dadbo46

From what I understand, The City of New Haven (Ct) will be doing a similiar tactic. They plan to close down Engine 8, which shares quarters with Squad Co 1 and replace Engine 8 with an EMS ALS Unit. EMS is now the priority of the fire service. Over the years, with the help of the insurance companies, we have talked ourselves right out of business.
When cities that were once doing 30 working fires a month are now doing 2 fires a month, its kind of hard to defend keeping those fire companies. Over the last few years we preached smoke detectors, Learn not to burn, and now its working. Insurance companies insisted on having everything from car fires to building fires investigated, so if there was any question, the insurance company didn't have to pay a claim.
Better building codes, the use of cell phones, and fire alarm systems for early detection have also played into it. Nothing wrong with any of this. Peoples lives are saved and they don't loose their property. BUT, from an Old School prospect, "we have been putting ourselves right out of business". Do you ever hear of a lawyer preaching to stop crime or accidents ? Of course not. They want job security.
Of course I disagree with putting an Engine Co out of service, no matter what hours of the day it is. But our very own efforts have cut our own throats.

I think yesterday there was a working fire in New Rochelle when Ladder 12 was OOS. If I read the incident report right, there was only one company left in service for ALL of New Rochelle. Eng. 25 at Stratton Road. I realize they undoubtedly called in MA but as a non-professional, to me that does seem risky.
In White Plains in summer 2010 a serious fire broke out in the basement of a restaurant downtown. A number of WPFD companies were already assigned to a serious incident at a Con Ed power station.
I believe the initial response was an engine and a truck. Probably a total of six or seven men. One of the firefighters first on the scene were quoted as saying they couldn't do much of anything until reinforcements arrived. The fire got out of control and ultimately destroyed the building and required a big response.
As a taxpayer I want economy but I want to be safe too.

This is fine, but much like when the NYC Police Pension Fund bailed out the city in the 70's (?) we should get a payment in return much like the variable supplement fund that city uniformed retirees get annually. I've been out of the city for ten years, but I believe it's a 12.5K Christmas gift service retirees get every year.
Of course mayor bloomturd has called it a "Christmas bonus" and has tried to take it away....smoke and mirrors for the media to try to turn "them"against "us" once again.

Good job Ohio !
Now. do your negotiating at the table and not by decree.

How much would you save to remove the inhouse dispatchers, the inhouse mechanic, the paid administrative personnel for the district, and switch that funding over to career firemen?
You're already double taxing your district for services that are already provided by the county....

Cleaning the river is a good thing to do. Building burms along the river so that low lying areas immediately adjacent to the river is wise. Constructing concrete river botoms and embankments certainly made a difference in flooding along the Saw Mill in Ardsley and Yonkers.
However, the root cause of all the flooding, now ocurring on a regular basis, is the overdevelopment and the establishment of impervious surfaces.
Impervious services prevent the absorbtion of runoff into the ground. Instead, water runs down and around the impervious surfaces, dumps into a storm drain (and sometimes a sanitary sewer.....but that's a discussion for another day) and into a river. The river fills up with silt and debris, the river slows and flooding ocurrs.
When development is proposed, municipal planners generally are able to detect and identify the "water" impact of the development. However, in the end, the almighty short term $$ euphoria always, always trumps logical environmental planning.

Cleaning the river is a good thing to do. Building burms along the river so that low lying areas immediately adjacent to the river is wise. Constructing concrete river botoms and embankments certainly made a difference in flooding along the Saw Mill in Ardsley and Yonkers.
However, the root cause of all the flooding, now ocurring on a regular basis, is the overdevelopment and the establishment of impervious surfaces.
Impervious services prevent the absorbtion of runoff into the ground. Instead, water runs down and around the impervious surfaces, dumps into a storm drain (and sometimes a sanitary sewer.....but that's a discussion for another day) and into a river. The river fills up with silt and debris, the river slows and flooding ocurrs.
When development is proposed, municipal planners generally are able to detect and identify the "water" impact of the development. However, in the end, the almighty short term $$ euphoria always, always trumps logical environmental planning.

Smart supervisor !

Boneyard.

It's all about the money. If they say that it's not about the money, it's all about the money !

It's all about the money. If they say that it's not about the money, it's all about the money !

I'm at home in Ossining with my kids and we felt nothing. My wife is working in Ossining and called to say "Did you feel that?" She tells me everyone in her building felt it and that others in her building called to their homes where it was felt. A couple friends of mine from White Plains sent me a message that they felt it.
I teach Earth Science in HS, so I have a bit of knowledge about earthquakes and have connections to data and visualizations and such.
For the next 18 hours or so, you can go to this page (My link) and scroll down to see click-able seismic displays from seismographs all around. Right now (2:44 PM), the Earthquake being discussed here is at the bottom of each image on the 17 line. Over time, the 17 line will migrate to the top of each image. (FYI the other large earthquakes currently in the view - at the end of the 05 line - are from Colorado)
There's plenty of information available about how the Virginia region is (was) at a relatively high risk for a significant earthquake. This would definitely qualify. There are some reports (older and more recent) that NY and the Hudson Valley are also at a significant risk for earthquakes. Maybe as strong as this one was in Virginia.
Clearly, people on here felt the earthquake. For those that did, you can go to this USGS site and complete a "did you feel it" form for the USGS. I just checked and it looks like a lot of people have already filled out the form. From a teaching and science perspective, it would be great if anyone here could also fill it out.

So you think that it is ok if you go on strike for somebody to take your job so that the city wouldn't have to negotiate a fair contract as long s someone is doing your job you need to get you head out of you know where. The company came in wanting to cut back everything th eunion ever fought for night differential vacation time sick time pay raise medical sending union work to contractors everything that the union fought for and members went on strike for for over 50 years remember everything that was gained there was a give back to get what they have this company is making billions of dollars teh new CEO who took over just before the strike is making 21 million dollars yes we have great benefits and great pay but the company is making money because of our labor this strike is for the whole middle class somebody has to stay stop to big businesses and greedy corporations these scabs are taking away peoples lively hood how would you like it if you couldnt support your wife and kids

He's an AMERICAN who has pride in his County, his Uniform and Himself! That's it!
Military, Paramilitary or Draft Dodger - who cares?
I agree send a letter to his superiors.

What "extra space ?"

Now THAT'S a tower ladder.
Often imitated, never duplicated. When it counts call on an Aerialscope to get the job done right the first time...every time.
Cogs

South Park The Movie - Blame Canada
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAYMJnO9LBQ
Sorry I had to...

I have no idea if Greenburgh does or doesnt need a new PD. But to suggest a police and fire training center theres already one less than 5 miles away. Building another is a stupid duplication just to keep another fiefdom.

Doesn't the Secret Service have a AAA card ?

Have we really become that much of a nation of whiners and publicity hounds that even an event as justified as the elimination of an avowed terrorist and virulently anti-American murderer causes some to be "offended" and get on the news? Let's put this in perspective
There are some upset because his codename was Geronimo. It's just a commonly used phrase and well known name, easily recognizble by everyone, not an anti Native American slur. Do people really have that much free time on their hands that they can sit and dwell on the meaning of a code name? C'mon get real will ya and go find something better to complain about.
Now an even hotter topic, whether or not he was armed...WHO CARES!!! Did this hero of so many radical Islamic murderers care whether or not the thousands he has or had murdered were armed or could defend themselves? NO he didn't, as a matter of fact he relied on the fact they weren't and preyed on the innocent just as all terrorists do. A clean quick kill for this coward is almost too good an end to this waste of human flesh. I'm quite sure many of us would have liked to have seen a much slower and excruciatingly painful demise for this "leader". To those that have a problem with the manner of his death, get over it and be thankful it was quick and he wasn't given a more fitting final few years of suffering.
And now on to his burial at sea. Again he was afforded much more respect than he ever gave to any one of his victims. Did he care that thousands were simply obliterated at Ground Zero, with no trace for the familes? NO again he counted on that. So he sleeps with the fishes, big deal. He got his immediate burial of his cleaned corpse as is Muslim custom, he got much more respect than he ever gave others or deserved. Stop whining and rejoice that he is DEAD, DEAD DEAD just as he shoud be.
And finally for all those who see his rightful removal from the face of the earth this as an increase in the risk that we, as Americans, face in this world...WAKE THE HELL UP!!!!. Osama bin Laden did not invent anti Americanism, radicalism or terrorism, he only benefited and gained notoriety from them. His death will have no great impact on the desire of those radical and militant elements in this world that want to harm us.
To Osama bin Laden GOOD RIDDANCE SCUMBAG and MAY YOU ROT IN HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY
Remain vigilant America and remember freedom is not free.
Thank you Obama
Thank you SEAL team six and all that serve our nation in the Military
And
God Bless America
Cogs

It has been great seeing a lot of these units in use out here as part of the TIFMAS Program activation for the wildland fires out of west of here. Now only if the rains would come to help

Sonny, you have a lot to learn. About a lot of things.
It is clear you dont give a crap...about the facts.
Size of a district and call volume do factor in to the numbers and types of vehicles required. You claim that it costs 20,000 to keep 10 emergency vehicles on the road. I bet the savings from not using an engine on every EMS run is more than 20,000 so theyre actually saving money. That included the chiefs cars and the chiefs do much more than just EMS calls too.
I doubt the fire district pays $4.15 a gallon. Theyre tax exempt and probably buy on state contract or bid it like every other municipality so the cost is far less.

EMS'er - your anti-cop and anti-union posts piss me off.
Do you have ANY idea of just how hard our respective municipalities would put the screws to us in the police and fire professions if we didn't have Unions? They do it enough with Union protection!
I would tell you to look at the big picture, but I am sure your vision is obscurred by the Obama sticker on your Prius!

Well, a few things.
I might suggest that your grammar is more ignorant then my opinion, but I’m above that, so I won’t. 
And while discussing ignorance, let's take a look at your "facts".
Every single one of your assertions is wrong. I believe that is ignorant. Your contention that all public employee unions are entitled to all the benefits you list is just absurd. Please let us know the source where you are drawing your "facts" from.

Dude, wake up. They are taking away rights that these unions fought for. It is anti-American what those states have done. It is not the unions that have put the municipalities in the spot they are in. The republicans are pitting the working class against each other. (It's not fair that the unions have this and the rest of the workers don't. Vote republican and we will get rid of the big bad unions) Do you really think that the non-union citizens will see any difference in their taxes? You are kidding yourself if you think the residents will get a tax break if they strip the unions of their collective bargaining rights. The unions are not to blame. Nor are they unwilling to make concessions. But don't sit there and say that we have to cut this and that and watch those cutting get raises and if you think it hasn't happened you are insane. They are destroying what so many have worked for. It is not right.
Your comment of making sure unions are kept in line... what exactly do you mean? The unions have to negotiate every single thing in their contracts with... yup the municipality! So don't sit there and say it is the unions fault, the contracts have to be agreed to by both sides. The unions have not strong armed anyone. They have fairly negotiated their contracts. So you are saying well done to Oklahoma because you think this will be what is best for the union members themselves but not the union itself? So basically the cities can now say you will get this for pay and this for vacation and this for medical and if you don't like it you can go work elsewhere. So how is this better for the union member???