trauma74

Here is a picture of Bullville NY Orange County Town Of Crawford new rig, its twin is still in production

Food or thought

Number of Posts on this thread discussing the merits or uses of the WCDES METU,
discussing the cost and feasibility, critiquing the SOP's or lack there of: 38
Number of approximate times the phrase or variation of phrase "evacuate Nursing Homes"
was used in this thread to establish a purpose or definition for the WCDES METU: 11
Number of alarms at Mt Vernon Nursing Home Fire on March 2nd: 2
Number of people "evacuated" or "relocated" from the "Nursing Home Fire": 19
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/2015/03/03/nineteen-patients-relocated-mount-vernon-nursing-home-fire/24300525/
http://westchester.news12.com/news/flames-tear-through-mount-vernon-nursing-home-1.10001495
The number of comments, critiques, discussion, rants, suggestions, follow up,etc on this thread or forum or whole website,
regarding the deployment or lack of deployment of the WCDES METU to "evacuate a nursing home" during a fire on March 2nd, 2015:
PRICELESS

there are several differences between these two scanners first is that the BCD536HP has a built in database, so you can just plug in you zip code to start scanning, or you can program it yourself. The BCD996P2 requires you to program it yourself. Second, the 536hp is a TrunkTracker V scanner, meaning it can scan APCO Project 25 Phase I and Phase II, X2-TDMA, Motorola, EDACS, and LTR Trunked Radio Systems. The 996P2 is only a TrunkTracker IV scanner, so it can't scan X2-TDMA systems. Finally, the 536HP will hopefully have a WiFi feature one day like was promised at launch, and the 996P2 won't. Basically, the BCD536HP was an attempt to combine the home patrol and the BCD996XTwith a WiFi feature, which did not work out well, where as the BCD996P2 is just an update of the BCD996XT to allow for P25 phase 2 system scanning.

The difference is that the Bcd536hp requires no programing just enter ur zip code and it will scan every thing in the radio references database for your area. The bcd996p2 requires you to program it.

EMStar & MLSS can be dispatched by pager as well as a backup to CAD. Their CAD was down and they were paged instead of called via the phone.

The Philly part of EMStar is no longer part of EMStar. They split off last year around March and became part of some healthcare network. EMStar has their own dispatch based out of a HQ in Suffern, NY. They have an Orange County CAD in their Communications Room. If they are needed for a 911 call in OC, the call pops up on their CAD screen.

The Philly part of EMStar is no longer part of EMStar. They split off last year around March and became part of some healthcare network. EMStar has their own dispatch based out of a HQ in Suffern, NY. They have an Orange County CAD in their Communications Room. If they are needed for a 911 call in OC, the call pops up on their CAD screen.

Just got caught up on this show.........it's excellent. Very well done and does a great job of portraying EMS (as well as PD and Fire). The Medics showcased are excellent.
It airs every Thursday night at 10/9c and then again at 2AM, and this week is also repeating on Sunday with 3 episodes airing at 1PM.
You can also watch the latest episode online: http://www.aetv.com/nightwatch/video/the-darkest-shift-on-the-scariest-night?cmpid=Social_FBPAGE_Nightwatch_20150213_144233754&linkId=12342466
I

I watched it and it definitely seems promising.

Agree- watched an episode or two and it seems 'decent' so far. Not overly dramatic, not far fetched, etc.
Curious to see how they maintain it / where it goes

watched the first 2 episodes On Demand. Pretty good show. Actually seems to be one that doesn't fake it. And man...do those NOLA units look beautiful lol. I'm a Frazer guy, but those Brauns are nice.

Full article and details: https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2015/02/11/new-ford-police-interceptor-debuts-at-chicago-auto-show.html

You would think that the equipment manufactures would step up to the plate seeing a potential increase in sales. They could engineer a standard multiuse urban response vehicle. That will with a little modification prior to responding, be used as a command post, rehab site, portable victim/patient shelter, SNF transport or a MCI response vehicle (mobile ER, transport ect). This would simply the grant process and actually give the taxpayers a vehicle that would support not only the members of the emergency services but the taxpayers themselves in a time of emergency.

The Westchester DES METU was involved in that and yes there are about 18 of them in NY/NJ. I don't know if they call it an EMS task force but they did do a drill a while back at Orchard Beach I think.

In my opinion, if you have this type of vehicle (METU) available at your disposal, why not utilize it for different types of incidents i.e. MCIs. I am sure that Yonkers would be more than happy to send their METU wherever it is needed, but there should be a County METU that responds to the same types of incidents as the Yonkers METU. What if there is an major incident that requires more than 1 METU? The recent train accident could have been much worse with so many more casualties. In that case, more than 1 METU would be needed.
I understand that the main purpose of the DES METU is to evacuate SNFs, but the evacuation of SNFs is not something that needs to be done on a regular basis. With that being said, instead of having the METU sitting around collecting dust, they should use it for MCIs, large scale rehab at a fire scene & so on. It would be a good use of the federal tax dollars.

In my opinion, if you have this type of vehicle (METU) available at your disposal, why not utilize it for different types of incidents i.e. MCIs. I am sure that Yonkers would be more than happy to send their METU wherever it is needed, but there should be a County METU that responds to the same types of incidents as the Yonkers METU. What if there is an major incident that requires more than 1 METU? The recent train accident could have been much worse with so many more casualties. In that case, more than 1 METU would be needed.
I understand that the main purpose of the DES METU is to evacuate SNFs, but the evacuation of SNFs is not something that needs to be done on a regular basis. With that being said, instead of having the METU sitting around collecting dust, they should use it for MCIs, large scale rehab at a fire scene & so on. It would be a good use of the federal tax dollars.

In my opinion, if you have this type of vehicle (METU) available at your disposal, why not utilize it for different types of incidents i.e. MCIs. I am sure that Yonkers would be more than happy to send their METU wherever it is needed, but there should be a County METU that responds to the same types of incidents as the Yonkers METU. What if there is an major incident that requires more than 1 METU? The recent train accident could have been much worse with so many more casualties. In that case, more than 1 METU would be needed.
I understand that the main purpose of the DES METU is to evacuate SNFs, but the evacuation of SNFs is not something that needs to be done on a regular basis. With that being said, instead of having the METU sitting around collecting dust, they should use it for MCIs, large scale rehab at a fire scene & so on. It would be a good use of the federal tax dollars.

If I may add in another scenario:
Someone has an MVA and DOES NOT ask for EMS and is NOT unconsciuous. Someone does call 911 and report it and and ambulance arrives. An involved person says, to the effect, "I have an abrasion on my arm from the airbag, but I am OK", or "My knee hurts from hitting the dash board but I think I am OK." I would say this common type of event makes these folks patients.
On the other hand, same collision scenario- no one asked for EMS but an ambulance gets sent due to caller info and the then all involved deny any complaint. I don't think those folks are patients. If you are not sick or hurt I don't feel you area patient. I bet the DOH has some info on this commonly discussed issue, but I am far too lazy to research it and post a link. And it may vary state by state. And State policy may allow for agency protocol.

I'm going to focus on the waste part of the issue. Why do we pay for (again, the source of the money is irrelevant) a piece of apparatus that will sit and collect dust and rust for it to be used once in a blue moon? If the WCDES METU was granted for the sole purpose of evacuating nursing homes and similar facilities, does that mean that we actually have a problem evacuating said facilities? Do we have to evacuate these facilities that often that we need a vehicle SOLELY for that purpose?
We've reacted wildly after every terror attack and every natural disaster to get the best, shiniest equipment, yet a lot of this equipment ends up sitting idle. If we have a METU, why can't it be used in MCI situations, not just to be able to get the motor running every now and then, but to use that darn thing? And couldn't it be part of a larger, regional task force, where it and similar units from around the area can work as a team to respond to large scale MCI calls?

You hit the nail squarely on the head. We spend a lot of money (how it is paid for is irrelevant) on shinny equipment that is paraded out by a local politician that shows how he/she cares for his/her constituents. After the dog and pony show, said modern wonder sits rotting somewhere and may not be ever used again. But we can say we are prepared for the next big one. Grant money should be used in a way that maximizes its return. If a vehicle is needed, make it so it has multi functions. Grants for upgraded turnout gear- fine.

That was my point exactly in response to an earlier post about it not being local tax money.
Taxes are taxes and waste is waste..

Even if the primary use is to evacuate hospitals and nursing homes, I see no reasons why they could not also be pressed into service in a MCI for treatment. In the past we have used school buses or transit buses to transport large numbers of people. I am old enough to remember when every U.S. Mail truck was convertible to an Ambulance and all had the "CD" logo on them because they were Civil Defense resources. How is it superior to put an EMT on a school bus than on an METU?

Elmsford (NY) FD Ambulance 58-B-1
2014 GMC G4500/Lifeline
Delivered recently

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