FF402

Congratulations Hap! Thank you!

Awesome Video!
Lets make it happen, below 50.....
http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2014/12/nfff-kentland-vfd-safety-video.html
Stay Safe, Happy New Year!

Article: http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/troubleshooters/Concerns-Were-Raised-Days-Before-Firefighters-Death-Document-284908611.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_CTBrand

Freelancing, pulmonary tests, and other things being discussed have no relevance to the situation in Eastchester. The Commissioner's are allowing browning out a very much needed company on a regular basis. When it is in service, it's staffed with only 2 guys most of the time. To top it off, Ladder 17 is always breaking down or having issues with the aerial. The amount of money being put in for repairs is ridiculous, and is enough where it would be cheaper to buy a new truck.
There are many ladder companies that can come in on mutual aid. That doesn't matter though, since Eastchester residents are paying for a fire department and not getting one. The question that no one can get an answer to is where is all the money going to, since it's surely not being spent on staffing or equipment repair and replacement.

But I thought M/A was the answer? Especially when guys come back on OT of an undermanned and ill equipped Dept. to help their neighboring struggling "Brothers" out next door who have been fighting the same issue for yrs. That's all Ive ever heard from my fellow Union Brothers, "Hey we're there for you guys just give us a call." LMAO! The chickens are coming home to roost!!! Gotta love the "Union Solidarity!" It's all bullshit fellows!

I never said that the pulmonary function was required. I said that they refused to do anything but that (Pulmonary function and fit test). It was agreed upon by all the labor lawyers on "their" interpretation of the standard. The Career firefighters involved refused other components that seemed to be the standard when I was on the job (EKG, blood work, X-ray, pulmonary function, med Hx, etc).

Anyone else using or considering these new hydrants?

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/06/10/new-long-beach-fire-hydrants-wont-rust-freeze-or-get-opened-by-wrong-people/

Thoughts and prayers are with the injured FF, fellow crew, and family.

Does anyone have any updates?

From: http://www.firefighterclosecalls.com/news/fullstory/newsid/208879

I agree......wraftery is obviously a hero, just to modest to admit it.

I agree......wraftery is obviously a hero, just to modest to admit it.

The firehouse is 36 years old, and was built on a landfill. The building is sinking, and weeds are growing through the cracks. I suspect the FD just took the grant just to repair the roof.

From the Local 2343 Facebook page. Congrats to all.

From the Local 2343 Facebook page. Congrats to all.

Actually one of the Commissioner’s sons that is a career firefighter there backed it into a wall at the station, aside from the fact it was faulty from the start and never repaired correctly. And why would it be in Patterson? Isn't that where the department's (HFD) firefighter who also gets paid as the department mechanic lives? And it's his buddies shop there in Patterson? And this same FF (and his brother) transferred to Hartsdale FD from Mount Vernon FD. Wonder who actually owns it now? Weird coincidences.
Getting $5,000 for MVFD L-3 which is most likely worth much,much more then that even in scrap, and also aqquring the old TL-15....someone is making some very good money twice off this deal!!

I meant in terms of manpower, such as on a cardiac arrest. When YFD arrives, one can do the bagging, one can do the compressions, one could defib, etc. It's the basics that save....such as early and proper CPR. How is the Paramedic going to do that him/herself?

State the facts, The city wants to close two companies. Making a Department that is already spread thin, even thinner.
The city knows very well Empress could never duplicate our service. Not because of the Empress employees, but simply because our services are dedicated to the residents of Yonkers. We are always within the city limits, unlike Empress, who will do what they can to make a buck. So there is no "claim" that Empress is for profit, it's the truth. You did fail to mention this "free" service you will be providing will cost the taxpayers millions of dollars. Also, "your mostly at your own cost" Haz-mat equipment was provided to you by the taxpayer, through the fire department.
As stated you'll be receiving A MEDIC, who will not be able to transport and who will not be able to provide CPR efficiently. As you emphaszed on, our very good pay, benefits and great pension ensure that our staffing leveles are well maintained. Unlike Empress, where there is constantly new faces, there is consistancy in our department. Our manning not only Gaurantees when you dial 9-1-1 you will have a quick response, but also that if additional aide is needed, it's there. What will Empress do when they are short of staff?
Many times our members have been asked to drive the bus or ride in the back because the Empress crew could not handle the situation with only two people. So when you say "we dump the patient care" on you to do the "meat and potatoes", I have to disagree. Because we're doing the "meat and potatoes" before Empress is even there. Again, this is not an attack on the crews, it merely states the truth. In fact, their Local should be concerned with the greater risks their members are going to be taking. Empress would have to fly through intersections, drive at dangerous speeds just to make it there in 8-10 minutes. Not to mention other risks like responding to projects where the YFD would send two units, or lifting heavy patients. It's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.
I also find it ironic that you state that our full time job is fighting fires, not EMS. Yet you also state that 80% of our calls are EMS related, contradicting yourself, no?
628 is in no way attacking the Union, so please do not come on here instigating that our union is attacking the union of the Empress employees. Your post seems like more of an advertisement, scripted for you by the city, to turn the private sector unions against public sector unions. The facts are the city is breaking a contractual agreement with 628 and making an agreement with Empress without putting it out for bid. Back room deals which are all too common in Yonkers, and result in the taxpayer paying more for less. So again, please stop claiming that we are trashing another union. But if this what you must do, I guess desperate times do call for desperate measures.

With all due respect, that's the essence of the first response, quick response initiating CPR and Defib. Instead of having fire engines doing first response, they will now have a Paramedic doing first response.
Is this why YFD units were asking for EMS's ETA immediately upon the FD's arrival, and noting when it was a flycar on scene?
This is just evidence that the FD is going after Empress as retaliation for them providing what the City has requested.
If Yonkers FD wants to do EMS so bad, why don't they start their own Ambulance service, or put a Paramedic on every engine? And for those deadset on wanting to do EMS, why don't they quit the FD for an EMS career?
The City is the one who asked Empress to come up with the ALS Rapid Response plan. Empress, being a vendor for the City, is not going to breach their contract with the City to go out of business, leaving Yonkers with a subpar EMS service to replace Empress, costing a couple hundred people their jobs, in order to save firefighter's jobs. EMS isn't nearly paid as well as Yonkers FD, nor are they given benefits like the FD does. EMT's and Paramedics have to have a second job to make ends meet, even though Empress paramedics are paid more then most commercial services.
Actually, Empress was asked to come up with a plan, again asked by the City, to replace the first response program. The City has stated that they wanted to reduce the five man engines with four man engines, and will reconize a significant savings in labor costs, as per the city. Empress is a vendor to the City Of Yonkers, which doesn't even pay for the EMS services!
And I think the biggest problem that YFD is afraid of is that their call volume will decrease significantly.
Fight the City, not Empress!

So then, what is the YFD's goal with EMS? Just to restore the first responder program? And, subsequently, punishing Empress for the demise of the program?

With all due respect, that's the essence of the first response, quick response initiating CPR and Defib. Instead of having fire engines doing first response, they will now have a Paramedic doing first response.
Is this why YFD units were asking for EMS's ETA immediately upon the FD's arrival, and noting when it was a flycar on scene?
This is just evidence that the FD is going after Empress as retaliation for them providing what the City has requested.
If Yonkers FD wants to do EMS so bad, why don't they start their own Ambulance service, or put a Paramedic on every engine? And for those deadset on wanting to do EMS, why don't they quit the FD for an EMS career?
The City is the one who asked Empress to come up with the ALS Rapid Response plan. Empress, being a vendor for the City, is not going to breach their contract with the City to go out of business, leaving Yonkers with a subpar EMS service to replace Empress, costing a couple hundred people their jobs, in order to save firefighter's jobs. EMS isn't nearly paid as well as Yonkers FD, nor are they given benefits like the FD does. EMT's and Paramedics have to have a second job to make ends meet, even though Empress paramedics are paid more then most commercial services.
Actually, Empress was asked to come up with a plan, again asked by the City, to replace the first response program. The City has stated that they wanted to reduce the five man engines with four man engines, and will reconize a significant savings in labor costs, as per the city. Empress is a vendor to the City Of Yonkers, which doesn't even pay for the EMS services!
And I think the biggest problem that YFD is afraid of is that their call volume will decrease significantly.
Fight the City, not Empress!

Empress is a union shop (International Association Of EMT's and Paramedics Local 20). I'm suprised that Yonkers FD, having a strong union themselves, would be trashing Empress and threatening the jobs and livelihoods of over 200 people with a company that has served the City Of Yonkers for over 20 years, and is able to provide a large amount of ambulances to the system anytime. While the firefighters recieve very good pay, benefits including a great pension, it's unexplainable why their Union would go after another union where the members of that union don't have nearly the same pay and benefits of YFD members. And while the EMT's and Paramedics are running their butts off covering calls, with down time spent in an ambulance on post, the firefighters have stations they can go back to after they dump patient care on EMS, which then does the meat and potatoes of the work. I didn't think that trashing another union was how they played the game. I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.
I guess if EMS is 80% of your call volume, if the City paid for more ambulances and flycars dedicated to Yonkers in lieu of an FD first response, that would really bring down their numbers, and that would affect staffing and funding. And they must forget how Empress is a vendor of the City of Yonkers, and part of that is delivering what the customer (City Of Yonkers) wants. Must also forget that, even though they claim "For Profit" ambulance, Empress provides EMS to the City Of Yonkers for FREE, and often sacrifices their transport side of the business so they can provide excellent service to the city. Empress also provides, at mostly their own cost, a full service EMS Special Operations unit, with numerous personel extensively trained and very well equipped to support the fire department in Haz-Mat situations. Empress also provides EMD pre-arrival instructions to callers, which has been proven to be lifesaving. Not to mention how clinically progressive they are, such as being the first EMS service around to use RSI. Also, Empress EMS maintains their headquarters in central Yonkers, pays taxes to the City Of Yonkers, and employs numerous city residents. Their dedication to the City is evident.
I find it disgusting that the website implies that due to the EMS provider, that they are "saving lives everyday". Empress has some of the strongest and most experienced EMS personel out there, and you don't see stories about the good they do, because the fire department usually wants to take all the credit, as evidenced on their new website. The EMS employees are the ones saving lives everyday, as EMS is their full time job. Firefighting is YFD's full time job, and the motives of them trashing EMS is sketchy.
I guess true colors are showing.

Empress is a union shop (International Association Of EMT's and Paramedics Local 20). I'm suprised that Yonkers FD, having a strong union themselves, would be trashing Empress and threatening the jobs and livelihoods of over 200 people with a company that has served the City Of Yonkers for over 20 years, and is able to provide a large amount of ambulances to the system anytime. While the firefighters recieve very good pay, benefits including a great pension, it's unexplainable why their Union would go after another union where the members of that union don't have nearly the same pay and benefits of YFD members. And while the EMT's and Paramedics are running their butts off covering calls, with down time spent in an ambulance on post, the firefighters have stations they can go back to after they dump patient care on EMS, which then does the meat and potatoes of the work. I didn't think that trashing another union was how they played the game. I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.
I guess if EMS is 80% of your call volume, if the City paid for more ambulances and flycars dedicated to Yonkers in lieu of an FD first response, that would really bring down their numbers, and that would affect staffing and funding. And they must forget how Empress is a vendor of the City of Yonkers, and part of that is delivering what the customer (City Of Yonkers) wants. Must also forget that, even though they claim "For Profit" ambulance, Empress provides EMS to the City Of Yonkers for FREE, and often sacrifices their transport side of the business so they can provide excellent service to the city. Empress also provides, at mostly their own cost, a full service EMS Special Operations unit, with numerous personel extensively trained and very well equipped to support the fire department in Haz-Mat situations. Empress also provides EMD pre-arrival instructions to callers, which has been proven to be lifesaving. Not to mention how clinically progressive they are, such as being the first EMS service around to use RSI. Also, Empress EMS maintains their headquarters in central Yonkers, pays taxes to the City Of Yonkers, and employs numerous city residents. Their dedication to the City is evident.
I find it disgusting that the website implies that due to the EMS provider, that they are "saving lives everyday". Empress has some of the strongest and most experienced EMS personel out there, and you don't see stories about the good they do, because the fire department usually wants to take all the credit, as evidenced on their new website. The EMS employees are the ones saving lives everyday, as EMS is their full time job. Firefighting is YFD's full time job, and the motives of them trashing EMS is sketchy.
I guess true colors are showing.

Empress is a union shop (International Association Of EMT's and Paramedics Local 20). I'm suprised that Yonkers FD, having a strong union themselves, would be trashing Empress and threatening the jobs and livelihoods of over 200 people with a company that has served the City Of Yonkers for over 20 years, and is able to provide a large amount of ambulances to the system anytime. While the firefighters recieve very good pay, benefits including a great pension, it's unexplainable why their Union would go after another union where the members of that union don't have nearly the same pay and benefits of YFD members. And while the EMT's and Paramedics are running their butts off covering calls, with down time spent in an ambulance on post, the firefighters have stations they can go back to after they dump patient care on EMS, which then does the meat and potatoes of the work. I didn't think that trashing another union was how they played the game. I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.
I guess if EMS is 80% of your call volume, if the City paid for more ambulances and flycars dedicated to Yonkers in lieu of an FD first response, that would really bring down their numbers, and that would affect staffing and funding. And they must forget how Empress is a vendor of the City of Yonkers, and part of that is delivering what the customer (City Of Yonkers) wants. Must also forget that, even though they claim "For Profit" ambulance, Empress provides EMS to the City Of Yonkers for FREE, and often sacrifices their transport side of the business so they can provide excellent service to the city. Empress also provides, at mostly their own cost, a full service EMS Special Operations unit, with numerous personel extensively trained and very well equipped to support the fire department in Haz-Mat situations. Empress also provides EMD pre-arrival instructions to callers, which has been proven to be lifesaving. Not to mention how clinically progressive they are, such as being the first EMS service around to use RSI. Also, Empress EMS maintains their headquarters in central Yonkers, pays taxes to the City Of Yonkers, and employs numerous city residents. Their dedication to the City is evident.
I find it disgusting that the website implies that due to the EMS provider, that they are "saving lives everyday". Empress has some of the strongest and most experienced EMS personel out there, and you don't see stories about the good they do, because the fire department usually wants to take all the credit, as evidenced on their new website. The EMS employees are the ones saving lives everyday, as EMS is their full time job. Firefighting is YFD's full time job, and the motives of them trashing EMS is sketchy.
I guess true colors are showing.

Empress is a union shop (International Association Of EMT's and Paramedics Local 20). I'm suprised that Yonkers FD, having a strong union themselves, would be trashing Empress and threatening the jobs and livelihoods of over 200 people with a company that has served the City Of Yonkers for over 20 years, and is able to provide a large amount of ambulances to the system anytime. While the firefighters recieve very good pay, benefits including a great pension, it's unexplainable why their Union would go after another union where the members of that union don't have nearly the same pay and benefits of YFD members. And while the EMT's and Paramedics are running their butts off covering calls, with down time spent in an ambulance on post, the firefighters have stations they can go back to after they dump patient care on EMS, which then does the meat and potatoes of the work. I didn't think that trashing another union was how they played the game. I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.
I guess if EMS is 80% of your call volume, if the City paid for more ambulances and flycars dedicated to Yonkers in lieu of an FD first response, that would really bring down their numbers, and that would affect staffing and funding. And they must forget how Empress is a vendor of the City of Yonkers, and part of that is delivering what the customer (City Of Yonkers) wants. Must also forget that, even though they claim "For Profit" ambulance, Empress provides EMS to the City Of Yonkers for FREE, and often sacrifices their transport side of the business so they can provide excellent service to the city. Empress also provides, at mostly their own cost, a full service EMS Special Operations unit, with numerous personel extensively trained and very well equipped to support the fire department in Haz-Mat situations. Empress also provides EMD pre-arrival instructions to callers, which has been proven to be lifesaving. Not to mention how clinically progressive they are, such as being the first EMS service around to use RSI. Also, Empress EMS maintains their headquarters in central Yonkers, pays taxes to the City Of Yonkers, and employs numerous city residents. Their dedication to the City is evident.
I find it disgusting that the website implies that due to the EMS provider, that they are "saving lives everyday". Empress has some of the strongest and most experienced EMS personel out there, and you don't see stories about the good they do, because the fire department usually wants to take all the credit, as evidenced on their new website. The EMS employees are the ones saving lives everyday, as EMS is their full time job. Firefighting is YFD's full time job, and the motives of them trashing EMS is sketchy.
I guess true colors are showing.

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