DCJPells

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Posts posted by DCJPells

  3. Posted

    POUGHKEEPSIE — A man was shot in the head after being robbed in the City of Poughkeepsie last night.

    The incident occurred around midnight in the area of Fox Terrace and Edgar Street, police said.

    The victim remained conscious and was driven to a residence in the Town of Poughkeepsie, said police.

    Town police responded and turned the case over to city police.

    The victim was taken to a local hospital.

    No suspects have been named in the shooting. Police are still investigating the incident.

  4. Posted

    Dan,

    I have a Sony Cybershot that shoots excellent quality stills with a great zoom. also has an MPG video recording setting.

    I also have a Sony Handicam for video with excellent quality video. It is hard drive (40 GB) and holds alot of video time. Poor quality still shots can be done (1.0 megapixel). This came with a small video and picture editing software. Works Ok for what I do.

    Both easy to use. Let me know if you want to see them.

  5. Posted

    Something to ponder on all of this. What happens when the fire district and/or fire company is a non-for profit and does not have to pay property tax and school tax. These entities might come after you now for taxes (school, town, county tax). What will you do then?? Alot of departments own alot of property and most are in commercial zones. Do you know how much they will kill you on these taxes. Might not be worth it!!! Something to think about!!

    Just my 2 cents!!!

    First you need to know the difference between

    1) Fire District

    2) Fire Department

    3) Fire Company

    This bill only allows a Fire District to tax the tax exempt. A Fire District is not a non profit but a political subdivision of NY that can levy taxes.

    A Fire Company is probably the non profit. Many lease/rent space, property, etc. to a Fire District. Thus, you cover that with a increase in rent.

    Collectively, they are the Fire Department. again not a non-for profit.

    This only covers Fire Districts as per NYS Town Law.

  6. Posted

    I don't think this is a bad idea, but the rationale in the bill seems to allow the thought of eventually repealing tax exemption.

    Since it uses the theory that these properties benefit from fir eprotection and therefore should pay for it, could not one argue that they benefit from just about any city service that are paid for with taxes? This is probably why the non-profits will lobby pretty hard against this.

    Non Profits (501's under IRS) have restrictions against political activity and lobbying. This varies so they would need to be careful.

  7. Posted

    I thought that FDs had the ability to bill repeat AFA offenders, just like some PDs bill home owners/businesses whose alarms go off constantly. I think i read this hear a while back, don't remember. But, something like your taxes covered 1 or 2 responses after which you would be billed.

    A Municipality may write something to collect upon those situations, a Fire District cannot. This also does not cover the numerous EMS calls that may incur. Some differences to be noted

    A Municipal Fire Department (City) can bill for services such as Ambulance, Inspections. etc. A EMS District can bill but not tax. In our area. PD is not significantly impacted by the same tax exempt though some fees may be collected though citations.

  9. Posted

    A00772 Summary:

    BILL NO A00772

    SAME AS Same as S 257

    SPONSOR Gunther

    COSPNSR Galef, Carrozza

    MLTSPNSR Boyland, Calhoun, Crouch, Miller, Molinaro, Sayward, Scozzafava,

    Thiele

    Amd S490, RPT L

    Authorizes fire districts to impose ad valorem levies and special assessments

    on otherwise tax exempt real property.

    ________________________________________

    A00772 Actions:

    BILL NO A00772

    01/07/2009 referred to real property taxation

    ________________________________________

    A00772 Votes:

    ________________________________________

    A00772 Memo:

    BILL NUMBER:A772

    TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the real property tax law, in relation

    to authorizing fire districts to impose special ad valorem levies and

    special assessments against otherwise tax exempt real property

    PURPOSE:

    To allow fire districts to levy a tax on tax exempt properties.

    SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

    Section 1- amends section 490 of the real property tax law, as amended

    by chapter 87 of the laws of 2001 to add special ad valorem levies and

    special assessments for a special district improvement or service levied

    by a fire district on a property in a fire protection district or a

    property receiving fire protection services.

    Section 2-contains the effective date

    EXISTING LAW:

    Section 490 of the Real Property Tax Law provides for the exemption from

    special ad valorem levies and special assessments. Currently, fire

    districts cannot levy taxes on tax exempt properties.

    JUSTIFICATION:

    Not-for-profit entities receive real property tax exempt status under

    the sections 420-a and 420-b of the Real Property Tax Law. However,

    section 490 of the Real Property Tax Law provides that county and town

    charges for capital costs of sewer systems, water supply systems, water-

    ways and drainage improvements, and streets and highways, plus special

    assessments for indebtedness contracted before July 1, 1953 can be

    levied on tax exempt properties. Fire protection is a vital service

    that is provided to all residents and businesses in a community. Taxes

    are levied in these districts to pay for these services. Not-for-profits

    benefit from these fire protection services and should pay this special

    district tax. In some areas, certain tax exempt organizations do provide

    a contribution to their local firehouse, but with rising property taxes,

    the burden of this service should be borne by all the property owners in

    the community.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

    2007-2008: A1250 Died in Assembly Ways & Means 3/2/2006 A10141 Referred

    to RPT Committee

    FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

    To be determined.

    LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

    By spreading the costs around to all the properties within a fire

    district, savings would be realized by those who currently pay fire

    district taxes.

    EFFECTIVE DATE:

    This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to special ad

    valorem levies and special assessments imposed on or after such effec-

    tive date.

  11. Posted

    From the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule 2003 edition

    570. EXISTING COMPANY PERSONNEL (ECP):Existing company personnel is the average number of fire fighters and company officers on duty

    for existing companies determined by the following criteria:

    A. On-Duty Strength (OM):The total number of members on duty with companies shall be taken as a yearly average considering vacations, sick leave and other absences.

    Chiefs' aides shall be included in company strength if they participate in fire-fighting operations. Administrative personnel will not be included in this item.

    Members on apparatus not credited under Items 513 and 549 that regularly respond to first alarms to aid engine, ladder and service companies shall be included in this item as increasing total company strength.

    Personnel staffing ambulances or other units serving the general public shall be credited if

    they participate in fire-fighting operations, the number depending upon the extent to which

    they are available and are used for response to first alarms of fire.

    B. Call and Volunteer Members (VM):Call and volunteer members shall be credited on the basis of the average number staffing apparatus on first alarms. Off-shift paid members responding on first alarms shall be considered on the same basis as call and volunteer members.

    Call and volunteer members sleeping at fire stations shall be considered as on-duty members (OM) for the proportional time they are on duty.

    C. Automatic-Aid Response:The average number of personnel responding with those companies credited as automatic aid under Items 513 and 549 shall be considered in A and B above. The actual number to be added to OM and VM is the average number of personnel responding multiplied by the value of AAi determined in Item 512.D.

    D. Special Apparatus:Personnel responding to first alarms on special apparatus such as squad and salvage trucks

    shall be considered in A and B above.

    E. Service, Pumper-Service and Pumper-Ladder Trucks:When a service truck has been credited in Item 549, it shall be considered as one existing service company in Item 571. When a pumper-service truck has been credited in Items 513 and 549, it shall be considered as one existing engine company and as one existing service company in Item 571. When a pumper-ladder truck has been credited in Items 513 and 549, it shall be considered as one existing engine company and as one existing ladder company in Item 571.

  16. Posted

    The other dday while driving on Innis Ave heading towards salt Point turnpike,I saw one of arlington's ambulances and a fly car in front of a house.The crew as on the way out with a pt on the stretcher and the crew was wearing there vests. Is this Standard on all calls now? Or was this because the crew would be on Innis Ave for a few minutes? Either way i thought it was a good Idea. Thanks

    Our gudeline for Operations on or near roadways

    Operations on or near roadwaysof any kind can present dangers to the workers from people in passing vehicles. Many emergency responders have been killed and injured as a result of these operations. There are precautions that are need to be taken to lessen these incidents from occurring.

    A new standard has been developed for workers on Federal Aided Highways (including emergency responders). 23 CFR Part 634 – Workers Visibility establishes the policy for the use of high-visibility safety apparel (hi-vis garments) ANSI/ISEA 207-2006: American National Standard for High-Visibility Public Safety Vests has been set and defined to address the particulars of the garments themselves to be worn for this standard. Since all major roads and many local roads are considered to be “Federal Aided Highways”, we will utilize one guideline to cover all roadway incidents. Your operational role and traffic conditions will dictate the way these hi-vis garments are worn to provide conspicuity during both daytime and nighttime.

    Motor Vehicle Incidents:

    MVA’s, fires and hazardous conditions caused by vehicles can place emergency responders directly on or adjacent to the roadway. All incidents need to be immediately evaluated as to whether traffic needs to proceed past the incident. The initial safest course of action is to have traffic rerouted around an incident. Members who are involved in the re-routing of traffic MUST wear appropriate hi-vis garments.

    Normal firefighting gear does not meet the requirements set by the standard. As such, any member involved in traffic direction practices or immediately adjacent to the operation, cannot be wearing firefighting gear only. Dependent on the weather, a hi-vis garments must be worn alone or over the firefighting gear.

    Vehicular fire operations are to be followed as if in an IDLH atmosphere as to the use of PPE and SCBA. Hi-viz vests are not to be worn during extinguishment operations. Traffic must be stopped in the immediate vicinity and if possible and practical, re-routed.

    Once the immediate emergency is mitigated, all members are to don a hi-vis garment. This can be in the form of wearing the garment alone or over other protective gear (Firefighting) dependant on weather conditions, functions of the member and the IC’s decision. Mitigation does not include investigation of vehicle incidents. The appropriateness of wearing Hi-vis garments shall be determined by the IC during overhaul operations of vehicle fires.

    Ambulance calls:

    All ambulance calls that do not have a rescue component, require all members involved to wear hi-vis garments at all times. This will ensure that if members are operating on or near the roadway, they will have the appropriate level of visibility. Rescue operations that are required during any ambulance call will require an appropriate level of PPE for the operation and necessitate traffic re-routed. Members who are involved in the re-routing of traffic MUST wear appropriate hi-vis garments.

    Fires: Structure

    An area shall be shut down in the vicinity of the structure to all traffic during firefighting operations and traffic re-routed around the incident. This area may expand as necessary for adequate operations as needed. Members who are involved in the re-routing of traffic MUST wear appropriate hi-vis garments. Any area used as a level 2 staging area, shall have the control members (officers and staff) in hi-vis garments.

    Fires: Brush, Grass, Rubbish

    Fires that are adjacent to roadways shall be determined by what is burning and the area involved as to the necessity to shut down the roadways to traffic. When this is done, the hi-vis garments do not need to be worn in the immediate vicinity of the incident. Any time SCBA is used, the area MUST to be shut down and traffic re-routed. Members who are involved in the re-routing of traffic MUST wear appropriate hi-vis garments.

    Areas off the road such as parking lots, fields, woods, etc., may require control of traffic to some degree for access to the incident. These members will be treated as if they were re-routing traffic and MUST wear appropriate hi-vis garments.

    Vests:

    There will be a supply of vests on all apparatus. As time and funds permit, members will be issued a vest as part of their PPE inventory. The vest must be worn in accordance with this policy.

  17. Posted

    Just saw it is offering a two month free trial. Also, thier are pluses of being able to email or text messages about things going on. Equipment, members, weather condisions. It also cuts down on County dispatching three or four messages to a department.

    Thomas

    This is actually the best part as far as I have experienced.

    Information

    Cancellations

    Call backs

    Announcements

    Can also be done on scene using a laptop or web phone.

    I know they are working on enhancments that will cover some of the "problems" discussed here. This will help what is considered the products primary use as listed.

  20. Posted · Edited by DCJPells

    Loundon County (VA) Fire released its comprehensive investigative report on the Meadowood Court fire that occurred on May 25, 2008. This fire resulted in seven of their members receiving injuries, four of which received significant burns. Chief Pozzo and Loudon County Fire should be commended for doing such an extensive review, and allowing the fire service to learn from this incident.

    Report

    http://www.loudoun.gov/controls/speerio/re...od+Court+Report

    Video

    http://www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=2384

    post-1187-1232998661.jpg