CFI609D

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Posts posted by CFI609D

  1. Posted

    Not to sway from the OP's original purpose of this thread, but lol; glad you brought up Safe-IR. I literally just got home from the 2nd day of their TIC training. It was a two day course comprised of 1 full day of classroom and camera familiarization and 1 full day of practical evolution's at the FTC.

    Bob Athanas from R3 was our instructor and he was excellent in every aspect.

    I'd highly recommend anyone to contact them and look into the course. It truly opened my eyes and made me think outside of the box when it comes to TIC applications.

    Their program is outstanding. You cannot do much better.

    BFD1054 likes this

  2. Posted

    Regarding the vendors, keep in mind that they have their own axe to grind: Each one sells a specific product-line and it is unlikely that they will will recommend a competitor's TIC. While I have much respect for AAA and their professionalism, my recommendation is to do two things:

    1. Speak with those who use the various TICs under challenging conditions on a regular basis: FDNY, Yonkers, FDNR, Bridgeport, Newark, etc. and get feedback from them about the various TICs (good & bad).

    2. Arrange for an evening where you can demo several different TICs at the same time in the Class A pod at the fire academy, and allow your company officers to evaluate them hands-on.

    At the end of the day, the opportunity for your front-line officers to compare under realistic conditions is the best way to select the best TIC for the way you operate.

    Good luck & stay safe!

    Dinosaur likes this

  5. Posted

    We were sitting in station 3's kitchen watching the news of the fire in Hackensack before the collapse and we could not believe that they did not know it was a truss building. We saw that is what it was and how advanced the fire was. I remember the descussion that they needed to backout and then it collapsed.

    I will never forget.

    If you and your dept. did not learn the painful lessons of that day, then shame on you!

    If you do not train every member in building construction and how fire effects it (and how it effects fire) you did not learn the leasons of that day.

    If you do not do building inspections or at least walk throught and document hazards you did not learn the leasons of that day.

    If you do not have seperate fireground and dispatch channels (and use them everytime) you did not learn the leasons of that day.

    If you do not do accountability (so you know where your firefighters are operating) you did not learn the leasons of that day.

    if you do not operate a command post with enough people to track resources and be able to hear all radio traffic (because the chief is trying to multi task to many jobs) you did not learn the leasons of that day.

    If you do not evaluate & reevaluate conflicting condition reports you did not learn the leasons of that day.

    If you exceed proper span of control you did not learn the leasons of that day.

    If you do not stage tactical reserves you did not learn the leasons of that day.

    In Westchester, many of these lessons were never learned or they have been forgotten.

    I will never forget.

    Very well put, Captain.

    I can think of no better way to honor the memory of these brothers than to learn from this tragedy and make ourselves safer and smarter firefighters. Spread the word and share the knowledge on this sad week for the fire service. Look into the mirror and ask yourselves the questions posed above.

  8. Posted

    Everyone is looking at sizeup/preliminary report as an FD structure only report. These reports are useful to incoming units and bosses on all types of calls from a structure fire to an MVA to a Ped Struck to a school evacuation. Putting information out such as number of patients, staging area, best access route, hazards, etc. will aid in units getting a clearer picture of what they are "walking into" while enroute. It can also aid a boss in escalating an assignment prior to arrival based on information at hand. The important thing is to think outside the box and do not pigeon hole a reporting tool as only useful for one type of call.

    I agree that size-up is not just for structure fires. The acronym I posted above is definitely geared towards structure fires. It is important to point out, however, that size-up is far more than a "reporting tool." Rather, it is a process that should be used in any and all forms of incident command or emergency management. Size-up enables incident commanders and other responders to more effectively prioritize and allocate resources at an emergency scene.

    wraftery, PEMO3 and sfrd18 like this

  9. Posted

    First of all, size-up should be a continuous process for all firefighters and officers. Pre-incident size-up is just as important: we should always gather valuable tactical intelligence about the dwellings and hazards in our response areas. Use EMS calls, fire prevention inspections, or other routine responses as an opportunity to expand your knowledge of your first-due area.

    There are a number of good acronyms which help us perform an effective fireground size-up. The one I teach is part of Chief Michael Terpak’s size-up curriculum. It is: “COAL TWAS WEALTH”:

    C: CONSTRUCTION

    O: OCCUPANCY

    A: APPARATUS (including staffing)

    L: LIFE HAZARD

    T: TERRAIN

    W: WATER SUPPLY

    A: AUXILIARY APPLIANCES

    S: STREET CONDITIONS

    W: WEATHER

    E: EXPOSURE ISSUES/HAZZARDS

    A: AREA (of structure)

    L: LOCATION & EXTENT OF FIRE

    T: TIME

    H: HEIGHT

    sfrd18 likes this

  10. Posted

    The City of New Haven CT will begin accepting applications for firefighter in March:

    HOW TO BECOME A NEW HAVEN FIREFIGHTER: 2013 RECRUITMENT DRIVE

    APPLICATION PERIOD: MARCH 11, 2013 MARCH 22, 2013

    BASIC REQUIREMENTS AT TIME OF APPLICATION:

    - AT LEAST 18 YEARS OF AGE

    - HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR GED

    - VALID CONNECTICUT DRIVERS LICENSE

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ATTEND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING OPEN HOUSES:

    NEW HAVEN FIRE ACADEMY

    230 ELLA T. GRASSO BLVD

    FEBRUARY 28

    6:30 PM

    HILL REGIONAL CARREER H.S.

    140 LEGION AVENUE

    MARCH 1

    6:30 PM

    FAIR HAVEN SCHOOL

    164 GRAND AVENUE

    MARCH 4

    6:30 PM

    JAMES HILLHOUSE H.S.

    480 SHERMAN PARKWAY

    MARCH 5

    6:30 PM

    Check this website frequently for informational updates

    http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/fire/recruitment.asp

    sfrd18 likes this

  11. Posted

    The Irvington FD and the fire service lost a great friend this week: Msgr. Raymond Byrne. In addition to serving as pastor of Immaculate Conception in Irvington, Msgr. Byrne was also the IFD's Chaplain for many years. Msgr. Byrne and his family have enjoyed a long and close relationship with the fire service. His brother Fr. Ed Byrne currently serves as Chaplain to the Ossining FD, and his nephew is Bobby Halton, retired Albuquerque FD Chief and current Editor in Chief of Fire Engineering.

    Msgr. Byrne will be missed by all those who had the good fortune to know him.

    http://www.irvingtonfd.com/apps/public/news/newsView.cfm?News_ID=116

  13. Posted

    It was inappropriate to mention beer in his complaint. I believe that 66% of the Chief's in Irvington don't even drink. Irvington is a well run machine with many strict rules and protocols. There is barely a social atmosphere left in the place since the mid 1990's when everything started getting overburdened with adminstrative nonsense.

    I think Nyq was wrong and should have had thicker skin. He acted like a baby and he should leave the area and take his soapbox with him.

    Nick has handled himself with dignity and restraint, given that this is a situation that has been ongoing for so long. Irvington has been most fortunate to have a firefighter so dedicated to a culture of firefighter safety. You clearly do not know him or much about the circumstances if you believe he "should leave the area." He did nothing at all wrong and has worked within the chain of command. I only wish we had more people like him.

    SmokeyJoe, JFLYNN, Bnechis and 2 others like this

  14. Posted

    From reading the Patch sounds like it was more than hear say as an administrative judge found fault and a member was suspended. It also sounds like one of Irvington's best is trying to do just that: go about his job safely but he is not being allowed to cuz he wont join a social club. What a shame that a guy who wants to help people is being blocked. What's wrong with this picture?

    Nyq is indeed an exceptional and well trained firefighter. He spent countless hours not only training but mentoring young and probationary firefighters.

    He is missed and I for one hope he comes back sooner rather than later.

  15. Posted

    You beat me to it, SJ!

    Izzy: the company thing in New York is crazy and confusing. This is not like in Connecticut (where I grew up and started in the fire service).

    And Joe, I would rather leave it to the leadership of the Irvington fire company to speak for itself, though all good questions. I do agree that Nyq is needed back in the firehouse and that I hope this will all get resolved sooner rather than later. This has been a very difficult and unpleasant situation that needs proper resolution. And the law requiring us to also remain a member of what is no more than a social organization needs to be reexamined as it serves no real function anymore.

  16. Posted

    He filed the complaint and bailed out at the same meeting? Why not follow through? If the dept ignored this issues or didn't follow through with remedying the situation the state would absolutely intervene. EEO is a hot issue and there is plenty of precedent establishing volunteer depts are subject to the same laws as regular employers unless specifically exempted.

    Nick didn't "bail out": he resigned from the "company" which is actually a social services and benevolent organization. At the time he was told by the village that he could do so. After seeking additional legal opinions, however, the village later rescinded its original opinion and he was told that he would have to rejoin the social services organization to remain an active firefighter, and that is where the dispute took off. Nick has been afforded the opportunity to rejoin the "company" but Nick has refused to do so as it against his principles and he sees the company as a source of much of the hostility directed towards him.

    Nick is an outstanding firefighter and has been an incredible asset to the community. He is well known to all of the instructors in our region thanks to his dedication to training and mastering all aspects of firefighting. And yes, he is also very principled and refuses to compromise those principles. While I do not always agree with Nick, I have enormous respect for him. It is a shame that this has transpired and I hope that resolution will take place.

    This law cited requiring members of a village fire department to also be members of a non-firematic social services organization calling thmselves a fire company is most unfortunate, and it is archaic. 150 years ago there were legit reasons to force firefighters be members of a company. But in this day and age where you have a municipal fire department and the company is no more than a social services entity (as is the case in Irvington, where the company has ZERO fire or emergency services role), this needs to be changed. I hope that perhaps this situation will prove to be a positive catalyst and that it will push lawmakers to reexamine obsolete and meaningless laws like this one.

    drgripsthrowawaytowel, JFLYNN, billy98988 and 6 others like this

  22. Posted

    NFPA 13D residential sprinklers have been around in Greenburgh since 1987 for many many years with positive results: no fire fatalities in homes equipped with residential sprinkler systems since!

    A good website for more information is:

    http://www.homefiresprinkler.org/

    A few fun facts:

    => Home sprinklers combined with smoke alarms reduce risk of death by fire by 82%

    => Provide a safe means of egress in a fire’s earliest stages

    => Home sprinklers catch and control residential fires in their incipient stages, thus reducing potential damages

    => Home sprinklers activate earlier and use less water, on average only 341 gallons to control a residential fire with sprinklers as compared to 2,935 by the fire department

    Scottsdale, Arizona, was the first US municipality to adopt NFPA 13D in 1986 and it has tracked the impact of sprinklers since:

    => Over 50% homes now have residential sprinklers

    => No deaths in sprinkler equipped homes since 1986

    => Lower property losses

    => Average fire loss per single family sprinklered fire incident: $2,166 (in 15 yrs, 49 fires)

    => Average fire loss per unsprinklered residential incident: $45,019 (1998-2001 86 fires)

  23. Posted

    Can anyone imagine a Dept. in NY proudly proclaiming itself as "New York's first all White FD". Imagine the $hit that would be stirred over that. I thought we were all equal and professional when it came to our job as firefighters, no?

    Station 38 is no longer all black. It was organized back in the Jim Crow days when the PGFD was still segregated and African-American members were not welcome in most volunteer companies. They do remain, however, mostly black, and are a very well respected and busy company.

  24. Posted

    All I had to see was a helmet come out of the oven during the promo webisode and one word came to mind "tools".

    I haven't seen the video but I can tell you this: if somebody put a helmet in the oven when I was active w/KVFD, they would have been pushed in alongside! Anyway, all I can comment on is how it was in 1989-91, and it was a very committed and professional group of firefighters. Again, I have not watched the videos but back then it was about more than just pride and aggressiveness, and as 16fire5 correctly states, these qualities do not necessarily equate to professionalism alone. Salty helmets back then were the result of time and experience, not a "shake & bake" in the kitchen. Nor would stretching your own line instead of filling out the stretch EVER have been tolerated.

  25. Posted · Edited by CFI609D

    Then you haven't seen or heard much. From what I've heard they are a bunch of primadonnas and clowns. They are a mix of off duty DCFD guys with no life and college kids who get their rocks off chasing fires rather than girls. I was, and still am a little buffy, but these guys take it to the extreme.

    The community is a low income, low density cesspool similar to some towns on LI like Brentwood or Wyandanch. Nobody or very few members of the community are involved with Kentland. It is all whitebread suburban guys who spend their weekends or live at the firehouse.

    Do these guys see fire? Yes and lots of it, but mostly at private dwellings and low rise town homes. Big deal. Its not like these guys are charging into OLT's and hi-rises. They are busy but dont get it twisted its not Report from Engine Co. 82.

    I have read many posts about KVFD over the years and until now, I have kept quiet. I believe, however, that here I must set the record strait.

    I don't know what you "hear" but I can tell you what I experienced as a member of KVFD from 1989 through 1991. In my 30 years in the fire service (in 5 states and 6 departments) as a FF, officer, and chief, I encountered fewer primadonnas or clowns in Kentland than anywhere else. The blowhards and BS artists (yes, we all have them, career or volunteer) simply did not hack it or were literally (and physically) thrown out. Yes, KVFD had (and probably still has) its share of eccentrics, but what it had no shortage of was heart, skill, dedication, and true commitment to professionalism on the line. Yes, there were quite a few members on the job with DCFD, as well as Fairfax, Montgomery, and Howard Counties, not to mention a few nut cases from FDNY who would car pool down from Brooklyn a weekend a month. What I loved about KVFD was it allowed me to do two shifts a week (Thursday evening & Sunday day) and still have get ample opportunities to fight fires (not to be confused with running calls). This allowed me and my brothers at 33 to spend the rest of the week on our "real lives,” including chasing girls, etc. Buffy? If going to multiple working jobs every week is buffy, yes I guess so. As to being "whitebread suburban guys," Dude, you are so wrong. KVFD was the most racially and economically diverse firehouse I have EVER seen ANYWHERE. We had quite a few members who grew up nearby in the Hood, and they were crucial in helping us get out of more than a few hairy situations in the projects. We had more African American members than any other firehouse I have ever seen, with the exception of PGFD station 38 (Chapel Oaks), which proudly proclaims itself as "Maryland's first all black fire department." No, there are not a lot of hirise structures in beautiful downtown Landover, but there was non-stop work in the projects, tax payers, commercial structures, and on the Beltway. No it wasn't Report from Engine Co. 82, but it was (and remains) busy and it was one of the hardest working group of dedicated professionals I have ever come across.

    How are things at 33 now vs. in my day? I cannot say for certain. From what I hear, they are not too different. Yes, their website probably does attract some clowns and yes, they are (and we were) pretty darn cocky. Nevertheless, I would encourage you to visit and ridealong before passing judgment. If you can hack it, you will likely walk away very impressed by what you experience.

    Nuff said.