CFFD117

Thanks to the guy who passed this my way. Hopefully everyone can hunker down, and study their rears off for this, because from the looks of it, it's going to be a doozy...

Saw it and thought it was a very well put together documentary. With that said I think everyone in their heart wants someone to say that it was something medical that occurred but the facts keep pointing otherwise. Something went very wrong that day and unfortunately the only ones that know what truly happened all perished on that day. The only one is the boy and all he can remember is that she was in some sort of pain. Who knows what actually happened to cause the events that did.
Now in regard to some of the other comments.
1. I love how everyone blames him for taking out lawsuits when he wasn't driving or in the car but yet is getting sued via the "estate" of his deceased wife. He has been found liable in a couple lawsuits already and from what I have read elsewhere and others who stay up on that case...he is flat broke. He is suing the very brother in law whom sued the estate and from what I understand either has won or word is that the lawsuit is going to go through as appropriate. Like him or not he still has his son to care for both physically and emotionally.
2. Some of you say they were trying to "sugar coat" her as a person. How many of you actually knew Diane Schuler personally? If you don't..you can't make any comments on what she was as a person. You want to paint her with a broad brush because of one day that was extremely horrendous. ONe that I have no respect for either...that's fine. But for all extensive purposes she probably was an excellent loving mother who did something unexplainable and extremely grossly negligent in our eyes.
3. If they wanted to the pictures in there..maybe its to remind people that despite the actions that caused the incident..she was a human being in the end, just like the kids who lost their lives way to early and with such loss of potential. How can some of you even say it was in bad taste when persons from your own agencies take pictures of others in similar circumstances. And for what? To keep them on a computer or to show other buffs carnage? Ever watch european and latino news stations, they show much of the same. Don't let your predisposed tight a** puritan american press and censorship guide your feelings. I can see eve worse in make up on CSI or NCIS. Like someone said this was not TV...it was HBO and as with everything else you can just turn the channel. They've showed similar pictures on Dr. Baden's autopsy shows they did of crime scene/environment photos of cases he re-did.
I feel bad for the rest of the family who is left to pick up the pieces following this tragedy. And what the family is doing is an extreme form of denial during the mourning phase. Its sad..but no matter what is sent their way they can't accept what the facts in front of them are. That's their mindset and choice and I'm not going to judge them as I'm not in that situation. I'm sure what they are not letting on is that somewhere in their mind they doubt what their feelings are and I'm sure they are battling the anger they feel with that towards her. That I can understand and have dealt with on a personal level with a loss in my close family. The bottom line is 8 people died in a horrific manner which defies much of the logic we know. But she was also a human who just might not have been all that bad of a person...other then one singular moment in time. One with cost 7 other people their lives and left several families in shambles. That I can't forgive...that I won't forget. But I hope somewhere the kids are rested in peace...and that just perhaps she did enough in her normal life to get there with them when she repents for the actions of that day.

The paper is white.

http://360vr.com/2011/06/22-discovery-flight-deck-opf_6236/index.html
360 view of the Space Shuttle Discovery's flight deck during decommissioning in the Orbiter Processing Facility.
It looks it should be pretty easy to drive this rig!!
(after a few short years of training, of course)

I was driving behind the new CFFD Chiefs car on my way to the South Salem parade this past Wednesday. I think the truck looks great. CFFD speced the rig out the way they did because they feel it necessary. The lights wont hurt anything so...
Nice rig CFFD. Best of luck with it.

Today I had the opportunity to go down to Manhattan with rfdu39. We got to stop by some firehouses, the FDNY Fire Museum and Firefighter Appreciation Weekend at the Intrepid. I invite others to post their pictures from the intrepid event on this topic too. Hope you enjoy them.
As always, please give me a rep or comment if you like these photos. It really is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

As always, all of these photos are mine and can’t be used without my consent. If you enjoy these, you might want to check out all of my photos from today. They can be found on my flickr page (link below)

I think cops pull too many cars over. I'm staging a protest on I287.
Morons...

While there are many jokes to be made about this threat, there are many serious issues at work here.
1) It was stated in the article that plywood was on the windows, painted to look like curtains. This presents many complications including venting, egress, sizeup, etc.
2) Delays in getting water on the fire. It was not stated in this article, but I am sure the locks/doors were fortified heavily.
3) Entanglement issues. It was noted that there was a vast electrical system for the lights, etc. I am sure this was not installed by a licensed electrician, nor inspected by the BI. This could cause entanglement issues in the wires, plus electrical shock and the very hot bulbs could cause burns.
4) Traps/snares. People that make/grow drugs often booby-trap the houses where this is done as a form of security. Also, dogs and other animals are used for this purpose.
5) Preservation of evidence. Obviously this fire became a crime scene and Police officers do not like their crime scene upset too much (with good reason..). Making sure to document where things were, what order they were in, etc is crucial to a criminal investigation.
6) Know your buildings. Obviously this is an extreme example that no one most likely knew about beforehand, but take your time and look at the buildings around. At a wires down call, look (from the street) at the houses in the neighborhood. Look for multiple mailboxes, meters, heavy locks, etc. This stuff sinks in beforehand, and when the brown stuff hits the fan, we may have a slight lead.

Being a city dweller, I never considered that bears could spontaneously combust. Good Idea then to keep them away from the house.
Maybe thats why Smoke Bear all ways said: "Only you can prevent forrest fires".

He was trying to deflect the cause from himself.

It's the education and training the individual receives that makes a difference. Maturity, not age, is the key. With that maturity comes an attitude of responsibility, something I didn't fully understand until I found myself mentoring others.
You can take EVOC and have an instructor that reads the powerpoint to you, throws numbers at you and then has you drive for maybe 20-30 minutes weaving around some cones. The general attitude of everyone in this environment: Is it over yet?
BUT - if you start the presentation with case studies that include photos of the accidents, the victims, the loved ones left behind - you'll increase the chances of grabbing your audiences' attention. Tell them how FF Smith crashed the Engine into a minivan and killed a woman driving her two kids and their two friends to soccer. Tell them how FF Smith was arrested and sent to jail, how he tried killing himself after being sued and losing everything, how his depression led him to lose his wife who took their son and moved away. MAKE IT HIT HOME FOR EVERYONE IN THE CLASS / DRILL.
When I was younger, a lot of the training given to me was a far, FAR cry from the guidance provided today. Thinking back to my Essentials class, I think I (and many others) showed up late, got out early, napped and basically didn't pay attention. When I took EVOC, I was a little older and just started to drive our apparatus. I only knew two things: I had to get to the firehouse first to drive and everyone moves for a fire engine going lights & siren. Man was I wrong! I was lucky to have Mike Wilbur as my initial EVOC instructor, who truly knows what he is talking about and isn't just reading me an Instructor's Manual. While I took some of what he said as "yeah, that can't happen here or happen to me" - I've learned over time that he was 100% right.
In the 14+ years I've been a driver, I have made mistakes driving our rigs and am thankful that none of those mistakes led to any accidents or injuries. I remember (and I know some of my other members know what I am talking about) driving our Engine to a Mutual Aid call once, with the pedal to the floor going over 70 MPH down a steep and pitched hill. I was convinced I was rolling the rig and killing everyone - luckily that didn't happen. When we arrived on scene, I was so upset with my driving that I was of no use to anyone. What if I did crash? What if I actually survived and had to live with hurting or killing all of my friends - and in a few of these cases - family members?!
Whether it's driving, pumping, doing traffic, or putting water on fires - we have to take it seriously and get the best teachers we can. We owe it to ourselves to be educated and ready for the worst days we'll have.
Sometimes, too, we have to play the role of the "bad guy" and tell someone they can't do something. Since I am not one of those people that looks forward to ever being told I can't do something, I dread when the time comes I have to tell someone that something they've been doing for a long time - or something their heart is set on - that they can't do it. But part of the job I was elected to do is to be that bad guy once in a while. I find myself sometimes thinking that it's amazing I have made it this long, and I can only hope others can learn from the mistakes I have made.
I ain't perfect - none of us are - but the bad decisions and the memories of "what the "f" was I thinking should help all of us to prevent others from making those same follies - and hopefully keep them alive another day.
If your drivers are fully aware of the ramifications that can and do happen if they have an accident, AND those sitting in the Officer's Seat are aware that they too could be held liable for the driver's actions - then by all means, let them drive.
I really hate to put it this way - but scaring the s*** out of your drivers is the best way to make them realize how huge of a responsibility it is to drive.

How About Brotherhood Or Doing What Some People Could Never Do??? We Are All Brothers And Sisters Doing The Same Job Out In The World. Weather We Are In It For 60 Years Or 6 Years, We Are Here For One Reason And Thats To Help Others In Need. Weather It Was A Firefighter Or A Firefighter's Mother We Come Together Because We Have A Heart And Love For What We Do And We Are Here To Help, Weather Its A Stranger Or One Of Our Own!!! Also We Are A Family Weather In Person We Hate Each Other Or Not We Have Each Others Back!!!
Thomas

EXACTLY!!!!
Firemen, all firemen paid and voluneer alike, are a special breed. Only firemen put out fires and we are some of the very few in this world that put ourselves at risk for others. As Lt McComack stated in his now infamous FDIC speech, it is a priviledge to be a firemen and because of that we are, despite our differences, a family..so the loss of one, no matter how, is a loss for all.
Cogs

Guys - just remember, that one of the main reasons so many of the local fire photogs stopped posting pics here is for posts like these. Images capture one MILLISECOND in time at an incident that is typically very busy. What you very well may be seeing is a guy putting his helmet down to take safety glasses out of the crown (common place to put them), then popping it right back on...could have been stung by a bee...anythinG!
It is not always perfect, textbook operations on a fire scene, you do what needs to be done to save lives and property. If you have a problem with something in a picture, make a note of it, and make sure YOUR guys don't do it...use it as a learning experience.
It is NOT our place to second guess the members actions in public, well, unless of course you work for Firefighter Close Calls..
I am glad the Chief posted above - clears up some questions. And let me clarify, I was not MMQ'ing the FAST decision, I was adding MY opinion. As a fireman who routinely operates without the added benefit of a deidcated FASTeam, it is something I feel is very important. Someday I hope to work to fix that on our end....
Good to see RM in action to boot!

To all questioning F.A.S.T team. between Cheslea,Beacon, and Castle Point we had approx. 40 firefighters on scene. Approx 25 interior. We were using 5-8 members at a time either interior or on roof. That left about 15 members outside for relief and/or F.A.S.T.. there was also 2 engines sitting idle for back up if needed. I felt with the manpower at the scene we did not need a 2nd alarm or formal team on scene. All of my interiors are at least survival trained and most have F.A.S.T. . This was just a fire on second floor and under control in about 20-30 mins. the guys made a quick stop of the fire and kept the fire damage to the front 2 rooms and part of the roof. Any further questions feels free to p.m. me. Bob Van Tassel Chief Chelsea

My link

Loopy31 and Joetnymedic great posts!
I dont see how anyone can argue this response. You guys did what was asked of yourselves and your respective Departments. The average Joe back step firefighter had nothing to do with creating the responses for the airport, you just show up when the radio goes off and do your thing, and for you guys to have to see this Monday morning quarterbacking is sad. The same people will be there to knock you when you send to little out the doors. Good job guys.

Recently, (if you haven't heard) there was a fatal plane crash not to far away from Westchester County Airport, the plane was taking off from Westchester County Airport, when suddenly the pilot, an art gallery owner, carrying his family and his daughter's friend, declared an emergency return back to WC. He was all set to make the loop, so he did, but as he was making it, the plane lost all power and went straight down into the woods about 1000 feet away from an office building in Armonk. Armonk FD and EMS & others were already responding, but to no exact location, because the plane went off the radar. That didn't last long when a security guard from the office building called in saying the plane had crashed in the woods behind this office building, so all units went to that location and put out the fire and unfortunately realized there were no survivors. The cause of the plane crash is still under investigation.
When this happens, that does not mean that it can't happen again. Did you ever think about how a plane can fall out of the sky and crash right in your town/city? If you did, is your department prepared?
This writing means all sizes of planes, such as a 747-8 or a cessna 210, there is a big difference, yes, a Cessna can probably be treated as a MVA, but that is saying no buildings around, no houses for people to breathe in the smoke and chemicals, and no jet fuel burning what is around.

First I would like to say that all involved with the response did a great job.
There has been a lot of planning that has gone into the Westchester County Airport Response Plan over the years. The plan has evolved quite a bit since its inception. It is still not perfect, but is always evolving.
The pilot declared an emergency right after takeoff; the plane tried to get back to the airport but obviously didn’t make it.
The airport operations contacted 60 Control and declared a Level 2 Alert. The plan alert categories are based on the type of plane, how many passengers, and how much fuel on board. This Cessna 210 should have been in the Alert level 1 category.
Right from the start, there was a larger response because the wrong alert was made. That being said, the operations staff had no idea where the plane was because it went off radar. So the ICs kept all units coming in until more information was received. There are several businesses and homes in the area surrounding the airport and if the plane had crashed into a structure, that level of response may have been needed.
Reports came in through the security guards at MBIA that the plane was in the woods behind their building. All units were directed towards that address.
Battalion 19 and 2022 set up the IC and the command post. Battalion 11, 2023, 2393, EMS 11, and Port Chester EMS along with firefighters entered the wooded area to see what the wreckage looked like, what resources would be needed, and to determine if there were any survivors. Upon their arrival, there were no survivors found, but there was some significant fire. The wreckage was approximately 1000 ft. into the woods, with some rough terrain. Hose lines weren’t stretched, they decided to use Indian tanks and water cans to extinguish the fire as well as the DES and Hawthorne FD gators with the water pumps. Please note that in this area, there are NO fire hydrants. So having the extra water on the fire apparatus was helpful.
The Westchester County Airport Response plan is for when a plane crashes on the property of the Westchester County Airport. This plan is no longer in effect if the plane crashes offsite. This plane did crash offsite in Armonk FDs district however since the call originally came in as an alert to the airport, the Alert 2 response was welcome until they got a handle on what the situation was.
Once the wreckage was found and the fire was extinguished, most of the apparatus was released fairly quickly. However due to the scene being deep into the woods, and the nature of the weather that day, it was helpful to have the extra manpower at the scene. Maybe all the apparatus wasn’t needed, but most of the manpower and additional water was helpful. EMS remained on scene for Rehab. Harrison EMS provided rehab and did an excellent job.
Now on to why each alert has the level of response it does. The Airport property falls in three separate fire department jurisdictions and three EMS jurisdictions, all departments involved send apparatus to the scene. Armonk FD only sends their tanker and then 2 ambulances because they know there is no need to send additional fire apparatus due to what Purchase FD and Port Chester FD responds with. Port Chester FD responds with their minimum level that is in the agreed upon contract with Rye Brook. That is contractual and cannot be changed without changing their contract. Purchase FD responds with a rescue, engine and ladder. All of which can be needed based whether the plane hits a structure on the airport grounds. When the plan was developed, although the alerts are based on the size of the aircraft, the possibility of that aircraft hitting one of the many structures on the airport grounds (including the terminal) was considered when developing the level of response.
Also, for the comment about additional EMS resources needed to be placed in the plan, on an alert level three there are 6 EMS agencies dispatched as well as their ALS fly cars to the scene. That is a minimum of 10-12 ambulances on initial dispatch. When a crash occurs and an estimated # souls on board is determined, then specific number of EMS task forces will be requested by the IC. A task force consists of either 3 BLS ambulances and 2 ALS ambulances or 5 BLS ambulances a 2 ALS fly cars.
A lot of good airport operations people, experienced firefighters, fire chiefs, emergency mangers, and EMS officials have put a lot of time and effort in making this plan as good as it can be, it has certainly come a very long way since the first plan written. There are some difficulties since it is in three jurisdictions, but all of them do the best that they can to make it work. It is a very unique situation and can criticized over and over again. Until you are responding to an area dealing with multi-jurisdictions (Fire/EMS/Police/Federal/Airport Ops/County), please understand it is not as easy as you think. In this particular case, there was also three police agencies involved, so there were a lot of hands in the pot. But no responders got hurt and everyone went home safe.
Representatives from each agency involved with the airport response meet monthly to continually update the plan. And yes, an AAR will be held to review this event.
Please remember, a plane can fall out of the sky anywhere, is your department ready if it happens in your jurisdiction?

South Park The Movie - Blame Canada
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAYMJnO9LBQ
Sorry I had to...

Helicopter chevrons....we need them.

As a follow up to the above pictures, here are some of the "after pictures".
Interior after the fire

Area of origin in the kitchen

2-3 corner view after the fire

1-4 corner view after the fire

So many thoughts on this so hopefully this is somewhat followable. The original poster was prompted to ask his questions based off the medal day book. So on that fact I will say this I think it is dangerous for most departments to attempt to operate like the FDNY. We have the ability to put a lot of firefighters on the scene very quickly and probably unparalleled. That combined with strong SOPs that spell out where everyone goes and what they do based on the building type and location of the fire put us in a unique situation. This is in no way a knock on any other department but I think your procedures and risk management need to be based on your staffing, experience level, and what you face. In a majority of cases I believe small departments should concentrate on putting all their initial effort on placing the first line in operation. Even in the case of people trappped unless you know exactly where they are the best course of action may still be to get water on the fire.
As for the can as a truck officer when I enter an apartment prior to the line which is frequently the case when the fire is on the upper floor since the engine will be delayed in the long stretch I usually bring the can firefighter with me and leave the irons firefighter at the door (inside holding the door closed). The can allows us to knock down fire very well. As long as the fire has not flashed over the can will have an impact. The can is very effective at pushing fire back and allowing us to close doors. And in the etreme cases where protection is needed to effect a rescue the can is handy. Passing fire is a very dangerous move and should probably be reserved for known victims.

Marine and Aviation Unit Demo:







County Police new design:





This caught my eye:

That’s it. You can find all of the photos I took here. Hope you enjoyed them.