ARI1220

Just digging around some website files and came across one of my "Photo Hunts" from 2011", in the Boston/Worcester MA metro area, and figured I'd share:
 
http://emtbravo.webspaceforme.net/PhotoHunt/111707.html

Here's a pic of 49-EMS 1 2000 Ford E350 Horton at the ER today unit is the paid duty crew weekdays 6 am to7 pm when  they are not handling calls they help out at police headquarters  One of the 1st "Blue Buses" in Bergen County area

I find it a bit troubling. Yes methadone, suboxone, subutex programs have pros and cons, however, they're end goal is to help make the patient a functioning member of society again. I.e. career counseling, ongoing therapy.....in a nutshell, changing the behavior that led someone to abuse. With these "drug rooms", all I see is a place where you can get high as a kite and not worry about overdose. They're not trying to change the behavior, they're saying it's acceptable.

I find it a bit troubling. Yes methadone, suboxone, subutex programs have pros and cons, however, they're end goal is to help make the patient a functioning member of society again. I.e. career counseling, ongoing therapy.....in a nutshell, changing the behavior that led someone to abuse. With these "drug rooms", all I see is a place where you can get high as a kite and not worry about overdose. They're not trying to change the behavior, they're saying it's acceptable.

This is an awesome idea. I wish they had something like this when I was in high school. I hope that Westchester sees the increase interest in fire science education in our area, and other high schools follow suit. I also hope WCC starts something on the college level. The interest is definitely out there. Being in a fire service Explorer post from 14 years old, the experience gained in the fire service changed my life and gave me many of my skills. I've always been a big believer in the potential it has for other kids.

Here's South Orangetown 's 32 B1 Ford E350 PL Custom Remount on to 2015 chassis  at the hospital ER They are located in south end of Rockland county  in Tappan NY
few exits north on the parkway hop skip & a jump

Of course I find this unbelievable of how a place like Port Chester, NY could eliminate its skeleton crew of firefighters. I find this very hard to believe because in this day and age, we all know it is a national trend that the volunteer fire service is NOT attracting the numbers like it used to. That is a sad fact, but with todays economy that is a fact of reality.
 
I live in the eastern half of Connecticut. It is an area of mostly rural towns but with two or three smaller cities. Many of those surrounding towns have been forced to hire some type of fire fighters due to the fact that those volunteer numbers are dwindling. Just within the last ten years, the following rural towns have been forced to hire some type of career fire staffing:
 1) Montville
 2) Waterford
 3) Colchester
 4) Voluntown
 5) Canterbury
 6) Preston
 
  In some cases, they have been forced to hire MORE than just one driver. Preston hired three, Colchester is up to five (I believe). Montville and Waterford has added evening shifts. Within the area are two casinos (Foxwoods and Mohegan) as well as the U.S. Federal Sub Base Fire Department who have their own staffed fire departments that also are used to protect these surrounding areas.
 
  More towards the middle of the state, the smaller Town of Portland, Ct has contracted with the staffed City of Middletown to provide one engine company on a routine basis for fire emergencies.
 
 Apparently all of the above realize how important it is to provide some type of fire protection for their areas. Is it a fully staffed fire department ? Of course not. In some cases the fact remains these are only skeleton crews and there is still a much needed force of a volunteer system of firefighting.  
 
  But for a fire district or town to take a step backwards like this is putting its citizens at a greater risk. I would think that would be a liability issue for this district should a serious event occur. I am reminded of a very serious fire that took the lives of 24 young victims the night of June 30, 1974 at a place called "Gullivers" right here in Port Chester, NY. One of the worst fires in our nations history. Apparently that is all forgotten about now.  

This is very tragic.  The PC local needs everyone's support.  What is being done to get these guys some income once May 31st comes?  Any type of fundraiser? 10-13 type.  Sounds like some these guys have families to feed.  

The tax payers will not see a penny of savings.  This was not a cost cutting measure but a way to fund additional positions and raises without going over the tax cap and doing so at the cost of the 8 firefighters and their families. 

#RyeBrook Mayor Paul Rosenberg responds regarding elimination of paid #PortChester firefighters. 
"To my Rye Brook Friends and Neighbors:
I want to bring you up as to date with a very important issue which has arisen in in the past 24 hours.  A shared fire services contract with the Village of Port Chester requires them to staff the Rye Brook firehouse with one “career” firefighter from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM daily.  In the event of a fire, they would respond together with numerous Port Chester volunteer firefighters.  
Last evening, as part of its budget adoption, the Port Chester Board of Trustees voted to remove the “career” firefighters from their budget, moving to an all-volunteer fire department.  When that happened, Port Chester put all “career” firefighters on leave, including the firefighter who was staffing the Rye Brook firehouse.  At that point, we made the decision to staff the Rye Brook firehouse overnight with Rye Brook Fire Department personnel.  
Despite Port Chester’s breach of contract, the Village of Rye Brook will ensure that the Rye Brook firehouse will be staffed around the clock while we consider all of our legal options.  As in the past, the Port Chester volunteers will continue to respond.
Please be assured that the safety of our residents is of paramount concern to us, and we taking every step to protect your safety. 
I will continue to keep you informed as events warrant."

It is clearly not a financial issue. Watch the village board meeting on their website.
 
1) they state they want to add cops
2) they state they failed to pass the tax cap override 30 days prior (as required by law)
3) they stated they can only add cops if they cut the budget elsewhere (since they can't legally raise taxes)
4) they started with a number of cuts, including the $600,000 in salary/benefits for the career firefighters 
 
now here is is the kicker.......
 
5) they included dropping the Rye Brook "payment" (with no explanation). This payment is approximately $1,000,000 for fire protection.
 
So how many cops can they hire with this math? $600,000 - $1,000,000 = negative $400,000. In other words, the village will have to come up with an additional $400,000 to fund the FD. 

*SPY SHOTS*
New FDNY Fleet Services Wrecker
2016 Mack Granite/Century
 
Photos from: Pete's Towing and Auto Body
 

 

 
Photos from: Pete's Towing and Auto Body

Some 54 years ago it is still the most Tragic Day throughout the Fire Service of Connecticut.  That day on April 3, 1962, when FOUR Norwich, Ct Firefighters lost their lives in a chemical explosion which occurred on Forest St in that city. It is known as the Van Tassel Explosion taking the lives of Fire Captain William Sheridan, Firefighter Leonard Counihan, Firefighter Edward Ramano, and Firefighter Carl Burke.
 
The only two firefighters to survive this explosion were Firefighters Thomas Demauro, who has since passed on, and Fire Lt Thomas LaFrenere. Retired Lt Tom LaFrenere had to face what no other firefighter in the State of Connecticut had to face. The loss of Four of his Brother Firefighters at one incident.
 
Here is Lt LaFrenere as he talks in 2012 at the dedication of a Firefighter Memorial on the 50th Anniversary of that Tragic Day in April, 1962.
 
Part 1.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN1BPGG1FY8
 
Part 2.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5frVersO0Ag
 
 50th Anniversary Memorial Dedication at Norwich (CT) Fire Headquarters in April, 2012
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdkfWu1D6wI  

Several years we traveled to the National Fire Academy and asked if they could develop a Chief Officers course,  they needed money to do this With help of Nita Lowey we got the money and the course was developed.
 Being from New York it was our desire to have the course, with necessary local additions made mandatory for Career newly promoted Chief Officers. We felt it made sense as we have mandatory recruit, in-service and First Line Officers training , then it suddenly stops at Chief Officers.
  Our next visit was to FDNY and had the backing of the then administration to present this course at Fort Totten, as long as we could secure a continuous funding source and it would be presented similar to the FDNY Chiefs course.
   The dream was any newly promoted career Chief anywhere in New York State would go for a months instruction to Fort Totten, Queens and take advantage of all the experiences afforded. Sadly, it never got funded and there was resistance to it, some even wanted to make it a computer course.. It was broad enough that it could be taught in other states at academies or regionally.
 For the Volunteer Chiefs it could have been taught at nights or week-end in like segments over a period of time, so a guy enters as a "Baby Chief:" would have the entire Course completed by the time he reaches the top position.
   Few folks get any training to prepare them for this rank and their experiences are not adequate for a position so different from previous assignments . We speak so much about safety, how about the guy running "the job" knowing what he is doing.
    If you like this shelved idea, contact the Office of Fire Prevention and Control in Albany and/or the New York State Fire Chiefs Association, see if this can be resurrected, again this is not limited to New York State, we just felt our State would be a logical starting point as we have State mandated training for all other ranks except this one.
 

Here's a couple of pics of Westchester Airport firefighters doing some night training. The first is Airport 7 in a low attack setting, the second is a few of the firefighters doing some handline training (with a probie on the knob).  The photos were taken by duty supervisor Peter Garber.

Looks like the old employees have re-opened the company
 
http://www.itefire.com/
 
And are finishing Belltown's Aerialscope:
 
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1285476714801726&set=gm.1244283102253463&type=3&theater

Seth,
TL-45 is now due to rejoin the fleet early next year. If all goes well, by mid January. She is getting a fairly extensive refit with a new body, axles, brakes and upgrades to the wiring and hydraulics where necessary. When she returns to service the only thing will be left that's original is the boom, which has a good 15 to 20 years left on it...especially in Asbestosville..uh ahem I mean Belltown.

The Cornwall Ambulance Board of Directors is requesting resumes for the position of "Paramedic Division Coordinator" to oversee our paramedic upgrade process and future program. Applicants must be a NYS Paramedic that is credentialed in the Hudson Valley Region.
Applicants are asked to send resumes and questions to Michael Bigg, Vice President at mbigg01@gmail.com.
Interviews will be scheduled for May.

*SPY SHOT*
Greenburgh Police*EMS
New Ambulance 79
2016 Chevrolet Express 4500/Braun Express

Photo taken today at the Town Garage, while it was getting some finishing touches. Should be in service soon.
 

 

Wems will operate
37 M1 & M2 0700-1900
37 M1 1901-0659
The shift change will be out of MPPD HQ
 

Based on what I read here, "annexing", is probably the way to go as "x635" says in his above post. Even with 28 members on the rolls, as "bigrig77" says, how many could actually respond to a serious incident if needed. I'm sure Pittsburgh must respond anyway as a mutual aid company. Is it fair to say that the mutual aid goes the other way as well. My guess is it probably doesn't.
 
Seeing people cry at loosing their fire department which served this area for several years is very sad. But crying for some unfortunate person or family who may die in a fire if things stay the same could be much worse. It just doesn't make any sense to continue to operate in this type of system. It is wishful thinking but the reality is that it just cant be done. The people of that town really have much more to loose if they decided to continue as is.
 
 

The citizens there and in most communities have no clue about the local FD. 
 
They are much more concerned with the goings on at the yacht club and the golf club.
 
Sadly it is neither a hoax or an April Fools Joke.
 
Thier former city manager said it best when he described the department as: "Staffed for Failure"

Anyone know how many flycars this involves, and where they will be stationed?
 
Also, WEMS is in possession of two 2016 Ford Explorer SSV's. I've hear two rumors. Mount Pleasant obtained them, possibly through a grant. And Phelps purchased them for WEMS. Does anyone know which is true, IF either?
 
 

They were running with a 1979 Ford/Hamerly, 1999 HME Pumper, 1975 American La France ladder truck. I think the town made the right choice. Why waste $1.5 million on the vols when they only went on 61 calls. I don't think that money total took into consideration that a new rig needed to be purchased. They had a GoFundMe site set up to buy a ladder. The town weighted the options and it would be cheaper for Pittsburgh to come into the town when they had a call. It works out to about one call every week, easy coverage. The borough is 0.4 sq mi. with a population of 3,330 people. There are only 28 members on the rolls but i think we all know about the roll numbers and actual firefighters are two different numbers. They should be happy a fully staffed department with properly trained guys are now covering the town. 

While it certainly sucks for its members, does a .4 sq mile town really need it's own department? It's certainly unlikely that a town with 3,000 people could afford the apparatus or supply the manpower for a self sufficient department. At the end of the day the town needs to give the best fire protection possible and do what's right for th taxpayer.