jcoppola

Pic of Norwalk's new heavy rescue, slated for spring delivery. It is a 2008/2009 Spartan chassis with a Marion 22 foot walk in box. More pictures available at http://www.local830.org/index.cfm?zone=/un...uild%20Pictures

Enjoy.

This should be fun!

so true!

SORRY J, I SAW YOUR RESPONSE AFTER DELETING THE ORIGINAL SO I HAD TO DELETE YOURS TOO. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

Chris192

A poor use of resources? I don't see it, care to explain?

I guess I am just from a department that does more with less. I cannot explain it any further. Listing apparatus resources means nothing to me because apparatus does not put out fires, firefighters do.

Who cares? The show sucks and is a disgrace to The Brothers of the FDNY and the entire fire service for that matter. Leary POS

PJ-

I could not agree more. The show is garbage and Dennis Leary should be ashamed at himself for promoting such a poor image of the FDNY. I cannot believe anyone involved in the Fire Service would give that show any credence by viewing it. Total Garbage.

While I'll refrain from commenting on the previous large fire, there have been several recent responses changes, including:

- 2 City Engines, 1 City Truck, and 1 City Deputy Chief to respond on all structural responses in the District.

- A new Water Supply algorithm/matrix, which essentially is a multi-phase task force concept that fans-out tankers from SW CT and parts of Westchester County. This appears to be the first such use of this plan.

- Implementation of personnel accountability for each responding apparatus and implementation of ICS protocol.

This was a very large residence that was well off-the-road. This is not an uncommon type of home for this area and this was the type of scenario that much of the large fan-out of water resources was planned for.

I cannot speak for operations at the scene, just wanted to provide insight as to why the number of resources.

All well and good, but it reallly seems to be a poor use of resources. All said with not having been there of course.

I have seen commercial working fires with less apparatus than that on scene. Where did they all park and what in God's name was burning? Was it a house? And this question also comes to mind...were there more Chiefs on scene than firefighters? I realize tankers are needed in those areas, and not counting them, it still seems like a huge number of resources.

There were six guys on duty. The engine got stuck at the mouth of the unplowed driveway. Members had to hand stretch 250 feet of 2 1/2 just to get to the front door' in deep snow. than hook up the whye and add another 250 feet 0f 1 3/4 attack hose. Than make entry and get to the third floor. They got water on the fire. This building was built with light weight wood truss with slate roof and started to fail. Crew was ordered out before failure. There was no acess for our ladder truck at the fire building. There was water from a good hydrant about 2500 feet away, just not the desired volume reaching the fire due to a 100 foot elevation. the relay pumper helped this.

You bring a great point out in your post. The roof was indeed slate tile over lightweight wood construction. I witnessed the tiles collapsing into the roof with my own eyes. The New Canaan people that got there first due took an enormous beating, as a matter of fact, one who was there and happens to be a personal friend told me that had there been just a few more hands initially, (Norwalk was essentially 2nd due dept with an Engine and a Truck on scene) more could have been done. This was a loser from the beginning...huge house built with crap lightweight wood trusses and lumber, set off the road, no hydrants, long UNPLOWED driveway staggered response...you can go on and on. Everyone should know that New Canaan personnel managed to get what looked like some pretty expensive art out of the house before it was consumed by the ridiculously large body of fire occurring. I, for one, was impressed by that effort. Norwalk will continue to assist New Canaan whenever they need it, but I think it is time to add Norwalk or Stamford to the runcards for automatic mutual aid to the town of New Canaan. We could always be turned back if not needed.

Joe C.

After a great day with family, I am spending the Christmas night tour @ Engine 5 (THE HOOD) in Sono, 1725-0800. Looking forward to either a good first due job or a very quiet night, whichever occurs first.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and wishing all a happy, healthy and SAFE 2009.

Joe Coppola

Norwalk Fire

The larger cities run civil service type tests where all you need is a HS Diploma and a driver's lisence to take the test. The Candidate Physical Aptitude Test needs to be completed by a set date thereafter. I agree that FF1 and EMT helps, especially for the smaller paid departments. When I was testing many moons ago, I just started applying all over and making phone calls. I got some great advice a long time ago by a seasoned vet...if you want it bad enough, you will get it.

Good Luck.

JVC

I want to extend a huge Thank You to the members of Long Hill Volunteer Fire Department (Trumbull) for delivering a very memorable Christmas to my 4 kids and 6 of their best friends from our neighborhood. The members of Long Hill do an annual fundraiser that delivers Santa Claus on a beautifully, awesomely decorated fire truck to the residents of Trumbull for a minimal fee that helps the organization. I cannot say enough about how great the guys were that came to my house tonight. Absolutely awesome job. I have included a picture of Santa's annual transportation around town, delivering Chrismas cheer to all the good little girls and boys.

Merry Chrismas!

Joe

2 pictures of our new heavy rescue in production. It will be a 2008 Spartan Metrostar with a 20' Marion Rescue Squad walk-in box. It is slated for spring/early summer delivery.

I love the new FDNY Marauders. The only thing I do not get is the half LED and half halogen lightbars...

Maybe it is a dependability issue, although LED's seem to last way longer than conventional halogens. I like the cab too, it looks really user friendly. I really like the short wheelbase and the short body. What is in that box on the roof?

Great muster and even greater memories.

Thanks for the pics

Cogs

One of my fondest childhood FD memories was going to the Valhalla Muster with BFD E-433 and the "old timers", some who are not with us any more, but will always help continue the strong traditions of Belltown. I still feel proud when I recall watching our 1949 Mack drafting out of the "pool" in front of the dam and throwing water clear across it. Cogs...remember when we lost the grill on 287 out of Dave Lupinacci's pickup on the way back to CT??? Or when the radiator hose blew and 2 of us received nasty steam burns...man those were the days...LOL

Maybe Joe, maybe.

I don't know about a dead horse either, seems everyone has moved elsewhere to "vent" where there are no restrictions and they can remain anonymous to voice their rather colorful "opinions".

Ah well like everything else this too will work out eventually.

Cogs

BTW Happy Thanksgivings all

...or, as I have said in the past, the issue is totally UNRESOLVABLE. Everyone will continue to do their own thing and hopefully peaceful co-existence will be the outcome.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and all our other members as well.

Joe

Hello....hello...hello...hello.

Sure is quiet in here lately.....

As usual thanks for the update Geppetto.

Cogs

Perhaps everyone is just tired of hearing about this whole Godforsaken issue. I know I am.

Even a job that was pretty much gone on arrival has to be turned into a paid/volunteer thing. Unreal. I was there and I can attest as a neutral 3rd party, that SFRD did everything they could considering the factors they were dealing with. They had trucks protecting exposures and all hands working to keep the fire in check. C'mon guys, can't we just give credit where due and move on??? Had I known where this would go, I would have kept my wacker pictures to myself...

Looked like a large wood frame in very close proximity to more of the same. Take into consideration some pretty savage winds blowing at the time. I also saw a few cars involved from my vantage point. Looked like a really tough job to get a handle on.

Joe

is there automatic aid coming from fellow volunteer fire districts?

the biggest concern is staffing

why cant the 5 districts combine into one?

there should be no excuses for rigs not getting out or staffed

I can not speak for all volunteer departments in the area , but in Trumbull (one of the busiest all volunteer depts in the area) can get 2,3,4,5 trucks out around the clock staffed, then stamford should be able to. Start taking out of town members, find people that do not work days and could provide some staffing by letting them sleep in the station.. etc

if the volunteer members in stamford truly do not want to get taken over, they should be making all the effort possible to prove the city wrong.

I have really tried to stay away from this topic but I have been sucked in again...

The answer to one of your questions is PERSONAL AGENDAS.

The other huge difference between Trumbull Volunteers and Stamford Volunteers is that there is no Career Department keeping tabs on what they are doing, what their response times are and who is putting the first line on a fire. Also, people, TRAINED PEOPLE, can help out in Trumbull without being crucified for being affiliated with a volunteer company. Trust me when I tell you...there is no system quite like that of Stamford these days, I think most will agree with that.

JVC

It's hard to show "tone" on these blogs.. No I was not referring to you with regards to "selective amnesia"... I was actually trying to be somewhat politically correct by my post, what I wanted to say is that some of the same guys who were pains in a** as volunteers, transform into similar pains in the a** in the union after they get hired... Which reinforces my earlier post that both the career and volunteer sides both have personalities among them that hamper everyone getting along.

bernie

Very true...and thanks.

Joe

Also with all due respect, I disagree. The problem with the situation in Stamford is purely personalities, it has nothing to do with facts. The interesting thing about the fire service, is that it is very similar everywhere you go. I'll bet there is a very similar situation to the Stamford thing going on in Brazil, or Canada somewhere. Here in CT there are other similar situations; West Haven, Enfield, Greenwich, Manchester, Meriden, Wallingford, are all towns that come to mind with significant vol/career or fire district issues. West Haven seems to be working very hard on moving towards finally consolidating.

Anyone who thinks there isn't common ground, needs to take a step back and get a better view of things. The fire service and firefighters are no different in Stamford than anywhere else. Let's try to consider some common ground; People join the fire service (career or volunteer) because they want to help people and serve their community. Many career guys were volunteers, and many volunteers strive to be career guys, those types of people can help act as ambassadors. I never understood why some of the biggest volunteer advocates move on to become the biggest voices in the union once they get hired. We should never forget where we came from, or where we might want to be. More common ground; everyone has to agree that they want to fight fires safely, and that they dont want firefighters injured. Everyone must agree that they want to serve their public the best they can, and have the best equipment available to do such work in their various districts. The differing sides in Stamford probably need to present their views on how things should be accomplished there. Just off the top of my head there are probably some fundamental differences on how to respond to fires there; the career department has engines and truck co's, the volunteer districts know the value of tankers, and have the ability to respond with rescues and specialized units that the career dept may not have the luxury of doing. The career dept has an advantage of immediately available chain of command at all times, the volunteers can probably muster extra guys on fairly short notice, there are advantages to both sides. More common ground, I bet everyone agrees to strive for as much training as they can get, is it easy for all of us (career or vol) to train; no not always. Would it be easier if there was a collaborative effort to train everyone? Absolutely. Would costs go down if all those districts had centralized purchasing? Sure. As I said in my earlier post, could both sides pick a Harry Carter or Billy Goldfeder off Firehouse.com and place them on a committee, sure they could. I'm betting the same fire service magazines are in bathrooms of both the career and the volunteer firehouses in Stamford. In my experience the main ingredient to solve these types of conflicts is leadership. Now I dont know any of these leaders down there, but they've developed, and are fostering quite a mess. Maybe they should take a ride up to Litchfield County and see if Henry Kissinger is available to broker the peace.

Ok, good response Bernie, but we shall agree to disagree. This was a system I have worked in and have been involved with for many, many years and I am confident that no mutually acceptable outcome will ever occur. Call me a pessimist, but thats the way I see it. And I really hope you are not referring to me when you mention guys who forgot where they came from or big union voices.

Thanks,

Joe

Date: 10-21-2008

Time: 01:18

Location: 17 Carlin Street

Frequency:

Units Operating: Norwalk FD, surrounding towns for station coverage, NPD, NHEMS, Fire Investigation Division

Description Of Incident: Working fire in a 2.5 story house. Structure was over 75% involved on arrival of E4 and interior attack could not be initiated due to the structure collapsing on itself. 2 elderly occupants perished in the blaze.

Writer: JVC

I couldnt resist chiming in. Joe, you're somewhat incorrect about Danbury. I'm also betting there's no love affair between paid companies in Norwalk and each other, that's just how the fire service is, but I dont spend enough time in Norwalk to be sure.

In the 23 years I've been in Danbury, things between the career and volunteers have improved dramatically. I would say that the enemy of the volunteers in Danbury (and most other places) are/is their fellow volunteers. If the volunteer companies in Danbury would swallow their "company" pride and consolidate, they would be very effective firefighting force. With twelve independent fire companies, there clearly is too much divisiveness between them for them to be effective. Their members constantly switch between companies and fight among each other. There are approximately 100 "qualified interior" volunteers between the 12 companies, so one can see that spread 12 ways, 100 guys are thinned out. Currently the career and volunteer firefighters in Danbury get along quite well. Both sides of the aisle have their jerks, but for the most part, we get along fine. The career guys work to train the volunteers, and there are now volunteers who are instructors who also help out. Is it perfect? No of course not, but we work fairly decently together.

Could it work in Stamford? absolutely, but it would take alot of work on alot of peoples parts to make concessions from both disciplines. The problem in Stamford is "civil war", as there are far too many "ex" this, or "ex" that, brothers, fathers, and others with personal agendas that are truly the root of the conflict.

I think the way to accomplish peace in Stamford would be to find common ground and work from there towards the solution. To me, that's fairly easy, both sides should agree to a panel of OUTSIDE arbitrators, people that both sides agree are experts in the fire service, and then Stamford should pay those experts a lot of money to formulate a solution and everyone abides by it.

Each side should go on Firehouse.com or something, and pick their expert, add them to a panel and follow the plan.

bernie

Ok, I apologize for speaking out of turn, but my source painted a very different picture than yours. My source has since left Danbury and moved on to the FDNY several years ago, so my info is dated and I will take yours at face value.

Knowing as much about the volunteer system as I do, I can tell you that there are many fundamental differences between Danbury and Stamford departments. There is no common ground. The damage and distrust is corroding the system beyond repair. The individual fiefdoms will never give in to consoldation because they put way too much stock in the "Charter".

Another big problem is that Springdale, Belltown and Turn of River FDs are considered "rival" organizations. You tell me how that is going to promote this "common ground" that you speak of. I have resolved myself to the fact that there is no possible way these 2 sides are going to agree on ANYTHING, EVER.

I believe that the whole Mill Spring Road fire proved that the system is more disorganized than it was before the merger. At least before, the departments were able to deal with most situations on their own, with mutual aid as needed from wherever. Now, there are 2 different entities with their own command staff operating in a relatively small area compared to other jurisdictions in our state. To no fault of either, one does not know what the other is doing and there is the never-ending underlying career vs. volunteer conflict.

With all due respect, there is NOTHING easy about this situation.

Joe

Isn't Rowayton VFD still in business?

I guess...we have almost nothing to do with them at all.

WOW! Those pictures bring me back...I remember going to the Valhalla Muster as a young kid with all the Belltown old timers and the 1949 Mack (which they still have in a storage bay behind the station). Those were some good times and I remember Belltown's 49 taking the arena pumping trophy home many a year. Someone in a previous post hit the nail on the head when they said that Kensico Dam was the most picturesque backdrop for a muster in the country.

JVC