FF398

just had 4 guys from Detroit Fd in last week not a lot of surround and drown, more like 3 - 5 fires a shift and get your ass kicked. And for no money, and now no city pension. More like a 401-k. Shame what the city has done to that dept. And you don't try to be a firefighter for a couple of years, it isn't like buying a car to see if you like it.

Not to get even further off topic but George Zimmerman even after all of this went out of his way to aid a family of four in an MVA last week... Not saying he is a hero but he sure seems like a stand-up guy. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/07/22/george-zimmerman-rescued-man-from-truck-crash-last-week-police-say/
I have heard of police dispatchers having motorists following drunk drivers etc before so its not a rare occurence. I don't think a dispatcher has the legal authority to direct you to do something. The dispatcher even said "Sir you don't have to do that" not Sir Don't do that, yes legally there is a difference in the wording. Kind of like may and shall.

Got a real camera finally, Canon Rebel T3 (refurbished), so no more point and shoot for me. I've been playing around with the settings and features, so I took a ride out with a friend to Ellsworth Ave in New Haven, home of the West Battalion.
Car 34 (West Battalion Chief) - 2012 Ford F-350

Squad Company 2 - 2011 Pierce Arrow XT Rescue Pumper

Messing around with angles, tight fit so I wasn't able to get everything I wanted in the shot.

Used a "cheater" HDR editing software for this one, just playing around with different stuff. Emergency 2 is no longer at this station, they're at Howard Avenue with E11 and T2. Has been for years they just never updated the sign. Engine 9 was out while I was there.

Any advice or tips would be welcome, I'm new to the hobby.

Had a great time photographing the Mahopac parade last night.

Spy Shots
Westchester County DES New C&O Zone (TBA) scene response trucks.
(2) 2013 Chevrolet C3500/Supreme Body
WC Fleet # 567620 and # 567621

http://youtu.be/U8XFhXrVxTQ

Date:7-8-13
Time:2052 hrs
Location: 49 Poningo st
Units:Engine 58,60,61,Rescue 40 Tower Ladder 2 2391,2,3,
Description:Walk in to fire hq to me [watch desk] with a report of fire with no address but flego on Poningo st Engine 58 on location 2 blocks from HQ with smoke showing in street until the front blew out with fire. 10-75 at this time with Engine 64 and U-69 added to call , Engine 59,62,63, ladder 31 on stand by . channel 12 has home video from location.

Date: 7/7/13
Time: Approx 2220
Location: 1341 Chapel Street (Box #901)
Units:
Box Alarm (Signal 73):
Engines 6, 15, 4
Truck 4
Squad 2
Emergency 2
Car 34 (West Battalion Chief)
Second Alarm (Signal 22):
Engines 9, 11
Squad 1
Tower Ladder 1
Car 32 (Deputy Chief/Shift Commander)
Car 31 (Chief of Department)
Car 39 (Asst. Chief - Operations)
Car 36 (Director of Training)
Mask Service Unit
Special Call (Signal 30):
Fire Marshal's Office
AMR and NHPD were also on scene, OEM usually gets sent on second alarms but I didn't see his truck.

Description: Working fire in a 3-story OMD. Heavy fire on arrival but from the sound of it they had it knocked quick. I was only a few blocks out when they banged the second, but by the time I got there it was down and they were releasing some second alarm units.

For those of you who don't know NHFD runs the following per shift:
Engines: (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17)
Trucks: (1-4)
Squads: (1 and 2, Rescue Pumpers w/ special ops capabilities)
Emergency Units: (1 and 2, EMS units)
Battalion Chiefs: (Car 33 - East and Car 34 - West)
Deputy Chief: (Car 32)

Here's a graphic on the Sleepy Hollow Engine they donated to Broad Channel FD:

Contact Peekskill FD, they know a guy who moves firehouses!

A 3/4" or 1" booster line is still a viable hose line on a pumper. The problem is it is not used properly now a days. Back in the day yes it was utlizied as an initial attack line, a hold over from the days of using chemical tanks for small fires for a quick knockdown. As years progressed, booster lines had either a smooth bore, Navy (SG-60) or Coast guard (CG-15) attached to them, then later adjustibles and even FMC hiogh-pressure nozzles (if you had a three-stage pump on your rig). As fire loads became greater, the booster line isn't usefull as an main fire attack line because you can't get the proper GPM to defeat the BTUs genreated at strucutre / room-and-content fires.
A booster line, though you don't get a lot of gpm out of it due to the size of the hose, it is still good for a lot of applications if used properly;
1 - Nussiance fires
2 - Brush fires
3 - Small trash can fires
4 - Chimney Fires (attach that good old under used chimney nozzle to it and send it down the pipe)
5 - Use as a secondary line for a car / truck / container fire by attaching a SG or CG nozzle using either a piercing attachment or a "pinapple wand" to get into those hard to reach areas (before a hood or an opening can be created). Again, doesn't take the place of the main attack lines, it an added resource.
6 - For drafting operations, the return recycle line to keep water moving back into a porta-tank so you don't waste a discharge and don't loose your prime
7 - DECON and REHAB for your firefighters, nothing like having a small line to cool you off on a hot day or to wash down your dirty gear. Again, freeing up another larger line or main discharge.
8 - small propane tank leakes - less than 20 lbs tanks (adjust the nozzle to a good fog patter and disipate that LPG)
9 - Use as an invesitgation line - The FM is trying to find the cause of a fire, got a few very small hot-spots or needs to wash down a small are without having the great pressure from a 1 3/4" line, the booster is your line. GRANTED it should not be the only line present, you should still have a main attack line present just in case! You have the poewer of both.
Those are just a few as there are many more uses still.
I rather pull a booster line for a nussince fire rather than having to pull 50 feet of pre-connect in a crossy lay or front bumper line for a little fire at 3 am.
Also too, a lot of fire comapnies are utilizing the "hose reel" concept with 1 3/4" lines as well. The Mortlake Fire Comapny in Brooklyn, CT has a pumper with two pre-charged attack lines on reels. Granted this is a differnet concept and can be disccused in a different thread, hose reels are still viable.
Mortlake FC's website: http://mortlakefire.com/mainsite/index.htm
Booster lines are still viable, its just departments get it in their head that it is old technology and no room for it any more. I say hogwash! You may not be able to use it as a main attack line for larger fires, but in the end, its a quick line thaty should be utilized if you have it. Just like the debate of fog nozzels vs. smooth bores, the booster line has it place in the fire service.

Hey everyone! Hope all is well in the EMTBravo Community and the East Coast. Figured I'd give a lil update from my area here in good old Texas lol. Today a couple of our guys and myself went out to pump test our 2 newest trucks. Figured while we were out there I'd snap some photos
E-1 is a 2013 Pierce Velocity 2000gpm / 750gal. Dual Foam A/B with CAFS. This is our first CAFS truck. We also got the TAK4 front susepension . All Whelen series lighting and a Wilburt Nightscan light tower on the cab roof and a remote operated deck gun. Alot of other goodies on this truck too.
T-9 is a 2013 Peterbuilt / Pierce 1265gpm / 2100gal. All Whelen lighting side and rear cameras.
Hope you all enjoy the pics.

Here are some photo from my trip to Ireland

Union Springs, NY
Lake Assault Boat
1500+ gpm

Liverpool, NY
26' SVI Fire boat
3300gpm

Purchase FD Quad 8 (retired from active duty)
1957 Seagrave Quad
Quad=Pump, Tank, Hose, Ground Ladders
One of my favorite antiques, and she shines like they just delivered it.

Schuyler Heights Fire (Colonie, NY)
Ladder 8
2013 Spartan ERV Gladiator Evolution Star Series
2000/350 - 103'
#212057-01
More later...

Some of the "Best" firefighters I know were and still are "Buffs"! Id take them any day over the s*** that's coming on the Job! It's as if your not allowed to have an interest in your Profession, God forbid you do that!

Holy he#%! What an ass.
Yes, the Captain. Not the guy filming. He was polite and respectful. There was NO good reason for him to ask the guy to stop filming, or to tell him to leave. It only got worse from there.
Smile and wave, you're a public servant on camera. Act professionally and carry on with your work. If you want, ask for guidance from higher ups about people filming. Pretty sure they'll tell ya to ignore the cameras and go about your work.
Instead, you're now on the news making the fire service look fantastic!

Montrose

Verplanck

Last week, RWC130 hooked me up with a visit to the FDNY Shops. The building is massive, it makes the tillers parked in there looked small. Hard to really appreciate how big it is in a photo. The construction is also pretty cool, the roof is bowed, but concrete with no columns. The foundation is designed to support the bowed concrete roof. I was given an article on the construction, and it was very modern and progressive building at the time (1940's). It was a "Z-D" system designed by the architects. And the shops are pretty clean, well kept, and well equipped compared to other repair facilities I've seen. It also it very bright, it has skylights and, when it was built, had the largest fluorescent light system in NYC.
Anyways, the shop is massive, and can fix just about anything. It is an amazing place, not just the apparatus, but the shops and mechanics and all the tools and equipment they have. It was also neat to see all the apparatus in different states of repair, and being able to compare the brand new Ferrara and Seagrave ladders to the older ones. FDNY apparatus is increasingly very progressive and has a lot of user friendly ideas and capabilities.
Here are some photos.Sorry about the quality, I'm not really good at shooting indoors, especially with the type of lights they had there and the way everything was positioned. Also, I'm more interested in the specs then the just the apparatus.






The former Ladder 10, stripped of the mural and going into the spare pool