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Yes, I would say once it was dismissed it's probably a good idea to pack up your stuff and get the hell out of Dodge. Lol.

Yes, I would say once it was dismissed it's probably a good idea to pack up your stuff and get the hell out of Dodge. Lol.

I was actually on board the Norwegian Gem during this incident. We were about an hour out to sea, and had to make the return trip. We snuck in between the tankers on the city side of the Verrazano Bridge. The person on the audio was not the captain. He had a foreign accent, but that was not him speaking to FDNY and NYPD. Not sure if it was an assistant or something else. Once the ship was placed, the captains from the bridge had all thrusters on trying to hold the ship in place. NYPD escorted us in and FDNY Firefighter II attempted to get alongside of our ship. With the thrusters they have on their unit, they couldn't get it against the side of the ship, and in order to get the fire personnel onto the ship, they had to hold it with a smaller FDNY unit. It did take a very long time, and NYPD ended up yanking the person and 2 FD personnel off the low platform near the rear of the ship. As we made our way back out of the harbor, FDNY came out and grabbed the remaining 2 fire personnel. I later spoke to the actual captain at a ship party, and asked him about the coordination between the ship and agencies. He said they communicate with the coast guard who coordinates with the city agencies. He also told me they couldn't make the rescue at sea because the swells were too large to be successful, we had very high winds that evening. Also, the captain stated that they were close enough to NYC that it was more feasible to return to the harbor. Also, the victims eye injury was serious enough that they needed to get her off the ship immediately. I felt the rescue went really well especially with the conditions and although it did seem to take a long time, it was very windy, and I'm sure the ship is intimidating when something that size is drifting towards someone in a small boat. And the captain ended up making the time lost up as well for the rest of the trip.
Matt Gordiski

Additionally, we were never in any danger, and we were very far away from the tanker that was talked about. The thrusters on the ship can do some amazing things.

I wonder what percentage of Firefighters could have made the 2 moves that that tradesman did?

Ladder towers were used in medieval time to attack castles. Archers would shoot at the castle defender from the top. Game of Throwns starts soon. Tower Ladders are the safest type of ariels in the fire service. Rearmount ladders are unpredictable and have been known to hit firefighters in the head while operating at fires.

I happened to be upstate this past week when I was able to catch this second alarm in Rochester on Wednesday. It was a 3 story, wood frame abandoned residential structure. Operations were defensive from the beginning. You can note in two of the photos that the parapet wall collapsed onto an adjoining (vacant) building. The building was demolished after the FD picked up by the end of the day due to instability.

Where did you go to school? Or learn how to not read? That is what is bizarre here!

I believe the title of the thread was - not good for PUBLIC PERCEPTION, its not what is legal or not, its what the public views. A chiefs car from a district far away at a mall in this climate is most definitely noticed. People make comments when we shop for meals, they think the department pays for our meals outright, they have no clue its paid out of our own pockets. Its not what is actual fact anymore, its what a budget conscious public views.

Here are a few photos that I managed to take yesterday while in the Houston area.
Sugarland Engine 1

Katy Engine 3

Katy Ambulance 1

Photos were taken by TF-7. These pictures were the first I've ever taken using a IPAD. I wasn't sure how they would turn out.

I need to know.. Does anyone actually think the public care about this when they see it? We all see it because we are on the job and notice it. I bet if you asked anyone in a parking lot when we come across these vehicles, they would A. have no clue where the Town is in the state and B. Not really care. Now i am not talking about just this one instance. I am talking about any time it happens. The public do not care until it is a big deal (ie. a accident or something). John Q public is going to be more worried about his shopping, getting to work, (why aren't my darn kids here where i said i would pick them up) then even care about this. Plus nothing will ever happen to change it. You can make rules that you cant go out of town with it but so what. What if he needs to go see a few chiefs or need to make a pick up somewhere of some gear, is he going to check in with mommy to ask if he can leave the block? Exactly. He is the chief, he is the boss. you might not like it but he has the authority to go where he wants. If on the other hand he takes a apparatus then ya we need to know every mile you are gonna take.
Now let the man shop and stop stirring up a ruckus.

Interesting that is a throw back. Its hard enough to get the public to understand the audibles for an emergency in this day and age, try explainig why the all clear horn has to be sounded.
My dept. had one diaphone and 15 sirens around the district in the 'day" Most were 2 1/2 and 1 horse power federals. There is only one pole mounted street siren left....it does not work but its still on the pole. They stopped using audibles about 1983. The Gamewell boxes were pulled in 1986. AAhhh the days of counting the horn codes on a box call and riding my bicycle to the box location.

I was contacted back in August by a Movie Prop company about my Yellow Mack.
At first I really thought it was a prank.
The rep came up to look at the rig and he loved it. He took photos
and called me a couple days later saying they wanted to use the rig.
To my surprise I was also told that I was cast in the movie as an
extra and I would be driving the truck. COOL!
One to cross off the Bucket List! Drive a Fire Truck in a movie. lol
I really can't get into the actual scene due to legal reasons but Engine 626 has some camera time
and maybe myself included. Depends on how close up the shot is.



THANKS GUYS!

more

joke for sure. What the "F" happened to this country?

Photos taken at a 2nd Alarm all companies fire on 10/09/2013. Was unable to get a good enough picture of Truck 1 but it was there as the 1st due truck in front of the fire building.
In order of pictures:
Engine 1
Car 22
Truck 2
Car 21
Engine 2
Car ?? (Arson Investigator) Ex-Rotterdam District 2
Rescue 1
Hazmat 2
Engine 4(Using Reserve Engine 10, Ex-Rotterdam District 2)
Engine 3
Department Pickup

I can take a crack at this question about the station's history.
The current Station 2 replaced the former Station 2 in about 1980. The former station was located several blocks east at Hamilton Avenue & North Lexington Avenue and was within an Urban Renewal zone. The old Station 2 was a real classic firehouse in appearance. It was a 2-story, 2-bay house of tan brick construction. A couple of WPFD FFs I knew who were assigned there when the move was made said there were some maintenance issues with the old house. I especially remember them complaining the heat was not too good in the winter. They were happy about the move.
The same two companies were moved, Eng 66 and Truck 33. Later, I don't recall the exact date but during the 1990s I think, Eng 68 was moved to Station 2. Eng 68 was originally quartered at Station 4 at South Lexington Avenue near Maple Avenue. The company was moved in order to close Station 4 as an active firehouse.
Engine 68 is now OOS. This took place within the past five years I would say.

I almost started crying this morning after I read the interview from the Journal News. These were Doctors and Lawyers and really good people who took part in the menacing of NYC and the citizens of the world enjoying a nice Sunday drive with their family. The riders were law abiding citizens and just enjoying the weather as well. The stars were misaligned when these 2 different worlds met and havoc created on the West Side Highway. Ok I am only being sarcastic here my friends. Live by the sword, die by the sword you skells!! I would have ran over 50 more of you if you surrounded me and my family!!!!!!!!!! ( side note that I ride a Harley and don't condone the actions of these " Bikers" )

Department policy is do not pursue motorcycles. These motorcyclist do this everyday through the city. If you did pursue them 1. Public is at risk and guarantees someone is getting injured /killed. 2. Lawsuits. In order to catch them you have to do raids of chop shops and warehouse garages where they are stored. Raids have been done it's just that there are so many of these bikers and before this incident it wasn't a high priority. And lastly manpower is so short with the PBA saying one job at a time in effect central has jobs holding and reckless motorcycle is not a priority.

Steve wrote:
"What I am not clear about, is that I read there were over 200 calls to 911 about this gang driving recklessly all over the city.
I was viewing video prior to the incident on the Westside Highway. This gang was driving reckless ( driving on sidewalks, driving in the opposite lane of traffic and not stopping at red lights, to list a few) all over the city way before this incident occured.
Why was there not more done by the NYPD to control this gang?"
The city is a big place, while they met at Times Square, and were chased out of there, they came from all over, including from NJ. There were probably numerous incidents in numerous locations. There were bikes from all over coming from all directions. When they dispersed, they dispersed to all directions. As far as the number of 911 calls go, a big problem is evident in the video. Look at the speed they are travelling. A call will come in, but give it two minutes later, they are 25 blocks away, generating more 911 calls from every location in between as they go about their merry way. Where do you send the cars to? When you get there, what are the cars going to do, engage them in chases? By the time the RMP's get there, they are no longer there, the only way to possibly keep up with them is to chase them. This is not a group that will all pull over when you pull up behind them and turn your lights on. Get that thought out of your head.
Look at what happened last year when the NYPD chased one of the j*ckazzes in the Bronx, and the rider was killed, the cops were left looking at criminal charges. Would you be itching to chase these morons when your job and the DA's office are stuck in that mode of thinking?
These were not isolated incidents. This happens in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. I have never worked on Staten Island, but I am sure it happens there also. This has been happening for years, maybe not with this number of bikers, but groups of 10, 20, 50 or more are not uncommon. In the past, the powers that be decided they would rather not have the cops engage them.
They ignored the problem, hoping it would go away. It, very predictably, got worse.
Some bikes have no plates on them, some have the plates bent up so they are difficult to see. Many of these bikes to not have the proper plates on them, if you run them, they come back to other bikes, are expired, number altered, so just running the plate will do you no good, you have to catch the biker on it, which is a very difficult thing to do. They accelerate quicker, turn quicker, can make u-turns unto sidewalks and virtually any other maneuver they want, things a car cannot do. It is difficult to catch a single rider, imagine what happens when there are 10, 20, 50 or more, and they go separate directions. These azzhats are willing to run, eager actually.
The way they drive is self-destructive, they do not give a sh*t.
It would be great if the chase ended with the bike hitting an El pillar or a concrete bridge abutment (I have seen that happen, it was great!), but the problem with that thinking is that it is more likely to hit a pedestrian or innocent passenger car. I have chased a few and I have seen more than one incident where we gave up chasing due to safety considerations, and have seen the bikers stop or slow down to give us a chance to catch up to them again. Many want to be chased, I guess they think it is fun. That is a very difficult mindset to deal with. The cost are high, but they do not care. We have rules to follow and we have consequences to consider, they are not held by those considerations. The Department, in the past, has not been open to cops chasing bikes.
And, to add insult to injury, in the past, when we have caught them, they have been treated just like minor motor vehicle violations by the court systems. I have seen charges such as reckless endangerment, attempted assault, resisting arrest and so on reduced by the courts. It was not considered a big deal.
I guess now, with all the media attention, they will crack down on it now, but look what it took.

Doubt the logistics people with Rochester PD are stupid. NC troopers are running a blue/red/amber combo in the rear but predominantly blue. Not being confrontational but but where does the "3" blue lights effectiveness rule come from? Yes, I will agree it's all about officer safety on the side of the road. The City of Durham has been multi colored for years and aside from the City of Fayetteville and the NC Highway Patrol who's going multi colored?

This went stupid. Close it already.

This went stupid. Close it already.

I was recently given a book of old NRFD pictures and asked to scan them and post them. They are from the John Maguire (the midnight voice of KEF-934) collection. Many are his work.

Maxim 100 Ft Tiller - Ladder 12 and FDNY Loaner

FDNY Loaner was returned to NYC, painted Blue used in a TV Commercial then overpainted Red and sold to NRFD. Used as L13 for a while



Ladder 11 (later L-14)






Crabtree Explosion