JohnnyOV

Looks like solid truck placement with all the wires around.... props to all the chauffeurs

http://www.youtube.com/user/justonmckinney#p/u/0/S86y__NKmsU
keepin' it classy

On a calmer attitude. Why wouldn't you want to hold yourself to the same training standards as your career counterparts? Or even to a higher standard then that? Just because the laws state 10 hours OSHA training this and 30 hours that doesn't mean its the right thing to do. OSHA itself is the BARE minimum regulations to follow for any organization. Most companies (large scale) try and exceed all aspects of the OSHA laws. Why? because they can apply for VPP (voluntary protection program) that basically tells OSHA, look, we don't need to audit these guys as much because we hold ourselves to a higher standard.
All I'm trying to say is I personally don't like being looked down upon for lack of anything, and I try and help others achieve what levels they are completely capable of achieving, whether they know it or not. I really feel that even though your State Law says one thing, there is nothing wrong with following that but being an over achiever, and going above and beyond what the state says.

This is the biggest bunch of malarky I have ever heard, and this attitude exactly why Volunteers are looked down upon when it comes to training standards. Get your rear in gear and actually enforce some rules. We're supposed to be a para-military organization, so start acting like it. If you don't like it, there is the door. We'll fill it with someone who does, volunteer or paid.

This is the biggest bunch of malarky I have ever heard, and this attitude exactly why Volunteers are looked down upon when it comes to training standards. Get your rear in gear and actually enforce some rules. We're supposed to be a para-military organization, so start acting like it. If you don't like it, there is the door. We'll fill it with someone who does, volunteer or paid.

Date: 2/9/11
Time: 16:51
Location: 200 Montross Road
Frequency: 46.26 / Fire 17
Units Operating: 2531, E273, E271, E270, L51, R16
Weather Conditions: Cold, Overcast
Description Of Incident: Fire showing on outside of 20' x 40' Cape
Reporters: Remember585
Writer: Remember585
16:52 - 2531, E273 responding.
16:53 - L51 responding. 2531 on location.
16:54 - 2531 reports fire showing on side of house, requesting FAST to scene.
16:55 - E271 responding. Mohegan FAST dispatched. Battalion 17 dispatched.
16:56 - 2531 cancelling FAST, fire knocked down with a water can. Requests EMS for a burn to the hand.
16:57 - E270 responding. R16 standing by in quarters per 2531.
17:00 - 2531 reports fire under control, venting and overhauling. E271 on location.

While your argument seems valid on the front, many communities simply cannot afford to supply their taxpayers with a fully career staff 24 hours a day. Would I like to see every community staffed 24/7 by a fully paid department with 4 guys on every piece of equipment that they have, absolutely. Nothing would make me happier to know that when I am sleeping or away at work, that there would be an arsenal of personnel ready to respond to my home is something terrible would happen. But you and I know that this is an impossible task, and many communities would be in uproar over the raise in taxes. Fortunatly in my community, we have the not just the manpower, but the knowledge base and experience during the day and at night to ensure this protection. While the response may be a little slower since we are not living in the firehouse, it is something that our communtity has not voiced concern about, and actually embraces the idea of the volunteer firefighter. Many communities however do not have the volunteer base, and nothing makes me more upset as a volunteer, then to listen to certain departments get toned out 2, 3 times for an alarm. When you have a consistent problem, deal with it. It is time to put your big boy pants on and actually admit to the community you can no longer provide a response that will satisfy the needs of the community. If it requires hiring career staff, so be it. End rant.
As for a professional response, Career departments have their good apples and bad eggs that give everyone a bad name, as do all volunteer departments. The topic of "professionalism" is the fire service has been beaten to death on this forum, and honestly I could care less if you call me professional, a volly scab, or any other term you want to throw at me, good or bad. But I know when I get in the truck, and respond to someone's house or business, I do so, and expect everyone else in my department to do so in a manner that will not leave the homeowner with a bad taste of the fire service in their mouth, while maintaining that every individual is gear up, with proper assignments so that if we do turn the corner and their is a working fire, no one is acting like they're about to lose their virginity . To do any less would be a complete disservice to the community you are supposed to be serving. End Soapbox.
edit: I was completely unaware this thread hit 3 pages... I thought we were back on 2, whoops.

Date: 2/9/2011
Time: 0609 hrs
Location: 3436 Lexington Ave - Augies Prime Cut Steak House
Frequency: Dispatch - 46.26, Ops on Mohegan Frequency / Fire Ground 1, FAST Ops Fire Ground 7
Units Operating:
Lake Mohegan FD - Engine 252, Engine 253, Ladder 35, Rescue 32, Car 2261, 2262, 2263, 69B?
Yorktown Fire - Engine 270, Car 2533
Mahopac Falls - 19-6-1 (Rescue)
Peekskill FAST canceled
Weather Conditions: Extreme cold, clear
Description Of Incident:
0609 hrs - LMFD dispatched to commercial alarm, left kitchen heat detector
0614 - Per Engine 252 small fire in 2nd floor apartment, attempting to hold with cans
? - (retone) 60-control to Mohegan on the update, fire in the 2nd floor apartment, manpower requested
0616 - Ladder 35 requesting 10-75 assignment
0617 - 10-75, Mohegan additional manpower, Yorktown Fast, Mahopac Falls Rescue Dispatched
0621 - Add additonal Fast, Peekskill to the scene
0623 - Yorktown Fast enroute with Engine 270
0628 - Per 2262 Fire under control, requesting Peekskill FAST to stand down
0654 - Per 2261 negative extension, releasing Yorktown FAST, Mahopac Falls
Writer: Yours truly

I want to d omore to serve the public safety in my community, so I think that becoming a city councilman will give me the ability to improve public safety. THe requirements in my city to run for council are: I must be over 18 y/o and live in the district I'm running for. But wait, I am not allowed to run for office because I am a career firefighter. If I still lived in the district but volunteered as a FF out of town I could run for ofice, but not as a career FF. Dose that not violate my rights? Why am I not allowed to volunteer my time to serve the community I live and pay taxes in?
True its employeers that actually prohibit what I can or can not do. Not the union, since we established that even in a strong labor state I do not have to be a union member, just pay the fee for services they provide.
The States have decided that or lobbying groups have convinced law makers that it was in there best interest to vote on a bill that the volunteers want?
I am sure they are available, you just have to ask. I'm sure CSEA or the Teamsters would have no problem with you volunteering with public works. Funny I thought it was founded by the insurance industry (Ben Franklin) for his own financial interests.

While your argument seems valid on the front, many communities simply cannot afford to supply their taxpayers with a fully career staff 24 hours a day. Would I like to see every community staffed 24/7 by a fully paid department with 4 guys on every piece of equipment that they have, absolutely. Nothing would make me happier to know that when I am sleeping or away at work, that there would be an arsenal of personnel ready to respond to my home is something terrible would happen. But you and I know that this is an impossible task, and many communities would be in uproar over the raise in taxes. Fortunatly in my community, we have the not just the manpower, but the knowledge base and experience during the day and at night to ensure this protection. While the response may be a little slower since we are not living in the firehouse, it is something that our communtity has not voiced concern about, and actually embraces the idea of the volunteer firefighter. Many communities however do not have the volunteer base, and nothing makes me more upset as a volunteer, then to listen to certain departments get toned out 2, 3 times for an alarm. When you have a consistent problem, deal with it. It is time to put your big boy pants on and actually admit to the community you can no longer provide a response that will satisfy the needs of the community. If it requires hiring career staff, so be it. End rant.
As for a professional response, Career departments have their good apples and bad eggs that give everyone a bad name, as do all volunteer departments. The topic of "professionalism" is the fire service has been beaten to death on this forum, and honestly I could care less if you call me professional, a volly scab, or any other term you want to throw at me, good or bad. But I know when I get in the truck, and respond to someone's house or business, I do so, and expect everyone else in my department to do so in a manner that will not leave the homeowner with a bad taste of the fire service in their mouth, while maintaining that every individual is gear up, with proper assignments so that if we do turn the corner and their is a working fire, no one is acting like they're about to lose their virginity . To do any less would be a complete disservice to the community you are supposed to be serving. End Soapbox.
edit: I was completely unaware this thread hit 3 pages... I thought we were back on 2, whoops.

It is not the IAFF that is saying that you cannot volunteer for your employer - it is the Department of Labor. The DOL via the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) states this and it is not because they are anti-volunteer, it is to protect the rights of all involved.
Employees could be "compelled" to volunteer against their will, employees could claim volunteer hours worked should be paid at an overtime rate, etc. etc. etc. They didn't just pull it out of the air, it was developed with good reason.
We're truly beating the proverbial dead horse here and this last page is nothing but a circular argument. Cogs, the volunteers who left your department left. It's time to move on and recruit ome new ones. You may have a bona fide ax to grind over the 12 members who you're talking about but this is not solely about Stamford and its patently absurd quagmire of disjointed service(s).
The IAFF is not solely responsible for the declining numbers of volunteers, there's much more to it than that.
Please, for the sake of everyone here, let's agree to disagree and move on!

It actually is the point under Federal Law. I see your point though, but have to agree with the ethical and moral issue of the Federal/union side. Why would anyone, in any job, be allowed to volunteer their time in the same "department/job function?" I see your issue of not being able to fill the volunteer ranks with qualified individuals, but when someone takes a fire test for a department that they are already volunteering in, and then get offered and take the job, you can no longer volunteer yourself in the same department, plain and simple. It is just not right under any circumstance. The volunteer knew and understood the circumstances when they applied and eventually accepted the job, and Federal Law says they must abide by them.
If you're having concerns about retaining active volunteers, maybe you need to look at the current recruitment/retention program that is in place at your department and modify that, rather then try and retain individuals who LEGALLY, again not by contract but under Federal law, can no longer volunteer themselves.
I'm going to have to give round (what are we on) 9(?) to the union.
edit: clarification

While your argument seems valid on the front, many communities simply cannot afford to supply their taxpayers with a fully career staff 24 hours a day. Would I like to see every community staffed 24/7 by a fully paid department with 4 guys on every piece of equipment that they have, absolutely. Nothing would make me happier to know that when I am sleeping or away at work, that there would be an arsenal of personnel ready to respond to my home is something terrible would happen. But you and I know that this is an impossible task, and many communities would be in uproar over the raise in taxes. Fortunatly in my community, we have the not just the manpower, but the knowledge base and experience during the day and at night to ensure this protection. While the response may be a little slower since we are not living in the firehouse, it is something that our communtity has not voiced concern about, and actually embraces the idea of the volunteer firefighter. Many communities however do not have the volunteer base, and nothing makes me more upset as a volunteer, then to listen to certain departments get toned out 2, 3 times for an alarm. When you have a consistent problem, deal with it. It is time to put your big boy pants on and actually admit to the community you can no longer provide a response that will satisfy the needs of the community. If it requires hiring career staff, so be it. End rant.
As for a professional response, Career departments have their good apples and bad eggs that give everyone a bad name, as do all volunteer departments. The topic of "professionalism" is the fire service has been beaten to death on this forum, and honestly I could care less if you call me professional, a volly scab, or any other term you want to throw at me, good or bad. But I know when I get in the truck, and respond to someone's house or business, I do so, and expect everyone else in my department to do so in a manner that will not leave the homeowner with a bad taste of the fire service in their mouth, while maintaining that every individual is gear up, with proper assignments so that if we do turn the corner and their is a working fire, no one is acting like they're about to lose their virginity . To do any less would be a complete disservice to the community you are supposed to be serving. End Soapbox.
edit: I was completely unaware this thread hit 3 pages... I thought we were back on 2, whoops.

While your argument seems valid on the front, many communities simply cannot afford to supply their taxpayers with a fully career staff 24 hours a day. Would I like to see every community staffed 24/7 by a fully paid department with 4 guys on every piece of equipment that they have, absolutely. Nothing would make me happier to know that when I am sleeping or away at work, that there would be an arsenal of personnel ready to respond to my home is something terrible would happen. But you and I know that this is an impossible task, and many communities would be in uproar over the raise in taxes. Fortunatly in my community, we have the not just the manpower, but the knowledge base and experience during the day and at night to ensure this protection. While the response may be a little slower since we are not living in the firehouse, it is something that our communtity has not voiced concern about, and actually embraces the idea of the volunteer firefighter. Many communities however do not have the volunteer base, and nothing makes me more upset as a volunteer, then to listen to certain departments get toned out 2, 3 times for an alarm. When you have a consistent problem, deal with it. It is time to put your big boy pants on and actually admit to the community you can no longer provide a response that will satisfy the needs of the community. If it requires hiring career staff, so be it. End rant.
As for a professional response, Career departments have their good apples and bad eggs that give everyone a bad name, as do all volunteer departments. The topic of "professionalism" is the fire service has been beaten to death on this forum, and honestly I could care less if you call me professional, a volly scab, or any other term you want to throw at me, good or bad. But I know when I get in the truck, and respond to someone's house or business, I do so, and expect everyone else in my department to do so in a manner that will not leave the homeowner with a bad taste of the fire service in their mouth, while maintaining that every individual is gear up, with proper assignments so that if we do turn the corner and their is a working fire, no one is acting like they're about to lose their virginity . To do any less would be a complete disservice to the community you are supposed to be serving. End Soapbox.
edit: I was completely unaware this thread hit 3 pages... I thought we were back on 2, whoops.

While your argument seems valid on the front, many communities simply cannot afford to supply their taxpayers with a fully career staff 24 hours a day. Would I like to see every community staffed 24/7 by a fully paid department with 4 guys on every piece of equipment that they have, absolutely. Nothing would make me happier to know that when I am sleeping or away at work, that there would be an arsenal of personnel ready to respond to my home is something terrible would happen. But you and I know that this is an impossible task, and many communities would be in uproar over the raise in taxes. Fortunatly in my community, we have the not just the manpower, but the knowledge base and experience during the day and at night to ensure this protection. While the response may be a little slower since we are not living in the firehouse, it is something that our communtity has not voiced concern about, and actually embraces the idea of the volunteer firefighter. Many communities however do not have the volunteer base, and nothing makes me more upset as a volunteer, then to listen to certain departments get toned out 2, 3 times for an alarm. When you have a consistent problem, deal with it. It is time to put your big boy pants on and actually admit to the community you can no longer provide a response that will satisfy the needs of the community. If it requires hiring career staff, so be it. End rant.
As for a professional response, Career departments have their good apples and bad eggs that give everyone a bad name, as do all volunteer departments. The topic of "professionalism" is the fire service has been beaten to death on this forum, and honestly I could care less if you call me professional, a volly scab, or any other term you want to throw at me, good or bad. But I know when I get in the truck, and respond to someone's house or business, I do so, and expect everyone else in my department to do so in a manner that will not leave the homeowner with a bad taste of the fire service in their mouth, while maintaining that every individual is gear up, with proper assignments so that if we do turn the corner and their is a working fire, no one is acting like they're about to lose their virginity . To do any less would be a complete disservice to the community you are supposed to be serving. End Soapbox.
edit: I was completely unaware this thread hit 3 pages... I thought we were back on 2, whoops.

How is this any different then if he raced cars on the weekend for compensation, or any other side job where he is injured? Why is it such a big deal to people about getting injured as a volunteer, when a good bit career personnel have side jobs that are dangerous as well (electrician, roofer etc. etc.). What happens when they get injured there and cannot return to work at the station? Wouldn't it be the same as if he was injured in a fire as a volunteer.
edit: Don't take what I said the wrong way, I am all for career public safety employees working side jobs to supplement their pay. You have to be able to put food on the table, and put some away for later too.

How is this any different then if he raced cars on the weekend for compensation, or any other side job where he is injured? Why is it such a big deal to people about getting injured as a volunteer, when a good bit career personnel have side jobs that are dangerous as well (electrician, roofer etc. etc.). What happens when they get injured there and cannot return to work at the station? Wouldn't it be the same as if he was injured in a fire as a volunteer.
edit: Don't take what I said the wrong way, I am all for career public safety employees working side jobs to supplement their pay. You have to be able to put food on the table, and put some away for later too.

Nothing against the hard work of the moderators (particularly in this case FDNY 10-75) But this section is hurting the quality of EMTBravo.
I enjoy seeing what depts are getting. but this is just filler. This morning 80% of the recent board is about rigs being delivered or that might be put out to bid. With half the info either unknown or TBD.
Meanwhile it replaced, a LODD thread, Chains, Grants and other great threads.
If posters have real info on a new rig great, lets see. But this is just filler and is taking away from what makes EMTbravo great.
Rant over.

Pretty sure no girl is going to get excited over 3 inches, especially a cold 3 inches

Pretty sure no girl is going to get excited over 3 inches, especially a cold 3 inches

Accuweather has it at 3.4 inches, and no offense boys, but this girl isn't going to get excited over 3 inches.

Unified command existed and worked long before NIMS or HSPD-5. Herein lies another problem with the whole NIMS training plan. We're ramming a career's worth of incident management training (100-400 plus 700 and sometimes 800 courses) down people's throats in just a couple of years. We have people that have never been on an incident where a written IAP was needed going to 400 courses and learning about how to further expand the system. This is flawed logic. There are people out there who think, as a result of taking a 300 or 400 class that they're now "qualfied" to be an IC or fill another command or general staff position. At the end of a training class you're not qualified to do anything more than take the next higher level of that series. You need experience and proficiency to be qualfied and if people were learning how to use ICS as the tool that it is, we wouldn't be having this conversation so often.
None of this is even 300 or 400 level stuff. It's really 200 level stuff and we're not doing it well.
You don't have to agree for unified command to work, you have to know your job and your (and your agency) responsibilities. I've seen unified command work exceptionally well (I've also seen it fail miserably) and the reason for this was almost always inadequate training and not understanding how this process is supposed to help us do our jobs more effectively and efficiently. Having more to say doesn't change the municipal charter or laws that define your agency. You can be the DPW (to pick a neutral player) boss and run at the mouth incessantly, it doesn't give you any authority over police, fire, EMS or other municipal services.
It isn't Utopian to think that if people are properly trained and experienced they can do the job right.
On this point we agree. When you can't separate your ego from your actual responsibilities this process is on thin ice. Planning and meeting and training/exercising is exactly what I've been advocating. Nothing says that a unified command post has to be democratic to function, it has to be well-trained and experienced. I've seen some contentious discussions in unified command because of different objectives and priorities and you know what, it still worked because they knew their jobs.
It's not just what the "government tells us". ICS has been working for nearly 40 years now all over the world. There must be something to it.

There wasn't a memo, there was a progression of the thread. Usually from reading the thread, one can get a sense of what direction it's headed. Welcome to the board newbie.

Last night, guys from the local FD and FD's around the county/city, went out to Finnegans Bar and Grill in Yorktown to play a game of Trivia. For those who don't know, the restaurant patrons form teams and answer questions that the bar tender has come up with for a chance to win a some prizes.
Last night, a question in the "Daily news" category was "What was the number of Police that NYC will deploy to the Freedom tower when it is finally constructed? A) 250 500 or c)700"
As soon as the question was asked, the bar tender, under his breath, but loud enough for us to hear stated "Either way, its going to make a pretty big airport." That got our attention, but rather then making a scene, we let it slide.
As soon as the answers were given out about 10 minutes later for that round, the bar tender over the mic states "The correct answer is C)700. Can't wait for our taxes to go up over this and not one of those cops will be stopping a plane.'
At that note, we closed our tabs, some guys gave the bartender a little piece of our mind and we all left. This afternoon, one the guys went back to talk to the manager, and she basically blew him off, and was completely rude about the whole situation, siding with her bartender.
Take what you want from it, but I just felt the need to share this disturbing news with guys who may have been there for 9/11 and might frequent this place... I know they have lost my buisness for good.

Good god, how presumptuous of me. I'll be sure to leave my haughty grammar for the new England tea party I'll be at this weekend