JBE

Just the faces change.

Even when dealt with a massive county wide emergency such as this weekend, you are always calm cool and collected on the radio. I personally would like to say thank you for making this storm run as smoothly as possible, even with the upwards of 120 backlogged calls you received on Saturday and the numerous working fires you were handling at any given time.
So, thanks guys... Be on the look out for a gift basket this winter

No it is not.
The issue is do you have enough responders to cover calls and meet the minimum standards. PCFD, RFD, and HFD's staffing has always been some career ff's (to drive) and a majority of the response being volunteers. RBFD is in a similar situation, because its relying on PCFD to respond with enough personnel. If enough volunteers are showing up, then no issue, if not, you are putting the career member, the public and the few volunteers who are onscene at extreme risk.
How few Firefighters can you get away with? What is the minimum number that should be on every response?

Thanks again for the reply Charlie. But I honestly don't see this as an argument, rather just a discussion. BNechis's response above is a good one, that gets to the root of the topic.
I've added what I could in suggesting bringing in a consultant, because that fresh set of eyes on operations many times is very helpful for people like the village board members you mentioned.
Having run solo on engines, trucks and a rescue earlier in my career, I know what that feels like to a firefighter (career or volunteer). It's overwhelming, stressful, dangerous. If there is a way to address not having that happen in Rye Brook, Port Chester, and the other places the Captain mentioned, it's worth exploring the options. A consultant could give the elected officials some options to consider maybe they hadn't heard before or thought of themselves, and maybe act upon.
I mean this sincerely when I say no firefighter, career or volunteer should have to run solo on a rig anymore in 2011, and there are ways to figure out how to solve that issue.

While the Consolidation Study languishes somewhere, Rye Brook and Port Chester were not included in it anyway.
The case against one firefighter apparatus staffing was addressed on my job some years ago. We had five engines, two trucks, and a heavy rescue, all with the original staffing from the 1920's; one firefighter per rig. The volunteer response had declined for various reasons, particularly during daytime working hours. The system, as it was designed; career firefighters responding with the apparatus, and volunteers responding in their POVs no longer worked.
The department (and I know I've explained this a few times before, but I think it's appropriate to mention it again here) commissioned a consultant, who did address the unacceptable fact of firefighters alone on rigs.
The resulting report became a template that the department did follow through on. The resulting changes reduced the total number of apparatus, and eliminated a dispatcher position, but the end product was literally the beginning of the end of solo staffed rigs.
The department now runs with two firefighters per rig. It is far from adequate, it is far from ideal, but it is 100 percent better than it was. This is simple math, one firefighter plus one firefighter=100 percent increase in staffing.
If problems exist in RBFD/PCFD (and one firefighter per rig staffing IS a problem irregardless of how passionately some department members would defend the system) I would humbly recommend Rye Brook and Port Chester consider funding a consultant's report. They can be done for a reasonable cost, they bring in an outside professional opinion, who not only takes into consideration the abilities of the municipalities involved to fund the end product, but more importantly for firefighters, they can offer a better option than the existing system. I say better, certainly not best, because if this was the case, our consultant's report would have resulted in at least three firefighters and an officer per rig. But because a consultant will take into account the municipality's ability and willingness to fund improvements, they stay neutral in the discussion, and are not dismissed by the taxpayers as one-sided.
Along with hundreds of other Westchester career firefighters, led by Rye firefighter Bruce Kerr (Rest in Peace Brother) I walked the picket lines up in Rye Brook when they were going the Rural Metro route, a route that ultimately failed as we all knew it would. The resulting creation of a Rye Brook Fire Department staffed with career firefighters was a small step toward the solution that ultimately the two communities need to address. They still need each other, they should get together and fund a study, and the communities will need an intensive public education effort, to build the needed support for the politicians to have the will to act on the behalf of their constituents safety. Politicians also have a moral obligation to address the safety needs of their public employees.
The message is simple; no more one man fire trucks. Getting there isn't nearly as simple, but it can be and has been done.

Read, digest, comprehend and then respond. If you do these things you'll realize that I have a lot more than negativity to bring to this topic. It's called constructive commentary. As for your writing; I'm not trying to insult you. I'm simply pointing out that if you want your point to be taken seriously, you should be able to string a properly constructed sentence together. No one is looking for perfection, but I have to read your post about 4 times to make sense of it. Part of a respectful argument is to address everyone here like well read adults.
As for PCFD/RBFD operation; why should be not discuss that here? Isn't that the point of this forum? What should be do, buff out to apparatus and incident photos all day? Or perhaps we should only give big pats on the back for a job well done after every incident. No, that's not what this is for. We have this forum and it allows us to do many things. We get to share photos, report incidents and most importantly, discuss operations in the hopes of improving them. If all of those things can't be done, than why are Seth and the rest of the staff killing themselves and spending money keeping this site open?
As for the RBFD issue, lets cut to the chase. Everything is not fine. Those guys are in a position of having to do too much with not enough. Sorry, but waiting for PCFD to show up is also not appropriate as a first due means of providing emergency service. How about night time? Do you REALLY think that the lone chauffeur of engine 59 thinks showing up in front of a building fire at 2 A.M. is fine? I DOUBT it. What do you think residents see? They see a big red truck and a guy killing himself to hook up to a hydrant or whatever, but then they have to wait a few LONG minutes waiting for people to arrive to actually fight the fire. That's B.S. for that fireman to be in that position and B.S. for the residents.
There are many ways to skin this cat, but the system as it exists now is in fact NOT working. It is not sufficient and it puts a lot of firemen and civilians in danger, let along property. This is not about the dedication of those who work or volunteer in this two department system. This is about not being provided with the tools or manpower to do the job. Why are you defending this system? Is it because, "this is the way we've been doing it for 175 years", as someone said? Well, I guess we should dust off the hold hand drawn pumpers because they worked fine a century ago, right? Why examine a system to look to improve it?
If this doesn't get through....nothing will. I'm going to put the soap box away for now....

Date: 10/30/2011
Time: Approx 0400ish
Location: Route 22, south of Cosuins Deli
Frequency: DC911, FG 14
Units Operating: Wassaic, Amenia, Dover, Sharon (Ct), Millbrook, NYSP, NDP
Weather Conditions: Cold, and crystal clear
Description Of Incident: Heavy fire throughout a 2 story balloon frame PD with heavy snowload.
Reporters: x129k aka 36Truck! LOL....multiple Bravo Members on scene and I don't beleive we had time to take a single picture.
Writer: Yours truly...ALL BUGGED UP!
Heavy fire upon arrival, defensive operations initiated. markmets and x129 did a very brief interior attack on the rear kitchen but were forced out by fire in a room behind us...Dover 36-45 special called and we opened up a gable end and the roof. Multiple handlines placed into operations. Very stubborn fire with difficult access due to complete collapse of the exterior porch.
x129k actually used a handline more than a hook! LOL

It was long before 2001. I remember Somers M/A 13 & 14 when they were the 1960's International Harvesters
From www.Somersvfd.com
Retired Apparatus
1966 International 300 GPM PUMPER
Served from 1966 to 2005
Engine 185 (1966-1978)
Mini Attack 13 (1978-2005)
1966 International 300 GPM PUMPER
Served from 1966 to 1987
Engine 186 (1966-1978)
Mini Attack 14 (1978-1987)

Worried? No, not at all. However, if you'd like to make a credible argument, spelling and grammar are great building blocks.
Disrespectful would be saying, "Rye Brook FD and PD should be dissolved and all their members should be fired". I don't believe I saw anyone approaching that level of crass suggestion. The root of what is being discussed here is fire department operations of the RBFD. What the politicians have created here is the illusion of fire protection. Residents call 911 and big red trucks show up and no one knows that there are only two firemen who are going to have to put themselves through the ringer to accomplish a fraction of what needs to be done at a fire. First and foremost, this is detrimental to the safety of the members while working, as well as to any other emergency personal who may be called to work at the same scene. I mean, seriously, how much burden can you lay on the shoulders of two guys?! It's crazy! No, actually it's criminal.
Public safety isn't hard to justify. We know it and we all know that no one, not one single department, has the staffing that we should always have. The issue here is not what all of US think, but what can be accomplished in reality. All of us, along with the people we serve, deserve top quality emergency services provided by properly structured agencies. That means commanders (chiefs and line officers), support staff and last, but of greatest importance, the number of firefighters to get the job done. The sad reality is that RBFD probably won't suddenly hire a chief, enough officers and firemen to properly staff (at least) 1 engine and 1 truck, 24 hours a day. Could they afford it? Probably. Is that a wealthy community who's residents can take a tax hike? Yup! But, as the saying goes, "the rich don't get rich by giving their money away". They're wrong and they think that they'll never need the fire department, but things get awful ugly when you start looking at numbers.
The bottom line is this, that firehouse is very necessary, so lets talk about how to get those guys the proper tools (i.e. manpower) to do the job they're forced to do without proper manning. I believe, IMHO, that the only way for this to occur is (get ready, here's the buzzword again) CONSOLIDATION!!

FDNY at times will release a vehicle and driver from the rock. You may have seen Ladder 62 or Engine 99 at the rock.
The movie prop rigs are not old FDNY rigs, they come from other places and repainted to look like ours.
We have many members who are members of the Screen Actors Guild that work the Tv shows and movies. You will find that these members will bring along of FF's when needed but you can only work so many hours until you are required to join the SAG.
Currently there are FDNY FF's working the movie Magnus rex? as extras playing cops.
Side note. All the FF's in Bronx Tale were FDNY members.

My original intention was to get Rescue 5's new Ferrara, but, it was out of service. So, I made my way to Rockaway, to shoot the newest addition to the FDNY apparatus fleet. FL11001, Ladder 137. This is the first Non-Seagrave RMA used by the FDNY in nearly 30 years.

Not the greatest shot, but they didn't want to put it where it would block traffic.
And, here they go on a run. It's a big rig. From what they were telling me, it's slow, and the aerial is a little slow to raise. You can also hear the guy from 268 apologizing that they didn't have time to get a shirt for my girlfriends' son.

And that's that. Enjoy!!!

I roll out of bed Sunday morning, after a lovely evening at the Carmel High Class of 91 20 year reunion. Where, I came to find out later, I was the recipient of the Life Saver Award, along with 5 other members of my class who have taken up Public Safety as our careers. Go me!!
First stop, obviously, was Lake Carmel. Here's 17-2-3, a 2005 Spartan/Smeal. First due engine that replaced 17-2-1 a few years ago.

Here's what I really wanted. The new 17-6-1. A 2010 Spartan/Hackney with a 300 gallon tank and pump. I forgot to ask, did they follow Pattersons lead on this?? Either way, I like.

I headed over to Kent, to feast my eyes on this beast. 16-4-1, a 2008 Sterling 4,000 gallon Tanker.

After this, I made my way up to Port Jervis, and got some nice scenery shots. This, is to prove to my co-workers and friends that I actually am starting to branch out into things other than apparatus photography.
But, I digress. I had heard about the Philadelphia Fire Muster, and I decided to go check it out. I got some shots, but have to say I walked away a bit disappointed. I got down there around 10, so most of the rigs were already registered and parked. That kinda kills photo taking like mine. But, I did the best I could with what I had in front of me. Here's Engine 7, Foam 33, Upper Darby's old ladder and the Fireboat Independence.





Back to the city in a moment.

I haven't had much time, or luck lately with my out and abouts, but, I did have a little free time to spend these past two weekends, in between my High School Reunion and a few other things. My first stop, after a JD fueled Carmel High Class of 91 Reunion Pre-Game Show, was South Salem's Open House. I didn't get in there early enough to shoot each rig, but I did at least get a couple of shots of E-167 and U-79.


Next stop was Croton Falls. I got Engines 147, 148, and 149. Along with U-28. Rescue 28 was already opened up and ready to work, so I passed till another time.



Here's a 1938 WLF, that was restored by a member of the Department.


Next day, next stop, my old stomping grounds.

I roll out of bed Sunday morning, after a lovely evening at the Carmel High Class of 91 20 year reunion. Where, I came to find out later, I was the recipient of the Life Saver Award, along with 5 other members of my class who have taken up Public Safety as our careers. Go me!!
First stop, obviously, was Lake Carmel. Here's 17-2-3, a 2005 Spartan/Smeal. First due engine that replaced 17-2-1 a few years ago.

Here's what I really wanted. The new 17-6-1. A 2010 Spartan/Hackney with a 300 gallon tank and pump. I forgot to ask, did they follow Pattersons lead on this?? Either way, I like.

I headed over to Kent, to feast my eyes on this beast. 16-4-1, a 2008 Sterling 4,000 gallon Tanker.

After this, I made my way up to Port Jervis, and got some nice scenery shots. This, is to prove to my co-workers and friends that I actually am starting to branch out into things other than apparatus photography.
But, I digress. I had heard about the Philadelphia Fire Muster, and I decided to go check it out. I got some shots, but have to say I walked away a bit disappointed. I got down there around 10, so most of the rigs were already registered and parked. That kinda kills photo taking like mine. But, I did the best I could with what I had in front of me. Here's Engine 7, Foam 33, Upper Darby's old ladder and the Fireboat Independence.





Back to the city in a moment.

My original intention was to get Rescue 5's new Ferrara, but, it was out of service. So, I made my way to Rockaway, to shoot the newest addition to the FDNY apparatus fleet. FL11001, Ladder 137. This is the first Non-Seagrave RMA used by the FDNY in nearly 30 years.

Not the greatest shot, but they didn't want to put it where it would block traffic.
And, here they go on a run. It's a big rig. From what they were telling me, it's slow, and the aerial is a little slow to raise. You can also hear the guy from 268 apologizing that they didn't have time to get a shirt for my girlfriends' son.

And that's that. Enjoy!!!

I haven't had much time, or luck lately with my out and abouts, but, I did have a little free time to spend these past two weekends, in between my High School Reunion and a few other things. My first stop, after a JD fueled Carmel High Class of 91 Reunion Pre-Game Show, was South Salem's Open House. I didn't get in there early enough to shoot each rig, but I did at least get a couple of shots of E-167 and U-79.


Next stop was Croton Falls. I got Engines 147, 148, and 149. Along with U-28. Rescue 28 was already opened up and ready to work, so I passed till another time.



Here's a 1938 WLF, that was restored by a member of the Department.


Next day, next stop, my old stomping grounds.

My original intention was to get Rescue 5's new Ferrara, but, it was out of service. So, I made my way to Rockaway, to shoot the newest addition to the FDNY apparatus fleet. FL11001, Ladder 137. This is the first Non-Seagrave RMA used by the FDNY in nearly 30 years.

Not the greatest shot, but they didn't want to put it where it would block traffic.
And, here they go on a run. It's a big rig. From what they were telling me, it's slow, and the aerial is a little slow to raise. You can also hear the guy from 268 apologizing that they didn't have time to get a shirt for my girlfriends' son.

And that's that. Enjoy!!!

I roll out of bed Sunday morning, after a lovely evening at the Carmel High Class of 91 20 year reunion. Where, I came to find out later, I was the recipient of the Life Saver Award, along with 5 other members of my class who have taken up Public Safety as our careers. Go me!!
First stop, obviously, was Lake Carmel. Here's 17-2-3, a 2005 Spartan/Smeal. First due engine that replaced 17-2-1 a few years ago.

Here's what I really wanted. The new 17-6-1. A 2010 Spartan/Hackney with a 300 gallon tank and pump. I forgot to ask, did they follow Pattersons lead on this?? Either way, I like.

I headed over to Kent, to feast my eyes on this beast. 16-4-1, a 2008 Sterling 4,000 gallon Tanker.

After this, I made my way up to Port Jervis, and got some nice scenery shots. This, is to prove to my co-workers and friends that I actually am starting to branch out into things other than apparatus photography.
But, I digress. I had heard about the Philadelphia Fire Muster, and I decided to go check it out. I got some shots, but have to say I walked away a bit disappointed. I got down there around 10, so most of the rigs were already registered and parked. That kinda kills photo taking like mine. But, I did the best I could with what I had in front of me. Here's Engine 7, Foam 33, Upper Darby's old ladder and the Fireboat Independence.





Back to the city in a moment.

I haven't had much time, or luck lately with my out and abouts, but, I did have a little free time to spend these past two weekends, in between my High School Reunion and a few other things. My first stop, after a JD fueled Carmel High Class of 91 Reunion Pre-Game Show, was South Salem's Open House. I didn't get in there early enough to shoot each rig, but I did at least get a couple of shots of E-167 and U-79.


Next stop was Croton Falls. I got Engines 147, 148, and 149. Along with U-28. Rescue 28 was already opened up and ready to work, so I passed till another time.



Here's a 1938 WLF, that was restored by a member of the Department.


Next day, next stop, my old stomping grounds.

15 was IC till the 7th showed up. 20 was All Hands Chief. Two Battalions as Foam Coordinators. Not sure what the 5th BC was for. Looks like in total, an All Hands Assignment from the Bronx, with the added response for a foam operation.

Since the SEALS took out Bin Laden, and walked out of his compound with a treasure trove of computers and information, Al Qaeda leaders/bomb makers/planners are being picked off all over the world. I think it's only a matter of time before they get Al Zawahiri, the number two guy, the Egyptian doctor with the ugly birthmark on his forehead (makes a nice target for one of our sharp-shooters).
It took ten years to find Bin Laden, but what a gratifying feeling to learn our boys took him out. He was a crafty evil bastard, hiding in a Pakistani garrison town basically in plain sight, but in the end he wasn't able to outsmart the greatest military the world has ever known. And his over-confidence that he wouldn't be caught led to that mound of information he had in his possession about all of his lackeys, these sicko jihadis that multiplied like the cockroaches they are.
The one guy that I yearn for the news of his imminent departure from the world is one Adam Ghadan; the American mouthpiece traitor who's been trash talking our country since 9/11, making his videos about how evil America is. Can you believe this P.O.S. is a native Californian?
It's awesome to know how relentless our military has been in pursuing and bringing these terrorists to the ultimate justice they deserve; death at the hands of our soldiers.
It's been a tough price we've paid in blood. We've lost thousands of soldiers, and tens of thousands more have suffered horrific injuries.
But just like they initially named a camp early in the Iraq War after Ron Bucca, FDNY Fire Marshall K.I.A. on 9/11, the military has never wavered from the mission to get the miserable scum who attacked us; and took from us some of the greatest firemen and cops of our generation; and thousands of innocent people who just went to work on a bright sunny day in September, ten years ago.
The message is; you hit us hard, then ran and hid. But one by one, you're all going down.
It's hard to keep remembering year after year that our troops are still on the mission, and will not stop until the job is finished, and we get every last one of those responsible for attacking our country. Never Forget.

He will use the same smoke and mirrors used on crime stats to confuse the pilots into landing their aircraft. This is the same job that refuses to give Tazers to front line patrol officers, resisted 9mm handguns, dragged its feet with extendable batons, and took flash bang grenades away from ESU. I fully expect his plan to be the 600 cops asigned to the WTC command to stand on each others shoulders until they reach the height of the aircraft were upon the top officer will politely ask the pilot of said plane to land at the earliest convenience, or else said officer will loose 10 vacation days.

Personal opinion, leave it up. This is a training tool of what not to do. Doesn't matter if it's a local department, or it's from 2000 miles away. Everybody makes mistakes and this is one to learn from.

I wonder if there's been any thought given to a cloverleaf and overpass at Pudding Street. I also don't know if it's feasible, but maybe a traffic light?? The reason I ask is because I don't travel that stretch very much, but when I do, I got white knuckles all the way up to 84. MB is right, anytime I hear of an accident on the TSP when I'm listening to the traffic reports, the first place that goes through my mind is either Pudding Street or Peekskill Hollow.

I don't (ever) post because I often feel like I have nothing to add. I have no experience other than as family. My grandfather was FDNY. My brothers were volunteers in Dutchess County.
But I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to each and every one of you. As a family member, I understand the sacrifices you make, the training you make time for and the time you are away from your families, friends and other activities so you can serve your community in the most amazing way I can think of.
I salute your bravery, your commitment and your expertise. Our communities are better places because you live, work and volunteer here.
Consider this a long distance hug from a very grateful community member.
-Heather