dragonrescue

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Posts posted by dragonrescue

  1. Posted

    Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the Waldbaum's fire in Brooklyn, NY where 6 firefighters perished, when a bowstring truss roof collapsed, sending all to their fiery death. I remember this day like it was yesterday. My dad, Tony Dragonetti, was assigned to E-254 and worked the 9x6 tour. He was walking into the firehouse as 254 & 153 were pulling out onto Avenue U. He would have been on the roof in place of Terry Cambell who was badly burned. I was 14 and remember waking up to my mom's screams, when she heard the news of the fire on the radio. We took a ride to the scene from LI and found my dad sitting on the back of 254's rig in tears. I never saw my dad cry and my mom hug my dad like the way she did at that moment. I still well up with tears when I think about that scene. It was a sigh of relief for me to see my dad safe and extremely sad at the same time to hear him say the names of the guys that perished. I spent my entire childhood life and beyond at the firehouse and these brave men were my family and will always have a place in my heart. May they be remembered forever and RIP......

    x635, FDNY 10-75, Bnechis and 10 others like this

  2. Posted

    Under the proposed staffing guidelines that may be correct as they are the minimum, but it is entirely possible that those staffing guidelines will be subject to change based on the availibility of guaranteed, scheduled volunteer staffing. Alternate guidelines remain a possibility and have recieved a number of modifcations to allow for 4 man staffing in each station 24/7. As has been said before this will be a work in progress and as such little is cast in stone at the moment. If or when some of the other programs associated with recruitment and retention bear fruit it is even more likely that residents of North Stamford will actuially see an increase in staffing per rig to 6 or multiple units staffed per station to better serve them. Given continued supprt from 888 the residents of North Stamford will see a far greater return for their investment than they have in the past or would with the proposed SFRD plan.

    Cogs

    I have to ask this question again.........Where are you going to get the volunteers from, when the existing vollies are all hired as paid drivers?

  4. Posted

    This post is not intended to make everyone apprehensive, but there are so many naive people that think the radiation leak will be limited to Japan. Granted, they will be effected the most but this is a long term global event. The vapors mix with the clouds and fall as rain all over, contaminating water and the food chain. The smallest amount of radiation causes health issues. Remember, it was safe to breath the air at ground zero, NOT! The world really needs to be educated!

  6. Posted

    Based on the above, SVFD would have 12 engines, 2 trucks, 2 rescues and 2 tankers out of 6 stations.

    If as suggested each station would have 4 FF's which means 12 rigs (66% are not staffed) even with the concept of cross staffing you can sell 6 rigs.

    More importantly what rigs are needed to respond? Particularly if this plan goes thru, I suspect SFRD will pull its units out of No. Stamford.

    So what rigs need to respond to a reported unknown fire in No. Stamford? I'll break it down into the northern and southern portions of No. Stamford. My understanding is the northern 1/2 is generally without a municipal water supply (read: no hydrants) and the southern 1/2 has hydrants.

    Stamford VFDs Map.pdf

    Northern SVFD:

    2 engines (1 attack and 1 supply)

    2 tankers (6,000 gallons minimum on wheels)

    1 ladder

    1 chief

    These 5 units would need to be dispatched from the 4 closest stations. Which if staffed as suggested cant be done. The other 2 stations are to far (based on ISO & NFPA) to respond in the initial response. They would each need to send 1 rig if declared a working fire (FAST & Source/fill site unit)

    To make up this staffing configuration:

    LRFD Sta#1: Tanker (2 ff)

    LRFD Sta#2: Engine (4 ff)

    TORFD Sta#1: Tanker (2 ff) Ladder (4 ff)

    TORFD Sta#2: Engine (4 ff)

    Southern SVFD:

    2 engines (1 attack and 1 supply)

    1 ladder

    1 rescue

    1 chief

    To make up this staffing configuration:

    TORFD Sta#1: Ladder (4 ff)

    TORFD Sta#2: Engine (4 ff)

    GFD: Engine (4 ff)

    SFD: Rescue (4 ff)

    Northern units would be needed for FAST.

    Note: these layouts only allow for a 1st alarm assignment. M/A and/or call back would be needed beyond that.

    So GFD goes empty? Based on this who brings the water?

    Barry,

    You do nice work, but don't waste your time. The new Public Safety Director and The Mayor has it all figured out......along with Cogs and a few other wizards......I can hardly wait for the responses to your layout....hehehehehe

  11. Posted

    Well there has already been a number of lawsuits brought before a series of judges, none of whom thought to bring such an injunction. Why? Most likely because the State's role here is very limited due to the home rule provisions of the General Statutes. Fair? No. In the public's best interest? Maybe not, but again like it or not that's the way it is. And let me just say that even I find many of the same obstacles extremely frustrating as everyone once else here, but they can't just be ignored because we don't like them. Ignoring or disregarding established ordinaces and laws is a slippery slope indeed. What's next? Ignoring the Charter is no different than if the labor contracts were to be arbitrarily and unilaterally ignored by an administration for say financial reasons. How well would that sit? Do you think the union would go to court over such a move?

    So maybe instead of all the finger pointing, chest thumping and foot stomping the situation would be better served and more importantly so would the public, if the union accepted the fact that they will have to deal with the volunteers as an integral part of the process not a subsidiary one.

    Cogs

    THE VOLLY SYSTEM IN STAMFORD IS A DISGRACE! The so called mayor and his side kick are making it worse.....If I die in the line of duty, because of incompetency up north, my wife has a laundry list of people she will be suing......God Speed!

  12. Posted

    I don't have access to those records for the other VFDs, but I have already given a rundown on BFDs membership's interior certification. As far as following the orders of an IC, well who determines they're level of experience or what the quaility of their training is? If they have been to numerous fires/incidents and handled them what then is the problem. Do you really believe a piece of paper certifies someones qualifications? If so than that is extremely dangerous. In answer to you question, yes I would follow their orders until such time as I was given an order that my experience leads me to question. That is the ICS after all.

    WHAT? We know how the volunteer officer system works in Stamford. If you're popular, "POOF" ,you're an officer......

  14. Posted

    Can you???

    It's been two weeks since I asked to meet with anyone from SFRD to try and develope an alternative to the two "plans" currently on the table. Thus far the silence has been deafening and quite honestly very telling as to the sincerity of some in regards to wanting to "work together".

    How about answering the question posted above this morning. Why was the only alternative that sought to integrate career and volunteer personnel ignored by SFRD?

    Cogs

    Who are you referring to when you say "anyone from SFRD"? Are you speaking in behalf of the mayor? If not, then your wasting your time trying to meet with someone from SFRD. The mayor needs to have a sit-down with the union and he shows no interest in doing so.

  15. Posted

    You are right. It has nothing to do with what is best for the residents of Stamford or what is going to be safer for all firefighters responding. It is and always has been about control from both sides. The volunteers don't want to lose control of their districts and the career staff doesn't want to take orders from officers whose training and qualifications to lead are not known. What I don't understand is why what Glenbrook did is so bad? Yes they have a SFRD engine in their quarters. But any time there is a call in that district, the chief of Glenbrook is in command unless he relinquishes it to the deputy from SFRD. The volunteers if they come out, can respond, they can even ride out on the SFRD engine. Where is the down side to the way GFD operates? If you had the same set up in any other of the departments, why wouldn't it work the same way? Would it be so terrible if the career staff manned an engine out of TOR and the volunteers if they showed up, manned the ladder or the rescue? Same in Belltown. Tell me what the down side is.

    Can you hear the crickets?

  16. Posted

    I thought I got a scoop on this video, and sent it in to Dave Statter this afternoon. His blog was covering the second Chicago LODD funeral today with a live video feed. So after the funeral (it really was a beautiful service) he updated his site, and right at the top was this video with the headline "MUST SEE VIDEO". I was "like wow" and checked the credits....."Firefighter Close Calls" had it up yesterday.....no scoop for me. Oh well. Anyway much more important than that, is no Brothers were killed or seriously injured at this fire.

    Which leads me to ask, do any members out there have any SOPs from their departments regarding "Ambulance Fires"? I have to admit I've never seen this before; an ambulance fire that exploded. Never really thought about it much before either. The boneheads commenting on the video suggest it was oxygen that let go. Anybody agree with that?

    We had a liquid oxygen fueled fire on my job a couple of decades ago. It was on the 2nd or 3rd floor of a 10 story Type 1 OMD that burned so hot it affected the concrete construction, and auto exposed up two floors. Very fortunate it only killed two people. Oxygen. Very healthy for patients....potentially deadly in a fire. Any thoughts on the subject?

    No doubt in my mind.....That was an O2 tank......Wear all PPE including SCBA......Very lucky!

  17. Posted

    The official incident report is a scathing indictment in so many ways. So many lapses and on so many levels. It's appalling.

    How many departments have air-line respirators necessary for use in this type of hazard/confined space entry?

    (And no, this is NOT your Scott pack)

    And how many departments have a continuing respiratory protection program, documenting employee annual (re)certification training, quarterly hands-on refresher training/ use dates, showing signatures who took it, who gave it, and what was covered?

    Then there is documenting the monthly equipment inspections, and required annual respirator equipment performance testing and certification performed by a qualified vendor?

    Who does your annual employee respirator fit testing and medical exams?

    Nobody said it's easy to stay on top of all of this, but you can and you must, in order to avoid the possibility of a repeat incident of this nature. Lives depend on it.

    Full Disclosure Statement: prior to retiring as a Senior Specialist in Con Edison's Environmental Health & Safety, one of my responsibilities was for Westchester Gas Operation's Respiratory Protection Program encompassing over one hundred covered employees, and believe me, it's a daunting task. But with qualified trainers assisting and meticulous record keeping, it can be done.

    Jack

    Your last 4 lines in this statement are right on target. It is not an easy task to keep all the above items mentioned and much more, implemented and up to date. The task at hand is overwhelming, but as you stated, MUST BE DONE. It is important for a department to put highly motivated and qualified people in the position of maintaining this life saving task. Most of the time, from my observations, this falls into the lap of the Chief. Sometimes, the Chief will assign a training officer to handle it for him. The bottom line is, if it does become overwhelming for that individual, they should seek outside help. I have a fire service training company, based in Westchester, since 1999. One of the services that we offer to departments that we train, is maintaining the all the above mentioned items for them. A message for everyone reading this topic, don’t be afraid to ask for help and surround your self with good people. It will make the task at hand go more easily.

    Stay Safe

    Mike Dragonetti

  20. Posted

    There seems to be some new discussion in regards to the Stamford Plan. As a long term provider of the press that has hit this forum, the election of a new governor in Connecticut seems to be what prompted this "new" wave.

    It is my understanding that the present proposal for a new "Stamford Volunteer Fire Department" is going to require the combination of the resources of the Long Ridge, Belltown, Turn of River and Springdale Fire Companies/Departments. As has been discussed so MANY times, each of these separate agencies exist as legally formed bodies and are given sovereignty over their areas. The City of Stamford charter recognizes their existence and provides funding, to whatever extent, for them to operate. That being said, and it is well known, that funding is one of the major issues. How well, the city provides that funding, has been at odds seemingly forever.

    What has not been discussed, and appears to be may be lost on some, is that the existence of the above listed companies/departments, comes from being chartered by the State of Connecticut. Like any corporation, paperwork must be filed at the state level and a hefty amount of i's dotted and t's crossed before the state issues the associated documentation. As is similar in most states, the combination, consolidation, merging or termination of these corporations, would require some "paperwork" at the state level. And with that in mind, it appears that the creation of a new SVFD existence charter would also require some assistance at the state level. Perhaps the changing of the guard in Hartford will indeed have an effect on this latest proposal.

    Just as Pete Townshend wrote it - "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

    RIGHT ON, MY MAN GEPETTOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.........hehehehehehehe

  23. Posted

    I rode my bike to the scene after hearing it on the scanner, I was 9 at the time (there is a picture out there with me and my dad online). I had never seen anything like it. Ocean Avenue was filled with apparatus, hoses were everywhere, ambulances, police cars, etc, lined the side streets. I remember standing next to someone who went to our Church (St.Marks) watching the fire when all hell broke loose. IT was just chaos. My Dad told me there where guys that fell through the roof and he was going to assist (he was an EMT at the time). I remember the exterior wall on the Avenue Y side that they breached, it was awful when they pulled those guys out. There were so many of us who knew someone or was related to someone. Everyone from the neighborhood was there lending a hand. A very surreal moment indeed.

    Anthony, what street did you grow up on? I lived on East 26th street between Voorhies and Shore Pkwy. I also attended St. Marks until the 6th grade and moved out to LI.

    Mike Dragonetti

  24. Posted

    I

    remember this day like it was yesterday. My dad, Tony Dragonetti, was

    assigned to E-254 and worked the 9x6 tour. He was walking into the

    firehouse as E-254 & L-153 were pulling out onto Avenue U. He would

    have been on the roof in place of Terry Cambell who was badly burned. I was 14 and remember waking up to my mom's screams,

    when she heard the news of the fire on the radio. We took a ride to the

    scene from LI and found my dad sitting on the back step of 254's rig in

    tears (my dad never cries). I never saw my mom hug my dad like the way she did at that

    moment. I still well up with tears when I think about that scene. It

    was a sigh of relief for me to see my dad safe and extremely sad at the

    same time to hear him say the names of the guys that perished. I spent

    my entire childhood life and beyond at the firehouse on Avenue U and these brave

    men were my family and will always have a place in my heart. May they

    be remembered forever and RIP......

    6 NYC firefighters lost their lives at the Waldbaum's fire on August 2, 1978. This was the largest loss of firefighters in a single fire in Brooklyn. The firefighters died at the fire when the roof collapsed, and 34 others were injured. At the time, it was the worst single disastrous fire for FDNY.

    The heroic firefighters who died are FF George Rice, 38, Ladder 153, FF James McManus, 48. Cov. Lt. James Cutillo, 39, 33rd Batt., FF Harold Hastings, 39, 42nd Batt., FF Charles Bouton,38, L. 156 and William O'Connor,29 of L. 156.

    gpdexplorer and Bnechis like this