x129K

Can't say anything about the work from the pictures. They're just the apparatus. No shots of anyone really doing anything.

It was a very busy week for me but I am pleased to announce that my
1974 Mack CF will be featured in the movie NON-STOP with Liam Neeson.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024469/
I was also cast as an extra and got to drive my rig in the movie as a Firefighter/Chauffeur.


Movie should be out in February 2014

Nichols brought one up to look at. Drives nice, jacks only come out 29". But it still doesn't navigate well on our tight streets, which is why our job needs a TDA.

The people in the district aren't 'Brother's' they are people elected by the town. They dont give a flying fluck about the members.

Smith and Wesson M&P compact .40 caliber

I'm wondering with a front mount pump have you considered shutting off the grill and bumper flashers? That way the operator can see without being blinded by the LEDs . The other option is that you could at least knock them down the LEDs to a lower power?

Here a re a few from Eastchester...

http://westchester.news12.com/news/yonkers-hires-50-new-firefighters-contract-negotiations-remain-at-an-impasse-1.6006207

Right back pocket: Wallet
Left back pocket: Car keys
Left front pocket: A couple of crinkled up dollar bills
Right front pocket: iPhone
Radio strap and radio over right shoulder
My point here is that the equipment was kept in our bags.

Why blue you ask, I'll keep it short and the next few posts are off topic but it will answer your question
Back in 1988 while attending the NYS show at the old Concord Resort Hotel we came across an Engine that was built by Pierce for Peru, NY, an upstate FD that was painted Bright Regatta Blue or as we called it Pepsi Blue and our crew that was there that day really thought the Engine was very sharp, I took several pictures of it that day. After we returned and knowing that our 1974 tanker was out at Pierce for a refurbish we decided to share the photos with the members at the next monthly meeting and the membership voted to have our Tanker painted the same color, no other reason than that, the rest of the purchases after that have been the blue/white scheme. Here is the engine from Peru are our vehicles that followed (some of the photos are older and not the greatest)
The Peru engine that got it started

Our Tanker that was refurbished by Pierce in 1988 and first blue vehicle (Retired when new tanker purchased in 2007)

1989 Pierce Dash (retired)

The Dash on scene

1997 Pierce (Went out of service this week as a trade in on the new Engine

Rescue One light rescue 69-51 (photo courtesy of Ed Harvey)

Smeal tanker 69-31

Firematic BRAT 69-62

PL Custom Ambulance 69-71 which will be retired in a few months as we have a new rig being built by Lifeline

Pierce Mini Pumper which was originally red but was painted as shown when I was Chief (retired when we purchased the BRAT in 2009, photo courtesy of the SIGNMAN)

We've seen the, popping up around the Bronx on everything from warehouses to we construction and private houses. When on Building Inspection duty, company's are adding the panels existence to CIDS and also noting the existence and location of the shutoff, battery backups and generators.
They do preclude vertical venting and we do not use them as a substantial object for roof rope evolutions. The most important thing to remember is that the panel is always producing electricity. You can disconnect it from the grid. There is a knife switch, usually by the meter. However, the panels and wires connecting them are always live.

I got my white shirt dirty and lost my tie when supper was macaroni.

Another suggestion is a P/T Security Officer. I work p/t for Allied Barton. I like the job and the site I work at pays pretty good. I don't think you have to be 21 years old to do it. I also worked p/t for Securitas Security for several years. Maybe you can check out their web sites.
It's tough today for any younger person out there. I had a much better opportunity when I was 20 years old. I took the test for the Post Office and started p/t. Flunked out of a Community College and decided to go f/t at the post office. Five years later took the test for the Fire Dept with 87 other people for one opening. As it turned out after two years, about 10-12 of us were hired from that list. Worked 30 years, got promoted and retired with a decent pension and benefits. As it turned out, "I sure am glad I flunked out of that college".
But it's not the same today. College degrees are required more today for the same or similiar jobs. If you are interested, somebody mentioned about the FDNY/EMS. There is promotional opportunities within the system, a retirement plan and probadly some decent benefits. I think your time would count if you went to another job in NYC as a firefighter or police officer etc.
Let me say this though, a college degree does not promise a good job. In my own case, I was able to get a good job first and then do a few college courses part time. Everything worked out. But if I were you, I'd start to try and get my foot in the door for any job that will offer you some type of benefits and security. You could always improve your situtation. I have seen so many young college grads looking for work.
The medical field is usually a good choice, but you have to be willing to put the time in to get there. And we will always need plumbers, electricians, and car mechanics. How many younger people are willing to do that. But there's money to be made.
And finally I will say this. As the saying goes, "if you enjoy your work, you never work a day in your life". As a firefighter, I found that to be true and I think most others will agree. It's not just about how much money you can make. It's satisfaction in doing a job you enjoy. I find that true today in my p/t security guard job also. So with that said, I guess I haven't worked since about 1975.

First off I am truly sorry about your son. Brotherhood is in many ways not dead, but it also depends on where you work. My method of actions precludes me in many ways of social invites, or of being a part of the social hierarchy other than people being afraid of running across me, especially where I volunteer. I don't ever claim to know everything, but ill be damned if some idiot who thinks cause he is a volunteer firefighter knows more than 99% of the guys who do it day in and day out is going to teach someone the WRONG way to do things. At work its always take care of what you need to, we will work it out. It is a completely different environment. At home, at the local FD its all about who is most liked, or who licks the Chief's balls in many cases. But when I think about who actually gives a rats behind it is usually always the same core group of guys. No one realizes how much even a little phone call means to a sick or injured member, until it is them in the hospital with not a soul around. I am usually the stranger at the hospital for many of our terminally ill Brother's in the FDNY. I am there with either a cash donation or an offer to help anyway I can. I know what brotherhood is, and like one of the guys who I worked with when I got on said, 'kid, you never want to know how good this job really is.' Pete the Greek said that, if you know who he is.
Trying to teach new guys this is not that hard. But what needs to be explained is the fact that no matter what kind of call you go on, the threat for death or injury is there. We all know it at work, we have plaques and everyone knows someone who was killed. Here locally it is not as prevalent luckily, so the gravity of the work usually doesn't hit home. This is part of the reason Police officers always have a mutual respect for one another, because no matter how long you have been on the job, you know that safety is paramount, and relying on one another is critical to survival.
Perhaps one way you could teach everyone is through a basic call audit. Bring up the last few recent alarms, and point out every way someone could be hurt or killed. Instilling the fact that you can be the difference between life and death for each other is paramount to these kind of exercises.

I fear Brotherhood has lost out to technology. The ability to have one's personal life literally at ones fingertips 24/7/365 ensures that is the priority 24/7/365. The camaraderie , Brotherhood and sense of family I found as a proby is lost since gone, taken one small step at a time, though in pretty short order.
When I started at my career position we had two computers used for entering basic NFIRs reports and typing official letters. We arrived at work at least a half an hour before the shift to ensure the off going guys didn't get stuck on a BS run that would mess up their plans. We all gathered at the dayroom table to discuss any pertinent FD issues that arose in the past 48 hours, and then typically drifted to anything of interest we'd done, heard or seen in the same time period. We knew each other on a personal level. We were allowed one phone call home in the evening not to exceed 10 minutes (we had but 1 business line). You'd call home say good night and unless it was an emergency, hope that you didn't get a call from outside. We all gathered at every "scheduled" break and ate meals together. Strangely 15-18 years ago we rarely shared a meal as one, we merely ate our own things at the same table at the same time. That changed almost as a reaction to the loss of time together a few ears after I started. Nonetheless we all, had nothing better to do than keep each other entertained. We constantly played practical jokes on each other, frequently gather to smoke on the bay floor (designated area at that time, when we not as health conscious). We'd practically beg our Chief to regale us with stories of jobs and his war experiences (best story teller ever!). We'd watch the same TV at night and for the morning news. We were tight. Every shift was tight and due to stricter staffing rules we had to swap more often so we had reason to be tight with other guys too. When we came to work, we left everything else at home, very little from home affected us unless it was a personal issue that had an affect on a guys' focus (impending divorce, financial crisis, death in the family) the day to day stuff had to wait until the next day, period.
Of the past 15 years we first started to get better computers, which at first only allowed games, so we started to lose a few people to video games once in a while, but for the most part it was unnoticeable. Then came the internet, and that's when we started to lose guys for hours, sometimes whole tours we'd only share time on calls or community work. Maybe here's where we started to do the communal evening meal that at least brought all shift members to the same table for an hour or so. Then we seemed to find the end of the internet and people grew bored with it. It became a nice tool, but less exciting unless looking for something specific.
Somewhere along the way, cellphones became smaller and mainstream and suddenly guys were hiding on the floor at night arguing with the wife or other people. Our home lives came to the station. Suddenly, all the day to day issues, were confronting guys while they were at work. We struggled to keep up with the changing technology with rules that tried to at least ensure actual work was unaffected, but alas, that didn't work, changes were far too rapid. Requests for emergency time off for this and that increased, personnel were often scattered to the far ends of the building quietly dealing with their home/life issues instead of watching TV, sharing stories or otherwise congregating together.
And today all the technologies collide to nearly obliterate anyone's sense that they can come to work to get away from everything else. Facebook has inserted people back into to each other lives, but on a far less personal level. People know things about each other but given they can read this and get the info indirectly they have ample opportunity to express their true views without the person being able to explain or defend themselves. Now we see far more snickering and back stabbing amongst "brothers". Many Facebook users see the guys/girls spouses opinions and actions and suddenly have their opinion on that, something that used to be somewhat off limits. Smartphones ensure all of this takes place wherever/whenever the member is. Our crews still meet at the dayroom table in the morning and share information, as soon as FD interests are gone, it generally devolves to "did you see what, so and so posted?" or "if I was married to that .....I'd ....". Most mornings there's 8-12 people sitting around, but only 2 or 3 are talking and the rest have their faces buried in the smartphones. Firefighters are far less likely to come in early for another, instead coming in at literally the last minute, still chatting away to whomever was more important at 0658 in the morning.
We still eat the evening meal together but typically it's pretty quiet as one or two people text their way through dinner. We had to make a rule that talking on personal phones was done outside the dayroom otherwise you could watch TV or remotely converse. Yep, a rule that addresses common courtesy. Still in the evening those who have gravitated back to the dayroom to watch TV, now do so with an Ipad on their lap and constantly are convinced the rest of us need to see whatever stupid thing was sent to them or posted on a Facebook page, totally oblivious that others might actually not care.
Sorry, Moose, this wasn't a positive story of Brotherhood. Maybe I'm "old" or just don't find myself interesting enough to Tweet or be on Facebook, and while I think we the Brothers and Sisters allowed this to happen, it's technology that killed Brotherhood. While this is what I see from the career side, I imagine that on the volunteer/call side, the technology has become a time drain that hurts volunteerism, as people spend far more time using the web media to stay up on all things that used to be none of their business. The hardest part is that I now realize how much I miss the more personal interaction with those I work with and the job is becoming much more of a job. I used to want to go to work, now I'm ambivalent, I'd likely take far more time off if other duties wouldn't just pile up on my desk. I find myself looking for projects to reinvigorate my attitude, and this is a common feeling among many of members with 10-12 year or more on the job.

I LOVE fires.
BUT I ABSOLUTELY HATE TO SEE BARN FIRES! Farms, and barns are becoming few and far in between, and it is nearly impossible for the average farmer to recover and rebuild after a fire like this...this can end a farmer's life as he knows it..very, very, sad.

Lieutenant Ed Bogart, his son Lieutenant Bob Bogart was on the job (retired), as is his grandson Lt. Scott Bogart.

2

I support Duracell, and will not buy anything else....they have always supported the fire service thru donations, so we should support them.
Couple years ago Duracell donated a couple cases of batteries (9volt, A ,AAA) to us to give out to anybody in the district that needed them for smoke alarms.
They are also a American company located in CT.

Ossining FD deserves credit for throwing the ladders as well. They're among a small percentile around the county that has strong Truck Company presence at a fire scene - whether it's throwing portable ladders or getting the Truck into position. I actually missed this fire, but can tell you I am proud of the guys for always doing the right thing.
Ironically, Monday night's FAST drill was a review of throwing ladders...

As x129k would say, "Strong Work"!
From the Bedford Hills FD Facebook Page:

All I can say is wow. My GF and I were in the city a few weeks ago and ended up spending the night in Stony Point, then travelling up river through Newburgh, damn, looks like times are truly tough there. It's one thing to read about it here, but seeing it really puts the issue into perspective. All I can say is for what it appears the workload is, 10 firefighters per tour has got to make for some long shifts. Good luck to the Brothers there, it appears you'll not have any shortage of work for some time.

Monday morning quarterbacking a job becomes second nature but this is one of those times that one needs to look at the big picture. This "EDP" was armed and dangerous. If they decided to wait it out and in turn a trooper, civilian or other responder was injured or killed both the Record and this site would be asking the question "should the troopers have used deadly force and terminated the scenario sooner". These people are classified as EDP sometimes based on history and other times based on current actions but either was they are unpredictable and difficult by nature. People forget that the term EDP mean "emotional disturbed person" not crazy or insane person so the term EDP fits here.

Now a photo that nobody has seen till now. The Fox under restoration summer 2013

As it sits today !