sueg

Perhaps an Update or Progress Report is due.
 
Despite No Progress being made on the Fractured Fire Service in Norwich, there has been No shortage of the Career Fire Department calling for the closest volunteer departments, unlike their surrounding departments have done. Instead of calling for another OUTSIDE Department, the Fire Commanders in this case called for the closet and put their services to work. As you recall from many earlier post here, that has NOT always been the case when additional help was requested. In one case two volunteer departments were requested from 5 and 8 miles away, despite a firehouse with nine fulltime firefighters and a battalion chief only 1.8 miles up the road.
 
 But in the cases below that I am about to list, in ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS, the CLOSEST LOCAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPTS WERE REQUESTED. These were serious fires in which occurred from October 16, to Oct 30th.
 
 1) October 16 - Former Newspaper Building at 66 Franklin St being converted into restaurant. Two story brick with fire in the cockloft.
 2) October 23 - Large vacant mill building at 132 Franklin St with fire on the second floor
 3) October 24 - Two and three story vacant former YMCA Building at 337 Main St. Fire on the second floor of former residents area
 4) October 28 - Fire in an occupied 2 1/2 frame dwelling, making 11 occupants homeless
 5) October 30 - Fire in a one story commercial car sales and service building
 
In addition to the above, only a week or so before this, there was a fire in an occupied 4 story brick building at 321 Main St. I just don't have the exact date.
 
In ALL of these fires, they required at least one hand line operating. In some cases multiple lines had to be stretched.
 
The point is, in each one of these incidents a response was requested of the surrounding volunteer departments. This type of mutual aid plan shows the priorities of these departments. One department shows how important in is to call the closest department and quickest to respond. While others have a track record of calling much farther away departments regardless of how much more property burns or whose lives they might be affecting.
 
 Which department would you feel is doing the right thing for the people they serve.
 
 I would just like to pass on a recent newspaper article regarding some of the fires. The Norwich arson Task Force is back in action. They have an excellent track record as I know many of them personally, both fire and police. Most also bring years of experience with them. Our biggest problem here I see is NOT catching the arsonist BUT in getting rid of some fire commanders that should have been put out of business years ago.
 
http://www.theday.com/policefirecourts/20161102/norwich-arson-task-force-is-back-in-action     (I hope it works)

 
 
They went with the town wide ambulance service proposal.
 

Please let us know how the vote goes, because some of the choices would either end the Mutual Aid agreement we have with them on the EMS and in at least one option the Fire side, or at the very least affect it;, and one or more of the options may very well affect how or if they call us for Mutual Aid for EMS.  Thank you for giving us a heads-up. 

Very, very sorry to hear of Trooper Pratt's untimely death trying to help someone.  What a shame - sounds like he was a really nice guy.  Thoughts, prayers and condolences to his family, friends and co-workers.

There you have it; democracy in action.  Perhaps a much scaled down version can be presented to the public down the road.

 
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/new-castle/2016/10/26/chappaqua-fire-station-expansion-rejected/92765618/

Drive thru ???? How will anyone know how to back up

A victory for cool heads and common "cents"...

 
Patterson (Putnam County)  is deciding whether they want to establish a town-wide ambulance service. Interesting document to read that explores multiple different options available to them.  The vote is tonight.
 
REPORT: http://www.pattersonny.org/PDFs/EMS_Final_Report_101216.pdf

I could be wrong but this is already a series it's called "COPS".  and plenty of others have been done.   People either support or us or they don't.  No TV show will change opinions.  And even the ones that support cops don't understand and until you work the streets you never will.  

Remember Keith Roma...Fire Patrol 2 number "344".....RIP brother

Although forgotten in most of the body counts there were also NYS Court Officers, an NYC Fire Patrolman, 2 private Fire Guards (who were retired from FDNY) and several private security officers.

I had been working the day shift at fire headquarters in Norwich, Ct. As the events played out, off duty guys were calling in asking if they should go down to NYC. The Chief of Department came out and said, "if we get called to go, we will go down as a group, not individually". Norwich, Ct is about 130 miles from that WTC site. The chief did say that it is possible many of the on duty shift would be held over into the night shift. That entire night shift was held over as nobody really knew what was next. I think the biggest concern for us was the fact that two nearby casinos were a possibility of being a target.
 
 Later that afternoon everyone was advised NOT to go down to NYC. There was already enough people and fire companies coming in from outside the city. As I remember both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium were used as staging areas for companies coming in from Westchester County and Long Island. However, a list was made up of our guys willing to relocate into the cities of New Haven, Bridgeport, Norwalk or Stamford, as those guys would be much closer to relocate to New York City firehouses. I remember about half the guys signed up and we were willing to bring supplies with us for about a two week stay. The group would be divided in half known as "A" Group and "B" Group, taking turns to relocate. A reserve engine and ladder would be used. The other half of the guys were told, they would required to cover our empty positions while gone. This was fully understood by ALL of the members of the department.
 
 I think it really hit me when one of the first names I had heard was Chief Ray Downey as one of those 9/11 LODDs identified about 8 pm. Chief Downey was a Role Model to me. I used to attend many of the classes put on as a fund raiser for the NYC Burn Unit. Those classes were held about once every three months at the FDNY Fire Academy. The guest speakers got no money for this and they would very often then bring the classes to the Fire Expo etc. Chief Ray Downey, as well as the very well respected, Lt Andy Fredricks, who we also lost, were very often a part of that program.
 
 Everything basically shut down. In fact, late that afternoon, even the casinos shut down, where my wife worked the 3 - 11 pm shift.
 
 My brother was a battalion chief in Bridgeport. When he walked into the firehouse the next day, he was to report to the Chiefs Office. There he was also told to get a list of guys from the shift willing to go down to NYC. They were also told it would be for a period of one or two weeks. I also believe during the initial stages the Metro North Railroad was offering free rides to firefighters who were going into NYC. And the Bridgeport Firefighters were part of the group that went down there through the department.
 
 It was the first time in the FDNY history that there was such a huge response from outside the city put into effect. This had never happened before. I believe after the event was finally over, the FDNY came out with a full report on the entire operation. There were lessoned learned that today they would do different.
 
 Also some changes would take place in the D.C. area after the huge operation that was organized to deal with a large commercial airliner crashing into places like the Pentagon.
 
 Not only did some operations change for the FDNY, and DC area departments, BUT "THE ENTIRE WORLD CHANGED AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. Security is now a key issue for the safety of many people who work within Federal areas, as well as those who travel within our airlines. Even major events such as the New Years Eve celebration in NYC, as well as other cities, have taken major steps in trying to secure the publics safety.
 
 

The Day of Terror, September 11, 2001, when America was attacked.
 
This year marks the 15th Anniversary and we should NEVER FORGET. So many innocent lives were taken away. Including:
 
  343 - New York City Firefighters (FDNY)
  37 - Police Officers of the Port Authority of NY/NJ (PAPD)
  24 - New York City Police Officers (NYPD)
  8 - EMTs/Medics
 
It was the "Deadliest Attack on American soil".
 
 2,606 - killed from the World Trade Center, plus 6,000 injured.
  265 - killed from the Four planes that crashed (Two into the WTC, One in a field in Shanksville, Pa., and One into the Pentagon)
  125 - killed at the U.S. Pentagon
 
2,996 - Totally innocent Americans murdered that day. Each one not just a number, but a human being with families and friends who still miss them today. Today that count continues to rise as more people are dying from the effects of that dust cloud when those Two - 110 story buildings collapsed. For many of us we watched this all live on our televisions. WE MUST NEVER FORGET.
 
  All flights in America were forced to land. For the first and only time in America there were no planes flying. The only planes in the air were U.S. Fighter Jets.
 
  Many of the injured were expected to be transported by train to some of our hospitals in Connecticut. For my sister in law, an RN at Bridgeport (CT) Hospital, a Code D was activated. Meaning all off duty nurses were to report back to work. As they waited, nobody arrived.
 
  Retired FDNY Captain John Vigiano lost two of his sons on September 11, 2001. One a FDNY Firefighter (John) and the other a NYPD Detective (Joe). Ironically his two sons were often referred to as "The Twin Towers", named after the two World Trade Center Buildings.
 www.americanpolicenews.com/vigiano.html  
 
  Sometimes there were five or six funerals a day for those FDNY Firefighters. It was sometimes impossible for these firefighters to go to all of these funerals. There was a request made for firefighters from anywhere, just to show up in uniform to try and give each member the full fire department honor they deserved.
 
  Not only was it necessary to fill those 343 firefighter positions to give the city adequate coverage, but there was also a required amount of firefighters needed to continue searching through the huge pile from the collapse of these two buildings. In addition there was a commitment by the members of the FDNY to cover each and every firehouse in which a funeral was occurring. Just so that those who worked with them could attend the funeral of those they shared the same firehouse with. There were times when those guys did not get home to see their own families for weeks. And this went on for almost a year.
 
  Today, many Ground Zero Firefighters, EMTs, Police Officers, and other nearby Ground Zero workers have come down with 9/11 linked cancer. Others have severe breathing problems. PLUS, the other, over 5,400 people who have suffered from the 9/11 linked cancer. They were also exposed to that dust.
 
  There were many hero's that day. Each one with a story to be told.
 
  A country singer named Alan Jackson decided to write a song about it. He called it; "Where were you when the World Stopped Turning". For those of us who watched these events play out, it is a day we will Never Forget. To this day, 15 years later, it is still hard to believe. Our condolences to those who lost so many of your friends and family members. We thank all of the first responders and other workers involved for the job you did. A job that no one else in our civilized society, has ever had to do.
 
  As we listen to this song, these are some of the memories we saw. Live on TV as it happened, from The Day of Terror, September 11, 2001.
 
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ittG66J8_hQ

This is a 9/11 Story of TRUE Brotherhood within the fire service after the Tragic events of September 11, 2001. A story about an FDNY Rescue Company that lost all of it's members when they responded to the World Trade Center. A story about a FDNY Firefighter who dedicated himself to the children of those lost members, FDNY Firefighter Jo Jo Esposito.
 
There's hundreds of stories of people helping people after the Worst Attack in the history of America.
 
Here is that story of Jo Jo.
http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/nyer-of-the-week/2016/09/3/nyer-of-the-week--jo-jo-esposito-stays-loyal-to-the-families-of-his-fallen-brothers.html 

The fallen of 09/11/2001.......
 
FDNY Firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics killed on 9/11
Company Fatalities:
FDNY Chief Peter J. Ganci, Jr., 54
FDNY Commissioner William M. Feehan, 72
FDNY Marshal Ronald Paul Bucca, 47
FDNY Chaplain Mychal Judge, 68
Battalion 1:
Chief Matthew Lancelot Ryan, 54
Lt. Paul Thomas Mitchell, 46
Battalion 2:
Chief William McGovern, 49
Chief Richard Prunty, 57
Faustino Apostol, Jr., 55
Battalion 4:
Lt. Thomas O'Hagan, 43
Battalion 6:
Chief John P. Williamson, 46
Battalion 7:
Chief Orio Palmer, 45
Lt. Stephen G. Harrell, 44
Lt. Philip Scott Petti, 43
Battalion 8:
Chief Thomas Patrick DeAngelis, 51
Thomas McCann, 45
Battalion 9:
Chief Dennis Lawrence Devlin, 51
Chief Edward F. Geraghty, 45
Lt. Charles William Garbarini, 44
Carl Asaro, 39
Alan D. Feinberg, 48
Battalion 11:
Chief John M. Paolillo, 51
Battalion 12:
Chief Frederick Claude Scheffold, Jr., 57
Battalion 22:
Lt. Charles Joseph Margiotta, 44
Battalion 43:
Lt. Geoffrey E. Guja, 49
Battalion 47:
Lt. Anthony Jovic, 39
Battalion 48:
Chief Joseph Grzelak, 52
Michael Leopoldo Bocchino, 45
Battalion 49:
Chief John Moran, 42
Battalion 50:
Chief Lawrence T. Stack, 58
Battalion 57:
Chief Dennis Cross, 60
Chief Joseph Ross Marchbanks, Jr, 47
Division 1:
Capt. Joseph D. Farrelly, 47
Capt. Thomas Moody, 45
Division 11:
Capt. Timothy M. Stackpole, 42
Division 15:
Chief Thomas Theodore Haskell, Jr., 37
Capt. Martin J. Egan, Jr., 36
Capt. William O'Keefe, 48
Engine 1:
Lt. Andrew Desperito, 43
Michael T. Weinberg, 34
Engine 4:
Calixto Anaya, Jr, 35
James C. Riches, 29
Thomas G. Schoales, 27
Paul A. Tegtmeier, 41
Engine 5:
Manuel Del Valle, Jr, 32
Engine 6:
Paul Beyer, 37
Thomas Holohan, 36
William R. Johnston, 31
Engine 8:
Robert Parro, 35
Engine 10:
Lt. Gregg Arthur Atlas, 44
Jeffrey James Olsen, 31
Engine 21:
Capt. William Francis Burke, Jr., 46
Engine 22:
Thomas Anthony Casoria, 29
Michael J. Elferis, 27
Vincent D. Kane, 37
Martin E. McWilliams, 35
Engine 23:
Robert McPadden, 30
James Nicholas Pappageorge, 29
Hector Luis Tirado, Jr., 30
Mark P. Whitford, 31
Engine 26:
Capt. Thomas Farino, 37
Dana R Hannon, 29
Engine 29:
Michael Ragusa, 29
Engine 33:
Lt. Kevin Pfeifer, 42
David Arce, 36
Michael Boyle, 37
Robert Evans, 36
Keithroy Marcellus Maynard, 30
Engine 37:
John Giordano, 47
Engine 40:
Lt. John F. Ginley, 37
Kevin Bracken, 37
Michael D. D'Auria, 25
Bruce Gary, 51
Steven Mercado, 38
Engine 50:
Robert W. Spear, Jr., 30
Engine 54:
Paul John Gill, 34
Jose Guadalupe, 37
Christopher Santora, 23
Engine 55 
Lt. Peter L. Freund, 45
Robert Lane, 28
Christopher Mozzillo, 27
Stephen P. Russell, 40
Engine 58 
Lt. Robert B. Nagel, 55
Engine 74 
Ruben D. Correa, 44
Engine 201 
Lt. Paul Richard Martini, 37
Gregory Joseph Buck, 37
Christopher Pickford, 32
John Albert Schardt, 34
Engine 205 
Lt. Robert Francis Wallace, 43
Engine 207 
Karl Henry Joseph, 25
Shawn Edward Powell, 32
Kevin O. Reilly, 28
Engine 214 
Lt. Carl John Bedigian, 35
John Joseph Florio, 33
Michael Edward Roberts, 31
Kenneth Thomas Watson, 39
Engine 216 
Daniel Suhr, 37
Engine 217 
Lt. Kenneth Phelan, 41
Steven Coakley, 36
Philip T. Hayes, 67
Neil Joseph Leavy, 34
Engine 219 
John Chipura, 39
Engine 226 
Brian McAleese, 36
David Paul De Rubbio, 38
Stanley S. Smagala, Jr., 36
Engine 230 
Lt. Brian G. Ahearn, 43
Frank Bonomo, 42
Michael Scott Carlo, 34
Jeffrey Stark, 30
Eugene Whelan, 31
Edward James White III, 30
Engine 235 
Lt. Steven Bates, 42
Nicholas Paul Chiofalo, 39
Francis Esposito, 32
Lee S. Fehling, 28
Lawrence G. Veling, 44
Engine 238 
Lt. Glenn E. Wilkinson, 46
Engine 279 
Ronnie Lee Henderson, 52
Anthony Rodriguez, 36
Engine 285 
Raymond R. York, 45
Engine 320 
Capt. James J. Corrigan, 60
Haz-Mat 1 
Lt. John A. Crisci, 48
Dennis M. Carey, 51
Martin N. DeMeo, 47
Thomas Gardner, 39
Jonathan R. Hohmann, 48
Dennis Scauso, 46
Kevin Joseph Smith, 47
Ladder 2 
Capt. Frederick Ill, Jr, 49
Michael J. Clarke, 27
George DiPasquale, 33
Denis P. Germain, 33
Daniel Edward Harlin, 41
Carl Molinaro, 32
Dennis Michael Mulligan, 32
Ladder 3 
Capt. Patrick J. Brown, 48
Lt. Kevin W. Donnelly, 43
Michael Carroll, 39
James Raymond Coyle, 26
Gerard Dewan, 35
Jeffrey John Giordano, 45
Joseph Maloney, 45
John Kevin McAvoy, 47
Timothy Patrick McSweeney, 37
Joseph J. Ogren, 30
Steven John Olson, 38
Ladder 4 
Capt. David Terence Wooley, 54
Lt. Daniel O'Callaghan, 42
Joseph Angelini, Jr, 38
Peter Brennan, 30
Michael E. Brennan, 27
Michael Haub, 34
Michael F. Lynch, 33
Samuel Oitice, 45
John James Tipping II, 33
Ladder 5 
Lt. Vincent Francis Giammona, 40
Lt. Michael Warchola, 51
Louis Arena, 32
Andrew Brunn, 28
Thomas Hannafin, 36
Paul Hanlon Keating, 38
John A. Santore, 49
Gregory Thomas Saucedo, 31
Ladder 7 
Capt. Vernon Allan Richard, 53
George Cain, 35
Robert Joseph Foti, 42
Richard Muldowney Jr, 40
Charles Mendez, 38
Vincent Princiotta, 39
Ladder 8 
Lt. Vincent Gerard Halloran, 43
Ladder 9 
Gerard Baptiste, 35
John P. Tierney, 27
Jeffrey P. Walz, 37
Ladder 10 
Sean Patrick Tallon, 26
Ladder 11 
Lt. Michael Quilty, 42
Michael F. Cammarata, 22
Edward James Day, 45
John F. Heffernan, 37
Richard John Kelly, Jr, 50
Robert King, Jr, 36
Matthew Rogan, 37
Ladder 12 
Angel L. Juarbe, Jr, 35
Michael D. Mullan, 34
Ladder 13 
Capt. Walter G. Hynes, 46
Thomas Hetzel, 33
Dennis McHugh, 34
Thomas E. Sabella, 44
Gregory Stajk, 46
Ladder 15 
Lt. Joseph Gerard Leavey, 45
Richard Lanard Allen, 30
Arthur Thaddeus Barry, 35
Thomas W. Kelly, 50
Scott Kopytko, 32
Scott Larsen, 35
Douglas E. Oelschlager, 36
Eric T. Olsen, 41
Ladder 16 
Lt. Raymond E. Murphy, 46
Robert Curatolo, 31
Ladder 20 
Capt. John R. Fischer, 46
John Patrick Burnside, 36
James Michael Gray, 34
Sean S. Hanley, 35
David Laforge, 50
Robert Thomas Linnane, 33
Robert D. McMahon, 35
Ladder 21 
Gerald T. Atwood, 38
Gerard Duffy, 53
Keith Glascoe, 38
Joseph Henry, 25
William E. Krukowski, 36
Benjamin Suarez, 34
Ladder 24 
Capt. Daniel J. Brethel, 43
Stephen Elliot Belson, 51
Ladder 25 
Lt. Glenn C. Perry, 41
Matthew Barnes, 37
John Michael Collins, 42
Kenneth Kumpel, 42
Robert Minara, 54
Joseph Rivelli, 43
Paul G. Ruback, 50
Ladder 27 
John Marshall, 35
Ladder 35 
Capt. Frank Callahan, 51
James Andrew Giberson, 43
Vincent S. Morello, 34
Michael Otten, 42
Michael Roberts, 30
Ladder 38 
Joseph Spor, Jr., 35
Ladder 42 
Peter Alexander Bielfeld, 44
Ladder 101 
Lt. Joseph Gullickson, 37
Patrick Byrne, 39
Salvatore B. Calabro, 38
Brian Cannizzaro, 30
Thomas J. Kennedy, 36
Joseph Maffeo, 31
Terence A. McShane, 37
Ladder 105 
Capt. Vincent Brunton, 43
Thomas Richard Kelly, 39
Henry Alfred Miller, Jr, 51
Dennis O'Berg, 28
Frank Anthony Palombo, 46
Ladder 111 
Lt. Christopher P. Sullivan, 39
Ladder 118 
Lt. Robert M. Regan, 48
Joseph Agnello, 35
Vernon Paul Cherry, 49
Scott Matthew Davidson, 33
Leon Smith, Jr., 48
Peter Anthony Vega, 36
Ladder 131 
Christian Michael Otto Regenhard, 28
Ladder 132 
Andrew Jordan, 36
Michael Kiefer, 25
Thomas Mingione, 34
John T. Vigiano II, 36
Sergio Villanueva, 33
Ladder 136 
Michael Joseph Cawley, 32
Ladder 166 
William X. Wren, 61
Rescue 1 
Capt. Terence S. Hatton, 41
Lt. Dennis Mojica, 50
Joseph Angelini, Sr., 63
Gary Geidel, 44
William Henry, 49
Kenneth Joseph Marino, 40
Michael Montesi, 39
Gerard Terence Nevins, 46
Patrick J. O'Keefe, 44
Brian Edward Sweeney, 29
David M. Weiss, 41
Rescue 2 
Lt. Peter C. Martin, 43
William David Lake, 44
Daniel F. Libretti, 43
John Napolitano, 32
Kevin O'Rourke, 44
Lincoln Quappe, 38
Edward Rall, 44
Rescue 3 
Christopher Joseph Blackwell, 42
Thomas Foley, 32
Thomas Gambino, Jr., 48
Raymond Meisenheimer, 46
Donald J. Regan, 47
Gerard Patrick Schrang, 45
Rescue 4 
Capt. Brian Hickey, 47
Lt. Kevin Dowdell, 46
Terrence Patrick Farrell, 45
William J. Mahoney, 37
Peter Allen Nelson, 42
Durrell V. Pearsall, 34
Rescue 5 
Capt. Louis Joseph Modafferi, 45
Lt. Harvey Harrell, 49
John P. Bergin, 39
Carl Vincent Bini, 44
Michael Curtis Fiore, 46
Andre G. Fletcher, 37
Douglas Charles Miller, 34
Jeffrey Matthew Palazzo, 33
Nicholas P. Rossomando, 35
Allan Tarasiewicz, 45
Special Operations 
Chief Raymond Mathew Downey, 63
Capt. Patrick J. Waters, 44
Lt. Timothy Higgins, 43
Lt. Michael Thomas Russo, Sr, 44
Squad 1 
Capt. James M. Amato, 43
Lt. Edward A. D'Atri, 38
Lt. Michael Esposito, 41
Lt. Michael N. Fodor, 53
Brian Bilcher, 37
Gary Box, 37
Thomas M. Butler, 37
Peter Carroll, 42
Robert Cordice, 28
David J. Fontana, 37
Matthew David Garvey, 37
Stephen Gerard Siller, 34
Squad 18 
Lt. William E. McGinn, 43
Eric Allen, 44
Andrew Fredricks, 40
David Halderman, 40
Timothy Haskell, 34
Manuel Mojica, 37
Lawrence Virgilio, 38
Squad 41 
Lt. Michael K. Healey, 42
Thomas Patrick Cullen III, 31
Robert Hamilton, 43
Michael J. Lyons, 32
Gregory Sikorsky, 34
R. Bruce Van Hine, 48
Squad 252 
Tarel Coleman, 32
Thomas Kuveikis, 48
Peter J. Langone, 41
Patrick Lyons, 34
Kevin Prior, 28
Squad 288 
Lt. Ronald T. Kerwin, 42
Ronnie E. Gies, 43
Joseph Hunter, 31
Jonathan Lee Ielpi, 29
Adam David Rand, 30
Timothy Matthew Welty, 34
EMS Battalion 49 
Paramedic Carlos R. Lillo, 37
EMS Battalion 57 
Paramedic Ricardo J. Quinn, 40

Never forget
 

No long diatribes, no long speeches, no posts the size of novels 

simply....

RIP 343..We will never forget
 
 

Perhaps only those who have been directly involved in incidents such as these can fully appreciate the work these Brother and Sister Firefighters have done.
 
Because of these very brave individuals, someone's mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, friend or neighbor is alive today.
 
As we honor the "Bravest of the Bravest", we see what the words "True American Hero's" really mean.
 
Thank you all for the job you do.
 
From New Haven, Ct.
http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20160830/new-haven-firefighters-honored-for-heroic-actions-during-two-rescues 
 
From the FDNY.
 www.firehouse.com/news/12246273/fdny-It-brian-colleluori-recieves-top-valor-award
 
 From Firehouse Magazine.
  www.firehouse.com/article/12236956/2015-valor-awards-winners-4-12

 
http://m.newstimes.com/local/article/911-call-about-assault-on-Danbury-cop-shows-9125646.php

I learned that technique way back in Firefighter I and Firefighter II as a way to regain control of your breathing and the situation and to use less air by being more relaxed and in control.  Also works great to lower your blood pressure during physicals  and rehab   I teach it to others when see them all "huffy and puffy" after a drill evolution, and it also works when trying to calm patients who are hyperventilating!

How to Be Calm During Chaos

This is a great, short article that should be read and pondered on by all First Responders, regardless of discipline or years of experience. Thank you for sharing!

As a member of local 1971 [ retired ]   and a 44 year member of the PCFD . It's not about the firefighters it's about the community we live in and the safety of the residents  that now  are at risk . Most of you guys know me and know that during my career I had my share of fires over the years many and I mean many that I pulled up to by myself.  Many voll pulled lines off my rig and started to attack the fire before the rest of the rigs got there . Now that element is lost  We worked together well and that my fellow firefighters is what made our dept work .

Wow, I'm totally disgusted by this very sad news. In my 48 years with the Department I have always been proud of our reputation as one of the best Fire Departments in Westchester County. That reputation was earned by the dedicated service and hard work performed by the Career and Volunteer staffs working together. Sure we had our differences at times (some not so pleasant) but we worked them out for the betterment of the service. The Village of Port Chester has been very fortunate to have a Fire Department that has saved many lives and millions of dollars in fire losses over the years. The quick response of the Career Staff with Engines 58 & 59 and the superb firefighting tactics of it's dedicated Volunteers have prevented many small fires from becoming major conflagrations. Anyone in the Fire Service knows how fast uncontrolled fires multiply by the minute and therefore the importance of the quick initial response. In most cases that is what the Career staff provided. To the Mayor and Members of the Village Board, as a former Chief of this Department I'm appalled by this decision. You should be ashamed of yourselves for taking this horrendous action and placing the lives and property of the citizens in jeopardy. I hope your actions don't cause any hardship or sorrow to anyone involved. To the Career staff I wish you Godspeed in finding new suitable employment in your chosen profession. To the Volunteers watch your backs, you never know who's next on the hit list.. In closing I feel a list of how the Village Board Voted should be posted so the residents know who is responsible for this unfortunate decision.....