firefighter36

Everyone, thanks for the replies and show of support. For those of you who I have communicated with personally regarding this situation, thank you for all of your help. Be sure to check out our website www.iaff2623.org, for news on this situation. Again, Thanks. Mark Bendel Local 2623 Vice President

Nate, that shelving thing on the left looks familiar..... I'm not saying, I'm just sayin.....

I think there should be a similar facebook group for Dan like there is for DA ROCK!

Having faced issues directly related to such legislation, I can say that though it would greatly help my district, I remain cautiously optomistic. There are a myriad of different interests in NY that would not like to see this bill get passed. Politics as usual I suppose. As many of the posts have pointed, there are a number of different legal models on which fire protection can be delivered to the public. (Municipal, special district, etc.) Though the goal of protection is ultimately the same no matter what the model, the financial implications from funding to fines & billing, as well as enforcement vary greatly. The bottom line: re-working the "system" opens up a pandora's box of issues with the state constituion and that is a politicial hot potato that no politician in Albany (at least one who would like to continue being a politician) would want to touch. Until our politicians decide that it IS an issue, and lobbies representing the various areas of the service get on the same page, I honestly don't know if much will change. On the flip side, if this legislation was to pass, I have a feeling that those entities affected by it would be more than happy to fight a pricey legal battle to prove a point, even if it results in higher costs than if they actually stepped up and contributed.

I think the other question we all need to ask ourselves is IF he was wearing an SCBA in the picture, would the waist-straps be properly buckled and secure? Or would they be dangling about, twisting him up on his office chair. Dan, be safe, you are a champion keyboard commando!

Dutchess-Fairview Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 2623 will be sponsoring a bus trip to Bus Trip to Mohegan Sun on January 19, 2009. Proceeds will directly benefit MDA. We have been successful in raising over $5000 to help MDA. Details: -Bus Leaves Fairview Firehouse, 258 Violet Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY at 0800 sharp. -$40 gets you transportation, 6 hours at the casino, a $15 casino bet, and a $15 food/ buffet coupon. -We will provide snacks and beverages on the bus. -Return by 8PM! Anyone who is interested can PM Me on here, or return the attached form to us, and we will confirm everything! Mark Bendel Trustee, Local 2623 Mohegan_Sun_Bus_Trip_2009_1_19_Flier.pdf

Unbelievable. Those replies are sickening.

Working 1700-0700 with Group 4 at Fairview (Dutchess) However, while going to the ATM on Barnegat Rd, I was able to snap this picture with my camera phone....

Capt. Nechis, can the NFPA compliance of these systems be certified by a private contractor or engineer? How is that determined? Also, is the 30,000 gallon just for a pond? or would that be for a sprinkler system as well? Are there different amounts of water based on residential or commercial, or is it generic based on square footage?

How about a home sprinkler system fed from a water tank or well? Wouldn't a suppression system like this pay for itself with insurance savings over time?

New Haven has amazing Pizza. My grandfather used to deliver bread to Sally's, so I am a bit partial to their pizza, nothing is better than a fresh tomato pie in the summer time. Also, Lou's Lunch, another staple in New Haven that is worth stopping by. Great burgers, on white bread, but no ketchup, and they will kick you out if you ask for it. Lou's claims to have served america's first burger. Ok, now I'm getting hungry........

Here are a few photos of the New Chevy Tahoe Chief's Vehicle, delivered to us yesterday. The car will be going up to Elmira for lights and lettering shortly. Stay tuned for more photos as progress is made. The current Chief's vehicle will become a staff vehicle, and the current staff vehicle (41-96), a crown victoria will be sold.

It came off of state bid from grant money. The dealer was actually in East Rochester, and it had to make a trip out here due to the laws associated with the purchasing, which I am not completely versed in. I will take and post a detailed set of photos once the vehicle is completely outfitted.

Some tough words in the comments on the story. Congrats to the grads, and good luck to the Yonkers Folks who got their Pink Slips. Also, congrats to the Marist SPE Alumni in the class, Bouey, good job bro!

Anyone have information on the Taconic DDSO's department or how they operate? What equipment do they have and are they dual role public safety?

I think that everyone is entitled to complete, competent, and professional police protection 24/7. The article stated that the Village is .5 sqaure miles. My question is, does the Village have a patrol agreement with the Town of Southeast, or are they confined to just the village? Here in Dutchess, that is common in Rhinebeck and Red Hook, where village departments also patrol the Towns. To that end, is a county-wide operation a way to even the playing field to ensure that ESU, K-9, Marine, and other Specialty Services are provided equally?

We were graced with an on site tech support visit from xfirefighter484x. Nate works at the ER Located in Fairview (Dutchess) and we run into him quite often. Thanks to Nate for helping Craig Elderkin (Pictured Left) FINALLY get on EMTBravo. Attached is a photo of Nate helping out Craig. Thanks for your help Nate!

We have touched only briefly on duplication of services here. What about towns with multiple distircts that all have the same types of vehicles in close proximity? The Wappingers area has more rescue trucks than FDNY! Is that practical? In another forum we talked about standardization of equipment. Each district chooses what equipment to deploy in its area, but does anyone else think maybe we have too many chefs trying to make the soup? Dispatchers, from your standpoint, it the equipment adaquately laid out throughout the county? Do any departments have too many or too few vehicles? Is the Battalion system mis-used or under-utilized? More importantly, are there enough properly qualified people to staff and respond with all these rigs? What can be done to maintain consistency?

Cogs, dead on. You summed it up well. Is it PG County that lets the various stations & companies supply their own rig, or in lieu of that will supply a cookie-cutter, standarized engine? If so, what are the differences between the rigs that companies like Kentland, etc. use, and the County Version- Paint Color and lettering? or does it extend deeper into features such as pump, hoose, etc. Are there guidelines to what rigs must carry? Also, do departments have the right types of vehicles for their area? I can think of a department that has no hydrants, that does not believe in tankers. Their tank water from 5 or 6 rigs is great for filling up supply hose, but after that, there is usually no water to actually put on the fire until m/a tankers are called in for a water suply operation. Back to Cogs' comments- what good are the rigs if you don't have the people, or the demographics in your area to make them effective? Just my .02

Right on. Couldn't agree more.

Exactly right. (for the record, I was IN NO WAY trying to compare Banksville to R/M or Wackenhut,) I was trying to draw the analogy that there is a political body responsible for providing fire protection to an area, and they, in turn contracted with Banksville FD (A separate entity) to provide coverage to said given area. NO controversy intended!

TRUCK6018, you're right, under such an arrangement, Banksville would own all of their own equipment. Bad analogy, but think of them as a Wackenhut or Rural/Metro, they are an independent company who is paid by the public entity, in this Case North Castle and Greenwich to provide fire protection. I doubt their organization is as anywhere near as corrupt as these two corporations, though.

I think what we are getting at is that the Banksville Fire Department is its own entity, from there, they contract for protection, with the North Castle Fire District #3. This happens in the Milan Fire District up here in Dutchess, the District has a board of fire commissioners, and from there, they sign a contract with the Milan Fire Company, who provides the fire protection to the district. I believe this also happens in Mohegan? Correct me if I am wrong. As such, being an independent FD, they can also contract with Greenwich for the area they protect. I am not sure if this is exactly how it is done, if anyone knows the particulars, please share.

Let's hope that whatever path any municipality takes, they are not jumping over dollar bills to save nickels. I think the moral of the story here is that a bit more money to do things right the first time can save a whole lot of time, money and resources down the road with band-aid type solutions.

Admission is the first of the 12 steps, I digress, but I can picture a Fire Chief Standing up in a Fire Dept. Anonymous meeting saying "I'm Chief XXX, and My Dept. Has a problem responding." I think informing and educating the decision makers (politicians) and the public on the gravity of the situation is the first big step. Tell the public that their lives are in danger, get their attention. Extreme? A bit, but we are in the business of life safety, and if we can't properly do our jobs, lives are in danger. The idea is to get everyone on the same page. (Easier said than done.) If people truly understand what is going on, then they can either step up and volunteer, or if they are as affluent as they were made out to be, loosen their purse strings and foot the bill. I remain steadfast that NO standards should be lowered (training, etc.) to attract membership, though I am sure there are ways to ensure recruitment and retention of competent personnel.