SECTMB

Love those Maxims. What ever happened to Maxim? I was on a department that had a 1927 Maxim Cities-Service Ladder truck. No aerial, full complement of various sized wood straight and extension ladders. Retired from service in 1974. Great photos Seth, thanks.

Date: Time: Location: District: Units: Description: I can't be sure, but I just saw an Autotrader ad with Bo and Luke in the General Lee and it looked to me that the roof, formerly painted with the Confederate bars and stars, was 'whited out'.

Our original Engine 92 is also taking part.

So, according to todays news, Pro Golfer Bubba Watson, who owns the original General Lee from the TV series, will repaint the roof and replace the Confederate stars and bars with the US stars and stripes. Pretty easy these days to erase and re-write history and disturbing how willing so many are to accept the re-write.

History should always be viewed in the proper context. It is not proper to apply the values that exist today with the values that were in place 100, 200, 300 years ago. People and their civilizations evolve over time and actions and practices that we revile and reject today were simple considered the norm generations and centuries ago. I think you can try to dictate and legislate behavior, which is what our government is trying to do, but it really only changes when the hearts and minds of the citizenry believe in and accept the changes.

The decisions rendered by the Supreme Court yesterday clearly indicate and show us that the entirety of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the rights afforded to us within those documents are no longer subject only to interpretation based on 'the rule of law' but subject to interpretation based on social, political and economic considerations. Given the tortured machinations used by the Court to save Obamacare, not once, but twice, if you don't think gun rights and religious rights can't be 'taken away' you may be in for a seriously disappointing awakening.

My area in GA (Savannah) was short listed for the new Volvo car plant to be built but they opted for SC outside Charleston. I wonder if they will duplicate this truck if they have a similar brigade at the new auto plant. We often overlook the industrial fire departments and their capabilities. Sikorsky in Stratford has quite a dept including some boats as their take-off/landing areas are adjacent to the Housatonic River.

While they may have changed the title over the years, as they have with so many other professions, I believe the public will always equate the two titles. I don't think most people, certainly anyone who has every watched a prison documentary, believes it is other than a very difficult and thankless job. I really don't think there is anything wrong with being referred to as a guard. You are tasked with guarding the public from societies miscreants.

Weird Science was on the other night, the one with Kelly LeBrock and Anthony Michael Hall. Doesn't that first escaped inmate look just like the 'thing' Kelly LeBrock turned the older bully brother into?

Lots of people with NYDOCCS across their backs. Like the public is supposed to know what that means. What's wrong with just plain POLICE. Agencies and their acronyms. So it's nice they found the woman who assisted in the escape. How about all the guards and supervisors asleep at the switch while power tools cut through the building? How long before we actually see some accountability. Wonder when that will be. I just hope they are found before they become desperate and resort to what the know best, killing.

All the new cars down here (Savannah area) are either Chargers or the Ford SUV's.

I think the photos are fine. Best way to keep up with the apparatus from long distance, thanks for the posting Seth.

Date: 05.22.2015 Time: 0300 Location: Drislane Drive btwn Macy Road and Underhill Road District: Briarcliff Manor Units: E-92, E-93, E-94, TL-40, 53-B1, 2052, 2053 Description: Working fire in 2nd. floor bedroom. Multiple lines in operation. Quick knockdown Ossining: E-97 to scene, L-41 to Briarcliff HQ to cover, 2331, 2332. Millwood: L-52, 2252 to scene. Croton: E-119 Fast to scene. Chappaqua: E-144 to Briarcliff HQ to cover. County: Battalion 12, Cause and Origin.

They should be, for the benefit of those who need assistance and can't wait for repeated tone outs.

I hate to repeat a story, but the bedroom arrangement was one of mine as well. My college had a student run fire department. In the dorm I got out of the bunk on the right side. At home on the left. I was home for a long weekend with a friend and of course in the middle of the night the 'Plectron' sounds off. I roll over and hit the wall. I try it again, hit the wall. I call to my friend, "Murphy, I can't get out of bed" and he simply responds, "try the other side stupid". Then there was the probie who pulls into the firehouse and squeezes his car between two others. Wearing his Helmet, like Homer, he tries to get out of the car and can't. We left him behind. One of the guys wore a toupe. He's all geared up in a jump seat. Starts to get up, truck stops short he goes back into the jump seat, helmet with toupe comes flying off. Same guy, cooking for one of the meetings reaches too far into the oven, catches toupe on fire. How about a 'nickname'. Freshman in college joins the department. Claims he's a truck driver. Big guy, like 6-4. Misses a double clutch downshift. Spent the next four years as Tex Tirebiter.

Just asking, not looking for trouble........If Yonkers is fully committed to an alarm and needs station coverage, I understand that New Rochelle may have 'extra' units to spare, but why wouldn't they call FDNY rather than Greenville and Eastchester which have less 'extra' units. Barry?

Not that today's rigs aren't impressive looking, but some of the older trucks seemed to have more character and individualism. Aside from some minor differences, like the grille, most apparatus has become like most cars, can't tell one from the other.

Many hands make light work. Who wouldn't mind an additional 6 or more firefighters on an alarm? Just asking...... when they do these studies, is there a way to measure productivity gains achieved by a common command and sop's because you are one department operating in concert at a multiple alarm fire as opposed to several departments operating together under mutual aid? Also would not the costs associated with injury lost time and overtime be less if the single consolidated department was properly staffed, spreading the work load? Can a value also be placed on the intangible costs associated with less burn out and better attitudes?

What a tragedy. I initially thought all the deceased would have been in the vehicle. I was surprised when I read this morning that all but the vehicle driver were on the train. You know that when you have grade crossings that sooner or later, but eventually, you will have a crash, just not this bad and not to the passengers. And this is a little rhetorical, but how do you get stuck between the gates? You have to see the train coming, bust through, jump out and run, do something, I don't get it.

Back to what's wrong with the site, there are lots of good criticisms and ideas to make things better, but we are just talking amongst ourselves and none of the ideas ever seems to get to someone who can effect change. We all know the volunteer departments are hurting, especially ems. You just have to monitor the scanner and hear the re-tones to know that. Why don't officials from local governments know what is happening? Are the Chiefs too proud to talk about the problem? I was a volunteer for 37 years. I stared in ems when it was still Red Cross first aid training and I became one of the first EMT's in my department when that program was first introduced back in the early 70's. But over the years things have changed both with fire and ems and I don't think it is possible to balance job, family and fire/ems anymore and be truly proficient at each. My Grandfather was Hope Hose, my father Hope Hose and Hilltop and my myself, my brothers and their sons Scarborough. I believe my nephews to be the last generation of a 100% volunteer department. We used to go out to reported fires, now departments go out for 'lock-outs'. People used to take themselves to the emergency room, now an ambulance is dispatched for a 'not feel well'. Call volumes for less than true emergencies have skyrocketed and for volunteers its a problem. You shouldn't pick and choose, but when the alarm comes in at 3:00 AM for New Dorm at Pace, you know damn well its another microwave popcorn call and you will get turned around if you even make it to the firehouse before the call is cancelled. I know that the paid guys will say, what if it isn't the popcorn? Well that is one big difference between paid and volunteer. You are already at the station, dedicating a specific period of time to respond to calls. You are not already at your 'regular' job, getting prepared for work, taking care of children, whatever you may be doing at any time of the day or night and have to stop and go out the door to a call, 90% or more that will be unnecessary because of either our increased Nanny State mentality of our fear of legal liability for not answering a call initiated by some electronic device somewhere. Gone too are the days of the police checking it out before dispatching additional services. So, I don't see call volume decreasing so I see increased demands on time for calls and time for training. Firefighting is a young persons job and today there are a lot more demands on young people who are dealing with getting an education and a job, starting a family and giving back the time to devote to fire/ems is more difficult. I think that it is inevitable for volunteer departments to have to transition to, initially some paid, especially days, and eventually to paid. I also feel that a County department is the answer and I don't want to hear about the law. Change the laws if they need to be changed, Apparently you only need three people in Albany to do anything so how hard can it be. I have been in the South for almost 10 years and in both the towns I have lived in they were covered by the County for Sheriffs, Fire and EMS. The larger cities still had their own, but the rest of the towns and villages were covered by the County with a lot fewer stations and apparatus than cover Westchester. And, Palm Beach County has 30% more people and 5X the area of Westchester. Some who haven't been around that long won't remember that the County PD used to be the Parkway PD. They embarked on an expansion and redefinition of themselves and have emerged as a major player in law enforcement. Is there no public safety committee within the State and/or County legislatures that is willing to take on the problems in fire/ems? These are life and death issues that you would think demand some attention from our elected officials. Oh, by the way, there is no Nirvana, my current County (Marion) department is losing personnel at an alarming rate to other City and County departments that pay better. Firefighter/Emts are making about $10-$12 dollars an hour and the local County officials refuse to address the issue because they can't find the money without raising taxes. And Palm Beach (City) is bitching that the County is poaching the City's firefighters after the City has spent the money to train them. Let's come back this next year. Nothing will have changed. In the end, it's all politics.

I also do not subscribe to Facebook. I check in on this site regularly as it allows me to stay 'connected' to the Westchester fire/ems community that was such a large part of my life for many years. I think that many of the forum discussions are interesting but generally only act as a sounding board with no real benefit coming from them. I think everyone is well aware of the changes that have been taking place over the years and the shortcomings that affect both paid and volunteer departments. The thing is that no matter how much we recognize the shortcomings, nothing seems to change and forum conversations seem to repeat themselves months or years later, going over the same information and arguments all over again. I enjoy the incident reports, its my primary reason to visit the site and I wish that members of the incident departments would post after action comments about the incident. Of course some people are reticent about posting as so many others are eager to second guess every action taken. There is a difference between constructive observation and comment and critical dissection of each action taken. I also like the photos and specs when a department gets new apparatus and there are many opportunities to find other useful information. Overall I think the site is a good one and will benefit from more input from its members.

Boston has always had the Mother Nature approach to snow. She left it, she will take it away, eventually.

Really? Not from where I sit. Do I miss the fresh white blanket of snow draping the pine trees and homogenizing the landscape? NO!

From what I could see on the video, at lease one building was not damaged. It will be interesting to see if there is a thorough examination of the existing building to see if it was built according to the plans and specifications. It appears from the video that the fire ran the attic unimpeded. The vertical and horizontal spread and volume of fire was impressive. I don't know about sprinklers but I have to question the quality of the fire breaks. It is almost as if none existed. I know if will be some time before we see it, but the forensic report on this fire will be most interesting, especially given the number of similar Avalon projects in both Westchester and Fairfield

A helmet makes a great wheel chock in a pinch.