BBBMF

Crossfit, In my opinion from a strength and conditioning stand point, coaching at the high school and collegiate level, is a bit out there. It gets results, but not in a strength. The more concerning thing in my opinion to crossfit is the reps per exercise. A common exercise performed in Crossfit is the Olympic Clean. From a strength and conditioning viewpoint, the clean needs to be a dynamic and explosive exercise, focusing on several phases of the lift in order to complete properly, which can take sometime in order to truly understand, and years to master. With the cleans being an explosive exercise the reps should be low anywhere from 1-5, with rest time incorporated accordingly to the workload.
Crossfit, combines 12 reps of cleans following 12 pulls ups or muscle ups, and a round of burpees, or any other exercise that you can name. In my opinion again, and other strength and conditioning coaches I work with, is that the programming of crossfit, though great since it is getting people moving and creating a buzz, is flawed since injuries can increase and the values of the individual lifts are missed.
Though I am negative about Crossfit, it may serve a purpose with this line of work, high intensity training and round after round, similar to some of the demands in the emergency service field. It also creates team work and togetherness, so there is some great points to crossfit. Just be careful, do what is right for you. And my opinions are from getting atheltes stronger, so my views are a bit different, but hope any information can be helpful.

Could you elaborate on where one could go to do as you've mentioned?

I haven't really seen anybody "crying."
What I do see is another blatant attempt to bash volunteers as you often seem to do. It seems you only post when it's a pro-career topic or anti-volly.
I get it, you're a career FF (apparently) and you're proud of that. I get it and I totally understand it. I have nothing but respect for career firemen and am proud to call many of them my friends.
Just don't understand why you continually waste your breathe on bashing vollies?
Stay safe sir

We'll see if any real fire depts. go for this "change." Close all the doors on the inside and hit it from the outside first. It seems to me that if you could get in to close doors, you could get in and put the fire out. This sounds like Lloyd Laymen deja vu...it works in a confined space but that's all.
Bear in mind that when you hit it from the outside, you've created steam inside. You lose much of your visibility for fire attack and search and steamed any victims that might be present.
Sometimes the tactic of an outside knock-down is a good one for perhaps a fully involved basement fire that has made the basement stairs untenable. However, if you do choose the outside knock-down, bear in mind that you may not be able to get down the stairs because it is still the chimney. You're still going to heavy steam and probably zero visibility.
Look at the picture in the article at the beginning of this thread. That's a vent hole, lad. It is only one window, so you don't know the whole situation, but your best bet is to leave it as a vent hole and go inside and bang a straight stream off the ceiling of the fire room then finish it up with a lower angled line. You kept a lot of your visibility for extinguishment and search, so just thank Mother Nature she had the wind blowing in your favor.
All these studies are under controlled conditions and you can do that at an actual incident too. Just get the fire to a manageable point, by tried and true methods, then pick up your radio and say under control.

The academy loses 10% as a general rule. Take a class of full of candidates who are MUCH older and in poorer physical condition, add a lot of people who couldn't get on because they didn't meet the qualifications 14 years ago and you have trouble. Who's surprised at the drop out rate?
On top of that you have EMS promotees who have a job to go back to if they don't feel the academy is working out for them. I'm not taking a shot at EMS promotees by the way, I work with a bunch and they're good.
2 of 20 open competitive candidates failing is in line with the 10% drop.
Topping off everything is the rhetoric from FIREFIGHTER Coombs. Academy instructors are a hard working lot who, I can assure you, do not single out anyone for anything other than their abilities as candidates. If candidates are failing out of the academy it is because they're not fit for this job and the academy is doing its part to protect people who don't belong from entering a dangerous job and also protecting those of us who work here by insuring that we are surrounded by similarly capable firemen.
If only groups like the Vulcan's would advocate for improved preparation and quality of candidates instead of making excuses for those who can't hack it. When they do this, they undermine and short-change the achievements of those who gave it their all and made it through.

Only had the pleasure of working with John a few times on details to the East side. Like already stated, always a smiling face and a true gentleman! John will missed by the masses. Rest in Peace Brother

John was class act all the way! He was a complete gentleman and led by example. What a tragedy.

I almost started crying this morning after I read the interview from the Journal News. These were Doctors and Lawyers and really good people who took part in the menacing of NYC and the citizens of the world enjoying a nice Sunday drive with their family. The riders were law abiding citizens and just enjoying the weather as well. The stars were misaligned when these 2 different worlds met and havoc created on the West Side Highway. Ok I am only being sarcastic here my friends. Live by the sword, die by the sword you skells!! I would have ran over 50 more of you if you surrounded me and my family!!!!!!!!!! ( side note that I ride a Harley and don't condone the actions of these " Bikers" )

Right, because the Republican Presidential options have been so much better in recent years and their prospective candidates for 2016 at this point look to be so appealing.
While I'm willing to admit that he hasn't fully lived up to my expectations on a number of issues, the far greater "mistake" was electing the ultra conservative tea party candidates to Congress. We already had a strong unwillingness from the Republicans to work with President Obama on any issue, something we've never experienced at the level it's been since he took office. If that wasn't bad enough, now we have a small faction of Republicans gleefully trying to inflict great harm on the nation based on ideology rather than sound policy and an unwillingness from the rest of the Republicans in Congress to stand up to them and stop the madness.

Maybe someone could realize that some people lives depend on health insurance and thousands can't get the health care they desperately need because they can't get health insurance and can't afford it, or go into bankruptcy doing so. Everyone having single payer health insurance is the only equal, ethical and humane option. That's the only solution to this discussion.

I don't like getting into political debates but, my volunteer FD's do not track hours worked and do not require me to do a certain amount of hours a week. Hanging out at the firehouse is not considering working. The only time you are considered an employee of the village is from when the alarm tone sounds until the apparatus is returned to station. So if my Department does about 1100(busy for a volunteer department) calls per year each call taking approximately less the 1 hour (for argument sake lets say 1 hour) that's 21 hours per week on average for a busy department. So even if you add in an 8 hour's for training, meetings, cleaning fire apparatus Etc. per week which is unheard of the argument is invalid.
Republican or Democrat I agree with "Obamacare" and I think if when the exchanges open on Oct. 1st and 56% of the 30 million uninsured people can get insurance for less then 100 then it will be a success. if not then I would be wrong

Personally i think part of the problem is with the terminology commonly used Such as "mutual aid" which I feel is used to mask the problem that plagues our area.
From what I was originally taught and understood was that "mutual aid" meant 1) you needed additional resources such as manpower, or additional apparatus to assist you at the scene. 2) you need a specific reasource that you or another agency/department don't not have 3) you are already committed to a incident or whatever and need "mutual aid" to handle an additional call while you operate at your initial incident.
But, what I see "mutual aid" used for around here is a loophole to cover up the all but true actuality of what many have pointed out here that calls are going unanswered. I would like to see is the term (FTR) "Failure To Respond" used which would keep agency's/ departments more accountable for their inability to perform their primarily function and respond to emergencies within the acceptable standard. If that were actually used the facts would be presented front and center to the public and state that there is a problem and it needs to be addressed. Otherwise it just seems like this problem will continue to fly under the radar and put the public and first responders In danger.
Just my 2 cents.

Since this is my first day of retirement after 20 years @ 60 let me tell you our protocols. EMS dispatch: no answer dispatch again 3 min later. No answer after 2 more min. dispatch again and dispatch mutual aid. Fire: after initial dispatch if no answer after 5 min. dispatch again. If no answer (and it has happened) dispatch again and dispatch mutual aid. Mutual aid run cards have been set up by both ems and fire agencies for their districts. Barry I understand what your saying if dept. x crashes, but what if I don't send anybody to the call in a TIMELY manor! The cad prompts us on all re-dispatchs. The buck does not stop @ 60 Control. It is up to each department whether volunteer or career to cover your calls. The cad will prompt us for the city of New Rochelle or Bedford EMS in the same manor. We run with NYS DOH protocols for ems and NFPA for fire. If you can't cover your call's start thinking about joining forces with your neighbor who is covering the call! Thanx for all you do and please stay safe!

I would like to clarify my post quoted. First thing is first. I apologize to the members of VMFD who were not mentioned specifically as I did not have that information available when I wrote my quote. Those members have since been named, and congratulations to them are in order. If it wasn't for the good search preformed by the E-38 crew (I believe that was the correct engine, if not a am sorry again) and the quick efforts of the members performing CPR quickly, and getting early advance care. This person would not be here. You all deserve a way to go for this job, victims of fire in these kind of cases survival rates are far and few between. Be proud. You all made a difference and that's what it is all about.

Maybe have a strip or two of spikes on every exit ramp so when the drivers attempt to enter, they'll be stopped. Only the ones who purposely do it will go around it, and that's not many of them. Maybe even set up a system to lower them if emergency services needs access.
Just a thought, it would probably cost a good amount though.

Well, if you're looking to lose weight and gain stamina and size, i would suggest the stair master coupled with calisthenics, plyometrics and a healthy diet. Forget everything you've ever learn about heavy lifting and "no pain, no gain". It may work short term but in my honest opinion, i think heavy lifting is useless and harmful. P90X and Insanity workout... Downright dangerous! The body shouldn't be losing more than a pound or 2 per week. To lose 30 IBS in 30 days is crazy and super unhealthy! Does it work, yeah sure, but in reality It's bad for your joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscular skeletal system. For any women out there reading this, do not try P90X, it will destroy your pelvic floor!
I don't want to take anything away from people who lift heavy and who enjoy it nor am i looking to kill the companies who sell the gym equipment most people use, but the fact of the matter is, most people who are using this stuff do it to compete with everyone else and do not appreciate what they're actually capable of doing, being happy with themselves, and not going overboard and injuring themselves. I lifted weights for a few years myself before realizing that the mass i was gaining would be gone in a matter of a month if i stopped going. Plus the fact that i wasn't gaining any "usable strength". By that, i mean how strong you are pound for pound and what your gym time is enabling you to do after you leave. Personally, i have found that going into the gym and doing push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and other body weight exercises enables you to slowly put on size while strengthening your tendons, ligaments, and muscles you didn't even realize existed. By no means are you going to see the size increase quickly, but the size and strength you gain will last your lifetime, unlike the size and water weight most people are putting on by spending thousands of dollars on BullSh*t supplements and bench pressing more than they should be. If you need a spotter to lift the weight off the bar, you're already lifting too much! But by all means, taking an amino supplement can absolutely be good for you depending on which one you decide to use, But Anything With a Black Box Label is Definately Not on That List!
Now you can decide for yourself what is best for you and what you would enjoy doing for exercise but i promise you, if you put the time in, you will not be displeased with your outcome and it will become increasingly harder to injure yourself! It will definately take longer to build mass this way but it's all about the time you put in, and nothing good happens over night!
There are a few people on here who know who i am and know what my frame looked like 10 or 12 years ago. And they also know I barely even have to do anything in the gym anymore to keep my physique because of the time i've put it. Pound for pound, you can become impressively strong and have a lot of fun doing it!
If you have any questions or need any input on a few starter exercises, don't hesitate to ask Seth! Good Luck

On the EMS side....
While working for Abbey Richmond in White Plains on a Sunday morning back in the early 1980's. I was assigned as the paramedic on the transport ambulance and was told to return to the office. My EMT and I were told to go do a 2 man ambulette from Longview Nursing Home in W.P. to Grace Church on Main St in W.P.
We were told that there were no ambulette drivers working and the transport had to be done. When we arrived ( in an ambulette ) we found a 106 y.o. female named Clara Beech. She was allowed to leave the nursing home only once a year on her birthday, and for medical services. Clara was as alert as a 40 y.o. and could see as good as anyone thru her coke bottle thick glasses. She was packaged and wheeled out to the ambulette. As we got outside she broke out in a song of praise for the beautiful day the Lord gave her on her birthday. Now off to Grace Church we went. When we arrived you would had thought the Pope was coming to the church. The church was mobbed. We wheeled her into church all the way to the front where she was the center of attention, which she ate up.
We left her there and returned 2 hours later to take her back to the nursing home. To see the joy on this woman's face more then made up for the fact that an A.L.S. bus was taken out of service for an ambulette call.
Well if you think it ends here it only half over.
Fast forward 1 year. I was again working Abbey W.P. this time on Amb-1. When I reported for work I checked the transport booking slips for the day. Right on top was the slip for Clara to go to church for her 107th birthday. Again it would take the transport A.L.S. ambulance out of service. I told the Transport medic that I'd do the ambullete call and he cover the city. He thought I was nuts but he agreed.
When we walked into her room at the nursing home ( which was only about a 10 bed nursing home) she looked up saw me and greeted me by my first name. She then said "so you came back to take me to church on my 107th birthday". I could believe she remembered me.
Off to church we went again and there was another mob at the church for Clara's birthday.
When we picked her up for the return she asked if we could drive around a bit. We drove around W.P. for about 30 minutes as she gave us a guided tour of how W.P. use to be around the turn of the century. That's the 1800's into the 1900"s. She grew up in W.P.
I don't know what ever happened to Clara, but I think about those two birthday ambulette trips to church often.

Personally I find it comforting to know that Canadians are as willing to dodge responsibility as are Americans. There, like here, the first thing to do after a screw up is to find someone else to blame for it.

I was going to venture to add that his records, as a charity, should be public records and available upon request or FOIL. He should have paperwork tracking where he "spent" all the money he received and where it went, which should be to any and all 911 charities for the fallen and their families.
Takes a real scum bag to do this kind of thing to the memory of the fallen. I sincerely hope he isnt a past volunteer firefighter, or if he is I hope he gets wahts coming to him...

Some of the "Best" firefighters I know were and still are "Buffs"! Id take them any day over the s*** that's coming on the Job! It's as if your not allowed to have an interest in your Profession, God forbid you do that!

instead of watching a drone !!!!....they should of been watching out for the wall of bricks that came down and hit the brother firefighters on a ground ladder at that fire, one hurt seriously.

You should have waited till tomorrow to ask that. I believe it is "National Ask A Question Day".

No, Thats Truth!
It's amazing when people don't have a contingency to get home because they've traveled the same road for 20 years...Or even better, you're cutting someone out of a car in a revene and someone asks you to move the fire apparatus because they want to get home. I've said it once and i'll say it again...I Love helping people, but I Hate People Sometimes!

No, Thats Truth!
It's amazing when people don't have a contingency to get home because they've traveled the same road for 20 years...Or even better, you're cutting someone out of a car in a revene and someone asks you to move the fire apparatus because they want to get home. I've said it once and i'll say it again...I Love helping people, but I Hate People Sometimes!

No, Thats Truth!
It's amazing when people don't have a contingency to get home because they've traveled the same road for 20 years...Or even better, you're cutting someone out of a car in a revene and someone asks you to move the fire apparatus because they want to get home. I've said it once and i'll say it again...I Love helping people, but I Hate People Sometimes!

No, Thats Truth!
It's amazing when people don't have a contingency to get home because they've traveled the same road for 20 years...Or even better, you're cutting someone out of a car in a revene and someone asks you to move the fire apparatus because they want to get home. I've said it once and i'll say it again...I Love helping people, but I Hate People Sometimes!