ptwatson

Ferrara and Seagrave are the only real bidders here. Unless KME is willing to build a new cab/chassis from the ground up, I don't see them able to meet the spec the city has laid out now and previously. Seagrave, of course, has a long track record. Ferrara has made recent inroads and built a new cab/chassis to meet the city's specs. Ferrara has also proven able to meet warranty requirements as they won the recent bid for 40+ 100' rearmounts. It's going to come down to who's more motivated to win the contract as both are capable.
My company has a Seagrave coming up for replacement. It can't come soon enough! It's got almost 70,000 miles on it, the pumps leak like a sieve, it's a bucket of rust and the ride is spine compressing. It doesn't much matter to me who makes the rig as long as they make a few improvements to interior space, durability and ride. Ride might not sound so important, but when you ride in it to building inspections and other duties, aside from runs, it can be a long day of bouncing around. It gets old. The new Seagrave engines are quiet, roomy and smooth. They have a great deal of interior space for tool storage, but the seating arrangement isn't prefect. The officers seat is really tight, however. The hose bed seems to be a touch higher, not a good thing. The other radical changes only really apply to the chauffeur. Double the pump capacity, a multitude of different inlets and no more draw handles, they're rotary type knobs. There have been a couple of issues with the newer Seagrave engines. I'm told that several have had long stints O.O.S. for transmission failure. Hopefully whomever builds the next round will get it right because getting a new rig and spending the next few months switching back and for to a spare is no good.

Thats my ride 4 truck that is

Unbelievable! The lowering of the flag needs to be re addressed. It seems like it is lowered at a whim these days. As per the flag code of the US. government
§175. Position and manner of display
(m) The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, the Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff. The flag shall be flown at half-staff thirty days from the death of the President or a former President; ten days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress. As used in this subsection -
(1) the term 'half-staff' means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff;
(2) the term 'executive or military department' means any agency listed under sections 101 and 102 of title 5; and
(3) the term 'Member of Congress' means a Senator, a Representative, a Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.
as you can read no where does it say to lower it for a entertainment personality. Like I said to start...unbelievable!

Feels like I've been on the road for years. Actually, I have been. Since retiring from the job in '06, I left NY for South Carolina, and eventually wound up in Florida. It's been too long since I've been home. But I came home for a funeral of a beloved Great Uncle of our family. Uncle Vince served in the U.S. Army during WWII, and saw action in Europe for which he received recognition. He passed away at age 93. He was laid to rest in St. Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx.
Being back in NY after such a long time, is an incredible experience. First thing one realizes, is the scale and perception of this area changes when you're away for a long time. Westchester is tighter and smaller than ever. It makes me shake my head even more when I realize this small place has such a problem with combining fire service protection.
Then my Brothers from my former job caught a two-alarm fire in an OMD at two something in the morning the other night. They did a great job with aggressively attacking that fire, and keeping the damage to a minimum. The mutual aid companies also helped out. Great job by all.
Seeing family and friends has been such a wonderful experience. If you take all the people in your life for granted, go on the road for four or five years, and see how your perspective changes. Seeing Brothers I worked with has been an amazing time.
To wrap it up, there really is no place like home; especially when home is the greatest metropolis in the world; New York. I'm loving every single minute of this visit, every single minute spent with my dad, my uncles, all retired firemen. Thank God for family and friends.
Special thanks to Brother E. Lynch and the entire crew at 28/11 for their hospitality in my time of urgent need of a restroom! lol
Stay well everybody. Hug your family today, shake your friends hands, enjoy this world and the people God chose to be your family and friends. They are literally irreplaceable.

Rescue 3's new Ferrara

The real issue here is, how much control the city can exude over it's police officers when they're off duty. I don't work for the NYPD, but I DO work for the city of New York and I'll be damned if I let them tell me what I can and can't wear while I'm off duty. Simple fact is, they don't pay me enough to control my life 24/7/365. They barely pay me enough to be on duty 50 hours a week...
Look, it's bad enough that you can get fired for a DWI that's gotten while off duty. I know...DWI's are a terrible thing and I understand the need for the job to enforce it, but it's yet another encroachment on my time and life as a private citizen, not a uniformed officer. Mayor Bloomberg states that NYPD officers are "always NYPD officers"...to that I say....I guess you'd better pay them about 120 hours of overtime a week, because that's the time they're not "on duty", but really always are according the Mayor Mike.

In all honesty, it really makes no sense, but it is what it is. Some guys in the NYPD are proud to be NYPD officers, and are proud to wear certain articles of clothing that represents the department, their precinct, their unit, or their assignment. What it comes down to is just another way the department can ensure that no one does anything (or wears anything) that is going to give the department a negative image in the public eye.

It's gonna come back looking like this.

For the sake of saving tax dollars it can not only be the FD' to consolodate. In Eastchester for example there is one FD that covers the entire town Easchester, Tuckahoe and Bronxville also one VAC but there are three PD's, 3 DPW', 3 school district. Now imagine the savings if they all consolodated into one PD, DPW, etc and its not only Eastchester.The old model of the turn of the last century is no longer feasable in todays economy. Dept's with in town's and villages need to become one.

Hey Capt2102 "NORMAL" there is nothing, and I mean nothing normal about EFD. As for only 1 working Aerial device, lets just call it a very dangerous way to do business. you say dangerous yes dangerous for both the residents and the firefighters, but nobody gives a ****.

Ladder 15 has been assigned to temporary Sta 6 with E 31 for the last year while Sta 5 undergoes renovation. L 15 has no working aerial, only ground ladders, TL 17 will not fit in temporary Sta. 6 About 3 months ago L 16 aerial broke and TL 17 was parked outside at Sta 2 in Tuckahoe (it does not fit inside). Since the cold weather has set in we have had to run TL 17 out of the repair shop at Sta.1 and have reassigned E 27 to Sta. 2 so that it can be inside also. Over the weekend, other equipment problems resulted in only a spare duty car with 2 firefighters assigned to Sta. 6. As of 4 pm today we are back to "normal" 4 Engs.; 1 tower ladder; 1 truck with no aerial.

Two basic issues: What is a Rescue Company and what is a Rescue Unit?
The Rescue Company is equipment (including transport) AND enough trained personnel that respond together and can perform a particular rescue function.
How much personnel is needed? This depends on the incident. FDNY has the best Rescue Staffing and their are many incidents that require additional Rescues, or trucks or squads to assist them.
The Rescue Truck. We have an issue because in Westchester a Rescue can be a regular van or a 24' tandum axle unit.


What is a Rescue? A light Rescue? Medium? Heavy?
If you own a 20'+ walk in rescue, but basicly only have the equipment to handle an MVA its not a "heavy rescue". A line I always get a kick out of is "Heavy Rescue is the capability of the company not the weight of the chassie"
We have truck companies that carry what I would equate to as the equipment for a light rescue unit (spreader, cutter, rams, cribbing, airbags, jacks and basic rope equipment). I have seen large rescues that do not carry much more. Infact often I see they do not carry enough basic cribbing to handle a car underride of a truck or school bus).
My 1st question to a chief when laying out a new rescue is what type of rescue calls do you plan on operating at?
Fire, MVA, Machinery, Water (surface, swift/flood, Ice, dive), heavy transport (truck, bus, train, aircraft, etc.), confined space, high angle, trench, building collapse, etc.
You can not carry everything you need on 1 vehicle to handle all of the above. This unit may respond to all of them, but you must decide what equipment you will put on this unit. And if you can't carry it, who does?
Much of this debate would go away if 60 Control had a list (that everyone saw) that listed rescues by capability (in terms of type of incidents).
As listed in the squad description, we also need to determine what staffing (including minimum training levels) needs to respond (FEMA calls this typing) with each type of unit (engine, ladder, rescue, etc.).
Also lets not get hung up with how many responders can ride in the rescue. Whats important is how many arrive with it and can operate as a company. There are many 2 seat heavy rescues, but they get another 4-6 responders in another vehicle.

I read this thread yesterday and have been following the discussion for a day and now feel compelled to add my opinion. It is disappointing that a member of this site asks a simple question about the status of a piece of apparatus which has been placed out of service due to fire and the automatic responses that are generated turn immediately to why does this department need this truck?
The funny thing is that rarely are the one’s questioning the needs of (fill in the blank) Fire Department, at all associated with that department – so how would you know what their communities specific needs are?
As example, I wouldn’t question why one department – of which I have no affiliation with or knowledge of their needs - has 3 ladder trucks even though they are surrounded by departments with ladder trucks on every side of their community – because it’s not my place to. If that department has determined that is what they need to do their job, I trust that their leadership has made an educated decision and that they are not just stroking their egos.
Ironically, it’s double edged sword here as well; a northern department is questioned why so much mutual aid is needed at a house fire, but another department that is self-sufficient is accused of wasting tax payer dollars and questioned why they need this truck or that truck instead of using more mutual aid. It doesn’t make sense; it’s ludicrous.
There was an interesting article on here lately about the fire service and its changing nature; how departments are being asked to respond to new situations and different types of emergencies all the time. Proper response to these new challenges often requires newer tools, gear and equipment to effectively mitigate these hazards; which in turn often means purchasing a newer and larger truck to carry this equipment and get the job done.
So - why does this town need this truck? Because their membership and commissioners and potentially their insurance agency have determined it is necessary for their district and their firefighters to do their job effectively.
This, of course, is not the first time that others who think they know what is best for everyone else interject their own beliefs or who knows maybe even their envy at some other departments rolling stock and I’m sure it won’t be the last – but still it’s disappointing; it is one of the reasons I seldom participate on this site any longer.
Periodically someone on this site will post something about making this site what we want it to be – a place where positive discussion can take place and where people can learn. But that doesn’t happen; the forcing of agendas continues. Then there is the occasional thread that asks why member participation is down on this site and I think to myself in response to that question, I can’t imagine why someone would feel compelled to post something here when others with agendas, or egos, or envy, or whatever pick apart every detail of every call, decision and comment made. It really is disappointing.

Great job lads! You did the entire fire service proud!

What qualifications did Pagano have that propelled him from the rank of fighter to commissioner?
He was union president most of career prior to becomig commissioner and hug around John Spencer. Did he ever get his hands dirty?
By all reports the new commissioner was a hands on hard working officer that has respect of men.

I borrowed this from a friend of mine on Facebook who borrowed it from a freind of his both proudly wears the blue to serve and protect. Thank you to all the PO's, your service is appreciated! I just had to post it. I think it's beautiful.
"It's sad days like today that make being a police officer rough. Like me & thousands of others, PO Pete Figoski kissed his girls and left his house last night for work. He drove in, put his uniform on like he did for 22 years, stood roll call, joked w his coworkers as he walked to the car with his partner & went on patrol. Maybe they talked about their day. Maybe their families. Maybe what they ...would do tomorrow. Then the radio run comes in. It's a run we have been to 100's if not 1000 times. But this one was different. He didn't know exiting the rmp that it would be the last. We never know when we get out of that car what to expect. Pete could have left 2 years ago. I didn't know him, but I guess he loved the job. Friends that did say he was in the 75 his whole career. That's dedication. Dedication like that that is taken for granted by the people we serve. People at OWS who push our limits. Yell shame in our face. Manipulate videos to portray us as a "Nazi" type department. But what we are is exactly what Pete was. A father, a husband, a son, a neighbor & a friend. A man who loved his job as much as his family. We as cops were his 2nd family. You will be missed. I will think of you for the next 7 months until I retire every time I kiss my girls and I leave for work. Thank you Pete. You may not have heard it everyday when you went to work, but as a fellow brother in blue, thank you!

I borrowed this from a friend of mine on Facebook who borrowed it from a freind of his both proudly wears the blue to serve and protect. Thank you to all the PO's, your service is appreciated! I just had to post it. I think it's beautiful.
"It's sad days like today that make being a police officer rough. Like me & thousands of others, PO Pete Figoski kissed his girls and left his house last night for work. He drove in, put his uniform on like he did for 22 years, stood roll call, joked w his coworkers as he walked to the car with his partner & went on patrol. Maybe they talked about their day. Maybe their families. Maybe what they ...would do tomorrow. Then the radio run comes in. It's a run we have been to 100's if not 1000 times. But this one was different. He didn't know exiting the rmp that it would be the last. We never know when we get out of that car what to expect. Pete could have left 2 years ago. I didn't know him, but I guess he loved the job. Friends that did say he was in the 75 his whole career. That's dedication. Dedication like that that is taken for granted by the people we serve. People at OWS who push our limits. Yell shame in our face. Manipulate videos to portray us as a "Nazi" type department. But what we are is exactly what Pete was. A father, a husband, a son, a neighbor & a friend. A man who loved his job as much as his family. We as cops were his 2nd family. You will be missed. I will think of you for the next 7 months until I retire every time I kiss my girls and I leave for work. Thank you Pete. You may not have heard it everyday when you went to work, but as a fellow brother in blue, thank you!

EMS shouldn't be "pulling FF for rehab", it should be a regular part of the FF rotation through operations. Gotta change bottles? Gotta go through rehab.
Otherwise it is almost always forgotten and if you leave it to the FF you'll always hear "no, I'm good. Just give me another bottle". This brings us back to another point that has been discussed here before, do IC's have enough resources to properly rotate people or do they have "just enough" to get 'er done?
Not to shift gears too much but does rehab document each contact with an FF to identify potential trends toward a problem? Are they comparing initial vital signs with vital signs after an hour or two to detect that someone's blood pressure is high?

Here is what she looks like...

Here is what she looks like...

Here is what she looks like...

Engine 121 comes back home to Montrose.

A quick story that I can now tell because the captain that this happened to is long retired. After weeks of coming to roll call and giving roll call training about securing your R/C at a scene or on a traffic stop one afternoon this captain is in an unmarked yet very "police" looking impala on a traffic stop in front of FD headquarters on new school street. There happened to be a gentleman walking by the R/C who in his drug induced haze couldn't see that it had strobes flashing and a uniformed officer standing only a few feet away. This fine citizen proceeded to get in the car and start to drive away.
On the radio you hear the victim captain advising headquarters that "someone just stole my radio car." The offender now realizing what he was hearing on the radio in the car was refering to him, abruptly stopped the car and began to run south on palisade avenue toward getty square. I was in uniform in those day so upon hearing the radio transmission, the 5 of us that were standing under the clock in getty square began to run north on palisade Avenue and lo and behold the suspect then ran into a wall of blue.
It was not a good day for the perp but it turned out to be a good day for the cops, except the captain who should have taken a little of his own roll call training advice.

Seriously dude, you're going to tell me that you never moved another emergency vehicle or had one moved for you? And if someone was trying to do the right thing and help you out by moving a police car you'd collar them? Nice.
And I can't believe you're actually suggesting that the driver of the ambulance positioned the vehicle to "inconvenience" others on the road. See my other comment about urban parking problems but more to the point is the EMT did what he/she had to do and was completely justified. Should they really have gone hunting for a parking space?
Remember this little pearl from COP101?
Does it occur to you that if the woman had just heeded the officer's admonition about not moving the ambulance and went to work, none of this would have happened? Instead she interfered with them on the scene and had the temerity to go to the PD to make a complaint. Clearly she didn't get the point so to reinforce that point now she'll find out how the judicial system works. It's not the EMT's fault that this woman talked herself right into handcuffs.

According to the Lohud article, so take it for what its worth, the officer ran downstairs after hearing the reverse alarm so the woman had already moved the ambulance.
This could have been avoided if there was adequate parking for a police car and ambulance but how often in cities like White Plains do you have to double park or park in a driveway because there is no other space available? Should the crew have circled the block until a legal parking became available? Really, this is all due to one woman's impatience and arrogance.