Alpinerunner

Are these Verizon workers from other parts of the country that do not have union shops or are they out side contractors? If they are Verizon workers wouldn't they be all trained to the same standard as the local Verizon workers who are union or does the union provide training above and beyond what Verizon does? If they are trained the same how can you say it's inferior work???
I don't blame these workers, they are only doing an assignment they are detailed to. I do blame the upper management for not negotiating and if the numbers in a previous post are accurate the C.E.O. for making the money he does on the backs of workers that are doing in my opinion a great job. Any time I have a problem with my Fios (which is very rare) someone either on the phone or in the field has been able to fix it correctly and quickly.

The scabs are not taking away your lively hood. You are doing that by yourself choosing not to work. How are you supporting your wife and kids if you are not working? If you were working you would not have to worry about this. Verizon workers lost all of my support when they stopped negotiating in good faith. Such as cutting lines and damaging network equipment. I hate to break it to you land lines are a dying breed. I know very few people who still have a land line. This is the cellular / wireless age. The writing is on the wall. It is time to start looking for another career.

Fire Service gets good press, that's a good thing in my opinion. If voters read a negative piece about this (there are NO negatives though), then they will remember that next time your FD needs money for firehouse upgrades.
The firehouse really hasn't been touched since 1959, except for small things like an exhaust removal system. Just like their apparatus and other things Bedford Hills is the first to do, they've done considerable research on this and this has been planned for for over 10 years.
And, for the excellent service they provide to not only Bedford Hills, includiing the surrounding community, they have strong community support. They don't have to hide things to get things done, this whole process is transparent and the Commisioners and Officers make sure the taxpayers are fully informed as to what's going on. This is a community where most taxpayers get off the train and see the firehouse every single day.
An example of a disaster and piss poor planning by the elected Town Board is Greenburgh, which built a $70 million dollar library in the internet age and left a bad taste in taxpayers mouths, and now they don't have the money to build a desperately needed new Police Station and Courthouse on the perfect piece of property that the town repossesed, and consequently Fairview Fire District can't get voter approval to upgrade their obsolete Headquarters and expand the extremly small and obsolete Station 2.

Misc;

Officer side, forward most compartment, losts of goodies in here...
3 slide out boards.
Struts?
Shovels
Broom (handles are in rear compartment)
Tripod for LED light seen in cab
Irons
Come Along
Peircing Nozzle
2200 Air Tanks
Little Giant crazy ladder

On to the Officer's side..
Rear most compartment;
Lots of stuff here, shows the diversity of the calls this squad runs..
Portable Generator for extrication tools
Misc haz mat stuffs
Drinking Water
Brooms for brush fires and clean up
and it looks like maybe an on board air compressor? Didnt even see it till now..

Interesting, I think I remember the CAFS article from Fire Chief. Of course like any article targeting a specific group, it fails to address some of the concerns with wholesale changes to CAFS. 1. Expense: Maybe the "powers that be" might need to know the increase cost in outfitting each engine with CAFS, training personnel, and maintaining the stock of foam. Water is plentiful and cheap in comparison in a significant portion of where the US population lives.
2. Manpower reductions is cited as a reason the FS may not be embracing CAFS. This may be true in part as some FD's and Chief's fail to properly articulate the true manpower needs of any fireground. Our tasks do not change with CAFS. At best the time to complete the confinement, extinguishment and overhaul is reduced, but forcible entry, rescue, search, ventilation, RIT and everything else still remain relatively unchanged as far as manpower needs. Not to mention that just because the hoseline is lighter, does not mean it takes less personnel to make an effective stretch. Stretching to eh front door is the easy part, it's the constant fighting of corners, stairs and obstacles that require firefighters to keep the line advancing. No amount of magic bubbles is going to change how may of us it takes to get the nozzle to an effective position to apply any suppression agent.
3. The technology may not be "there yet". We still hear far too many issues with CAFS systems being finicky, problematic, overly electronic reliant, and far more complex than a typical pump with or without a straight foam system. A "one button" system is great when it all works well, but it's because there's some electronic control device that's doing 15 other things for you, if you don['t know how to override them or make them work you destined for a mishap. Sure some large FD's are using CAFS successfully, but for all of them, there's many other who aren't. I'm sure there's plenty who think they're doing great but are not, just as we see with the rest of the water extinguishment FD's.
Hopefully ICMA will allow a rebuttal or at least an article written that describes some of the realities of CAFS, given they're currently just reading what they want to hear, less cost.

Date: 8-1-2011
Time: 19:28
Location: I684 SB (Mile Marker 5.7 between exits 2 and 3)
Frequency: 46.26; Fireground 2; Fire 16;
Armonk FD/EMS: 2021 (IC), 2022, 2023, 51B2, 51B3, U82
Purchase: 2411, R30
Fairview FD: R3
White Plains FD: R88
Banskville FD: 2581, R7
Westchester EMS: 45M1, 45M2, 45M3
Harrison EMS: 61A5
North Castle PD: ESU
WCDES: 2001
Battalions: 16, 11
New York Sate Police
Connecticut State Police
NYSDOT
Weather Conditions: Rain;
Description Of Incident: MVA with three patients. One patient was a struck pedestrian who was in the process of dealing with her disabled vehicle. She was struck by a passing vehicle and was thrown down a 25 foot embankment (20% grade) into a ravine. Technical Rescue unites were requested from White Plains FD and Fairview FD to remove the patient from the ravine. The Westchester County Technical Rescue Team was requested but was then put back into service prior to response. Patient was reported to be going in and out of consciousness. Patient was transported ALS to Westchester Medical Center. A second patient was transported BLS to Norther Westchester Hospital. Banksville FD was requested to the scene for lighting during the investigation. South bound traffic was completely shut down until around 21:00.
Reporters: PFDR47; Firedude
Writer: PFDRes47cue
LoHud Article
1938 - White Plains FD, Fairview FD; GPD EMS respond for a technical rescue.
1940 - Purchase FD toned out for the Rescue.
1941 - County Technical Rescue Team toned out for response.
1948 - Utility 82 Responding.
1949 - Rescue 30 on location.
1952 - Rescue 88 and Utility 82 on scene.
1953 - 51B2 BLS to Northern Westchester Hospital.
1954 - Battalion 11 to landline 60-Control.
1955 - Battalion 11 responding.
1958 - County Tech Rescue team can stand down, Fairview Rescue 3 and White Plains are operating.
1959 - I684 SB is shut down.
2005 - Rescue 3 onscene
2016 - Battalion 11 onscene.
2024 - 2021 requesting an ambulance from Harrison EMS to access the scene NB in the SB lanes.

2028 - Harrison EMS dispatchd by HPD.

2030 - 61A5 responding.

2032 - 2021 request 61A5 to come in non-emergency, patient has gotten up by himself.

2035 - Patient has been brought up from revine and is in back of ambulance, transporting shortly to WMC

2037 - 51B3 enroute to WMC ALS w/ 45M3 onboard.

2038 - 51B2 back in service.

2040 - 61A5 on location.

2041 - Car 2001 in service.

2046 - 61A5 can go back in service per Bat 11.

2049 - 51B3 out at WMC.

2052 - 45M2 in service.

2054 - R88 back in service.

2058 - R3 back in service.

2059 - Left lane open per 2021.
2208 - 2021 requests Banksville R7 to scene for lighting (non-emergency response).

2209 - Banksville R7 dispatched.

2210 - 2581 responding.

2214 - 2022, 2023 in service.

2215 - R7 responding.

2234 - 2581 on scene.

2240 - R7 on scene.

It should be noted to any out of state candidate (or out of city for that matter) will be at a 5 point disadvantage to any city resident. Remember, there will be people who have a lot of extra credit on this list. The Vets returning from our two wars get a well deserved 5 points extra and those who lost a parent in city service, LODD, will receive an additional 10 points. Whomever is #1 on this list could conceivably have a total score of 120. That's a vet who lives in the city, lost a parent LODD in the F.D., P.D., EMS, ect and scored 100 on the written. This in no way means that the job is out of reach, but it does mean that you need to score 100%. If past history is any indicator, a TOTAL score of 100% would put you in the top 1,500-2,000 list numbers. Put that in time to be hired; I'd say 2 years, give or take.
A rough breakdown of the numbers is this:
We are currently in need of about: 300 Fr.
We lose 15 per month to retirement
Currently they promote the equivalent of 15 per month (though this will most definitely slow)
That means that, by the time this new list is certified, we will be short as many as 750 +/- and that's 18 months from now which does not include the 18 weeks that an academy class will take.
Realistically, there will be a need for 1,000 Fr. in the next 2-3 years and should take the list in the high 2,000's or even break 3,000.
One foot note: That's all rough math and educated estimates. Who know what'll really happen. This is a new test and a new way of conducting business.
Best of luck come January.

Date: 8/3/2011
Time: 09:45
Location: 3904 Fort Hamilton Parkway
Frequency: FDNY Brooklyn
Units Operating: (See Rundown Below)
Weather Conditions: Warm, partly cloudy
Description Of Incident: Working fire in a 1-story brick 40 X 80 commercial auto repair shop. 3rd alarm struck for extension to the cockloft. 4th alarm struck for relief purposes. Special call for Haz Mat due to leaking Acetylene Bottle in the fire building. 4 L/S/O. Primary and secondary searches both came up negative. The fire was placed Under Control @ 11:48 by Deputy Assistant Chief Butler (Car 10). The auto body shop (Long Life Spring) has a contract with the FDNY to do spring work on all vehicles. At the time of the fire, Engine 62 was at the shop getting work done. Fortunately, it was parked outside and was not damaged.
Reporters/Writer: PFDRes47cue
FIRST ON SCENE Photos

Brooklyn, N. Y. 08/03/11 @ 09:45 hrs.
Borough Park Section
Box 2581
address: 3904 Ft. Hamilton Pky.
between: 39th St. & 40th St.
2581 @ 09:46
Engs. 240, 228, 282
T. Lad. 114, Lad. 147
Batt. 40 s/c
10 – 75 – 2581 @ 09:50
TowerLadder 149 is designated as the "FAST" Truck
Eng. 247
Rescue Co. #2
Squad Co. #1
Batt. 41
Division 11
Fire Building:
1 Story Brick 40 x 80 Comm. Auto Repair Shop
Surrounding Properties:
Exp. #1: Is a Street
Exp. #2: Is a 3 Story Brick attach
Exp. #3: Is Unknown
Exp. #4: Is a 3 Story Frame attach
All – Hands:
7 – 5 – 2581 @ 09:55
Batt 40 reports: Box 2581, Using All – Hands. Fire in the rear of a 1 Story
Commercial Auto Repair shop. 1 – line stretched and in operation. 2nd line
being stretched. Truck Co's "Opening Up" Fire's Doubtful.
@ 09:57
Batt. 40: Box 2581, Special Call an additional Engine & Truck.
Engine 201 & Ladder 109 are assigned
2nd Alarm:
2 – 2 – 2581 @ 10:00
Engs. 250, 281, 220
T. Lad 120 act. 157
Eng. 284 w / Satellite 3
Batt. 48 "Safety Officer"
Batt. 42 "Resource Unit Leader"
Rescue Battalion / Safety Battalion
Fieldcom 1 / Tactical Support Unit #2
Command Tactical Unit
Car 10: Deputy Assist. Chief Kevin Butler
@ 10:11
Engine 276 act. 248 assigned to respond in and feed the TowerLadder
@ 10:20
Division 11: Box 2581, Truck Co's are "Opening Up"
Searches are in progress. Doubtful.
" Division 11 to Brooklyn, Transmit a 3rd Alarm, Fire extended into the Cockloft."
3rd Alarm:
3 – 3 – 2581 @ 10:33
Engs. 255, 243, 242
Lads. 148, 122
Batt. 32
Batt. 57 act. 40 "Staging Manager"
Batt. 43 "Air Re-Con Chief"
Mask Service Unit #1
Staging Area: Ft. Hamilton Pky & 38th St.
@ 10:46
Fieldcom 1: Special Call ( 4 ) additional Truck Co's
Lad. 113, T. Lad. 131, Lad. 156, Lad. 168 are assigned
@ 10:48
Fieldcom 1: Special Call Haz. Mat for leaking Acetylene Bottles in the Bldg.
Haz. Mat. 1, Haz. Mat. Battalion assigned
@ 10:59
Fieldcom 1: Progress Report for the 3rd Alarm, Box 2581, Car 10,
Deputy Assist. Chief Butler reports: Fire in the rear of a 1 Story Commercial
Bldg. 40 x 80. Fire extended into the Cockloft. 4 – lines stretched, 4 – lines in operation.
Primary Searches thru out are complete and negative. Secondary Searches are underway.
Visible fire has been knocked down. Still Doubtful.
Transmit a 4th Alarm for "relief" No other "Special Units" required.
4th Alarm:
4 – 4 – 2581 @ 11:00
Engs. 248, 330, 280, 253
@ 11:17
Fieldcom 1: Progress Report for the 4th Alarm, Box 2581, Car 10,
Deputy Assist. Chief Butler reports: 4 – lines stretched, 4 – lines in
operation. Extinguishing pockets of fire in the Cockloft. Still have
leaking Acetylene Tank leaking in the Bldg. Fire is Probably Will Hold.
@ 11:48
Fieldcom 1: Progress Report for the 4th Alarm, Box 2581, Car 10,
Deputy Assist. Chief Butler reports: Fire is UnderControl.
( job duration: 1 hr. / 43 mins. )
(Rundown from Exchief84)

St. Remy 52-30

Lomontville 35-13

Highland 31-45

Kerhonkson-Accord Rescue 601

Ellenville Rescue 617

Care1 Ambulance 873

There have been some really terrific posts here so far. I'm just picking this one as a jumping off point for my opinion. The FDNY's policy has been eroded over the years by lazy individuals whining about not obtaining the job on their own merit. Do you need a BA/BS to be a good firefighter? Nope, not at all. I know many terrific firemen, and know of many before my time who they still tell stories about, who did not have a degree. There are many tradesmen who have skills and knowledge that lends itself to our craft and they did not go the college route.
That being said, the overwhelming majority of my co-workers have a 4 year degree. I think we're a better department for it. To quote someone who posted before me, "it teaches you how to learn" and that's an invaluable quality. The experience of going to college teaches you how to think objectively and analytically. Some people may have that trait innately, but a degree serves as an affirmation of that ability. In addition, attending college shows effort and drive. You actually had to put in the time and effort to achieve that Associates or Bachelors degree and guess what.....it's a lot of work. Putting in that time and effort shows that you MIGHT at the very least have the drive to be a self starter and a motivated employee. Firemen are often in a position of having to think and make decisions independently and they're better off with a deeper well of experience to draw from.
With today's increases in the diversity of our workload, our interaction with the public has increased as well. We don't just sit behind closed doors until we head into a fire and then go home. We interact intimately with the public on EMS runs, fire prevention initiatives, class visits and fire inspections to name a few. In every example, education can do nothing but help.
Having a college degree doesn't make you a smart individual and they're are plenty of bright articulate people who don't have a formal higher education. However, with a civil service hiring process and it's simplicity, pre-requisites do nothing but help to distinguish a more qualified candidate. Even if obtaining some degree serves only to show that someone put in the extra effort.
The FDNY's current hiring standards are pathetic. 15 college credits (one silly semester) or 6 months of work experience. That's right, go flip burgers for 6 months, you're in! It's a tragedy to lower standards and to do it simply to increase the number of minority members is embarrassing to every member of a minority group who puts in the effort and it's a serious dis-service to the people of New York who deserve the best. Historically, the acceptance rate to the FDNY is between 8 and 10%. That's pretty low. If you have tens of thousands of people testing for, at most, a couple of thousand positions......you should be able to demand very high standards. They're obviously not having any trouble filling positions. The only people who I've heard complain about standards are those who haven't put in the time, effort, care or thought to take the many free assistance tools available to them.

Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the Waldbaum's fire in Brooklyn, NY where 6 firefighters perished, when a bowstring truss roof collapsed, sending all to their fiery death. I remember this day like it was yesterday. My dad, Tony Dragonetti, was assigned to E-254 and worked the 9x6 tour. He was walking into the firehouse as 254 & 153 were pulling out onto Avenue U. He would have been on the roof in place of Terry Cambell who was badly burned. I was 14 and remember waking up to my mom's screams, when she heard the news of the fire on the radio. We took a ride to the scene from LI and found my dad sitting on the back of 254's rig in tears. I never saw my dad cry and my mom hug my dad like the way she did at that moment. I still well up with tears when I think about that scene. It was a sigh of relief for me to see my dad safe and extremely sad at the same time to hear him say the names of the guys that perished. I spent my entire childhood life and beyond at the firehouse and these brave men were my family and will always have a place in my heart. May they be remembered forever and RIP......

We're getting into the territory of probability again. Just because there are examples of exceptions to the rule doesn't negate the rule.
The FDNY has determined that there is a higher probability of the characteristics and attributes they want in their officers present in firefighters that have completed a college education. Does this mean they are all qualified for the position? No, but it certainly makes the assessment and evaluation process much easier. It's not the only qualification by a long shot, but the fact that it is one simplifies the process and attempts to ensure a certain level of quality.
As difficult as it may be to accept this concept, the fact is that the fire industry is a highly romanticized customer service business. The larger the business the more it must rely on standard practices and qualifications to maintain a certain level of quality in its resources. This is simply because the larger the business gets the more decentralized things like hiring and personnel management become. A small department in Westchester with a career department can probably stand to weigh each candidate for an officer position based on their individual merits (and without regard to education), but should Westchester consolidate this practice may not be possible because of the need to ensure all officers county-wide meet certain minimum standards.

That test question is racist, city residents dont live in buildings that look like the ones drawn for the question. WHere are the fire escapes, urine pooled in the hallways and trash hanging in the trees. Only people from the suburbs (whites) live in such structures, and would be able to figure out which one is on fire.

There wasn't much to the photos, just a dead body. I can understand how this may disturb some, but she did seem in pretty good shape considering the kinetics involved (externally, that is - she had some pretty extensive internal trauma according to the ME report). In all honesty, i find the images less of an issue then the crap that we see on commonly available cable channels. I would rather have teenagers view this documentary and see the end results of poor decision making then have them view the glorification of teenage pregnancy on MTV. Thats just me, however.

All of these photos shown above are my property and can’t be used without my consent. You can find all of the pictures I took today on my flickr page (link below).

During my trip, I also got to go up north to St Ignace, MI, which is just over the Mackinac Bridge in the Upper Peninsula. I found this Mackinac Sheriff vehicle one night

Nearby was this boat from Sault Tribe Law Enforcement

Both together at sunset

Driving home from work and I saw black smoke billowing into the sky. I happen to be right in the vicinity so I parked away from the scene and got my carmera. Great Job Fairview!

It is a video camera that transmits back to the hospital command center so the administrative staff can see what is going on at the scene. The unit is mounted on our special operations communication vehicle. This unit is parked at the NYP Weill Cornell campus.

I recently detailed our DC truck, which is currently operated by my father in law, for the Dutchess County Convention Parade and took a few pics so i thought I would share them. I will warn you know, it is a BIG departure from another Chief's buggy recently posted here..LOL.
It is a Ford Expedition, although I can not recall the year...perhaps 08 or 09?
As you can see, this is a "low" frills command truck, however, it is nicely equipped for what we demand from our buggies.

The rear is equipped with a Command Post to the rear and an SCBA accessible via the driver seat rear fold down seat.
The Command Post has a slide out dry erase board, AED, Dry Chem, radio head, Survivor light, and traffic control accessories.

These were taken by myself and my 8 year old in May on our vacation to Disney.
My boy spotted the YFD patch and had to get a picture.
The last 2 are from the balcony of our condo, the haze is smoke from brush fires in the Daytona/Ormond area.

Here are some of mine.