firefighter36

Investors
 View profile  See their activity

  • Content count

    273

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by firefighter36

  5. Posted

    Goose, couldn't agree more with what you said. I think the one thing that holds back a lot of EMTs are regional protocols. In some regions, EMS in general is too medic dependent, protocols require ALS treatment, and in some cases, ALS providers such as EMT-Is or EMT-CCs are either over or under utilized to carry out such treatments. The system, depending on what region you are located in, and what the local protocols, determines the strength of the EMT-Bs it creates.

    The other important thing to remember here is that in a lot of places, regional EMS councils are run or influenced greatly by commercial EMS agencies. Commercial EMS is a business, no matter how you cut it, and their bottom dollar is on the line, and this can greatly affect how protocols are engineered.

    On another front, I think that EMT-B should be the minimum qualification to operate on an ambulance, period. I have been to too many places where there were plenty of "drivers" bot not enough people to give definitive pre-hospital care. I have also been to places where a driver and a CFR show up with an EMT-B en route. I think we owe it to our customers/taxpayers, etc. to provide prompt, professional, and qualified care.

    A myriad of factors exist, and in a perfect world, cost of equipment, staff, time involved in training, etc. would be of little consequence and our delivery of a high level of care would be paramount. Until EMS is legitimized, i.e. provided as a 3rd municipal service, or by the FD or PD EVERYWHERE, I don't see much changing.

  8. Posted

    Everyone,

    Fairview Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 2623 will be sponsoring a bus trip on June 3, 2009 to Foxwoods Casino in CT. The bus leaves the Fairview Fire Station, 258 Violet Avenue, in Poughkeepsie at 0700 Hrs.

    $40 gets you a $10 food coupon, $15 Keno Bet, a Support Fairview T-Shirt, Transportation, and makes a donation to our local. Food and beverages will also be provided on the bus.

    The last trip to Mohegan Sun was a great success.

    Also, any of the brothers and sisters from over that way who want to meet up with us are also welcome! And that means you IzzyEng4!

    PM me on here, or return the attached flier to us at the firehouse and we will add your name to the list!

    Thanks,

    Mark Bendel

    Vice-President, IAFF 2623

    foxwoods.pdf

  16. Posted

    Gentlemen,

    All valid points. Taking off my public employee hat, and putting on my business hat, it is also important to remember that sometimes, paying OT is cheaper than paying salary, benefits, etc. for more full time employees. This is something that a lot of city managers miss in their micro-managing of funds. The big thing a lot of places miss is at what point is such an arrangement no longer fiscally responsible, or reasonable for employees.

    As a public employee, however, it is a hard pill to swallow when you hear that politicians are spending money like it is going out of style, or you see a headline like today's Poughkeepsie Journal: (paraphrased) "Taxes to go up, what will you pay more for?" and the subtitle is "Welfare Recipients, College Students to benefit." However, thanks to our politician's liberal spending habits and "economic stimulus," <sarcasm>I get an extra $7.00 each week in my pay. Change we can all believe in, right? </sarcasm>

  22. Posted

    Everyone,

    In our continuing PR campagin, we are proud to announce that the official Fairview T-Shirt is for sale. $12 each, sizes from M-2X. Please stop by the Fairview Fire Station, 258 Violet Avenue to purchase. We will try to have PayPal up this week on our website. All proceeds benefit our Local's PR campaign to keep the fire district intact and fire station open.

    Thanks for your support!

    Mark Bendel

    Vice President

    IAFF Local 2623

    post-4145-1238197301.jpg

  24. Posted

    Fairview and Arlington Do border each other, off of Creek Rd, it is where the 2 Fire Districts meet up with the City of Poughkeepsie.

    Being a Marist Alum myself, I have had many residents put their foot in their mouths when they make claims (some accurate, some completely off-base) about the students.

    Regardless of that, we are here to provide a service, and from a standpoint of the tax issue, our taxpayers have every right to be concerned. However, it always turns into a negative attack on people, firefighters, students, etc.

    We all have a job to do. We don't determine service and care to our citizens based on creed, color, tax status, age, gender, etc. However, the attacks from our "concerned citizens" often turn into just that.

  25. Posted · Edited by mbendel36

    Everyone,

    Thanks for the input. Without writing a novel here, I can say that we have hit on the concerns you have raised one way or another throughout this entire roller coaster ride. I think Brian hit the nail on the head when he stated that those who are "concerned" only see negativity. We have worked very hard on all fronts to develop good working relationships with all parties involved, including the tax-exempts. Even so, we are always vilified one way or another by our "concerned citizens." Thanks for the ideas and support.

    Another person asked if these same "concerned citizens" have been on the receiving end of our services. Without getting into great depth or detail, I can say that our department's members, career and volunteer have responded and given competent, prompt, and professional service to a great deal of our district's residents and taxpayers, and will continue to do so, not matter their tax-exempt status, or feelings toward their tax bills or our members. We are here to do our jobs the best we can and provide the best service possible given the circumstances.

    Mark Bendel

    Local 2623 Vice President