JM15

I know I'm not in the greater NYC area anymore, so just to be safe Jon, I'll officially take us out of the running for that trophy you're giving out...
Morningside Volunteer Fire Department
Prince George's County, MD Station 827
Engine 827: 1,056
Rescue-Engine 827: 977
Rescue Squad 827: 1,853
Ambulance 827: 2,824
Total: 6,709*
That's with minimum staffing of 3 interior on the Engine, 4 on the Rescue Squad, and 3 or 4 on the Rescue Engine depending on if its responding as an Engine Company or a Special Service. Ambulance is with 2 EMTs minimum, obviously. Though most of the time we run heavier than the minimum. As I've mentioned before we're staffed 24/7 with volunteers.
*Note: Some of those responses are incidents in which 2 or 3 pieces responded to the same call. I don't have the ability to break down how many unique incident numbers we went on, that kind of thing has to come from Communications, these are the numbers from our logbook. Some of those calls that suppression pieces went on are to assist EMS, but again I can't separate that data.

It is Alcohol-Resistant AFFF. There is no on-board induction system. A 2 1/2" input/ 2 1/2" output eductor is used along with a large bucket that the 5 gallon pails are poured into. There is a 2 1/2" coupling foam playpipe for delivery.
It isn't fancy but it has been used successfully on many occasions.

What foam does the Yonkers "foam unit" operate with?

Chief, just curious as to the choice of the AFFF? I'm no foam expert but isn't AR-AFFF a more all around "general purpose" agent and wouldn't it give you the all around best bang for your buck for different scenarios or situations. I am not sure what is in the DES trailer but I know Danbury and the State of CT use AR-AFFF in their trailers.
It looks like the Yonkers foam unit is a former engine. Does it have an on board direct foam induction system? Or are you using foam eductors in the 5 gallon buckets?
Thanks!

The Foam Unit carries a supply of AFFF in 5 gallon containers and has Master Stream Foam Delivery equipment. It responds with E313 and L73 whose crews are trained in its deployment.

White Plains FD recently turned the county owned foam units back over to DES. The haz-mat team will be in charge of them. Yesterday it responded with the haz-mat team to the fire in Thornwood. The foam trailer will probably need a little TLC and additional training now that DES has it back.
Not in Westchester county but the City of Danbury Fire Department operates a State of CT owned foam trailer. It is a 500 gallon trailer with a master stream, multiple hand lines, on board transfer pump, and many connections. The trailer carries 1/3% Universal Gold and is available for mutual aid. It is assigned to Engine 26 which is the firehouse across from the Danbury Fair Mall. It is staffed 24/7 and is always ready to respond. It was thought of being called during yesterday's fire in Thornwood.

It's so sad that some folks who live in NYS (within an hour or less ride from NYC) and dress like firefighters don't understand that 9/11/2001 was the most tragic event that the American fire service ever experienced. HUNDREDS of first responders (firefighters, police officers and EMS personnel) were murdered that terrible day, THOUSANDS more are suffering from disabling effects of the exposure they had to the many toxins at the WTC site during the rescue and recovery operation and HUNDREDS more have died due to their exposure to the toxins. It definitely is not asking too much for members of the fire service to honor one day out of 365 every year. I worked with and was close friends with many of the Firefighters who were murdered that day and although some people here claim to know that these fallen heroes would want 9/11 to be just another day, I know that is not what any of them would want. These heroes come from a culture that has tremendous respect for our nation, our first responders and their families. I've retired from the job and live in Florida. Down here (1200 miles away from NYC) Firefighters honor 9/11 every year with remembrance events and fundraisers. These men and women get it, I'm sorry that some of you don't.

Do you need an NFPA approved tree?

We can mandate whatever training we want as the "minimum," but what a department does for it's members after that is what truly separates the "men from the boys."
There's departments that take your FF1 and consider it "enough." That's wrong no matter how you slice it.
Training + experience = good firefighters. We all know "that guy" who has taken every class, but rarely shows up on calls and when they do, you wish they didn't.

Well guys after 43 years as a Port Chester Firefighter [ 18 years very active volunteer working at DPW then getting the dream job getting paid to do what I love to do this is my last day. It didn't end the way I wanted it too but away I go . I was fortunate to catch the war years when we went out every day for a job worked side by side with many dept.'s and made a lot of life long friends on mutual aid. I saw a lot of death and sorrow [ Gulliver's 24 DOA Stouffer's 26 DOA 9/11 world trade center ] and saved a few along the way but my greatest call was closing a large window [ life savers building ] for a 84 year old lady who was freezing because her window was open and she needed help. The next day she baked a apple pie for me and my partner. So I say good bye to it all and hope that I left a small mark somewhere. To my 2 sons that are following or trying to follow in my foot step's keep up the good work in this most rewarding profession . Good luck to the guy's that are left on my job and hope that thing's get better for you and the people we were sworn to protect.
Angelo Sposta [ Retired Local #1971 ]

Once Engine 180 returns hopefully in 4 months, Engine 181 it's twin will be sent out for the same refurb.

Once Engine 180 returns hopefully in 4 months, Engine 181 it's twin will be sent out for the same refurb.

wow really!!! so I guess you have no problem being teamed up with someone who CANT do this and he/she is your interior partner.
How did the instructors become the enemy in your mind?

1. To generalize that career and volunteer departments don't get along is not a fact. There are plenty of departments that work perfectly fine with one another regardless of how they are staffed. Sure you have isolated knuckleheads on both sides who flat-out hate one another, but the overall majority of ALL OF US don't fall into this category.
2. Do career firefighters have a hire minimum requirement - yes. Should volunteers, yes - but I STRONGLY feel that all of which is covered in the career academy is not applicable to volunteers - specifically the codes portion. A firefighter, whether paid or not, should have the basic education to respond to and mitigate just about anything we are sent to - and at minimum, we all need awareness level training of those specialized operations we may get sent to - but aren't necessarily trained for, staffed for or equipped for. IE: High-angle rescue, water rescue, confined space rescue, etc. It literally baffles me that awareness training on all of this isn't considered part of our minimum training.
3. No training requirements for career chiefs? Interesting. Although since most come from a lower level rank and usually have experience in that role, I don't think this is as bad as it sounds. Granted we all know how politics comes in to play and the best candidates tend to get bent over from time to time...
4. I wish you all a happy and safe holiday season. I don't care if you are paid or volunteer, I just hope you all make it home safe at the end of your day.

It's sad to see that a guy who is paid to do code enforcement and who apparently has been a volunteer firefighter since 1987, would actually make a misleading (flat out wrong) statement such as this. Does he really know little or nothing about fire spread, life safety for human beings who may be inside a home when a fire occurs as well as firefighter safety when arriving at such an incident severely understaffed? Or is he simply against hiring the number of firefighters necessary to keep the public and the firefighters safe?
http://www.ryecityreview.com/city-manager-fire-department-staffed-for-failure/

Yes, in Westchester all of the CFIs and SFIs can.
And any person who cannot pass this simple series of job related tasks should not be allowed in the fire service. Period.

This will actually eliminate some of the candidates that should not even be accepted into the departments. Some departments are so desperate that they will accept anyone with a pulse and that does not help with the mission.

Are you referring to the "agility test" that is required to get into the class? If so I think it is a great idea.

Are you referring to the "agility test" that is required to get into the class? If so I think it is a great idea.

Long overdue

Somers FD has indeed disbanded its dive team. We have two excellent dive teams bordering us in Yorktown and Mahopac Falls. Currently all of our dive equipment is for sale including the vehicle Rescue 38. We are looking in the future to replace our marine 22 which is a zodiac with something new to fit our needs since we do have a lot of water. We will be maintaining our ice rescue equipment and concentrate on surface rescue. If any departments are interested in equipment we have a lot for sale.

It's a hamlet within the Town of North Castle. There is no such thing as the Town of Armonk.
Be Safe.

Westchester County units:
WCDES: Battalion 17
Mohegan FD: 2265, 22610, 22640, Engine 255/FAST, Ladder 35
Somers FD: 2441, 2443, 2444, 2445, Engine 181, Tower Ladder 18
Yorktown FD: 2535, Tanker 14
Relocates:
Katonah FD: 2211, Engine 116 (to Somers FD)
Croton Falls FD: 1 Engine (to Mahopac FD)

The first question to ask is who is responsible for staffing it and responding with it? Who is in charge of the regular maintenance and who is trained to use it?

The first question to ask is who is responsible for staffing it and responding with it? Who is in charge of the regular maintenance and who is trained to use it?