Dinosaur

3 hours ago, amr6334 said:

So what separates a fly car from a full blown ambulance doing a meet and assist.  Alamo used to run sometimes from Poughkeepsie to Beacon all the time

Hopefully a safe following distance.

On 3/11/2016 at 11:31 PM, x635 said:

Over the course of several years on this forum, there has been discussion over the allotment of Paramedic resources in Westchester.

 

As a former Paramedic, Firefighter, 911 Dispatcher, and scanner enthusiast, I'm tired of hearing ALS being dispatched to cut-and-dry BLS calls.  I believe the issue is deeper seated.

 

The way we currently do it is to send a Medic on everything no if, ands, or buts. But that has far reaching implications. We are going to face a Paramedic shortage at some point. Paramedic school is getting longer and more intense, and the people who want to put up with it and the low pay they get when they graduate is getting lower, while the cost to live around here is getting higher. Burning out Paramedics by having to go on these runs constantly is a real threat. Then there is the case of making the medic ride it in because BLS could only get a driver. We should not use this as a factor when dispatching Paramedics. 

 

Not to mention all the money that fuel costs and the wear and tear placed on the vehicles and equipment going to an 89 year old female who routinely pulls out her catheter. Some of money saved could be used to give Paramedics raises, which gives more incentive to be a Paramedic.

 

If EMD was properly used, and our dispatchers trained and trusted, we could utilize our resources better, saving them from the problems above.

There's no allotment of paramedics in Westchester.  Every little town, village, city, district chooses whether or not they will provide ALS and to what level.  Further, they dictate the response policies that will be followed. 

To not have a comprehensive EMS system in 2016 in one of the wealthiest counties in the nation is pathetic and we have nobody to blame but ourselves.  I could add the same about the fire service but that's for another thread!

On 4/1/2016 at 6:49 PM, Jybehofd said:

the chief made a policy.  chain of command.  it may be stupid but its something they should have talked to the chief and powers to be prior to bringing it to the media, now they will have a bigger issue. 

 

Is there a policy?  The article seems to suggest that there isn't.

Chain of command is one thing in the firehouse and certainly on the fireground.  It's not so clear in cyber-land and do you know what the chain of command is in that department?  Is there a board of directors or commissioners for non-firematic issues?  That wouldn't be in the chief's chain of command.

There are two sides to this coin. 

On 4/1/2016 at 5:03 PM, wedgeclose said:

For years any emergencies on the river have been hit or miss.  I recall a fisherman lost off of Croton Point Park (he jumped in to retrieve a stuck lure) who was swept off the rocks and went missing.  There were so many agencies involved searching for him but no one could talk to each other.  The Coast Guard sent a chopper but no one on shore could talk to them.  There were numerous "fire department" boats racing around but no one could figure out what frequency they could talk on.  We need a plan...a frequency...and most importantly a helicopter with the capability of responding in bad weather and radios that are compatable with 60 and 44 control.

A helicopter with the capability of responding in bad weather?  Weather minimums for all helicopters exist for the safety of the crew, the victim, and everyone else on the ground.  The USCG flies in miserable weather but they aren't going to fly below their minimums.  Any look at HEMS will show you that sometimes pushing those weather minimums ends up with nasty results. 

We need good coordination.  Everybody thinks they can just do what ever they want on the river.  THAT is what has to stop!

On 4/3/2016 at 10:17 PM, EMSLt said:

Why not just merge Harrison EMS and Harrison Fire? Firefighter Paramedics.

There aren't enough firefighters in Harrison already.  Now giving them double duty further dilutes their strength so you wind up with nobody for a fire engine or nobody for an ambulance. 

In this case, there's nothing to be gained by trying that.

5 hours ago, dwcfireman said:

 

If the drone is registered, the "pilot" has taken the online course and done the proper paperwork, and the drone is flown at less than 400 feet above the ground greater than 5 miles of an airport, then yes, it's legal (and of course you're not spying/stalking, stealing, or shooting anything).  Thankfully, Westchester only has one airport and NYC airspace doesn't come into play, but the airport's location would suppress firematic drone use for quite a large area; specifically Armonk, North White Plains, West Harrison, Purchase, Rye Brook, Port Chester, Purchase, and areas of surrounding districts would be off limits.  Then, if the Medical Center is counted due to the helipads, then the entire mid-section of the county is off limits to drones (then imagine if every registered helipad is included...).  Will the FAA give fire departments leeway for firematic drone use?  Probably in a few years after some lobbying and argument, but I don't see this going anywhere any time soon.

If the FAA isn't giving DoD, federal agencies, law enforcement or commercial operators (read $$$) any leeway I doubt the FD will get any.  

I think you're talking about recreational users, not official users like FD.  FD's or other governmental entities need to have a COA - Certificate of Authorization.

Is it worth all the trouble just to get a picture from above?  Use a ladder, call a helicopter, or just figure it out.  Sometimes I think technology gets in the way of getting the job done.

On 3/18/2016 at 10:11 PM, Bnechis said:

NYS law requires ALL career officers to FLIP school

One of the best things NYS has done for the career fire service.  Otherwise we'd get very little training like that.

So is anyone aware of any truth to this?  Besides a Facebook rant and copied email from a HEMS insider, have there been any news reports, statements from the town or anything that suggests this is accurate?

It's the town's prerogative to contact for services within their borders so the notion that they don't have any right to review HEMS financial statements or discuss service(s) provided is nuts.  They provided $550,000 to the "VAC" this year so it's clear the town has a stake in it. 

Not as simple as one may think to do it legally.  Attended a seminar in DC recently and they talked about the process to do it legally.  In Westchester it wouldn't be so simple due to all the airports and airspace and other obstacles.  It's all regulated by the FAA now. 

I don't think it's the expense. 

8 hours ago, x635 said:

 

But, by doing so, they forced many agencies onto this path and applied it to regional incidents on non-Federal land. That way, if the wildfire escalates to a Federal incident, everything is already in place to build upon that structure. This is a very rare example that the Federal Government can enact positive change in the fire service. They could probably say that if your incident commanders aren't "blue card" certified, you don't get Federal grant money. I would bet a lot of people would be going to get this standard then.

 

The Federal Government has no jurisdiction in local firefighting.  Only firefighting on federal land and they screw that up to.  Keep the government out of it.  They're the ones that brought us cracker jack courses like NIMS IS-700 and NRF IS-800.  Let's not use the feds and their diluted training methodology as the benchmark.

NYS is working on this.  It may not be as comprehensive as you would like but it will give a real pathway for certification in ICS positions, not just fireground command positions.  Brunacini is laughing all the way to the bank with the blue card program.

Want more comprehensive simulation based training - demand it from NYS.  Wait!  We can't because we keep fighting against a common standard for training to begin with.  Forget about ongoing continuing education training. Ha!

Westchester County PD used to have side scan sonar.  Does anyone know if they still do?  I'm surprised that NYC had to do it.

Where was the unified command post located and does anyone know (know, not speculate) who was in it?

2 hours ago, ex-commish said:

The article doesn't say much as to what exactly was going on but I do not condone quitting because of politics we are here to serve the people and have to look beyond the politics and do what is right.

What if the politics is compelling you to do it wrong and you're not able to implement change to do it right?  Do you suck it up and do it wrong or do you take a stand and adhere to your ethics and morals?

NYS is in the process of working with FEMA and others to establish a bona fide Interstate Incident Management Team Qualifications System (IIMTQS) that would make paying for a Brunacini blue card a waste of money.  As I understand it, this may be formally announced by summer.

That said, some of the training they do could be incorporated into local ICS training to make it more meaningful and useful as well as more interactive.

1 hour ago, nfd2004 said:

I am guessing but for ANY fire service to take on the ambulance service for a city involves a lot of behind the scene work.

 

This new duty would also have to be negotiated with the city and firefighters bargaining unit as it is a change in working conditions. Would additional firefighter/emts have to be hired ? Do the current firehouses have the room to house these ambulances ? How many go into service on a shift and who covers the city if those ambulances are tied up on calls ?

 

The fire service is the perfect place to run an ambulance service. The firehouse is manned 24 hours a day, the members are trained to deal with emergency situations, and fire stations are placed throughout the city.  Can it be done ? Of course it can. But not just overnight.

Ambulances have been "staged" in firehouses in New Rochelle for years, probably decades.

9 hours ago, stixx said:

This contract is stupid just give it to empress.

Stupid is not exploring options to insure that you're providing the best service possible at the most economical cost to your customers/constituents.

Perhaps they should make all things equal.  Like this coverage and training!

Snarky comment aside, how do you provide coverage to volunteer FF?  It's pretty straightforward on the career side but who pays on the volunteer side?

1 hour ago, Ga-Lin said:

 

While there is no restriction, that I am aware of, of using an ambulance as a fly car, it might cause some awkward conversation on the scene with some of the family members, who might not be up on emergency operations. Especially if there is a delay in getting another ambulance to the scene. you know, paging out several times for a crew even if after waiting( as I have) before telling disp. that I'll ride it in BLS, just get me an ambulance please. I can see it going something like this....

 

"What are we waiting for, my (pick your loved one, wife, husband, child etc) needs to get to the hospital"

" I'm sorry we're waiting for an ambulance"

"Isn't that an ambulance out front" 

"No, that's my fly car"

"It says it's an ambulance"

"Well its a little complicated, you see my (fill in organization) has some difficulty keeping appropriate vehicles on the road some times so we're filling in with what we have in order to to serve the community"

Family member mumbles under breath "The only thing you're serving me is a load of B*##@%&+" "Does it have one of those, whatchamacallits, little beds inside"

"Yes, but I don't have any one else to drive"

"Can't one of the other (half dozen or so) responders (getting in their points) standing around drive for you"

"Well, no they're from a different agency and our insurance won't cover them"

"Well I haven't had an accident in over 20 years, not even a parking ticket, I'll be happy to drive. I'll sign any wavier of liability you want"

"Thank you for the offer, but I can't allow that either"

"Oh hell I'll drive them myself" (after hearing the third or forth page for this location)

" I'm sorry you can't do that until you sign my RMA form"

"RMA form? What's that"

"Well, that says you're Refusing Medical Assistance"

Family member now a little red in the face

"I'm not refusing anything!! You can't get them to the hospital!!"

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to control yourself or I'm going to be forced to ask you to leave"

"LEAVE, LEAVE!! THIS IS MY F#*#*&g HOUSE!"

"Sir, sir if you don't get yourself under control I'll be forced to ask the officer to remove you"

It quickly spirals down (as if it could get any worse) from here

 

While this might be a little over dramatized I would rather be spared this particular or similar conversation. While there might not be anything preventing such use I wouldn't want to be involved, thank you. Sending a patient transport vehicle to an emergency and then saying you couldn't transport would be like sending an engine to a confirmed structure fire, KNOWING, that you only have the driver going. (Yeah, I know, unlikely, but it's the only comparison I could think of) "Sorry, I brought the truck but we don't have anyone to man the pumps." Permissible, maybe, but a public relations disaster as the driver and home owner watch the house burn down.

What do you guys out there think? Maybe I should think of starting a new career writing fiction, no? Either that or apply for a job at LoHud! I got it, I could run for President!

 

 

That doesn't seem too far off at all.  Sadly, we don't perpetuate the greatest public image with multi-agency, tiered responses that result in a dozen people showing up in 5 different vehicles but no ambulance.

8 hours ago, trauma74 said:

The Bureau of EMS was notified late Friday afternoon that the Trustee handling the TransCare EMS bankruptcy  ordered Transcare Hudson Valley to cease operations and to pull their units from service in Putnam.  The Bureau was immediately authorized by County Executive MaryEllen Odell to Implement its contingency plan. This evening we are transitioning the County ALS FlyCar system from TransCare to EMSTAR. Fortunately most of the TransCare staff have accepted positions with EMSTAR.  Due to the last minute notice we were only able to initially activate 3 EMSTAR Flycars to replace the four TransCare Units. We are hopeful we can have the fourth ALS Unit and a BLS Unit in service at some point this weekend or early next week. This has been a trying time for the TransCare staff and Bureau staff as well. We will do everything in our power to maintain an ALS system that continues to assure the health and safety of all our residents. Please be patient with us as we move forward with our new ALS provider. Thank you.  Commissioner Sutton

New Rochelle canceled the contract over a month ago.  You mean nobody in NYS DOH BEMS or Putnam County thought to start developing a contingency plan for this?  Just in case?

That sounds like poor planning if you ask me.  Considering the state comes up with plans for bird flu, Ebola, earthquakes, tsunami, and all kinds of other doom and gloom scenarios, the writing has been on the wall for this for some time.

"Trying time for the Bureau staff"  Are you kidding me?  This is their JOB!!!  Considering how much meddling NYS does in the affairs of local governments and businesses, I'm surprised that BEMS wasns't monitoring this more closely.

3 hours ago, dwcfireman said:

 

I received the letter from an anonymous source.  Please don't ask how I obtained a copy.

How'd you get a copy? 

LOL

21 minutes ago, Bnechis said:

When MV went ALS in 84/85'? Amb #1 was Abbey with ALS and Amb #2 was Mvfd with BLS

That didn't last long though.  Wasn't it Affiliated in 86/87 when the FD stopped doing the BLS?

38 minutes ago, paratrooper75 said:

Way to just put up an idiot post and start all kinds of rumors! This is why I'm never on this stupid site anymore but I got an email and felt obligated to reply to this bs. Get the facts before posting something like this. All you are doing is starting a massive rumor and getting people worked up for no reason. TC Hudson Valley is separate from TC Westchester, NYC, etc. Putnam will not be losing their service and the HV division as well as Pittsburg will not be ceasing operations.  Also, I will not be replying or coming back on so.. aha, got ya last.

Better cancel your Lohud subscription too...

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/2016/02/24/transcare-ambulance-bankruptcy/80868708/

I wonder if NYS may step in to oversee continuity of operations.  If memory serves they did this once before when another commercial entity shut down unexpected. 

20 minutes ago, JM15 said:

So what do the bosses in the fancy SUV's do now if they don't go on calls?

They go on calls as supervisors, serve as liaison to other agencies and deal with hospital back-logs when EMS units are stacked up waiting for ER stretchers.  They manage schedules, equipment, training, time off, and perform other duties.

To minimize the importance of that in a city like NY is unfair.

Why should Con Ed be responsible for buying equipment for the FD's? 

FD's need to be responsible for their own equipment in their own districts.

Now if people will just pay attention to which road they're on it will go a long way....