firefighter36

The reporter who filed this story is the same one who put out a similar story on Firefighter salaries in Dutchess County in December 2010.

Hopefully the arsonist is found, and justice is swift and blinding. May our brother's soul find peace.

They are not the only agency, a few years back, the PA State Police held an Exam at a location in NYC.

I started driving an ambulance at 19, while working for a commercial service. I became a fire apparatus operator when I got hired at my job at the age of 21. That being said, in my volunteer fire days, I did not drive or pump, and it was great, because I was too busy learning the inside of every building, every hydrant I would have to dress, and every task that would be expected of me. I was too busy to want to drive because I wanted to learn how to be a firefighter first. Not an engineer, not a captain or a chief, a firefighter. I think alot of people get into this business and want to jump right up the chain of command, get on he driver list, and the like. There is a great deal to be said about being a smart firefighter. Its not about who has the biggest collection of certificates or the most badges, its about who can be a part of the team and contribute to the cause. Its also about having the maturity and gumption (some get it sooner than others) to deal with the dicey situations we find ourselves in. There is an entire lifetime to drive an emergency vehicle. But without properly trained workers to handle the emergencies, those vehicles are worthless. They are also worthless if they don't get to a scene. Perhaps paramount, the operator should also be keenly aware of every task his crew is expected to perform, and that comes with experience and training. That is the end of my diatribe.

Everyone, We have designed a new t-shirt, and received approximately 100 shirts. They are available at our firehouse, 258 Violet Avenue, in Poughkeepsie. They are $15 each. Feel free to stop in and see any on-duty member, and they can help you! Thanks for all of the support. -Mark Bendel Trustee, IAFF Local 2623

We are now taking online payments! http://www.iaff2623.org/index.cfm?zone=/unionactive/view_page.cfm&page=Store

Plenty of shirts in sizes Small-3XL, stop in!

Not sure yet to be honest.

I think programs like this have a lot of potential. I know of a few departments in the Syracuse area that have live-in capabilities, not sure of how active the programs are. I can think of few, if any areas in NY that have the call volume that PG County and some of those areas have down in the Metro-DC corridor. That call volume is likely to be what attracts so many people to live-in programs. That call volume goes with tremendous growth in the communities and population. As for live-in programs, they can be beneficial, especially in areas that have colleges with fire service based majors. I know of a few programs in CO, CA, and ME that have live-ins in career houses that often result in members being fully certified and field trained, and thus readily employable upon completion of their live-in days. Anyone know of programs like this or have anyone on the forum been a part of one that was successful? As with Dan, in my younger days, that would have definitely been a consideration.

Cogs, great post, and thank you for painting a picture of what life is like over there. Stay safe.

From a risk management standpoint, lowering standards in the name of recruitment and retention is dangerous. The mere fact that an agency can put lives at risk for permanent disability/dismemberment/death rather than adhering to an acceptable physical and safety standard, even minimal can make for a costly operation in the long run. With watchdog groups, politicians and others crying for fiscal prudence, is that a risk that fire commissioners, councilmembers, etc. should take? Paid or volunteer, the stakes are real and the job is dangerous. We can all agree to that. The most precious and hard to come by resource in the fire service are people. on the career end, they are the most expensive part of the budget, and in many volunteer outfits, new members are hard to come by. Making sure we have trained personnel who are in shape to handle the combat conditions of firefighting is a big deal. Christopher Brennan talks about the Metabolic Calorie Burn of Firefighting operations in his new book, and on his blog www.thefireservicewarrior.com Check it out, the facts he presents are staggering. At the local and company level, any department/company/municipality/fire district/etc. should provide members with access to health and diet coaching, physical training, and a gym. This is a great use for that 2% insurance money. The key here is prevention. As M'Ave pointed out, the informal study done in NYC shows a big stress on cardiac health, and that stress is not temporary, but cumulative over years of service. What can we do for line personnel? We can sell ourselves and our brothers and sisters a culture change. We can eat well in the firehouse, if we try. Drop the doughnuts and coffee (i indulge from time to time too) step back from the TV room after your downtime, and get on the treadmill or in the gym for part of your shift or standby duty. Come to work hydrated, stretched, and ready to go into combat, because that is the reality of the work, career or volunteer. None of the resources above are any good if we don't make the commitment to live healthy and keep ourselves ready for the worst at all times. A culture change can be hard to sell, but when it comes to overall health of firefighters, it should be a no brainer.

Doesn't always matter what the membership wants, its about what the law reads. I am not familiar with the size or deployment of the Latham paid staff, but the following applies. http://www.dhses.ny.gov/ofpc/documents/standards/Part426LawBook.pdf

"Only" 2 heavy rescue companies? If a place like New York City Can get by with 5, given the call volume, I'm sure that they can get by with 1. While all of these 12 departments seem to have no shortage of equipment (kudos to their commissioners for equipping their departments as best they can), the overwhelming posts here seem to indicate a lack of "human capital" i.e. staffing. Having an excellent fleet means nothing if the companies aren't staffed and cannot respond and effectively mitigate emergencies. Disclaimer: My only experience experience up there is driving by most of these fire stations in my travels.

Everyone, IAFF Local 2623 is proud to announce that the official Fairview 2011 St. Patrick's Day T-Shirt is for sale. $20 each, sizes from S-3X. Please stop by the Fairview Fire Station, 258 Violet Avenue, Poughkeepsie to purchase. We also have online donations set-up. http://www.iaff2623.org/index.cfm?zone=/unionactive/view_page.cfm&page=Store Thanks for your support! Mark Bendel Trustee IAFF Local 2623

Shirts are in! Sizes S-2XL. Stop by the firehouse, or donate online. www.iaff2623.org thanks for your support!

Everyone, Due to ongoing demand, we will have more shirts available by March 15. We are accepting pre-orders at the fire station, or via our website www.iaff2623.org Thanks for the support!

No poor planning, you were just too slow!!

Thanks! And Thank you to everyone for their support of our local. We will also be coming out with a new tshirt design for the spring. Also, thanks to EC Printing in Poughkeepsie. Eli is great to all of the local first responders, and I highly reccommend doing business with his company if you have the opportunity.

Due to overhwleming response, we only have Large, 2X, & 3x Left.

I am an EMT-I, and I can concur with everyone that it is tough to use the skills you are taught, mainly due to regional protocols and the system we all seem to work in. We are fortunate to be in relatively close proximity to definative care, and we are able to get a patient to the hospital in a prompt fashion. EMT-I skills can be of great use in remote areas with longer access and transport times. The training I received was invaluable, and was an excellent learning opportunity, better than any EMT-B recert or some CMEs, in my humble opinion. I would reccommend the class to anyone who feels they want to do more or learn more, but cannot make the commitment to be a paramedic.

I'll bite. First and foremost, from listening to the conversation, we are able to establish that "Les" was the only occupant and that he was accounted for. We also heard either the bystander or LEO who was on scene state the possibility of hazardous chemicals. The fire seems to be burning rather violently, consistent with the fuel smell Les related. If we go with the video and all parties inside are accounted for, I would definietly consider a defesnive operation, and evacuate and protect potential exposures until we have the manpower and equipment to make an attack on the fire. I would also want to know if this was a vehicle fire in the garage like the conversation related, or if there was other fuel feeding this thing. It would also be beneficial to contact additional resources, utility companies, etc. Thanks for a good post Cogs! I'll leave the next steps for the more experienced guys and officers and other brothers and sisters here! Let's keep this thread going!

Is one of the Four Firefighters mentioned here the Chauffeur or is that a separate position as far as staffing is concerned?

While college degrees and coursework may not provide an individual directly with job skills, they do provide workers with critical thinking and communication skills that are useful in any line of employment, especially in ours. As public and political pressure increases, we need leaders, who can represent our services accurately, and use critical thinking and communication to get the job done. Also, it is worth mentioning that a great deal of NYS and NFA training classes also count for college credit...

38ff, sent you a PM.

From the IAFF 589, Newburgh Firefighters Facebook Thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly on the new contract. Tonight the city council vote 3-2 in favor of the new contract that keeps the 12 firefighters from being layed off. This has been a very hard 18 months for everyone and the support we have received from everyone was truly overwhelming. Once again thank you all for your time and efforts.