ptwatson

Wow, that's a harsh perspective. The law doesn't allow for applying responsibility to the victim of a crime. The days of prosecuting a sex crime victim because of their attire are over and if I choose to leave my car parked with the door unlocked, you can't "blame" me for a criminal's action.
I understand your point about responsibility but that's not the same as culpability. It may be irresponsible to leave your wallet sticking out of your pocket but it doesn't give anyone the right to take it.

Spac/Spock?

Joey was a "plank holder" in Squad Co. 61 (Bronx), when we were "transformed" by DC Ray Downey (RIP 9-11-01) from an engine co. to a squad co. in SOC. As a newly formed co. we were constantly drilling and preparing to "go-online" as a squad, and many members of the hand-picked company were the original engine members. Joey loved going to the "Rock" every day tour for the months of training- he was always "up" for any type of hands-on activity. Especially when it came to "ropes". He was one of my "rope fairies"- guys who loved to take out the high-angle and confined space gear and rig up scenarios to drill on. I remember one "24" tour where we had spent the whole day training at the "Rock";came back to quarters for the night tour and had chow;drilled again for an hour on "firefighter removal" from the cellar, and then the brothers sat in the kitchem while I did paperwork in the co. office. Around midnight I heard footsteps (not Santa's reindeer) on the roof, so I climbed the scuttle ladder to check it out. There on the roof was Joey and the rest of the crew, setting up to do a "pickoff" from the top floor bunkroom. I was beat, and looking forward to lying down on the couch- but what could I say? I became the "victim" in the window for them to "rescue". You had to admire Joe's burning desire to excel at all phases of firefighting and rescue.
When I got promoted up a rank, he made me a "cutdown" halligan as an officers tool, w/ my nickname welded on it- that was the type of guy Joe was! His Dad (Joe,Sr) is a retired and well-loved Deputy Chief from the South Bronx (Div 6) and my heart gors out to him and the family, and the brothers who knew Joey on FDNY and LI where Joey was also a volly in his hometown. Sorry for this rambling message, but I'm surely going to miss Joey and his quiet but infectious smile and personality. Joey, R.I.P.,brother!

Happy 8th to the crew of EMTBravo.....I enjoy my time spent here and wish for the site's continued success!

I gotta say....I'm a little disappointed to read some of the comments that are written here. Why are we so excited to see this movement broken up? You don't have to agree with everything they're saying or rallying for down there. You also don't have to like the people who are doing it, BUT it's nice to see a little activism. It's nice to see people pushing back against the establishment because it's our constitutional right. The basis of this action is very similar to the founding of this country. Lets not be so quick to get excited that they're being "shut down".
I don't like a bunch of leaches and do nothings, but I also don't like some CEO's salary increasing 23% while his company sheds 10,000 jobs or the bank he runs won't lend money to the honest working man. The balance of power and wealth in this country is more lopsided than it's ever been.
Remember, if you're a civil servant (as I am)or any other Union worker, these protesters are your friend! They like you. They want you to make more money and be taxed less. The people that they're rallying against want to reduce your pension because it's too lucrative. They want to close firehouses because they'll never need you. They want to ship jobs to India because it'll leave them more money to pay themselves.
Look, it's probably about time they shut down this camp-site and cleaned up the park which must be a disaster. However, lets not be so quick to jump for joy at the end of a protest that has the working man's ideals in mind.

I lost my dad to cancer a little over a year ago. He would say that you cant escape the "big C". It is a horrible disease and my prayer is that the cure come soon!
May she rest with the angels and the saints! So sorry for your lost but remember her phyical presence might be gone but her spirit and memories lives in your heart forever!

Thank you to all. My wife Helen, who I called "Pumpkin" gave up her battle with lung cancer on Saturday morning Oct 1, 2011. She was such a good wife. Very mellow and low keyed. To this day, she looked the same way she did when I married her on Oct 9, 1976. Even after all those chemo and cancer treatments, she could still pass for a beautiful 25 year old. She just never aged.
Our first date was on Valentines Day, February 14, 1975. We went to see a new movie out about a high rise fire called "Towering Infernio". I told her that I was on the list to get on the fire dept. But I really don't think she was too impressed.
Our second date, I had to stop back home because I had forgotten to take the tickets for the show we were going to see. I invited her in for a few minutes and she talked with my mother. Later when I came home, she said to me "that's the girl you're going to marry". She was right and we would have celebrated our 34th Wedding Anniversary on Oct 9th.
"Pumpkin" was an Angel. She died peacefully at Backus Hospital in Norwich, Ct. Those nurses were the Greatest.

Congrats to all those who did well! First off I think Westchester should start to shift to a model like NYC does with major civil service test's like the firefighter test. In NYC it is all computerized, runs for a few months, and you get an immediate unofficial score when you finish the exam. I think it would be easier for them to get the official results out quicker if they didn't have a massive amount of exams to grade all at once. Second I believe that the CPAT is part of the hiring process now in Westchester. It is difficult so look it up and start trainnig for it now. Also, remember that all though the county gives the exam it is local dept's that do the hiring and thus might only hire 5-10 guys if that many off a list in the three to four years the list is good and a good portion of them hire from the residency list. The cities that hire a larger amount have there own exams

I think that is facing east from Larkin Plaza looking up into manor House Square? - I beleive those apartment buildings in the background are on the dead end of overlook terrace. The building on the left I think was a bar (Ryan's?) just west of Philipsburg Hall - The motorcade is entering the north side of larkin Plaza heading west toward the train station.

Found this pic of them on the net!

Found this pic of them on the net!

While moving some boxes to paint in my house, I found this:

How about Mutual Aid New York State !!! A lot of departments right here in New York need help !! Many small departments in upstate don't have the money to buy gear or rigs so why are we giving good gear and rigs to people who don't give a f*** about us! Sorry for the rant

Protection From the Past - Photos By Frank Becerra Jr.
Port Chester NY - Ladder 31 tiller.


click to enlarge

holy sentence batman

These guys like any other volunteer firemen risk there lives everyday for nothing, let them have there fun for 3 hours

With due respect to the staff,
Before the topic was locked, there was some measure of displeasure with the post from the site's founder regarding one-liners and inflammatory comments, with a poster saying the site has lost it's balls and the members need thicker skin.
It's not a matter of the site "losing it's balls" or members who need "thicker skin", it's about keeping the site educational, a positive environment, and most of all, PROFESSIONAL. Sometimes we need to remember that "we" (emergency service members) are not the only ones who read the content contained in these forums. I'm sure there are enthusiasts, members of local government, members of the media, and so on who read the content contained in these forums. While it's all good to banter amongst each other as if we were in the firehouse, precinct, quarters, or whatever you would like to call it, we still have to maintain some level of decorum and professionalism just as if we were present in a public place, since this board is easily viewed by members of the general public, and more importantly the media. Case in point;
The NYPD Rant for those who's haven't read it is full of so much garbage since there is little to no moderation, it's not one bit enjoyable to read from an educational standpoint. If anyone outside the NYPD read the material in that forum, the useless bantering of a few sets a bad precedence and honestly depicts the members of the NYPD in a very negative light. The media reported today on a thread contained in the NYPD Rant website about posters who posted personal attacks against an NYPD member. As a civilian reading that article, what kind of opinion do you think the "average Joe" will have of the Rant and the members of the NYPD?
So in order to keep this site from becoming another "rant style" website, there needs to be a level of moderation that suits the wishes of the site's founder, since it is ultimately his call on what is and what is not permitted. If any of us don't like it, we are all free to start up our own site where anything goes and all the members can brag over who has the biggest balls. Personally, I'll stick with the site that's an educational portal as well as promotes and exhibits the professionalism of emergency service providers.

Date: 10/04/2011
Time: apprx. 1520 hrs.
Location: FDR Drive at 34th St. Heliport
Frequency: Manhattan
Units Operating: See list
Weather Conditions: Cool/ gusty winds
Description Of Incident: Bell 206 helicopter with five souls on board crashed into the East River just off the 34th Street heliport. FDNY and NYPD responding for water rescue. NYPD Air-Sea Rescue responding, patrol and ESU also enroute.
Reporters/Writer: Soho Truckin @nycfire, et al
Manhattan: FDR Drive & 34 St Confirmed Helicopter in the water, With 5 people trapped. Emergency Personnel on scene.
OEM Portable first unit on scene confirming job with people trapped requesting SCUBA and ESU.
NYPD Rundown - Truck 1, Boy 1, David 1, Adam 3, Adam 8, Adam 19, Aviation 10, Aviation (Air-Sea Rescue), Harbor George, Scuba Launch 37, Launch 8, Launch 315, Highway 1 units for traffic control, 17th Pct Patrol Units
Supervisors: ESU 2, ESU 3, Harbor XO, ESU 5, Aviation CO, Highway 1 Lt., Highway District CO
OEM reports ESU in the water, helicopter submerged. One victim out of the water, additional rescues in progress.
ESU supervisor requests TFR over heliport area during dive operations.
1532 - Divers deployed from air-sea rescue helicopter. Rescues still ongoing.
NYPD Level 1 Mobilization to 34 St and FDR for helicopter accident.
1540 - All Hands transmistted, box 720, all hands operating at water rescue with divers in the water.
FDNY Rundown:
E-21, 16, 8
L-2, 7, 16 (water rescue unit)
Batt 8
Sq-18
Rescue 1, 4
Division 3
Tac-1
Marine 1, 1A, 6, 8
Rescue Batt, Safety Batt
Staging E34 @ 1st Ave
E-65
L21 (water rescue fast truck)
B-7
Live coverage:http://www.emergencystream.com/
Further info: Bell 206 Helo crashed, multiple FDNY/NYPD/Coast Guard marine units on scene, 2 NYPD helos landed at 34th St heliport, live coverage NY Channel 2 CBS/Channel 7 ABC (early tape of first responders diving into the water with life rings, wearing wet/dry suits, effecting rescues.
Update: 5 confirmed victims, pilot and one male passenger at NYU Medical, both reported stable, 2 female passengers at Belleview, both reported cardiac arrests, both critical, one female passenger recovered D.O.A.

I think that when you renew your liscence you should have to take a informational course to be informed on the new v & t laws that have gone into effect since you renewed it the last time. It could be on the web with a quiz at the end. Once you pass the quiz you get a number, code etc that would allow you to continue the renweal process. Wouldn't take all that long and would update motorists.

Why are the Lodi guys not in dress uniform riding the rig in a 100 Anniv parade?

I think that when you renew your liscence you should have to take a informational course to be informed on the new v & t laws that have gone into effect since you renewed it the last time. It could be on the web with a quiz at the end. Once you pass the quiz you get a number, code etc that would allow you to continue the renweal process. Wouldn't take all that long and would update motorists.

Why are the Lodi guys not in dress uniform riding the rig in a 100 Anniv parade?

I think that when you renew your liscence you should have to take a informational course to be informed on the new v & t laws that have gone into effect since you renewed it the last time. It could be on the web with a quiz at the end. Once you pass the quiz you get a number, code etc that would allow you to continue the renweal process. Wouldn't take all that long and would update motorists.

I think that when you renew your liscence you should have to take a informational course to be informed on the new v & t laws that have gone into effect since you renewed it the last time. It could be on the web with a quiz at the end. Once you pass the quiz you get a number, code etc that would allow you to continue the renweal process. Wouldn't take all that long and would update motorists.

Firefighters, career or volunteer, are not a commodity that you "buy." Would you phrase your wording similarly if you were talking about firefighters who happened to be black? Would you still consider saying "buy a dozen?"
I find your comment to be demeaning and degrading. No matter what our color; firefighters are not bought. We are human beings that perform in one of the few noble professions left in this country, along with police officers and other public servants.
Contrary to your opinion, most people when asked still consider firefighters and cops to be well worth the cost of their salaries. The majority of our citizens know there are only a certain few professionals, who when called upon are ready to risk everything to help, to undertake the function of protecting life and property that we swore an oath to perform.
You want to buy something, go to the grocery store.