EdAngiolillo

Last week, RWC130 hooked me up with a visit to the FDNY Shops. The building is massive, it makes the tillers parked in there looked small. Hard to really appreciate how big it is in a photo. The construction is also pretty cool, the roof is bowed, but concrete with no columns. The foundation is designed to support the bowed concrete roof. I was given an article on the construction, and it was very modern and progressive building at the time (1940's). It was a "Z-D" system designed by the architects. And the shops are pretty clean, well kept, and well equipped compared to other repair facilities I've seen. It also it very bright, it has skylights and, when it was built, had the largest fluorescent light system in NYC.
Anyways, the shop is massive, and can fix just about anything. It is an amazing place, not just the apparatus, but the shops and mechanics and all the tools and equipment they have. It was also neat to see all the apparatus in different states of repair, and being able to compare the brand new Ferrara and Seagrave ladders to the older ones. FDNY apparatus is increasingly very progressive and has a lot of user friendly ideas and capabilities.
Here are some photos.Sorry about the quality, I'm not really good at shooting indoors, especially with the type of lights they had there and the way everything was positioned. Also, I'm more interested in the specs then the just the apparatus.






The former Ladder 10, stripped of the mural and going into the spare pool

The hearts of the entire EMS community are with the family of Irene Gremmert at this time of loss. Irene was an amazing mentor, marine, preceptor, paramedic, but most of all an amazing friend to many of us. Rest easy we will take it from here.

North Collins Emergency Squad
2013 Ford E-450/Marque

Choconut Center, NY
2012 International 7400/Sutphen
1250/500/30F
#HS-5057

Here are a few photos of some of the apparatus at the show. I will be away for the weekend so here is just a sample until I get back...

FireMoose started this and I see a quote about putting the volunteers IN THE STATION. 100% absolutely true! Last year, Chester County (my home turf) enacted a dispatch change stipulating: Ambulance XX gets dispatched, if no response (I mean ON THE ROAD, not re-dispatch for driver, EMT, IV bag holder, etc), the next due gets dispatched. PERIOD. End of argument. There was a LOT of pushback in the rural western half of the county because, you guessed it, it takes at least 5 minutes to hop out of bed and drive to the station! I was at that meeting and I can tell you, those fire companies were told, in so many words "well, tear down your bar and/or your social hall and start building bunk rooms like the rest of us, or you'll be out of business in a year."
While my squad is now mostly paid staff, we have a strong and active volunteer contingent that MUST be in-house for their 6 or 12 hours and in uniform (identical to the paid staff since we're all there to do the same thing, save lives). The only time we page out for additional help is when we need to roll our bariatric truck or certain occasions when the duty crews will be committed to an incident for an extended period of time.

FireMoose started this and I see a quote about putting the volunteers IN THE STATION. 100% absolutely true! Last year, Chester County (my home turf) enacted a dispatch change stipulating: Ambulance XX gets dispatched, if no response (I mean ON THE ROAD, not re-dispatch for driver, EMT, IV bag holder, etc), the next due gets dispatched. PERIOD. End of argument. There was a LOT of pushback in the rural western half of the county because, you guessed it, it takes at least 5 minutes to hop out of bed and drive to the station! I was at that meeting and I can tell you, those fire companies were told, in so many words "well, tear down your bar and/or your social hall and start building bunk rooms like the rest of us, or you'll be out of business in a year."
While my squad is now mostly paid staff, we have a strong and active volunteer contingent that MUST be in-house for their 6 or 12 hours and in uniform (identical to the paid staff since we're all there to do the same thing, save lives). The only time we page out for additional help is when we need to roll our bariatric truck or certain occasions when the duty crews will be committed to an incident for an extended period of time.

FireMoose started this and I see a quote about putting the volunteers IN THE STATION. 100% absolutely true! Last year, Chester County (my home turf) enacted a dispatch change stipulating: Ambulance XX gets dispatched, if no response (I mean ON THE ROAD, not re-dispatch for driver, EMT, IV bag holder, etc), the next due gets dispatched. PERIOD. End of argument. There was a LOT of pushback in the rural western half of the county because, you guessed it, it takes at least 5 minutes to hop out of bed and drive to the station! I was at that meeting and I can tell you, those fire companies were told, in so many words "well, tear down your bar and/or your social hall and start building bunk rooms like the rest of us, or you'll be out of business in a year."
While my squad is now mostly paid staff, we have a strong and active volunteer contingent that MUST be in-house for their 6 or 12 hours and in uniform (identical to the paid staff since we're all there to do the same thing, save lives). The only time we page out for additional help is when we need to roll our bariatric truck or certain occasions when the duty crews will be committed to an incident for an extended period of time.

FireMoose started this and I see a quote about putting the volunteers IN THE STATION. 100% absolutely true! Last year, Chester County (my home turf) enacted a dispatch change stipulating: Ambulance XX gets dispatched, if no response (I mean ON THE ROAD, not re-dispatch for driver, EMT, IV bag holder, etc), the next due gets dispatched. PERIOD. End of argument. There was a LOT of pushback in the rural western half of the county because, you guessed it, it takes at least 5 minutes to hop out of bed and drive to the station! I was at that meeting and I can tell you, those fire companies were told, in so many words "well, tear down your bar and/or your social hall and start building bunk rooms like the rest of us, or you'll be out of business in a year."
While my squad is now mostly paid staff, we have a strong and active volunteer contingent that MUST be in-house for their 6 or 12 hours and in uniform (identical to the paid staff since we're all there to do the same thing, save lives). The only time we page out for additional help is when we need to roll our bariatric truck or certain occasions when the duty crews will be committed to an incident for an extended period of time.

We have the same issues in my county, but a lot of it here boils down to pride and ego. I have argued countless times with the EMS in my department because its the same EMT and same Driver that show up to every call, and they both take over 10 minutes to get to the rig and the rig takes 15-20 minutes to roll out the door; this includes Delta and Echo calls. I have brought up automatic mutual aid with 2 of our nearest agencies to be simultaneously toned out with us and the first rig to roll gets the call, and it can be a mix-matched crew if needed, like our driver with our rig but with an EMT from the other agency. The answer I got? "Well, we should be allowed to answer our own calls, its our town and we should get the chance to roll to the call before anyone else does"...................
I have timed our EMS several times for Charlie, Delta and Echo calls and the best time I have seen is a 6 minute time (for the rig to roll after initial tone out time) and that was because they were at station for a meeting. The best time otherwise is 15 minutes...UNACCEPTABLE for any call you respond to. As mentioned and well known already, it only takes 4 minutes for brain death with lack of O2. It may take 4 minutes for the family to call EMS, talk to the dispatcher and get the tones out...then you make them wait another 15-20 minutes for a rig to show up? And then its only staffed with an EMT fresh out of school with minimal experience and no ALS support????? Yes, this system is flawed beyond repair and its being ruined by volunteers with extremely large egos and personal pride. People are putting their pride before the needs of the patient and it needs to stop.
Very well written article and i am from Suffolk County originally, I was raised in Northport NY. Its hard when you are a volunteer that started in a larger, well run agency with a large call volume and more volunteers than you know what to do with ending up in a small town agency, with a handfull of volunteers and a small call volume. You try to offer advice and they instantly get defensive and insulted because "The big city man is trying to push his way in and run our squad thinks he knows it all, trying to boss us around..." yadda yadda yadda.
Pride. Ego. Need to put those things asside and put patients first. I dont care if its an ambulance from 10 miles away that just so happens to be driving through our town returning from hospital; if they are staffed they should be able to call the dispatcher and say they will go to the scene and assess the patient and give an update. If the other squad still has not answered tones then they SHOULD be able to transport; no arguments or petty attitudes, turf wars, "this is my call what are you doing here" BS that most volunteers display. (And to end the pettiness right now, I have been in volunteer EMS for 18 years now as well as career EMS for 11 years, I have been a volunteer EMS lieutenant, Captain and training officer. I have specced out a new rig, and applied for our squad to become ALS certified all at the age of 19) I too am not a volunteer basher, I am a proponent for the patient. I have been a patient and did not want to wait 20 minutes for a rig. My child was a patient and I almost grabbed her and ran in my car instead of wait for the rig to finally decide to arrive. I too used to have that disgusting attitude of "Its our call, dont let XYZ agency take it, lets get a crew and respond even if it takes 20 minutes and 4 tones of our pagers"......That was wrong and I know it now. We need to get the proper care to the patient within minutes. Period.
End of rant...sorry! lol

A West Haven, CT fire company recently was "placed out of service" do to its captain being involved with a sexual assault case that received regional attention. The company was only OOS for a short period of time after a through investigation was completed by the department and the police to make sure nothing happened at the firehouse.
In this case, I can see then placing the unit out of service to make sure nothing else occurred but it seems the way this also was handled was very political and possible an overreaction by the government.
I agree too, it seems there is more to the story.

Guess they didn't like the Caprice's....yet. But right now an agency like this with CHP as well not ordering the Caprice's it sets a precedent for all LE agencies in Southern CA.
Read more: http://www.policemag.com/channel/vehicles/news/2013/06/14/lapd-purchases-nearly-200-dodge-ford-patrol-vehicles.aspx?utm_campaign=OnTarget-Monday-20130617&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Enewsletter

Date: 06-16-13
Time: 1145hrs (approx)
Location: 300 Gidney Ave - Gidney Ave School
Units: NFD Car-1, Car-4, E1, E3, T1, E10, Castle Point FDVA (FAST), West Point Engine, Vails Gate Engine, Winona Lake Truck, Coldenham Truck, 36-14, C/NPD, MLSS (several).
Description: Working Fire in an occupied School
1145hrs(approx)-Box Alarm transmitted, NFD companies dispatched.
NFD T1 arrived 1st due and made entry into the building where they encountered a heavy smoke condition. Members quickly located the fire, which was in a 2nd floor classroom. The Truck crew was able to hold the fire with PWC's until the 1st due Engine could get a line inside. The Engine crew stretched a 2 1/2" line, quickly knocking down the fire.
As mutual-aid companies arrived, they were advised to assist in opening up and placing ventilation fans as there was a smoke condition throughout.
Once the smoke was cleared, companies started taking up as NFD Fire Investigators started their investigation.
All mutual aid was released within approximately 2 hours.
Once again, another quick stop by the NFD! Things could have been much different in an occupied elementary school. Nice work to the NFD, as well as the M/A companies.

Purchase FD Quad 8 (retired from active duty)
1957 Seagrave Quad
Quad=Pump, Tank, Hose, Ground Ladders
One of my favorite antiques, and she shines like they just delivered it.

Members,
Our forum is established to serve a community of people who have an interest in a particular area, it is a place for people to exchange ideas, thoughts and comments and a place where people can discuss things which they find interesting or important.
With that, we're proud to announce and welcome our three newest moderators that will help me with the day to day operations:
FDNY 10-75 (actually continuing in his longtime involvement with the site)
INIT915
PEMO3
They will be on board to help facilitate and participate in the conversations, to moderate the conversations when needed, and to keep a helpful eye out. They are here to help the over 500 members who visit daily, as well as the hundreds of guests.
Also, RWC130 is staying on as Community Manager-Special Projects & Events and TR54 as Protection From The Past Manager, so events such as the muster can move forward.
Tommorow, we will be posting an opening for an additional staff member.
Welcome all, and thanks for you help!
Seth

The Fire District purchased our first staff vehicle from J.H. Ketcham in Dover Plains, a 2005 Ford Expedition, with a command center in the back, once I get a chance I will see about getting some further photos, although not new, it's a start in the right direction, Chief Boardman just picked the unit up from the graphics shop in Carmel. Yes I know it's not Blue!!!!

And I take issue with that. Talk about the red headed stepchild!

*Spy Shot* Yonkers PD Car 900 2013 Ford Police Interceptor SUV

Per Hackensack FD release:

The Villages, FL. has refurbed this 1967 ALF 900 formerly an Englewood, NJ pumper. It looks like it was just delivered.
Ron

Date: 6/6/13
Time: 2145
Location: 2530 Creek Rd, Caln Twp
Box 38-06
Units responding: Thorndale (FD 38), Downingtown Alert (TWR45), Downingtown Minqas (E461, 462, AMB461, AIR46, MEDIC46), West Brandywine (Pumper Tanker 49-5), Lionville (RESCUE47 as RIT)
Conditions: Dark, warm, raining
Initial reports: Fire and collapse of commercial building. Multiple reports of propane tanks in building. First-in OIC reported heavy smoke and collapse of 2-story portion of multi-level commercial building. Civilians reported explosion before collapse, now no visible fire. LWH.

Date: June 7, 2013
Time: 13:07
Location: 82 Mill Rd
Units: Olive

Description: Structure Fire
13:07 Olive dispatched to a structure fire
13:12 Command request 2nd alarm
13:13 911 dispatched 2nd alarm along with Olive 1st Aid & County Fire Investigation Team
2nd call in district – Phoenicia & Mt Tremper dispatched to a Automatic fire alarm Onteora Middle School (was a false alarm head activated) units then responded to the fire
13:20 Manpower dispatched to the scene
13:28 command reports heavy fire going to defensive attack

A whole lot of stupid caused this. It should never have happened. Other contractors working the area questioned the demolition techniques for weeks but never said anything because the city's Licenses and Inspections people approved it.

Here's another angle:

Empress EMS 301
2013 Ford E-450 6.8 L Gas/AEV Traumahawk 148" Type III
One of two delivered, also two Type II Vans were delivered as well. They should be in service shortly. This one is at Putnam Window Tint for lettering, and after radio installation and outfitting with equipment, should be in service shortly.