SmokeyJoe

Thanks.
The only way that type of freelancing stops is with strong Incident command which is almost non-existing in Westchester. Once the lead agency gets things established at an incident, Set up a hot zone, do a PAR check and if personnel are in the zone that do not belong ask them to go back to staging. If that does not resolve it ask for a supervisor from their agency to respond to the CP.

Wow, you guys have run short staffed for so long you have not got a clue what proper staffing is. And I am not talking about this latest crisis. 75 firefighters lets see how short you really are........
To staff 4 engines (you mentioned 3, but don't you run 4), 2 ladders and a command unit to meet the minimum standards to respond to a 2,000 sq ft. single family house without a basement requires a minimum of 26 firefighters per shift. That 12 more than you currently run.
That gives you 3 firefighters and 1 officer on EVERY RIG.
To maintain 26 per shift you need 104 firefighters plus the additional members who are assigned to staff (training, codes, chief, etc.) you also need to cover contractual overtime which means each member would work an additional 20% or you need to go to 5.2 FTE's to staff your rigs, which would bring the total dept size to 135 (plus staff).
You are fighting for table scraps when you really need a steak diner. And you seem willing to accept the scraps.
And while you think you can handle a room & content fire under the "normal" staffing, you are cutting way too many corners and putting yourselves and the citizens at risk.
Now I can guarantee you will never see the numbers you should have. In fact I predicted 6 years ago that most of the career depts. were going to see staffing reductions and that we could either consolidate or each dept would suffer. I figured that we were spending the same amount of money to staff rigs with one or two as a consolidated dept would spend with 4 on a rig.
22 firefighters & officers on a response was what I proposed, and the response from almost everyone is we do not want that.
Now every one of the depts. is either fighting to survive (and I'm sorry but those that run with less than OSHA requires are not surviving) or has already faced the reductions (and more are coming).
Go read the NIST study's on staffing. They proved that fewer better staffed rigs do a better job than lots of understaffed ones do. They actually proved that 2 + 2 = 3
when 2 firefighter engines team up with another 2 firefighter engine, they are only as effective as a 3 firefighter engine and the standard says 4 minimum.

As a fire instructor I had to again notice the push back from the chief who stated he only had to take a 60 hr course, and now it is 112 hrs. "Who wants to drive 2x a week to Carmel". It is thinking like that NY State is on the lower
end of FF-1 course hours. And that always leads to the Career vs Volunteer debate. The last class of recruits traveled 5x a week, 8 hrs a day, for 16 weeks. That is 640 Hrs. With the constant threat of failing out due to poor grades, or not being able to pass CPAT. 19 out of 20 that started finished. It isn't a game, it isn't about how many members your
dept has, it is about giving the customer the service that is expected from a group of people that raised their right hand a swore to protect to the best of their ability the life and property of the residents of their community. If we do nothing the fire will still go out. The ends don't justify the means. TRAINING TRAINING TRAINING AND DEDICATED MEMBERS.

I was just coming in from an ERS run when the 5-5-5-5 signal was transmitted around 3:30am. This is a sad day. My heart goes out to his wife and children.....

I have been out of Westchester for several years now, therefore I don't really have a horse in this race.However, your post intrigued me to say the least.
Are you talking factual information, hearsay or just plain BS?
You say that "everyone makes fun of Squad 15 when it's really an engine." Who is "everyone?" a couple of jollies who are jealous that they are not on the job?
In your vast fire knowledge, do you know what is needed on a rig to be considered a "squad?" Perhaps according to County standards, Squad 15 DOES actaually fall into the Squad category. How do you feel about Yonkers Squad-11? I mean after all, that just looks like an engine, no?
I like when you said "there are a few other weird and different things about that TRUCK compared to most companies around here." This statement has me really confused...is it an engine, a squad or a truck?
Also, what's weird or different about it?
Now, all of that aside and onto your claim about the dispatchers at 60 Control having a bet. Wow, that's just a real immature, ballsy (no, just immature) statement to make.
If this is correct, it is very unprofessional and the dispatchers who are involved should be ashamed. From my experiences with 60-Control, they are a very professional group of people.
In closing, I could care less what a rig is designated as. Just so long as the members on that rig are fully competent and trained to do the task at hand.

When the charter changed ( 2012) a new position was created, something along the lines of "assistant chief of volunteer fire services". This salaried position will be filled when the volunteers submit 3 names for the chief to choose from, 3 names were submitted and there were issues with two of them. The Chief is still waiting on names...
I'm sure this position would have been there for the volunteers but they can't even fill that job.

Exactly.Why train people you aren't sure are even gunna show up.

They probably only invited reliable resources. You know, the kind that can be trusted upon to show up when there's an emergency. Not just send a few pimply faced kids and a plumber with no recognized training on a half empty rig if they even decide to show up at all...

"Boardman’s suit alleges the town’s agreement with Mobile Life allowed it to impose user fees higher than those charged by the ambulance corps, and collect a profit. That agreement is unconstitutional, the suit said, because municipal ambulance services are not allowed to profit from providing essential services."
Unconstitutional, since when in America (a capitalist society) is it unconstitutional to make a profit?
1) Mobile Life is not a municipal ambulance service, so they are allowed too
2) Municipalities do not make a "profit". if the charge enough they may have a surplus, which can be used to support other parts of the budget, like paying to maintain the ambulance building

I think there are far more unprofessional things on the radio. Like, third tones for a crew... An EMT is needed....
XXXX on scene, working fire, retone for all available personnel...

Ok, I get it, every proby class has a 36 year old proby priority hire making grabs of an infant during their first 10-75, totally normal and not extra ordinary or newsworthy in any way.
You would think you just take the positive press for once and move on...

The term, squad just like "Rescue" or "Heavy Rescue" is often bantered about, but you need to define it.
Over the years I have seen a number "Heavy Rescues" that when you open the compartments you find they do not own enough equipment to handle a 2 car MVA.

This appears to be the pre delivery pic, but it makes the point, it is not a heavy rescue till its equipped and staffed.
I have told more than 1 "Heavy Rescue Unit" that just because the apparatus weights a lot, does not make it a "Heavy" Rescue

The Westchester Special Operations Task Force(WSOTF) is a mutual aid group consisting of 11 Career FD's. The departments are divided into squad companies. Every squad is trained in Hazmat/WMD, Trench, Building Collapse, Confined Space & Rope Rescue. Each Squad is equipped with Hazmat/WMD equipment (except Yonkers handles it outside the squad). Greenville, New Rochelle & Yonkers squads have collapse rescue units in addition (which carry Trench, Building Collapse, Confined Space & Rope Rescue equipment). White Plains Squad also has collapse (but I am not sure if they carry trench).
The squads are assigned as follows:
Squad # 1 Yonkers
Squad # 2 New Rochelle (with Larchmont & Pelham Manor recently being added)
Squad # 3 Mt Vernon
Squad # 4 White Plains
Squad # 5 Eastchester / Scarsdale
Squad # 6 Fairview / Greenville / Hartsdale
Each squad must respond with a minimum of 5ff's & 1 Off. But some respond with more.
Yonkers Squad Responds with a Collapse Unit. Their USAR Trailer responds with the Rescue and a USAR Task force to support the squads.
Both Greenville & White Plains have collapse units.
New Rochelle Responds with either hazmat/WMD support unit or Heavy Rescue and Collapse Rescue unit. New Rochelle was also designated for swift water rescue, has been equipped and officers have been trained as instructors. Members will be training this summer.
The system is set up so that their are approximately 54 trained/certified responders on duty in the different depts. available to respond.
Many of the squads have responded as far as Delaware County. NRFD has responded as far as Canada.
We can be requested via 60 Control. Dispatch times are generally under 5 minutes to get sent out of district.
When a tornado hit California Closets in Hawthorne (17 miles from NRFD Sta. #1) 60 Control Requested us immediately and YFD, GFD & NRFD had 50+ responders and equipment on-scene in under 25 minutes.

Narcan does no good if its being paged 2 or 3 times and then goes mutual aid. And I want to see BVM's for OD before narcan.
What is really behind all of this?
One law enforcement supervisor told me that he was at a recent "conference" on Narcan for law enforcement that was sponsored by Amphastar Pharmaceuticals (the only manufacturer of Narcan).
What a shock. Anyone notice that in the last 7 years the price of the drug has doubled?
In a recent article; "Amphastar says it is not able to discuss its pricing history for competitive reasons."
What competitive reasons, as they have a monopoly?

Where's the program to make sure heart attack or stroke victims (or any other taxpayer suffering from illness or injury) get an ambulance in Westchester in a timely fashion?
Heroin overdoses resulting in respiratory depression account for what percentage of calls? 1/10 of 1/10 of 1%?
What percentage of calls have a delayed response because a VAC can't get a crew out or a commercial company has all its units running? 30-40%?
This is a bandaid on someone in multi-systems trauma. The EMS system is broken but we won't address that.

These are some of the most ridiculous comments I have ever seen on this site. Is it that you guys can't read, can't count, or know absolutely nothing about firefighting? Read the narrative again and re-think your comments.

So far with all the deflection going on not one poster has supported allowing firefighters to drink in the firehouse. I guess there are no bars in firehouses anymore, which if true is a good thing.

1) That's up to the village/town to determine, just like any other purchase.
2) Your 1st due engine ( in a dept. with only 2 engines) blows a motor. You only run 50 calls a year and only 1 working fire every other year. Have you set a precedent that it needs to be repaired/replaced? (answer in #1 above).

Just want to take a moment to say Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all who celebrate them out there.

typical volunteer bullshit. hill billys need their beer and liquor in the firehouse. They give THEMSELVES a bad rap. Maybe they should attempt to uphold themselves to career standards. Bash me all you want. Marks my words. this wont be the last time we see this.

He needs a good ol fashion ass whooping is what he needs. Or perhaps a lesson on what that memorial stands for and what it means to most of us.
I did plenty of stupid s**t when I was younger, believe me. But I could never understand people who destruct property or downright disrespect memorials and other sacred things.

Disgraceful! That kid needs a lesson or two!

What an idiot. Should throw his ass in jail

From "The Secret List" Firefighter CloseCalls.com (Republished with permission

How long should the companies assigned to these functions stay on scene?
-Search and Rescue
-Fire Attack
-Water Supply
-Ventilation
-Salvage and Overhaul
-Incident Command
See where I'm going with this?
Guys can (and often do) get hurt/trapped/killed during the salvage and overhaul phase of the incident. Look at what happened in Bedford Hills, guys are pulling ceilings and 8 people end up getting transported...Thankfully they had FAST assets in place.
ltrob nailed it, if you have people in IDLH you should (and Capt. Nechis can correct me if I'm wrong) and legally MUST have a FAST/RIT of some kind ready to go.
Don't even get me started on the RIT/FAST Training issue and the "Its not my job, that's a Special Ops thing" attitude people take on that essential fireground function. I think I've made that rant once or twice here already...