ACEast

Chief, it was a joke, hence the smiley face. I'm sure you guys up north see plenty of major jobs on a routine basis.
QTIP

As far as I see it, FDNY Rescue 3 OR Yonkers Rescue 1 all earn their pay. No doubt in my mind. And you can add to it a few places like Newark, Jersey City, Boston, Providence, Baltimore, Wash, D.C. Any one of those companies catch it, no matter how you slice it. And there's probadly a few dozen more like them.
I was never a part of any one of those depts, but as a Buff, I've seen all those Rescue Companies in Action.
Pretty Impressive, I'd say.

Knickerbocker Avenue & Bleeker Street, July 18, 1977.
If you search around the web, there are some great shots of this fire. I believe this went to 10 alarms.

I went down there the next day as a buff. I couldn't believe my eyes. The most fire damage I had ever seen. In fact to this day it still is. The Bushwick section of Brooklyn had been the hot spot during the years of 1976 and 1977. Eng 271, 277, Lad 124, Lad 112, and Batt 28 had reached the top spots for runs and workers. Before that, as a buff I was hanging out in The Bronx and Harlem. But with the activity picking up quickly in Bushwick, my hangout was at a McDonalds on Broadway near Lafayette St in Brooklyn.
The summer of 1977 was really hot. Three days before this fire was the Blackout of 1977. The FDNY fought thousands of fires that night and even into the next day. The Bushwick neighborhood was one of the areas that had the most fires and arrest during the Blackout.
I believe three juviniles were caught for starting this famous 10 Alarm fire. When caught, their biggest concern was "Is my picture going to be in the paper" ? With the Blackout of 77 and this Massive Fire something had to be done. As a result, the city made an extra 300 Fire Marshalls who got called Red Caps, as they wanted to be highly visible and wore RED Baseball Caps. They investigated every suspicious fire and followed up on every lead. As a result, the FDNY WAR Years were coming to an end. Starting around 1963/65, to the Fall of 1977, the FDNY fought fires of Historic porporations.
But it was the result of this Massive Fire and the Blackout that basically ended the period in time that is called "The FDNY War Years".
If you might be interested, there are many stories, photos, and videos on www.nycfire.net under History, called; "My Younger Buff Years".

After a double LODD death with the Washington DC FD a few years ago one of the points made I believe in the NIOSH report was to put the Chief's aides back on the roster. If I remember correctly it was stated that the aides are the eyes and ears of the Chiefs which often leaves the Chief to concentrate 100% on the operations on the fireground. From working in this postion i have been in positions where I am under the direction of the working Deputy Chief who depends on me to carry out certain tasks to allow him to focus on the incident. A Chiefs aide IMO should be a firefighter with experience (knowledge of the job/dept operating procedures)and who can be trusted to carry out orders or tasks for the Deputy Chief. Just putting a guy in the car to be nothin but a driver does nothin but take away a working member on the fireground. Not that i will see it in my career but many depts have on board computors,multiple radio frequencys etc that need to be watched during the incident. The working force also needs to realize that any assignments issued to the working crews come directly from the Deputy Chief. Accountability is another big issue for the aide to be concerned with.I am sure more can be added to this.

Heh, I dig the Chinese numbers on the Chinatown rigs.

FYI...
A fireman's bell cap is intended to be worn with the brim facing the front.
No matter how cool you may think you look, it is never Ok to wear a uniform cap backwards. It is disrespectful to your uniform, your department, and the fire service as a whole.
It may even be grounds for a solid smack upside the head.
That is all.

We were out on the water all day yesterday with negative results. Will continue till he's located.

I will not be able to make it but I send my best wishes to all those who attend to support the men and women in Yonkers.

Date: 03-11-10
Time: 1633hrs
Location: 66 Elliot Ave X Post St/Morris St.
Weather Conditions: Cloud
Description Of Incident: Fire in a 4-story ordinary OMD.
Writer: Truck4 (O/S)
Mutual Aid and Cover Units:
Station 1: Hartsdale Engine, Greenville 150, Eastchester TL17
Station 12: New Rochelle 22, New Rochelle L-12, Safety, Yonkers B-3
Station 4: Yonkers L-75
1634hrs- R-1 rpts smoke showing from a distance. Fire control advising numerous calls. E-304 became available and added to assignment.
1st Alarm: E-304, 303, 306, 308, 307; L-74, 71, B-1, R-1, Safety
1635hrs- R-1, B-1 on scene transmitting 10-29/10-30.
1636hrs- L-74 has people on the fire escapes. E-307 to hit hydrant on Broadway X Post.
1638hrs- B-1 transmitting 2nd Alarm.
2nd Alarm: E-309/L-72
1640hrs- Sq-11 and L-75 relocate Station #4.
1642hrs- Req. PD to shut down South Broadway, co's will be laying lines.
1644hrs- B-1 transmitting 3rd Alarm.
3rd Alarm: E312, 313; L-73
1643hrs- 3rd Alarm companies to enter from Morris St.
1644hrs- Req. Empress to scene.
1650hrs- B-1 rpts heavy fire in the rear enclosed porches from 1st floor through the roof with extension to a 4-story vacant Exposure #4.
1655hrs- 4th Alarm transmitted. Heavy fire into the cockloft and top floor.
4th Alarm: E-310, E314; L70; SQ11
1720hrs- M/A Hartsdale Engine, Greenvile E-150, Eastchester L-17 to Station #1. New Rochelle E-22, L-12 and Safety to Station #12.
1730hrs- Car 2 rpts (1) Tower Ladder (71) and (1) Ladder pipe (74) in operation in front. Handlines operating from the roof of Exposure #2 and #4. All companies still working.
1800hrs- Car 2 rpts fire is K/D.
1830hrs- Yonkers reserve E-316 to Station 12 to relieve E-22. E-315 to Station 1 to relieve mutual aid engine.

The problem is, members of the FDNY come up with the questions for the test for DCAS.
I took the last test in '07 and can't believe the whole "the test is discriminatory" argument. If minorities don't want the job, you cant force them to take the test. If they do take the test and fail, its nobodies fault but their own. It's really going downhill because of the Vulcans, they got the college credits reduced and now you just need to work a job for 6 months without any college, whats next? Completely eliminate the exam like Chicago is considering to do with PD? They shouldn't be called the Vulcans, they should be called the Vultures.

I cannot understand how a written test can discriminate. The test for FDNY is given by DCAS not the FDNY. The whole idea this is FDNY generated is a disgrace.The hiring process is not really conducted by FDNY the DCAS people administer the test and the physical part. FDNY does the medicals and investigation only after DCAS certifies a list to be used. This judge may become the new Sifton in what he will do to the FDNY. Time for Vulcans to grow up and be men and not expect things to be handed to them, too many great minority firefighters will know doubt be saddened by this change if it happens, no more merit system.