lt411

Part 2- Now, to some of the misinformation that has been posted on this site in regard to the YFD First Responder Program.
Misinformation response # 1. This work constitutes a large majority of our responses, or our overall work. This is not accurate. First Responder runs account for approximately 55 % of our incidents. However, each of these incidents requires the response of only one Engine Company, and the Engine Company is generally back in service in 20 minutes or less, sometimes longer of course. Obviously to anyone familiar with the Fire Service, the typical incident any Fire Department responds to (the other approximately 45% ) involves many more apparatus and personnel for significantly longer periods of time. A First Responder run with utilizing one apparatue and 4 Firefighters for 15 minutes is one incident. A 3 Alarm Fire utilizing 14 apparatus, other vehicles, and a total of 63 or so Firefighters for six or seven hours is also one incident, kapeesh?? Furthermore, the "workload" of a Fire Department is not only responses, but also the necessary training, inspections, cleaning, maintenance of vehicles, equipment, etc.
Misinformation response # 1a. Therefore, although the rumored elimination of the First Responder Program may (not my area of expertise) allow certain contractual minimum personnel levels to no longer be adhered to, it will not obviate the necessity to have adequate Fire Companies and personnel available for Firefighting and other emergencies. Sure, no FD is as busy as twenty years ago with fire duty, and certainly not as busy as 30 or 40 years ago. Nonetheless, fires do still occur, and adequate personnel and equipment is necessary for this. There is a very valid reason that similar sized city FD's all over the U.S., and in fact the industrialized world conduct First Responder Programs- the very nature of a Fire Department requires Firefighters and their equipment to be readily available for guess what, fires! However, this ready availability of individuals who are trained to handle emergencies and have apparatus to quickly respond allows city sized Fire Departments to have personnel available to supplement the primary EMS response with First Response capability. This supplementation is able to be done by Firefighters who, for the most part, will need to be there, available, anyway! The Firefighters do not get tied up with transport (generally), transfer to the medical facility, PCR's, cleaning the ambulance, etc. So, they are able to go right back into service as soon as the patient has been placed in the ambulance, or in many cases, sooner, right?
Misinformation response # 2. Oh, here's an easy one- we have 4 Firefighters per apparatus (3 Firefighters and a Company Officer), not 5. That is the manning we have had per apparatus for over 30 years. It's hard to understand how any individual who would purport to understand the situation in Yonkers could state that this is all about reducing manning from 5 to 4 per apparatus, or words to that effect.
Misinformation response # 3. The majority of these runs are nuisance runs. Well, that depends on what you consider a nusiance run. The fact is that if we know in advance the situation is not a true medical emergency, then neither the Fire Department nor the emergency ambulance service shoud respond, right? The problem, which has been studied at the highest levels for many years, is how to deduce from the initial phone call what is and what isn't a "nuisance call"..I don't know how to quantify how many of these runs that YFD (and Empress) responds to are not true medical emergencies, but admittedly the number is significant, as it is in EMS systems almost everywhere. No one wants to respond on any type of alarm where we are not needed, and as soon as someone can find out how to deduce true emergency from nuisance run every time, please let us know!
END OF PART 2 TO BE CONTINUED

Great post my Brother, whoever you are, lol- please let me know your identity if you don't mind. Thanks to you and Capt. Smith for the informative posts and to all of our members for not discrediting ourselves or our department by engaging in name calling and nasty, unprofessional language. Of course I would never expect our guys to sink to the level that some others on this thread have sunk to, but thanks nonetheless...
I will add a bit from my perspective- please bear with me as I am exhausted and pressed for time do I will bang this out quickly and it may be a bit rough around the edges....
I am nearing the end of my career, and frankly, I don't really think I will be personally affected if in fact the YFD First Responder Program did end, although I sincerely doubt that will happen for long, if at all, and I will explain why below. In fact, I certainly have more to lose by posting on this topic rather than remaining silent as this will likely piss some people off...oh well...
I have been a member of YFD for almost 25 years, since before we had a First Responder Program. As a very junior Firefighter I was a member of the committee which some at the time said "ruined the job" by convincing first, Local 628, and later, with the backing of L-628, helped to convince the City Fathers that this program was a good idea. The union did not come up with the idea of this program or push for it at first. You see, years ago, YFD only responded on medical runs when there was a confirmed cardiac arrest and Empress Ambulance either was not available at all, or did not have enough personnel available to perform good CPR. We responded on those fairly often. We had only very basic first aid training and CPR. There were numerous times when we performed CPR for very long periods of time before the arrival of the ambulance. Sometimes a Paramedic fly car would arrive and we would wait, and wait....sometimes not even the fly car. The Empress employees were almost always professional, dedicated, and we had a great working relationship. It sure wasn't their fault that the number of ambulances available didn't meet the need at that moment. One day, at Engine 306 where I worked, a family ran in with a baby in respiratory distress who had actually turned blue. A senior man /EMT opened the airway and started Oxygen. The baby wound up being ok. The family was irate that they had called over 20 minutes before and we had not responded (we checked the times and this was accurate). We explained that FD did not get sent to these type of calls unless it was a cardiac arrest and Empress requested us. It was very upsetting to me/us to know that people who we were sworn to protect, particularly children, could be having a life threatening medical emergency that we would be able to assist with, yet we would not be called.
I really never wanted to do emergency medical work back then- I thought of myself as a Firefighter and my idea of a Firefighter was different than what it is today. Nonetheless, because of situations such as I have described above, I agreed with some other Firefighters who advocated for us to go on these runs more regularly as was being done in other parts of the country, and seemingly very successfully. It took a couple of years, but eventually the program began. At the time, approximately 22 years ago, it is my understanding that Empress was charging the City of Yonkers a flat 1 Million per year for their services plus the ability to recoup from billing. Almost as soon as we began the First Responder Program that ccontract was re-negotiated and Empress then waived this 1 Million dollar fee. Also, there was no minimum number of ambulances that were required to be dedicated to City of Yonkers- almost as soon as YFD began going on these runs,it was noticed how very bad Empress' response times were- not due to any fault of the overworked Empress EMT's and Medics, but again, because of a lack of appropriate resources. So, very shortly because of YFD complaints, Empress agreed to keep a minimum number of ALS and BLS units in the city and this was put into their contract. I also think that it was at this time that a certain maximum average response time for Empress BLS and ALS units was placed into Empress' contract which improved things dramatically. I guess if prior to YFD involvement no one was really paying attention to ressponse times, why bother having a lot of ambulances available- the number of billable patients was not dependent on response time- they would all wait as long as it took for the ambulance so why incur the expense if no one was complaining, right?
Admittedly, I haven't gone on a First Responder rum for almost 7 years now, but I did respond on very many over the years. Almost always, I found Empress employees to be fantastic and I thought we had a great working relationship, even if there was a bit of uncomfortability at times- egos and jealousy and just basic human misunderstanding on both sides creeps in of course, however in my opinion we were mostly all regular working people who enjoyed the adrenaline rush and especially, helping people. During the approximately 15 years that I went on First Responder runs with YFD there were very many times that we arrived significantly before Empress ambulance. The large majority of time we arrived at least a couple of minutes before Empress, and often, especially when I worked on the East side of Yonkers, more than 10 minutes prior to Empress. As Captain Smith was, I was involved in 2 successful childbirths (the Moms did basically all of the work of course but they were sure glad that we were there nonetheless) before Empress arrived (not the same ones), and I and my crew initiated CPR COUNTLESS TIMES before Empress' arrival. END OF PART 1 TO BE CONTINUED

Let me be more clear since from the responses you're not getting my point. My point is why are we putting ourselves in harm's way and taking on the liability as officers by conducting operations that are simply unsafe?

Why are we performing interior operations when there is nobody outside to rescue our sorry asses when it goes sideways?
How come we don't have the balls to say "sorry, not on my watch" and STOP violating OSHA regulations or NFPA and ISO guidelines by having inadequate numbers of FF on scene? OSHA, NFPA, and ISO have all come out with regulations, standards, and guidance that says X is the right number and we consistently accept fractions of X instead of drawing a line in the sand. Where're the balls we all like to boast about having when it comes time to stand up to city hall or the commissioners or just our own conscience!!!

I remember when my department still had a fairly solid volunteer roster to join the career staff but those days are over. I don't think I could send two guys in on a line without more personnel outside to bail them out of a jam. Maybe I'm paranoid in my old age but I'd rather fight it from the outside than knock on someone's door to tell them that their loved one isn't coming home because I failed to do my job. If you're the chief and you've got three guys on scene at a real worker, how do you in clear conscience send them inside the building?

And another thing, after watching that video about the FDNY member bailing out and the issue of proper equipment, how does anyone permit operations without the right equipment? After reading about the Kingston job, how do we continue to operate without throwing ladders up on the outside and having a FAST/RIT ready to roll?
Most of the responses to this have focused on doing the job at all costs and by any means necessary. I think we have to start rethinking that mindset and start seriously considering how we're going to evolve the fire service before bnechis's predictions come true and we're regionalized and consolidated by someone else.

As I sort or noted, the "alternate" playbook in a written form will likely only come back to haunt us all. The playbook is here for all to read, we just need to utilize it differently, Instead of tackling two or three tactical objectives at once, we must begin them sequentially. There have been so great time and manpower saving ideas come up with from some firefighters in FD's that are severely understaffed. But at some point, placing a ground ladder on an extension ladder, then hooking your tools to it, so you can drag it to side #3 and then go work is not saving manpower, it's likely putting that single firefighter at increased risk. It's likely that places where these tactics are required the same FF will VES or vent, complete that assignment then get another, and probably another after that. The same tasks in a properly staffed FD will be done by 5 or 6 guys, who can fight another fire later in their tour. At my job, that same guy may have just shoveled hydrants for four hours.
Now, just like 12-15 years ago wen "Two in Two Out" was coming out, we the personnel that it was designed to protect are complaining that won't allow us to do our jobs as effectively. Back in it's inception we all tossed around the half joke of "hearing someone calling for help or sounds that indicated a trapped victim" so we could immediately violate the rule. Instead had we all been collectively thinking we may have made this into a minimum staffing issue. The rules say we can't make entry to search for people unless we have clear indication of their presence and have enough people on the fireground to save our own. This should have been parlayed into a requirement that all FD's ensured that one way or another the requisite staffing was immediately dispatched. For many career FD's this would set minimum staffing goals; for volunteer FD's this likely would have meant automatic aid. Instead we ignored the rule or worked around it, increasing the risks to our selves while assuming far more liability if one of our own was hurt or killed. Fast forward to now, and we still are struggling to meet 2 in / 2 out in many places, we're struggling to complete searches during the time victims are viable and we're allowing more dangerous construction and failing at ensuring sprinklers in all residential housing.
I guess I'm of the mind that we need more firefighters and that's where our focus should lie. We shouldn't don't need an alternative plan, but in fact just have on scene decision makers that know how to prioritize the assignments and can be realistic about what a single FF or company can do in terms of single assignments or consecutive assignments. Developing a written plan on how to safely engage the fire with fewer personnel will certainly assure you of fewer personnel, and widepsread publishing of the same will result in another document for the beancounters to use to reduce staffing. Instead we should focus on what singular tasks a limited number allows us to do safely (given our occupation) and show the beancounters why we must do this, and what the outcome will be (increased fire damage or losses). In no case is anyone (I hope) abdandoning rescues or standing around doing nothing until more personnel arrive.

Went through this many years ago. Stopped at my fathers house for breakfast, on the way into work for 9x6 tour. He said-"hey, your firehouse is on 43st.,right? I think it has been destroyed by a huge fire!" I hoped (selfishly) that it was the other company,Engine 65, also on 43 st., not Rescue 1. No, it was my firehouse- the 6-story (heavy timber) piano factory burned (arson) and collapsed onto our 3-story quarters.
We spent 2 weeks digging through the pancake collapse, getting to our lockers and finding old photos and memorabila (sp?). One of the guys had many large coffee cans filled with quarters, and another had all the masts and sails and gear for his sailboat in the cellar, in addition to his three boys band equipment. (He told his boys that they could rehearse in the firehouse basement, as long as the Captain wasn't working). Well one day the Captain made a last minute mutual, and ending up working during a "rehearsal". Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he heard a huge racket going on in quarters!
Anyway, we had to relocate for several years to E34/L21 on 38st. unil a new quarters was rebuilt on the site. Of course the wrought-iron circular staircase and the old kitchen and the wainscoting-all gone in the new "modern" station. Losing your firehouse to a fire is very painful even if it was an accident.

Went through this many years ago. Stopped at my fathers house for breakfast, on the way into work for 9x6 tour. He said-"hey, your firehouse is on 43st.,right? I think it has been destroyed by a huge fire!" I hoped (selfishly) that it was the other company,Engine 65, also on 43 st., not Rescue 1. No, it was my firehouse- the 6-story (heavy timber) piano factory burned (arson) and collapsed onto our 3-story quarters.
We spent 2 weeks digging through the pancake collapse, getting to our lockers and finding old photos and memorabila (sp?). One of the guys had many large coffee cans filled with quarters, and another had all the masts and sails and gear for his sailboat in the cellar, in addition to his three boys band equipment. (He told his boys that they could rehearse in the firehouse basement, as long as the Captain wasn't working). Well one day the Captain made a last minute mutual, and ending up working during a "rehearsal". Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he heard a huge racket going on in quarters!
Anyway, we had to relocate for several years to E34/L21 on 38st. unil a new quarters was rebuilt on the site. Of course the wrought-iron circular staircase and the old kitchen and the wainscoting-all gone in the new "modern" station. Losing your firehouse to a fire is very painful even if it was an accident.

Went through this many years ago. Stopped at my fathers house for breakfast, on the way into work for 9x6 tour. He said-"hey, your firehouse is on 43st.,right? I think it has been destroyed by a huge fire!" I hoped (selfishly) that it was the other company,Engine 65, also on 43 st., not Rescue 1. No, it was my firehouse- the 6-story (heavy timber) piano factory burned (arson) and collapsed onto our 3-story quarters.
We spent 2 weeks digging through the pancake collapse, getting to our lockers and finding old photos and memorabila (sp?). One of the guys had many large coffee cans filled with quarters, and another had all the masts and sails and gear for his sailboat in the cellar, in addition to his three boys band equipment. (He told his boys that they could rehearse in the firehouse basement, as long as the Captain wasn't working). Well one day the Captain made a last minute mutual, and ending up working during a "rehearsal". Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he heard a huge racket going on in quarters!
Anyway, we had to relocate for several years to E34/L21 on 38st. unil a new quarters was rebuilt on the site. Of course the wrought-iron circular staircase and the old kitchen and the wainscoting-all gone in the new "modern" station. Losing your firehouse to a fire is very painful even if it was an accident.

Went through this many years ago. Stopped at my fathers house for breakfast, on the way into work for 9x6 tour. He said-"hey, your firehouse is on 43st.,right? I think it has been destroyed by a huge fire!" I hoped (selfishly) that it was the other company,Engine 65, also on 43 st., not Rescue 1. No, it was my firehouse- the 6-story (heavy timber) piano factory burned (arson) and collapsed onto our 3-story quarters.
We spent 2 weeks digging through the pancake collapse, getting to our lockers and finding old photos and memorabila (sp?). One of the guys had many large coffee cans filled with quarters, and another had all the masts and sails and gear for his sailboat in the cellar, in addition to his three boys band equipment. (He told his boys that they could rehearse in the firehouse basement, as long as the Captain wasn't working). Well one day the Captain made a last minute mutual, and ending up working during a "rehearsal". Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he heard a huge racket going on in quarters!
Anyway, we had to relocate for several years to E34/L21 on 38st. unil a new quarters was rebuilt on the site. Of course the wrought-iron circular staircase and the old kitchen and the wainscoting-all gone in the new "modern" station. Losing your firehouse to a fire is very painful even if it was an accident.

Went through this many years ago. Stopped at my fathers house for breakfast, on the way into work for 9x6 tour. He said-"hey, your firehouse is on 43st.,right? I think it has been destroyed by a huge fire!" I hoped (selfishly) that it was the other company,Engine 65, also on 43 st., not Rescue 1. No, it was my firehouse- the 6-story (heavy timber) piano factory burned (arson) and collapsed onto our 3-story quarters.
We spent 2 weeks digging through the pancake collapse, getting to our lockers and finding old photos and memorabila (sp?). One of the guys had many large coffee cans filled with quarters, and another had all the masts and sails and gear for his sailboat in the cellar, in addition to his three boys band equipment. (He told his boys that they could rehearse in the firehouse basement, as long as the Captain wasn't working). Well one day the Captain made a last minute mutual, and ending up working during a "rehearsal". Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he heard a huge racket going on in quarters!
Anyway, we had to relocate for several years to E34/L21 on 38st. unil a new quarters was rebuilt on the site. Of course the wrought-iron circular staircase and the old kitchen and the wainscoting-all gone in the new "modern" station. Losing your firehouse to a fire is very painful even if it was an accident.

Went through this many years ago. Stopped at my fathers house for breakfast, on the way into work for 9x6 tour. He said-"hey, your firehouse is on 43st.,right? I think it has been destroyed by a huge fire!" I hoped (selfishly) that it was the other company,Engine 65, also on 43 st., not Rescue 1. No, it was my firehouse- the 6-story (heavy timber) piano factory burned (arson) and collapsed onto our 3-story quarters.
We spent 2 weeks digging through the pancake collapse, getting to our lockers and finding old photos and memorabila (sp?). One of the guys had many large coffee cans filled with quarters, and another had all the masts and sails and gear for his sailboat in the cellar, in addition to his three boys band equipment. (He told his boys that they could rehearse in the firehouse basement, as long as the Captain wasn't working). Well one day the Captain made a last minute mutual, and ending up working during a "rehearsal". Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he heard a huge racket going on in quarters!
Anyway, we had to relocate for several years to E34/L21 on 38st. unil a new quarters was rebuilt on the site. Of course the wrought-iron circular staircase and the old kitchen and the wainscoting-all gone in the new "modern" station. Losing your firehouse to a fire is very painful even if it was an accident.

Went through this many years ago. Stopped at my fathers house for breakfast, on the way into work for 9x6 tour. He said-"hey, your firehouse is on 43st.,right? I think it has been destroyed by a huge fire!" I hoped (selfishly) that it was the other company,Engine 65, also on 43 st., not Rescue 1. No, it was my firehouse- the 6-story (heavy timber) piano factory burned (arson) and collapsed onto our 3-story quarters.
We spent 2 weeks digging through the pancake collapse, getting to our lockers and finding old photos and memorabila (sp?). One of the guys had many large coffee cans filled with quarters, and another had all the masts and sails and gear for his sailboat in the cellar, in addition to his three boys band equipment. (He told his boys that they could rehearse in the firehouse basement, as long as the Captain wasn't working). Well one day the Captain made a last minute mutual, and ending up working during a "rehearsal". Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he heard a huge racket going on in quarters!
Anyway, we had to relocate for several years to E34/L21 on 38st. unil a new quarters was rebuilt on the site. Of course the wrought-iron circular staircase and the old kitchen and the wainscoting-all gone in the new "modern" station. Losing your firehouse to a fire is very painful even if it was an accident.

Went through this many years ago. Stopped at my fathers house for breakfast, on the way into work for 9x6 tour. He said-"hey, your firehouse is on 43st.,right? I think it has been destroyed by a huge fire!" I hoped (selfishly) that it was the other company,Engine 65, also on 43 st., not Rescue 1. No, it was my firehouse- the 6-story (heavy timber) piano factory burned (arson) and collapsed onto our 3-story quarters.
We spent 2 weeks digging through the pancake collapse, getting to our lockers and finding old photos and memorabila (sp?). One of the guys had many large coffee cans filled with quarters, and another had all the masts and sails and gear for his sailboat in the cellar, in addition to his three boys band equipment. (He told his boys that they could rehearse in the firehouse basement, as long as the Captain wasn't working). Well one day the Captain made a last minute mutual, and ending up working during a "rehearsal". Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he heard a huge racket going on in quarters!
Anyway, we had to relocate for several years to E34/L21 on 38st. unil a new quarters was rebuilt on the site. Of course the wrought-iron circular staircase and the old kitchen and the wainscoting-all gone in the new "modern" station. Losing your firehouse to a fire is very painful even if it was an accident.

Went through this many years ago. Stopped at my fathers house for breakfast, on the way into work for 9x6 tour. He said-"hey, your firehouse is on 43st.,right? I think it has been destroyed by a huge fire!" I hoped (selfishly) that it was the other company,Engine 65, also on 43 st., not Rescue 1. No, it was my firehouse- the 6-story (heavy timber) piano factory burned (arson) and collapsed onto our 3-story quarters.
We spent 2 weeks digging through the pancake collapse, getting to our lockers and finding old photos and memorabila (sp?). One of the guys had many large coffee cans filled with quarters, and another had all the masts and sails and gear for his sailboat in the cellar, in addition to his three boys band equipment. (He told his boys that they could rehearse in the firehouse basement, as long as the Captain wasn't working). Well one day the Captain made a last minute mutual, and ending up working during a "rehearsal". Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he heard a huge racket going on in quarters!
Anyway, we had to relocate for several years to E34/L21 on 38st. unil a new quarters was rebuilt on the site. Of course the wrought-iron circular staircase and the old kitchen and the wainscoting-all gone in the new "modern" station. Losing your firehouse to a fire is very painful even if it was an accident.

Went through this many years ago. Stopped at my fathers house for breakfast, on the way into work for 9x6 tour. He said-"hey, your firehouse is on 43st.,right? I think it has been destroyed by a huge fire!" I hoped (selfishly) that it was the other company,Engine 65, also on 43 st., not Rescue 1. No, it was my firehouse- the 6-story (heavy timber) piano factory burned (arson) and collapsed onto our 3-story quarters.
We spent 2 weeks digging through the pancake collapse, getting to our lockers and finding old photos and memorabila (sp?). One of the guys had many large coffee cans filled with quarters, and another had all the masts and sails and gear for his sailboat in the cellar, in addition to his three boys band equipment. (He told his boys that they could rehearse in the firehouse basement, as long as the Captain wasn't working). Well one day the Captain made a last minute mutual, and ending up working during a "rehearsal". Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he heard a huge racket going on in quarters!
Anyway, we had to relocate for several years to E34/L21 on 38st. unil a new quarters was rebuilt on the site. Of course the wrought-iron circular staircase and the old kitchen and the wainscoting-all gone in the new "modern" station. Losing your firehouse to a fire is very painful even if it was an accident.

Went through this many years ago. Stopped at my fathers house for breakfast, on the way into work for 9x6 tour. He said-"hey, your firehouse is on 43st.,right? I think it has been destroyed by a huge fire!" I hoped (selfishly) that it was the other company,Engine 65, also on 43 st., not Rescue 1. No, it was my firehouse- the 6-story (heavy timber) piano factory burned (arson) and collapsed onto our 3-story quarters.
We spent 2 weeks digging through the pancake collapse, getting to our lockers and finding old photos and memorabila (sp?). One of the guys had many large coffee cans filled with quarters, and another had all the masts and sails and gear for his sailboat in the cellar, in addition to his three boys band equipment. (He told his boys that they could rehearse in the firehouse basement, as long as the Captain wasn't working). Well one day the Captain made a last minute mutual, and ending up working during a "rehearsal". Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he heard a huge racket going on in quarters!
Anyway, we had to relocate for several years to E34/L21 on 38st. unil a new quarters was rebuilt on the site. Of course the wrought-iron circular staircase and the old kitchen and the wainscoting-all gone in the new "modern" station. Losing your firehouse to a fire is very painful even if it was an accident.

Went through this many years ago. Stopped at my fathers house for breakfast, on the way into work for 9x6 tour. He said-"hey, your firehouse is on 43st.,right? I think it has been destroyed by a huge fire!" I hoped (selfishly) that it was the other company,Engine 65, also on 43 st., not Rescue 1. No, it was my firehouse- the 6-story (heavy timber) piano factory burned (arson) and collapsed onto our 3-story quarters.
We spent 2 weeks digging through the pancake collapse, getting to our lockers and finding old photos and memorabila (sp?). One of the guys had many large coffee cans filled with quarters, and another had all the masts and sails and gear for his sailboat in the cellar, in addition to his three boys band equipment. (He told his boys that they could rehearse in the firehouse basement, as long as the Captain wasn't working). Well one day the Captain made a last minute mutual, and ending up working during a "rehearsal". Needless to say, he wasn't happy when he heard a huge racket going on in quarters!
Anyway, we had to relocate for several years to E34/L21 on 38st. unil a new quarters was rebuilt on the site. Of course the wrought-iron circular staircase and the old kitchen and the wainscoting-all gone in the new "modern" station. Losing your firehouse to a fire is very painful even if it was an accident.

No matter where you go, a boy and his dog will follow the fire trucks..

M'Ave can tell you what the FDNY current response policy is to various alarms. I know that most responses require the units other than 1st due engine or truck to go "non-emergency", unless the radio dispatcher has more information requiring "lights and sirens". (Obviously all units respond code 3 to reported structure fires,and life-threatening calls).

This brings up a sore point for me, that alarm companies rarely have actual information that is useful to either dispatchers or responders in making such a decision. After an experience in my old VFD when a large and seemingly reputable alarm company canceled a call, so the 1st due engine downgraded the response only to arrive and be met with the statement from the homeowner, "it was only a small fire" I am extremely suspicious of anything I get from them. When working in dispatch and an alarm company calls to cancel either a burglar or fire alarm (including CO) I have started asking for 3 things.
#1 the name of the keyholder who canceled the alarm. You would be amazed at the number of times the alarm company has only a first name or only a last name yet accepted a cancellation from Bob or Mr. Smith.
#2 is that keyholder on premises or not. Especially in a city where many residents work out of town, knowing that the homeowner is in NYC in an office building means that he really is not qualified to cancel any alarms in CT right now.
#3 What set off the alarm / reason for cancellation. I would say that 8 or 9 times out of 10 the only reason is that they got the password. Sometimes we are lucky enough to get, it was probably the cleaning lady (from that out of town keyholder).
So how does this factor into silent dispatch for the FD, well you are going to a fire alarm I just sent you to. All of a sudden I call the responding Chief and say that the alarm company is trying to cancel. Now in my city we never cancel fire alarms but will downgrade to a single engine, but that decision is being made on faulty information most of the time. So what would you do? Would you turn off the lights and siren? Then you get there to a fire because some guy reached on his cell phone while vacationing across the country knew the password was teddy bear.
Now same scenario and I relay to you that the alarm company is trying to cancel based on an off site keyholder who can give no cause for the alarm. Now you have some info (or at least a confirmed lack of it) to work with.
Maybe even the lucky third option. The alarm company is trying to cancel, homeowner is home and reports accidental activation due to steam from a shower. Now we have enough credible info to work with, all the switches go off some units head back to the barn and we reduce the risk to the public, our people and even our equipment.

While looking through Michael Dicks incredible collection of FDNY pictures, i came across one that peaked my interest.
It is a photo of 2 Firemen presumably taking a breather after a job. One of the men is Bob Athanas, who is now on R3 (Orange County resident as well). The other is Al Ronaldson who was with R3 at the time of this photo was taken.
What peaked my interest was the fact that the caption of the photo states that FF Ronaldson was killed in the LOD on 03/05/1991.
Being curious of the circumstances of the LODD, i did a quick search.
My search came back with many articles and memorial pages dedicated to FF Al Ronaldson.
One article in particular stated that the FAST concept was born out of the tragedy of FF Ronaldson's death.
I found the article to be very interesting, so i thought i'd pass it on.
May FF Al Ronaldson RIP.
Link to the article:
http://firerescuesafety.blogspot.com/2012/03/orgin-of-fast.html

Lt. Joseph DiBernardo, FDNY Rescue 3
Plaque Dedication

http://www.nyc.gov/h...2/112012a.shtml
I had the honor of attending the Plaque Dedication at Rescue 3 in the Bronx on
November 20, 2012 and got the experience the BROTHERHOOD of the FDNY first hand.
I took some photos that I would like to share with the members of EMTBravo


Please keep Lt. Joseph DiBernardo, his family, friends, FDNY Brothers and
Setauket FD Brothers in your thoughts.
Lt. Joseph DiBernardo
December 9, 1970 - November 22, 2011
-FDNY Bronx Dispatcher # 356
-FDNY Firefighter Ladder 56, Squad 61, Rescue 3
-Setauket FD Ex-Captain Rescue 6
http://www.setauketf...hp?nSI=36833077
REST IN PEACE LIEUTENANT!

Let me tell ya a few things about them bastard dispatchers.....I know a little bit.
First off - it sucks. But it is OK too...
It is a GOOD living, but obviously not as "fun" or "glorious" as our police, fire, and even EMS counterparts.
The BIGGEST thing I have noticied in over 15 years "in the chair" is that EVERYONE in the field thinks they could do it better, or things could be done different. Everyone in a uniform has IDEALS, but dispatchers have PROTOCOLS. For the most part the voice ont he radio doesnt make those protocol, but we are bound to adhere to them. So if you get angry or frustrated - direct that to the policy makers, not the person on the other end of the radio.
We get it from every direction...and speaking from MY job, literally everyone is our superioir...I am the #5 on my job senority wise..I been around, yet even the newest, junior cop or fireman tells me what to do...but that is part of MY job...other agencies are different..they have a more structured, Dispatch Command..we are under the authority of the Police Watch Commander and FD Shift Commander...yet there is still a small army of Sergeants, Liuetenant, Captains, Chiefs, and Deputy Chiefs that can change it all with a simple command...
EVERY shift is run different - under the direction of the Watch Commander..so if you are like me, and work OT on different shifts..you had BETTER do i tTHAT bosses way..
You guys get to SEE your jurasdiction every day - you know it intimately..hell I been working in our City for 12 years and I dont know ALOT of the streets,..Yes, I know what police post they are on, who to send, and even what fire truck is first due - but I have been "lost" on the southside of our city as recently as last week..we dont get out to see it enough, if at all. Sure maps, and CAD are nice - but there is no subsitute for actual street time. Some agencies make "ride time" a part of training - and thats awesome.
"They dont give us enough info.." Yep...true. But we give you all of what we can get from our callers - which in an urban setting like mine - sometimes is just an address...if I had a dollar for everytime a caller said - "just send the M F'ing cops/Ambulance" I could retire to the Keys with George..LOL. And if we give alot of info - we are met with "headquarters - get off the air.." There is NO happy median it seems sometimes.
Dont get me wrong - I am NOT defending all dispatchers - I have worked with some real turds...but thankfully, for the most part - we weed them out. Not all...but alot..this job is not for everyone.
I will openly admit that this is NOT what I pictured myself doing...well, it is not what I wanted to do..anyone who knows me knows I should be on a firetruck for 40 hours a week, but I do not regret it one bit. I have a good life and make good money...I can support my family well, we own a house, 2 cars, and a dog...the American Dream, right? I am heads and shoulders above where my parents where at my age. I stay cool in the summer, warm in the winter, park in a secure parking agarge, and can surf Bravo for 8 hours a day. For that I am very thankful.
One of the things I cherish the most about my job is RESPECT. The guys on the other side of the radio - be it police or fire, appreciate me and the job I do..I take care of "my guys"..they know when the crap hits the fan in a foot pursuit that I am right there with them, and help is on the way. I know how the FD operates and usually have what the Captain requests done or ready to be done. I do my job well, because lives of cops and firemen depend on it. I have actually been written up for two commendations by Fire Lieutenants after tough, hectic, SCARY jobs for my actions in assisting them...both times they were denied because, "he is just a dispatcher...". Who cares....it's the RESPECT from those guys that mean more to me than ANY peice of paper signed by the Mayor.
So yeah, dispatching sucks..but it pays the bills. And I know that there are a few guys out there that know we really DO make a difference. So cut us some slack...or take the test and get "in the chair."

This article is an embarrassment to the job and more so to this disgrace of a firefighter. The article would have you believe that this is a dietary issue and that the other firefighters are making him feel like an outcast because of his dietary choices. I've never worked in that firehouse, but we all know what the firehouse kitchen is like. The kitchen is sacred in the firehouse. It's where a group of firefighters, working together for 24 hrs, come together as a unit, cook and eat. Everyone coming together is key to the cohesiveness of the firehouse. Not everyone likes what is put on the table every night and no one is forcing food down your throat. Plenty of people I work with don't eat shellfish or cheese and some guys ARE cutting down on their meat intake for health reasons. That's fine, but everyone still pays and everyone still cooks. If nothing else, it's a highly important symbolic activity. We have a rule, if you're "out on the meal" then that's it, you're out.
Don't be fooled by the NY Post rhetoric or this guys nonsense story. The trouble didn't start because one person decided to change their diet. It began when that one person decided that the whole firehouse and a sacred aspect of it's culture had to change for him. We drill together, we laugh together, we eat together and we put ourselves in harms way together. You can't shun one of those things and expect everyone to maintain the same level of respect for you.
If any serious credence is lent to this story, it will be one more slide down the tube for society.

It looks like a "Chess Move." He's on the Lt list but needs a little extra to get the promotion. So he sues the city and the carnivores (that's a new FDNY Society) and if he is not promoted he goes before some clueles judge and yells "harrassment".
I almost guarantee he gets promoted and a cash settlement on top. Then the city will then have to spend $3.6 million to train the whole department on the nutritional value of veggies as ruled by the judge.
Judge Garufis then gets a hold of the case and orders "rolling meat-outs" citywide. Companies will be required to give up meat on certain days. OOPS... it wasn't Garufis, it was the Pope that ordered that one.

huzzie 59- to answer your question---sort of--that was the problem on 911 there was no control of what departments went where. If you had a "hook" or a friend your department went. some departments just went.Some had no communication with FDNY. All intentions were good and honerable, We were all taken in by the vastness of the situation and the horrific lose of life that day but in reality it only added to the confusion . This was a praparedness drill where interoperations with communications was established, companies were divided up and worked with FDNY eng and ladders and chiefs.
I am sure we all pray that there is never another situaton like 911 again but FDNY is not going to be caught off guard--they have a plan.
We have been told by FDNY/NYC Police that in the event that this plan goes into effect NO one No fire apparatus will enter the city without first going through the staging areas and they must have an assigement.ALL others will be turned away.