x635

I am very familiar with this incident....
Upon dispatch, multiple Croton Falls units signed on responding since they just cleared from an EMS call. Prior to any unit getting on scene, car 2071 requested 1 engine and 1 tanker from Goldens bridge, and 1 tanker from Somers. Very shortly after this request, 2074 signed on location reporting heavy fire through the roof of a 3 1/2 story wood framed structure. The request for L48 (Somers) was made a few minutes after 2071 arrived on location. Being that Somers is a huge district, it did take them some time to respond, especially due to the extreme ice conditions. Also, Ladder 48 was the only ladder requested to the scene. In my opinion, these were appropriate response times due to the weather conditions, and due to how far out of the way this house was. I believe the 1st mutual aid tanker (Tanker 1) was on scene 9 minutes after the initial request.

This guy is his own worst enemy when it comes to being taken seriously. "Firefighting attracts a lot of immature people, who feel they don't need to grow up." OK, that's fair. Hell, I might even be inclined to agree. Then he goes on to list a few examples that back up his point, but what's with the rest of that list? A fill the boot to benefit Muscular Dystrophy? It sounds like conditions might not have been optimal (where I live, excessive fill the boot events caused the city to put an end to them altogether), but to count that as a "childish act?" Really? Also, that "loose change" that's "shaken down from motorists" adds up. I think my union cleared 5 figures for a few hours worth of effort.
As for some of the other examples, they're despicable acts that go way beyond immaturity. This guy needs to go back to journalism school.

January 16, 2009 - At approx 2100 hrs, the Little Ferry Fire Department was dispatched for a reported smoke from a building on Rt. 46. Upon arrival of Little Ferry Police and Fire they found heavy smoke and fire coming from "Heaven Is A Spa" located at 230 Rt. 46. A second alarm was quickly transmitted. Heavy fire conditions continued as it vented through the roof leading a total roof collapse of the 1 story part of the building. 3rd and 4th alarms were transmitted at approx 2155 hrs with 3 tower ladders and 1 ladder pipe in operation. Heavy fire continutes to take over the 1 story section and now threatens the 2 story attached exposure as heavy smoke is pushing.
At this time a 5th alarm was transmitted at approx 2253 hrs. A second ladderpipe was set up on the Bravo side and two tower ladders on the Charlie side. At approx 2311 hrs a 6th alarm was transmitted as conditions deteriorated rapidly with heavy smoke continuing to push as the fire started to vent through the front windows and then through the roof. The fire continued to burn into the morning. Several firefighters were injured with minor injuries. The fire is under investigation.
More photos on my website at www.BrettsFirePhotos.com

I was going to go out and about and look for a universal digiscoping mount, (as opposed to just ordering one online). Any suggestions on shops that have good stock and selection without going to NYC? I'd like to keep my money local if possible?

Thanks Seth, Thanks Jerome.
B&H has a great selection but didn't have it anyway.
I found a swing away model at: http://www.alpineastro.com/digital_photography/digital_photography.htm#Micro%20Stage

It enables most any point and shoot to be mounted on a spotting scope or telescope and simply be swung in and out of place quickly.
Thanks again guys

NRFD has a 2009 Isuzu that is being outfitted to replace our MCI unit (and move Mass Decon from a trailer). We ordered a GMC (which is made in Japan)it was built and loaded on a ship in Kobe. We were advised that we could not take delivery because a federal bankrupcy court determined that GMC could no longer sell it. If we wanted we could have the Isuzu that was on the same ship and had the same vin # (it was the same truck). It does not turn into GMC or Isuzu until it gets to Baltimore.

Truck outfitted by: Specialty Warning Systems
http://www.specialtywarningsystems.com
The Georgetown CT Fire Department has taken delivery of a 2007 Isuzu box truck, designed as a support services unit, which replaces a Chevrolet delivery van that was donated to the department in the early 90s. As a mobile "warehouse", it's primary function is to transport support, rehab and supplemental equipment to fire, weather related, Haz Mat, MCI and long term operation scenes.
The LED warning system incorporates a Whelen Freedom lightbar, two 600 Supers in the front, two M4s and two 900 series Supers on each side, eight LIN6s on the rear and an eight head linear Traffic Advisor above the rear doors. A CenCom Gold and single 100 watt siren speaker complete the system. Whelen M9 scenelights were installed on each side to provide perimeter lighting while M6 backup lights above the rear step bumper were configured to function as both reverse lights and rear flood lighting.
For low light operations, Gor-Lite LED compartment lighting strips were installed in each of the eight side compartments and additional M6 backup light was installed in the rear of the box body roof to provide additional lighting over the rear step and bumper. A Kussmaul Auto Charge system with shoreline Auto Eject and LED indicator also provides 110V power inside the body for portable radio bank chargers, rehab equipment, computers etc. by way of portable or apparatus generators or accessible building power.
As the truck was a stock unit, a custom enclosure was fabricated inside the truck body to contain and protect the CenCom ARM, electronics, wiring, LED flasher and battery charger.
The exterior graphics layout incorporates gold leaf lettering, department maltese, GFD Fire Police and CT EMS patches, reflective striping and a diamond grade safety chevron applied to the outside and inside of the rear cargo doors.

Specialty Warning Systems appreciates the confidence Georgetown placed in us in providing their new support unit and looks forward to other projects in the future.
http://www.specialtywarningsystems.com








Photos by Specialty Warning Systems

I noticed in reading the IA on the Croton Falls Fire that it was dispatched at 1605 and at 1617 the Somers Ladder was "waiting for more manpower"...(12 minutes after the initial response) What does this mean exactly? Is this ladder part of the initial assignment? Were there other ladder companies responding? How long after 1617 did this ladder company actually respond and with how many personnel? This was on a weekend afternoon. I'm surprised that there would be any problem with manpower. Is there an issue with having an adequate number of responders in this area too?

As http://jukebox.lohud.com/photos/refers/index.php?gallery=Yonkers%20Firefighter%20Graduation%2001-15-10 barely a mention ,but at least the snooze posted some pics. CONGRATS TO THE CLASS OF 2009 ,GOOD LUCK and STAY SAFE>

From this morning's FEMA National Situation Report
FEMA Actions
FEMA NRCC is activated to Level II, 24/7 operations
Region IV is at Level III Partial Activation due to Haiti evacuees possibly being evacuated to Florida.
National IMAT West activated and awaiting transportation; scheduled to depart Sacramento at 10:00 a.m. PST in USCG C-130
Thomasville, GA MERS activated and moving rolling stock to Homestead; currently in Orlando
Frederick, MD MERS activated in support of US&R operations and is awaiting airlift transportation
Maynard, MA MERS activated and awaiting airlift transportation
US&R VA-1 team (Fairfax County) in Haiti: base camp established, initial survey conducted, and priority targets identified
US&R CA-2 team (Los Angeles County) to arrive at 4:30 a.m. EST, January 14, in Haiti
US&R FL-1 and FL-2 (Miami-Dade) teams deploying from Homestead, FL on January 14
US&R VA-2, OH-1, CA-5, CA-7, NY-1, and TX-1 task forces have been activated and are awaiting transportation to Port-au-Prince; tentatively scheduled to arrive at Port-au-Prince today
A US&R Incident Support Team is preparing to deploy to support US&R operations in Haiti
Additional US&R teams on stand-by
Logistics provided Frederick MERS with meals and water for delivery to Haiti; additional meals and water, along with tarps, blankets, cots, and comfort kits have been ordered and will be delivered to Homestead AFB for pre-staging
Four External Affairs staff to depart today to Haiti to support USAID; one External Affairs staff to deploy to Washington, D.C.
Department of Health and Human Services
Four DMAT (NJ-1 is one of them) and four DMORT teams have been activated and are awaiting transportation to Haiti
Four additional DMAT and four additional DMORT teams are on stand-by
U.S. Coast Guard
Two cutters already in Haiti; two additional cutters are en route
Two fixed wing C-130 aircraft are performing over-flight assessments
Two C-130s with 140 passenger capacity to arrive January 14; first evacuation flight of UN personnel scheduled to depart for Santa Domingo at 10:00 a.m. EST; two additional evacuations may be possible later that day
U.S. Navy
Hospital ship USNS Comfort scheduled to arrive by January 22 to provide mobile hospital
Red Cross
Five person team being deployed to manage distribution
All relief supplies stored in Panama have been made available
$1 million in funds available for immediate response

I believe it is important to consider that the response to Haiti is not a "bread-and-butter" EM/USAR operation. Consider the following:
(1) Though many states and localities have developed robust response capacities, this is not true in many nations. Typically, it is accepted that if the government is dysfunctional before an event, it is not likely to grow functional during a disaster, or in the immediate aftermath of one. Haiti has been viewed politically as a failed, or near-failed, state for years, suggesting it had inadequate governance structures prior to the event. Other nations are responding to assist, but one of the challenges will be how to work within the power vacuum they encounter. In most instances in the US, EM deals with badly impacted areas or regions, but there is still a city, county, tribal, state or federal government to work with, though, admittedly, it may take some time to get them engaged. In Haiti, with the entire nation affected, there is no overarching government to work with in rebuilding. The government that does exist has minimal resources.
(2) In the US, the NRF and NIMS provide a model for activation, response, oversight and communications. Training, planning and exercises have been focused on working within that model. How will this work in a foreign operation, where much of NIMS and virtually all of the NRF are not applicable? In this instance, is DHS the lead agency, or is it the Department of State, with agencies working through USAID, as has been the case with USAR deployments and some military-based humanitarian assistance in the past? If the DHS, how will they interact with foreign governments? If the DoS, how well will they coordinate the response activities of highly specialized teams?
(3) Over five years since Katrina, recovery efforts in the New Orleans area are still not where many wish them to be. What will the recovery to this earthquake be like, where the devastation impacted the majority of the nation, where the majority of the nation lived in dire poverty prior to the event, and where hunger and unsanitary conditions are endemic? What will be the legal, ethical, political, social implications of removing foreign assets when people are largely unable to sustain themselves at acceptable levels, though, in truth, many were in that state prior to the event? There is often a debate at the local level when a storm shelter is shut down and the homeless are left to shift for themselves. That debate is often localized, but this time the event may involve an entire nation, or the world. Will other nations feel compelled to remain and assist for a lengthy period?
We all hope that the response and recovery to Haiti will be effective and efficient. My point is simply that we may need to explore this response through a lens different than the traditional EM model used in the US. We need to start considering how to assist in recovery in Haiti, with the nations providing aid working harder and longer to rebuild the area than they might have done after a disaster in a more developed nation. We also need to start exploring how to adapt our EM operational models to meet the demands of foreign operations, perhaps focusing more on the concepts of contingent coordination or intergovernmental management, than on more rigid models of command and control. Ultimately, the point is not to be critical, but to learn from this event, which is much larger in scope than the foreign disaster aid previously provided, to see how we can make the process more effective in the future.

The organization that will lead the response is USAID. The US Office for Disater Assistance is the "coordinating" part. The contact for Haiti is former President Bill Clinton. This Office works closely with the US State Department, with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton as the lead I would assume that the communication between these two governmental organizations. Caviats are these, one is that Haiti has a great relationship with the US but not with the UN. The lead organization on the ground in Haiti is US Ambassodor to Haiti Kenneth Merten. The UN has 7,000 peace keepers on the ground there and maybe utilized for security if things deteriorate. If there are not enough monkey wrenches in using the NIMS modeling and ICS to try to organize this is the fact that all of the Haiti government facilities and potential leaders are lost. This would be a great case study for emergency management. As a side note we have been in Haiti since 1915 when Former President Wilson sent in the Marines. Almost a century later and the Marines are once again on the way with the US Navy, US Coast Guard and alot of other federal assets. Is there another Country greater than ours that can provide this? God Bless the men and women that are on their way to save lives.

Chief Kilduf is by all accounts an excellent leader and a perfect pick at COD. Here's the catch. He's appointed by the fire commissioner. Therefor he serves at the pleasure of the fire commissioner. When Magoo tapped Cassano as COD he was met with similar praise, however 8 years later his tenure as COD has been marred by fire house closings, denial of 9/11 related illness deaths being line of duty, the Deutsche Bank tragedy and ensuing farce of an investigation, etc. To keep his job the COD has to toe the Dept line. If he strays too far he can find himself out of a job.

Hi all,
My name is Jeff and I am starting a column for The Putnam Examiner weekly newspaper. This column is targeted to help increase awareness for volunteer emergency services – primarily, but not limited to FD's, VAC's and Police Auxiliary.
While reading the newspaper a few weeks ago I began to think, I was thinking about a new column idea it. The idea I had was for interviewing local volunteer emergency personnel on a (hopefully) monthly basis - a "volunteer of the month", so to speak. This would give recognition to the volunteer on a personal level, as well as the agency as a whole.
In the spirit of promoting volunteerism, I am doing this monthly project voluntarily as well. I myself am also a volunteer in an ambulance corps in Westchester. The reason why I am doing this column in the Putnam edition is simply because the Putnam editor seemed to like it and has agreed to it. The Westchester editions aren't necessarily a dead concept yet, so I hope to extend this to Westchester newspapers as well!
What I ask of I EMTBravo Putnam volunteers is to consider a volunteer. One of any age, gender and any rank – there is no discrimination to anyone for this. Please let them know you are considering them, and ask them to please email me with their name, age, volunteer agency name and a brief bio as to what got you to volunteer - why you chose FD/EMS/PD and any other info to help me chose the volunteer for that month, something unique. If someone you know is too humble, email me for them!
Know that I cannot chose everyone and that I may not respond to every email if this becomes a hit; but I do promise to read every single email that is sent to me. Also, please know that it is my hopes that this column is printed each month, but it is not a guarantee. I hope to get this printed in February, it's all up to the publisher!
Please email me at ExaminerVolunteer@yahoo.com
From there we can establish a date and time to meet. We will have a mini photo shoot of that person wearing their uniform or turnout gear and begin the interview! I hope to interview 2-4 people per month, to stay ahead of the newspapers schedule
The Putnam Examiner publishes 5,000 copies of this newspaper weekly, as well as 10,500 copes for two different Westchester publications. It is a FREE paper supported by advertising and I urge everyone to pick up a copy each week! Please view the website to see where the closed drop-off location is!
www.theexaminernews.com
Thank in advance for everyone and anyone who in interested in this!
This posting was allowed and approved by Seth G on 1/14/10.
Thanks again Seth!

We took delivery, we have been outfitting it. training is scheduled for next week and we expect it to go inservice at the end of next week. I will post next week as we train.
The 91' Pierce Rescue 4 will be renumbered R-54 (collapse unit) and reoutfitted to carry trench equipment and additional shoring. The current R-54 (former NYPD/NRPD ESU Truck) will be donated to the Farrell Fund (the found another home for it).

I apologize for the delay, things have been rather hectic recently. Please excuse the quality of the pictures as it was raining outside. We actually chose to leave the exterior as stock looking as possible. The vehicle is actually a Denali however we replaced the ugly grille and tail lights with those off of the regular Yukon for a more discreet appearence. Spec list and video of the flash patterns coming shortly.

Date: 1/5/2010
Time: 16:55
Location: I-84 Westbound @ exit 5A
Units Operating: Coldenham FD Maybrook FD, Air Guard, NYSP, Lifenet Air 2
Weather Conditions: Cold, dark
Description Of Incident: Overturned tractor trailer carrying scrap metal with entrapment and fuel spill
Writer: JETPHOTO
Fire department dispatched to a overturned tractor trailer with entrapment
FD arrived to find a tractor trailer hauling scrap metal with entrapment and fuel spill
Medevac requested and Life Net Air 2 responded and transported 1 to Westchester Medical Center
Command reported apx. 75 gallons of diesel fuel spilled & I-84 WB closed

With the latest EMail from the county about the shortage of PCR in the State do to the budget problem. Who has though about switching over to the EPCR Computers as a method. Would this be easier for some departments. What Departments have them, and how are the members reaction to using them (Like/Dislikes).
I for one would like to start using the EPCR, only becasue it self checks your work and will not let you finish your PCR until everything is completed. Dont have to worry about sloppy hand writing(Like Mine) For one that would make QA/QI so much easier. And for the Last part while waiting for the Next Job you can always log on to EMTBRAVO. J/k
Would like to see peoples thought on this from Depts that do have them and depts that dont and why?

From the admin side of things I'd offer that EPCR's are not a good idea. Our dept. went to all EPCR's about three years ago, one year ahead of the rest of our state, who now all must submit electronically.
The issue is that with our EPCR program there are drop downs and boxes that don't always fit the situation, with no way to edit. So the reporting gets a little less accurate. Next, as we all know (I hope) if you don't document it, it didn't happen. In the case of the EPCR, if there isn't a box or drop down, it must not be worth mentioning, so things go undocumented. Lastly, the narratives suffer greatly as you need only add things you did not already document, but that makes the narratives far harder to follow with accuracy.
We require our personnel to do the same narrative they used on the paper reports and have not allowed the use of the "Narrative Generator". But in general we have found that the reports suffer overall in the accuracy of documenting the actual situations and patient.
One my be inclined to think it's our personnel and lack of oversight, but I assure you we QA/QI 100% of our reports well above the state mandate hold regular training on documentation and discipline personnel for poor reporting. The same procedures that made our people excellent report writers on paper, have continued, but in all the "auto, easy, menu system" leads to degradation of documentation.

The work of the devil, they are. Being married to a computer scientist, I love almost all things techie and was prepared to love ECR's. Not so, and this said, I don't use them in any of my EMS capacities, but I work with those who do. Part of it is transition but my sense is that both patient care [or perception of patient care] and transfer of information are suffering in the interim.
As an ALS provider I have walked in on patients in distress and found three BLS providers huddled anxiously over.... the computer. Yes, it is those drop down windows.... and on occasion I have asked for new vitals and been told..'wait a minute', something that did not happen so much when we were paper based. At the hospital, if I ask for a copy of what information BLS has collected, they can't do it. I don't think the hospital is consistently getting timely info either.
Early last year I went to an all day call audit. Even the poorer paper based reports had vital signs and enough of a narrative to get a sense of what was going on. The electronic based reports were maybe 7 pages long, what was important was buried in rafts of 'normal' results that had no value. And I am guessing in the event of legal action that a computer generated list of dozens of 'normal' findings that in fact were never checked is going to reflect badly on providers and call into question the veracity of the work that was actually done.
None of this is meant as criticism of BLS providers I work with who are working hard to provide both patient care and learn a new information system sometimes under difficult circumstances. In time it will no doubt improve, but for the moment, information seems to be getting sucked into the box and is doing so at the expense of patient contact.
While the elderly woman who feels sick may not be in need of emergent care, both she and the family think of it as an emergency. A care giver baracaded behind a black or silver wall, typing away just doesn't look or feel like patient care, and it isn't, it's data entry. In circumstances where there are sufficient crew members that one can scribe and another can provide care this is not an issue, but running with small crews and in situations where companies are demanding quick turn around, something has to give and it's not the computer program.
Obviously ECR's are the future and the future is now. What needs to be addressed is how, while paying homage to the computer god, to keep primary focus on what matters, which is the patient.

The old tool of pen and paper still exist, jot down vitals and other important info inside the house and enter it during transport. The computer is great unless you are an expert and fast if not one write it down...When a PO arrives on the scene of a call, he takes notes and enters the info later on a computer not during a street interview. Obviously in EMS the info has to be published faster but not at the risk of proper EMS care.
In Dutchess, Beacon Vol. Amb. is in the process of of switching over and has been entering all info into EPCR after each call (until we get laptops) and billing turnaround is definitely improved.

I forgot to mention that in our system we do no data entry during the call. All reports are generated on desktops using a web based program. The EMS crew has access to computers at the ER for this as well as all the desktops in the station. Our people use notepads or photocopies of the old paper reports to record data until they get to a desktop.
Most EMS agencies around us (vol. or per diem) have laptops in their ambulances for generating reports, but after a few short months, most use the desktops in the ED or at their bases.
I attribute the failure of the laptops use to a few things:
First, the laptops are difficult to disinfect properly and are handled by persons wearing gloves used on multiple patients all day (gross)
Second, the State in their infinite wisdom uses a different version of the software which is far less user friendly, though neither is all that easy to manipulate well.
Third, people realized they were far less likely to pay proper attention to their pateints while struggling with data entry.

With respect to the EPCR, I have my benefits and my issues with the use of this item. We are in the computer generation and while most of us are quite adept in the use of a computer, some in the earlier generations and those who don't use computers on a daily basis(and I've seen this in action), have a great deal of difficulty navigating through the tablet . Hence, you are trying to enter information on scene or in the back of the ambulance instead of providing continued patient care. And, as we know, if you're on a call, you're out at least an hour on the call from start to finish and everybody wants to get back and there you are struggling to get the EPCR done and get signatures from both the patient and the hosp. Like everything else though, it's new . It's change. For a large volume agency, I think it'll work. For a small volume agency, the question has to be put forth "will it be cost effective.? My agency does not use this but I was exposed to it doing my ride time with Empress. I was able to pick it up quickly.
As many have said on this post, alot of the drop downs don't fit the situation. Also, many do not type!! And the hunt and peck on the narrative or to add meds, etc. is very time consuming and frustrating to some. Add-ons, maybe a little more user friendly geared toward those who don't use a computer each day but most of all training before sending it out into the field for all the use.
So, there's alot of negatives but at the same time there's benefits as well in my opinion. The less paper for me the better.

Excellent point. We need to recognize a distinction between EPCRs and electronic submission. Submitting call information to the state should be electronic in all circumstances. When and how data entry gets done is worth discussion. In an ideal environment the patient would have their patient information in electronic format that could be uploaded to a laptop that could deliver patient and care information to a hospital computer on arrival...... while instantaneously debiting their mastercard for services.
In an ideal environment one teaspoon of yeast could cover the earth 15 feet deep in yeast in something like 5 days. Frankly, I'm betting we get covered in yeast before we get coordinated patient information.
A question that needs to be addressed is what 'we' [as patients, as providers, as DOH] want data entry to do for us..... QA/QI, billing, improved information transfer, improving patient care? In theory, it can do all those things. In practice, it can't do all of them at the same time. Given 10 minutes on scene and 15 minutes in a moving ambulance, I do not see a primary EMS provider being able to do an adequate initial assessment, package, move to the rig, perform ALS interventions, reassess, contact the hospital, give a report, and complete an ECR while doing all of those things well.
Nurses in the ED do not meet the patient with a laptop; physicians do not meet the patient with a laptop. EMS does its patients and itself a disservice if we let data entry become our primary purpose. Unless EMS is willing to dedicate a member every call to field entry, then I don't think a laptop should be taken out of the ambulance or opened prior to delivering the patient to definitive care.

We got them at Mobile Life about 3 months ago and after the initial glitches (mostly connection and learning curve issues), the majority of staff seem to have adapted. Personally, I absolutely love them. My paperwork gets done quicker, I think it's more complete, and I don't end up with cramping hands after writing a couple of calls like I did when using paper and pen.
The one down-side ... when the crew you relieve doesn't plug the Toughbook in all day and you do a call right out of the door. I had a critical patient where the staff wanted paperwork before she went to the cath lab and I had to keep running back and forth to the charger in the ambulance because the computer kept going into hibernate due to a low battery. Pens and paper don't require batteries.