Dinosaur

Before you knock the unions ( who keep pushing for increased training and manpower) about blocking Home Rule why not lobby for one standard for all firefighters in the state, paid or volunteer. That would include new firefighters, in service training for all firefighters, response times, manning on apparatus, promoting officers on qualifications not on election results. Not to mention mandatory retirement age so we don't have a rig responding with 3 or4 70 year old men on it with a 19 year old lieutenant because that was all that was around.

Tough to talk about, even tougher to implement, but here we are continuing to spin our wheels.
How about this? http://www.larchmontgazette.com/2009WP/2009graphics/firereport.pdf
Came out 6 1/2 years ago and we are not one step closer to moving toward a collaborative regional approach.

Gotta bring the unwilling together as well! Can't approach this in the same way we have approached everything else in emergency services for the past quarter century!

Remember this?

How much progress have we made in the past 6.5 years?
http://www.larchmontgazette.com/2009WP/2009graphics/firereport.pdf

Probably because in training he was allowed to take them off to do things that required better dexterity or ease of operating. Train the way you fight, fight the way you train.
Why they were trying to send a lone FF a hose via a window is yet another question. But we could critique this all day.
The better question is... Could this happen to me?

Probably because in training he was allowed to take them off to do things that required better dexterity or ease of operating. Train the way you fight, fight the way you train.
Why they were trying to send a lone FF a hose via a window is yet another question. But we could critique this all day.
The better question is... Could this happen to me?

Tough to talk about, even tougher to implement, but here we are continuing to spin our wheels.
How about this? http://www.larchmontgazette.com/2009WP/2009graphics/firereport.pdf
Came out 6 1/2 years ago and we are not one step closer to moving toward a collaborative regional approach.

Probably because in training he was allowed to take them off to do things that required better dexterity or ease of operating. Train the way you fight, fight the way you train.
Why they were trying to send a lone FF a hose via a window is yet another question. But we could critique this all day.
The better question is... Could this happen to me?

You know, when I see the country about to go to a 20 TRILLION dollar debt ceiling and taxes keep going up and up, its hard to understand how any department can have less than industry standard staffing. Really, where does all the money go?
I had to kill some time on Saturday so I stopped at a County fire station. 1 Engine, 1 Tanker, 1 Brush Truck and 1 Ambulance.........2 firefighters. The next nearest station is not manned at all. The paid are supplemented by volunteers. By the way, pay down here (Rural Georgia) is about $11-$14 dollars per hour.
And, if you're fortunate enough to get a grant, when the grant money is gone, so are your extra firefighters.
With the notable exception of our major cities, are our first responders really capable of handing what's coming?

I wonder who signed the RMA? That's got to be several crimes right there.
And shouldn't this be a WCPD investigation? It was on county property.

Awesome. Add more workload but it's all good because there's technology to make it better.
Just because it looks cool, or seems awesome, Doesn't mean it is.
Remember, one plow is now doing the job of two. With ONE driver. That means less drivers are needed. Less jobs.
Kinda like those self checkout lanes. Seems cool, but it's just a way to pull jobs off the line. You can have one person doing the same job four used to be doing.

Sorry, but no. Not why we need a bailout system. This is why we need ground ladders placed quickly and efficiently. Among other things.
Looking at that video, there were many things to do before bailing out.
Am I advocating for not having bailout systems, no?
But, that room didn't flash in a matter of seconds. It was free burning and finally got to him. Get to an area of refuge, close a door, do a window hang until the ladder arrives.
Bailouts and survival should be part of our training, but watching that video, my first thought was not, I wished he had a bailout kit. It was, I wished his boys had placed ground ladders like good operators and truckies should. But once that didn't happen...yes...It was time to bail.
Play heads up, don't get caught in the first place..

Unfortunatly, this issue is not confined to "rural" NY. Declining volunteerism is an issue from the city line, north. That said, there are a lot of dedicated volunteers who could (and would like) to do more. The current system is truely a hindrance and a serious overhaul is needed. Smaller town and village fire departments shouuld be combined into larger area districts. The pool of active volunteers would better service a larger area and more call volume. In areas where necessary, by population and call volume, could be supplemented by a career staff.
Towns and villages really need to give up a little control and allow for a vastly superior, efficient reorganization. Emergency services can operate more effectivly on economies of scale, to some degree.
I live in Westchester, in a high-tax community. I work in the poorest congressional district in the United States. The residents of said congressional district recieve vastly superior Fire and EMS service. Why does anyone think this is acceptatble? Everyone, regardless of municipality should demand equal emergency service protections.
This is not a volunteer/career issue. This is not one municipality vs. another....this is a life safety issue for citizens and responders. We can better utilize our emergency personel, improve and better utilize volunteer service and compliment with career firemen when needed.
Lets smarten up.

nothing changes till people will first admit there is a problem!

Aren't the Balkans in Eastern Europe? Would make more sense to tax the rail companies here in NY, no?

And a court ruling that parts were unconstitutional

That was never a consideration. Didn't you read the article? These are strictly to be used by the Governor when he has to distract people involved in an emergency response by showing up and "taking a tour" (read photo op). Why he would order a trooper to drive into flood water is beyond me and that the trooper did is equally ridiculous. He needs to be less of a responder. It's pathetic.

Is that a full-time salary or part-time salary plus benefits?
Not saying it's a bad idea but what's the plan? Sounds like a smart way to add 125K to their reserve funds while seeming very proactive. And they probably have 125K in their reserve funds already so they didn't need to do this to have the funds available in 2016 (or 17) or whenever this is going to happen.
I am not at all opposed to the idea, I just think it may ultimately be the death of the volunteer department Somers.

Why become an officer if you can't become chief?
Why go to training if you can't become an officer? (not firematic training but higher level, officer type training)
Why should I volunteer if the chief is getting paid?
Will the first paid chief be one of the commissioners or family member of a commissioner?

See? Lots of unanswered questions.

Lies in an election. What an unusual occurence!

Lies in an election. What an unusual occurence!

Lies in an election. What an unusual occurence!

Lies in an election. What an unusual occurence!

Lies in an election. What an unusual occurence!

Lies in an election. What an unusual occurence!

Lies in an election. What an unusual occurence!