firefighter36

To all who may be venturing up to scenic Schoharie County...
Be advised that the county was devastated by Hurricane Irene and again during the past 24 hours. The county's ICP was evacuated yesterday when the fairgrounds flooded again. Plan on austere conditons and MRE's depending on where you're assigned. Some of the FD's and local residents are feeding crews but it depends on where you are. Bring sleeping bags and cots if you have them.
For the tanker task forces, you may be standing by as fire suppression relief for affected departments. One of the biggest complaints we heard last week was that these crews "didn't do anything". While it may have seemed that way to the out of town resources, they provided much needed relief to the local crews who are also victims and in some cases lost everything.
Heed the inundation sirens too. If you hear them it means flooding is imminent and evacuation is necessary. The water rose six feet in less than 20 minutes so it is no joke.
Be safe and stay dry!

How come when there are foregin disasters, you can text donations to the Red Cross?
But when there is a disaster domestically, seemingly right now we can't?

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110902/NEWS02/109020369/Playland-park-ranger-suffers-broken-arm-3-others-hurt-confrontation-Bronx-man?odyssey=obinsite
Four park rangers and two concession stand workers were injured at Rye Playland Thursday night, one suffering a broken arm, when they tried to subdue a Bronx man who turned violent, county police said.
Many years ago, Playland had "specials" to patrol the park. I was one of them, we were uniformed seasonal peace/ police officers that were armed and carried night sticks. Many of us used this experience to transition into full time careers in law enforcement. In reading the postings it appears the that "specials" have been replaced by park rangers. One of the disturbing facts in both incidents at Playland is that rangers were injured and there was no report of the perps being pepper sprayed. I am not implying that there should be retribution but do these rangers carry any devices to protect themselves? Or is thier role to observe and report and hope help shows up in time? if this is the case It seems like it may be time to go back to the "specials".

DC Joe Kelley,
Congrats on your promotion. As a member of the class of 2-87 who traveled the daily journey down the TSP with you, it was evident back than that you had the potential to achieve great things. Good luck and stay safe. FFD Lt. Pete (ret.)

Beleive the other fella in that picture got a promotion as well, No?

Median annual wage: $45,520. The fifth most toxic job. And for this we are attacked for our pensions, our health benefits, and general insults from an ignorant public that accuses us of just about everything. I always loved the comment "Did you save a cat from a tree?" Answer...."F no I hate cats." I remember after a job once I was exhausted and "cherry red." The VAC member that checked me out told me my blood pressure was 210/110. He asked out loud, "Wow and you're alive?" Uhhh...I think so...for now anyway.
http://247wallst.com/2011/09/01/seven-jobs-that-will-make-you-sick/3/

Once again, we should try to differentiate between the Moslem religion and Islamic radicals. You are accusing some of us of Pigeon-holing people and doing this by creating another box which contains the likes of Timothy McVey. Let's call this box "People Who Are Not Moslems But Bomb Places For A Cause" In it, along with McVey let's put Adolph Hitler, Harry Truman, and Seal Team Six. Now let's throw out all the boxes because they are irrelevent to this discussion.
I was looking at the ages of the guys that are arguing with me. Many are 21-24, and so you were in 4th to 8th grade on 9/11. Do you remember your parents crying? Do you remember them opening the paper each morning and scrutinizing the "Missing" list on page 3? And the funerals...over and over.
Your teacher may be the one who fed you that peace and love line and you believed it. I'll bet she told you Columbus discovered America,too?
NYPD still has a terrorism task force. If there were no threat it would have been dissolved. Who do you think they are watching?

Well this is truly amazing. According to lohud, over 60 police units had to respond from as far south as Tuckahoe to deal with this unreasonable and unruly crowd. Why? Because their "muslim sensibilities" were insulted? Give me a freakin' break. The rules are posted and for certain rides, there is to be NO WEARING OF ANY TYPE OF HEADGEAR period.
Why do these people think they are exempt from the rules, the laws? I know what they would like; Sharia Law. Their own version of a justice system implemented in the countries they emigrate to. I think that is a disgusting disgrace, as were the actions of these supposedly "religious" people at the Playland park.
Look, you people want to assimilate in this country, fine. I guess we have to let some of you in. But if you don't like the system, the rules in place... TOO F'IN BAD, go back to the place you came from.
The difference between these people and the ancestors of many of us here in this forum is our great-grandparents had a huge desire to assimilate into the American culture. That's why on my mother's side, they came from Italy, moved into the south Bronx and gave up teaching their native language to their children, my mother, and therefore I don't know Italian today as a result. I wish that part were different, but the point being these people were so anxious to "fit in" they even gave up their language. Italian was forbidden to be spoken in the house by my great-grandparents, as a result their great-grandchildren only speak English.
Now these muslims with their headgear, the hijab, they can't even get on the Dragon Coaster without starting a ruckus? Like Playland OWES them something, like WE owe them anything? They should kiss the ground of freedom they walk upon, shut their damn mouths, follow the rules, or else.
What a waste of PD resources to have to direct half the cars on patrol up to Playland because these freaking people were "insulted"! Enough! Fit in or GET OUT!
http://www.lohud.com/article/20110830/NEWS02/110830004/Police-arrest-15-Playland-dispute-over-Muslim-headwear?odyssey=nav|head

And, come to think of it...the fire service can use the same excuse! (Except they did- the Fire Patrol and they shut that down)

Pretty interesting way to look at things.
FULL STORY: http://www.statesman.com/news/local/hiring-officers-could-save-austin-money-police-official-1768467.html

R. Kelly strikes again...

I routinely scour eBay for "stuff"...and found this yesterday.
It is a postcard with a photo of the members of the J H Ketcham Hose Company, and it is post dated 1909. JHK was incorporated in 1908...these may VERY WELL be our founding fathers!
I plan to get it framed and donate it to the department to hang in our meeting room.

Summer of 2002, both my sister in law and little brother, as well as my wife and I, were expecting our firstborns. All was going great and we were all very excited.
About 3 weeks before they were due, the doctors noticed "something of concern" with their baby in the sonogram..and they were sent for a more detailed eval down in Westchester. The news was devastating to say the least. The baby's internal organs including the heart were not properly formed, among other abnormalities..they were told she would not survive birth.
In August, they were scheduled for delivery at Wetchester Med...still shell shocked from the news. I remember driving down on August 14th....not knowing what to say, especially since our child appeared to be totally healthy and trying to not be overly excited in front of them.
The delivery was tough to say the least...not only did my brother have to fear losing his first born, but his wife nearly died during the process...the staff at WMC worked their hardest, stabilizing her, and delivering the baby, a little girl, aptly named Faith. She did in fact survive birth...barely...and the second she was born she was whisked away to NICU for so many tests and procedures...
My brother couldnt talk...his wife couldn't even so much as open her eyes..we didn't know what to do, what to say..
My brother was shown how to baptise Faith by our Preist...which he did, as well as her Last Rites..could you imagine that!? I still can't.
We were able to see Faith quickly..and I will be honest..knowing what I knew..I thought it would be best of she passed quickly...when I met her...her eyes were wide open..her little fingers moving...so much about her that day was amazing, but I still can picture her beautiful blue eyes..the eyes of a fighter! I knew right then that no matter what actions needed to be taken, no matter the cost..that little Faith deserved every chance in the world to survive.
And fight she did!
She was taken to Columbia Pres by Stat Flight ground crew..the very same people I had worked with so many times on Empress chopper jobs...My brother was told not to expect her to live through the trip. BUT she did! Faith and her mother spent months living at Colmbia Pres...so many surgeries..rebuilt her heart, as she was born with a single chamber..her kidneys...a feeding tube, chest tubes, so many other things they patched, fixed, or made..amazing work..GOD'S WORK.
MY little brother aged 30 years in that time..barely working so they could be together as a family..just in case..so many times they were prepared for the inevitable.
In November, our Son was born, 100 precent healthy. I would be lying if I said we didnt feel a tinge of guilt, but moreso releived.
Right before Christmas 2002, little Faith came home. Amazing.
She was in and out of the hospital alot...for a long time..more surgeries..got very sick easy..
This all took one helluva toll on my Brother and his Wife. They lived like zombies..no emotion at all..just numb.
We were on vacation in Myrtle Beach the next summer when the house phone rang in the middle of the night..my brother crying that Faith was being airlifted to WMC by Stat Flight and she wasn't going to make it. And we are 13 hours away..
Well...she did survive another battle!
As she grew, she lived a very normal life..but was still plagued by medical issues..a long term feeding tube..frail..
Faith and her mother just returned from her first vacation to Scotland, where her mom was born and raised before coming to th US..
Today we got together to celebrate Faith's NINTH birthday.. This little FIGHTER is as normal as any other 9 year old today..she is the TOUGHEST, BRAVEST, SWEETEST person I know. She could teach volumes on being a survivor...she has more fight in her than I ever will. A NINTH birthday for a wee little lass who wasn't supposed to survive birth. Guess she showed them!
So even though we read daily that the police, fire, EMS, hospital, and medevac staffs are overpaid, under appreciated, overworked, etc..know that there are peopl eout there who benefited from your actions, your training, and your skills..people who appreciate you and what you do - because as little, well, not so little anymore, Faith can prove...you are needed and appreciated..from the Doctors who reconstructed her heart, to the nurses who changed her, to the medics that responded to their house when she collapsed, to the firemen who stood by while the chopper took off with her, to the Trooper who didn't ticket my mother on the TSP...all of you made a difference.
Thank you.
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY FAITHY...I LOVE YOU!

NY Daily News

Bravo. Now lets take it one step farther. NYS Labor Law is crystal clear on this; The employer is responsable for providing and certifying all employees in any and all applicable OSHA training requirements. The courts have held that volunteer fd's are "employeers" and volunteer ff's are "employees". The training required is listed in the following standards:
Fire Brigade
Respiratory Protection
PPE
Confined Space
Hazmat
Traffic Safety
Bloodborne Pathogens
Control of hazardous Energy
Thats a very large % of Firefighter training.
Technically that means that unless you work for OFPC or Westchester County, they can not "certify" you. Only your agency can do that. And for your agency to certified you they need to activly participate in your training.
As an example if you take OFPC Hazmat ops and bring the certificate back to your dept. unless they provide another 2-6 hours of in house training and testing you do not meet the requirements under NYS Law to be certified and the law says you can not respond to any calls without this.

Sorry for the delay in clarifying this comment - I have rotated into weekends off so that time was spent with my kids and Wife.
My semi-tounge in cheek comment about someone calling my Chief stems from some trouble a local career fireman tried to start by calling my BOSS over a debate here over a year ago...that was QUICKLY squashed, but not forgotton. I am smart enough to not call out a fire department online, it just breeds animosity between companies and is unproffesional...for every person that posts here, 100 more read. No comment goes un-noticed. It's good, as it holds the poster acountable for their words, and those who know me, know what I type, is what I say, and have no problem engaging into debate in person. Debate, not arguing. I RESPECT so many of the local fire officers and firefighters and love working with them. Hopefully they feel the same. I don't hide behind a screen name.
Again - I am not against any department choosing to use CAFS, or any other tactic/technique/system, it is their choice, usually backed up by research and experience. Good on them for trying something new and being progressive.
My thoughts were completely related to MY experiences on MY firegrounds. I do not think CAFS is FOR MY company. Not now at least.
The biggest advantage I see with it personally is in the wildland scenario - I mean - check out the pictures Mark posted of the SNOWFALL he applied to the trees and shrubbery! Absolutely coated. THAT kicks a**..I can see Wassaic plowing to the top of the mountian in the BRAT, and coating the whole damn thing...BOOYAH - fire out! HOWEVER, since the DEC implemented the new rules in regards to open burning, OUR brush fire runs have dropped DRAMATICALLY. Gone are the days of the all day, mountain burning, "Y'all come!" fires...and good riddance to that bull..
For structural fires, I am still a firm beleiver that RAPID WATER applied to the fire in adequate amounts, COUPLED WITH AGGRESSIVE truck work and ventilation, save LIVES and buildings. That means a quick response, a fast deployment, and firefighters who know their job.
BUT...keep me in mind when B4 does a CAFS drill please.

and.........
Thank you Cap, did you ever wonder how many of these dog and pony show people that claim to be the be-all, know-alls have actually spent time putting out fires? Or is it "Let's form a committee and we can claim it all as a business expense"? Sometimes it's like a cult: The self-appointed "reverend" yells "Safety!" or "Progress," and half the fire service drinks the KoolAid.
Remember the old saying: A jackass is a racehorse developed by a committee.

Ok I just finished reviewing the ICMA report and the holes in it are so large that you can drive a tower ladder thru it. This is not surprising as I find the ICMA reports often ignor the ICMA's recomendations.
Without going into a 50 page rebutal, the 3 biggest problems include:
1) Conduct Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) fire department self-assessment as means toward overall organizational improvements.
The ICMA report was written 3-4 years after the CFAI was incorporated into the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). Since the ICMA is an original partner in the CFAI and one would think they would have known that it no longer exists under that name.
2)Conduct a community fire risk analysis using the CFAI’s Risk, Hazard, and Value Evaluation (RHAVE) model.
Both CFAI and the USFA stopped using, supplying and supporting RHAVE 2 years before the report was written.
and
3) Utilize a mid-size pumper equipped with a compressed air foam system (CAFS) or FIT tool, and staffed by one firefighter, at fire station 3 and fire station 7.
The Mid-size pumper the are suggesting is:

Not quite a mid size, but they claim that 1 man with this rig and CAFS and or FIT can replace a class A pumper with 3 FF's. Since they are suggesting that 2 of the 3 engine companies go to this they are completely ignoring everything that an engine company does beyond initial attack (assuming a 1 man unit can do initial attack with these tools). Who searches? Who forces entry? who does the 1,00 of other things that are done on not just fire calls but EMS, rescue Hazmat, etc.?
It is quite clear that they have no idea what a fire dept does, but they are the experts many communities are using to determine what they need.

FACT: Science beats tradition when it comes to extinguishment.
http://firechief.com/suppression/foam/benefits-class-a-foam-200907/
http://firechief.com/suppression/foam/firefighting_bubbles_beat_water/
Boston showed great results, however they had retrofitted older rigs and had major maintenance issues. As long as there is a failure of the large metropolitan fire agency located on the East Coast (serving 5 boros) to recognize the benefits of this method of extinguishment it will continue to flounder in regard to acceptance. Once a member of that agency sees the light and does a program on it at FDIC or another big venue it will look like the second coming of the savior.

Great, the ICMA thinks you can drop costs by adding this and then you can get rid of the back-up & 3rd man. And you state we need them just as much if not more.
One needs to look very carefully at this.

Yes. I went to college with those guys. That's who I learned the trade from. Even the Bronx doesn't have the fires it used to.
And Seth, When you leave the job, you leave a lot behind. If they left it in a closet or dropped it in the dumpster, so be it. If they use what I left and built upon it, even better. Balls 'n' brains...not necessarily in that order.

Don't get me wrong. Remember I said it works, but water is cheaper and better if you have a good water supply. That being said...
Try this at home:
Take a clean coffee cup and fill it with water.
Sprinkle black pepper over the top of the water. (The coffee cup is just to give you a white background so you can see the pepper)
Now take the tip of your index finger and just touch it to a little dish detergent.
Take that finger and barely touch the surface of the water in the coffee cup and watch what happens to the pepper.
You just broke the surface tension of the water.
No magic potions, just soap. Go ahead and try the penetration thing when overhauling and see how you make out. Betcha still want to pick apart the hidden spces and look.
PS Look at the rig covered with CAFoam in one of the replies above. I bet that engine and everything on it will give off suds for a month of washes. I believe the CAFS manufacturers strongly tell you that all the product must be thoroughly cleaned from both CAFS systems and other equipment. OK Where's the Proby? I've got a job for him.

Good shots - post more if you have them - I have been waiting for Jetphoto or Photounit to post up..
I listened to that fire from the beginning...awesome job by 42-1...never met him but he is always a professional..as are his men.
And PECO's "truck" has seen more fire duty that alot of the area's "real" ladders...I love that rig!
Love me some Big City Fries to boot!
Good job fellas.

...on a side note...has anyone seen the recruitment ads or online video? Fairly...uh, biased, no? Just an FYI; i went through proby school with a couple of people from the recruitment poster and they resigned under threat of termination and had to come back for the next academy class and repeat the entire program before getting through. Maybe if these folks put more effort into being good firefighters and less effort into being part of a one sided, loud mouthed, racist group they'd have less trouble actually performing the tasks demanded of them.
You can't erase lines with a highlighter.....

I'll venture a guess that although CAFS worked fine for rural places where water nust be tanked or shuttled, it is sismply not cost effective in a place like Boston where water is cheap, unlimited, and piped to the nearest streetcorner for you.
In my time I have seen a plethera of extinguishing agents come and go, not because they didn't work, but because after all is said and done, they didn't work as well as water. There was rapid water, slippery water, penetrating foam, high expansion foam (Now there'e a classic you were able to jump into this 8 foot layer of foam and breathe by breaking bubbles in front of your face. I tried it...yes you could breathe, but I tasted soap for three days).
All were sold on the premises that it uses Less Water and Less Manpower. "Sure, it's expensive, but just think...Less Water and Less Manpower!)
SO WHAT? I don't know about you, but I always felt that Water and Manpower were a hell of a good combination for putting fires out. And if the fire isn't going out, what do you need? More Water and More manpower.
Oh yes, the penetrating quality of these agents. "Time is saved in overhaul because the agent finds the hidden fire without you having to pick things apart to look." I never wanted a REKINDLE, so even though the salesman's magic potion was penetrating and extinguishing hidden fire, I never left a job without making sure all hidden fire was out, And that means looking and wetting and overhauling.
We are begging for more manpower on the job,but we are buying things like CAFS on the premise that we can reduce manpower using the salesman's magic juice. Let's stick with the begging instead of buying systems that are basically soapsuds and club soda at a great cost.