JM15

What defines a working fire?
When members of the department show up who you haven't seen in months for training, meetings, etc. and they are the first ones on the rigs and there throwing didicated members off. That's when you know it a working fire.

The article states that Police and Fire Departments are teaming up....
This is an absolutely horrible idea. People like Fire and EMS because we don't send them to jail. This could end up hurting this FD's relationship with the public in the future. How are they covered for workers comp benefits or LODD benefits if they are performing police duties? There are just too many questions. If they need help with the checkpoints hire more cops, give guys overtime. Where is the PD union on this?

BHFD did a great job last night at the fire in Somers... They are very pro-active

Antiquefirelt, I do think you hit the nail dead center on the head.
Respect for senior firefighters and officers has been destroyed by self-centered arrogant cocky young pups fresh out of firefighter 1 training who think they know it all too. Technology has taken away that close knit family feeling, and then the younger age coming in today are all "know-it-alls" because their daddy was a chief or their whole family was in the department...wrong. They come in instantly barking orders and demanding respect...wrong.
When I first joined in Long Island, I kept quiet, listened when a senior firefighter or officer spoke, volunteered for every assignment even if it was cleaning toilets, we had to stand at attention whenever the chief entered the meeting room during meetings or drills, and I never let a senior firefighter pack hose after calls even if I were exhausted. I asked them questions and tried to learn something new every time, even if I was already comfortable with what we were drilling on. I never acted cocky, or arrogant, or touted my own horn. After time, I saw that I EARNED the respect they finaly showed me when I was around the station, and I was able to joke around more. It took time. Today; everyone expects instant over-night success and respect just because they joined. I fully blame that on what was already mentioned a few times; todays kids are getting awards for everything, even just for participating, and they never fail and do not learn that they have to work hard to succeed. They are now turning 18 and joining the fire service expecting to be rewarded instantly for everything, and they dont know how to earn anything. Its sad.
I guess old timers like you and I are a thing of the past...
Brotherhood is dead, I dont know when it was on life support or how it ever was allowed to slip away like it did, but people like me, and you (antiquefirelt, Firnatine, and others) will still try to pass on the traditions and share the brotherhood that we have still in our hearts. Its up to the others to accept it and practice it though and thats what bothers me...

According to the IA,only 1 Engine and 1 Truck were on the initial dispatch. Is that normal for a Multi Dwell of that size(again refering to the IA report of 60 displaced) at 3 AM?

Do they provide different treatment for patients based on their initials or DOB? That really serves no purpose if they don't look them up in advance and how often do they do that?
Sometimes you do show up and hope they have a bed available. I bet if we put more patients into the waiting room like walk-ins they would eventually stop calling for non-emergencies.

SO then wouldn't that go on your PCR? I do not see the point of giving initials and DOB.... I don't see the point of calling a hospital period for routine BLS or ALS calls unless there is a trauma alert, code, etc.

SO then wouldn't that go on your PCR? I do not see the point of giving initials and DOB.... I don't see the point of calling a hospital period for routine BLS or ALS calls unless there is a trauma alert, code, etc.

Why should EMS be concerned about billing getting the face sheet done. Your job should end at the patient hand off and not be concerned with the billing. Believe me they will find a way to bill for that $40 asprin with out you calling in initials and DOB.

A couple last thoughts. We all do this because we love it. Love it by doing the job and RESPONDING to alarms. The biggest thing that promotes pride, from what I see, is RESPONDING to alarms.
How many runs did you have? How many runs did they have? We beat you!! We beat last years total!!!! We broke 500 for the first time, 1000 for the first time, 2000 for the first time!!!!!!!
How many workers did you have? That Dept just signed on with a house fire "ACROSS FROM", we are the FAST lets start heading to the firehouse!!!
Haven't we all heard this stuff before? I know the younger guys who are new to this and still have an unmolested, virgin, untarnished view of things hate it when there is no Chauffeur for the rig and they have to stand around. Thinking to themselves while responding to the fire house "I hope we get out for this one" You know the guys who still bust a$$ to get to the firehouse for the regularly scheduled automatic alarm at McDonalds. There are a lot of older guys who still have this fire burning in them and still love responding to the alarms.
With this in mind for the love of me I don't see how guys like this, the future of your fire companies, would not want to be a part of a larger organization. Would you rather do 200 calls a year or 1500 or more? Pride is in the numbers. Hell you like to play with the siren when your in the front seat, instead of 3 minute rides in your 2 square mile area, now you get to play with them longer responding in your new 20 mile district!!!!
The last time I said something about the "older" guys in certain organizations I got hammered with negative responses. However I still think in this case it is the older guys in certain departments who are holding back progress in this direction. Pride is not in t-shirts and jackets, but in numbers and activity. Training and workers. RESPONDING and getting the job done the right way.
Keep em' rolling and stay safe boys.

Is this real? From the rest of the article Edit: Definitely not real lol

LOL!

FULL ARTICLE: http://callthecops.net/police-find-injured-paramedic-during-traffic-stop/"]http://callthecops.net/police-find-injured-paramedic-during-traffic-stop

How 'bout we get rid of Obamacare, stop giving planes and guns to people like the Egyptians, give welfare checks only to those to deserve them, end all the freebies that elected officials get, etc,etc. Then start up a National Fire Dept.

This is a failure that the volunteer fire service has come to accept. If a rig responding to an alarm gets into an accident, this leads to a delay in getting this particular rig to the fire. A failure of sorts. The Chauffeur probably will have his driving privileges taken away for some amount of time. maybe re training will take place. However a failure, WHICH someone will take the responsibility for and a corrective measure will take place to try and make this not happen again.
While stretching a line there is a substantial delay in getting the line charged. The hydrant man did a butcher job hitting the hydrant, screwed it all up, leading to a big delay. A failure and a fire ground embarrassment witnessed by many. The person involved after getting their balls broke to no end will go back to training and learning what they did wrong and hopefully it will never happen again. Again someone is held accountable for the failure.
Your dispatcher types in the wrong address into the CAD system for whatever reason. Mistakes happen they are human to. This leads to a 6 minute delay before the correct address can be figured out. Luckily it's nothing serious. A failure none the less. The Chiefs will complain to whomever they need to and a letter will be written. It will be put in the dispatchers file and some re training will take place. End result someone is held responsible and the mistake-failure is expected not to repeat itself anytime soon.
Someone is held accountable in all these situations.
BUT the failure to cover alarms for some reason-Chiefs have become immune to. If you are a Chief of a department with this problem you are the one who is held accountable for these failures. Just as you would be quick to find out who was responsible for the above scenarios occurring you must also look at what is responsible for the failure to cover your alarms. And the solutions lay on your shoulders as well. Are you a department that accepts failure?

Who are you talking to?

They were already mailed out should have them by now...

This is odd...

Four doors - because carrying a box of donuts on your lap is soooo 1990.

Agreed
Also if there was not a very strong lobbying group that claims to represent the intrests of the volunteer fire service

The 10 year rule on a plastic lid is ridiculous... /rant
And I have to pass, I only buy leather.

#winning

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.

Since this is my first day of retirement after 20 years @ 60 let me tell you our protocols. EMS dispatch: no answer dispatch again 3 min later. No answer after 2 more min. dispatch again and dispatch mutual aid. Fire: after initial dispatch if no answer after 5 min. dispatch again. If no answer (and it has happened) dispatch again and dispatch mutual aid. Mutual aid run cards have been set up by both ems and fire agencies for their districts. Barry I understand what your saying if dept. x crashes, but what if I don't send anybody to the call in a TIMELY manor! The cad prompts us on all re-dispatchs. The buck does not stop @ 60 Control. It is up to each department whether volunteer or career to cover your calls. The cad will prompt us for the city of New Rochelle or Bedford EMS in the same manor. We run with NYS DOH protocols for ems and NFPA for fire. If you can't cover your call's start thinking about joining forces with your neighbor who is covering the call! Thanx for all you do and please stay safe!

Just yesterday on the Taconic, I passed a guy taking a long pull on his beer (a Corona, I think) while cruising along at 50+. I wonder if he had his cell phone on, too?

Here in the wild west, such vehicles are merely called "stealth cars" or "aggressive driver cars." The typical aggressive driver car is a Dodge Charger, but I've seen a few Challengers and Camaros, too.
Almost no one spots these cars as undercover police cars. But, then, I drive a fully-marked Crown Vic with a full-size light bar on top, and people still commit violations right in front of me. I was once on the freeway, in a hurry to get back to my beat and not intending to make any traffic stops, when a woman went flying past me doing 22 mph over the posted limit. I pulled behind her and tapped the air horn, hoping just to slow her down. Nada. I bleeped the siren. Nada. After a couple of miles, I lit her up and made the traffic stop. When I approached the driver, I said "I just want to get a look at the kind of person who would fly past a fully-marked police car doing 'criminal speed'." She said "I didn't SEE you....I was talking! (to her passenger)." Amazing. No wonder there are so many collisions.
The point is that few drivers are going to notice ANY stealth car.