x242Steve

One of our members, who is also a veteran electrician and building inspector, actually brought this up the other night. Aside from the weight and access issues, he noted that during daylight hours these panels always have electricity flowing through them. Electrical code requires that there be a shut-off to kill the flow going into the house, but due to the inherent properties of solar panels, the only way to totally kill the power at the roof is to take away the sunlight. In the City of Rye, building codes do not allow solar panels to be on the side of the roof that faces the street, so you might not even know that the house has solar panels on the back. One of our other members suggested that addresses with solar panels should be noted in the CAD system, that way during a confirmed fire the IC could be notified (Yes we should always be doing a size-up walk-around, but the homeowner is likely to want the solar panels positioned in the least-visible spot) Edit: I realize the initial question was "How do you vent a roof with these solar panels on a residential home?" Without being sarcastic I would say "Carefully." (Although as ALSfirefighter teaches, you should be being cautious/careful already!) Hopefully the panels will not prevent access to the area adjacent to the peak of the roof where you will usually get the most effective vertical ventilation.

Yet another "why didn't I think of that" technology that will probably become standard spec'd equipment. Not only a safety and convenience factor for FF's and victims climbing/descending the aerial, but also would appear to be a big help to the aerial operator as far as positioning goes. Edit: I wouldn't be surprised if apparatus manufacturers or even after-market equipment companies start offering retro-fit kits for aerial walkway lighting.

You mean like this guy?

Details: http://www.ci.stamford.ct.us/filestorage/2..._Dispatcher.pdf Last Filing Date: December 14 Starting Salary: $54,313 Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the job...

There is no civilian chain of command, and no residency requirement. I'll PM you about the OT, I don't feel right about posting un-official info in the public forum.

A Happy and SAFE Thanksgiving to all. Also, a special shout-out to anyone who is working tomorrow, and to our men and women in the Armed Forces, for whom we should all be extra thankful.

Thanks. I might be able to arrange a ride-along for ya, but only if you wear pinstripes.

Joe did you just get off a midnight shift? You seem a little incoherent.

For those of you (like myself) who were wondering what exactly a "Triple Combination Pumper" is... From Firehouse.com (found via Google search) Fire Apparatus: Past and Present By John A. Calderone Another off-shoot of motorization was the development of a single piece of apparatus, the triple-combination pumper, that would eventually become the standard apparatus for most engine companies throughout the country. Until that time, most engine companies operated with two distinct apparatus, a steamer and either a hose wagon or combination hose wagon equipped with chemical extinguishment equipment. The triple-combination pumper incorporated all of these functions onto one motorized vehicle. The first such vehicle was constructed by Tea Tray Company, a small New Jersey builder in 1909, on an American Motors chassis and delivered to Middletown, NY.

Check your messages.

You should double-check with Stamford HR, but to the best of my knowledge everyone starts as "new" as far as training and salary. If you're coming from another agency in CT and already have the Telecommunicator, COLLECT and EMD certifications, then that would probably save you a few trips for training. Obviously when it gets down to the interview process, having more dispatch experience than the next person would be to your advantage.

The fact that they are nearly identical is no accident. When faced with the issue of replacing the beloved yet ancient 1955 Maxim Tractor-Drawn Aerial (TDA), the idea of a new TDA was almost instantly out the window due to the fact that we need a Truck with an overall height around 10'-0" to clear the railroad bridges in our jurisdiction. A Tower Ladder was ruled out due to their much higher cost, combined with the lack of high-rises in Rye and the fact that there are already 3 Towers in our battalion zone, and another 2 (Purchase and West Harrison) not too far away. When it came down to it, everyone was very happy with the performance of the 2001 Seagrave 100' Rearmount Ladder, so it was decided to get a twin. Rye is a Combination Department, and while both Trucks do run out of the same house, only Ladder 25 is "first due", meaning it is manned by career staff and goes on all structural calls, elevator calls, lock-outs and also goes on MVA's as a "blocker" and to have an additional firefighter on scene right away. Ladder 26 will be staffed by volunteers, and will supplement Ladder 25 on commercial and high-risk alarms. Ladder 26 will also allow training to take place without taking the front-line Truck out of service, and will help to fill a void in our mutual aid system (Harrison has consistently had an Engine on stand-by or on scene for working fires in Rye, but for several years we have not been able to reciprocate by sending a Ladder to stand-by or operate at their scene without taking our first-due Truck out of the City.)

First off, I can't comment on when or how many people will be hired. After you pass the written exam, you will be interviewed when a position is available and then have to pass a VERY thorough background investigation, which is handled by Stamford PD's Internal Affairs Division. The only difference between the Dispatcher background check and the Police Recruit background check is that the Police Recruits are administered a Polygraph, whereas the Dispatchers are not. As a "Public Safety Dispatcher-1" (PSD-1), you are trained to handle all incoming calls, as well as in dispatching procedures for the Stamford PD, the Six Fire Depts in the City, as well as Stamford EMS. You receive State of CT certification as a Telecommunicator and as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher. You also receive certification as a user of the COLLECT (Connecticut On-Line Law Enforcement Communications Teleprocessing) system, which includes access to CT DMV records, NLETS (National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System), CT State Police records, NCIC (Nat'l Crime Info. Center), etc... As a PSD-1, you act as a Calltaker, a Police Dispatcher or a Fire Dispatcher, but not all at once (usually you sit at a different position every day of your tour). There is about 6-months worth of in-house training, as well as several classes held around the state of CT. The Stamford ECC (Emergency Communications Center) handles all 911 and "routine" calls for the entire City of Stamford. The Calltakers, Police Dispatchers and Fire Dispatcher are all located in the same room and work off the same CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) system, which enables instant information sharing between agencies. The ECC as a whole falls under the direct command of a Police Captain, and each 8-hour shift is supervised by One Police Sergeant and One Lieutenant or Captain from the Stamford Fire & Rescue Department. There are 6 squads (A,B,C and X, Y, Z), and 3 8-hour shifts per day, which are: 2300-0700, 0700-1500 and 1500-2300. 3 of the squads (A, B and C) work a "two-trick" schedule comprised of 5 days on 0700-1500, then 2 days off, then 5 days on 1500-2300, then 3 days off. Rinse and repeat. The 2300-0700 (Midnight) shift is staffed by Squads X, Y and Z on a 4 days on/2 days off schedule. Midnights are staffed first by volunteers, and then by forced assignments by reverse-seniority on a 3-month rotation (once you are forced to Midnights for 3 months, you are exempt from being forced for the next 12 months, and you can't be forced to Midnights until you are off probation.) PSD-1's are covered by the UAW Local 2377 Contract with the City of Stamford. The time off and benefits are quite good. There is also an Employees' Credit Union offering excellent rates. There's even a decent cafeteria in the building (only open during 0700-1500 shift). As far as the types of calls that we handle, the short answer is "everything". From lost cell phones to stolen cars. From bloody noses to diabetic emergencies. From simple assaults to homicides. ...and, of course, our seasonal favorite: "When is the parade?" The answer to which is always "Yesterday." ...Hope that helped!

All true! My favorite being: I recently suggested we invite a few of the "regulars" to our squad's holiday party

Other than the obvious benefits of information sharing... I wouldn't have my current job if I hadn't seen it posted on this site. Also when I was doing research for the Ladder 26 Truck Committee, I was able to get a lot of useful information from this site and its members. Many thanks to Seth and everyone else who keeps this site running.

Well, in the case that "ryefd192" mentioned, the two applications were handed in at the County building at precisely the same moment... are certain questions weighted differently to aid in the ranking process?

Congrats! What does this mean for your KED-281 and MEMS careers?

Reason 1: Weather Reason 2: Stops the hose from flying off the back of the rig In the case of Harrison's Engine 11 (the one you are thinking of) it is purely a weather cover, and actually allows enough room underneath it for crew members to re-pack the bed. A couple of pics... http://onthejobny.com/gallery/apparatus/ha...rrison.jpg.html http://www.emtbravo.com/FAD/E11.jpg

Ok, so what's the history behind the ant?

Arrangements are pending: Let them recover emotionally first!

As Homer Simpson would say: Mmmm, free dinner

Well, thanks! Much of the work can be attributed to "FirehouseSolutions.com", who the Rye FD has a contract with. But there have been many hours put into the site by our volunteer personnel as well. Some other Firehouse Solutions websites in Westchester include... Mt. Kisco's Independent Fire Co. Bedford Hills Fire Dept. Mohegan Fire Department

www.ryefire.com

www.seagrave.com There's a semi-hidden FDNY/Rescue Me-themed intro page, but if the website is in your recent browsing history, you need to close your browser and open a new browser window to see it.

I figured Dino would chime in on this one first... See you in the brook! Go Garnets!