CHIEFPHIL

Main St Port Chester NY mid '70s

MY grandfather and his brother came ashore and most likely followed the same path as PCFD ENG58's dad...
Another Great Uncle had been part of the liberation of Rome the day before....had been with the OSS and was fighting in Italy before the Allies even landed there.

MY grandfather and his brother came ashore and most likely followed the same path as PCFD ENG58's dad...
Another Great Uncle had been part of the liberation of Rome the day before....had been with the OSS and was fighting in Italy before the Allies even landed there.

To help with the right pressures ( good ball-park), on all the pre-connects and deck gun, we labeled each discharge with minimum and a maximum pressure.
Also... training, raining and training...
I like the talking out the math... good idea.

MY grandfather and his brother came ashore and most likely followed the same path as PCFD ENG58's dad...
Another Great Uncle had been part of the liberation of Rome the day before....had been with the OSS and was fighting in Italy before the Allies even landed there.

MY grandfather and his brother came ashore and most likely followed the same path as PCFD ENG58's dad...
Another Great Uncle had been part of the liberation of Rome the day before....had been with the OSS and was fighting in Italy before the Allies even landed there.

First, what is the GPM ? .... I'll go with 150 GPM = 160 PSI
I use the 1.75 rule of thumb method:
Thumb =1 for 100 gpm
Pointer = 2 for 125 gpm
Middle = 3 for 150 gpm
Ring = 4 for 175 gpm
Pinkey =5 for 200 gpm
Multiply the number of the finger by 10 that is the friction loss for 100'
Hence , 150 gpm = Middle finger 3 x 10 = 30 per 100' x 2 (200/100) = 60 + 100 for nozzle pressure. = 160 psi

First, what is the GPM ? .... I'll go with 150 GPM = 160 PSI
I use the 1.75 rule of thumb method:
Thumb =1 for 100 gpm
Pointer = 2 for 125 gpm
Middle = 3 for 150 gpm
Ring = 4 for 175 gpm
Pinkey =5 for 200 gpm
Multiply the number of the finger by 10 that is the friction loss for 100'
Hence , 150 gpm = Middle finger 3 x 10 = 30 per 100' x 2 (200/100) = 60 + 100 for nozzle pressure. = 160 psi

First, what is the GPM ? .... I'll go with 150 GPM = 160 PSI
I use the 1.75 rule of thumb method:
Thumb =1 for 100 gpm
Pointer = 2 for 125 gpm
Middle = 3 for 150 gpm
Ring = 4 for 175 gpm
Pinkey =5 for 200 gpm
Multiply the number of the finger by 10 that is the friction loss for 100'
Hence , 150 gpm = Middle finger 3 x 10 = 30 per 100' x 2 (200/100) = 60 + 100 for nozzle pressure. = 160 psi

Kids in High school belong in bed well rested for the school day. They don't need the added stress of responding to emergencies, nor do they need the distraction. If your dept. relies on 18 year olds in school, then they're in trouble.....

Bethel CT -
*Hopefully will be bidding to replace 1994 Spartan Smeal pumer ( Engine 5): ( town wide budget vote in 3 weeks)
2000 GPM / 1000 GWT / 50GFT
*Purchase new pick up - Most likely a Ford F450 to replace the :
-1964 Dodge Power Wagon brush truck (brush 2)
-1968 Jeep pick up brush truck / dewatering unit (brush 1)
-1999 Ford pick up ( extended cab) Utility 1
to act as brush truck/fire police vehicle and pull the OREV trailer.

Date:4/3/14
Time:08:00
Incident Type:Major Structure Dire - multiple exposures
Location: Taylor Street
District: Torrington
Units:Multiple towns and cities - 36 departments from Litchfield County, Upper Fairfield County and Hartford County - 5 - State Foam trailers , DEEP multiple Task Forces activated (3 eng -2 trucks-rescue/air)

Description:
200x75 tire warehouse fully involved, multiple exposures on fire ( SHF/MFH). 4 alarms+++++ on scene or en route. evacuations of a 4 block residential area.
Live video streaming http://www.wfsb.com/category/222096/wfsb-livestream
Live audio - http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/9247/web
All 4 Torrington Departments
Winsted
New Hartford
Harwinton
Litchfeild
Bantam
Washington
Thomaston
Watertown
Waterbury
Danbury foam asignment - Sq 2 with foam trailer unsure which Engine co manned this unit.
Task Force 54:
Canton
Simsbury
Avon
Granby
Farmington
Danbury Area Task Force Ridgefield Tower 8, Danbury E 26 E-12 (tanker pumpers) Squad 7 ( fresh air and sunshine) Bethel's Stony Hill Eng 1 ( Tanker Pumper) Newtown 's Sandy Hook -Quint 440.
Hartford Eng 11, DC 2 and Foam unit
New Haven E15, Squad 1, Hazmat 1
Coverage:
Winchester and Waterbury ( think they went to work) covering Torrington
Pleasant Valley and Riverton covering Winsted from quarters
Farmington E2 covering New Hartford
Trumbull - Two Foam Engines requested to standby in quarters.

Date:3/10/2014
Time: 16:00
Incident Type:Structure Fire
Location:130-136 Greenwood Avenue
District :Bethel - Downtown
Units: Bethel, Danbury, Newtown, Redding

Description: Structure fire in a 50x75 3 story "Old Law" mixed occupancy in the business district. Fire originated in the 1st floor of a store front undergoing renovations. Fire extended to rear stairs , 2nd floor hall way and into voids in the structure. Fire started to run in a void into the attached shop and roof line of exposure D. 5 lines stretched and operated.
Exposure A - street
B - 1 story W/f commercial B2- 3 story WF multiple dwelling
C- Parking lot
D - 1 story wf attached. D2- 2.5 W/F restaurant with apartments
1st alarm - E 5, 6, 1 TL 1 Rescue 1, Amb 2 , 5 alpha (medic)
2nd alarm - E3, Dodgingtown E221 (Newtown), Newtown RIT team , Rescue 2, Utility 1, Utility 5, Amb 1,
3rd alarm, Newtown Truck 114, Redding Engine 2,
Cover assignment - Danbury E5, 3 & 8 , Brookfield Engine 5 to Stony Hill Station.
Danbury E5 took in a gas leak on Katrina Circle. Returned to service and was replaced by E-8

Date:3/10/2014
Time: 16:00
Incident Type:Structure Fire
Location:130-136 Greenwood Avenue
District :Bethel - Downtown
Units: Bethel, Danbury, Newtown, Redding

Description: Structure fire in a 50x75 3 story "Old Law" mixed occupancy in the business district. Fire originated in the 1st floor of a store front undergoing renovations. Fire extended to rear stairs , 2nd floor hall way and into voids in the structure. Fire started to run in a void into the attached shop and roof line of exposure D. 5 lines stretched and operated.
Exposure A - street
B - 1 story W/f commercial B2- 3 story WF multiple dwelling
C- Parking lot
D - 1 story wf attached. D2- 2.5 W/F restaurant with apartments
1st alarm - E 5, 6, 1 TL 1 Rescue 1, Amb 2 , 5 alpha (medic)
2nd alarm - E3, Dodgingtown E221 (Newtown), Newtown RIT team , Rescue 2, Utility 1, Utility 5, Amb 1,
3rd alarm, Newtown Truck 114, Redding Engine 2,
Cover assignment - Danbury E5, 3 & 8 , Brookfield Engine 5 to Stony Hill Station.
Danbury E5 took in a gas leak on Katrina Circle. Returned to service and was replaced by E-8

I recently completed the promtional process for Deputy Chief. Came out 3rd overall with no jobs expected over the course of the 2year list. Good learning experience anyway and not really looking to get into a car anytime soon. I like the truck co. work and still enjoy going into workers.
I look forward to reading and posting good stuff here.
Joe

Mike Kehoe is a great guy, and he's working through a lot of things with this incident.
However, here's the thing - All "those ambulances" were requested through the police dispatchers, not from any EMS or Fire unit on the scene. Both Troop A and Newtown Dispatch called Northwest and South Central CMED's and said "send every ambulance you can", which is why you saw all these ambulances from the Lower Naugatuck Valley and elsewhere, and not ones like Stony Hill or Bethel from next door.
He is correct that it would be a good idea to manage all those ambulances, or for that matter the 300 cops that were there, the fire service is really the only discipline that is ready to manage large scale incidents. Just from a common sense standpoint, cops and EMS people are just not accustomed to pulling up to a scene and looking to the guy with the white hat for direction. From a global response standpoint EMS and LE need to get better at entering and operating within an Incident Management System, because those two disciplines rarely are involved with ICS on a tactical basis.
bernie

My department now is a fire department. I work for and get paid by them.
I also belong to a union. We do fundraising, coordinate the honor guard, get members involved in the parades, sponsor a little league team as well as a whole host of other items (including negotiating our contracts.)
Wow, look... We have two separate organizations. Both with similar goals but different functions.
Just because YOU don't get the system, doesn't mean it's stupid or a waste of time and energy. The NY fire system is a little convoluted, but it is also filled with tradition and in many cases, pride.
There are things you just can't get done from the floor. The separate organizations provide a means to get things done in many cases.

My department has two identities. First is the "department" which is managed by the Chief . The town government only recognizes the Chief as the leader of the FD. The town funds basically 100% of any firefighting and rescue related expense. The Chief is also responsible for discipline that is needed for incidents that happen during the course of operations, drills, in the firehouse (town owned property) and in the public that reflect badly the department or town . The Chief acts as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors. The chief is responsible for the town funded operations. The Chief has 2 assistants, 2 captains and 5 lieutenants to run the operations of the department.
The "company", the legal entity of the fire and ems service is a 501c corporation registered with the Secretary of State. The Leader is the President, who oversees a Board of Directors that include a secretary, treasurer, assistant treasurer , EMS Director and 3 trustees. The president is responsible for the company funded operations. This includes the private property we own (fire museum, land and associated antique apparatus) as well as the owning and funding the two ambulances. The company is also responsible for funding items not funded for by the town. In Connecticut, a municipality cannot own a PSA , thus cannot own an ambulance ( ct municipalities are not required to provide ems transport, but must provide ALS via Paramedic). The fire company also is responsible for paying the EMS personnel. We use a 3rd party EMS manpower company to staff the ambulances. This is done via billing for services. Disciplinary actions of the President covers any infraction of the by-laws. Any line officer ( A/C, Capt or LT) can be a member of the BOD.
There is a separate group that oversees the discipline( suspensions) handed out by the Chief . This is a grievance committee made up of a ex-chiefs and past Presidents. If a member wishes to appeal their suspension, then we review the event and make report and recommendation to the company membership .

My department has two identities. First is the "department" which is managed by the Chief . The town government only recognizes the Chief as the leader of the FD. The town funds basically 100% of any firefighting and rescue related expense. The Chief is also responsible for discipline that is needed for incidents that happen during the course of operations, drills, in the firehouse (town owned property) and in the public that reflect badly the department or town . The Chief acts as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors. The chief is responsible for the town funded operations. The Chief has 2 assistants, 2 captains and 5 lieutenants to run the operations of the department.
The "company", the legal entity of the fire and ems service is a 501c corporation registered with the Secretary of State. The Leader is the President, who oversees a Board of Directors that include a secretary, treasurer, assistant treasurer , EMS Director and 3 trustees. The president is responsible for the company funded operations. This includes the private property we own (fire museum, land and associated antique apparatus) as well as the owning and funding the two ambulances. The company is also responsible for funding items not funded for by the town. In Connecticut, a municipality cannot own a PSA , thus cannot own an ambulance ( ct municipalities are not required to provide ems transport, but must provide ALS via Paramedic). The fire company also is responsible for paying the EMS personnel. We use a 3rd party EMS manpower company to staff the ambulances. This is done via billing for services. Disciplinary actions of the President covers any infraction of the by-laws. Any line officer ( A/C, Capt or LT) can be a member of the BOD.
There is a separate group that oversees the discipline( suspensions) handed out by the Chief . This is a grievance committee made up of a ex-chiefs and past Presidents. If a member wishes to appeal their suspension, then we review the event and make report and recommendation to the company membership .

Oh thank goodness. I don't know what we'd do without it........
**All future references to a "mini-bar" should refer to a small refrigerator filled with a variety of booze in a hotel room

There is no public perception IMO one way or another. the public does not really care. Nor do the public officials.
We are the only ones who care. Usually some bitter member is the person who makes it a problem.
Yeh, I know... 9 years as a chief officer and I never had a problem taking my town issued car to work ( grant it was in the next town and I did respond to when I could. Ya know who made it a problem, a member that was disgruntled. He went out of his way to document via photos the 3 chiefs cars at work, at shopping etc. Needless today, one car sits in the chiefs driveway while he is at work the other two sit in the FD parking lot 18 hours a day and only used when a member wants to go to the pizza joint.
As one of my mentors and favorite Chiefs once said..." WE have met the enemy and WE are them".

There is no public perception IMO one way or another. the public does not really care. Nor do the public officials.
We are the only ones who care. Usually some bitter member is the person who makes it a problem.
Yeh, I know... 9 years as a chief officer and I never had a problem taking my town issued car to work ( grant it was in the next town and I did respond to when I could. Ya know who made it a problem, a member that was disgruntled. He went out of his way to document via photos the 3 chiefs cars at work, at shopping etc. Needless today, one car sits in the chiefs driveway while he is at work the other two sit in the FD parking lot 18 hours a day and only used when a member wants to go to the pizza joint.
As one of my mentors and favorite Chiefs once said..." WE have met the enemy and WE are them".

There is no public perception IMO one way or another. the public does not really care. Nor do the public officials.
We are the only ones who care. Usually some bitter member is the person who makes it a problem.
Yeh, I know... 9 years as a chief officer and I never had a problem taking my town issued car to work ( grant it was in the next town and I did respond to when I could. Ya know who made it a problem, a member that was disgruntled. He went out of his way to document via photos the 3 chiefs cars at work, at shopping etc. Needless today, one car sits in the chiefs driveway while he is at work the other two sit in the FD parking lot 18 hours a day and only used when a member wants to go to the pizza joint.
As one of my mentors and favorite Chiefs once said..." WE have met the enemy and WE are them".

There is no public perception IMO one way or another. the public does not really care. Nor do the public officials.
We are the only ones who care. Usually some bitter member is the person who makes it a problem.
Yeh, I know... 9 years as a chief officer and I never had a problem taking my town issued car to work ( grant it was in the next town and I did respond to when I could. Ya know who made it a problem, a member that was disgruntled. He went out of his way to document via photos the 3 chiefs cars at work, at shopping etc. Needless today, one car sits in the chiefs driveway while he is at work the other two sit in the FD parking lot 18 hours a day and only used when a member wants to go to the pizza joint.
As one of my mentors and favorite Chiefs once said..." WE have met the enemy and WE are them".

There is no public perception IMO one way or another. the public does not really care. Nor do the public officials.
We are the only ones who care. Usually some bitter member is the person who makes it a problem.
Yeh, I know... 9 years as a chief officer and I never had a problem taking my town issued car to work ( grant it was in the next town and I did respond to when I could. Ya know who made it a problem, a member that was disgruntled. He went out of his way to document via photos the 3 chiefs cars at work, at shopping etc. Needless today, one car sits in the chiefs driveway while he is at work the other two sit in the FD parking lot 18 hours a day and only used when a member wants to go to the pizza joint.
As one of my mentors and favorite Chiefs once said..." WE have met the enemy and WE are them".