Dinosaur

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Posts posted by Dinosaur

  2. Posted

    1 hour ago, gamewell45 said:

    I think it's been around 15 years now since Pawling, NY disbanded its police force.  It happened at one of the village board meetings when a motion was made to disband the entire force and turn police matters over the county Sheriff's Office.  There were a lot of shocked people in the village, including members of the police department.


    Locally we've lost a few.  Brewster (though it's been reincarnated), Putnam Valley, Cortlandt, Town of Ossining, Village of Haverstraw, to name a few. 

    NJ has been under the gun a lot recently and have done away with some big jobs like Camden. 

    No public service agencies are safe.  Everyone is a potential political target.

    Westfield12 and fdalumnus like this

  4. Posted

    On 5/8/2016 at 8:28 PM, Oaks said:

    Did Port Chester participate in the Airport drill today? I've seen Engine 58 there on emergencies and drills in the past. That's another part of Port Chester's jurisdiction that I hope speaks up....I'm sure the airport ARFF guys would rather see an engine for mutual aid sooner then later.

     

     

    None of the airport is in the Village of Port Chester.  Part of it may be in Rye Brook but the majority is in Harrison and North Castle.

    dwcfireman likes this

  5. Posted

    On 5/5/2016 at 10:16 PM, Ladder44 said:


    Cause there are no volunteer cops, the town can get away with laying off these guys by having the "volunteer security blanket"


    Problem is they're saying that the eight victims of this "supplemented" the volunteer force.  So they're claiming that there's no substantial change in coverage by eliminating the eight career guys. 

     

     

    Oaks likes this

  7. Posted

    On 5/5/2016 at 1:45 PM, mikeinet said:

    Aren't there laws around charging for an RMA though...? At minimum, insurance won't pay it because "it's not a medical necessity" (hence the reason for the RMA)

     

    I agree if you start charging it'll drive change... but hands are tied a lot of times in doing that

     

    So bill the facility directly for a service call.  Get the town to pass a local law like they do for alarms that keep going off.


     

  10. Posted

    11 hours ago, somebuffyguy said:

    Is there any sort of a policy in Westchester that would allow other departments to hire these guys even if they're not on the current list? If they're able to I'd hope other departments do the right thing and pick these guys up. I know Hartsdale picked up a few laid off firemen from Long Island not too long ago .

    Not a policy.  Civil service law covers this.  Don't know the particulars anymore though. 

     

    x635 and Westfield12 like this

  11. Posted

    On 2/8/2016 at 11:04 AM, mikeinet said:

    I think we're discussing a major tax on our system that's CAUSING us to not be able to cover everything in our owns...??

     

    Can you quantify this "major tax" on your system and explain how it is "causing you not to be able to cover everything in your own towns"?  What are the actual numbers?

     

    Is this a major burden on the system or an inconvenience because somebody missed a "pin job" while on a fall call?
     

  12. Posted

    A new thread talks about a $2500 face mask equipped with built-in TIC and people are lining up to demo it.  I'm willing to bet there will be dozens in the Hudson Valley before the end of the year.

    Meanwhile the OFPC allowed firefighters to go out in jeans and t-shirts to fight the wildfire in the Shawangunk Mountains this past week to work alongside forest rangers and parks crews wearing Nomex and carrying fire shelters.  Did the local FD crews have fire shelters?  Nope. 


    We have to get our priorities straight!
     

    http://www.recordonline.com/photogallery/TH/20160428/PHOTOGALLERY/428009998/PH/1

    x635 likes this

  13. Posted

    9 hours ago, dwcfireman said:

     

    I know.  This is a good question.  From what I see as the norm right now is that firefighters will wear their full PPE and carry the necessary equipment deep into the woods, just to strip off the jacket because it's hot and firefighters get tired from the weight.  But, then again, we're not preparing ourselves for these large brush fires, rather the big structure fires (however, brush fires are just as common in rural and semi-subruban areas, and will become more common than structure fires as building codes and safety regulations further reduce the number of structural fires).  Should we spend more money and provide wildland PPE?  It's not a bad idea....the problem is money.

     

    Regardless of cost and what we're doing now, I think, and generally speaking, a lot of trends on the west coast (firefighting wise) have eventually made their ways across the nation, i.e. bunker pants.  I would believe that at some point in the future east coast departments will at least have "universal" sets of wildland PPE for firefighters to respond to brush fires with.

     

     

    The problem is NOT money in most departments - at least in this area.  The problem is prioritization and management.  I could go on and on about shaving 150K from the price of a ladder that's 1.5 feet bigger than the one two houses over (cause you know, ours has to be bigger) but I won't.  I could say spend a little bit less on "extra-curricular activities" and buy the PPE your guys need. 

    $50-75K would outfit 100 guys.  That's not a significant expense when you consider the fund balances a lot of these departments are sitting on (or were sitting on) and a city could budget for this over 3 years with little impact on an O&M budget.

     

    It's just a matter of someone saying "we need to do this".  I'd prefer that over someone getting hurt, sick or worse because they're not wearing the right PPE or any PPE at all.

     

     

    4 hours ago, Bnechis said:

    NFPA compliant wildland PPE: pants,coat, boots, gloves, helmet and face shield. I just added up the average costs for each from one of the equipment catalogs.

     

    You can't wear the same boots and helmet? 

    Just curious.

  16. Posted

    We spend oodles of money to make sure every FF has proper structural firefighting gear.  Some departments go so far as to provide two sets to allow for cleaning, etc.

     

    Why then, do we continue to wear the wrong or no PPE at all when fighting brush fires????

    Am I the only one this bothers?  Isn't a couple hundred bucks worth the expense to properly protect our people?

    Capejake72, dwcfireman, x635 and 2 others like this

  17. Posted

    22 hours ago, nydude2473 said:

    I'm going to hopefully just have to say something once and this nonsense is going to end on this topic. It is not right that certain people here are bashing certain organizations that are involved in conducting fire/rescue on the Hudson River. Everybody tries their best with what they have, whether it be manpower and resource wise. Some departments should know what they have and use them wisely. Some should know whether to go out or call in and say the resource isn't available at this time and then get the right resources out there. But, everybody has a role in trying to get good communication going and honestly certain groups don't like to play in the same sandbox with others for certain reasons that more than likely are ridiculous. I didn't hear anybody complain almost a month ago when a fatal tug accident occurred and the initial response was conducted in such an exceptional manor. The first responders got there within minutes of the accident and were able to conduct a rescue attempt that was absolutely textbook. Care was given and the guys went back out there to keep the operation going. No one said anything then. But, that's not always the case and sometimes people need to realize that and get a grip and not put blame on other people. What needs to start happening is working together than trying to work apart. If everybody knows that there is an incident on the River, maybe have a specific Marine Radio Channel open, designated for that traffic. Marine Radio is open to all and all you need is that Marine Radio. You don't need to have to relay traffic from one department to another then. Just have it put out there that this is the standard when an incident occurs. And everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY, needs to be involved and know that. Trust me, no one is freelancing out on the River. 60 Control dispatches and units respond. And ultimately, no one can say anything if they haven't experienced it before or have been involved in the operations that occur on the Hudson River. It's just like the fireground, Stop Monday Morning Quaterbacking and stick to whatever you really know. There are guys putting themselves out there, on the line, and all some of you want to do is dog them...shame on you guys for that! We are all out here to do a service for our communities and to help save lives and property, remember the fundamentals sometimes guys!

     

     

    To the extent that bitching here doesn't solve any problems, I agree with you wholeheartedly. 

    But to say that things are ever "textbook" on the river or that we shouldn't criticize in the hopes of making improvements and developing a more efficient mousetrap, sorry, you're wrong.  There hasn't been any agency bashing, there's criticism of the fact that the river is like the wild west and there is virtually no accountability, coordination, or efficiency in responses.  THAT is not bashing an agency; that's a statement based on a long career working on and near the river.  You can go back to Flight 1549 and there's a thread here saying "thank God he turned left and not right" because the outcome would not have been the same if that was in Westchester/Rockland (or Orange/Dutchess/Putnam). 

     

    If you can't answer the fundamental question "who's in charge" of a response on the river, despite things like the Westchester River Emergency Advisory Board or whatever Nick Gasparre's attempt at bringing this to a real table was called, then there is a problem. 

    I respect your position and agree that debating tactics isn't always productive, particularly in a forum like this one, but thinking your comment is the final word in this topic is, in a word, nonsense. 

    Newburgher likes this

  20. Posted

    Wasn't an active shooter.  Sadly this may have been a case of mistaken identity because the FF were apparently shot while trying to force entry during a service call to "check on the welfare" of the resident.  The "suspect" did not fire on anyone after the initial shooting and is cooperating with authorities now.

    Sounds a lot like the case a few months ago where a FF was shot by someone on a medical call when the resident "woke up" and found a "stranger" in his home. 

     

    Very sad.  RIP and godspeed!

    vodoly likes this

  23. Posted · Edited by Dinosaur

    Date:  04-10-16
    Time:  1430
    Location:  53 Herriott Street
    District:  City of Yonkers

     

    Weather:  clear
    Units:  Engines 303, 304, 306, 308   Ladders 74, 71 and Battalion 1 on the initial response.    Ladder 72 as FAST and Squad 11 added due to numerous calls. 


    10-29 confirmed on arrival.  (working fire).  Batt 2 as safety officer

    Batt 1 reports 3 story frame with possible extension into connected 3 story frame already.  Similar exposure with 3 foot separation on other side of building.  

     

    Engines 309 307 and Ladder 75 on the 2nd Alarm.  MSU also requested.

    Engine directed to stretch into exposure 4.

     

    Engines 310 312 Ladder 73 on the 3rd Alarm.  FIU and MSU on scene.
    3rd alarm companies to stage on Riverdale Avenue.

     

    New Rochelle sending 1&1 to Yonkers (engine 22 and ladder 12) Station 12.

    Car 3 is now the IC.

    PD requested to close Riverdale Avenue so they can access large water main on Riverdale.


    Engines 313 314 and Ladder 70 on the 4th Alarm.  This accounts for all on-duty companies in the city.

    Ladder from Eastchester to Station 14.  Engine 29 out of service to staff.

     

    Car 3 reports partial collapse of original fire building - #53 Herriott.  All companies are out of building.


    YFD personnel recall underway to staff reserve apparatus.  Engines 300, 319 and Squad 45 in service (that I've heard).


    Yonkers OEM on scene.  Red Cross requested to assist displaced residents.

     

    During this fire:
    Engine 319 (reserve) responding to medical emergency.

    New Rochelle 1&1 with Yonkers Batt 3 responding to fire alarm.

    MVFD Engine 204 and YFD Squad 45 responding to trauma (fall victim).

    Greenville Squad 15 responding to medical emergency.

     

     


    Writer:  Me


     

    mamaro40, JOB114, SECTMB and 3 others like this