CFI609D

Boston rarely tows illegally parked vehicles: instead they use the boot to immobilize the vehicle until the fines are paid. It is cheaper for the city (no tow trucks, no impound lots, fewer employees, etc.) but still generates lots of cash for Boston. While efficient from a revenue generation standpoint, the Boston approach fails to remedy these situations, which is why the brothers of the BFD tend to get frustrated and take matters into their own hands.

Boston rarely tows illegally parked vehicles: instead they use the boot to immobilize the vehicle until the fines are paid. It is cheaper for the city (no tow trucks, no impound lots, fewer employees, etc.) but still generates lots of cash for Boston. While efficient from a revenue generation standpoint, the Boston approach fails to remedy these situations, which is why the brothers of the BFD tend to get frustrated and take matters into their own hands.

Agreed. Going this way put firefighters in danger. How much water is going to flow through this?
This was done to prove a point to the car owner, but at the potential expense of members operating and potential loss of more of the fire building.

although they proved their point, look at the kink of the ldh. as a boss I would question why they didn't use a side gate.

This is why NFPA 1901 requires AED's on all apparatus even if you do not provide EMS 1st Response. This is why all firefighters should have CPR and even CFR or EMT as a minimum.

Does the mounting of the siren make a difference?
So lets compare.

In the 1st picture the Q2 is completely recessed in the bumper. This provides good protection for the siren, but since the majority of the sound comes from the side not the front, the sound is directed under the bumper and into the cab. Also this design defeats the strongest bumper by cutting such a big hole in it. This reduces the crashworthiness of the cab.

In the 2nd pic. its mounted above the bumper, less protection for the siren, but the sound is pushed forward of the cab more than other arraignments.

In the 3rd pic a shroud is added, this forces more of the sound forward away from the cab

In pic 4 the siren is only partially recessed allowing the sound to travel, but the siren is more vulnerable to damage. The addition of crash protection protects it, but does reduce some of the effectiveness of the siren.
Every item on a rig is a compromise. One needs to evaluate the pros and cons of each of these

Did you bother to read the article before making your snide comment? Why is it that someone always has to try and turn a positive into a negative?

I think ESU cops know what ESU cops need and there for we'll defer to them to decide what vehicle fits them best.
After that....we went off the rails. I think this has run it's course.

Prior to be placed in service people need to be properly trained in its function and operation. This has been taking place. As to when it will be in service I would imagine soon given the number of recent training sessions.
It will be operated by WCDES staff.

To clarify. The County did not refuse to dispatch the METU. I requested it and was advised through the proper dispatch procedure that the vehicle was not yet placed in service and that it was not available. This is no different than any other fire apparatus or ambulance. The County did coordinate the dispatch of two Bee Line buses in its place. Many of you need to climb out of your glass house and visit the real world. Stop posting and spreading rumors before knowing the facts.

Great that they are replacing a 39 year old (donated?) engine.
What is sad is that the Great State of New York with a $136.5 BILLION dollar budget needs a grant to replace this engine. It should have been replaced 20 years ago. Shows you how high a priority fire service training is in NYS.

The trip is not free.
Depending on the location of the factory (Airfare, hotel meals, etc.) The costs for flying to mid west for example add approx. $1,000 per person per trip and that is built into the cost of the truck.
The "Dealer does not pay" he fronts the money and you pay as part of the cost of the truck.
So 10 members going on pre-construction, pre-paint and final to Pierce or Seagrave or Ferrara, Smeal, Spartan etc. will cost $30,000 that your tax payers will cover.
Also with that size group, their are almost always more "add-ons"..."Hey look at the spinny light that mildew hose has on their new pumper, we need that too" I have been told by manufacturers that they can easily see $50K - $100K in increase because of it.
We send the spec writer and the mechanic. Unless its driving distance, then we might add a chief.

I look at it this way... Law Enforcement's jobs continue to get more and more difficult because A) society has decreasing respect for them, politicians and government leaders at all levels keep putting them in the spotlight as the enemy, C) the media like to make them look bad and D) people continue to get crazier and want to inflict harm to the innocent. If Law Enforcement is going to be the first responders to these awful occurrences, and - hopefully - interject to prevent horrific incidents from happening - I say give them anything they need! That small town cops don't need all of that stuff no longer means a thing to me after seeing all of the horrible things that happen in this country.
I, for one, fully endorse cops to have the best equipment and training possible to protect us and those we care about.

Just like they did in New York City with stop, question, frisk???
Yea. That worked well.....

X635, Please look this way

You never saw it, it does not exist. " The flash of light you saw in the sky was not a UFO. Swamp gas from a weather balloon was trapped in a thermal pocket and reflected the light from Venus."

You are trying to compare an ADULT ONLY retirement community in sunny Florida to a congested NY county. You say you spent 30+ years as a FDNR dispatcher? You must know the area Eastchester FD serves. Do you think that 2 firefighters on a rig is a waste of money? I caught a fire the other nite on the 8th floor of a senior citizen apartment. 2 Eng. 1 Ladder and my Duty car : TOTAL 8 MEN. You pay low taxes because the Villages doesn't have to build or run SCHOOLS! Plus the SCAB labor of Rural Metro doesn't provide pensions to it's workers. I'm sure you retired in either Tier 1 or 2 of the NYS Pension system and every month you cash your check. Yet you defend Rural Metro and speak of wasteful spending and "Breaking the Bank". Shame on you, sir.

In the past its been referred to as thinning the herd.
Darwin refers to this as strengthening the gene pool and survival of the fittest

Wow, you guys have run short staffed for so long you have not got a clue what proper staffing is. And I am not talking about this latest crisis. 75 firefighters lets see how short you really are........
To staff 4 engines (you mentioned 3, but don't you run 4), 2 ladders and a command unit to meet the minimum standards to respond to a 2,000 sq ft. single family house without a basement requires a minimum of 26 firefighters per shift. That 12 more than you currently run.
That gives you 3 firefighters and 1 officer on EVERY RIG.
To maintain 26 per shift you need 104 firefighters plus the additional members who are assigned to staff (training, codes, chief, etc.) you also need to cover contractual overtime which means each member would work an additional 20% or you need to go to 5.2 FTE's to staff your rigs, which would bring the total dept size to 135 (plus staff).
You are fighting for table scraps when you really need a steak diner. And you seem willing to accept the scraps.
And while you think you can handle a room & content fire under the "normal" staffing, you are cutting way too many corners and putting yourselves and the citizens at risk.
Now I can guarantee you will never see the numbers you should have. In fact I predicted 6 years ago that most of the career depts. were going to see staffing reductions and that we could either consolidate or each dept would suffer. I figured that we were spending the same amount of money to staff rigs with one or two as a consolidated dept would spend with 4 on a rig.
22 firefighters & officers on a response was what I proposed, and the response from almost everyone is we do not want that.
Now every one of the depts. is either fighting to survive (and I'm sorry but those that run with less than OSHA requires are not surviving) or has already faced the reductions (and more are coming).
Go read the NIST study's on staffing. They proved that fewer better staffed rigs do a better job than lots of understaffed ones do. They actually proved that 2 + 2 = 3
when 2 firefighter engines team up with another 2 firefighter engine, they are only as effective as a 3 firefighter engine and the standard says 4 minimum.

Any rig could be mutual aid but they generally are not. E-24 almost never has gone mutual aid. E22 & L12 are it because of standards of cover. Its not just on paper. If L-13 goes then 75% of our city is left uncovered until we relocate L-12 to station #3. So until we do what is done in many other places like MD, VA, OR, MI, WI, CA and drop boarders and do closest unit responses this is what works best for our community.

As a fire instructor I had to again notice the push back from the chief who stated he only had to take a 60 hr course, and now it is 112 hrs. "Who wants to drive 2x a week to Carmel". It is thinking like that NY State is on the lower
end of FF-1 course hours. And that always leads to the Career vs Volunteer debate. The last class of recruits traveled 5x a week, 8 hrs a day, for 16 weeks. That is 640 Hrs. With the constant threat of failing out due to poor grades, or not being able to pass CPAT. 19 out of 20 that started finished. It isn't a game, it isn't about how many members your
dept has, it is about giving the customer the service that is expected from a group of people that raised their right hand a swore to protect to the best of their ability the life and property of the residents of their community. If we do nothing the fire will still go out. The ends don't justify the means. TRAINING TRAINING TRAINING AND DEDICATED MEMBERS.

If this was a valid reason (as opposed to an excuse) for the benevolent to not pay, then they must look at everything they do and if it does not include EVERY member then they should not fund it. How many annual dinners do they fund? Does every single member go to these dinners?

Today July 1, 2014 we take time to remember our brothers:
Captain Richard Williams,
Lieutenant Richard Reinhagen,
Firefighter Steven Ennis,
Firefighter illiam Kresja,
Firefighter Leonard Radumski
Who made the supreme sacrifice 26 years ago while operating at alarm #1177. Please take a moment to remember these brave men and say a prayer for them, their families,all the firefighters who have given their lives in the line of duty, and those firefighters who protect us day in and day out across this county.

I will never forget watching this fire on the noon news with the members of NRFD Station #3. We sat at the kitchen table and moments before the collapse that killed these 5 brave firefighters, we recognized the danger.

Never stop learning, Never Stop Training, The Building is your Enemy.

Many did not learn the lessons of the Waldbaums Fire, but Hackensack was the wake up call. "Beware the Truss" - F. Brannigan.
...Never Forget!

And if you do not know what happened that day, you need to understand it or get out of the fire service!

Much of what was learned that day is still not done in Westchester. I see career and volunteer depts. that did not learn the many lessons that this tragedy taught me!
And the lessons go way beyond the Truss!

Finally!
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/06/kenneth-ellerbe-d-c-fire-chief-will-step-down-next-month-103812.html
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/5/embattled-dc-fire-chief-announces-retirement/
No doubt there are many smiles today at the DCFEMS DCFD!!

because it is easier to operate! My 2cents I hate the give me more give me less pressure sh*t. The pump operator should know what he is pumping so that when the inside team asks for more pressure, the pump operator should know right away there is a problem somewhere between the pump and the nozzle, kink, burst length, clog, etc. jacking up the pressure till the wheels are bouncing off the ground is not gonna solve that problem. Driving is more that waving to the crowd. I am going back to my cave now.

Finally!
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/06/kenneth-ellerbe-d-c-fire-chief-will-step-down-next-month-103812.html
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/5/embattled-dc-fire-chief-announces-retirement/
No doubt there are many smiles today at the DCFEMS DCFD!!