EmsFirePolice

My view of radio etiquette may be different from others.  I prefer a quick, concise, informational radio call that can transmit the appropriate information to assign a task or get a job done.  I get frustrated when pertinent information is not transmitted or when a transmission is garbled with misinformation or non-important media. The use of curse words does not accomplish a goal or task faster, rather that is stimulates the receivers mind in a manner that it causes fear and confusion.  Fear and confusion can then lead the receiver of the information to panic, thus creating an adverse effect in the operation of the goal/task at hand.  Essentially, it causes an effect in the receiver's brain where he/she believes that they are being yelled at, and have a moment of clarity that makes him/her believe that they are doing something wrong, and induces a mini panic attack where they continue to do something wrong.  By the way, this is something I learned in my psych courses over ten years ago, long before the BS millennial "safe places" and "political correctness" were such a thing.  This reasoning is in psychological text books still today.
 
As for the professionalism side of the argument I was originally going for is the sake that there are people watching and listening.  I'm sure the majority of the public doesn't care, but some people do.  I care.  If we, as a service, want to appear as the professional life savers of the public that we always do, we need to conduct ourselves in a professional manner in every facet of the job, including talking on the radio.  My point here is that the more professional we are in every little detail while conducting our job, the more professional and the public perceives us as.  Sometimes it's little things that carry a person a long way.

The rig for sale is the "old" Eng 58. it was replaced in 2010 by a Pierce. It was used as a spare for the two "paid rigs" (E 58 & 59) and also as a fill in for R40.
 
The village is considering selling the present 58 and 59. Sad part is, they'll get pennies on the dollar, especially in the case of E58. It's a well thought out rig, perfect for use as a squad. If sold, the taxpayers of Port Chester will be paying for it for a good many years to come. That $800k they saved is small compared to the amount of money it's costing them.

That's the old engine 58 , has been a spare for the last 6 years . Replaced front line  Oct / 10

I've noticed a bunch of EMS agencies switching to the van style (Type II) ambulances, particularly the Mercedes and Dodge Sprint.  They look nice and I'm sure their functionality is great, especially in cities with tight roads and fuel consumption.  I'm sure the cost of these is a little better, too.  Can anyone clear up for me some of the larger decision factors for Type II ambulances versus I or III?

 
 
That is not engine 58 or 59, which are the career engines. The only engine in this auction is a 1988 spare.
 
Quote from the action website below
 
 
" Village of Port Chester Surplus Vehicle Auction Ending 8/30
Surplus items from Village of Port Chester. Items include 2005 Chevrolet impala, 1999 Lexus GS3, 2000 Cadillac Catera, 1988 Grumman F-10 Fire truck, Mack recycling and garbage truck and more.

Payment is due by Friday, September 2 by 3PM. Invoices will be sent following seller approval.

Pickup must be completed by Wednesday, September 7 at 3PM. 

All lots sold as is, where is. 10% buyer's premium. Payment is in guaranteed funds only which is cash, bank check or money order made out to Absolute Auctions & Realty. Payment can be mailed to Absolute Auction Center, PO Box 1739, 45 South Avenue, Pleasant Valley, NY 12569 via Priority Mail. All vehicles are subject to seller confirmation.
Preview: Preview available by appointment Monday-Friday, call Rocky Morabito at 914-774-8213 to schedule appointment. "

While I agree that many of the flags we see displayed are being displayed improperly, the fact remains that the flags in Arlington were ordered removed, not relocated. This is absolutely an attempt to stifle patriotism. If the real concern were to display the flag according to the US Code then that would be an easy enough policy to write. If anyone in this country actually wanted to follow the law about flags, then we would arrest everyone wearing an Old Navy 4th of July T-Shirt, because the flag is never supposed to be used to advertise commercial goods or services. Then again our flag should not be lowered to half staff for music performers who die from self inflicted drug overdoses, nor for foreign nationals, especially when killed oversees and not on US soil, yet both have been happened in recent memory.
 
If I lived in Arlington I would certainly attend the next commission meeting and ask many questions, especially if they start the meeting with a pledge of allegiance to the very flag they don't want displayed on apparatus.
 
Just to show that I am not beating a dead horse, it appears that the issue has been resolved somewhat:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Date: 08/20/2016
Time: 18:31
Location: Bedford St
District: SFD / SPD2
Channel: TAC1 / SPD
Weather: 79 / Partly Sunny
Units: SFD: E1,R1
          SEMS: M3
          SPD: 2CMC4 (UNIT INVOLVED), 1E34, 2B9, 1A24, 1D30, 3B57, 8S1 (Patrol Sgt.), TE1 (Traffic Sgt. / CARS), 8S4 (Patrol Sgt.), 95 (Youth Sgt.) 8D (Duty Lieut.)
Writer: AFS1970  

Description: Police motorcycle struck by car. Transported by EMS (with FD on board) with PD escort.

 
Cleaning out my house and found this in the closet.
 
Its a Whelen Competitor Series SpecTIR8 LED dash light in green.
 
$60 or best offer takes it 

 
That's correct. The 2nd Assistant Chief position is currently vacant. All of the other officer positions on the department's webpage are up to date. 

Chief: Pete Kolesar
1st Assistant Chief: Scott Gilbert
 
I believe the 2nd Assistant Chief positions is vacant.

I have read on a number of sites the backlash, almost all based on the board being unpatriotic or trying to be PC.
 
Beyond, what the board reported as being a safety issue, no one knows what the motivation is. 
 
But, I have witnessed, flags getting larger and larger on the back of rigs, to the point that we are disrespectful of the flag.
 
On engines, I have witnessed hose being laid over a flag that's so large that without wind or driving it hung below the level of the bed.
 
On ladders, I have witnessed grease and tattered ends on the flag where it whips against the turntable gear. I have also seen where it rubs on ground ladders as they are moved in and out of the ladder tunnel.
 
On all rigs, I have seen filthy flags, because the dirt that swirls around the rear of the rigs.
 
On the safety side, I have seen them hiding flashing safety lights, turn signals and break lights. Saw one get burned by high intensity flood lights and have seen firefighters grabbing the flag to help them climb the rig.
 
This is not patriotic, nor is it how the flag should be respected! I am not saying they should be removed, but consider how we are displaying them.

While this obviously is a show of patriotic display, there are strict guidelines contained within the US Flag code for the proper display of the flag and displaying the flag as they have (and many other departments have as well) is considered in violation of the code.  I'm including a link which shows the proper way to display the American Flag.
 
http://www.legion.org/flag/code

 
 

The Company has been using Utility 153 (a past Chiefs Tahoe)  equipped with spill mitigation items, traffic control equipment, & the 4-gas meter. Additional equipment was placed on other apparatus and in the spill response trailer readily available to be towed by said utility. In response to other posts, Yes Engine 97 is equipped with a compliment of Extrication Equipment along with a PowerHawk Battery Powered Combi-tool on Engine 96. The Final Inspection trip for the Rescue is set for the coming week. Exact date for delivery is still unknown. 

Speaking for the volunteer realm, these chronic lift assist calls are no different that the chronic automatic alarms.  They keep coming in day after day, week after week, and eventually you'll find that fewer and fewer responders are showing up for these calls.  The underlying problem here is volunteer burnout.  One can only respond to the same alarm so many times before they can no longer put up with it.  I'm not condoning a volunteer's action by not responding to these situations, but it's a reality that fewer firefighters and EMT's tend to respond to the "BS" calls as they become more and more frequent.  I've seen this first hand in ALL of the volunteer agencies that I have been involved with, whether it's the same old auto alarm at a given location, or the same old call to the doctor's office for an EMS assist, or even the same old lift assist at the same address.
 
Within the the career realm, it's just a little bit different.  We're already on shift.  We respond with the whole crew as we always do, whether you're on an ambulance or on a fire engine.  But, the same burnout is there.  You go to the same alarm time after time, you respond to the same call again and again.  But, this is where the complacency starts.  And complacency isn't just within the realm of the paid personnel.  Just look at the last paragraph.  The volunteers have the same problem.
 
So what's the fix to the problem?  I don't know.  But I really do like what SECTMB said:
This is totally a possibility!  Or...
 
Wouldn't it be nice if the Affordable Healthcare Act provided a system to take care of the people who really, really need it?
 
The bottom line is there is no immediate fix.  We can dwell on what is the right answer all day, but we're still responding to these alarms.  I think it would be great if there was a system or service to essentially deal with non-emergency medical calls.  But then again, what do you define as emergency and non-emergency?  What if the 99th lift assist call is actually the same person in cardiac arrest?  What if that 99th auto alarm is a working fire?  THAT'S WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO!  We dwell on the "what if" to ensure that people and their property can be saved.  Are there remedies to make our jobs easier?  Of course!  Unfortunately, it's just not up to us at this point of how those remedies are placed (at least on the EMS side).

Date:
Time:
Location:
District:
Battalion:
Channel:
Weather:
Units:
Writer:  

Description: 28 Caryl Ave

Fire on the 3rd floor and cockloft in a 5 story H-type

Reports of multiple people trapped 

2nd alarm prior to arrival

09:56: B-1 - Fire on 3rd floor of a 5 story MD, primaries underway, lines being stretched, possible exposure problem on #4 side

10:00: B-1 - Multiple victims being removed, 2 L/S, no water on the fire yet

10:06: Car 2 - 3rd Alarm

10:09: Car 2 - Fire in a 5 story H-type, fire on the 3rd floor and in the cockloft, water on the fire

10:20: Car 2 - Main body of fire appears to be k/d

10:47: Car 2 - 4th Alarm

3rd Alarm:
E-313,309
L-72

4th Alarm:
E-308,310
New Rochelle E-22, L-12

Relocates:
New Rochelle E-22, L-12 to Yonkers station 12 (redirected to scene)
Greenville Sq-15 to Yonkers station 3
Hartsdale E-170 to Yonkers station 9
Mount Vernon Engine to Yonkers station 14
Eastchester TL-17 to Yonkers station 14

 
Excellent work Riley, congratulations!
 
"Riley DeJong was unique among the passengers in the front car of the 5:44 Metro North train from Grand Central Terminal, Feb. 3, 2015.
DeJong, now 21 years old, was an emergency medical technician, with skills that served her well when the train struck an SUV on the tracks in Valhalla and burst into flames."
 
Link to the Journal News;
 
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/bedford/2016/08/13/bedford-21-year-old-honored-after-valhalla-train-crash/88674356/

Is there no other City agency or volunteer agency like Red Cross that could send someone over twice a day to assist?  How about a hospital style bed that they could maybe utilize themselves? How about renting out a room to someone who could assist? 
 
At least send over the two FF in a command car rather than tying up the engine. If a call comes in they can meet up with the engine.

Interesting articles. I've seen this firsthand, and it's sad. There's not much you can really do in some cases but keep responding.
 
 
http://pix11.com/2016/08/12/firefighters-respond-to-one-home-1100-times-in-three-years/

 
What: Peekskill Police & Fire 5K
When: Saturday September 10th
Time: 10:00am
Where: 24 S Water St Peekskill, NY
  Link to sign up;
 
https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Peekskill/TheRuntoRememberTheFallen
 
The Peekskill Police Benevolent Association and Peekskill Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 2343 are hosting a 5K Run/Walk. Proceeds from the 5K will benefit local scholarships given out in the name of Detective Charles Wassil, and Career Firefighter Kevin J. Bristol.
After responding to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Detective Wassil, like many other responders, became ver ill as a result of his rescue efforts. On May 1, 2013 Detective Wassil succumbed to his illness. Detective Wassil was an integral part of the City of Peekskill Police Department with 18 years of service. Prior to serving in Peekskill, Charlie was a member of the NYPD 44pct, and a United States Marine.
Career Firefighter Kevin J. Bristol was a proud member of the City of Peekskill Fire Department. On March 3, 2014, FF Bristol died in the Line of Duty after responding to an early morning kitchen fire. FF Bristol was born and raised in the City he proudly served. Kevin served as a Career Firefighter since 1989, and prior to his employment was a Volunteer Firefighter in Peekskill. FF Bristol also proudly served his country as a Naval Reserve Corpsman.
We hope you will join us for an event to help us remember our Brothers that we have lost, and to help us continue on their proud legacy's of service to our community!

Ambulance 29 of the dumont VAC Ford E350 Horton (I  am sure it's 2014 model) at Englewood ER Today

 
http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/?p=74696

 
  Thank you very much for that report.
 
1) Great news that so far, FOUR of those laid off Port Chester Firefighters have been hired, with Four more to go. I wish them all the Best of Luck in their NEW Careers.
 
2) We now see there are Four LESS positions that could have been offered to Volunteer Firefighters from Port Chester. A price a few of those younger volunteer firefighters might not have ever thought about. And there still could be some place willing to hire four other fully trained, laid off career firefighters as well. Guess these places didn't look at them as "Fired Firefighters" as somebody once said here.
 
3) An overall INCREASE in response time now. One thing that was never brought up when these Eight Port Chester Firefighters were laid off was what is called "Lead Time". That is the time it takes to get the first piece of fire apparatus on the scene. That "lead time" now has increased. When the day comes that some innocent victim is chocking on some smoke and can't get out, "that's when it will really count". Perhaps an investigation should be done and matters corrected BEFORE such an event happens.
 
4) To the Captains of Rescue 40 and Engine 63, "I salute you". Your true courage to stand up for what is right is respected by everyone of us who can see beyond this smoke screen. And to the members who are walking away, you lead the way in showing everyone of us, just what this Brotherhood thing is all about. My guess is that there are many other places who would GLADLY appreciate your services to their community. I encourage you to do so. As a Retired Brother Firefighter, serving 5 years a Volunteer and 30 years as a Career member, "I THANK YOU" for what you've done. As well as THOUSANDS of others I'm sure.

4 down (or should I say up) and 4 to go. Rye Brook hired another FULLY TRAINED EXPERIENCED former pcfd firefighter. City of Rye FD has also recently hired 2. Hopefully the other 4 will find jobs.
 
But I've been wondering. The Port Chester mayor changed his ways when he saw, in plain black and white, that the response times since the move to an all volunteer department, have gone up. Simple common sense. How much longer does it now take for a fire dept response ?
 
On another note, I heard that the captains of Rescue 40 (Fire Patrol and Rescue) and Engine 63 (Putnam Eng and Hose) have resigned their positions in protest of how the three chiefs are running the dept. Have also heard many other members have somewhat "walked away" due to dissension. Sounds like a rebellion is stirring.

Date: 08/09/2016
Time: 20:36
Location: Barn Hill Rd
District: Long Ridge Rd
Channel: Ground 4 / Greenwich Patch
Weather: Clear 74
Units: Long Ridge: C711 (Chief), V714 (Lt.), V715 (Lt.), E71, E73, E74
         Banksville: E158, MA11, 2581
         Stamford: E8, E9, T3, U4 (Deputy Chief), U121, U122 (Callback Mechanics with ATV)
         Westchester DES: C4, B13
         Pound Ridge: MA21 (With ATV), 2402
         Croton Falls: U64 (ATV), 2073 - Stage at Banksville
         Armonk: U52 (ATV) - Stage in Quarters
Writer:  AFS1970 (Updated info from EMSFirePolice)

Description: Initially called into Greenwich Station 8 as smoke in the woods off Barn Hill Rd. The caller was no longer in the area but reported seeing smoke in the woods while swimming in the Greenwich Reservoir (which is in Stamford). The caller was no longer in the area when he called. This area of Long Ridge is only reachable via Taconic Rd in Greenwich and is closer to Banksville FD, so an automatic response is sent on all calls.
 
Long Ridge arrived and was initially unable to locate any fire. Caller agreed to come back to area and show FD where in the woods this was. Caller was concerned about his trespassing on Water Company & State property. Recall was transmitted holding E71 & E73. Actual fire area was on cliff overlooking the reservoir, approximately 50 square feet but difficult to access. V714 special called ATV's from Westchester County departments due to access concerns. Stamford's ATV is at the mechanical division and had a 45 minute ETA.
 
** Note: Exact units from Banksville & Pound Ridge may be inaccurate, anyone who can update my run down please do. The only Chief from NY heard on the air was Banksville and he was not using his number on our channel.