FirNaTine

That's it. You now have a pic of FDMV's new Rescue.

FDMV is supposed to be getting a new heavy duty Emergency One Rescue, that is a Demo model. I believe they will take possession of it within the next 30 days or so

Yonkers FD has blue strobes incorporated into their light bars.

Career and Volunteer guys may get offended by the show because like Dennis Leary said the truth hurts sometimes. I've been a career firefighter for over 20yrs in FDMV and can honestly say, besides all the ficticious firefighting seens, the crazy and ridiculous things that go on in the station and their personal lives actually does happen. Nobody ever said firefighters were rocket scientists and believe me I've worked with alot of idiots in my time who could actually play the roles of those characters in the show without even actor's lessons!

And you sir are living in the land of OZ and drinking too much Cool Aid as Bill O'Reilly would say. FDMV may not have any openings as you state, because they don't know how to handle the 20 or so members in LOD Limbo, that are still on the books and are neither here nor there. There's so many guys out on LOD, they make up another whole squad. Go Figure! Maybe it's time to change the City Charter, and increase the Depts. manpower like has been brought up to the Chief of OPS. by the Union Pres.?

I just got back from vacation and let me say it was a pleasure to find this issue finally being spoken about again on EMT Bravo. I know many may think it's just an old horse being beaten again, but for those who work for FDMV, me being one of them for the past 20yrs., it's an ever lasting problem for us, that will continue as long as Depts. respond in on M/A. They are all being used time and time again by our City Officials and that's not one's opinion, that's the fact. The staffing and equipment problems have been brought to the Mayor's attention, and you know what his answer was, "That's O.K. just call Mutual Aid." I, as well as the majority of FDMV members are fed up with it and probably the only solution to correct it may be Chris McCann's idea, and that is to respond in on M/A, but start charging the City of MT.Vernon for your services. Or, tell members of your Dept. to stop running back to cover apparatus that's been sent to the Vern on M/A. Your not helping us by doing so, and your surely not helping your own taxpayers. The only Dept. who seems to practice this on occasion is Pelham, but unforunately, it's only when certain members are off. Anyway, I'd like to thank Chris for stepping up to the plate once again, and showing his support for his fellow union members in the Vern. Maybe the so called surrounding Proffesional FF.s will join his and Yonkers lead and do the same, instead of jumping on their big red trucks to respond to the Vern to play and get dirty. I don't mean to offend anybody, but when you get down to it, it's the truth, even if it hurts. Stay Safe Brothers!

Too bad that wasn't O.J. Simpson!

Guys just remember, like BC. John Salka and BC. John Norman from FDNY always state, a quick, properly placed and adequately supplied initial attack handline saves more Lives, including those of Firefighters more often, than any other tool on the fireground, including Ladders. Get the 1'st and appropiate size handline into operation as fast as possible and a majority, if not all your problems are solved, or at least minimized, hopefully, eliminating the need for any FAST TEAM. In my opinion, the FAST TEAM concept should have been introduced and implemented years ago, especially when many of the Departments had adequate manpower. Unforunately, Departments now, are implementing a FAST TEAM POLICY or at least trying too, when they don't even have enough personnel to get this 1'st hoseline into operation or to even carry out the always necessary and essential, initial ventilation! It drives me nuts to constantly hear guys ask one another after a JOB, was a FAST TEAM standing buy, and wanting to hang the IC, only to find almost every window still intact, the roof nut cut, the bulkhead door still closed in M/D's, secondary searches not even begun, let alone completed, skylights still in place and only two lines in operation when there should have been at least three if not four lines in operation. But everything is all well and good folks because we had our FAST TEAM or should I say Smoke Screen standing buy in case of an Emergency, which in my DEPT., usually consists of two men. If your Dept. is lucky enough to have the resources to immediately institute a FAST TEAM and at the same time initiate an effective and aggressive interior attack on a Fire than by all means, I say do it. But if peoples lives are at stake when you pull up, than all available personnel should be put to work, even if this means calling in a neighboring Dept. on Mutual Aid to standby at the scene as your FAST TEAM. Lets worry more about accomplishing the Basics Tasks to achieve our number one goal and that is to SAVE LIFE AND PROPERTY by putting the FIRE OUT instead of always worrying about how many guys are or were standing buy in the front of the building in case the $hit hit the fan! If everyone available initially, does their job, which for the most part is just remembering and carrying out the Basics or as some Instructors put it, the BREAD and BUTTER of Firefighting, I honestly believe more civilian and probably firefighters lives' would be saved regardless of the number of personnel standing buy. Yes, there will be times where the unforseen happens at a Fire and members are going to get seriously injured, if not killed, but if you look at many of the investigations into LOD deaths and injuries, many times they are the result of the members themselves or their comrades not following the proper procedures and their Depts.SOP's. Don't get me wrong, I'm not downplaying the need for an established FAST TEAM POLICY, I just think when your working in a Dept. that's understaffed to begin with, your number one concern should not be how many guys can you assemble to stand fast in front of the Fire Bldg. when you have a GOOD JOB going and a definite or potentially severe LIFE HAZARD present, and barely enough personnel to carry out the BASICS. If you don't extinguish that Fire as quickly as possible, with the minimum number of men at hand, you can almost guarantee yourself a loss of life, including firefighters. In my opinion, by deploying all your available manpower to carrry out all the critical tasks that must be accomplished in the initial stages of a Fire, within a reasonable amount of time, you'll greatly reduce your chances of ever having to utilize a FAST TEAM, and can make use of them in some other area or return them to service as fast as you requested them. Stay Safe and Healthy Brothers!

I've got to honestly say in my opinion, as well as those of the majority of Career guys I work with in my Department, as well as my neighboring Career Departments, this has to be one of the most hilarious shows on T.V., because we all can relate to it, in some way or another. Believe it or not fellows, the stupidity and ignorance you see on that show actually does exist within the Professional Fire Service, even in the FDNY. If I ever invited anyone of you who dislikes the show to work one tour with me in my Career Dept., you'd think you were actually in one of the episodes of RESCUE ME! Granted, some of the material is exagerated, but for the most part it's right on the money. Many of the guys I work with could play the roles of those characters on the show without even having to take Actor's Lessons, that's how similar the show is to my JOB! I don't watch the show for the fire scenes because as usual, it's unrealistic and all Hollywood. I enjoy and find humor in everything that happens within the Station and in the characters personal lives outside of work. Maybe because I, along with many of my Career Brothers have either experienced or witnessed first hand, many of these types of scenarios. The only guys I have spoken to that actually dislike the show, are many of the newer and younger FDNY members. The older, senior men actually get a kick out of it because many of them have been there and done that. Dennis Leary has put together a show that portrays characters of all walks of life, who have different but realistic personalities and problems that are present in everyday life. They all come together though putting their troubles aside when the bell hits to achieve a common goal and that is to do their job of protecting Life and Property. I bet if the show was based around another Dept. other than the FDNY, such as BOSTON or CHICAGO many would have a different outlook on it. Anyway, I never met Dennis Leary but I know one thing about him for sure. After his cousin died, who was one of the 5 Worcester, MA. Firefighters that died in the Cold Storage Warehouse fire, he's spent a great deal of his time raising money for deceased firefighters widow's and their families, especially those of the FDNY, and also has donated much needed equipment to the FDNY especially after 911. Like or Dislike him and/or his show, he is who he is and like he said about his show RESCUE ME, sometimes the truth hurts. Nobody's perfect, including Firefighters but he always has and forever will have, an incredible amount of Respect for Us and the job we do. This is something he's continuously stated on more than one ocassion when being interviewed. I'm looking forward, along with many of my peers to see what kind of crazy episodes he brings us next season that we can all relate to once again.

Sorry, but I've just heard about enough of how Career guys are more experienced, better trained, dedicated and all around more professional than those that Volunteer their services. I was a Volunteer in my Department prior to becoming a Career member and can honestly say after 25 years of firefighting experience, 22 of which are Career years, there seems to be no drastic difference between the level of service each organization provides and delivers to the citizens they protect. Yes it's true in some Volunteer Depts., there can be some lengthy response times to incidents which unfortunately may lead to a substantial amount of property loss or even death, but I've seen the same unfortunate results happen in many Career Depts., especially my own, who's response times are some of the quickest around. Why you ask? ATTITUDE! It doesn't matter if your Paid or Volunteer, if you don't give a hoot about your job whether your getting paid to do it or not, everyone is going to suffer, both the Public and your brother firefighters. I've worked with some real winners over the years, both Volunteer and Paid and can honestly say it's an individual's attitude that makes or breaks a Department. It doesn't matter how many hours of training one has or how quick you get to a scene, if you can't remember and apply what you have learned you are no good to anyone, including yourself. Both Career and Volunteer Depts. have their share of Foundation Saves. I've responded many times to what started out as minor Jobs, literally around the corner from our Quarters, and after all was said and done, myself and the rest of my career brothers were standing in front of yet, another Parking Lot. Sometimes I begin to think we reign in Urban Renewal. Yes, there are times it's caused by a lack of manpower and equipment but on more than one occassion, it's the end result of incompetence starting from our Depts. Leadership right down to the paid staff on the 1'st due apparatus and those who follow. Even Professional Depts. like FDNY, with all the manpower they have, have their share of foul ups. I've heard this from many of their members, both firefighters and Officers alike, many of whom are highly respected and well known throughout the Fire Service Community. And You know what? Many of them were and still are Volunteer Firefighters. Imagine that! Good Luck to All and Stay HEALTHY and SAFE!

Hey guys, don't feel to bad. Believe it or not, these are the exact same ways to kill the morale in a Career Department. The only difference is those who are lazy and incompetent are getting paid for it and in some Depts., quite a substantial amount. That's what really pisses me off!

I guess many guys from the Vern won't be applying!

If it's pointless then there's no reason for you to even comment on this topic. I don't think the Career guys in FDMV think it's a frivolous topic, especially when many of them are the ones bringing it to light and discussing it on the forum, not the YFD members as you mistakingly think. They dropped their replies soon after they stopped responding into FDMV on Mutual Aid, which, as was previously stated on the forum, may be a solution to their abuse of the M.A. Policy, and a reason to supplement their manpower and equipment. However, it takes all the surrounding Departments, Career and Combination to take a Stand and make it Work! If the Top Brass of these adjacent Departments doesn't want to make this decision than maybe the Unions should! Then again, that would require some so called Union members to turn down their Dept's. Call BACK O.T., which is another issue in itself. As long as guys continue to run back to work for the almighty Dollar, so they can provide Fire Protection for the City of MT.Vernon at another taxpayers expense, FDMV will continue to face this everlasting saga, and constantly rely on Mutual Aid. It's unfortunate, but then again that's what ERNIE wants.