billy98988

Hey Everyone,
Was down in Sarasota the last week visiting some family and managed to grab some shots while out and about. I only had my phone to take them with, so I hope they came out alright (just dont mind that guy in the door reflection...)

Write to Cuomo. Maybe he will pass a new Highway SAFE Act in the dark of night without any review or debate that limits vehicles to 7 miles per hour, reduces highways to one direction (north on even days, south on odd days) to prevent the constant accidents caused by these wrong-way drivers.

Oh wait! They aren't constant and we can't legislate stupid out of the drivers seat.

Please join us for this awesome cause! Jeremy has been a Patrol Deputy Sheriff for 15 years and 7 Year K-9 handler . He is our PBA Vice President and is in charge of all "Officer-Needs-Assistance" and "Retirement" parties. He never thought one would be created for him and his family. His daughter, Jillian, was born with a heart defect that will require subsequent surgeries throughout her life. It is being held at Orange County Park on Route 416 in Hamptonburgh , NY on Sunday, July 21st at the Day Camp picnic area. We will have activities for everyone! Great Food, Adult Beverages, Pig Roasts, Live Rock Bands, Raffles, 50/50, Prizes, and More! Contact Sheriff's Investigator Andrew Frank for any questions @ (845) 629-3465. Show up the day of the party. Tickets are $20 at the door. 1:00pm start...THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!
-Orange County Patrol Deputies Sheriff's PBA

Test results are available to county employees, and I did the math

From the dispatch persepective I have always wondered why we send agencies to other agencie's calls. In my dispatch center a call for a structure fire automatically goes to both the police and fire dispatchers. By the very nature of police being out on patrol and fire waiting in a station for a call, it is almost impossible for the police to not arrive first. I often ask this question, why are we sending the police. Most often I get the nebulous answer that they might be needed. By this theory we should send police, fire and EMS on all calls because they might be needed. Do we send EMS on all buglaries because someone might have cut themselves on a broken window? I have been criticized for not sending the dive team to a car partially in the water with the driver standing looking at it, based on the idea that there might have been a body in the trunk. If that were really a concern then fire should be responding to all abandoned cars for the same reason.
Now there are concerns that the police need to deal with at many fire scenes, but none are critical enough that we need to send them well before we have alerted the fire department. THe old joke about the first car having to get there in time to block the hydrant is only sometimes a joke, but I was on a call once where one of our guys had to get out of the tower ladder and move the unattended police car at the end of the block, because the officer parked it across the street then walked up to look at the fire. I get that there are sometimes traffic concerns and there are even times when fires become crime scenes, but I also think that we are sometimes putting our responders in a no win situation by sending them unequiped for the situation.
The example of the police officer on scene when a civilian brigns out a victim needing CPR is one thing. But the public expects all responders to just do something. They do not understand why that police officer is not running in and trying to rescue all those people. This has lead to a culture where we have trained police officers to disregard their own safety. Why do firefighters wear turnout gear? Because years of science have told us it is the best way not to get burned. Why do police run into burning buildings? Because the fire department was not there yet. To this I will ask why were the police there? As a dispatcher I can wait a few seconds for the fire department to be alerted before sending the police to a call where their main function will be support, especially in a world where most fire responses are under 5 minutes.

I'm just glad to not be reading another paid vs. volunteer thread...

Truckies VS. Engine....
I can beat you all on this one, I happen to go both ways...
Your not a fireman until you are an "Iron Man Firefighter" and have to do both jobs at a moments notice.
Stay Safe out there...(truckies)...

Get rid of that Explorer/Junior stuff on your profile. With that kind of logic, you should be a Chief too!

Sorry Brother but I have to take exception to this post. While covering both Engine and Truck Companies for close to 30yrs I must say "Truckies" truly are nothing but a Fireman's Helper. Your still Loved though! I'm always concerned for my Brother "Ladderman" about the inside stream striking them on the outside when they're taking windows! No seriously you Truckies are awesome you always have fresh cold bottles of water for us Engine Grunts when we come out for a "Blow" and a spare bottle waiting for us. "Tally Ho" Bro!

A 3/4" or 1" booster line is still a viable hose line on a pumper. The problem is it is not used properly now a days. Back in the day yes it was utlizied as an initial attack line, a hold over from the days of using chemical tanks for small fires for a quick knockdown. As years progressed, booster lines had either a smooth bore, Navy (SG-60) or Coast guard (CG-15) attached to them, then later adjustibles and even FMC hiogh-pressure nozzles (if you had a three-stage pump on your rig). As fire loads became greater, the booster line isn't usefull as an main fire attack line because you can't get the proper GPM to defeat the BTUs genreated at strucutre / room-and-content fires.
A booster line, though you don't get a lot of gpm out of it due to the size of the hose, it is still good for a lot of applications if used properly;
1 - Nussiance fires
2 - Brush fires
3 - Small trash can fires
4 - Chimney Fires (attach that good old under used chimney nozzle to it and send it down the pipe)
5 - Use as a secondary line for a car / truck / container fire by attaching a SG or CG nozzle using either a piercing attachment or a "pinapple wand" to get into those hard to reach areas (before a hood or an opening can be created). Again, doesn't take the place of the main attack lines, it an added resource.
6 - For drafting operations, the return recycle line to keep water moving back into a porta-tank so you don't waste a discharge and don't loose your prime
7 - DECON and REHAB for your firefighters, nothing like having a small line to cool you off on a hot day or to wash down your dirty gear. Again, freeing up another larger line or main discharge.
8 - small propane tank leakes - less than 20 lbs tanks (adjust the nozzle to a good fog patter and disipate that LPG)
9 - Use as an invesitgation line - The FM is trying to find the cause of a fire, got a few very small hot-spots or needs to wash down a small are without having the great pressure from a 1 3/4" line, the booster is your line. GRANTED it should not be the only line present, you should still have a main attack line present just in case! You have the poewer of both.
Those are just a few as there are many more uses still.
I rather pull a booster line for a nussince fire rather than having to pull 50 feet of pre-connect in a crossy lay or front bumper line for a little fire at 3 am.
Also too, a lot of fire comapnies are utilizing the "hose reel" concept with 1 3/4" lines as well. The Mortlake Fire Comapny in Brooklyn, CT has a pumper with two pre-charged attack lines on reels. Granted this is a differnet concept and can be disccused in a different thread, hose reels are still viable.
Mortlake FC's website: http://mortlakefire.com/mainsite/index.htm
Booster lines are still viable, its just departments get it in their head that it is old technology and no room for it any more. I say hogwash! You may not be able to use it as a main attack line for larger fires, but in the end, its a quick line thaty should be utilized if you have it. Just like the debate of fog nozzels vs. smooth bores, the booster line has it place in the fire service.

I have been to scenes where fellow cops got off on the fire floor to a hallway fully involved. I try to tell some these guys why go in to a fire when FD is right behind us. As I have stated in another topic I'm not going into a fire or CO or gas alarm. That's what FD is for. If I worked in a rural area maybe I would have a different outlook. On the other hand I have been off duty after a shift and driving on the highway and pulled up to (all separate incidents) - overturned MVA, another was a overturn and ejection and another hitting the jersey barrier. All after midnight. I stopped did what I had to do until trooper, EMS and FD came. Called them all in. I also call it luck as I was mins behind the accidents and wasnt involved or having to swerve. It all depends

Given that a very quick Internet search also yields a number of stories regarding actions by off-duty FF's that have never been addressed on this Board, I think there must be more to the story.
I mean, not a single one of those stories, (including two notable local stories, one from Westchester and one from NYC) have made it to EMTBravo, have they?
I loathe to assume that certain parties have such vile for the rare moment that LEO's get positive accolades, but, it's starting to seem pretty clear.
What else can explain this apparent double standard?

Date: 6/25/13
Time: Approx 1130
Location: Tunxis Lane, Willimantic, CT
Units:
-Willimantic Police
-CT State Police:
Troop K (probably C & D as well, given the location) Emergency Services Unit Aviation (Trooper 1) Eastern District Major Crimes Canine (15 K9 teams were training nearby and responded) -Multiple mutual aid departments and tactical teams.
Description:
Willimantic Police Officer shot by male suspect in camo fatigues with a long gun, possibly wearing body armor. Search continuing through the woods with tactical teams. Sounds like the Officer was shot in the arm.
Still a very active scene with staging areas and command post(s) being set up.
Mulitple shelter-in-place orders in effect.
1242: Callers reporting shots fired off Route 32, suspect possibly pinned down.
Suspect in custody being transported by Windham FD under guard. Major Crimes requested to multiple crime scenes.

So, PD shouldn't respond to aided cases in the event it might be a CO call? And the FD and EMS doesn't want to respond to calls in the event they walk into an ambush?
Some of the comments from certain posters about law enforcement are to be expected, sadly.
S.M.H.

I can see the headline now, "Rye police let man die while waiting for volunteers."

I don't see any reason why anyone, in this case it appears the PD, should enter a home full of CO. They just create more problems for other responding personnel.

Maybe some of the agencies in the county running 2, 3 or 4 rigs that they can't staff is looking to offload something for a decent price...

We have the same issues in my county, but a lot of it here boils down to pride and ego. I have argued countless times with the EMS in my department because its the same EMT and same Driver that show up to every call, and they both take over 10 minutes to get to the rig and the rig takes 15-20 minutes to roll out the door; this includes Delta and Echo calls. I have brought up automatic mutual aid with 2 of our nearest agencies to be simultaneously toned out with us and the first rig to roll gets the call, and it can be a mix-matched crew if needed, like our driver with our rig but with an EMT from the other agency. The answer I got? "Well, we should be allowed to answer our own calls, its our town and we should get the chance to roll to the call before anyone else does"...................
I have timed our EMS several times for Charlie, Delta and Echo calls and the best time I have seen is a 6 minute time (for the rig to roll after initial tone out time) and that was because they were at station for a meeting. The best time otherwise is 15 minutes...UNACCEPTABLE for any call you respond to. As mentioned and well known already, it only takes 4 minutes for brain death with lack of O2. It may take 4 minutes for the family to call EMS, talk to the dispatcher and get the tones out...then you make them wait another 15-20 minutes for a rig to show up? And then its only staffed with an EMT fresh out of school with minimal experience and no ALS support????? Yes, this system is flawed beyond repair and its being ruined by volunteers with extremely large egos and personal pride. People are putting their pride before the needs of the patient and it needs to stop.
Very well written article and i am from Suffolk County originally, I was raised in Northport NY. Its hard when you are a volunteer that started in a larger, well run agency with a large call volume and more volunteers than you know what to do with ending up in a small town agency, with a handfull of volunteers and a small call volume. You try to offer advice and they instantly get defensive and insulted because "The big city man is trying to push his way in and run our squad thinks he knows it all, trying to boss us around..." yadda yadda yadda.
Pride. Ego. Need to put those things asside and put patients first. I dont care if its an ambulance from 10 miles away that just so happens to be driving through our town returning from hospital; if they are staffed they should be able to call the dispatcher and say they will go to the scene and assess the patient and give an update. If the other squad still has not answered tones then they SHOULD be able to transport; no arguments or petty attitudes, turf wars, "this is my call what are you doing here" BS that most volunteers display. (And to end the pettiness right now, I have been in volunteer EMS for 18 years now as well as career EMS for 11 years, I have been a volunteer EMS lieutenant, Captain and training officer. I have specced out a new rig, and applied for our squad to become ALS certified all at the age of 19) I too am not a volunteer basher, I am a proponent for the patient. I have been a patient and did not want to wait 20 minutes for a rig. My child was a patient and I almost grabbed her and ran in my car instead of wait for the rig to finally decide to arrive. I too used to have that disgusting attitude of "Its our call, dont let XYZ agency take it, lets get a crew and respond even if it takes 20 minutes and 4 tones of our pagers"......That was wrong and I know it now. We need to get the proper care to the patient within minutes. Period.
End of rant...sorry! lol

Forget false alarms. I'd like to issue a violation everytime someone dials 911 for something that CLEARLY ISN'T AN EMERGENCY. Seriously....that stomach ache you had for 3 days didn't become an emergency at 2am this morning......

Remembering FDNY
Fathers Day Fire
JUNE 17, 2001

In Memory of:
FF. Brian Fahey, Rescue 4
FF. Harry Ford, Rescue 4
FF. John Downing, Ladder 163
Long Island General Supply (Hardware Store)
12-22 Astoria Boulevard
Queens Box 7512
http://stevespak.com/fathersday.html
http://www.fdnyrescue4.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWH8AOyCVUY
https://www.facebook.com/pages/FDNY-Rescue-Company-4/230270946990483?fref=ts

Here are some photo from my trip to Ireland

Here's a couple of pics from other apparatus that we'd taken the idea from. I will note that we use the method as it looks but with the exception that we do not lay hose over the couplings. They show a manner that you can load when the bed is not too deep but use the same concept by placing the first tier of couplings at the head of the bed, then another tier in the low spot just back from them. Another thing this does for the load is keep couplings from having to pass each other in the bed, which can be problematic if the load is tight side to side.

The Fire District purchased our first staff vehicle from J.H. Ketcham in Dover Plains, a 2005 Ford Expedition, with a command center in the back, once I get a chance I will see about getting some further photos, although not new, it's a start in the right direction, Chief Boardman just picked the unit up from the graphics shop in Carmel. Yes I know it's not Blue!!!!

Holy he#%! What an ass.
Yes, the Captain. Not the guy filming. He was polite and respectful. There was NO good reason for him to ask the guy to stop filming, or to tell him to leave. It only got worse from there.
Smile and wave, you're a public servant on camera. Act professionally and carry on with your work. If you want, ask for guidance from higher ups about people filming. Pretty sure they'll tell ya to ignore the cameras and go about your work.
Instead, you're now on the news making the fire service look fantastic!

I take a few things away from this article :
1) New Yorkers have let their lawmakers trample their rights.
2) Don't drive when your license is suspended.
3) Don't drive your suspended licensed self around in a car with broken stuff on it.
4) When breaking two laws, try to avoid interacting with the police.
5) When breaking laws, don't be carrying a handgun and be shocked when the police ask to hold on to it for a minute.
6) Here in NY, don't be a test case for the SAFE Act, especially when numbers 2 thru 5 apply to you.