JBE

I dunno, Joe. I don't think they could be charged with a hate crime. They haven't taken a violent turn with anyone. Just standing there with signs and protesting I don't think qualifies.
Phelps' daughter is an attorney, so she knows her way around the law. I applaud the Supreme Court for taking a controversial subject and making a tough decision. As reprehensible as Phelps(note I wouldn't consider this guy a Reverend) and his followers beliefs are, the SCOTUS made the right call on this one. A number of my gay and lesbian friends were screaming about this the other day. I wanted to say to them, "Look, it may not be the decision you wanted, but it was the right decision." I would also say the same thing to any of my military friends, current or retired. It sickens me as a veteran that these people have nothing better to do than protest at funerals of men and women who were just doing their jobs. They are protected by the Constitution and this is an example that it works.
I'd actually like to sit down and read the dissenting justices opinion.
Westboro, IMHO, is a cult, plain and simple, that hides behind religion and the First Amendment to make its views public. One could say the same about white supremacist groups, black power groups, and folks of their ilk. they use the First Amendment as a shield. You may not like what they say, but they have the right to say it.
I took an oath to protect the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Do groups such as this infuriate me?? Of course. Would I like to see them disappear?? Yup. Will I defend their right to say what they want?? You bet I will. I do feel, free speech should be tempered with common sense, but the letter of the law says otherwise.
I'm actually suprised nobody has tried to destroy the church, or throw these people a beating.

I was just a small part in this. Once I knew it was a done deal with the comm board and the city council, I handed the ball off to Beef, Bill, and the rest of the crew on 180.

He was the senior Supervising Dispatcher in the city at the time of his passing. He voluntarily demoted himself from Chief Dispatcher to Supervisor in 2002 to better provide for his family. I had the opportunity and pleasure to work with, and for Dennis for a number of years up in the Bronx. In addition to the street renaming, a Yankee jersey, Number 22 is hanging up on the wall of the Bronx CO, and his dispatcher number will be officially retired tomorrow as well. I learned more about being a boss by watching him than I ever have, and learned a lot about the Bronx in a few short years. We could throw out a location that we weren't sure of, and he could give us the Box number and assignment like it was second nature. Hey Doc!!! Mosholu Parkway just north of Gun Hill??? Box 8992, 79 Engine, 37 Truck, and the 52's. As The former Dispatcher "Tree Tree Oh, K" now, One Two Six would say, "He was the computer before there was a computer." He is truly missed by his friends, family and colleagues. I think the changes that have been going on in the job today would break his heart. RIP, DOC, you were one of a kind. And to quote him, channeling Vincent La Guardia Gambini, "And I'm done with this one!!!!"
Jimmy JBE Raftery
Supervising Dispatcher #47
FDNY Manhattan/Citywide Operations
Bronx Alumni 1997-98, 2002-2004, 2005-2009

He was the senior Supervising Dispatcher in the city at the time of his passing. He voluntarily demoted himself from Chief Dispatcher to Supervisor in 2002 to better provide for his family. I had the opportunity and pleasure to work with, and for Dennis for a number of years up in the Bronx. In addition to the street renaming, a Yankee jersey, Number 22 is hanging up on the wall of the Bronx CO, and his dispatcher number will be officially retired tomorrow as well. I learned more about being a boss by watching him than I ever have, and learned a lot about the Bronx in a few short years. We could throw out a location that we weren't sure of, and he could give us the Box number and assignment like it was second nature. Hey Doc!!! Mosholu Parkway just north of Gun Hill??? Box 8992, 79 Engine, 37 Truck, and the 52's. As The former Dispatcher "Tree Tree Oh, K" now, One Two Six would say, "He was the computer before there was a computer." He is truly missed by his friends, family and colleagues. I think the changes that have been going on in the job today would break his heart. RIP, DOC, you were one of a kind. And to quote him, channeling Vincent La Guardia Gambini, "And I'm done with this one!!!!"
Jimmy JBE Raftery
Supervising Dispatcher #47
FDNY Manhattan/Citywide Operations
Bronx Alumni 1997-98, 2002-2004, 2005-2009

He was the senior Supervising Dispatcher in the city at the time of his passing. He voluntarily demoted himself from Chief Dispatcher to Supervisor in 2002 to better provide for his family. I had the opportunity and pleasure to work with, and for Dennis for a number of years up in the Bronx. In addition to the street renaming, a Yankee jersey, Number 22 is hanging up on the wall of the Bronx CO, and his dispatcher number will be officially retired tomorrow as well. I learned more about being a boss by watching him than I ever have, and learned a lot about the Bronx in a few short years. We could throw out a location that we weren't sure of, and he could give us the Box number and assignment like it was second nature. Hey Doc!!! Mosholu Parkway just north of Gun Hill??? Box 8992, 79 Engine, 37 Truck, and the 52's. As The former Dispatcher "Tree Tree Oh, K" now, One Two Six would say, "He was the computer before there was a computer." He is truly missed by his friends, family and colleagues. I think the changes that have been going on in the job today would break his heart. RIP, DOC, you were one of a kind. And to quote him, channeling Vincent La Guardia Gambini, "And I'm done with this one!!!!"
Jimmy JBE Raftery
Supervising Dispatcher #47
FDNY Manhattan/Citywide Operations
Bronx Alumni 1997-98, 2002-2004, 2005-2009

He was the senior Supervising Dispatcher in the city at the time of his passing. He voluntarily demoted himself from Chief Dispatcher to Supervisor in 2002 to better provide for his family. I had the opportunity and pleasure to work with, and for Dennis for a number of years up in the Bronx. In addition to the street renaming, a Yankee jersey, Number 22 is hanging up on the wall of the Bronx CO, and his dispatcher number will be officially retired tomorrow as well. I learned more about being a boss by watching him than I ever have, and learned a lot about the Bronx in a few short years. We could throw out a location that we weren't sure of, and he could give us the Box number and assignment like it was second nature. Hey Doc!!! Mosholu Parkway just north of Gun Hill??? Box 8992, 79 Engine, 37 Truck, and the 52's. As The former Dispatcher "Tree Tree Oh, K" now, One Two Six would say, "He was the computer before there was a computer." He is truly missed by his friends, family and colleagues. I think the changes that have been going on in the job today would break his heart. RIP, DOC, you were one of a kind. And to quote him, channeling Vincent La Guardia Gambini, "And I'm done with this one!!!!"
Jimmy JBE Raftery
Supervising Dispatcher #47
FDNY Manhattan/Citywide Operations
Bronx Alumni 1997-98, 2002-2004, 2005-2009

THE APOCALYPSE IS AT HAND!!!!!
Seriously, Churches go either one of two ways. Either you get in and knock it down quick, or it's surround and drown. Looks like they had the chips stacked against em before they went out the door.

Wow! Considering the fact that 252 had water out the windows and the fire knocked down within a couple of minutes of arrival, it appears that your criticism is fairly harsh and uncalled for. It appears that 252 took the hydrant that was closest to the fire building, I don't see another hydrant on the block had they passed up the one that they hooked up to. I didn't see any truckies running, it did appear that a couple of firefighters were jogging toward 252's rig (probably firefighters from the 2nd due engine coming to assist with stretching the first line). I agree that reckless running at a fire scene could cause a slip / fall incident, but there does need to be an accelerated (albeit controlled) level of movement by responding personnel due to the rapidity of fire growth coupled with the dangers of smoke, heat and toxic gases on exposed victims as well as firefighters who are operating in the fire area as well as above it.
To the Firefighters who operated at this incident, a job well done.

95 footers in the city are, (Off the top of my head) 9,12,14,44,51,58,107(presently operating 75 foot spare, 95 footer was wrecked in 09),117,119,121,152,161,163,172.

95 footers in the city are, (Off the top of my head) 9,12,14,44,51,58,107(presently operating 75 foot spare, 95 footer was wrecked in 09),117,119,121,152,161,163,172.

95 footers in the city are, (Off the top of my head) 9,12,14,44,51,58,107(presently operating 75 foot spare, 95 footer was wrecked in 09),117,119,121,152,161,163,172.

I wouldn't necessarily say this is a battle, inasmuch as it's a disagreement that ended up with a summons being written. Hopefully this gets resolved and everyone walks away happy.
In my experience on this side of the radio, I can't count how many times I've gotten calls from PD Traffic Control asking, or actually demanding me to tell my units to move so a lane can be opened. There are a number of times I have told them no, because I know why the lanes are blocked.
Civilians also are a little clueless on this one, as well. I had a rollover wreck on the Deegan in front of the chateau one night, 3 or 4 cars involved. NYPD ESU Truck 4 was facing south in the northbound lane on a diagonal angle in front of the rolled over car. 81 Engine and 46 Truck pull up, the Engine gets in the center lane, while 46 Truck pulls in at an angle to reduce the traffic flow to one lane. One of my neighbors says, "Oh there go the firemen blocking traffic again" (Edited for content by me) I looked at the guy and said, "Do you know why they're doing that??" He looked at me kinda funny, and said no. I explained to him that it was done so that the Firefighters, Cops, and EMT's that operating don't get hit by someone trying to come through. It's unfortunate that a situation like this had to come down to a summons being written, but, safety is paramount above keeping the traffic moving.

I wouldn't necessarily say this is a battle, inasmuch as it's a disagreement that ended up with a summons being written. Hopefully this gets resolved and everyone walks away happy.
In my experience on this side of the radio, I can't count how many times I've gotten calls from PD Traffic Control asking, or actually demanding me to tell my units to move so a lane can be opened. There are a number of times I have told them no, because I know why the lanes are blocked.
Civilians also are a little clueless on this one, as well. I had a rollover wreck on the Deegan in front of the chateau one night, 3 or 4 cars involved. NYPD ESU Truck 4 was facing south in the northbound lane on a diagonal angle in front of the rolled over car. 81 Engine and 46 Truck pull up, the Engine gets in the center lane, while 46 Truck pulls in at an angle to reduce the traffic flow to one lane. One of my neighbors says, "Oh there go the firemen blocking traffic again" (Edited for content by me) I looked at the guy and said, "Do you know why they're doing that??" He looked at me kinda funny, and said no. I explained to him that it was done so that the Firefighters, Cops, and EMT's that operating don't get hit by someone trying to come through. It's unfortunate that a situation like this had to come down to a summons being written, but, safety is paramount above keeping the traffic moving.

What exactly was said that is so offensive to Police Fire, EMS and other emergency service personnel? As a responder who was present that day when both towers came down and who lost a lot of friends I take great care in issues evolving around 9/11. I think he picked a poor topic to include in his game but I am not offended by it.
To me this sounds like a very poor attempt at humor by this bartender. I don't think there was any intentional malice towards public safety personnel. Regardless of how many police are stationed at this new precinct they will not be able to stop another plane from crashing into the Freedom Tower. Using the tower as an airport. I believe that is what his reference to an airport is all about. As for the costs, he is right, there are going to be tremendous costs associated with this staffing level which will be borne by the taxpayers. With a family member involved with NY City budget issues I know that staffing this site will require reducing police manpower levels in every precinct in the City because they don't have the money to increase manpower by hiring large numbers of new police officers. The federal government will pay a portion of the security costs but they will never come close to the actual costs that NY City and it's taxpayers will be assuming for years to come. This knowledge in no way diminishes the need for security or the costs of protecting our Freedom and should not be construed as supporting budget issues when making security decisions.
I am all in favor of rebuilding at the sight and building even bigger to show our country's resolve against those who attacked us. They will not put us down and we will come back stronger and better. But the reality is the terrorist have the same attitude and will view this tower as their number one target. Terrorism expert around the world have deemed this site as a target and fully expect another attack. It might not be tommorrow or ten years from tommorrow but there will be another attack. Look at the resolve of the terrorist after the 1993 attack (which I was also at). They were beaten but not detered and came back 8 years later when we let our gaurd down and became complacent.
I think people need to step back and take a look at what really happened here. This was a piss poor attempt at humor. 9/11 is such a raw emotional issue for so many that it is often considered a personal attack by public safety personnel when someone mentions something other than remembrance and honor for those lost on that day. The bartender made a mistake. It is normal human behavior to become defensive when confronted like he and his boss were. To think that they don't respect the feelings of police or firefighters because they didn't immediately give an apology is some how tied to 9/11 goes a little far.
To my eleven buddies that never came home, you are with me every day.

Lookin to do another bash, Steve??

I do have to say I'm happy to see nobody getting shut down at night. What may have gotten mentioned, but swept under the rug is how many companies are taken out of service citywide during the day. I would say an average of 15-25 per day. That includes companies out for all day training, partial day training classes like extrication, or rope training, or Medical exams while the rig is being sent in for routine maintenance. That's a gamble we take every day, and in a few cases I can think of in my experience, have led to fatal consequences.
Never mind when E-70, L-53, E-52, L-52, or one of the Midtown companies goes out, and they have to be filled. Anyone here from 92 Engine can relate to what I'm saying. 92 to 52 for the afternoon, and 92 misses a first due job that ended up going to a 3rd alarm. First due engine coming from a distance because 92 is up in Riverdale. Robbing one to pay the other.
NWFD, 8 minutes is a very long time. In my opinion, the city needs a few more firehouses built and opened, not less. Every time a company is taken out of service, regardless of time of day, a gamble is taken by the city. I could go on about other factors affecting response times, like companies being way out of their first due area doing Building Inspections. Fallback is where we modify responses to reported fires and emergencies because we're trying to conserve units. With the amount of fire duty the city has had over the past few months, we have gone to Fallback more times than I care to count, and, at least once or twice, we went to fallback citywide. Nighttime, statistically is when most fatal fires occur. I would rather have all my "toys in the toybox" ready to go at 0200, than be missing a first or second due company because they are out of service for the night. In places like Queens and Staten Island, where the companies are spread a little further apart, waiting for that second due company can be like an eternity because the run for them is sometimes 8 minutes, sometimes longer.

I get it, what can possably happen in that extra 2 minutes....hmmmm since fire growth doubles every minute, lets take a 1,000 sq/ft apt. with an 10 x 12 bedroom fully involved at the 8 minute mark (thats 120 sq/ft or 12%). at 9 minutes its 240 square feet and at 10 minutes its 480 Square feet. So in 2 extra minutes it went from 12% to 48%. Want to give it a few more minutes, whats the harm? Boy I hope they closed the door on the way out or lots of other tenants will be in extreme danger.
There is a business model for the fire service, it was developed in 1910 by the National Board of Fire Underwriters. They base insurance premiums on fire coverage. Since most properties require insurance (for a morgage), and the FD is a fire insurance policy, a good dept reduces the price insurance companies charge for property insurance.
NFPA 1710 clearly states that this minimum standard is based on a 2,000 sq/ft single family dwelling without a basement (and minimal exposures). This does not discribe many properties in NYC.
This is refered to as doing more with less. Interesting that many medics call SSM (system status management) system sacrificing medics, because very few of those systems manage to retain personnel the way most municipal services do.
Actually FD's are an economic engine. Based on insurance cost reductions that range from 8 to 12 to 1. That means for every dollar of one persons taxes spent , $8 - $12 is reduced on there property insurance.
You never suggested doing things better, you suggested doing more with less.
If you think thats such a great response then you are use to a service level that is so poor, you do not know a good service from a poor one.

I do have to say I'm happy to see nobody getting shut down at night. What may have gotten mentioned, but swept under the rug is how many companies are taken out of service citywide during the day. I would say an average of 15-25 per day. That includes companies out for all day training, partial day training classes like extrication, or rope training, or Medical exams while the rig is being sent in for routine maintenance. That's a gamble we take every day, and in a few cases I can think of in my experience, have led to fatal consequences.
Never mind when E-70, L-53, E-52, L-52, or one of the Midtown companies goes out, and they have to be filled. Anyone here from 92 Engine can relate to what I'm saying. 92 to 52 for the afternoon, and 92 misses a first due job that ended up going to a 3rd alarm. First due engine coming from a distance because 92 is up in Riverdale. Robbing one to pay the other.
NWFD, 8 minutes is a very long time. In my opinion, the city needs a few more firehouses built and opened, not less. Every time a company is taken out of service, regardless of time of day, a gamble is taken by the city. I could go on about other factors affecting response times, like companies being way out of their first due area doing Building Inspections. Fallback is where we modify responses to reported fires and emergencies because we're trying to conserve units. With the amount of fire duty the city has had over the past few months, we have gone to Fallback more times than I care to count, and, at least once or twice, we went to fallback citywide. Nighttime, statistically is when most fatal fires occur. I would rather have all my "toys in the toybox" ready to go at 0200, than be missing a first or second due company because they are out of service for the night. In places like Queens and Staten Island, where the companies are spread a little further apart, waiting for that second due company can be like an eternity because the run for them is sometimes 8 minutes, sometimes longer.

Great shots, Bill. It's good to have you back.

Got him. Paddy Brown. Front row, 4th from the right. The chief this collection belongs to is a legend in the job as well. Never met either he or, Paddy Brown, but their reputations definitely precede them. These were the good old days, when almost every rig in the job was a tiller, some had the plywood riot covers. Tower Ladders were in their infancy. I was lucky to have come around in the years of the second and third generation of the tower ladders and the third and fourth generations of the rearmounts. Some of the nicest looking rigs, ever.

jc, the situation I was mentioning was simple. R-4 was assigned to this bus accident, and R-3 was requested as an additional Rescue company. They were released, and assigned to a 10-75 nearby. I am not sure of the specifics, but I wouldn't doubt it if they got in before, or with the second due companies. I understand your desire to have them up north where they may have to and will save your hide if you get in a jam, but believe it or not, R-4 and R-1 are the primary Rescue Companies to be covered in case it goes to poop out on the street.
Now, as far as your post is concerned about having Firefighters as dispatchers, here's where you and I will politely agree to disagree. You don't have to have crawled down a number of hallways to be good at what I do. Does it help to have a little bit of knowledge of firefighting and fire operations?? Absolutely. I've said this a number of times over the course of my career, you don't have to know anything about what you guys do out on the street to be good at what I do, but it sure does help. Ask some of your brethren in LA City how that's working out for them. I think many of them, and I would fathom a guess that you would much rather be crawling down that hallway than relocating 93 Engine to 37 Engine at 2 in the morning. I have some firefighting experience from my years in the Vols(as we call them at work), and the military. Luckily, most of the guys I work with do as well. I also have the knowledge of geography and firehouse locations that make me good at what I do.
Next time you see a car wreck on the highway in the city, don't call 911, call me. I'll get you what you need, and handle the knuckleheads on the 1st floor of 11MT. bc, I appreciate your candor. I am asking these questions because I think that those in charge have really lost sight of what's right. I try to follow the rulebook as best I can, but there are times when you can throw the book out the window and go seat of your pants.

Sadly, the days of volunteerism in the truest sense seem to have passed us by. With more and more financial issues affected everyone, they really hit home with folks who work and then give their time for little or no pay to be members of the local FD or ambulance service. The public doesn't necessarily see that the same financial burden they feel pinches volunteer or POC firefighters/EMS personnel as well. With more people struggling to make ends meet, this scenario is only getting worse. At the same time, we've raised (rightfully) the standards for training and attendance to ensure a safer fireground. As we just saw with the Tarrytown tragedy, minimum training is a bare necessity.
In appears that in many places, besides LI and Westchester, the VFD's spend exorbitant amounts of money making the FD attractive to people, using new stations, new high end apparatus, FD social clubs, etc. In the end they end up with higher numbers, but maybe not for the right reasons? Until the public understand where that money is going and can measure the results in tangible ways, they may continue to get bilked, even if it is unintentionally. One must ponder the question that most VFD's have more apparatus than they can staff, why not slim down and move active, trained personnel to fewer companies to gain a better response. Far too often we see lines of apparatus at fire scenes with all the personnel working off the same few apparatus. The days of individual fiefdoms is coming to a close and the FD's that embrace the change early will have a position much closer to the "driver" of the regionalized bus, than those who bury their heads and the sand and are dragged into the inevitable kicking and screaming, with no voice in the implementation.
It amazes me when I see the Firehouse volunteer FD survey and so many VFD's have budgets far greater than that of my combo FD, and call volumes so far less.
Seth's has a point that there may be other alternatives to all out paid firefighters, but the discussion needs to be with an independent public committee of citizens who have no bias, just a sense of community. Too many of us fear speaking candidly with the public about our shortcomings and service levels garnered for the money spent. I can only say, that if you fear opening the books (all of them: financial, training, incident numbers) to the public you protect, you're probably not doing anyone, but yourselves, a service. The term Public Safety indicates we're doing this for the public, be your agency municipal, private or otherwise.

jc, the situation I was mentioning was simple. R-4 was assigned to this bus accident, and R-3 was requested as an additional Rescue company. They were released, and assigned to a 10-75 nearby. I am not sure of the specifics, but I wouldn't doubt it if they got in before, or with the second due companies. I understand your desire to have them up north where they may have to and will save your hide if you get in a jam, but believe it or not, R-4 and R-1 are the primary Rescue Companies to be covered in case it goes to poop out on the street.
Now, as far as your post is concerned about having Firefighters as dispatchers, here's where you and I will politely agree to disagree. You don't have to have crawled down a number of hallways to be good at what I do. Does it help to have a little bit of knowledge of firefighting and fire operations?? Absolutely. I've said this a number of times over the course of my career, you don't have to know anything about what you guys do out on the street to be good at what I do, but it sure does help. Ask some of your brethren in LA City how that's working out for them. I think many of them, and I would fathom a guess that you would much rather be crawling down that hallway than relocating 93 Engine to 37 Engine at 2 in the morning. I have some firefighting experience from my years in the Vols(as we call them at work), and the military. Luckily, most of the guys I work with do as well. I also have the knowledge of geography and firehouse locations that make me good at what I do.
Next time you see a car wreck on the highway in the city, don't call 911, call me. I'll get you what you need, and handle the knuckleheads on the 1st floor of 11MT. bc, I appreciate your candor. I am asking these questions because I think that those in charge have really lost sight of what's right. I try to follow the rulebook as best I can, but there are times when you can throw the book out the window and go seat of your pants.

jc, the situation I was mentioning was simple. R-4 was assigned to this bus accident, and R-3 was requested as an additional Rescue company. They were released, and assigned to a 10-75 nearby. I am not sure of the specifics, but I wouldn't doubt it if they got in before, or with the second due companies. I understand your desire to have them up north where they may have to and will save your hide if you get in a jam, but believe it or not, R-4 and R-1 are the primary Rescue Companies to be covered in case it goes to poop out on the street.
Now, as far as your post is concerned about having Firefighters as dispatchers, here's where you and I will politely agree to disagree. You don't have to have crawled down a number of hallways to be good at what I do. Does it help to have a little bit of knowledge of firefighting and fire operations?? Absolutely. I've said this a number of times over the course of my career, you don't have to know anything about what you guys do out on the street to be good at what I do, but it sure does help. Ask some of your brethren in LA City how that's working out for them. I think many of them, and I would fathom a guess that you would much rather be crawling down that hallway than relocating 93 Engine to 37 Engine at 2 in the morning. I have some firefighting experience from my years in the Vols(as we call them at work), and the military. Luckily, most of the guys I work with do as well. I also have the knowledge of geography and firehouse locations that make me good at what I do.
Next time you see a car wreck on the highway in the city, don't call 911, call me. I'll get you what you need, and handle the knuckleheads on the 1st floor of 11MT. bc, I appreciate your candor. I am asking these questions because I think that those in charge have really lost sight of what's right. I try to follow the rulebook as best I can, but there are times when you can throw the book out the window and go seat of your pants.

Meaning leeway with assignments to incidents, or making relocations, or asking incident commanders what they want?? I'll give you some examples because we are presently getting nickled and dimed for showing initiative.
Last weekend, a city bus comes off the Clearview Expressway and collides with a tractor trailer, a building and a few other vehicles. Rescues 4 and 3 are assigned. As the situation winds down, Rescue 3 takes up and begins to head home. They are special called to a fire due to numerous calls coming into the Queens dispatchers. The supervising dispatcher(not me) is then contacted by one of the brass at HQ wanting to know why this was done.
The regulations state that if the normally assigned Rescue(Or Squad) is not available, the IC must be notified and advise the IC if they want a Rescue(Or Squad). If the request is not made, the nearest available Rescue is assigned upon transmission of the All Hands. When it comes to the Squads, the only exception is if that Squad is operating as an Engine company on the first alarm assignment, then the next up Squad goes on the 10-75. Example: Squad 61 is first or second due to Jacobi and a 10-75 gets dumped, Squad 41 goes.
I understand the need for rules and regulations, but this, IMO was a heads up move, taking initiative. Needless to say, that supervisor will probably be spanked. Never mind the fact that R-3 was about 5 minutes away, and it would have been an easy 20-30 minutes before R-2 got there from Brooklyn.
Next incident, 2nd Alarm out in Staten Island last week. Fire is in a commercial building, 10-75 transmitted, relocators on the road as per SOP. 2nd floor gives way and dumps a number of firefighters down onto the 1st floor. Maydays transmitted, 2nd Alarm transmitted, no 10-66 transmitted, and I'm unsure if the dispatcher prompted the IC to see if they wanted it dumped. Staten Island Dispatchers re-direct two truck companies off of other runs to the fire, and then special call TL-77 to pick up Rescue Collapse Unit 5 and Special Call Rescue 2. I've been told that the supervisor(again, NOT me) is probably going to get spanked for this one as well. Never mind the fact that the additional help can always be turned around if not needed. Never mind the fact that not only me, but a number of my colleagues thought this was a heads up move.
What sorts of latitude, as dispatchers, do you have when it comes to situations when you're gonna have to use your head, and not rely on a piece of paper, or what a Chief from a specific department wants?? I ask this question because over the past few years, some of the things that are normally an FDNY Chiefs responsibility have been placed in the hands of the dispatchers. Setting up staging areas at multiple alarm fires, when unless we are around the corner and can see it, we have no idea what the road conditions might be, Transmitting the 10-76 or 10-77 in a building that meets that criteria as soon as a multiple is transmitted for that building.
I'm looking forward to hearing what you guys have to say. Thank you.