SECTMB

I agree, not a kick to the head, an effort to get his cap out of the way and in which could have been something dangerous since he had not been searched yet. Beat down is not a proper label.
It's very simple, don't resist, comply with lawful instructions and nobody gets hurt.

So, we're operating a PIAA and the medic requests the bird. As the bird comes in for the landing, a worker in a nearby building under construction, in an effort to see what the heck is going on, falls from the second floor. If I remember correctly, the bird came back for him after dropping off the first patient from the PIAA.

So it seems that even with all this consolidation talk, that Stamford placed a paid engine to respond within the TOR response district. It looks like it was done simply and cost effectively by using a pre-manufactured Butler style garage bay and an accompanying pre-manufactured home as the living and staging quarters.
So are both City and TOR dispatched together for all alarms with City provided immediate response and TOR coming in first of second due depending on staffing and call location?
I wish NY would change its rules and allow the County to do stations like this which would cover multiple volunteer districts to ensure that there is an immediate response to all calls while the local volunteer department assembles and responds.

This thread is about Stamford Fire-Rescue's new Engine 8, a 2014 KME with a 1500 GPM pump, a 1,000 gallon tank, and 30 gallon foam tank. They operate out of a temporary station next to Stamford EMS Station 4 on Vine Rd near High Ridge Road. It covers the northern part of the city, specifically the High Ridge and Turn Of River sections. They cover urban, suburban, and rural sections of the city In addition, they cover the Merritt Parkway. A large part of their district is unhydranted. The company, Engine 8, was put into service in July of 2008 to cover the Turn Of River Volunteer fire department district. It is always staffed by 1 Officer, One Firefighter/Apparatus Operator, and one Firefighter. When staffing levels allow, a fourth crew member is also added. All members are part of IAFF Local 786.The company nick name is "Ridge Runners - 8 Ball Express"
Stamford Fire-Rescue's entire district is diverse, as they cover multiple high rises, commercial, industrial, and transit infrastructure, including a major interstate, I-95, the Merritt Parkway, a large Metro-North Commuter Railroad maintenance yard. There are large hospitals, office buildings, and large scale residential developments. They also cover a large suburban section, as well as some very rural area with very large and valuable real estate and huge areas of brush with limited access.
The career firefighters of Local 786 staff 9 Engine companies, 3 truck companies, 1 heavy rescue company, and 1 shift commander. A Fire Lieutenant also is a coordinator in the city's consolidated 911 communications center. This adds up to a minimum of 52 firefighters a shift. A Hazmat company and Hazmat support vehicles are cross staffed.
The KME Severe-Service Predator type chassis was specified and chosen for the terrain, roads, and structures it covers.
I'd really like to thank Captain Matt Palmer, one of my favorite fire captains, for taking the time to give me a complete in depth tour of the new KME. I do want to apologize, as the photos didn't turn out as nice as I wanted them to, but hope everyone still enjoys them and can see all the neat specs.
For comparison to the new Engine 8, here's the FORMER Engine 8, a 2005 HME.


And here we go with the NEW engine......
Stamford Fire Rescue
Engine 8
2014 KME Severe Service Predator
1500/1000/30
Engine 8 showing off the new colors and graphics of SFRD:

Engine 8's company patch

Front view

Front intake. KME standard is the chrome.

Front trash line

Driver's area

Auto Charge Status Center - a new product from Kussmaul

Drivers area panel - transmission control, air brake, Jake (engine) brake, power windows, headlights, panel dimmer, power mirrors

Drivers area panel - A/C controls, On-Spot automatic tire chain control, arrowstick control, 12V port

Drivers area panel for lighting controls

Engine tunnel....housing the LUCAS 2 automatic CPR compression device

EMS compartment....rear cab

Another shot of the engine tunnel...

Drivers side cab compartment....housing various items including a 12V DC hydrant barrel pump....hydrant barrels are pumped in the early fall to prevent freezing during wintertime

Pump Panel

Tank level indicator

Evacuation (air horn) button and fuel/DEF level indicator light on pump panel

Remote control for drivers side intake valve

Remote controlled drivers side intake valve

Pump panel uses wheel-type valves instead of push-pull "T"'s, making for an easier and smoother opening and closing of valves

Note how all valves are labeled for function. "Blitzfire", "Flying Wye", "ProPak", etc

Drivers side body

12V port for hydrant barrel pump mentioned above in the MPO's compartment

A real leather helmet that's seen real work

Rear shot

Blitzfire mount

Holamatro Combi Tool with CORE technology and new compact pump

Apartment/High Rise hose packs with pike poles integrated into tray

Officer's side saw compartment with LDH hose clamp. Saw blades are mounted to a custom mount on the right of the compartment, and pre-mixed fuel is in the yellow bracket

Officer's side front body compartment containing various tools

Wheelwell compartments with plenty of space housing 2 SCBA bottles and a water can

Officer's side

Officer's side pump panel. Notice the ProPak foam pack....unique to see it pre-connected with a 1" line

Officer's side rear compartment....containing various tools for the officer

Heavy duty rubber wheel well flares - easy to replace if damaged

Drivers side Whelen Pioneer LED Scene Light

Scott Safety thermal imaging camera mounted under officer's side rear jumpseat

Officers side cab....

Officer's area in cab

Whelen Pioneer low-profile side scene light mounted between officer's/driver's door and rear cab door....brand new product available from Whelen

Officer's side safety panel and Q siren controls

Officer's side radio and Firecom in cab-communication control panel

Officer's MDT

New SFRD logo on cab door

Hydrant type legend

Station 8's "Temporary" Engine bay

Station 8's "Temporary" Living Quarters

Apartment/High Rise pack.....note the custom made tray for it

Cab roof

Storage area on top of the "L" shaped tank

Storage area and deck gun above pump panel

Ash can

LED lights to illuminate the crosslay area

Note the high-intensity headlights

Brow light

Front bumper with LED illuminated cornering light

LDH connection with hydrant bag

"There are still more than twice as many volunteers as career firefighters. But the number of volunteers has dropped by around 11 percent since the mid-1980s, while the number of career firefighters has grown more than 50 percent, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The allure has diminished because fund-raising now takes up roughly half the time most volunteers spend on duty. It’s also harder to fit in volunteer work. The rise in two-income households often means that there is no stay-at-home parent to run things so the other can dash off for an an emergency. Urbanization and the aging of the rural population are taking their toll as fewer young people are available to replace firefighters who retire."
This is the paragraph that sums up most of the truth behind the decline of volunteer firefighters in America (in my own humble opinion, that is). So much has changed in the last 30 years in our society, in our faimly lives and values, and what we select as our hobbies. The American psyche has always been to work hard and earn that cold hard cash, and it has really taken shape into what we see today, not just in society in general, but even with the volunteers that still make the sacrafice to make the first due rig.
The first portion of this paragraph states that the number of volunteer firefighters has dropped 11% since the mid-1980's. It's a sound number, though I can't seem to verify this because I cannot find it with in the source given (NFPA). Regardless, it is true that the number of volunteers has dropped quite significantly over the years. I remember as a kid, growing up in the late 80's, that there was always, and I mean always, a dozen guys hanging around the fire house every day. When I finally became the almighty probie at age 18, I noticed not as many were around, and there was always a struggle to get the first due out the door with an appropriate crew. I remember one of my first residential alarms where I was still a probie riding officer with just the driver, and my father was the sole man on the second due engine. There's not much you can do with three firefighters. Thankfully my hometown fire department turned around and the firs due was always full, even during the day time. But as Sage mentioned,
this was an exception to the general trend. Anyway, time always has a way of playing its little game, and the downslope comes way too quickly. After I moved away 6 1/2 years ago the downward spiral began again. It seems that we, as the volunteer fire service, get little bursts of hope, and then we fall right back into the same original problems that we thought we erased, and now we're back to square one.
fund-raising now takes up roughly half the time most volunteers spend on duty.
I'll dispute this a little, as I've never noticed this at the district/department level here in Westchester, or the Tri-State area in general. Yes, many fire companies are out there every weekend doing boot drops, or car shows, or selling Christmas trees, but none of these fundraising efforts go to the operational needs of the department. It's company level funding. On the other hand, I do know of departments upstate and across the nation that solely operate on fundraiser money. For example, a good friend of mine's father is the chief of a small rural district in Iowa (forgive me, I can't remember the name of the town). They have no fire tax. The town pays nothing to the fire department, and neither does the village. They operate with a $110,000 budget every year, which comes only from fundraising. This goes for new apparatus, too. Their new $600,000 engine/tanker was purchased with money earned from the blood, sweat and tears of the volunteers. Do you know how long it takes to raise $600,000 while also raising money for your operational funds? My friend's father told me it took about 8 years. Now, you have to remember, these volunteers went out and worked their butts off, in their free time, to raise the money for a place that barely afford to give them a free t-shirt. They make it work, but it takes a lot of work to make it happen.
The rise in two-income households often means that there is no stay-at-home parent
This is all too true. It's almost impossible to have a single-income household while you're trying to support a family. Taxes keep going up, inflation is exponentially growing, and there is no such thing as a break anymore. Myself, living in my tiny one bedroom closet, I spend $1000/month in rent alone, and then there's student loans, car payments, insurance, and so many other bills to attend to. And that's just for myself. Imagine if I was trying to support a family on my income alone. It's impossible these days. And never mind the two-income household thing, because some parents, and sometimes both, have to work second jobs to help pay the bills! Do you really think that you can retain a volunteer that works two jobs AND has a family, or let alone any social life? It takes true dedication to work, tend to the family, have a social life, be a good neighbor, and volunteer at the same time. And people wonder why the divorce rate amongst emergency service workers is so damn high! We drive ourselves crazy enough that our spouses/significant other go crazy and snap! I can attest that after working a double shift that I don't want to go to that ridiculous EMS call at 0130 for the drunk passed out. And I can attest that our dedication to the service has ended plenty of marriages (including my own parents). Being a volunteer has become a circus act of juggling a few too many items in our lives, and it's killing us.
Urbanization and the aging of the rural population are taking their toll as fewer young people are available to replace firefighters who retire.
Well, ain't this the scary truth. Let's look at the first word of that sentence. Urbanization. It's quite obvious that no where on this planet is becoming more rural. As our populations increase, the cities spill into the suburbs, and the suburbs spill into the rural communities. Everything is becoming more urbanized, which leads to more accidents, more fires, and more people needing emergency help. Unfortunately, there comes a point where a small group of volunteers can no longer handle the onslaught of calls, so municipalities hire paid firefighters and EMT's. Slowly you see a small town volunteer department evolve into a combination department, and eventually into a fully staffed carreer department. It takes time, but it happens. Us volunteers hit the tipping point, and the municipalty takes over. And the most unfortunate catalyst in this issue is that our youth, the fresh college grads and young adults, move closer to the cities, and feed into the urbanization of America. So now our rural departments, even those in the suburbs, are left with an aging population that is tired, moving slower, and growing less capable of doing the job they once did so meritoriously. I'll admit I've seen a crew of firefighters all 50+ in age do a heck of a job at a house fire. But how will they perform in their 60's? And who is replacing them? Oh, yeah, no one. All of the kids moved to the city, and they want to be paid to do the job. Understandably, who wouldn't want to be paid to fight fires all day? It's an exciting job. But, as more and more of our youth move to become paid firefighters in the cities, we struggle to find replacements for our aging volunteers. The sad truth is that people don't last forever, and unfortunately our tradition won't either if this trend continues down this path.
The recent trend has been the downward spiral of fewer volunteers, lesser funding, and more work for the few of us that still have the spark to keep our departments alive. It's tough. Life gets in the way, and we make sacrafices every day to prioritize what's truly important. We may pass on that EMS call, but we'll say good bye to the family when that structure fire gets toned out. Our wives will continue to yell at us, and the people we help will still continue to be grateful for us. It's a fine balancing act that comes with a little bit of dedication, a little motivation, and a whole lot of perseverence. The volunteer fire service, even with all of it's short comings, has always been a vital vertabrae in American society since the begining, and we need to preserve this virtue. Will the volunteer firefighter disappear for good? Yeah, in a few hundred years, long after we're gone. But, for now at least, let's keep getting out there a doing the job we love. Recruit retain, train and retrain, and be the best damn firefighters we can be. It's a fine balancing act that comes with a little bit of dedication, a little motivation, and a whole lot of perseverence.

can you guys stop the BS with volunteers VS paid grow up! it should not be on this site! its nice to be nice.i can go take pics to of paid depts at fires making mistakes also but i am above that its kid s***!we all have a job to do as long as no one gets hurt and every one is safe at the end of the day then thats a good day paid or volunteer! the fire service started out as volunteer service,paid or volunteer god bless us all.

Don't leave us in suspense. Was it a bee sting or a bee swarm with multiple victims?

This is important because this is political cronyism/corruption at the most local level. Granted there may be equally qualified candidates, but here is a qualified candidate with some extra bells and whistles going for him that is being denied purely for political, not practical, reasons.
Despite apparent overwhelming department and community support, the politicians refuse to deviate from their desired course. Politics must trump all. From a local town council to the Congress of the US, politics is destroying this Country.

This is important because this is political cronyism/corruption at the most local level. Granted there may be equally qualified candidates, but here is a qualified candidate with some extra bells and whistles going for him that is being denied purely for political, not practical, reasons.
Despite apparent overwhelming department and community support, the politicians refuse to deviate from their desired course. Politics must trump all. From a local town council to the Congress of the US, politics is destroying this Country.

This is important because this is political cronyism/corruption at the most local level. Granted there may be equally qualified candidates, but here is a qualified candidate with some extra bells and whistles going for him that is being denied purely for political, not practical, reasons.
Despite apparent overwhelming department and community support, the politicians refuse to deviate from their desired course. Politics must trump all. From a local town council to the Congress of the US, politics is destroying this Country.

This is important because this is political cronyism/corruption at the most local level. Granted there may be equally qualified candidates, but here is a qualified candidate with some extra bells and whistles going for him that is being denied purely for political, not practical, reasons.
Despite apparent overwhelming department and community support, the politicians refuse to deviate from their desired course. Politics must trump all. From a local town council to the Congress of the US, politics is destroying this Country.

Dinosaur, I guess you are not a veteran! This man gave up 6 years of his life for his country and his home town. He does deserve more!

When I first started the 1948 Mack I responded on was truly open cab. No doors, No roof. I also responded on a 700 Series LaFrance, No roof. Nice for driving training in the Summer, not so nice in rain and snow. Both rigs were retired in the early 70's. I always considered it as tradition in that the first rigs were horse drawn, all open, then they became motorized but the emphasis was still on the function of the apparatus, not the personnel. We used to ride the open jump seats and rear step. Creature comforts and personnel safety were not part of the mix then. Think pre-OSHA.

Pull up rubber boots, riding the back step, open cabs, SCBA for a few, not all. Please don't post any more photos, I feel old enough already.

I don't believe it is common, widespread, public information when a person dies after a prolonged (two or three to mutual aid) response. Perhaps if there was more information on the relationship between dispatch, response and outcome it would prompt, if necessary, some changes.

Pull up rubber boots, riding the back step, open cabs, SCBA for a few, not all. Please don't post any more photos, I feel old enough already.

Pull up rubber boots, riding the back step, open cabs, SCBA for a few, not all. Please don't post any more photos, I feel old enough already.

Pull up rubber boots, riding the back step, open cabs, SCBA for a few, not all. Please don't post any more photos, I feel old enough already.

Pull up rubber boots, riding the back step, open cabs, SCBA for a few, not all. Please don't post any more photos, I feel old enough already.

Pull up rubber boots, riding the back step, open cabs, SCBA for a few, not all. Please don't post any more photos, I feel old enough already.

"Nothing Showing" YET

Pull up rubber boots, riding the back step, open cabs, SCBA for a few, not all. Please don't post any more photos, I feel old enough already.

Pull up rubber boots, riding the back step, open cabs, SCBA for a few, not all. Please don't post any more photos, I feel old enough already.

The first time you treat a technical rescue, or any function we perform, as not a big deal, watch it become one. Nice job.

Since I saw this story I have been waiting for this outcome. I am not surprised. I am fortunate to have two pistol ranges and several skeet/trap fields nearby and Florida is still, for now anyway, a gun owner friendly State.