bil14ga

The problem with offering this course in high schools is that many students are not eligible to take the class because of their age. In NY you must be 18 by the date of the written exam. Furthermore, this course does not cover enough material to cover an entire year or semester.

Correction... you must be 18 by the last day of the month that the state exam takes place.

English would be great because i did not understand one thing you were trying to say.

I second that!!! What did he say????

You took the words right off my keyboard! And I thought I was a cynic!

What I find amazing is how we as firefighters continue to believe that the system is not broken. There has to be a better way than how we are responding to our costumers emergencies. Throughout the history of man we have fixed and reinvented countless consumer products and ways to do things. The mentality of some individuals just floors me. Everything here on this board and inside our firehouses seem to be distorted into a career vs volunteer attitude. As a career firefighter/lieutenant, I have always maintained a pro volunteer attitude. A well trained volunteer makes my job easier. There can be a working system that reduces the duplication of services at a cost effective rate. We need to put our minds together on this. We need to stop worrying about the patch on the side of the rig and start worrying about the fire service we will all eventually leave for the people behind us.

I am all for tradition in the fire service, but there is a time and place for tradition. I am all for pride and esprit de corps, but at some time we are going to have to swallow it. A narcissitic attitude tends to be pervasive in the fire service. We need to get it through our thick skulls that the fire service is not about the individual. It is about the people we serve.

Ok. Since x68eng119 opened the conversation up to some pie-in-the-sky, lets consider the other side of that coin. How it will work when politicians get involved...

I'm not picking on any specific departments, but since the T.o.Cordtland and V.o. Croton were mentioned...

The Cordtland / Croton Regional Fire Authority is formed. The Fire Advisory Board, appointed at the Town and Village Board's Pleasure consists of a couple former volunteer officers and a bunch of local business owners and lawyers who "know how to run businesses". In order to properly run a large Regional Fire Authority, the candidate search for Chief is conducted nationwide. Preference is given to local applicants, however a Mr. Whatsizface, a deputy chief with 18 years experience from the Middlanowhere, Georgia County Fire Department is hired at a salary commensurate to his experience and comparable to the greatest regional departments in the nation. He begins building his office staff by hiring friends from back home. His first project - to pick two fire houses.

After months of protests from the local communities, lawsuits by politicians and former fire district officers, and a News 4 exposee with "baby mommas" (who don't even live in the area) crying about their babies burning to death "cuz' dey closed da fiahhouse", two stations are chosen! After a two million dollar blue ribbon study involving a few strategically appointed (but poorly qualified) committee members the stations chosen are Montrose and Verplanck because they "offer a key blend of strategic resource features of great community value"(?) - according to the report which is completed two years after the fact. Since nobody buys old fire houses, especially ones filled with asbestos and lead, the new department must maintain and heat the old ones until, ultimately, all except Buchanan's old station are given away to not-for-profits. Buchanan's old staton becomes the new department headquarters facility after a multi-million dollar bonded rennovation where the bays have been sealed up and turned into offices for the purchasing and payroll departments for the Cordtland / Croton Region Fire Authority which now employs 35 non-uniform personnel who are paid in accordance with other regional fire authorities throughout the nation and neccessary to operate an "agency of this size".

A completely different set of paid firefighters is hired from civil service, many of whom bear an uncanny likeness in face and name to certain town and county officials. The VA at Montrose, seeing that the community how has 24 hour career fire protection, closes the VA fire department, relocating a couple of their firefighters to Castle Point, but offering the others jobs in the maintenance department. The Town hits financial trouble after the bunchanan firehouse renovation goes over budget. The money that was earmarked to be allocated to build a facility to maintain the Authority's apparatus is diverted to the bunchanan renovation. The apparatus facility is finally built using apparatus maintenace funds and the money saved by foregoing hiring actual mechanics to staff it. instad, all the old apparatus fro mthe now defunct departments is stored in the building.

A late night water line break (due to not heating the building) destroys many of the old rigs before they can be auctioned off. They are written off as surplus and given to a scrap dealer.

The career staffing consists of 2 engines manned by four, a ladder truck manned by three who also cross-staff an ambulance. The Authority contracts with some Ambulance service out of CT since so-and-so who is whats-his-name's favorite cousin is a part owner of the company and had a hook on the Town Board and help fund somebody's re-election campaign. The contract allows the ambulance provider to bill the patients AND collect a big check from the Authority every year. The Cordtland and Croton Regional Fire Authority, now known by it's jazzy new name "Cord/ton FirRescue.com - Your Hometown Community Service" (generated by a $800,000 proposal from a Madison Ave. PR firm, in conjunction with the Fire Authority's own 8 employee Media and Information Department) employs 65 office staff and 32 firefighters.

Apparatus purchases are deferred until further notice. The S.S. Don't Forget to Change Your Batteries, a 20,000 gpm fireboat is commissioned by the Authority after a vague assessment from the State DHS that the Authority needs a boat of some sort to protect "critical infrastructure". The boat quickly balloons to 95 feet long with the argument that a Regional Fire Authority has a mandate to provide world quality service to its community. It will feature two 900 sq.ft. staterooms and a banquet dining deck for use by Authority Board Members for entertaining benefactors of the Fire Prevention Program. Firefighters are offered the opportunity to work as kitchen help and waiters when off shift.

When the Authority gets a federal grant, instead of bolstering the firefighting staffing level, they use it to build a new "9/11 Memorial Administration Facility" after it is determined that the renovated buchanan firehouse is not adequate for the authority's needs. The buchanan fire house is given to a meals-on-wheels program for the increasing ranks of poor people in the Authority's coverage area.

Wow!!! Are we a little cynical?????

I posted the MCI response as I sat at the watch desk the other night and typed the response for the MCI as I looked right at it. I believe when the MCI level 1 was called the other day, the dispatcher understood that the IC needed the next level and therfore dispatched it. It could be different for the other departments in the county, but the assignment i put up earlier is Fairviews. Hope this answers the questions.

Chris

In Dutchess County the MCI levels are a little different from Weschester. A Level one in most of the local departments will get you an ambulance. Additional levels of MCI will get you 5 ambulances to the scene, two ambulances relocating to different stations for backfill, and two more ambulances on standyby in their quarters. The county CAD is set up for five levels of MCI. After that I am not sure what happens.

About time that the state is talking about pushing services together. This needs to happen at all levels of government, especially the local level. Too much duplication of services... which is nothing more than government waste. Why do we need all of this apparatus when the town next door has a similar piece sitting on the floor not being used to its full potential. Look at town government... Why is there duplicate tax records at both the town I live in and at the county office building? For that matter why is there individual tax records at every town hall that duplicates the records at the county. Do you know that in Dutchess county, the town often pays the county to have tax bills made up and then the town mails them out? Why add the extra step? Have one universal tax collector at the county level. Almost makes sense!

All in all it is about the little kingdoms we build. Always trying to have something we percieve (SPELLING) as better often at the expense of the poor taxpayer. As Ronald Reagan once said.... "Bigger government is not the solution to the problem... It is the problem."

Lets have a thoughtful and sincere discussion on how to relieve our tax burden.

Is there anyone out there who's out at FDIC, and can give us the lowdown what manufacturers launched new products, what was displayed, etc?

We have not been on the floor yet as it (the floor) opens tomorrow. Rest of the FDIC has been great. The presentations have exceeded my expectations.

I have never used it when operating at a call. I also do not have it on my phone.

This one is my favorite. Bendels face is priceles Nice job guys

Doesn't he look like his hero in this picture? Who is that???? Non other than Craig!!!

nice rig too bad its the wrong color just kidding

Like I said in the past, put it in a bag and it will ripen up a bit.

Hey who's a CIC.... I want CME Credit!!!!

Justin,

NO CME FOR YOU!!! Tradition hater!!!!!

As far as the case goes... ALS work up for R/O MI. Females with MI can present atypically. With a Hx of DM and hyperlipidemia it is a good idea to look at this first. This is not to say to not look at other possible causes. Work up should include blood sugar, full round of tubes (bloods), and a 12 lead.

Regarding the ALS crew, paramedics are obligated to complete a full history and physical whenever they arrive at the scene. If there are strong BLS providers on the scene that assessed the patient, the paramedic may take that providers assessment and turf the patient BLS if it is clinically indicated. Putting the patient on a monitor in my mind is working a patient up and once that happens the patient should not be turned over BLS.

Unfortunately, I see alot (not all) paramedics take the easy way out and tend to turf patient that need to be worked up. When I was working full time as a paramedic, ALS patients always got my full undivided attention. A complete history and physical was completed. I always erred on the side of working up patients as opposed to sending BLS. This was not because I did not trust the BLS crews, but instead it was my a$$ on the line if something went bad. Patients who were truely BLS were sent with the BLS crew.

It is nice, but what is up with the color??? Maybe if they put it in a bag it will ripen up a little like the apparatus in Dutchess Fairview!!! LOL

Best SuperBowl Ever. Way to go Giants!!!!

We just 2 ambulances on International Chassis about 10 months ago. I love them and they were money well spent.

www.chesterambulance.com

Having been a medic for a long time and ridden in numerous different ambulances, it has been my experience that they are not what they are cracked up to be. While they do have more than ample room in them, that can be a hinderance when you are working solo in the back. Items are sometimes difficult to reach. Additionally, the units I have ridden give a poor ride. This in my opinion can effect patient care.

Hope this helps.

It was not a surprise that the bond was voted down. My question is do they really need that much of a firehouse. There are multiple firehouses in a very small area right around HFD. Maybe we need to look at how we provide fire service in Dutchess County. Stop wasting our hard earned tax dollars on buildings and apparatus and start spending the money on what we really need when and emergency occurs.... people!!!

Just my opinion. Take it for what it is worth.

Bought and read the book. They have it at B&N. Begining of the book was tough... Lots of information that ties into the end of the book. Dry reading at first. Finished it in 2 days. Wife is reading it now. I would recommend it.

A county wide fire/EMS department is way too progressive for us up here in Dutchess County. Why would we want to improve response times, save money, and possibly save lives/property?

Really now… It would be a great idea to create a county department. We could reduce the duplication of equipment (i.e. more rescue trucks than NYC), put people where we need them, and reduce response times. A career combination county wide fire/EMS department is well past due.

Let’s face it we have more apparatus than we really need and it is not always where it really needs to be. Staff is at best lacking both on the career and volunteer sides. Fire apparatus and ambulances do not take care of people in their time of need. It is people taking care of people. I would like to see a system of strategically placed career rigs that would respond to alarms all alarms. Volunteers would be able to respond to alarms as well but there would be a reduction of respond on the nuisance alarms.

Local fire companies would be allowed to keep their individual identities intact. There would be a true command structure. We would be able to address special operations, which is currently being neglected in my opinion.

This is about resource management in a day and age where the tax dollar needs to be stretched to get the most bang for it. People and equipment are our resources. Why waste the taxpayers’ dollars on the needless duplication. A county wide system should be embraced by everyone involved. This includes career, volunteer, elected officials, and most importantly the tax payer/customer.

Sorry Oswego but contrary to some big shots in the IAFF and a couple of "left coast" fire chiefs, EMS and firefighting are not similar jobs. The only thing they have in common is driving a vehicle to an emergency scene with lights and sirens. I am not a "problEMS" guy, I have all the respect in the world for EMS. I did it paid for 3 years and did it volly 2 years in college, but trust me they are completely different jobs requiring totally different skills. As for the manpower scenario you brought up its obvious you never worked a large city that actually has fires as either EMS or FD. After you bring the 10th ETOH or abd pain to the hospital and are about to get off tour the last thing you want is to stretch a 2 1/2 into a taxpayer or start cutting a roof on an OLT.

Remember aside from a few hardcore buffs, how many guys take the fire test to ride an ambulance? how many EMT's and medics really want to ride a firetruck? Think of how many females and smaller males that are great techs and medics that would be out of a job if the services combined?

Funny how this job has changed so much in just the short time that I have been doing it. Why do we get into the fire service and why do we get in to the EMS business? I and a lot of the prople that I know got into this business for what I believe the right reasons... This job is about people. Taking care of people. If you are truely on the job for the right reasons you would want to have every available tool required to help people when they are in need.

I notice more and more each day that members seem to forget what this job is really about. The people that pay your salary are entitled to the best possible service. This includes providing EMS in a timely manner. You are in a service business. Take care of your customers and do it with a smile.

They do not come in all black. Simply because the material used is naturally gold in color. Kevlar is a yellow fiber thats why you see it all the high risk areas of the glove that couldnt be covered in leather for protection.

Sorry Roofopen, it was a private joke at my local FD. Had to get my shot in with FFD941 when I had a chance.

Be well and be safe. Happy holidays to all.

Fairview (Dutchess) has been using these golves recently as a trial sets. The glove is well designed and fits your hand like a glove should.

Do they come in black???????

Me and a buddy stopped by the HRPC some time in fall of 1992 because we had heard that they had some old fire equipment. We managed to find someone who worked there and he let us in the old fire station. I recall seeing the open cab ALF 600 or 700 series aerial and a Mack, I seem to think it was an enclosed cab "B", pumper. There might also have been a GMC or Chevy SUV - like an S-10, but it might not have been used by the brigade. Both rigs were in incredible shape but collecting dust - half the lights in the garage didn't work at the time. We both had cameras with us and got pictures of the trucks. I'll have to see if the pictures survived three moves.

I always wondered where the aerial went.

Thanks for the pictures Billy. Seriously, you should put together a book. You have an AMAZING collection and your photography is excellent.

When HRPC closed down its fire house, all of the apparatus and hose was given to the Fairview Fire District. The apparatus was kept in the back of the firehouse and was eventually auctioned off to the highest bidder. The highest bidder happens to be in Pleasant Valley which is where the apparatus still sits to this day. I am told that the ladder is still in fair condition, although I have also been told it sits outside. The two pieces of apparatus were sold together. The buyer was more of a Mack fan but took the LaFrance when he won the bid. The old cab over ford which was nicknamed "Yellow Bird" sat behind Nichol's for a while. I do not know it it is still there.

Hope this helps

Chris

Anybody know?

I do not believe there is a law that requires career firefighters to pass FF1 or FF2. There is a law that requires firefighters to complete 229 hours of training within the fire year of employment. I got the following from the Westchester Career Academy's site. It reads as dollows:

"The work and instruction that is provided in this program is mandated by the New York state general municipal law §209-w which requires all newly appointed firefighters receive a minimum of 229 hours of training in specific subject areas. Included in the framework is the C-Pat (Candidate-Physical Agility Test) which each candidate must pass within 18 months of their hiring date."

the web site is as follows: http://www.westchestergov.com/emergserv/Academy/academy.htm

Hope this helps.

WABC news reports that there are now 2 firefighters transported from the scene in cardiac arrest.

WABC reports one firefighter transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest.

New York- WABC, August 18, 2007) - The Deustche Bank skyscraper, heavily damaged during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, is on fire Saturday afternoon in Lower Manhattan.

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The Fire Department says The 40-story tower, left vacant since it was badly damaged during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, had flames on multiple floors. Smoke floated above New York Harbor.

Construction crews had been in the process of taking it down floor by floor. The cause of the fire was unknown.

Eyewitness News is told one firefighter was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest.

The NYPD called a level 2 mobilization in lower manhattan for traffic control

The building on Liberty Street has become a problem for redevelopers in the nearly six years since the attacks. The 1.4 million square foot office tower stood as a downtown Manhattan eyesore, contaminated with toxic dust and debris after the World Trade Center's south tower collapsed into it.

Efforts to dismantle the skyscraper were halted by a labor dispute last year, along with the ongoing search for the remains of 9/1 victims. The Deutsche bank building is among the sites were remains were recently recovered in the area.