Remember585

Mack - Yesterday's premier rigs.

Seagrave - Today's premier rigs.

American LaJunk - enough said.

Pierce - um, no comment other then P.O.S. "Pierce of s***"

But that could be related to Tyler.....

E61 is very close to what we are looking at for E119's replacement.

One good thing about the greenish / yellow rigs of yorktown, at a dark, stormy, smoky fire scene, you'll see them clearly and know who it is!

Here's a site I have been working on.

www.Engine119Croton.org

Any suggestions, please let me know!

Quint - the way to go. Lake Mohegan has got the right idea, put a quint in every station. They don't need to be massive rigs, but something versatile enough that can function as an aerial AND / OR an engine. We are operating our 1st quint and still getting used to it - but it will be an asset in the long run (I think).

Tower Ladder 44 of Croton has a pretty sweet ladder sign. It has Gold Leaf writing and a full color / gold leaf logo on it that looks great. I also like Ladder 41 Ossining - Simple and to the point.

What makes a good rescue isn't the "toys" or "goodies." Its the men and women who take on the varying tasks incorporated with a Rescue Company. Personally, I feel that a good rescue should be equipped with sufficient hydraulic and pneumatic rescue tools, hi-pressure and low-pressure airbags of different sizes, hazmat containment gear, water and ice rescue equip., rope rescue gear, rehab and ems equip., and enough lighting to make any scene look like daylight. The thing that aggrivates me the most is when a Heavy Rescue, which including its equipment can be worth over $800G, is assigned to traffic duty. What a disgrace. For one tenth the price, a van or lightweight rescue vehicle could do the job. Of course, Village Boards and Fire Commisioners don't always see it that way.

And, Seth, no rescue is better then a rescue that rescues.....

Something to keep in mind, the power draw of the mechanical sirens is massive. Older rigs (such as my engine) have had issues with them. Some solutions are to eliminate these, or to reduce other loads. We had the halogen power-sucking Federal aero-dynic lightbars replaced with Whelen Strobe bars. The result: More light, less draw, which in turn has allowed us to keep our faithful siren. We also have a Federal PA300 (A personal favorite) but, since we don't have the speaked in the bar anymore (Thank GOD!) it is mounted under the cab. This siren basically comes up through the floor and drives us nuts! So we rarely us it, and rely on the Q.

"Engine 411 is 10-19, 10-20 all incoming, apparent 10-16." Got it? Thats an easy one for most of us in Westchester. Now, take the same codes and relay them to your Police Dispatch. They make think you have an auto accident with injuries, requesting a tow and have a fire at the same time.

Personally, I feel that Clear-text is the way to go. It eliminates the potential for confusion, and it is something WE ALL CAN UNDERSTAND. Take Putnam for example, they do not use 10-codes in the Fire service and you know exactly whats going on all the time. Why go through the trouble of reading off a "code card" when you can say what needs to be said? Just some food for though...

Until next time.

Drill night doesn't have to be our only means of learning new skills or fine tuning what we already know. There are countless ways to sharpen our skills and our minds. Five of these examples are listed below.

1. "Routine Runs." I hate to use this phrase, but those alarms we go to on a regular basis are a valuable training resource. Even though a majority of the time we bring in the clipboard and get the info, have your crew(s) take a stroll around the building. This way they can learn the layout, escape routes, standpipe locations, etc.

2. EMS Calls. Believe it or not, this is a way to "cheat" and see how the house, or facility looks, and gives you a sense of what you may encounter if ever dispatched for a fire. For example, responding on an EMS run at a local Nursing Home or Skilled Care Facility gives you a chance to see the place "Un-pilished." What I mean is if you go in the EMS aspect, they dont concern themselves with how the place appears, or even if the place is up to code. While your EMS crew is working on the patient, or on the way out, snoop around and take note of the things that catch your eye.

3. Publications. Work all the time? Got a Honey-do list longer then your hosebed? Pickup the latest industry magazine and scan the pages. These are outstanding sources for the latest, and most innovative things out there. If you're like me, you can spend countless hours surfing the web as well.

4. Drive around. Got nothing to do? Jump in your car or if you can, take the rig around the district. You don't even have to get out and walk around, just cruise the neighborhoods. Make a mental note of where hydrants are, what streets are tight, which buildings the aerial cannot reach, and different ways to get to the location. Knowing the quickest way is great, but knowing an alternate route can be critical if the main route is inaccessible.

5. Swap Stories. Sometimes, believe it or not, just listening to the stories some of the veterans have to tell can be educational. For example, one of your brothers could enlighten you as to what to and what not to do on a fire scene, things like where to position the rig, how to direct the handline, and other invaluable lessons learned.

I hope my babbling has brought some insight to you. Remember, we don't have to limit ourselves to our scheduled drill nights to learn something. Until next time...

The Croton FD has installed a crossband link to its low-band radio. This UHF will link to whatever frequency our base is set on (IE if we put our ops and base on 46.14, the link will be to 46.14). This frequency is 453.025. Area Chiefs - contact me for additional info if you would like.

Since its inception in June of 1998, the Croton FAST has been using Engine 119, a 1984 Mack pumper. The CFDFAST is made up of 21 members, all with the exception of 4 whom belong to Engine 119. (The other four are split, 2 from E118 and 2 from E120.) E119 carries a stokes, rabbit-tool, vent-saw, cordless sawzall, 4 sets irons, hooks, and other vital tools. When dispatched, the TIC from R18 also is brought along, usually by a Chief or Rescue Officer. Additional personnel respond with the Chief(s) responding, or in POV if absolutely neccessary. As of this writing, the CFDFAST has responded mutual aid 14 times this year. E118 is our secondary unit, outfitted the same as E119. If needed, TL44 and/or R18 will be deployed.