doug_e

I too have grown tired of this incessant bickering over opinions. So here are some more quotes from others who've pondered what opinions are...

It is not often that an opinion is worth expressing, which cannot take care of itself.- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Truth is one forever absolute, but opinion is truth filtered through the moods, the blood, the disposition of the spectator.- Wendell Phillips

There are as many opinions as there are experts.- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

But most important is:

Every man has a right to his opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts. - Bernard M. Baruch

Time to weigh in here...

As a standard operating "GUIDELINE" the truck should position in front of the fire building. Period, end of story. Well almost...

That is what you need to be thinking about as you leave the firehouse for the alarm. Once on the scene the IC will reposition the ladder for effective operations as the conditions warrant.

If conditions warrant! This is the caveat that modifies everything.

But you must have an SOG designed to place the ladder in front of the building all the time. Doing it this way will give you good apparatus placement in 95% of the situations you'll confront on the fireground. The IC will compensate for another 4%. This will give you 99% good placement. As we know, nothing is perfect...

If you use a forward lay into the fire the first due engine should arrive at the scene behind the truck. Or if the engine arrives first it should hold up at the hydrant to allow the ladder to pass and get into position.

For a reverse lay the engine should arrive before the ladder to drop off the attack line(s) and then take the hydrant.

Briarcliff Fire Company

E93 '91 Beck (Simon/Duplex) 1500gpm 1000gal

Crosslays

200' 13/4" Red hose with 13/8" smooth bore tip

200' 13/4" Blue hose with an adjustable fog nozzle

200' 21/2" with a smooth bore pyrolite playpipe

200' 5" Storz Hi-Combat

Rear Load

400' 21/2" preconnect with an adjustable fog nozzle

800' 3" Supply line

1200' 5" Storz

2 100' 13/4" Apartment packs

3" prepiped deck gun w/fog tip and smooth bore stacked tips

E94 '81 Mack 1250gpm 500gal

Crosslays

200' 13/4" Red hose with 13/8" smooth bore tip

200' 13/4" Blue hose with an adjustable fog nozzle

Rear Load

1500' 5" Storz

800' 3" Supply

400' 21/2" Preconnect with smooth bore pyrolite playpipe

All supply line is yellow and attack lines are red, white, or blue.

If we could get the public to react in a consistant manner that would be great. (I know I'm being too idealistic) It's the fact that some stop and others slow and a few speed up that keeps us on our toes.

Just an aside: As for Rt.9, the State is planning to rework the roadway throughout the area to eliminate the 2 lanes in each direction. FINALLY!!! - 4 people killed in a year in the Arch Hill stretch. If not for public safety, then for our sanity, please.

They will have a north and a southbound lane with a turning lane in the middle from Tarrytown to Croton.

This article is being too kind to John Q. Public.

My observation is that people just don't "play along" with the rules of the road anymore. There is too much of an "I'm more important than anyone" and "If I can get away with it, it's OK", attitude today. Another observation is that people don't want to get behind a piece of fire apparatus for fear that it will stop ahead of them and block them from getting through to their destination. I see this almost every time I drive an engine out of our firehouse, on the main drag in the village.

Having recently moved up to Assistant Chief I'm now driving a Crown Vic. What a pleasure! People think I'm a cop and they bale as soon as they see me. They know a fireman can't give them a ticket. I would love to have a camera installed on all apparatus that could take a picture of an offending vehicle and mail a failure to yield ticket to the registered owner. Then you'd see compliance.

I was discussing motorists actions with a colleague and we argeed that there is too much ambiguity in the emergency lighting system we currently use. Fire apparatus and ambulances in NYS have red and white emergency warning lights. When they are responding they display these lights. When they arrive at the scene, they still display these lights (even the secondary lights are a combination of red and white.) There is no diferentiation between needing/requiring a right of way and not. The new NFPA lighting standard kills all white lights when the vehicle is not in a forward drive gear, thus displaying only red lights. This too is ambiguous.

Our stab at a solution was this:

Red and white lights displayed when responding and requiring the right of way.

When on the scene the only lights displayed are amber, the international warning/caution indication.

This way the motorist has no question as too the intent of the apparatus operators action.

Red and white = Responding, Yield the right of way!(Apparatus is moving)

Amber = Warning use caution! (Apparatus does not require the right of way)

This would be similiar to the school bus law. You see red, you stop, period.

I'm not saying that someone would want to. All I'm saying is that if you did you'd be legal. However, for me the jury is out as to whether it is safer or not to operate with emergency lighting on.

In reading through the V&T section on emergency lights it states that red and white lights may be displayed during an emergency operation. I would believe that relocation to another firehouse during a fire, on mutual aid, does constitute an "emergency operation".

Additionally it does state expressly that fire vehicles can display lights while returning from an emergency. During inclement weather it might be beneficial to return that way. As stated above I'm not convinced that emergency lighting is more dangerous.

The NYS V&T law for emergency lighting use now states that you can use lights while returning from an emergency. I will recheck my info and advise...

What a strange article... :-k

I agree that there is a bias here. What the hell is he trying to say? I hope he doesn't get any traction.

As for younger members thinking older members are dinosaurs? I thought that was an SOP in every department.

I remember thinking like that when I first joined the department. Now I can't understand why these youngsters today can't see the virtue in doing it the way we've always done it...

There was no way that this crew could have anticipated this would happen. I have to assume these Paramedics were seasoned veterans of the Motown streets, and they probably thought this incident was over, and they were cleaning up the mess. This incident is shocking to us because it uncovers our vulnerability.

I agree with the statements that the PD dosen't have the best relations with John Q. Public in these areas. It's the nature of their relationship. However, I'm always puzzled why, in these socio-economically depressed areas, the citizens vent their anger on EMS and FD personnel as well.

We need to keep our RADAR well tuned and on HIGH so that we can pick up on the dangers as early as possible. Our "street smarts" are a valuable asset and we should avoid the inevitable complacency that sets in as we begin to believe we're somehow "above the frey." We're in it!

Also, leave pbvpm alone. He's generally correct, albeit a bit idealistic. In the perfect world we could do our jobs unmolested and unencumbered by the prevailing conditions.

Always remember "There, but for the grace of God, go I."

Stay safe sisters and brothers...

No disrepect, but shouldnt a chief know all the streets in his jurisdiction? I think GPS for a chiefs car would be a waste of money.

GPS can provide coordinates for accurate Statflight LZ's, HazMat locations, et. too.

I read an article in Popular Science recently talking about MAN's, Mass Area Networks that will provide broadband connectivity to anyone within range. That will make any PC an MDT. From what I read municipalities will provide this service free...

I agree, I've used the Garmin Street Pilot III for a couple of years now and it's great. Detailed maps of the area with all streets and roadways downloadable from your PC to a flash chip. It also works with the latest PC map programs, such as DeLorme Street Atlas.

Their latest top of the line is fully remote controlled.

http://www.garmin.com/products/sp330/

If you're familiar with eBay, I'd look there. You might find some pretty deep discounts on this stuff.

I've always thought of 10-2 as a command call not an advisory call. Meaning the IC can have all apparatus 10-2 but an apparatus should not call 10-2 as in "Engine# is 10-8 10-2". You only need to inform the dispatcher that you are 10-8. At some point you will be returning to quarters we can figure that out.

What about 10-40?

Another one that makes me crazy is one that was mentioned above, "All apparatus can go 10-8, 10-2".

Now I know that Chief's are very important :wink: and that they are extremely intelligent :---) but how do they know that I'm in service? They know they want me to return to quarters but they have no idea as to my in service status. Even if they are looking directly at me and my apparatus. A good IC will leave that up to the apparatus officer and tell the dispatcher that "All apparatus can 10-2 - When ready".

What really gets me are the ambulance calls next to quarters where the ambulance crew feels it's necessary to call 10-17, unkey the mike and immediately rekey and say 10-19. Or worse say "##B1 is 10-17 10-19... In those cases just tell us you're 10-19!

Oh, and the thing that really, really gets me is "Ambulance ##B1 is out of service by radio"... What the $#!@ is that!

Whew!

That's good news. Hope for a speedy recovery and no re-occurance... [-o<

That'll be 2052's job...

Don't be too harsh on these guys. Their message is a good one and a good technique I've been teaching my guys for a few years. Actually taken directly from the "Truckie water can technique."

Also I saw this concept on a Discovery Channel program a few years ago, which I videotaped and use at indoor drills in the winter.

In a drill a couple of years back we set up a minivan with some good fire load so we could see the progression of the "lean flashover (roll over)" as the hot smoke and gasses began to ignite. Then, using a water can began popping short bursts at the flames in the smoke layer. I pushed the fire right back to the source and let it develop again. We were able to do this a couple of times with one water can to show the knockdown, or really hold down, capabilities of a can.

We're looking into WC as well as Hudson Valley, FASNY, and the national organizations.

As for the interviews the rundown was:

Channel12 Video

ABC7 Video

UPN9 Video

WCBS Radio88

WINS 1010Radio

Didn't see WNBC4, WCBS2, WB11...

Good Morning America is interested in something next week.

I guess the movie rights are next... [-o<

Maybe even a reality TV show. We'll see if the Donald wants to foot the bill... :-k

Is there anything more on this?

Patient Condition, etc.

So to those who think junior FF's aren't worth the risk - this one is!!!

Way to go Jeffery!

You always run the risk of being stereotyped by the interviewer. However, at the same time you might get lucky and be interviewed by a fellow tatoo'd person. Today, body mods aren't considered as much of a fringe behavior. In the recent past you might have been automatically passed by because of it.

I would reconsider any addition to your tatoo inventory until you're established in your career of choice. If you think about it you might only be delaying your additions for a year or two. In the big picture that really isn't that long.

Also, for the interview I would not wear any pierced jewelry, just in case. It's not worth the chance of blowing your chances because of a trivial principle such as that. Especially a homophobe who doesn't know his right from his left...

However, I would be very cautious about wearing pierced jewelry in a working fire. Gold and silver are pretty efficient heat conductors and if the blank hit the fan I wouldn't want to increase the extent of my injuries for a nose ring.

Thanks guys, that's the place. I have the recipe for the chili put on burgers and hotdogs. I'll give my mother a call to see if we still have the other recipes from there.

In the meantime, I'm takin' a ride to PC real soon....

Is this the small place on the left side of Boston Post Rd. in PC? Formerly known as Texas?

The reason I ask is that my Uncle used own that place in the late 50's, early 60's. Back then he used to make a chili for hotdogs that was different than anything around. It was a haz-mat on a bun, but out of this world.

I have the recipe buried in one of my cook books. I'll dig it out.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and 13 partnering fire service organizations are calling for all fire departments in the nation to conduct a "stand down" for firefighter safety beginning Tuesday, June 21.

As of May 1, there have been 50 line-of-dutyfirefighter deaths - that is 10 more than at this same time last year.

A stand down is a method used by the military to correct an issue that has been identified as a problem throughout its ranks. The IAFC and their partners are urging fire departments to suspend all non-emergency activity on June 21 and instead focus entirely on firefighter safety.

Read Further Here:

http://www.iafc.org/standdown/

Of the 50 FF LODD's this year the ones listed below in red were heart attack related.

Michael T. Childress 05/07/05

James M. Ratcliffe 05/03/05

Justin P Faur 04/30/05

Christopher Hunton 04/25/05

Brian Bruns 04/20/05

Paul Cockrell 04/20/05

Tom Lynch 04/20/05

David W. O’Conner 04/20/05

Sally Renee’ Clark 04/18/05

Jacob Cook 04/18/05

Robert Henderson 04/18/05

Alfred Wohrman 04/17/05

Dale A Monica 04/16/05

Richard Allen Fast 04/11/05

Justin M Wisniewski 04/03/05

William Poage 04/02/05

Brandon S. Phillips 03/30/05

Robert G Brooks, Sr. 03/28/05

Al Wright 03/21/05

Andre Ellis 03/16/05Jerry Buehne 03/10/05

Charles Lynn Edgar 03/10/05

Jose Victor Gonzales 03/10/05

John Greeno 03/10/05

James E. Mero 03/09/05

Thomas Mower 03/03/05

Michael Aunkst 02/27/05

Lonnie W. Nicklas 02/24/05

Henry Hobbs 02/21/05

Grady Burke 02/19/05

Michael Mercurio 02/18/05

Michael Lee Crawford 02/15/05

Mark McCormack 02/13/05

Ray Rangel 02/13/05

Angelo Petta 02/12/05

William Pierce 02/10/05

Todd Smith 02/06/05

William Goodin 02/05/05

William Hudson 02/03/05

Donald Conner 01/26/05

John G. Bellew 01/23/05

Micheal Falkouski 01/23/05

Curtis W. Meyran 01/23/05

Richard T. Sclafani 01/23/05

Walter Sarnoski 01/20/05

Scott Thornton 01/20/05

Timmy Young 01/20/05

James Fugate 01/11/05

Robert Martin 01/09/05

Christopher DeWolf 01/06/05

Ornell E. Fuller, Jr. 01/03/05

I guess I should stop saying - two oh five three.

Two zero five three, doesn't flow...

Twenty fifty three, will shake 'em up...