fireguy43

Agreed... it is perfectly okay to ask questions to seek clarity on times, tactics, situations, etc. when done in the spirit of learning something. It is quite another to ask questions in an interrogatory tone that, when you read it, you just know that there is an agenda and an insinuation behind the questioning. We are all here to share and learn, not to raise the possibility that someone did something wrong or didn't get out of the barn fast enough. I'll refer to Post4031's thread of a few weeks ago, where he commented on about the same thing...... there are a few members who get their jollies out of picking on and picking apart whatever anyone else does. Come to think of it, not much different than the local firehouse.......

So.... this guy struck a nerve or two. What happened to all of the guys who always cry about this being an open forum for discussion? Yeah, maybe the guy had a score to settle for some reason that none of us will ever know, and it is unfair to criticize a fill the boot event, but can anyone honestly sit out there and say that they have never had any of this kind of stuff happen in their house? C'mon guys, as many of you are so fond of saying, "QTIP"

A well worded reply. Good news is that someone had the correct information to explain what was going on. Bad news is that an explanation was necessary. We are all here to learn and share, not to be second guessed by people with no understanding of local geography, dispatch protocols, or equipment. It's getting a little old to read time and again how certain members disect every IA for precise times and raise questions that insinuate that things were not done correctly.

LOL- Wasn't "schwing" the word that Wayne and Garth (Wayne's World) used to describe the reaction of a "certain member of the male anatomy" to the sight of a beautiful girl? Can't believe no one picked up on that and commented about getting the Schwing up at a fire scene.... I must be getting too old.

Seth- Your site, your rules. However, there may be a point coming in the not too distant future when the line is crossed to the point of ridiculousness. I happened to be at the structure fire this past weekend in Lagrange (Dutchess County). From my vantage point, I saw no fewer than 5 people walking around with cameras and various FD related articles of clothing on. These ranged from one with a zoom lens camera who stood up on the road (long driveway to the structure), to several guys who slogged through the snow and the woods to get closer shots. One guy even had his 10 year old (+/-) son with him. Both had cameras strapped around their neck. There is a value and a benefit to fire photography, I won't argue with that, but the scene that I witnessed yesterday was disturbing. Here's someone standing in the street with their house a total loss, and guys are all over the place making a photographic record of their painful experience. Seemed a little bit much. This incident was not on a well-travelled street, it was a back country road. There was a tanker relay going on and the area surrounding the scene was already crowded with vehicles, personnel, etc. Did we really need four or five more people milling around in the way of the tanker shuttle, or parking their cars, even if down the street, making a tight fit for a tanker even more so? C'mon guys. If it's in your neighborhood, that's one thing, but if it's four districts away, do everyone a favor and stay out of the way. My two cents.

"Now, on the St. Louis team we have Who's on first, What's on second, and I don't know's playing third....." Abbott & Costello- The Naughty Nineties

I like(ed) -riding the back step with a full crew. -open jump seats, but not in winter -the smell in the apparatus bay of gasoline, damp hose, and a tinge of burnt wood after a job -the looks on 1st graders faces when we visit for Fire Prevention Week -I liked it when the old timers used to tell stories and we were young enough to make fun of them...... now we're the old timers.

Only one? Some of you guys come over to my firehouse and get your guy back, because we have 'way more than one guy that knows everything, we must have gotten yours by mistake

Oh Chief... the commissioners are gonna love you! A couple of bottles of Windex and some baggies from the A&P and you're in business! Think of how much money you'll save out of this year's equipment budget!

Exactly.... response time in and of itself as a measure is not good enough. Dispatch time to on scene time doesn't account for who is on the first due engine and what their qualifications are. Three minute response time is nothing to pat yourself on the back for if the response is a driver and two exterior FF who can't start an interior attack. Conversely, I am sure that there are situations where the first due takes longer to respond awaiting a crew and there are qualified people on scene who arrived via POV. Not often, I'm sure, but it can happen.

Wait a minute...... I appreciate the technical discussion as much as the next guy, but almost 2 pages of posts and no one made a comment about the Chemfex plant burning down? With all of the wiseguys that are on this site, no one picked up on that??? LMAO.... talk about sick irony.......

Fire was late Saturday night, crews were on scene most of the night. Called for re-kindle Sunday morning. While units were on scene, Rombout got a call for an MVA on Route 9 south of village. City of Beacon responded from Rombout sta. 1 through the village and down Rt. 9.

One can't tell if your comment is the result of personal knowledge of the guy, or just mouthing off. Either way, an inappropriate comment. Whether you know him or not, if you don't like him for whatever reason, keep your negative comments to yourself.

No one put up an entry for the structure fire in Lagrange Friday morning? Lagrange, Unionvale and Arlington at the scene along with E. Fishkill tanker. E.Fishkill and New Hackensack (?) on stand by. Photounit also on the job. No mention???????

LMAO!!!! You know, you hop on a tanker, haul 3,000 gallons of water all over the place, and when the job's done, you would think that you could depend on your buddies on the engine to have a pot of coffee on back on their nice comfy stand-by at Lag. Sta. 1. Nooooooooo, they offer me a Pepsi. Next time, I'll just stop at the C-store....... And, if I'm ever driving from East Fishkill and a crew from Rhinebeck is involved, I think we'll both be too busy to have a cup and swap stories!

Yes, and you would think that they might make a pot of coffee.....

Dude, repeat after me! Commas, periods and spellcheck. Commas, periods and spellcheck.

Bill, how did you get the copter to stop in mid air so you could get the shot of the rotors in a stationary position? LOL......... OK boys and girls, here's a question. Route 9 is a state highway, not, to my knowledge, a "federally-funded highway" as certain recent standards refer to. MOST (except one) Hughsonville guy has a vest on, and Transcare staff have vests on. In one shot, you can see that the troopers do not, the Stat Flight crew does not, and some guy in a blue shirt and shorts probably shouldn't even be close enough to be in the picture. My question- forget that vest might be a good idea at any accident scene where you're standing on the road, but is the use of vest REQUIRED under curent and proposed standards? I'm not criticizing anyone, I just have not been able to figure out this whole concept. Clear as mud.........

A little over-reaction to xfirefighter484x's comments, isn't it? I would interpret his comments to refer to the fact that New Hamburg, Hughsonville, Arlington, TransCare, MLSS and Alamo were all involved, plus East Fishkill and Beacon being indirectly on stand-by due to the incident. Also, a little punctuation now and again would be a nice idea.

So....... all of the Rombout boys have on their turnouts (with reflective striping) and the new reflective vests. A few feet away stand law enforcement in their navy blue (hard to see at night) uniforms, one out of four has on a reflective vest from what I can tell. Some day we really ought to all get on the same page........not criticizing, I'm just sayin'.............

Apparently, from what we've seen on another thread, a picture can also stop a parade and get you in trouble if you take it during an HVVFA parade

First of all, the pickups are used when a regular rig is out of service. Secondly, if I am awaiting rescue, I would rather see four guys show up in a pickup with help coming behind them than to wait the extra time it might take for the second due to come from farther away. Do a little research on the financial situation in Buffalo, it is an old rust belt city with much more severe financial problems than any other city in the Northeast.

Really, you guys need to stop and take a deep breath and calm down. How many of you took the time to read the article before commenting? Erie County is broke and run by a financial review board. The City of Buffalo is suffering from years of economic decay and a constant drain of the tax base. Add to their financial situation some really nasty weather, and the wear and tear on the fleet is a lot worse than any of you guys experience here "downstate". Their fleet is probably older than average, and prone to breaking down more often because they can't afford the replacement program that a lot of other places have. It's not incompetent management, it's getting by the best you can with the limited resources available while providing protection to the public. As the article points out, the pickups are temporary while a backup ladder is repaired and three new units are being built for delivery by the end of the year. In addition, three more units are scheduled for October delivery, after delays from "financial difficulties with the manufacturer". That makes six new units between now and December. Did you read about how the truckies request the pickups? No, you were too busy bashing the idea. For all that's right with the fire service, that's what's wrong with the fire service, too much living in the past and refusing to give new ideas a chance....... one guy's opinion, and yes, I travel to Buffalo on business frequently, even during the winter, and I've visited a few of the houses while I am up there.

Tommy- translation: 1) Camera got water in it 2) Bill dried out camera and cleaned electrical do-dads 3) Camera works fine now. Rest easy, you can keep your camera and Bill will keep his..... and we're all glad that that little exchange never became a reality!

Tommy, I don't think Bill really wants to show up at a scene with a camera made by Fisher Price............