Fireman488

Tis the season. Please post any Fire and/or EMS run totals for 2011.
2010 Run Totals
Happy New Year!

2011 Rockland County Totals from 44-Control's CAD*
Dept 1 - Blauvelt - 162
Dept 2 - Central Nyack - 215
Dept 3 - Congers - 324
Dept 4 - Haverstraw - 260
Dept 5 - Hillburn - 95
Dept 6 - Hillcrest - 939
Dept 7 - Monsey - 817
Dept 8 - Nanuet - 591
Dept 9 - New City - 872
Dept 10 - Nyack - 610
Dept 11 - Orangeburg - 304
Dept 12 - Pearl River - 375
Dept 13 - Piermont - 171 fire, 191 EMS**
Dept 14 - Rockland Lake - 14
Dept 15 - Sloatsburg - 248
Dept 16 - Sparkill - 155
Dept 17 - Spring Valley - 1,076
Dept 18 - Stony Point - 338
Dept 19 - Suffern - 336
Dept 20 - Tallman - 714
Dept 21 - Tappan - 156
Dept 22 - Valley Cottage - 234
Dept 23 - West Haverstraw - 228
Dept 24 - West Nyack - 430
Dept 25 - South Spring Valley - 219
Dept 26 - Thiells - 235
TOTAL - 10,309 (up 1,309 from last year)
* Actual totals are a bit higher, these numbers only reflect calls dispatched by the county and don't take into account "silent alarms" and whatnot
** No FD's in Rockland run EMS except for Piermont FD's "13-EM" BLS ambulance

Run totals of two of Connecticut's largest cities:
Bridgeport, CT FD - 14,982 (55 of which were jobs)
New Haven, CT FD - 23,939 (74 of which were jobs)

Per the 60 Control CAD:
Croton FD - 447.
Croton EMS - 810.

Connecticuts Busiest Cities for Workers taken from www.ctfire-ems.com . In order to be considered a "Worker", at least one line had to be stretched, and operating within a building fire.
1) New Haven - 74
2) Hartford - 68
3) Bridgeport - 55
4) Waterbury - 30
5) Stamford - 29
6) Stratford - 27
7) Meriden - 26
8) East Haven - 23
9) Danbury - 21
10) Southington - 19
11) Fairfield - 18
*12) New Britian - 17 (tie)
*13) Norwalk - 17 (tie)
14) Manchester - 16
15) East Hartford - 15

Montrose FD - 317

Patterson (Putnam Co.) Had approx 890 fire and ems combined

According to Department websites..
Purchase FD: 501
Bedford Hills FD: 471
Pound Ridge FD: 398
Millwood FD: 399
Sleepy Hollow FD: 316
Pound Ridge VAC: 217

CCVAC: 1125....Minus the mutal aid calls for coverage.

Please just post run totals here.We can discuss other response concerns elsewhere.
Thanks!

With due respect to the staff,
Before the topic was locked, there was some measure of displeasure with the post from the site's founder regarding one-liners and inflammatory comments, with a poster saying the site has lost it's balls and the members need thicker skin.
It's not a matter of the site "losing it's balls" or members who need "thicker skin", it's about keeping the site educational, a positive environment, and most of all, PROFESSIONAL. Sometimes we need to remember that "we" (emergency service members) are not the only ones who read the content contained in these forums. I'm sure there are enthusiasts, members of local government, members of the media, and so on who read the content contained in these forums. While it's all good to banter amongst each other as if we were in the firehouse, precinct, quarters, or whatever you would like to call it, we still have to maintain some level of decorum and professionalism just as if we were present in a public place, since this board is easily viewed by members of the general public, and more importantly the media. Case in point;
The NYPD Rant for those who's haven't read it is full of so much garbage since there is little to no moderation, it's not one bit enjoyable to read from an educational standpoint. If anyone outside the NYPD read the material in that forum, the useless bantering of a few sets a bad precedence and honestly depicts the members of the NYPD in a very negative light. The media reported today on a thread contained in the NYPD Rant website about posters who posted personal attacks against an NYPD member. As a civilian reading that article, what kind of opinion do you think the "average Joe" will have of the Rant and the members of the NYPD?
So in order to keep this site from becoming another "rant style" website, there needs to be a level of moderation that suits the wishes of the site's founder, since it is ultimately his call on what is and what is not permitted. If any of us don't like it, we are all free to start up our own site where anything goes and all the members can brag over who has the biggest balls. Personally, I'll stick with the site that's an educational portal as well as promotes and exhibits the professionalism of emergency service providers.

Date:12/26/2011
Time: @1200
Location: 6 Frontage st. (Romantic Depot)
Frequency:
Units Operating: EFD. 2111, 2112, 2113, E137, E237, L55, U86
Weather Conditions: Chilly
Description Of Incident: Reported as heavy smoke in the building, small fire in the boiler room, 1 L/S with quick k/d.
Reporters: Ladder55
Writer:

Alot of good points were brought up in this tread. Responding in a personal vehicle isnt one of them. The IC at the AFA should use there judgement when making the run into a drill as active and as much as I like to train and enjoy teaching others on runs like this, I like to eat and sleep with my family. So alot of aspects need to come into play when making this call to turn a run into a training session. We all know the members that are interested in learning and the ones that are not. And we all have the guys that need to learn rig placement and positioning etc etc.
Any how stay safe train hard and have a safe Holiday!

Good Morning America
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli will appear on ABC’s Good Morning America on Monday, December 5th, between 8 AM and 9 AM.

This was an active FDNY member non-LODD funeral recently upstate. The members of this brothers company decided to give him this send-off. The FDNY Pipes & Drums led the procession as a few hundred members stood along the road in their uniforms. Local fire departments were asked to use their tower ladders to hang a large flag for the procession to pass under. This is the way they chose to respect him. Every fire department/company has the right to honor their own the way they see fit, and Mahopac did.

Thre is a difference between a FD Funeral and a LODD funeral. It may be hard to explain, but the difference can be seen in number of Brothers lining the street and how far they came to pay their respects.
There is nothing wrong with honoring a Brother. The honors and ceremonies are not for us or for the deceased. They are for the family of our brother firefighter. The impression on the family of the deceased brother lasts a lifetime.
Yes, a LODD is the supreme sacrifice. Sometimes, no, most times, firefighters spend their entire careers never making a rescue. Only a few get the medals. But doesn't the guy that completes a search under dangerous conditions and finds no one exhibit the same courage as the guy that made the rescue?
At 15 years old, I peered out the limosine window at the saluting line of Firefighters. The vision is still fresh in my mind.
'Nuff said. If it's Line-of-Duty, you'll know. It will be obvious.

Why? Because he was an integral part of the department who was its head at one point. He was their leader and they wanted to honor him for that in death in one of the few truly meaningful ways they could. I guess you wouldn't have wanted to give Reagan or Ford the funeral they got either using your logic.
Does it detract from a real LODD funeral? Thats not for me to decide...but in my opinion anyone who has ever worn their Class As to a LODD funeral verse an untimely death funeral can and will know the difference between the two and what it means.

The Only reason anyone noticed this time from any other time a member of the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department member has passed away because it was covered by the press. Anytime a member passes away thats what the department does. Do I believe it detracts from a LODD funeral, No. In fact hopefully this is the closest thing ever that the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department experiences to a LODD funeral. I can tell you if that sad day does come the men and women of the department will show everyone the difference between this funeral and a LODD. And this does Not slight anybodies efforts at doing what they can for any member who passes away for any reason.
On a lighter Note Happy Thanksgiving to everyone

So much for Brotherhood, eh?
There's a difference between giving honors to an active member who passes away and a Line of Duty Funeral. A BIG difference. But I have absolutely no problem putting on my Class A's to pay respect to a Brother who dies on duty or off. Regardless of the circumstances, Mahopac FD lost one of their family members in a really horrific way, and if they decide they want to do a service for him, that's their business.
All the guys and gals I've met from Mahopac are stand-up people who take care of their own, and despite all the other BS that goes on in the fire service, when it comes down to it, that's one of the core elements of who we are and what we do. THAT'S the Brotherhood, its more than just a T-shirt or a sticker on your helmet. THAT means something.
Having been to LODD funerals for both Fire and Police Brothers who have paid the Ultimate Sacrifice, I can tell you there IS a difference. Even if the two services were exactly the same, you can just feel the difference in the air. I pray that those of us who have experienced that never have to again. And if you never have had the honor of attending one of those services, count yourself among the lucky.
Stay safe Brothers and Sisters.

Luckily Mahopac probably doesn't have a different procedure for Line of Duty vs Active Duty. They haven't had enough members pass where that distinction has to be made. How about who gives a rats a** how they did it so long as his friends and even more importantly his family were given some infinitesimal level of comfort. If the family wanted clowns and jugglers and the dept could provide it, then what more could anyone ask? This kind of s*** stirring goes right along with the people who question weather all LODD deaths are equal. It serves no benefit and only distracts from a department's attempt to honor the service of a member.

Joey was a "plank holder" in Squad Co. 61 (Bronx), when we were "transformed" by DC Ray Downey (RIP 9-11-01) from an engine co. to a squad co. in SOC. As a newly formed co. we were constantly drilling and preparing to "go-online" as a squad, and many members of the hand-picked company were the original engine members. Joey loved going to the "Rock" every day tour for the months of training- he was always "up" for any type of hands-on activity. Especially when it came to "ropes". He was one of my "rope fairies"- guys who loved to take out the high-angle and confined space gear and rig up scenarios to drill on. I remember one "24" tour where we had spent the whole day training at the "Rock";came back to quarters for the night tour and had chow;drilled again for an hour on "firefighter removal" from the cellar, and then the brothers sat in the kitchem while I did paperwork in the co. office. Around midnight I heard footsteps (not Santa's reindeer) on the roof, so I climbed the scuttle ladder to check it out. There on the roof was Joey and the rest of the crew, setting up to do a "pickoff" from the top floor bunkroom. I was beat, and looking forward to lying down on the couch- but what could I say? I became the "victim" in the window for them to "rescue". You had to admire Joe's burning desire to excel at all phases of firefighting and rescue.
When I got promoted up a rank, he made me a "cutdown" halligan as an officers tool, w/ my nickname welded on it- that was the type of guy Joe was! His Dad (Joe,Sr) is a retired and well-loved Deputy Chief from the South Bronx (Div 6) and my heart gors out to him and the family, and the brothers who knew Joey on FDNY and LI where Joey was also a volly in his hometown. Sorry for this rambling message, but I'm surely going to miss Joey and his quiet but infectious smile and personality. Joey, R.I.P.,brother!

When are you all going to learn that you can't come here and ask about ways to recruit / retain volunteer members without certain people making comments of the less-than-helpful type? Don't you know that all of us volunteer firefighters are the devil? C'mon!
If I may offer one idea for recruitment and retention, here it is.
Make your department one that people take pride in and are willing to be an active part of because it's their department. The subject of recruitment and retention came up recently when another volunteer agency near us started asking for money to launch a large recruitment/retention plan. Those of us in our FD had informal discussions about it and all agreed that if your department is one that actually looks out for it's members, keeps petty immaturity at a minimum, elects proper leaders and simply does the job asked of it without attached drama, then it will succeed.
Our department's biggest recruitment tool has been the same thing for 100+ years - REPUTATION. During our good times, like now, we see increases in our new member base. During the few times we've had less than par leadership, we've struggled to get some new members and at the same time, saw some good ones leave.
We can offer all the free s#it in the world, but when you really examine it, nobody is going to put up with the petty BS that ruins many volunteer agencies for some free gas or a membership to the gym. You need to make your agency one that it's members are proud to be part of and makes sure the concerns of the members are heard. Make them feel welcome, make them feel proud of what they do and most of all, make them feel safe by giving them the training and direction they all want.
Be safe.

It seems like most IA's you read for structure fires show the FAST being put to work. Now I don't have enough specifics but it seems more times than not they are being put to work for normal firefighting duties instead of firefighters in distress. This stems from the fact that they are not sending enough firefighters on the initial assignment to do the standard attack. It seems these fire departments still like to play catch up. If you have a working incident and have no one in reserve to stretch a line for extension or do the next task that comes up you are behind the 8 ball. It is easy to see that at many of these fires the IC is not proactive enough in transmitting additional alarms. If you are the IC you should be less concerned about a 3 year wonder asking why you called so much help or the thread on EMT Bravo about how much mutual aid was called and more concerned with having enough people on scene to operate safely.

Pete,
The fire remains under investigation.

Just wanted to openly thank our Mutual Aid help for being there at this job. I also want to give a "tip of the hat" to our own guys and gals for putting forth an aggressive attack on a stubborn fire. A job well done by everyone on scene.
Unit rundown
Croton FD units: 2081, 2082, E118, E119, E120, TL44, T10, R18
Ossining FD units: 2331, 2334, E98, TL42, U51
Montrose FD units: 2273, E121
Yorktown FD units: E272
Buchanan FD units: 2551, U12
Cortlandt VAC: 88B3
Ossining VAC: 36M1, 74B1
WCDES: Bat 10, C&O Zone 5
And thanks to Millwood FD for covering us and answering what I think was almost a dozen additional calls while we handled this fire.
I know there's some that were asking questions about this fire, so here's some info.
We were operating at a primary line and pole/transformer on fire at South Riverside and Oneida. We were repositioning E120 when the transformer exploded. I asked the crew of E120 to tell the patrons at Umami Cafe (next to Anton's) to stop standing outside to watch this transformer fire. As the guys were cutting across the lot of Anton's they heard some kind of a "bang" and saw black smoke dumping out of the building. At this time, they radioed me and I made my way over and saw it, giving the "10-75." At the time, all of our apparatus with the exception of TL44 were out on incidents. Luckily, the other incidents were in the middle of being given over to Con Ed, so they could respond to this fire. Car 2081 pulled up a minute or so later and assumed Command, and I took the "Operations" role.
The crews of E120 & T10 stretched a 300' preconnect to the B-side door. We took a quick look inside with the TIC, and could see the basement was the origin of this fire, and made a push downstairs. A 2nd line came in and protected the first line into the basement. As the additional companies arrived, crews made a primary of the restaurant and apartments upstairs (both negative), began horizontal ventillation and stretched an additional two lines in from side A.
We coordinated the basement fire attack with guys on the main level who opened up the floor to help the guys in the basement. While this was going on, part of the main level collapsed into the basement, pushing us back and eventually out of it. The fire was being fed by what we think was the gas line to the kitchen appliances, making it a royal PITA to extinguish, but we were successful in keeping it from taking a hold of the entire basement. The fire was in a 125 x 75 two story restaurant on first/apartments on 2nd building, with masonry block walls. The fire followed pipe chases up to the 2nd floor apartment. Crew made a push into here, only to find the floor burnt thru (glad they were sounding the floor as they advanced). They were able to get at it from a neighboring room and from the roof over the front of the restaurant.
Since the guys were taking a beating between the fire and the weather, I suggested to the IC early on to bring in an extra company for relief. This was when Montrose E121 came to work. Later on, when we realized we had been operating about 90 minutes, I then suggested to the IC to make it a full 2nd Alarm for relief, which brought E272 & TL42 in on the box. We were able to use the member from these three units to rotate personnel for relief as needed.
All in all, thanks to the weather and building construction, smoke was very heavy and wasn't lifting much, so the use of the TICs and old school sounding tactics allowed all of us to go home.