50-65

Don't be silly. Now why would we want to do anything to save the taxpayer's money? County-wide fire and ems, county schools, county police... Everyone familiar with politics and government knows we can spend our way to prosperity. Saving all those tax dollars would be foolish. The simple minded citizens would probably just waste it on things like food, gas, homes, etc. And if the politicians don't get it, they may actually have to work for theirs.

Sometimes, cutting the battery cables is like some of the other stupid things we do. Such as : breaking windows for ventilation when all we have to do is open them. Cutting the roof off an otherwise repairable car for "extrication" instead of just opening the doors on the opposite side. Of course, there are many times when the above are warrented. And besides, it's "cool".

Same crap on the west side of the river. I would like someone to justify, other than the reason highlighted, the need for 5 seperate fire departments, with minimum of 3 trucks, 11 engines and 5 rescues, plus boats, utilities, and miscellaneous crap just to cover the Town of Newburgh. And that's not the whole town. Part of it is covered by Plattekill. Add in the City and Air Guard and we have more apparatus than some major metropolitan areas.

http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/news/fullstory/newsid/157604 Monday, March 5, 2012 We NEVER know what's "in there" when responding on a run...and here is another WTF example from Ohio - where a drug lab in the room of a nursing home resident caused a fire that killed one person and injured 6 others. Ashtabula Fire Chief Ron Pristera says the man died today, following last nights fire at Park Haven Nursing Home. He says the lab was making methamphetamine. Chief Pristera says the man was among three residents and two non-residents hospitalized. Two others were treated at the scene. A lawyer for the nursing home declined comment. Say it isn't so. Auditor's records show it was built in 1950 and had 31 rooms. Pristera says 39 names were on its roster. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive illegal stimulant often cooked in homes with flammable components. State officials say more than 300 meth labs were broken up in 2011. Another example of the IMPORTANCE of WTF: Well Trained Firefighters.

IMO, it depends on you, what you want, and where you think you may end up. I took the EMT-I class a few years ago as I was unemployed and had the time. Since I belonged to an ALS agency at the time, it didn't cost me anything other than time and gas money. In the Hudson Valley, it is pretty much useless, unless you have a partner willing to let you use your skills. However, in many upstate regions, with long response times, long transport times, and the limited availability of medics, CC is often the top level responder and you are allowed to actually use your skills. So, if you are thinking about staying upstate, it may not be a bad idea. "But there's more to doing an IV or advanced airway or breathing treatment or D50 or narcan (depending on what standard your tough 1985 or 1999). you need to the physiology behind it, not just give a drug because the scope of practice says so." I'm not sure there are two different standards for the CC. I know that the "I" calss in NY is based on the National Registry 1985 standard. As far as learning the physiology, it would depend on the class curriculum as to how much they get into this. Having had A&P before I took the "I" class helped me.

When I worked for the company back in the Empire days, nearly every dispatch was code 3. It seemed silly to me at the time. Although I have been an EMT for quite some time, this was my first "job" with an ambulance company. I quickly learned that much of what we were told to do was wrong and in many cases illegal as well as being a liablity to the company and ourselves. On the other hand, I also learned that, in many cases, by the time the nursing home calls, it usually is an emergency. A patient, just by being in an extended "care" facility, isn't necessarily being taken care of, treated, or cared for. I fault the nursing home for calling the transport company and saying that 45 minutes for pick up is ok for the patient with the CVA instead of calling 911 just because they don't want a "scene" out front. I fault the transport company for 1. not asking appropriate questions when taking the call or 2. taking a call that should be turned over to 911 just to make a buck. And bottom line is the $$$$. The field staff may care for the patient, but corporate is all about the money. "Our Passion Is Billing" wasn't said by many field staff for no reason.

http://www.vafirenews.com/2012/02/lodd-alexandria-fd-paramedic-joshua-weissman-succumbs-to-injuries-after-fall-from-i-395/ Alexandria Fire Department Paramedic Joshua Weissman has died after succumbing to injuries after a fall. Weissman fell after trying to cross a 3 foot gap between I-395 over Four Mile Run Creek. Weissman, 33, was a 7 year veteran of the department. Prior to coming to Alexandria, Paramedic Weissman had also served the Cayuga Heights Fire Department (New York) and for Bang’s Ambulance Service in Ithaca before moving to Virginia. Our condolences to all affected, especially the family and members of the AFD. Cayuga Heights FD:http://www.chfd.net/

Read Obit/story: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/pressconnects/obituary.aspx?n=florence-green&pid=155787585

Not 100% sure on this, but I believe they can "bank" a percentage of the budget toward future capital expenditures. As I recall, however, the goal has to be defined (X dollars for Y years for Z project/purchase). It cannot be an open ended account.

I was recently reading the HVREMSCO website (www.hvremsco.org) when I saw the notice that BEMS was requiring all BLSFR agencies to update their info or lose their agency code. While I didn't think that it had been that long since I was on their website, it is apparent that this came out in October. In any case, we are not responding to the update request and are just letting ours go. I was just curious as to how many departments in the area had once been a first responding agency that have given it up within, say, the past 10 years. Has this had an adverse impact on the residents of your district? Has anyone even asked?

Respond whenever possible to any medical emergency, standby or other public need as determined by county 911 dispatch, and provide prehospital medical care at the Basic Life Support (with Defibrillation or PAD) Level of care, within the {ZZZ} response area. This from the DOH BEMS Policy Statement 06-04 (emphasis added): NYS EMS Agency Code In order for a BLS-FR agency participating in a local EMS system to obtain an agency code number, the agency needs to provide documentation indicating the following: Support from the Executive of the municipality (village, city, town, county) for the territory covered. This may be a mayor, supervisor, board of commissioners or the chairman of a fire district and must be documented in writing. AND Document being publicly dispatched and providing primary EMS response on a regular and ongoing basis to public emergency medical needs, as defined by 3001(l) of the Public Health Law. As REMSCO explained it to me, you can't pick and choose which calls you will be dispatched to.

We haven't run EMS calls in probably 10 yrs. We were still dispatched once in a while at the request of EMS if they felt we could get there first. In our case, the volly squad was becoming more active and the paid service was putting more resources in our area. We would show up and there would be 2 ambulances already there. At the time, EMS was about 60% of our call volume. We do over 500 calls a year now without EMS calls. The few EMTs that we have left with active cards all work for commercial agencies. So, the only thing we are losing is an agency code that would allow for reimbursement for recerts or new initial CFR or EMT. Additionally, when we were responding for EMS calls, it was only for priority 1 and 2 type calls. As it was explained to me, the state does not allow for that type of dispatch. It is supposed to be all or nothing.

I like that idea. We have a Pak Tracker on our truck. but the packs are only identified by the apparatus they are assigned to, along with designated spares.

You have to know the gas you are dealing with. As someone said, propane is heavier than air. Natural gas is lighter. And, just because your area may have natural gas, never assume that someone does not use propane. I have seen both in use at the same house. If you are dealing with a leak inside, shut the gas off where it enters the building (natural) or at the tank for propane. Count on people to do stupid things. I'm not sure about natural gas, but the LEL for propane is just 2.7%. It really, really likes 4%. Everybody knows to call the utility company that supplies natural gas, but do you know all the propane suppliers in your area? Almost any propane company will respond even if it is not their tank or customer just to make things safe.

I agree 100%. We had a chief that was anti-ems and wanted absolutely nothing to do with it, to the point that after our 3rd drill (in a year) that focused primarily on pt care and handling, we were told not to do amy more ems related drills. I personally think it should be required. But that is another topic.

Exactly!

Must have had an engineer on the commitee. So you take a simple problem (departments running out of numbers under the current system) and make it a ridiculous system. (Maybe departments should just stop buying stuff they really don't need). Putnam, Dutchess, and Ulster all have a more sensible numbering system. In addition to this, as someone already pointed out, you are "required" to carry equipment (EMS) that only a handful of properly trained people can use. My department currently has 5 EMT's. We do not do EMS calls. The majority of our active members have no EMS training, including CPR/First aid. So exactly what is all this stuff there for? Ourselves, I'm guessing. What's the county going to do if you don't have all this stuff? Stop dispatching you?

News 12 is reporting that it is believed to have been a possible electrical problem that started the fire. The fire was also being fed by a gas line and there were initial water supply issues as the town had 2 broken water mains in the vicinity.

Coldenham was initially the FAST for this. The run down I have so far was all Winona Lake apparatus (2 engines, truck, rescue, and utility), Orange Lake, Cronomer Valley, Coldenham and Good-Will were on scene as well as TONVAC and MLSS. Various standby companies included Plattekill, Modena, New Windsor, Vails Gate and Montgomery(?). Unfortunatly, I was working and could not make the call.

Winona Lake 505. 1 more than last year.

On an overnight shift... Tones go out for one of Mobile Life's units. "2##, Union Vale, ALS meet with Hudson Valley for ... " "2##, received. paramedic assist to Hudson Valley Paramedics" Overheard from a department on a Sunday morning live burn drill "Headquarters, Car 1" "Headquarters on, Car 1" "Headquarters, request 12 more sandwiches to the scene" On cold night at a structure fire... "Command to Engine 3##, have your crew... who the hell was that!.. " as I went sliding down a hill on the ice.

There is a department in our area that, due to the high number of false or unintentional alarms at a particular place, responds with a chief officer and 1 engine. All other apparatus is to be manned, in quarters. We frequently get AFA's from a commercial building in our district. Almost always, it is a broken sprinkler head. Our first responding unit is often told this by county. However, we still continue with a full response of (potentially)3 engines, a truck, and 2 rescues. For a broken sprinkler? Really? 3 million dollars of taxpayer apparatus on the road burning hundreds of dollars of taxpayer fuel for what? A 2am "training" session? We have had 2 fires at this location. Neither came in as AFA. I'm not saying that all AFA's should be handled the same, but most districts have the frequent offenders. On most AFA's where we do not know the cause prior to arrival we do apparatus placement, check hydrants, and set up the truck.

http://autos.aol.com/photos/2011-ford-matchbox-sema/?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl10%7Csec3_lnk3%7C119124 Who will be the first in our area to get one?

That answers my question. Thank you.

Not to get too far off subject, but, what then, gives an LEO the right to shut off, lock a vehicle and retain the keys to said vehicle if you leave it running and "unattended"?