thebreeze

I agree that the ultimate responsibility lies with the parents and that more parents should take a more active role in their children's lives. This does not mean, however, that the school system and the FD do not have a responsibility to the student. We entrust the schools with teaching and caring for our children, if we aren't educators ourselves I don't think we really have the right to second guess every one of their opinions on what is best for a student to function properly. Wouldn't you want the school to take an interest and say something if your child was falling asleep in school all the time? It shows that they are actually invested in the child's future, isn't that a good thing? As far as the FD, we often take members 16 or 17 years of age who still have a year or two of high school left, that schooling should be their main priority, it's going to serve them in whatever they do for the rest of their lives whether it be firefighting or not. 16 and 17 year old children shouldn't be the backbone of our firefighting service, in fact they shouldn't even be interior members. The immaturity, inexperience, and feeling of invincibility that all children have is something that needs to be monitored closely. I'm not saying that some of these kids won't go on to be great firemen, I'm saying that they need a proper education and careful mentoring from those above them in the fire service.
P.S. If anyone takes issue with me referring to 16 and 17 year olds as children, let me say first, I get it, I didn't want to be considered a child then either, it took years for me to realize what a jackass I actually was. Second I will paraphrase Kurt Vonnegut who once said that in this country boys and girls do not become men and women until they have either served in a war or graduated college and entered the real world.

Uh I don't know what you think a buff is, but this vehicle is the epitome of buffiness. Whoever the person who speced it was, they felt they were better than having to drive around in a vehicle that actually displays what it is. You want to be the Chief, be the Chief, not some undercover incognito guy rolling around looking like he could be part of a Blackwater mercenary squad in the Middle East somewhere. Its a shame the Commissioners of this district, or whoever signs the checks, allowed something like this to be purchased, its not the Chief's personal car, he should have input only into what he would like to have inside it that might be usefully applied towards the job he is supposed to be doing, he shouldn't have anything to say about how it looks, he gets a free car and free gas, take it as it comes.

The system is broken because politicians rob from the funding of one system to help pay for others. They don't want to raise taxes for their pet projects and entitlements because then people would fight back against them. So instead they underfund pensions, use the money elsewhere, and then blame the unions, its all sleight of hand, they are trying to pull a fast one on everybody.
Just like everything else in the news, why say what these people do for a living, it sells papers that's why. You think retired cops and firemen are the only people who scam disability, social security, etc? I have a bridge to sell you then. You know how many people who never put a dime into the system or did an honest days work in their life are living a good life because they know how to scam the system? Why isn't there an article about the millions of every day regular people who scam the system? Its because no one would care because there wouldn't be a big tag word like cop or fireman attached, and because the newspapers and politicians don't want to alienate a huge section of the population who scam their way by every day. It's a witch hunt, why don't we try going after the people who abuse welfare, because there are millions of them, but only a few hundred cops and firemen, its a political number game, votes, that's where it all ends.

Uh I don't know what you think a buff is, but this vehicle is the epitome of buffiness. Whoever the person who speced it was, they felt they were better than having to drive around in a vehicle that actually displays what it is. You want to be the Chief, be the Chief, not some undercover incognito guy rolling around looking like he could be part of a Blackwater mercenary squad in the Middle East somewhere. Its a shame the Commissioners of this district, or whoever signs the checks, allowed something like this to be purchased, its not the Chief's personal car, he should have input only into what he would like to have inside it that might be usefully applied towards the job he is supposed to be doing, he shouldn't have anything to say about how it looks, he gets a free car and free gas, take it as it comes.

Black huh? Another fire chiefs car that we don't want to look like a fire chiefs car? Who are we hiding from? Or are we just trying to look like a Secret Service motorcade?

Black huh? Another fire chiefs car that we don't want to look like a fire chiefs car? Who are we hiding from? Or are we just trying to look like a Secret Service motorcade?

Black huh? Another fire chiefs car that we don't want to look like a fire chiefs car? Who are we hiding from? Or are we just trying to look like a Secret Service motorcade?

Black huh? Another fire chiefs car that we don't want to look like a fire chiefs car? Who are we hiding from? Or are we just trying to look like a Secret Service motorcade?

How about you stop taking yourself so seriously. Everyone needs to blow off some steam every now and then, and honestly this seems like a fairly harmless way to do it, better than everyone tying a load on at the bar after each shift or call at least. I highly doubt there was any compromise in emergency services coverage nor any waste of money incurred by the making of these videos. For the most part no one really cares about what we as emergency services do in our down time as long as long as we are there when we need them or it doesn't affect their wallet. It was an internet fad, it has pretty much come and gone, and if you look further there were far more disturbing videos of this type posted, some even staged by politicians themselves. Flash in the pan, done and gone.

If wearing a radio strap, it and the radio should be worn under your turnout coat, the remote mic can then be clipped to your lapel or collar so it can be accessed. This avoids the problem of the strap or radio becoming hung up or interfered with.

Actually I am pretty sure that it's fairly standard, well down in NY at least. Also I don't think it has anything to do with the mutual aid agreements, I think it is mostly driven by the insurance side of things. The requesting department is responsible for the cost of any of the mutual aid departments equipment damaged while operating at an incident in their district. I am not certain about personnel but I am fairly certain they are still covered under their own department and either way have equal protection under the states benefit laws and workers compensation.

It's not always just about looking good. Retired BC John Salka wrote a great article about polishing the brass, how as a probie it was an important task to be performed regularly. Not only did it look good, helping with company pride, but it also indirectly helped familiarize the probie with exactly where everything was on the rig, and what it was used for.

First I'd like to take issue with the statement that parades are an integral part of team building or public visibility. Company drills and training and learning to work with others while taking classes at the training center are how you foster a team mentality, not strutting down the street in every town that decides to have a parade. As far as visibility goes, I feel like parades draw the wrong types of people trying to be visible, the guy you haven't seen at a call in six months but who shows up for the spread and to make himself "visible". If you really want positive public image for your department participate in a fundraiser for a good cause, put a team together to do a walk or run for a cause, participate in something greater than the department showing what you do to give back. A question I'd ask about the guys involved in this debacle, are they good responders, do they pull their weight where it's really important, on the fire scene? On the flip side, how many of the members who actually marched aren't around regularly to attend drills and calls? The chief in question sounds like a real prima Donna to me, immature, bombastic, and if he thinks that his offensive racist language was acceptable because the members he was berating weren't minorities, then he's just flat out incompetent.

Paralyzed, if you're going to correct people's spelling, please use proper spelling. Sorry, had to break balls.

That the internet is not a 100% reliable source of information.

Maybe it has something to do with the different physical requirements and stressors placed upon your body throughout a career. Exposures to an IDLH or physical violence. I know dispatchers have an extremely difficult job, but physically and mentally a body can only handle so much of extremely rigorous physically and mentally demanding duty, and the bodies and minds of firefighters and police officers out on the street will reach this threshold far before dispatchers will.

Maybe it has something to do with the different physical requirements and stressors placed upon your body throughout a career. Exposures to an IDLH or physical violence. I know dispatchers have an extremely difficult job, but physically and mentally a body can only handle so much of extremely rigorous physically and mentally demanding duty, and the bodies and minds of firefighters and police officers out on the street will reach this threshold far before dispatchers will.

Maybe it has something to do with the different physical requirements and stressors placed upon your body throughout a career. Exposures to an IDLH or physical violence. I know dispatchers have an extremely difficult job, but physically and mentally a body can only handle so much of extremely rigorous physically and mentally demanding duty, and the bodies and minds of firefighters and police officers out on the street will reach this threshold far before dispatchers will.

I believe you're thinking about the Chief of Department rank Barry, that is a civil service position even though there is no test for it. Commissioners in New York City are all appointees and serve at the pleasure of the mayor, they have no real job protection as far as I know. As far as Cassano goes I have heard that he's out, he did ask to stay but it doesn't look like he will, several different names have been floating around out there for who DeBlasio will replace him with.

There are senior guys, and guys that are just guys with time. There's a huge difference and it doesn't take long to figure out which is which as long as you yourself have your head screwed on straight.

There are senior guys, and guys that are just guys with time. There's a huge difference and it doesn't take long to figure out which is which as long as you yourself have your head screwed on straight.

There are senior guys, and guys that are just guys with time. There's a huge difference and it doesn't take long to figure out which is which as long as you yourself have your head screwed on straight.

There are senior guys, and guys that are just guys with time. There's a huge difference and it doesn't take long to figure out which is which as long as you yourself have your head screwed on straight.

Well you're not taking into the account that he's only a member of the Board, he doesn't have the power to do anything unilaterally, and if the public doesn't like his views then at next years election they can come out in support of someone who opposes his policies. There is no problem with a five year term, as long as there are checks and balances, in this case those being the other four commissioners. You can't just turn everything into one or two year terms, nothing would get accomplished, as it is now politicians spend too much of their time trying to get re-elected, if you shortened their terms then that's all they would focus on. You even sometimes see this with fire chiefs in a one year term, if they want to make any changes they have a few months to try and get things done before they have to start worrying about getting re-elected all over again or bounced out by the old guard who don't like change.

Well you're not taking into the account that he's only a member of the Board, he doesn't have the power to do anything unilaterally, and if the public doesn't like his views then at next years election they can come out in support of someone who opposes his policies. There is no problem with a five year term, as long as there are checks and balances, in this case those being the other four commissioners. You can't just turn everything into one or two year terms, nothing would get accomplished, as it is now politicians spend too much of their time trying to get re-elected, if you shortened their terms then that's all they would focus on. You even sometimes see this with fire chiefs in a one year term, if they want to make any changes they have a few months to try and get things done before they have to start worrying about getting re-elected all over again or bounced out by the old guard who don't like change.