khas143

They've talked about that for years but I think they were dismissed because they're not esthetically pleasing. At least that was the popular rumor at the time.

I'm pretty sure they were on Long Island parkways for a while years back.

Actually I belive it was because of liability issues associated with proposal.Although the esthetically pleasing part of it may be the real reason.

Actually if this was Lindsey lohan or someone other usless no talent singer or actor having a nipple slip it would have been the opening news story on the 10 o'clock news.

Funny thing is that on the New York City news outlets, Lindsey Lohan's arrest and drinking two bottles of vodka a day bumped this story from the prime spot on their websites. But, I will say that if 10% of our population had the same values as this Officer, we would have a better New York, United States, and world as a whole. God Bless!

To all: Note that the end filing date is only 2 weeks away. For all of those that frequent this site.... This is the only opportunity to take this exam until 2016.

Sorry, but I'm not buying your attitude....I guess you think I'm stupid..... Is this the way you treat all your citizens where you work? It also appears that it's hard for you to fathom I did nothing wrong.... I was in the park legally and the park was open to the public at the time. When the park closes, there are gates that are locked to prevent the public from entering. I was nothing short of polite to the officer but it seemed to me he had his mind made up before we even spoke. He needed something to do and I was it..... In the post 9-11 era this crap has to stop... I'm done ..... You all know how I feel and their are plenty more people who feel the same way....

and Thanks Dan!

Not to turn this into a pissing match (lol) but for your information, all parks that are run by the Town of Highland, Town of Lloyd, or New York State close at dusk by either state law or town ordinance. There are exceptions to this but special permits and/or permissions must be granted. (If you need the actual town codes, please PM me and I will send them to you, it took me about 5 minutes to look up once my curiosity was peaked)

So, your very presence in a park would be a violation of either state or local law. I wasn't there and you are correct (IMHO) that it is not illegal to photograph bridges or other buildings, however, you were in violation of the law and should probably consider yourself lucky not to have gotten a summonses.

RIP Pretzel and my gratitude and prayers to the Langford family. Say hi to EDC "Simon" for me Pretzel!

Yogi did say that just like this topic hashed---rehashed--and re re hashed how many times can you kill the same horse. There not a fire commissioner out there that is going to say "hey lets consolidate and I do not want to be a Commissioner any more"

So I guess my opinion is pretty clear not happening in Greenburgh not happening in Mt Pleasent not happening in Long Island at least not with out a taxpayer revolt.

Was it Yogi that said if it aint broke dont fix it??

Well Yogi is not currently paying the highest property taxes in the nation! Hate to break it to Yogi.... it's broke and needs to be fixed!

Yeah man, you dont see many Roto-rays in our area. Down the coast a bit, into the MD and DC regions, they would look at you funny if your rig DIDNT have one.

WCDPS has a roto-ray on it's primary Hazardous Devices Unit response vehicle. I am sure someone on here has a picture of it.

I've read this stupidity 3 or 4 times trying to understand it and I think i am now ready to reply to it.

You say that once you had an MVA with entrapment and there were 4 radio cars blocking the road with the officers not near the cars because they were down the street stopping cars ... so not one cop was tending to the person that was trapped in the vehicle ? I don't think so just like the fact that you are alledging that you pushed 4 radio cars out of the way with a rescue truck ... I don't think so and if you did then i'm thinking the cops on the scene would have taken issue with you later on.

Let's move on to you're saying to a cop " Yo you got water and a hose on that car, if not get it out of here." Again i seriously doubt it but if you did say it then it was highly unprofessional.

It sounds to me like you have some personal issues with cops because you come across with a strong anti cop sentiment.

Thank you for breaking that down for me. After reading the original post 3 or 4 times I am sure that my IQ dropped a good 20 points.

Nor would I want to be the police chief whom signs off that the area is safe. What level of detection is minimally adequate to clear a school or Wal-Mart if you think the device may have been set by a pro? Canine search? Trained officers? We're all just passing the buck until it arrives at someone's desk who will assume the liability. For us it's the state police bomb unit, in more metro areas, and perhaps the suburban NYC area, there are more of these units and training. I do know that the number of school threats forced a change in the system as our state is "resource poor" in this area.

While I will accept your information at face value on the notes/warnings pre-detonation, how many were able to be stopped or evacuations caused that led to saved lives? I'm not advocating ignoring threats, merely pointing out that for every heightened level of security, there is a marginal win for those who seek to force us to change by the use of fear.

While not from the USA this will answer your questions.... In 1993 the IRA phoned the British Police (lets keep it simple) prior to detonating this large vehicle borne improvised explosive device. The only person killed was a reporter that wanted to get a "closer look". The IRA phoned-in the bomb and people evacuated. Needless to say the device detonated and thanks to the IRA's "heads-up" THOUSANDS of lives were NOT lost.

1993: IRA bomb devastates City of London

A massive bomb has ripped through the heart of the City of London, killing one and injuring more than 40.

The explosion shook buildings and shattered hundreds of windows, sending glass showering down into the streets below. A mediaeval church, St Ethelburga's, collapsed; another church and Liverpool Street underground station were also wrecked.

The cost of repairing the damage has been estimated at more than £1bn.

So I ask you this question... How many lives are an acceptable loss for the .001% chance that the device is real and will detonate. Is it possible that the "terrorists" will warn us... YES... Is it possible that they won't? .... Yes... All I ask is that if you want to make that determination, you deal with the suspicious package. If you do, feel free to kick it and you can be the next first responder on YouTube. It's your decision. BE SAFE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS!

To directly answer one of your questions, there have been HUNDREDS of bombings worldwide that have been preceded by a note or warning. However, I must say that most (>99%) of the "bomb threats" (there are many different types) are false but must be taken on face value. That is not to say that common sense does not play a role but let’s face it, it's about liability. Do you want to be the manager of the Wal-Mart that does have a device detonate after a threat after you do NOTHING? Do you want to be the superintendant of the school system after a written threat and then students get killed after you do NOTHING? We live in a society of litigation and until that changes neither will manager's response to these types of "threats". Personally, do I believe that a massive response is needed in every situation.....? No. But, it is the world we live in.

As to the issue of the "over-reaction" and lack of "common sense" as some have referred to this response as.... I would say your responses are arrogant and complacent. The responders found what looked like an improvised explosive device and in my opinion, and those of us who live in a world where people do want to kill us, an appropriate response. There have been, in my personal knowledge, A LOT of "plots" that have been thwarted by the average citizens. The fact of the matter is "see something, say something" works and those of you, especially in this community, who recommend otherwise, in my opinion, need more training. In case any of you forgot, terrorists (home-grown, Al-Qaeda, or otherwise) have and will continue to try to kill us.

Better to shut down I-95 for an hour than have people die. That is the reality unless you were one of those stuck in traffic, unless, it was an actual device and one of your loved-ones were killed.

Have to love people who cant MYOB.

Yeah like the vendor that reported the Times Square vehicle borne device should have MYOB. Thats why if you see something, you should say something.

A meeting was held at the DES tonight with Fire/ EMS and other invited stakeholders and County Executive Astorino. A presentation was made proposing the merger of DES into DPS. The Westchester Fire Advisory Board went on record and submitted a letter in opposition to the abolition of the DES and requested a careful look at alternative ways to save tax payer money by exploring ways to consolidate WC agencies and still preserve the existance of DES. All affected Fire and EMS agencies are urged to support this position and urge their local legislators to explore alternative proposals/solutions in order to preserve the existance of DES and still consolidate some County services to reduce the budget. The Fire/EMS community and the citizens of this County deserve no less.

Just curious but could you post this letter so that we all know what the Fire Advisory Board's rationale regarding their opposition to this merger is.

I hear he's getting a take home car chopper!

Congrats Detective Lieberman!

You still outrank him Chief.... I would make him salute you!

What's wrong with a civilian having that vehicle? He's not a sworn officer, that's all. He's still an emergency responder with the PAPD and I'm assuming he has the appropriate training. How is this any different than the paramedics who work for Greenburgh PD?

Two part answer.... one... Greenburgh PD operates a NYS DOH certified service. So for their part they are responding as ambulance / paramedic first response service. It dosen't matter who is driving the vehicle with the exception of if a cop is driving the vehicle, they can enforce V&T. There is also the issue that if it is a police vehicle as opposed to an ambulance or fire vehicle, V&T laws have different requirements regarding emergency response.

As for the second part, I guess it is kind of a moot point because the "civilian" pilot will no longer be employed by the PAPD. However, if that person had not been trained in EVOC and certified, that opens up a liability "grand canyon". Also SOP's would need to be in place to address these issues.

Anyway... I appologize for deviating from the subject of this post.

I believe this was the civilian pilots' ride.

That is can of worms. A civilian pilot with a PAPD take home car with lights and sirens. I don't even know where to begin. A non-sworn civilian with lights and sirens and a take-home ride... WOW! Additional savings that were not calculated into the tax-savings.

I didn't even know that the Port Authority had an Aviation division.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20100716/NEWS05/7160362/Port-Authority-to-ground-helicopter-unit

Well Done Port Authority! Talk about a waste of money.... every jurisdiction that the PA NY/NJ covers has/had their own aviation unit. This is a great way to reduce the redundant services that plague our area! I just hope this elimination of duplicative services continues.

I have my views as you have yours. Prior to 9/11 I never would've thought that someone would fly a plane into a building, let alone 3 or what could've been 4. And before that no one could've convinced me that using a 20' bayliner with explosives on board would damage a US Navy ship like the USS Cole, but I believe that already happened. They have used car bombs all over the world. I am not saying that this was performed by terrorists of Arab decent, but it was an act of terrorism none-the-less. My point is that no one should ever become complacent. We should take a thorough look at every event and prepare for the next time. This should be a wake up call, or a reminder.

Oh, and by the way, this is not the first time such a bomb as was located in Times Square was found undetonated.

Car Bomb in Haymarked in UK, January 29, 2007

And again, in 2007, the Glasgow incident...the bomb was the same. Take it as you may.

Those incidents were in 2007. In 2008 on more than 1 occassion a primary IED was used to disable pieces of military equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan. The only difference is that there was in fact a delayed secondary IED that was triggered and killed the first responders.

Secondary IED uses on Youtube

I'm not trying to make it worse than it actually was, I am just trying to be realistic about what it was. And I do believe that people have a different sense of fear when they see uniformed persons killed doing their job. It may be caused by the media, but it happens. People are shot everyday, but when a police officer is shot it creates the "awe" effect.

I am only going to say one thing. The investigation is currently ongoing! Let the investigators do their job.

The 8 hour requirement for OSHA training is a NYS PESH Directive for "fire Brigades" the hazmat refresher standard does not give time, as much time as needed to prove competency.

Refresher training.

1910.120(q)(8)(i)

Those employees who are trained in accordance with paragraph (q)(6) of this section shall receive annual refresher training of sufficient content and duration to maintain their competencies, or shall demonstrate competency in those areas at least yearly.

IMHO, 8 hours per year is not nearly enough in-service training for a hazmat tech. 8 hours per quarter if not more and I mean 8 hours in an actual hazmat scenario, not classroom. In a perfect world, my opinion would be 8 hours per month but lets face it, we don't live in a perfect world.

Hopefully whatever it is they're seeking is met and done so before more shennanigans occurs.

Sorry Chief, I gotta disagree with you on this one. Giving the firefighters what they wanted out of their illegal and dangerous protest will only show people that criminal actions are a way to get what you want. I would tell the firefighters to go scratch and dock their pay for the material cost and cleanup of their protest. This would include all of the other personnel costs associated with their little stunt. (i.e. PD costs, DPW, etc)

Other than that I will say the photos are hilarious.

I just hope the $100 million will not be given to the Hatian government(or lack thereof) to spend as they see fit!

Big changes coming to Albany announced today. Here's the press release. Many state agencies are being merged to increase efficiency and save money.

OFPC, SEMO, Homeland Security and others will all fall under one Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

http://www.state.ny.us/governor/press/press_01121001.html

Great.... I still don't believe that it will happen in Westchester until I see it! Too many "kingdoms", too many "Kings", and no concern for the bottom line!

What does "operational" mean??? Are they able to respond to technical incidents in a certain amount of time with a certain number of trained personnel? What are the training standards for this team? How often do they train? Are there any medical qualifications? How many members are on the team??

I would say these are fair questions. Thank you Chief for asking them. I will however, ask one more... how many "activations" has this team had?

Sounds to me like the Hitler Youth, 1984 by George Orwell and Khmer Rouge procreated and this is the result. If you are telling me that a 15 year old in an explorer program can be part of an enforcement detail that is insane. That sort of activity by a minor is that of a police state and brutal dictators. These programs have existed before, in the examples I have listed above and look how all of those examples turned out. This is terrifying to me, plain and simple.

You are essentially having children (minors) identify and inform on their elders and parents for the benefit of the state. Something that has been tried in my examples of communist, fascist, dictatorial and ignorant governments listed above. The fact that my country allows this makes me question the direction this country is heading and its ultra right-wing, big brother constituency.

I can't believe that I have actually read what you said. To compare the explorer program to a program like the Hitler Youth is jaw-dropping, ignorant, and factually inaccurate. First off 1984 by George Orwell is FICTION.... DO NOT ATTEMPT TO COMPARE FACTS TO FICTION!!! You are apparently educated enough to make an argument but not enough to support it with facts!

Second, our country has a distinguished history of young people, who if they believe that a certain profession is what they want to do in life, participate in programs that give them an insight of that profession. This can be seen in the 4H club and last I checked, Farmers were not considered terrifying.

I hope that as your education progresses, you will read books that will show you both sides of the fence. This includes history, politics and yes law enforcement.

That being said, congrats to the WCPD explorers and for that matter all explorers that may or may not pursue a career in the law enforcement field. I personally thank you for your interest and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

This picture is of a brand new truck not an old one. Like Tommy said this is primary and the E-One is secondary. Easier to maneuver and use then the big one.

Thanks Scod your right on. The new "rapid response" vehicle can handle the vast majority of calls. The E-One will still respond on major jobs and with two outfitted trucks, the squad can respond to two calls at once. (Yes it has happened before). The BS responds to a multi-county area and for those of who live in dutchess... despite the fact that you guys and gals can make it door to door in 45 mins (lol), the E-One takes much longer going north on the TSP.

You might have to watch a 24 second advertisement first.

I want to know how you can get that career planning job. She most likely makes more than an EMT and does not have a clue what she is talking about. "Have fun and go out there and get it". HA