Dinosaur

Trained to the same standard regardless of the patch on their sleeve. Makes the concept of mutual aid pretty easy to implement. Everyone who shows up has the same basic training. Imagine that?
FD7807, you're missing our (at least my) point. Want to clear up a lot of the BS that exists in the NY fire service today? Adopt one common standard for FF training. That's a huge step in the right direction.
There will always be differences from department to department but if they basic training is the same regardless of patch or pay status, we'd all be better off.

What disparities are their with the police dept.'s?
Every officer is trained in the same academy
Every supervisor has to pass the same test
The majority (if not all) are accredited agencies, so they all must have proper policies, procedures and in-service training

True, in our county, in dozens of communities they would throw you in the back of a police van or station wagon, with no attendant and no training a race you to the hospital. We had communities that actually turned down free ALS because "our community does not want trained EMS, they want a friendly face holding your hand in the back of our Ambulance" during your heart attack. Now ALS is mandated. EMT's are mandated....

If you're saying that I'm vollie bashing because I don't think advocating lower standards for volunteer FF than career FF is right then I'm guilty.
If you're saying that supporting a single FF training standard for the state of NY is vollie bashing then I'm guilty.
I am equally tired of coming to this site to hear that people are going out and doing the job with un or under qualified people, inadequate numbers, and a completely blind and or deaf administration that condones it.
If you've ever read any of my posts, you know that I'm equally critical of the so-called career or combination departments that respond with 1-2 FF per apparatus. That's just stupid!
If lobbying for a single standard isn't being part of the solution, please enlighten me. What is?

1) So please tell, I have been active in both volunteer depts. and in the union and I would like to know because we have way more important things to worry about than that. My efforts have never been to work against VFD's but to get them to open their eyes and see that everything is changing and they need to change too. And if they do not they will fail. Its a big conspiracy....we meet late at night to cover up the Kennedy assassination and to destroy the VFD's...not.
2) Actually based on the latest figures put our by NFPA it has dropped to about 60%. And its been dropping by about 4-7% per year on a national level. Also consider that career depts. protect approximately 80% of the population of the U.S. and respond on 80 - 90% of the calls for fire service.
3) So did I and my former FD still calls me for advise thank you and I gladly assist them.
4) That's great. As you said, "more than most"....Then my comments do not affect your dept. but they affect many depts. that (career and volunteer) that do not meet the standards.
5) Its not volunteer bashing. Its pointing out substandard service and it does not mater if its vol, combo or career. I have nothing against volunteers, I have a lot of issue with those that fail to uphold their oath and failing to speak out when you know their is a problem is no different. Its to bad you can not see that.

That's all well and good, but Westchester is too small and interdependent to just have everyone worry about themselves. When was the last time the was a fire (outside of the big cities) handled by one FD? We work and depend on our neighbors all the time, so there needs to be some consistency.

Not for nothing, I'm a member of a 100% volunteer station that (as of December 16th at 1400 hours), has responded to 6,435 alarms in 2014. December 29th will mark 1 year of 100% volunteer service.
Minimum Staffing for the Engine Company: 3
Minimum Staffing for the Rescue Squad: 4
We're averaging around 50 people providing staffing each month, some EMS only but most are Fire/EMS. If you have non Pro-Board FF1 you must attend a bridge class to meet the minimum training requirements.
W do NOT miss calls for service.
If your department is progressive and proactive in approaching your manpower issues, you can solve the problem. Its not easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. But if your department is using the same staffing plan you used in 1950 (with the same training qualifications) then you're going to have some troubles.

You can't win with facts. You need to be emotional and entrenched in traditional responses. Don't open your eyes and tell it like it is.

You can't win with facts. You need to be emotional and entrenched in traditional responses. Don't open your eyes and tell it like it is.

We need that rally like we need a hole in the head! Can't you feel the tension in the streets of New Rochelle! What a joke by a joke of a council member looking for his 15 minutes of fame! Be a real leader and come up with a solution to the problem, not another hate monger. Lets just add gasoline to the flames spreading across America. Glad I'm off till Jan

They are simply following the leaders they have. Mayor Douche bag turned his back on them and now it's time to reap the seeds the Mayor has sowed. All the years of blood and sweat the NYPD put in under the greatest Mayor of all time is for naught. Good job a$$hole!!!

Have no idea what you are talking about.
I am just going by the run card for apparatus and knowing what was dispatched and what the minimum staffing is on those rigs.

While this may not be the norm, it does happen. A lot!

Care to give that another shot in English?

Yes. Looked like that when we pulled up, this is the first minutes. The building has been vacant since a job in 2008 in it.

I hope those words don't come back to bite him in the ass. If there's a fire or injury (or worse) I suspect he'll be hearing about it.

I hope those words don't come back to bite him in the ass. If there's a fire or injury (or worse) I suspect he'll be hearing about it.

I hope those words don't come back to bite him in the ass. If there's a fire or injury (or worse) I suspect he'll be hearing about it.

1. To generalize that career and volunteer departments don't get along is not a fact. There are plenty of departments that work perfectly fine with one another regardless of how they are staffed. Sure you have isolated knuckleheads on both sides who flat-out hate one another, but the overall majority of ALL OF US don't fall into this category.
2. Do career firefighters have a hire minimum requirement - yes. Should volunteers, yes - but I STRONGLY feel that all of which is covered in the career academy is not applicable to volunteers - specifically the codes portion. A firefighter, whether paid or not, should have the basic education to respond to and mitigate just about anything we are sent to - and at minimum, we all need awareness level training of those specialized operations we may get sent to - but aren't necessarily trained for, staffed for or equipped for. IE: High-angle rescue, water rescue, confined space rescue, etc. It literally baffles me that awareness training on all of this isn't considered part of our minimum training.
3. No training requirements for career chiefs? Interesting. Although since most come from a lower level rank and usually have experience in that role, I don't think this is as bad as it sounds. Granted we all know how politics comes in to play and the best candidates tend to get bent over from time to time...
4. I wish you all a happy and safe holiday season. I don't care if you are paid or volunteer, I just hope you all make it home safe at the end of your day.

www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/administrative/privacyrule
By the way, radio communications are specifically exempt from HIPAA

yorktown has not disbanded their dive team,that was somers.

I found its rarely coming from the lawyers. Its coming from the "Firehouse Lawyers" like the ones here. Or from the managers who have spoken with a lawyer (general law, not one that specializes in this). It has often be said that if you ask a roomful of lawyers an opinion, you will get a different one from everyone in the room. That being said, I know an emergency service lawyer, who will save you or take everything you own (depending on which side he is on) if you screw up with a response. He particularly likes going after agency for poor maintenance or failing to replace equipment that should have been.
You are correct. I would have still been fighting this

What is B.S.? That someone asked about standards?

I hear you, but you're missing the whole basis of my argument here. If mutual aide is done correctly and resources are spread efficiently, then you would be coming from a distance that requires the use of RLS to reach your new area of responsibility for the duration of the incident keeping the primary agency busy. Being in NYC has no significance in how you allocate resources and how you get them into an under served area. Once again, an area devoid of emergency services IS an emergency.
As for the lawyers....not worried, so long as I'm driving my Engine in a safe manner and operating with "due-regard" for the conditions around me. How am I protected? This:
Straight from "The Books", FDNY Safety Bulletin, Chapter 1, Section 2:
Sirens and warning lights may only be used when engaged in Emergency Operations , i.e.: responding to or operating at an alarm, or relocating to the quarters of another unit.