sueg

That, and if you are searching and performing a rescue without a hose line on a floor above the fire, close the door behind if it is safe to do so; then the products of combustion from the lower fire floors don't build up in your search area/room and create a similar incident.
And thanks for the posting - excellent reminder for us to look at all aspects of a fire.

This is a pretty hairy one, but there's definitely some good knowledge to be gathered from this. I think I posted the ATF Model of this fire on here a few months back, if you haven't seen it there's a link in the NIOSH report. Definitely shows the importance of proper control of ventilation and protecting the stairwell, I think out of everything to take away from this report, those are the two most realistic things the individual firefighter can do to prevent something like this.
Rest in Peace Firefighter Falkenham

Very short time period, in my experience.

I would just like to reach out and thank our brothers and sisters involved in bringing and letting us have their 1977 Oren. The Mahopac fire department generously donated the rig to our department, Sharon Fire Department. We have been struggling to keep our apparatus running and operating, it is a huge relief that we now know we have neighbors(could be far) that would do such a thing. I am sure, from what i heard, it will serve us great. I was sent a photo via email early this morning of it about to leave it's quarters for the last time. Now, ofcourse it made us happy, but we feel for their department for a loss, a loss because that engine served them well, we all know how they will miss it.
Again a very big thank you to everyone involved in making this occur, as it is greatly appreciated by us. They even lettered it for us too. We should be expecting the rig within a day or so. Then go from there.
A photo before being shipped..

Have a great day all any questions just ask

Interesting theory. I get the last one to touch it, but then we seem to do a whole lot of that in the various incidents we run on. In my mind, there's very little to go wrong with resetting alarms once they've been thoroughly investigated. 99% of the time it involves no more than pushing RESET and entering a code. The system does everything else. It's hard to imagine causing a problem.Maybe it's a different breed of people or lack of more rules, but we too often seem to find the people who are responsible for the building are the lowest employee on the totem pole or a building tenant who's agreed to respond. Again too often these people have not been granted the authority to make decisions that cost the owner money, thus asking them to call out a fire alarm technician or sprinkler contractor takes far longer as they try and get a hold of the owner. It's a large responsibility to investigate and with authority declare an alarm in a large elderly housing project to be false, allow or effect a reset and leave. There's times when a cause for an activation is not found, and we have to chalk it up to moisture/humidity, dust/dirty or other. Too me the declaration that it's safe to reset the alarm and allow occupants to return is far more a liability issue than the simple task of pushing Reset, one, two, three, four, Enter( yes that's the actual code for many buildings. Real imaginative.)
Again, in buildings that have trained staff we allow them to do their jobs, but 90% of our systems are in smaller businesses, multiple occupancy buildings, light industrial or non-high rise apartment buildings, and none have paid 24/7 security or maintenance staff.

As noted above, RP stands for Responsible Party up this way. Our dispatch center maintains lists of all alarmed buildings and the RP's for each. Our fire alarm ordinance requires each building/occupancy owner report any fire alarm system that reports to 911 by any means, detailing the system, and a list of RP's with a 10 minute of less response time (or Knox Box and 20 minutes) and some other information. We often have to call multiple RP's to ensure one responds, as we require one responds everytime or the owner may be fined. While it's caused some heartburn over the years with a few owners, it's not really been too often we've not been able to get someone to come.

http://youtu.be/dALdmcqu_-c
http://youtu.be/0xTyTDR4xvs

August 11, 2012
Volunteer Hose West Haverstraw,ny Fire Department
Wetdown for 23 - 1500, 2012 KME Panther Pumper

Congratulations, Hopewell Hose, on your 100 years of volunteering and giving your best to your community. I have only heard great things about your personnel, and wish you all many more years of making East Fishkill proud. Enjoy your party - you have well earned it!

Congratulations, Hopewell Hose, on your 100 years of volunteering and giving your best to your community. I have only heard great things about your personnel, and wish you all many more years of making East Fishkill proud. Enjoy your party - you have well earned it!

Congratulations, Hopewell Hose, on your 100 years of volunteering and giving your best to your community. I have only heard great things about your personnel, and wish you all many more years of making East Fishkill proud. Enjoy your party - you have well earned it!

Congratulations, Hopewell Hose, on your 100 years of volunteering and giving your best to your community. I have only heard great things about your personnel, and wish you all many more years of making East Fishkill proud. Enjoy your party - you have well earned it!

Congratulations to Hopewell Hose, part of the East Fishkill Fire District on 100 years of volunteer service to the community and still going strong. They will be hosting a carnival starting today and will host the Dutchess County convention with a parade starting at 19:00. The parade will be on Rt 82 starting near Palin Rd and going to the Hopewell Recreation field.
http://www.poughkeep...ieJournal.com|s

How come every time a career department is in danger of layoffs somebody has to open their mouths spouting ridiculous nonsense about volunteers taking over? We just went through this in CT with the New London layoffs. Some jackwagon decided it would be good to write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper suggesting that volunteers be brought in to help alleviate some of the financial strain. A lot of people took him seriously because they assumed this idiot knew what he was talking about because he identified himself as a firefighter in the article.
This stuff pisses me off. For everybody out there trying to improve career-volunteer relations, all it takes is a couple guys with their craniums inserted into their 4th point of contact to ruin it and brand all volunteers as scabs. When my district was threatening to layoff some of our career personnel, we as the volunteers banded together to help our Brothers. If your sandbox isn't big enough for you, go find another one, or advocate consolidation with another volunteer department, but don't suggest laying off hardworking career firefighters and replacing them with volunteers. That's just ridiculous. People don't forget that kind of statement.
Anyone with an attitude like the one illustrated in the above comment give credence to the TINY minority of career firefighters who believe all volunteers are out to steal their jobs. YFD guys, please note this asinine comment does not represent all of us. Most of us stand behind you and hope all this layoff BS gets fixed and you can go back to full staffing.

I've been facing a problem with one of my departments and talking to a lot of my fellow UNH graduates, apparently I'm not the only one. So hopefully this thread helps someone other than me.
I am a relatively new Lieutenant (it will be a year in November) in a volunteer company that has been somewhat stagnant in growth and activity over a period of years. We also have a small career department as well.
Myself and several "younger" (college age) members have been talking and reviewing what goes on in our station. We have no regular training schedule to speak of and many of the "senior" guys are content to continue with the status quo. At best, this is a real annoyance to some of the younger members who want to come to the firehouse to learn and expect the senior guys to teach them. At worst, its downright dangerous. I have members who haven't thrown a ladder or humped a line in YEARS on the drillground that come out of the woodwork for structure fires and the other "hero" calls.
The career side is usually MORE than willing to help us train, and the younger guys participate when they can, but I still can't motivate the more senior people to get out and set the example, and I know this will lead to a sizable rift within the company's culture between the younger "gung-ho" guys and the less motivated senior people. Unfortunately due to bylaw provisions most of those younger guys are also unable to run for Line Officer positions to change things in a dramatic way.
A few of us are taking some initiative and going to take our Fire Instructor to be able to offer some more formal training in addition to the impromptu drill schedule we've set up, but I'm the first to admit that even after 5 years as an interior firefighter, there's a TON of stuff I don't know and am not comfortable teaching. I can get guest instructors if I need them, but it still doesn't help the problem of getting the senior personnel to the drills.
Anybody have any advice on how to motivate my guys and maybe start steering the culture of the company in a different direction? Anything would be appreciated.

I agree with the writers, this department took on way too much!
They should have had a plan in place before they went to the Fed's for the grant. Perhaps they should have went in partners with the police if they wanted all the law enforcement extras. They should have gotten marine training and improved their responses on land first.
http://articles.phil...ar-union-chiefs

Its ridiculously easy. If you fail the EMS physical you should be loaded into an ambulance and taken to the ER immediately.

Very saddened by this news - from those that i know that knew him, there has been nothing but good to say. Reflecting on awful events like this i often think of this quote:
"In the final analysis, the question of why bad things happen to good people transmutes itself into some very different questions, no longer asking why something happened, but asking how we will respond, what we intend to do now that it happened."
At work i'll strive to be a better provider, think twice about being grumpy when a run comes over during meal or for something that seems trivial. At home, ill take special care to make sure those close to me know i love them. Thats the least i can do.
RIP Paramedic Joyner and thank you for all that you did in the short time you were here.

Built by 4 Guys



2012 Spartan Gladiator LFD 8 man Cab



Led Tower light



PTO Generator



Speedy Dry Dispenser



1500 GPM 2 Stage Hale Pump



780 Gallon water Tank



10 Gallon Foam Cell Class A



Power Hose Bed cover



1000 Ft 5"



500 Ft 3"



250 Ft 2 1/2"



150 Ft 1 3/4"Preconnect



2 slide out crosslays 200 ft each



Compartment & undercarriage lighting lumabar LED



Spot & Flood eybrow lights LED Pioneers



Tripos Lights LED Pioneers



M-series emergency lighting



Stokes Basket compartment & Back Boards



EMS compartment in cab



Dun-age Compartment



Coffin Compartments

Hello Christopher,
It may not feel like it now, because we all know that you are hurting and in pain, but guess what? You actually have a great advantage over other kids your age! You will grow up to be a stronger person, and it will help you as you pursue your goal of being a firefighter! Yes that's right.
You see, when you are tested like this, it builds courage and strength that few other people possess. Chris, most people don't have the advantage of being so strong in character at such a young age. We know you may not feel that way right now, and we want you to know that all of us here; the firefighters, the paramedics, the police, the emergency technicians, the dispatchers, all of us are pulling for you as you get through the tough fight you have been fighting. We also know you are going to make it! And your dreams of being a firefighter can come true in one way or another.
Guys like you are a shining example of what a good firefighter is made of. Guys like you never cease to amaze me.
Strength.
Honor.
Duty.
All of these qualities you already possess, and we support you and your goals when you get through what you have to do.
Stay strong Christopher as you get through this difficult time. I really look forward to hearing how things are going for you. You're going to be just fine buddy.
Respectfully yours,
Captain George Glover (retired)
Eastchester New York Fire Department
e-mail: efdcapt115@aol.com

SPLISH! SPLASH! It’s gettin’ a BATH! Our newest addition to



Ball Pond Vol. Fire Company SQUAD 16



Come on down and join us for our best ever “WET DOWN”

Date: Saturday, August 4, 2012
Place: 7 Fairfield Drive
PO Box 8153
New Fairfield, CT 06812
Time: 1:00pm ~ whenever!
Food, Refreshments, and showers of FUN!
Please RSVP by July 31, 2012 (number attending)
Email: BPSQUAD16@aol.com or chiefbpfd@aol.com
Phone: 845~206~2857
Via mail to above address

I give the benefit of the doubt to those providers who deserve it, and unfortunately the majority don't. Of course there's lazy cops and firemen... The same way there's lazy doctors, nurses, and workers at Walmart. I still work as a medic and I will come off a midnight tour with the PD, straight to my EMS gig and get my coworkers up off the couch to go out and train after working all night. How many other medics/EMT's do that where I work? Bottom line is that if I don't get the guys up to train, then they won't take the initiative themselves. It's nothing against any of them, it's just the way it is.

I agree that we should look at how we respond to hostile events, but before we can start thinking about a coordinated response to a hostile event, we need to be able to have coordinated responses at all.
At least in Orange County it is the rule, rather than the exception that all three emergency services are on different radio bands (ie. Police on 800, Fire on UHF/Low Band, and EMS on VHF), not to mention they are often dispatched by different people (PD by their own dispatchers and FD/EMS by the County 911 center).
Something as simple as requesting EMS to an accident thought to be PDAA only takes four steps

This event is a reminder of how our jobs as emergency responders is changing. Hats off to all of the responders - police, fire and ems - in Aurora for the courageous acts that day, including that of the dispatchers. I am sure there will be lessons learned from our brother and sister responders that we all can take home. Until such time, I won't comment on the events there but rather some of the lessons we have learned from other events.
Post analysis of the Columbine shooting and other high profile attacks revealed that first responders need to respond and react differently to hostile events. Hence new active shooter policies for police departments (i.e. rapid entry of patrol officers and not waiting for SWAT). One area that has been historically overlooked is how to treat/evacuate a mass number of victims from the "hot" zone. How do you reach and quickly extricate dozens, if not hundreds, of injured victims?
Fire and EMS need to be included as part of a coordinated response to a hostile event. Police quickly become overwhelmed. We (non law-enforcement) have been trained to wait for an "all clear" or to know the scene is completely "safe." Post incident analysis' has showed that this approach doesn't work. In Columbine, victims were bleeding out but were unable to be reached. Realistically, it can take upwards of a few hours for an area to be deemed safe (by our traditional definition).
There are efforts popping up across the county to address this issue. In Minnesota, for example, a program called 3E (3 Echo) is being rolled out that incorporates fire/ems into a coordinated response to a hostile event. The program is based on extensive research of past events both within the United States and across the world, taking best practices deploying in many countries (i.e. Israel) that see active terrorist activity, as well as research coming from the Iraq war. The program integrates police, fire and EMS into a coordinated, initial response with a goal to rapidly treat/evacuate massive numbers of patents within minutes (15-20 minutes or less) of a hostile event. From a fire/EMS perspective, it is a fairly significant shift in the paradigm of waiting blocks away for an "all clear" or for the scene to be 100% "safe." A collaborative approach will allow first responders to evaluate the risk/benefit, realizing that some risk will need to be taken. The key in this program is training, exercise and collaboration between first response agencies prior to an incident happening. Due to the sensitive and mission critical nature of the program, its training and policies, I can't go into much further detail online.
Our jobs are changing. The fire service isn't what it used to be 30-40 years ago. While we can only hope that events such as Columbine, Virginia Tech and now Aurora will not happen in our own community, we cannot ignore the reality that, in 2012, we need to take a better look at how we (police, fire and ems) will respond to a hostile event. Its our job.