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This has nothing to do with volunteer vs. career or anything other than someone being an ASS!!!

Just to report on what I have been told. It seems from many New Yorkers they feel this Museum should be FREE for all to see.  Our Country already paid a very heavy price and just as places like Arlington Cemetary, we, the people of this country should NOT have to pay to visit the history of how America suffered on that tragic day.
 
It was also reported to me that the top administrators of this 9/11 Museum are making large profits from this project.
 
After hearing of this, I, along with several friends decided not to visit.
 
Perhaps that is the main reason why New Yorkers are NOT visiting this museum, while outsiders are. Perhaps those New Yorkers know more than anyone else what a high price that was paid on that terrible day. Perhaps New Yorkers are fully aware of some of the salaries involved in this while outsiders are not.
 
 Take it as you may. You decide for yourself.

The 2015 Annual Report for the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services has been released- copy attached
2015des.pdf

More info: http://www.fairchesterhosehaulers.org/open-house-muster/

More info: http://www.fairchesterhosehaulers.org/open-house-muster/

Saturday May 14th from 09:00 hrs until 16:00 hrs. at Buchanan Engine Company #1   3159 Albany Post Road  Buchanan, NY 10511   Local vendors and collectors offering Patches, Clothing, Die-cast Models and other First Responder collectables.  Police, Fire and EMS.  Food and Drinks available.

I say there are alot of clueless radical kids out there that are being misguided and brainwashed in some cases by the schools they attend. If they want to join something that has meaning than why not enlist in the military? Beccome a cop, firefighter, ems? Peace corps? Animal rescue? There are plenty of organizations that can used able bodied and motivated people that don't burn people alive in cages, rape young girls, or behead people. 

Make no mistake about it, this whole thing was orchestrated by the 3 chiefs.  I quote the Mayor in his attempt to justify this to me "This was all balanced against our volunteer response capabilities and their contingency plan."

That's a false comparison.  Many police departments don't have auxiliary officers, unlike many many fire departments that do have volunteers or only volunteers in many cases.  Although they may be volunteer, auxiliary police officers are not typically used for front-line policing.  They tend to be used in more of a "security" role for events rather than responding to 911 calls.

 

 
The life or property you save may be your own.  I have needed the services of my own member departments several times.  I would hate to call and have no one answer.  How about you?  If you want to effect change, the fire department membership, directly and by extension through family and friends, can be a powerful voting block.  Used effectively it can bring about changes both in policy and politicians. 

100%. Surprise vote by the board. Rye Brook currently without fire protection, sent the PC career firefighter home.
 
Cops at every PC fire house

 
We can resolve the issue once and for all. Forget about the radios There are too many. Put one guy on the top of the new bridge and each boat would have to have a spotter looking there at all times.

 

Summary: OFPC has reverted to a system similar to the old Basic and Intermediate Firefighter layout, keeping the recently added course materials. 

It's very coincidental that Tom Sutphen passed away last year, and now they are coming out with a rear mount. I have always heard that Tom Sutphen always held by his belief that a mid mount was far superior. But it now looks like the Seagrave Meanstick and other have some more competition.

I went last year- lots of memorabilia and worth the trip.

Nope.  Especially since it isn't recognized in NYS (OFPC), and you can go through ALL the NIMS courses for little/no cost in the State.....looks like a lot of money to spend on something that I at least have never heard of in my 25+ years in the fire service in NY.....

I will play devil's advocate here and wonder why no one seems to want to acknowledge the downsides of consolidation.
Here are some that I know of, all of these coming from real life experiences with the centralized dispatch point in our county.
1. Lack of accountability. With the local dispatch centers there is better accountability in that if a dispatcher makes a mistake, the fire or EMS chief can go to the police chief and have the tapes pulled and appropriate corrective action taken. With the centralized center, any complaints that are submitted get dropped into the memory hole and you hear the same dispatchers making the same mistakes over and over again.
2. Lack of accountability (part 2). Local dispatchers follow local protocols designed by the agencies they service. Centralized dispatch follows their own protocols. Don't like it? tough, deal with it.
3. Loss of local knowldege: Even with all of the computerized maps and reference sources, there are some situations that you can't beat local knowledge
4. Competition for air time. With budgets being the way they are, this is a very real concern as you could end up with too few dispatchers listening to too many channels. Also could happen because of poorly designed radio systems trying to put too many departments on too few frequencies or talk-groups.
Now, I am not against consoldiation per say. But it needs to be done correctly, and after careful study to see if it is really the best option

Here's a couple of pics of Westchester Airport firefighters doing some night training. The first is Airport 7 in a low attack setting, the second is a few of the firefighters doing some handline training (with a probie on the knob).  The photos were taken by duty supervisor Peter Garber.

 
http://www.wcvb.com/news/5-investigates-boston-fire-maintenance-department-still-putting-firefighters-public-at-risk/39009290

Is that price correct?  Seems like a lot of money for a refurb.  We completely refurbished our front line Pierce pumper for less than a third of that amount.

From the Ossining Village Board Meeting February 3rd 2016:

If only we utilized our Field Comm here in Westchester... it - and the people working in it - have so much to offer...

City of Peekskill approved a bond to replace Engine 131 I don't know the specs or who was awarded the contract but its a step in the rite direction *long overdue*