CFFD117

Generally speaking, you're right. You want to protest? Knock you're self out. The problem i have (the obvious crime/health/etc concerns) is that their "message" is far from focused. Just listen to some of the interviews by the media of the occupiers....many will fumble verbiage for minutes to attempt to explain the goals while others will simply come out and say they have no idea what the goal/message is. So, rather then try to refocus their sloppy decentralized efforts and boil them down into some meaningful political momentum (like the tea party did, for example) they would rather engage in illicit narcotic activity, obstruct justice and antagonize police officers. So, if you ask me, many of them are just a bunch of over privileged ivy league graduates who feel disenfranchised because they didn't get six figures out of the box and are trying, fruitlessly, to harken back to the hippy movement of their parents.
Oh, and lets not forget the millions in expenses that they are costing various municipalities across the country and world....
Thats just my issue with the movement, and i agree that the financial system is broken and needs serious fixing...

The ONLY person I know who still bathes and doesn't shower, my Great-Aunt from our family roots hometown of Soundview in Da Bronx......I noticed she's been acting weird lately, I'd better warn her......

I'll do my best to answer your questions with the understanding that the views expressed are mine and mine alone
On this subject I must say that it is unfortunate if your views in regards to my relating my experiences here have been skewed due to my fervent beliefs regarding my hometown situation, they are in fact unrelated. Stamford is in turmoil yes, and in part that turmoil is due to bad decisions made on the part of all the players invloved incuding your union brothers of L-786. Let me be as clear as I can about something, I do not now nor have I never advocated for or supported the loss of anyone's job from SFRD....period. In fact I will say once agian that the option put forth by a group of us did address the job situation and guarantees no layoffs and promotions as well as two new hires and all that within the confines of no increase in spending. But enough about Stamford.
Yes I believe this is our Nation's the longest war. As for when do we leave, well I say we leave when the threat to our Nation is eradicated. To that end I think that we will need to have a military presence in this part of the world for the foreseeable future.
We have made our Country safer by rooting out and eliminating those who seek to do us grievous harm where the are. The blood spilled on these foreign shores has not been in vain because I subscribe to what I know is a general feeling among our troops here who often express it with this sentiment: "we would rather be doing this here than at home". And I believe that if we desert these operations here we will face a dramatic increase in terrorist activities and violence which will require a military solution at home. America's strength since the early 20th century has been our ability to keep the fight off our shores, failure to meet violence with violence here will only encourage our enemies to attack us at home. And quite frankly as I see it they use what resources they have fighting us here, not using them to get at everyone back home.
1)Yes I believe the Taliban can be eliminated, but not by military action alone. Life must get better for the people here to lessen the draw of groups like the Taliban. But the Tailban is just a symptom of a much larger problem facing the World.....radical miltant Islam
2) I think the Karzai government is a rotted bloated corrupt corpse in need of burial
3) I do not have first hand knowledge of corruption, but the signs are pretty evident all around us
4) Drugs are a major source of income here, not only for our enemies but for the regular Joe ( or should I say Akmed) as well. The trade although illicit and despicable is how many people simply feed their families here. And in what I'm sure will cause consternation to some, I believe that in the end it is not the drug growers or even pushers who are to blame alone, after all for them it is a business, but more so the users. There has to be a demand for the product otherwise it would not be profitable to engage in the drug trade in the first place. Drug trafficking as a way of life needs to be eradicated here, but there must be something to replace it if we are to gain the support or at least acceptance of the people here. It will be next to impossible to convince people to stop engaging in drug trafficking if they have no other way to feed temselves.
This war could end in a relatively short time if we approached it as a war. The restraints placed on our forces are hampering their ability to win a war and are in fact prolonging it. I do not advocate killing innocent people, but I do advocate winning our wars by whatever means necessary. If villagers are not with us they are against us and as far as I'm concerned they are the enemy and should be treated as such.
The end game here is the destruction of the Taliban and their supporters as well as a stabilzed country that wll no longer harbor terrorists nor aid them in their activities.
Here is the problem with this option. Pakistan is a soveriegn nation and a supposed ally, attacks on their territory will only widen the conflict and feed the insurgency. Also wars are not won by long distance engagements. We must have troops on the ground and the infastructure to support them and help move this country forward to secure the gains we make..and we are making them albeit very slowly. The whole issue of this region is containing and eliminating radical Islamic militants. This is happening here in Afghanistan, but it is Pakistan that is the breeding ground for the majority of this scourge. Until we face that demon we will be holding back the flood at best, but holding back that flood is a necessity or it will only get worse. When the time is right we will have to deal with radicalism in Pakistan if thye do not do so themselves, but for now we must work on eliminating it here first.
Yes we do face a myriad of problems back home, but failure to address the enemies outside will only end up leaving us more vulnerable at home. The troubles back home are severe and it will take sacrifices on the part of every American to get us moving out of the morass we are in at home. Maybe some type of new "New Deal" is in order to help jump start that process, but we can't just leave here now no matter the burden. The consequences of that would be dire and such a move would end up creating a worse problem in the end as our departure would signal to our enemies that all they have to do is wait us out. We will have a chance in a year to change direction of things back home and hopefully this time we will make the right choice.
Which is why I didn't vote for him
Well I think I've covered this, but I will reiterate that as far as I'm concerned and in a nutshell our involvement here and throughout the Middle East is necessary to act as a bulwark against the spread of radical Islamic militancy. We as a nation and as Americans are a target in this world and to me that means that we must be ever vigilant and ever ready to use force to protect ourselves. I do not take the shedding of the blood of so many young and honorable Americans lightly, but I do believe that like their forefathers their spilled blood has made us safer in this world. For that they have my most hearfelt and eternal gratitude
Stay Safe
and thanks for all you do on the homefront
Cogs

x129 with his Redneck snowblower.
Dual stacks and a detroit diesel.

Well it's been awhile since I added anything here so I thought I'd just give a little update on things and maybe spout off a little about some recent developments in this part of the world.
So first off I'm just back form R&R, starting my 3rd shift back on tomorrow. It was great to get home, be the wife and kids, smell and feel the rain and see things with colors other than tan. My little guy is playing football and my daughter is a cheerleader so weekends were spent watching them on the field. I managed to get home in time for a 9/11 memorial dedication ceremony which was beautiful, and in my travels saw a number of really great ones as well...I must take this opportunity to pass along that I think the one a 5 Company in Stamford is one of, if not the best one I've ever seen...great job guys!!!!!
That said, we had some interesting incidents just prior to my departure home and a couple since I've been back (10/20). The most notable occured my first shift back when a suicide bomber attempted to detonate a tanker truck of propane at one of the entry points. Thankfully (and quite honestly mercifully) the bomb makers wired the device wrong and it not only exploded prematurely but because it was ill placed it only destroyed the cab and driver (only his feet remained in the cab) of the vehicle. No coalition forces were injured and the propane tank was emptied and then destroyed. This one could have been much, much worse. An assesment by the military concluded that had the device exploded properly niether I nor up to 2500 other people here would be talking to anyone right now. They estimated the blast radius would have easily encompassed a 1/4 of the base. Another note on this: it has been said that the VBIED exploded prematurely because the driver did it early purposely. Why you might ask? Well becuase his family was being held hostage to force him to carry out the attack. I saw this many times in Iraq and find it to be quite plausible. Whether that's true or he was just an idiot either way this guy saved hundreds if not thousands of lives...so thank you Mohammed.
Another noteworthy event took place just short of my R&R when an incoming rocket hit a wooden schoolhouse used by the kids of locals that work on base. No children were in the building at the time. A rocket hit it square and it was engulfed upon our arrival send a huge plume of black smoke int the morning sky. An adjacent wooden building roughly 100X50 (exposure 1) was also involved upon arrival. The schoolhouse was a total loss but we did save the exposures. A job well done by the boys who, in addition to the heat, regular turnout gear and dust, also had to contend with our body armor for the duration as it was a while before the all clear was given.
And the day I was leaving another suicide bomber on the North side met his maker before he managed to blow himself (and more importantly any of us) to Allah thanks to the quick work of our Force Protection guys. Along with that is the usual 3 to 5 calls a day and incoming on a fairly regular basis as described earlier here.
September and October have brought about some interesting and to me potentially disturbing changes to the landscape over here in the Middle East. As I'm sure we all know by now the world is rid of Moammar Khadafiy. I for one am as happy as pie at that outcome, but what baffles me is the calls for an investigation into his death. What's to investigate?... a murderous barbaric dictator got what was coming to him from his own people. Who cares if he had a trial or not in a world court...he had a trial on the spot, was sentenced and the sentence was carried out...bye bye Moammar and good riddance!! Another rather profound change is the recent announcement of the removal of all U.S. combat troops from Iraq. Now on this I'm not so sure we're taking the right path. I know a pledge was made by our President and he is in fact adhering to a tentative timetable set by his predecessor, but in reality folks the Iraqis are in no position to survive without us there. Ok so some may say so what screw them anyway...and that's one option. But I take a slightly different view on it. We have spilled the blood of thousands of American service members (and some civilians too) on that soil. Do we now just walk away and let their sacrifice be in vain as the country degenerates into chaos once again until Iran steps in. One may not agree with why we were there in the first place, but we would be safer in the long run to keep a presence there awhile longer if you ask me. And as far as this place goes, well I don't see us pulling out in 2014 but of we do it will most lilely be another mistake as this cradle of the taliban will once agin become a breeding ground and save haven for terrorists. Which brings me to the latest statement from that squeaky clean, most upstanding poster child of the incorruptable politician, Hamid Karzai. This "President" of Aghanistan has publically stated that in the event of a war between Pakistan and the U.S., he would side with Pakistan. So much for loyalty huh boys and girls? This POS seems to forget that he exists only because we, in an effort to promote self determination, let him. But hey judging from what I've seen the Afghan National Army is not a real source of worry on the battlefield...except maybe to each other. One more opinion if I may....Pakistan is a powder keg waiting to blow my friends. It is from there that the majority of this war's "freedom fighters" have emerged. They have been playing both sides for years and with the death of Osama and Karzai's statements relations between us are becoming more and more strained each day. I fear things will get worse before they get better in this part of the world and hope that all of you will stand in support our Nation if these troubles increase. Hey if the Mayans and Hollywood are right and 2012 is the end I'm sure it is right here that the end will start...this part of the world is as f****ed up as it gets.
Stay safe
and thanks for all you all do on the homefront (especially my Belltown Boys AtW since 1928)
Cogs

They make it so damn confusing now...but there is a blurb that ceremonial or celebratory bon fires are accepted...So in a few weeks i shall be making my peace offering to the beer gods and having a ceremonial bonfire in there honor I guess!

Leave the bridge up so that the jumpers don't tie up traffic

Croton Falls FD
Saturday, October 15
11-2
301 Titicus Rd, North Salem NY

Croton Falls FD
Saturday, October 15
11-2
301 Titicus Rd, North Salem NY

I've been giving some thought on some of the comments on not only Yorktown's recent fire, but other incidents and want to share my thoughts.
Ten years ago, many of us were getting along fine, making do with what we had at our disposal in terms of manpower. Most fire departments would handle a single family dwelling fire with little to no Mutual Aid. Was it because we all had an abundance of manpower? I don't think so.
Many people like to get on the "manpower soapbox" all too often to explain their dwindling firehouse numbers, yet it can generally correlate to other contributing factors that many don't admit to, or even recognize.
1. Poor leadership. Many people in the volunteer fire service are giving their time to the FD while balancing their family duties, jobs and other commitments. Most guys and gals join either to be an integral part of their community and/or to become part of a social club. When your leadership is doing it's job (leading when leading is needed, being fair and balanced, treating everyone with respect, making everyone feel safe and accpeted) then the troops feel better about themselves and the department they've joined. I've been in my department since I was an Explorer (1992) and have seen AWESOME LEADERS (Chiefs and Company Officers) and sadly, we've had a few too many crappy ones. If you can lead your troops when they need leading and you can motivate them by making them feel a sense of ownership in their company/department, then they'll give that extra effort.
2. Lack of Training Availability. So many of us strive to be the best departments we can be, and this means a lot of training. We've grown from doing roughly one drill per month to offering 4-5 different training venues every month. Since everyone has crazy schedules, you need to be flexible. Having just one drill night isn't going to cut it. Also, training that we are all required to have isn't always made easily accessible. I don't fault WCDES for the lack of some courses - I lay blame on OFPC (or whatever acronym they use now). Why can't volunteer fire departments have an MTO? In our own department we have a half dozen NYS and/or National Fire Service Instructors and we're being under utilized. We had a good thing going for a couple of years where one of our guys was granted a "supplemental CFI" status and was providing in-house OFPC classes, such as HMFRO, HMFRO Annual Refresher, Confined Space Awareness & Safety, Scene Support Operations and others that you just don't see often enough. Losing this has hurt our training program, and now it costs us more money to outsource and bring instructors in. In a nutshell, the current system sucks.
3. Personal Agendas. I've seen a couple of Chiefs (not just in our FD but around the county) that get elected with an agenda of their own. In order to get what they want, they start cutting funding for certain things, they lie to everyone and worst of all - they let the department's members suffer. For example, if your Chief is up in your commissioners officer / town hall lying to them about what your members need simply to make themselves look good - that will come back to the guys/gals and ruin their ambition to be a part of your department.
I know I may sound like a broken record, but it really does come down to how your department is run, from the top down. If your Chief can't run a scene, the guys lose faith in them. If your Captain can't be bothered with drill night because of his softball games, how are the guys in the trenches expected to show any initiative? And if all the guys walking around with collar brass don't take the time to guide, mentor and lead their men/women - kiss it all goodbye.
These things have major negative impacts on your department's performance call after call. You might get 40 guys in line at a parade, but how many of them can honestly remember the last time they got out of bed at 2am for a CO call?
Leadership makes/breaks fire departments - we can blame it on anything else we want, but this simple truth is what hurts so many of us.
Stay safe & train often.
/thoughts.

I don't know which episode it was this season possibly the one where they built the Gears Of War trike, but Sr. said that they had reached a deal with a bank?
I wonder if all Senior's outbursts and mood swings were actually "roid rage"?
It seems like that plus he his a financial criminal. It's sad, I know many fans waited many years to see that shop. And he has more then enough money to pay his taxes, I don't care how bad the economy.If not, then he is a horrible businessman who only became wealthy because of the popularity of the show and merchandising deals. The Discovery Channel must be paying him something, and he's made millions upon millions of dollars with OCC. I also know the Discovery Channel helped finance the new building. You would think they would help, but guess it makes for good TV aka revenue. And again, for Senior, he is a financial criminal who thinks he is too good and too powerful to have to pay his dues.
We also have to remember that he's wasn't there for his kids growing up, because he was a drug addict and severe alcoholic. He seems to try to redeem himself several times on the series, most notably Cody. He is unreasonable and psycho in the what he expects from Paulie. I have his book, and it's not written by him at all. It is such a boring, nonsense read, don't bother. I personally think he's illiterate. Let's not forget, the producers, from the very first episode until now, still have to tell Senior (as well as Paulie) exactly what to say when they do the brief interviews or expplanations on the show. They definetly couldn't put words togethers like that.
At one time, very early on in the first season, I remember when Vinny was having his first kid and his house needed a new roof, him and Paulie put it on themselves. Those times seem long gone.
Also, once again, I'm glad you're posting TRUCK6018. It's good to have you back!

I think any new EMT has gone through the same emotions, fears and thought process you are going through currently. I do have to say however that if you have passed the NYS EMT-B class you have displayed the minimum number of qualification required to earn you your brand new certification, congratulations. With that knowledge in mind, remember, in passing the test, the state has certified that they believe you capable of properly treating a patient within the EMT-Bs scope of practice. Essentially, you should already know everything you need to know to properly and effectively do your job to standard. Brushing up in the back of the rig wont help you immobilize an extremity any better than practice, brushing up wont decide for h your O2 flow rate, brushing up wont help you properly manage and treat your patient. The good news is however, you should know all this material. You may not feel comfortable now sitting in your living room thinking about it, but when push does come to shove, you should be able to fall back on your training and do everything you should be doing without even thinking. If you don't believe me, try running through situations with your training officer or at home with your family...I would bet money you do your job fine 99/100 times. Remember, you are trained to do this, you have the skills, knowledge and motivation...you are just lacking the experience, and experience comes with time.
I leave you with a little anecdote. I have been an EMT-B for two years. After running on rescue squads, ambulance corps and fire departments as an EMT for a year and half, I moved to Puerto Rico for the summer. When I got back, I had not practiced EMS in 4 months. I left in May got back in August, about a week after I got back, as we were squaring gear away in the house from an AFA, an extremely serious MVA occurred down the road. Since I was the most experienced EMT (yes, I know at a year and half its hard to call me experienced) I ended up as the primary EMT on the primary ambulance assigned the highest priority patient. The patient was the driver of a van involved in a 2 car head on MVA found unresponsive outside of the van. Even though I had been away for 4 months not practicing my skills, I was able to do my job autonomically, I, much like you will be able to do, was able to fall back onto my training, skills and experiences and manage the scene and the patient effectively. Obvious this was a load and go patient so the medic, me and the crew didnt even have time to get a name let alone sit around thinking about our treatment. We acted, we did what we were trained to do, and so will you. Besides the medic who came later and my driver, my other crew member was an EMT-B who received his card in the mail less than two weeks beforehand. He remarked to me after the call, he don't know what happened or how he did it, but some how he was not only to do his job, he was able to do his job well. In fact we were both told by our chief and the medic that he did a great job. When it comes time to do your job, have no doubts that you will do it fine. You are trained and skilled, you have the knowledge and the desire, you just need to be given the opportunity to stretch your sea legs and do your job too.
Plain and simple, you can't be expected to know everything and you can't be expected to be perfect every time. Give yourself a chance to get your bearings and head on straight. Once you have tech'ed a few calls you will realize that you are more competent than you think, it just takes practice, patience and time.

Recently EMTBRAVO Member "Bad Box" was interviewed in His Own Words regarding his story as a FDNY Member during the Attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11. He worked the very busy Ladder 123 in Brooklyn, Engine 75, Ladder 33 and Rescue 3 in the Bronx during his career. His father was a Battalion Chief in the 38 of Brooklyn.
I have actually never met "Bad Box" but I have talked to him several times on the phone. No doubt I have seen him in action during my many years of buffing and chasing the fires of Brooklyn and the Bronx. But I do what to say, "He is a True Gentleman, and somebody who I have the Highest respect for." His story is also in the book "In Their Own words" written by Firehouse Editor Harvey Eisner.
His video interview: http://www.bradenton.com/2011/09/11/3483179/it-was-a-war-zone-retired-fdny.html

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

Why would you want it removed, wouldnt you want to be aware of things that go on? Its a learning experince.

IMHO, and with no disrespect intended, I think that shutting down the site is really not a prudent way to remember the events of 9/11.
The EMTBravo community is made up of people from all "walks of emergency service life". There are Cops, Firemen, EMT's, Paramedics, Nurses, Enthusiasts, Career, Volunteer, Active Duty, Retired, Pursuing the Emergency Service field, Students, Instructors, those who were directly affected by the events of that day, and those who were 8 years old at the time who are now involved in the emergency service community in some way, wheteher it be fire or EMS or some other form of involvement. Much can still be learned from the events of 9/11... lessons of bravery, service, courage, and brotherhood that were exemplified by so many of the first responders that day; lessons that should be passed on to those who may just be getting involved with their local VFD or VAC, or those who are newly hired Police Officers or Firefighters. I say instead of shutting down the site to remember the events of that day, keep the site up so people can share their thoughts and memories from that day if they choose to. This site is not just a portal for information, snazzy photographs, and the occasional silliness that drives the moderators crazy! This site is a resource for so many, and the EMTBravo community is just that, a community of emergency service professionals, many of whom I have come to respect for their knowledge and professionalism, a community that serves as an avenue for those who have retired and moved on, to stay connected with their emergency service brothers and sisters back home in the NY Metro Area, a community of emergency service providers from all "walks of emergency service life" where we can be around our peers, and there may be that one person on Sunday, 9/11/11 who may turn to this site to remember and reflect on that day, or remember a friend or family member who was lost that day, and I personally think to deny anyone of that opportunity would be like turning our backs on one of our own.

We use a friction force door (which is not the best when it comes to the realty of actually forcing a door, but gets the motions down pretty good) and place that in a large pop up tail gating tent, place 4 walls around it, create a tight hallway using plywood, and smoke it out to zero viability. Full PPE/SCBA on air is worn.

From what I understand Senior is not the most pleasant individual off the camera. I know numerous people that have had dealings with him and they all say the same thing about him. Things that I can't say here otherwise I'd be violating TOS.
On another note, thinking back about the new building he wants or wanted to build. The issues he had trying to get the tax incentives was reported back in march of this year. In last weeks episode of the show he was visiting his first shop on Stone Castle Rd to explore the possibilities of moving back in there. In terms of a timeline it had just snowed and he said it was a late season snowfall (it had collapsed the roof). I'm thinking that might be after he was denied the tax breaks for the new building. Either that or it was just TV drama to make you think he was going to move back to his old shop, just down the road from Jr's shop.
In terms of his bikes I couldn't agree with JTF429 more. American Choppers started airing at a time when there were numerous other bike builders being shown on TV. Builders that already had a following in the chopper circles and are a thousand times more talented than the American Chopper clan. Names such as Jessie James with West Coast Choppers (before his more recent problems) Billy Lane with Choppers Inc (again, before his more recent problems) in Miami and Indian Larry Desmedt (RIP) from Gasoline Alley in NYC. I think the problem with the builders and their brief portrayal on TV is there was no drama instilled into the show. It was all about their talent.
Then comes along with the American Choppers circus of stars who, in the beginning, didn't do a hell of slot more than assemble the bikes. Most of the fabrication other, than sissy bars and handle bars, came from third parties. Sure they threw in a few things like round bar but the bottom line is it was all cosmetic. They didn't do much more than bolt everything together, do a little wiring and fill up the tank with gasoline. I think the thing that made this show last and built up their popularity was the drama. It's not until more recently that they actually fabricate tanks, seats and fenders.
I'll admit it, I watch the show but take it for what it is. While they Senior and Junior have grown to be more of a builder than assembler, I don't think they will ever match the likes of the others.

Many of the Teutul's business dealings appear less than legitimate. Case in point the bankruptcy of Orange County Ironworks in 2005.
After being sued by a contractor for breach of contract (and the courts siding with the contractor in the tune of a judgement for $1.3 million) the business filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. The problem was that prior to filing, all of the company's assets (equipment, employees, other assets) were transferred to "Orange County Ironworks LLC" for less than fair compensation and Orange County Ironworks ceased operations.
Once the former company filed bankruptcy and the bankruptcy courts ordered all assets liquidated, they claimed their only assets were "accounts receivable" (owed money that was non collectable)in the amount of just under $600,000. As an end result there was a settlement proposed that the new Orange County Ironworks LLC pay a $500,000 settlement to the trustee of the bankruptcy case to distribute to creditors. Part of the settlement included a gag order barring the any of the key players from discussing the settlement.
One interesting point of this whole debacle is that while Paul Senior and Junior are listed as defendants in the settlement. It was only Danny and the business ordered to pay the settlement.
More recently OCC, American Chopper and Discovery Channel was sued by Justin Barnes and "JB Graphix" for copyright infringement. Justin alleges that 18 original designs were copied without his authorization and compensation and then incorporated in merchandise tied into the business of OCC and American Chopper. Former employee Cody Connelly also sued Senior and OCC.
All of these known legal issues makes you wonder what else is going on. After all Nub's Graphics also had problems with Senior as played out in the first season of Senior vs. Junior. Another former employee Vinnie DiMartino had a fallout with Senior but never went on record in discussing the circumstances.
Fast forward to today with the foreclosure issues and the attempts of "G&M Orange LLC", with Senior listed as owner, to build a bike business on an adjacent property to OCC. This was the building that was proposed to have a restaurant. While the new building didn't formally get turned down from being built, back in March Senior approached the Orange County Industrial Development Agency to provide tax breaks for the project. This is what was turned down. Because of the foreclosure the agency could not in good conscience provide tax breaks for the new venture.

With the hurricane expecting to reach a Cat 1 or 2 when it makes land fall, coastal communities can expect anywhere from 0-6ft of storm surge along with significant rainfall. Make sure your pumps, saws and any other mechanical equipment you need are gased, oiled, and ready to run.
If your department is going to run flood water evacuations, or other types of water rescues without calling for a water rescue team, be sure to follow the following guidelines (and by no means take this as "Ok, we're good to go for flood water and swift water response").
- NO turnout gear in or around the water - turnout gear, especially pants and boots WILL DROWN YOU. It is impossible to kick and try and stay afloat wearing it.
- Wear your life jacket anytime you are within 6 feet of water.
- Do not wear neoprene rescue suits in flood waters, this includes ice rescue suits. Gas and other petroleum based products that are found floating in the flood waters will break down your suit eventually reaching your skin giving you a nasty burn. They also not water tight, leaving room for water contaminated with sewer waste, oils, and other nasty stuff to get inside the suit and fester up against your skin for the duration of you wearing it.
- Always walk in flood waters with a prod pole that reaches feet in front of you (not directly in front of where you are standing), much like sounding the floor when VESing a room. Manhole covers, sewer drain lids and other items will be forcefully removed by the water, leaving a hole in the road filled with downward flowing water. You will get sucked in, and you will drown; it has happened many times before and a fireman recently drowned in Colorado.
- Swift water constitutes any water moving faster then 1kts.
- Remember the adage of "REACH, THROW, ROW. GO." Any rescue where we can stay warm and dry, is the most successful type. If you are unsure, call for a swift water team, in fact call for the swift water team anyways, it is far better to have them in route, then realizing 20 minutes down the line you need them in rapidly rising waters.. They have the training and knowledge on how to preform this most difficult type of rescue. The GO portion, should only be performed by individuals who reach the Technical or Operational level of swift water. Any member can stand on the shore and throw a rope, or shove a pike pole to the individual. DO NOT tie your entry team off to a rope that is tied to a shore, if they slip, they will be pulled under water by force and drown.
Again, this is by no means a training module or any release to say you are good to go for swift or flood water rescue. Use this as an awareness tool.

Stacked Tips SHOULD be the Prefered method of extinguishing a large volume of Fire. IT'S MY OPINION that I belive the problem of Smoothbore vs Fog streams starts in the Firehouse from the top of the food chain. Some of.. Not all Senior Firefighters and Chief officers that were crawling down hallways of the past say 30 years ago (cir 1981) have not yet FULLY UNDERSTOOD the Fire Today is not the same Fire they fought "back in the day". Today were fighting Fires in Several types of Construction that are not able to withstand a fire. Buildings basically are built on a Concrete Footing and then Doused in Gasoline (Synthetics)
Fighting Fires was never Rocket Science but we do have to change with the times.
Remember "KISS"... Keep it Simple Stupid
We could debate this all day. The Leadership has to FULLY UNDERSTAND the Fire behavior changes.
Some examples of light reading among MANY others would come from the Following:
Brannigan Building Construction.
ANY of the Reading's from the "Great" Late Andrew Fredericks (RIP)
How to read Smoke by Dave Dobson (great seminar).... fund raiser idea
FDNY Lt.Ray McCormack.
FDNY Lt.Timm Klett.
Lt.Chip Chapman Milford CT FD.
Wind Driven 7 story Building Experiments Fire Study by NIST.
Just some of these readings alone should (I hope) open up some eyes.
Back to those Masterstream nozzles.
The Tip sizes starting from the largest size to the smallest are as follows. 2inch, 1-3/4inches 1-1/2inches 1-3/8inches.
I see no reason but to use only the 2inch or the 1-3/4inch MAYBE the 1-1/2 size.
I hear it sometimes and it drives me nuts "We use the smaller tip size to get the reach of the stream??"
Move the Master Stream device closer to the Fire (Respect your Collapse zones). Dont use a smaller tip on the nozzle your waisting precious time..Your making the Large GPM Master Stream a Useless low GPM Handline on a Million dollar Ladder truck.
Another "Myph".. We need the Fog Nozzle for Exposure Protection by forming a Water curtain???.
Put the BIG GPM on the Fire FAST as possible and you wont have Exposures.
Look at Buff Pictures of the past ..What do you see 15 Handlines flowing low GPM results. Use bigger lines with matching Tips and you will use less hose. Great idea for the up and coming 3 man Firefighting team in a Chevy Tahoe idea coming out of Townhall.

Summer of 2002, both my sister in law and little brother, as well as my wife and I, were expecting our firstborns. All was going great and we were all very excited.
About 3 weeks before they were due, the doctors noticed "something of concern" with their baby in the sonogram..and they were sent for a more detailed eval down in Westchester. The news was devastating to say the least. The baby's internal organs including the heart were not properly formed, among other abnormalities..they were told she would not survive birth.
In August, they were scheduled for delivery at Wetchester Med...still shell shocked from the news. I remember driving down on August 14th....not knowing what to say, especially since our child appeared to be totally healthy and trying to not be overly excited in front of them.
The delivery was tough to say the least...not only did my brother have to fear losing his first born, but his wife nearly died during the process...the staff at WMC worked their hardest, stabilizing her, and delivering the baby, a little girl, aptly named Faith. She did in fact survive birth...barely...and the second she was born she was whisked away to NICU for so many tests and procedures...
My brother couldnt talk...his wife couldn't even so much as open her eyes..we didn't know what to do, what to say..
My brother was shown how to baptise Faith by our Preist...which he did, as well as her Last Rites..could you imagine that!? I still can't.
We were able to see Faith quickly..and I will be honest..knowing what I knew..I thought it would be best of she passed quickly...when I met her...her eyes were wide open..her little fingers moving...so much about her that day was amazing, but I still can picture her beautiful blue eyes..the eyes of a fighter! I knew right then that no matter what actions needed to be taken, no matter the cost..that little Faith deserved every chance in the world to survive.
And fight she did!
She was taken to Columbia Pres by Stat Flight ground crew..the very same people I had worked with so many times on Empress chopper jobs...My brother was told not to expect her to live through the trip. BUT she did! Faith and her mother spent months living at Colmbia Pres...so many surgeries..rebuilt her heart, as she was born with a single chamber..her kidneys...a feeding tube, chest tubes, so many other things they patched, fixed, or made..amazing work..GOD'S WORK.
MY little brother aged 30 years in that time..barely working so they could be together as a family..just in case..so many times they were prepared for the inevitable.
In November, our Son was born, 100 precent healthy. I would be lying if I said we didnt feel a tinge of guilt, but moreso releived.
Right before Christmas 2002, little Faith came home. Amazing.
She was in and out of the hospital alot...for a long time..more surgeries..got very sick easy..
This all took one helluva toll on my Brother and his Wife. They lived like zombies..no emotion at all..just numb.
We were on vacation in Myrtle Beach the next summer when the house phone rang in the middle of the night..my brother crying that Faith was being airlifted to WMC by Stat Flight and she wasn't going to make it. And we are 13 hours away..
Well...she did survive another battle!
As she grew, she lived a very normal life..but was still plagued by medical issues..a long term feeding tube..frail..
Faith and her mother just returned from her first vacation to Scotland, where her mom was born and raised before coming to th US..
Today we got together to celebrate Faith's NINTH birthday.. This little FIGHTER is as normal as any other 9 year old today..she is the TOUGHEST, BRAVEST, SWEETEST person I know. She could teach volumes on being a survivor...she has more fight in her than I ever will. A NINTH birthday for a wee little lass who wasn't supposed to survive birth. Guess she showed them!
So even though we read daily that the police, fire, EMS, hospital, and medevac staffs are overpaid, under appreciated, overworked, etc..know that there are peopl eout there who benefited from your actions, your training, and your skills..people who appreciate you and what you do - because as little, well, not so little anymore, Faith can prove...you are needed and appreciated..from the Doctors who reconstructed her heart, to the nurses who changed her, to the medics that responded to their house when she collapsed, to the firemen who stood by while the chopper took off with her, to the Trooper who didn't ticket my mother on the TSP...all of you made a difference.
Thank you.
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY FAITHY...I LOVE YOU!

What do you all mean Jay-z and Kanye are rapping about some Perp who got shot? Um isn't that what rap is? Bunch of perps singing over a beat about their homeys who ain't with us no more. Standard formula isn't it? Why not get the shopping center renamed after him since it was such a "travesty". Better off letting the family pick the wing in the prison back in MA and naming it after him there, since that was were he was gonna end up if brave Officer Hess had not saved all those lives out there.

...on a side note...has anyone seen the recruitment ads or online video? Fairly...uh, biased, no? Just an FYI; i went through proby school with a couple of people from the recruitment poster and they resigned under threat of termination and had to come back for the next academy class and repeat the entire program before getting through. Maybe if these folks put more effort into being good firefighters and less effort into being part of a one sided, loud mouthed, racist group they'd have less trouble actually performing the tasks demanded of them.
You can't erase lines with a highlighter.....

My department has been using foam for quite a few years now, one of the original in the area from what I told (Mid-90's). Our brand new 51-11 which came to us last year has a very modern CAFS system. We by our own tradition are huge CAFS fans, it has great potential when proportioned and used properly. There are many instances when foam may not be the best choice right out of the gate or at all, but the majority of incidents can be mitigated faster and more efficiently using foam.
An example of both..
Our last barn fire on route 22, big fire, loss of roof early in the incident (2-3 minutes after IC and first-in units arrived), the old adage proved true for that fire: "Big fire, big water." CAFS does not have the same capability to be launched as far as straight water can.
My first structure fire, chimney fire with extension, heavy fire in the attic. A CAFS line to the attic access quickly knocked down all fire that had extended from the chimney in the matter of a minute or two.
Like anything else, CAFS is another tool in your bag. While it has a multitude of applications, it is not always perfect for every situation. The same can be said for water in hazardous materials fires, etc. Everything has its limitations. CAFS just gets a really bad rap in my mind because it is an affront to the very core of the actionable end of the fire service, water!