug up stairwells. We wore the heavy firefighter's jacket and the helmet, and then strapped an oxygen tank onto our backs. In all, it added about 50 pounds.

Reindl's goal was to do 13 trips, or what amounted to 52 flights of stairs. My goal was to keep up as best I could. The start was fine. We had a nice even pace, one step at a time up the indoor carpeted stairs.

The first trip was no problem; on trips two and three, I was winded going up, but caught my breath coming down. By trip four or five, I began to feel the effects of carrying so much additional weight. And with the heavy jacket sealing in my body heat, I could feel the sweat drenching my T-shirt.

Reindl began to put some distance between us on the fourth and fifth rounds. He was steady and sure, and I was slowing down considerably. In the end, I made 10 trips up and back. Not bad for a newcomer, but the city expects more than that from its firefighters.

We walked back into the parking lot to take off our gear. I noticed on the way that my legs were a little rubbery and knew for sure my calves were going to be extra sore the next day (I was right). At that point, one of the station's captains, Bob McElroy, asked if I was ready to lift some weights. Not unless I have a forklift, I thought.  

Then a call came over the radio. A fire alarm had gone off at LAX's Terminal 2. Everyone's workout halted immediately; firefighters dashed for the truck and got their gear on, and off we went - sirens blaring - to the airport. It turned out to be a false alarm, apparently a common occurrence. The 20-minute-or-so break, however, gave me a chance to recover from the stair-climbing.

On most days, the firefighters probably would have called it a day, physical fitness-wise, and returned to their many station tasks. But today the workout would finish up with an exercise in chopping wood.

As part of its proposed LAX expansion plan, the city has purchased a number of apartment complexes and buildings near the airport. Days before the structures are due for demolition, the fire department is allowed to train at the sites. Whenever a building becomes available, they get out the axes and hack away. "You can only learn so much from a book," said McElroy.

Reindl, a couple of other firefighters and I were to climb to the roof of a three-story apartment building and, with long-handled axes, cut a 3-by-3-foot hole in the roof - in three minutes. Such holes act as chimneys, allowing heat and smoke (the elements of a fire that cause the most injuries) to exit the building. As McElroy said, the roof-chopping exercise is a direct application of their physical fitness.

Up on the roof, I received some crash instructions on how best to smash through. The ax didn't feel heavy at first, and though my technique prompted comments such as "You grew up in the city, didn't you?" I was actually hitting the broadside of a roof and not injuring myself.  

Of course, my ax kept getting stuck in the roof, and I had to repeatedly reach down and pull it out. It was clear within three minutes I wouldn't make it. Although I tried speeding up, my aim was too poor and I got very tired, very quickly. It was a bright morning, and the sweat poured down my face, stinging my eyes.

"Now just imagine," offered another firefighter, "that it's dark, you don't know what's up here and the building is on fire."

No thanks. McElroy stepped in with his ax, and after a few more minutes we finally ended up punching a couple of holes in the roof. In total, I probably didn't swing the ax for more than four or five minutes, but I was exhausted.

The day was enlightening in many respects. I left with a renewed appreciation for the strenuous physical demands of firefighters' job - and their level of fitness.

Snapshot: Firefighter workout

Duration of activity: 44 minutes; included a 10-minute warm-up, 22 minutes on the stairs and 12 minutes of roof-walking and wood-chopping. (Activities weren't continuous.)

Calories burned*: 679

Heart rate*: Average, 146; high, 183

*This information was obtained using a heart-rate monitor.

For those that do not have a digital camera, you can go to CVS or wherever you have your film processed, and when you do ask that they also include a photo CD with your prints, usually only $1-2 dollars extra, sometimes free with coupons. Also, Kodak makes a disposable "digital" camera ($11) that comes with a free photo CD with reg processing. This is also good when you are working Fire/EMS and don't want to carry an expensive digtal camera with you.

I recently made up these reccomendations for digital cameras for a friend who was looking into buying one, and I figured I would share with you guys.

Here are a couple of good digital cameras. When purchasing a camera, make sure to buy a larger memory card (256mb or larger), a great quality protective case, and an extra rechargeable battery

 

No matter which camera you buy, make sure it is 4megapixel or above. And I recommend going to Best Buy and playing with the camera your seriously considering before purchasing it,if time allows, just to make sure you are completly happy with the frame.  

 

OK now the cameras

 

This is the camera i use, its very very small though (Which I like,because its so portable, it fits in nicely in my pocket...no bigger than a pack of cigarettes but Im not sure if ultrasmall would work for you) Its very easy to learn and use,easy to carry around all day,  and this is the one I personally use for EMTBravo.com......Available at BestBuy,Amazon...etc

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=photo&n=502394

 

A slightly larger camera, but similar to the one above

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=photo&n=493710

 

 

 

This one is VERY pricey, but one of the best (reasonably priced)top-of-the-line feature-laden digital cameras you can buy, kinda big and complicated: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=photo&n=493710

 

Another Excellent,but pricey feature-laden camera, this ones compact:

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/store...1693326-0782211

 

Here's a budget, starter camera. Very good features at a great price....takes some pretty nice photos...bought it for my sister and she loves it...except for the no zoom  

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=photo&n=493710

 

Anybody else got dig camera reccomendations or advice?

From www.detnews.com

Ambulance hazards targeted

Industry coalition concedes human toll, vows safety fixes

By Lisa Zagaroli / Detroit News Washington Bureau

What The Detroit News found

"Unsafe Saviors," a Detroit News investigative series, examined ambulance crashes and their causes. In the four-month probe, the newspaper found:  

A lack of vehicle performance standards, maintenance and proper safety restraint contributes to the human toll caused by at least 6,500 ambulance crashes a year.  

Speeding, fatigue, driver error and dispatch blunders often lead to ambulance crashes. Accreditation programs, driver monitoring and stricter vehicle standards could reduce the risks.  

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WASHINGTON -- A major overhaul is planned in the way ambulances are operated, designed and regulated to make them less dangerous to the medics and patients who ride in them, top industry officials say.  

Confronting a chronic problem for the first time, the ambulance industry is working on a comprehensive plan to cut down on the number of deaths and injuries that result from the more than 6,500 ambulance crashes every year.  

The initiative could result in new standards for how drivers are screened and trained, more reliable ways to protect people and equipment inside the patient compartment and new designs to make the vehicles more crashworthy and less likely to roll over.  

All the concerns were outlined in an investigation by The Detroit News earlier this year.  

"The problem is that crashes in first response -- in ambulance or police or fire -- are probably more significant than any of us understand," said Larry Wiersch, executive director of Cetronia Ambulance Corps in Allentown, Pa.  

Wiersch is a board member of the American Ambulance Association, which is coordinating the efforts of university researchers, government safety officials and the people who make, use and insure ambulances.  

The group met last week near Washington to develop short- and long-term goals to improve safety of emergency vehicles.  

"There was a clear understanding that everybody would be involved in the developments as they unfolded, that the best way to get the best outcome was having all of the folks from each discipline involved in each step," said Dr. Nadine Levick, a researcher who has conducted crash tests of ambulances and studied their safety.  

"It's such a cross-disciplinary situation. What came across is the real recognition of how each area was so important to each other."  

The effort came as welcome news to one patient who was involved in an ambulance crash.  

Rollin Ager of Ashburn, Va., who was a heart patient in a routine transport to the hospital, suffered a heart attack, a head injury and cracked ribs when the ambulance he was in flipped over several times.  

Joseph "Neal" Sherman, the medic who was caring for him in the March 16, 2001, crash, was killed.  

Authorities say the driver of the ambulance fell asleep because he'd been up all night and shouldn't have been behind the wheel.  

"Certainly I can say the ambulance being safer would be a help," Ager said. "To us, the bigger thing is the driver responsibility, the responsibility of the firm who hires these people, their control of these people and how they dispatch the driver and keep track of drivers' capability."  

Wiersch said three working groups are finalizing the goals to reach within a year in technology, vehicle design and the actions of ambulance personnel.  

In the meantime, the group wants more reliable data to define the precise dangers ambulances pose to their occupants and other drivers on the road so they can minimize crashes and their consequences.  

About 10 serious injuries a day and three dozen deaths a year are reported in ambulance crashes. The industry suspects the real numbers are higher.  

Ambulances have proven more dangerous than other vehicles driven on the job.  

Emergency medical workers have an occupational fatality rate of 9.6 per 100,000 workers per year in transportation-related incidents, compared with 6.3 for police, 4.5 for fire fighters and 2 for average citizens, according to research by Brian J. Maguire.  

He is the associate director of the University of Maryland Baltimore County's Department of Emergency Health Services.  

The industry wants to understand everything that transpires in crashes, sudden stops and other incidents that are never reported.  

"There needs to be a broader, more intense database that starts to collect not only the fatal injuries ... but how many injuries are out there that aren't required to be reported," Wiersch said.  

"We think it's a pretty significant problem from the information we have and the problem is how can we reduce that, how can we go about this methodically so we can reduce the amount of crashes that are happening out there on a pretty regular basis."  

One of the projects already under way, by the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, is to scrutinize a few ambulance crashes to determine what went wrong and what might have been done to prevent them.  

"We are working to try to better define the risk of ambulance-related crashes of people working in ambulance patient compartments and we are evaluating the use of occupant restraints," said Paul Moore, who works on the fatality assessment evaluation program.  

A Detroit News two-day series in January outlined how ambulance occupants were exposed to unnecessary risk because of a lack of safety standards regulating the patient compartment, poor vehicle design and inadequate seat belt systems.  

The problems, coupled with poor driver training, poor judgment and fatigue, were contributing factors in some of the 6,500 ambulance crashes each year.  

Although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is the federal agency that oversees vehicle safety, it has been reluctant to set standards for ambulances and doesn't require them to be crash-tested.  

NHTSA officials who attended the ambulance association meeting last week said they hoped to set up an industry meeting early in 2004 to discuss improving emergency vehicle safety.  

"I don't know if we're talking mandatory or voluntary standards," Wiersch said.  

"It has to be a flexible program. If you make it voluntary and show this can make a difference, it will naturally progress into everyone doing this and saying I need to get on that wagon.'"  

While plenty of information is available on crash dynamics and the importance of seat belts, there's a lot to learn about how ambulances respond in crashes, Wiersch said.  

"We don't know how our chassis hold up, how crashworthy are they, are there ones that are better than others," Wiersch said.  

"We don't know because we've never truly looked at how ambulance vehicles and fire trucks hold up in a crash."  

Some of the areas the industry hopes to address in the next year and beyond include:  

Employee selection -- how to choose candidates who would be good drivers and not prone to aggressive driving or other behavioral or legal problems  

Driver training, education and monitoring -- whether to require trainers to be certified, road tests, more comprehensive classroom training and on-board monitoring devices  

Company policies -- how to encourage proper seat belt restraint of both patients and medics, speed limit observation and proper equipment storage  

Emergency dispatch -- how to prioritize calls to make sure drivers aren't rushing to the scene of patients whose lives aren't at serious risk  

Ambulance selection -- how to evaluate weight limits, center of gravity, design and technology to make sure ambulances are as safe as possible when they crash as well as color schemes, lights and sirens to avoid accidents.  

Ambulance maintenance -- what is the best schedule for maintenance and whether to give drivers the right to sideline vehicles they think are unsafe.

www.firefeeds.com

Also can be seen on the Tower Ladder 57 page, at the recently refurbished Bedford Hills Profile @EMTBravo.com..>That sign...and truck....is sweet!

Low band is a simplex system that works best in line-of-site situations, the hills in Dobbs Ferry don't help that. Sometimes slight movement can help reception of low band, just as it can when your trying to tune a am radio, which may explain why it is better by your bed. The only way to improve this situation is to invest in high-quality coaxial cable and a quality antenna designed for recieving lowband freq's, and then place that at the highest easily accessible point possible at your residence(ensuring a proper safe installation) whether it be rooftop or treetop. I know a member of this board (GA) who did the same, and it improved his reception greatly. I also think alot of it has to do with weather and time of day, sometimes I rcvd Ardsley great from my house, others days not at all, and i had to move my scanner frequently to optimize reception. When I got a better antenna, it improved slightly, but I wish I had gone with the rooftop idea.

RWC130, RadnorCo15 or anybody else with lowband monitoring experience got any other ideas?

NY Firehouse Grill owners want to do something,RWC130's got a pretty good thing worked out with them, and it is a fire themed resturant....so that would be the best place for something like that if and when we decide to go ahead with this.

Another debate I am also interested in is rear mount vs. midmount tower ladder. I don't personally understand any advantadges to a rear mount TL. (RM Disadvantages: Platform setdown limits, bucket access, travel height, range of motion,etc. Maybe advantages are storage space, shorter wheelbase, and ability to operate like a regular RM lddr?

57

I must agree. I've gotten to know TL57 very well thanks to the "Battalion" and "Division" , and it's a very well spec'd and well equipped truck (looks great too, lol)

Despite looking pretty big, this truck is quite manuverable.I've seen it set up and operate in some tight spaces. And the aerialscope, despite not having a full walkway, does have some distinct advanges, such as it's durability,bucket capcities,flow, and jack spread. The one disadvantage would be the no walkway, but I wonder if Aerialscope would sell more if the could develop a high handrail system that would fold down (so it doesnt get caught in trees) like seen on some Sutphens. As for the durability, its proven, you often see aerialscopes refurbished, many of them after serving 10 or more years in NYC.

I got to "play with" a Metz Aerial at a trade show over the summer, and I'm suprised more people have not gone with this. It's extremly manuverable and compact, can operate on signicant grades, and can be a tower or straight stick. They're the most popular and sometimes only ladder found in Europe, which has some really tough places to set up.

The one major drawback on this apparatus is the lack of compartment space, an issue I think the will have to work on to sell more of these.

I think it is ideal to have both types of apparatus at every fire. Like LFD171 said, there is an increasing amount of TL's in this county. I wonder if there is an actual benefit, or should they be spread out more.

I also see departments that are more rural in WC that did not have aerials in the past getting one.

It's all in how you spec. In reality, alot depends on the spec, driver and training, and also how well the truck is designed to fit the community and SOP's it will operate in.

I'm still trying to track down what happened to Ardsley Engine 165, the Mack CF, after Hartsdale sold it. I had heard it went to a department in the Youngstown, Ohio area. Maybe HFD211 could find out more?

Ardsley Engine 164, the 1970 Young, went to Monseraat FD, in the Carribean in 1992, and I beleive it is still serving there, if it didnt get covered in lava by the volcano explosion a couple years back.

To back up what Chris said:

For Dept's that operate quints...

What are your SOP's regarding its response and operations?

1st due to any structural incident within the Village Of Ardsley and district.

Can carry 4 Firefighters, 1 officer, and the MPO/Driver

Usually, pulls IFO the fire building or closest part of the building to the fire.

MPO determines best position so that lines can be stretched and/or the aerial can be placed. The second due, usually E-164, hits the closest hydrant and lays into L-50.

Are you truly getting the most out of the apparatus?

The quint works well for a small district like Ardsley, that doesnt neccarily need or can afford a full truck company and can only afford and needs three engines. It's also nice because we have 2 engines as well, when one goes out of service for PM or whatever, we still have the quint to serve as an engine.

Upon arrival at a scene are you sizing up as an engine company or a truck company?

It's a very versatile system we run that really depends on the call.

All Ardsley FF's are cross-trained in Engine, Truck, and Rescue Operations.

Usually, L-50 responds with a full crew. Usually the chief or deputy is 10-84 and has completed the size up. 2 FF's/L50 offcr will conduct a primary search, if warranted, and 2 members will stretch a line/or intiate truck company operations. The crew from E-164, which usually has 6 people and arrives 1-2 minutes or less after the quint, has one member hook into the hydrant, while the MPO hooks into L-50 or into 164 then to L-50. The balance of the crew and officer will usually assume truck company operations and/or stretch a backup line.

How much water do you carry on the apparatus, and has the quint pushed the limits of a safe GVW on your streets/highways?

GVW is fine

400/1500 as Chris said, and the GVW is fine. The short wheelbase also allows it to be extremly manuverable through the tight Ardsley streets and traffic.

Have you been able to operate more effectively with reduced staffing with a quint?

Doesn't really end up being reduced for Ardsley.

If you had to do it again what, if anything, would you change?

Nothing major. Maybe the next time around, Ardsley's grown up since 1986 when the quint was initially spec'd and would now warrant a 100', especially with the new senior housing going up. Also maybe a bigger engine and rear diff.

Also, you should be careful on how and what you run your quint too (i.e. car fires, wires down, etc) With the aerial, it does require more PM than your average engine, and tires do wear faster as well.

DG795, you're welcome to come and check out our quint anytime. Lemme know and I will hook you up.

CM36, they're called Special Hazard Units to you, LOL!! :wink:

On my way to DD this AM to get my new DD Caramel Swirl Latte (Which are really good, the latte,capp, and espresso line will be availabe in Westchester in January) I got to see the new '04 Dodge Durango. Now, I had only seen pics of it up to this point, and I really didnt like it from the pics, but when I saw it in person...WOW...its one hot truck...looks real good, much different from the pics)...Now, cant wait to see the first fly or chiefs car off this new design, and long awaited redesign of the Dakota which supposedly will closely resemble this.

BTW, the new DD on Knollwood Rd In Greenburgh WILL have a drive-thru (And Baskin-Robbins)

Also, the new Best Buy in Hartsdale is open. It's where Service Mechandise was. Norwalk will open soon as well.