Westchester

There is a term for this, it is called: "Thinning the Herd"
In the past we had wars & famine & plauge....today we have "failure to respond".

Orange County's policy is that if an EMS agency or fire department misses a call, for the remainder of the twelve hour period (6A-6P) or (6P-6A), the mutual aid agency is toned out at initial dispatch
Maybe Westchester should adopt something similar

I would love to see EMS Agenies who don't get out get automatic mutual aid. No more of this 3 tone outs. (4 if you count the initial dispatch) I think it's crazy that there are 20min respond times for an ambulance in this county. Some of which only respond with a driver only, with no EMT/first responder. What happens if that unit is flag down on the way to the job he was dispatched to?

It's not just Westchester or NY, it's in a lot of places, maybe everywhere. I just sat in a meeting last week with local service chiefs and members of our regional medical control and the State EMS Board (Maine) and can tell you first hand the problem is wherever we used to have volunteers. Between dwindling volunteers, increased time constraints, increased mandates and the increase in the standard of care, volunteers are burning out and new ones are harder to hook then ever.
Our State EMS took over EMS dispatching and require all dispatch centers to use EMD. Just recently they mandated the centers use the determinant codes, but provided no instruction or notification to any services as to what they meant or how they were to be responded to. Most of the volunteer services lack paramedics unless they hire them per diem, so the services are forced to pay mutual aid services to provide ALS for significant number of calls. This of course benefits the patients and is the right thing to do, but the push back is becoming immense as services chew through their budgets paying for out of town ALS. They want to modify the protocols to wait and see if they really really need a medic or not, instead of embracing the EMD system. The State's final word is that they are under no obligation to call out of town ALS, that protocols state ALS must be called when and where available, but this means the services own ALS not any ALS available! So the State in their fear to not push an unfunded mandate is allowing these services to respond to calls as they see fit if they do not have their own medics, but they do require a signed mutual aid agreement that ensures every patient gets an ambulance, just not one that can be as effective as the system was designed for. Overall our State EMS is long been known for being totally spineless when push comes to shove. They wield tons of power if your license fees check crosses in the mail with your new license, but if you want to handle a cardiac arrest with BLS providers, they aren't going to tell you not to.
Anyway, things aren't better everywhere else, just different names, same issue. Good luck, if you find a solution post it, we'll put you up for a Nobel Prize, they've been awarded for less!

But the focus is on the pot found in the car of the woman she hit!!! Go figure?? Intoxicated driving, wrong way on the highway hits a young woman heading home and the focus is on how she is the victim. Please give me a break.

I returned for a visit after being away for several years and was appalled at the condition of the highways and medians and overgrowth on the side of the roads impairing vision of the signage.
An overhead banner sign and large signs on the supports posts would be helpful, but the State needed money for all the "Welcome to NY, Andrew Cuomo Governor" signs.

I love watching a cop driving in a patrol car while on the cell phone! If police pulled over every person not paying attention to the road, the officer would never be able to patrol the streets, there's not enough ink in their pen to write tickets

Nothing is going to make things 100% safe, but in my opinion, distractive driving is the cause of many problems and THAT should be a concern for law enforcement. We make laws like no cell phone use or texting while driving, but no one talks about reading, eating, putting on makeup or rummaging through our bags while driving. I believe in most states there are laws against distractive driving, why isn't that enforced more. Cops give out tons of speeding tickets, but ignore other things that are just as dangerous. My guess is a speeding ticket usually doesn't get challenged and the fines are high. If I can see people doing all sorts of strange things in their car while driving, why can't the cops? Just my opinion, for what it's worth.

You are so right! But lets look at the past to know.
Seat belts were not needed to be worn, and remember It used to be just a lap belt, now because drivers are worse and vehicles are made of crap we now need nascar restraints.
Cell Phones were not around years ago, now everyone has them glued to their ear.
Vehicles years ago just had am/fm radio, now the center console looks like the star ship enterprise. You need Scotty to set all the channels, time, video channels, etc.
Years ago most women drove sedans, know the shortest women/man drives the biggest truck using a step ladder to get in
And lets not forget GPS! What the hell ever happened to the good old folded map, look where you have to go and that's it, now we have a tiny screen with a blue line and a arrow showing us how to go home.
Yes most people spend most of their lives in the car. But damn't technology is taking over and ignorant drivers love this crap.
You ever heard of using a type writer while driving years ago, now look out ESPN has text messaging contests
Let's not forget Ambien, take a pill and you'll drive to California and not even know it. And let's add a Xanax pill and a beer. Now we got a ticking time bomb.
Instead of renewing drivers licence on line, It should be mandatory for ALL ages to renew every 10 years written and road test.
People have become more stupid! So we have to continue to protect ourselves against them by changing road signs, lights, etc.
This will not be the last wrong way driver! I just hope someone does something fast. I'm going to strap tires to my front bumper just in case.

Westchester, repeat after me, "People are stupid. Very Stupid."
The roads we have, pretty much have not changed greatly in the last 10 years or so. It is not an engineering problem for the most part. You can spend all the money on signs,lights and reflective striping, but the stupid driver that is in a rush, on a phone, laptop, ipad, just too self absorbed to say they are a bad driver, just plain too stupid to not understand how to drive will continue to do stupid things behind the wheel. Just take a walk through a mall or a store, people are too stupid to keep to the right when they walk. Ride a bus or a train, yup there is Mr. Stupid trying to push his way onto the bus or train before letting others off. Society has taught these people their s*** does not stink, and that they are the most important person in the world. It is always someone elses fault, never there own.

Yes and why are they so high? In 90% of the US the state pays the medicaid bill. NYS mandates the counties pay for it through county tax. over 70% of the county tax goes to that alone.
60-70% of the taxes go to the school districts and at least in my districts case the voters have approved double digit increases almost every year for the past dozen years. The same taxpayers complain about how high there taxes are.
And the PARKWAYS shut down because they were all deliberatly built in flood plains, hense they all have RIVER in the name of the road (Hutchenson River Parkway, Sawmill River Parkway, Bronx River Parkway). If you "fix" them you will flood villages and peoples homes instead.
Yes we should rethink things, but everytime we suggest a change (like consolidation) everyone screams not in my city, town, village.
We need to also change the way government is structured in NY, but no one is willing to do it.

I wrote about the exact same concept in the last topic on the wrong way driver on the Tappan Zee. I have even talked to NYS Thruway Audthority. The only idea the state has is do en-large the wrong way signs, or post a overhead sign indicating wrong way/ Due to cuts in state budget cuts, this will never happen. My concern is you never heard of these type of accidents years ago, maybe 1 or 2, but never this many and it always seems to be a underlying condition of the driver. As a first responder I have seen my one too many accidents of this nature and it always seems to have impairment involved. I sure hope alcohol or drugs were not the cause of this young womans life, and thank GOD the other driver survived ( Position of Weed ), so she gets the STUPID award!
My uncle was ran over and killed onthe sidewalk of Fordam Road in the Bronx in front of my Aunt by a drunk driver. My family never recovered from this. I have 0 tolerance for Impared Drivers or Stupid Drivers.

I wrote about the exact same concept in the last topic on the wrong way driver on the Tappan Zee. I have even talked to NYS Thruway Audthority. The only idea the state has is do en-large the wrong way signs, or post a overhead sign indicating wrong way/ Due to cuts in state budget cuts, this will never happen. My concern is you never heard of these type of accidents years ago, maybe 1 or 2, but never this many and it always seems to be a underlying condition of the driver. As a first responder I have seen my one too many accidents of this nature and it always seems to have impairment involved. I sure hope alcohol or drugs were not the cause of this young womans life, and thank GOD the other driver survived ( Position of Weed ), so she gets the STUPID award!
My uncle was ran over and killed onthe sidewalk of Fordam Road in the Bronx in front of my Aunt by a drunk driver. My family never recovered from this. I have 0 tolerance for Impared Drivers or Stupid Drivers.

Maybe have a strip or two of spikes on every exit ramp so when the drivers attempt to enter, they'll be stopped. Only the ones who purposely do it will go around it, and that's not many of them. Maybe even set up a system to lower them if emergency services needs access.
Just a thought, it would probably cost a good amount though.

It seem as though if members of a Emergency Service( Paid or Volunteer ) have been in for along period of their career, that person knows the boundaries of what they can say or do.I always felt that joking and breaking b***s was a important part of bonding with one another.It seems as though when a probie joins or is hired they are quick to jump to conclusions that there is hostile or harassment taken place. It's important that employees or volunteers have a chance to release steam in the form of ribbing or practical jokes. It's like the old saying" If they don't make fun of you or break your chops, most likely that person doesn't like you. Thick skin is wearing out in the service, and it does effect moral. Of course there is a thin line not to cross, but if that happens it should be dealt with in a professional manner behind closed doors. The one thing I hate is when someone is made a example of in front of others. In a field where we deal with fire, accidents, death, etc. We need each other in a caring and joking atmosphere, not a hostile and "Let's not joke around anymore" attitude. Humor is the best medicine. But not in front of civilians! Everybody is always listening and watching. It's a damn shame, but this is the world we live in today; Sue, Suspend, Lay off, Transfer,Arbituator,and Sue again

It seem as though if members of a Emergency Service( Paid or Volunteer ) have been in for along period of their career, that person knows the boundaries of what they can say or do.I always felt that joking and breaking b***s was a important part of bonding with one another.It seems as though when a probie joins or is hired they are quick to jump to conclusions that there is hostile or harassment taken place. It's important that employees or volunteers have a chance to release steam in the form of ribbing or practical jokes. It's like the old saying" If they don't make fun of you or break your chops, most likely that person doesn't like you. Thick skin is wearing out in the service, and it does effect moral. Of course there is a thin line not to cross, but if that happens it should be dealt with in a professional manner behind closed doors. The one thing I hate is when someone is made a example of in front of others. In a field where we deal with fire, accidents, death, etc. We need each other in a caring and joking atmosphere, not a hostile and "Let's not joke around anymore" attitude. Humor is the best medicine. But not in front of civilians! Everybody is always listening and watching. It's a damn shame, but this is the world we live in today; Sue, Suspend, Lay off, Transfer,Arbituator,and Sue again

I too remember the good old days, but as we get older the laws change. Going to the Firehouse is sometimes like walking on eggs. You have to be careful what to say, where to say, and you your saying to. Know a days cell phones can record, take video, and pictures. I't at the point that you respond to a call and return home after. And if you attend a FD meeting and a subject comes up and you debate on it! Hold on to your hat's, all hell will break out. Which makes me laugh.The Department Heads always say if you have something to bring up, bring it up at a meeting. Well, if you bring something up in a meeting, you better be careful. The good old days are gone! Fire Service, and EMS is just that! A Job or a Volunteer. In and out,Say nothing and leave with your tail between yor legs.

I too remember the good old days, but as we get older the laws change. Going to the Firehouse is sometimes like walking on eggs. You have to be careful what to say, where to say, and you your saying to. Know a days cell phones can record, take video, and pictures. I't at the point that you respond to a call and return home after. And if you attend a FD meeting and a subject comes up and you debate on it! Hold on to your hat's, all hell will break out. Which makes me laugh.The Department Heads always say if you have something to bring up, bring it up at a meeting. Well, if you bring something up in a meeting, you better be careful. The good old days are gone! Fire Service, and EMS is just that! A Job or a Volunteer. In and out,Say nothing and leave with your tail between yor legs.

I found this on officer.com, it's a pretty good read.
http://www.officer.com/article/10850327/police-suicides-drop-in-2012
It's saddens me to think that there were 126 of my brothers and sisters out there that felt they were so alone and that things were so bad that they had no choice but to take their own life.
It is incumbant on us all to keep an eye on each other and to offer a helping hand or a kind word or an offer to talk if we see someone that may be in need.
We are all quick to ball break which most certainly has it's place in the emergency services but maybe if we were all as quick to notice the warning signs of a coworker in distress, something can be done to save a life.
The YPD dealt with this in 2005 when one of our brothers took his own life. We now have a peer counseling team made up of specially trained cops and supervisors that are available 24/7 to assist a cop in need. Yonkers also has an EAP program where all city workers can seek help.

Lets face it calhobs, the real shame in todays world where drunk driving and efforts to prevent it are prevalent is the fact that the others got on the boat with the drunk guy or didnt try and stop him. They all got on that boat, driver included, knowing they were all drinking. It was dangerous, stupid, assinine, and in todays world should never happen after all of the publicity with drunk drivers killing people, drunk teens killing each other in high speed accidents and all the grief that goes with it.
How many times will we have to lose loved ones to drunken driving accidents before we all grow up? Yes it was sad, yes it should have never happened, but I have no further pity for any ahole that gets behind the wheel drunk or any of his dumb friends that get in with them without stoping them or even thinking its dangerous to do so...
Its my life, if I see someone drunk I would rather punch them in the face and grab their keys and have them pissed off at me for a while before I let them get behind the wheel, and if I cant prevent that I will keep everyone else from getting in with them.

Ok, I believe what Westchester is saying here (In order to prevent the age old and boring arguments) is that our career brothers and sisters are highly trained and should normally be able to operate at these type of incidents with no trouble because of their training. As volunteers, we do not get the career academy with the basic rescue training all included in one shot, we have to get all of the individual rescue trainings in order to operate at a call like this one. He states that he is proud that some of the volunteers can rise to the level of the career family in both training standards and professionalism in order to operate at a water based search operation like this one, and he is extremely proud to be a part of this group that selflessly dedicate their time with family and hours from work in order to train and respond to these incidents. I see no crack or insult at either the career or volunteer brothers so please keep it that way. For now we will leave it as is but we are watching you...
Keep it on track. Thank you.

Its been a long couple of nights and days since the horrific boating accident on July 26th. First my condolences to the families of the deceased, and my prayers to the injured and all family members.
As a member of a Volunteer Department my hats off to all that came out Friday night at 11:15pm for the search and the continuation through day and night Saturday and this morning. As Volunteers we should bow or heads down in prayer for those deceased and injured, but keep our souls high and proud for leaving our families day or night and spending countless hours searching the waters of the Hudson in hope for survivors or to bring closure to the families.
I myself am very proud to be a Volunteer. To search with my other brothers/sisters not thinking about anything else inside of our day to day jobs and lives, but to concentrate of our job at hand. We all put every bit of energy into this horrible accident. To see the amout of Volunteers from all departments on either side of the river work together as one was inspiring. Hope and Pray this never happens again.
P.S I don't care what the Tappan Zee Bridge Contractors or any other Department says YOU CAN'T SEE THOSE BARGES IF THEY WERE PARKED IN YOUR FRONT LAWN. Shame on them if they think bare minium standards are good enough. That river is DARK. Put spot lights or something else for boaters to see. It's like boating through a maze of steel death traps. In closing We all worked together, and did or job. That's what a Volunteer Firedepartment or Volunteer Ambulance or Volunteer Dive Team does. We do this because of who we are ,DEDICATED

While I too am a proud volunteer, not only of my department, I think proper credit is due to all responders on this incident. This was a multi agency effort, volunteer and career. Everyone acted professionally, and cooperated with each other to the best of everyone's ability. I've never seen so many agencies operating at one incident on the Hudson. Kudos to all!

Its been a long couple of nights and days since the horrific boating accident on July 26th. First my condolences to the families of the deceased, and my prayers to the injured and all family members.
As a member of a Volunteer Department my hats off to all that came out Friday night at 11:15pm for the search and the continuation through day and night Saturday and this morning. As Volunteers we should bow or heads down in prayer for those deceased and injured, but keep our souls high and proud for leaving our families day or night and spending countless hours searching the waters of the Hudson in hope for survivors or to bring closure to the families.
I myself am very proud to be a Volunteer. To search with my other brothers/sisters not thinking about anything else inside of our day to day jobs and lives, but to concentrate of our job at hand. We all put every bit of energy into this horrible accident. To see the amout of Volunteers from all departments on either side of the river work together as one was inspiring. Hope and Pray this never happens again.
P.S I don't care what the Tappan Zee Bridge Contractors or any other Department says YOU CAN'T SEE THOSE BARGES IF THEY WERE PARKED IN YOUR FRONT LAWN. Shame on them if they think bare minium standards are good enough. That river is DARK. Put spot lights or something else for boaters to see. It's like boating through a maze of steel death traps. In closing We all worked together, and did or job. That's what a Volunteer Firedepartment or Volunteer Ambulance or Volunteer Dive Team does. We do this because of who we are ,DEDICATED

The problem is not the road design or the lack of 'dummy proof' design. The problem is drivers that have no business being behind the wheel of a car. Every day 99.999% of the population somehow navigates turns, intersections and directions of travel correctly. The problem clearly isn't the design. The problem is that people CLEARLY not capable or able to safely drive anymore get behind the wheel and endanger the rest of us. It's time to start making it a little bit harder to both get and to renew drivers licenses.