helicopper

It was disbanded in the early-mid 80's and the ambulance was given to the contract holder Affiliated who used it for several years after. Speaking of Affiliated, did someone mention them already?

I'm flying JetBlue out of Stewart in a couple of weeks and the fares seem to be the same as JFK or LGA. I, too, hope they come to Westchester although Stewart is even more user-friendly - easier parking, less crowded, fewer stupid limits on passengers per hour.

From a safety perspective, the only hazard was hovering at a such a low altitude. If the engine quit, they were going into the water. Other than that, they didn't try to pick the thing up, they just used the downwash from the rotor system to push the thing across the ice. Trying to pick it up would have been really dangerous for a bunch of reasons. I found it hysterical to watch and am thinking about a variation on it for next year's turkey bowling at Playland! That's a FUNNY video!

Yup, A1's license was bought by another company (TransCare perhaps?) in the late 90's.

Let's take the question one step further - does it apply to your conduct when off-duty or exchanging views in a forum such as this?

Weren't AAA and Park both absorbed by other companies??? Does that count as defunct? Is an agency defunct when they can't get an ambulance out the door for a first call more than 40 hours a week?

Unless I am grossly misinformed, the aircraft is probably a "loaner" from the parent company of the helicopter side of STAT-Flight for use while the primary STAT-Flight aircraft are out of service for prescribed maintenance/repairs/etc. Just like rotating a "spare" engine into service for an out of service primary unit.

Not exactly true - the most qualified person should be in command and the organizational structure should reflect the needs of the incident. Broadcasting a size-up on the radio is great and should be incorporated into the initiail/early info to be broadcast from the scene but establishing command is just as important. I think we've all arrived at incidents where there were multiple resources arriving, many tasks to be performed and no clear guidance or direction from a command element. So what happens - we start doing what we think needs to be done first and not necessarily what the boss wants. Let's not get too hung up on "NIMS" - it is really just the formalization of what we've all been trying to do, especially in the fire service, for years. Training dispatchers to solicit important information is a great way of reminding people to broadcast info! Helps make the argument for centralized dispatch with properly trained personnel giving you good info and asking the right questions on both the radio and phone. Is the street cop covering the desk the best dispatcher for a working fire job? - Perhaps that's a thought for another thread!

Absolutely mind boggling! This on the heels of two border patrol agents being convicted of assault and other crimes after exchanging gunfire and wounding a known felon (convicted for trafficking narcotics) who fled back over the border and later testified against the agents in return for complete amnesty makes you really wonder what's going on! This is an international border, right? I know no other country that allows people to illegally cross the border completely unchallenged like this. If this isn't a matter of national "homeland" security, I don't know what is! Sheesh...

Someone from DOT once told me that they're to reduce confusion between red traffic lights and other red lights (brake lights, tail lights, commercial lighting adjacent to the roadway) and improve visibility in poor weather. Now if they would just tell people that they're not optional...

In Departments with LOSAP, you could penalize someone financially with disciplinary action. To be eligible for the LOSAP benefits don't you have to be a member in good standing? If someone is suspended, that would be a break in service and could eliminate the benefit for that year. Would that work? You can't just shrug and say that someone is a volunteer so you can't do anything when they're a discipline problem! There has to be something to protect the agency and the public they serve!

Wow, that would have solved the defecit and balanced the budget all in one night!

Ding dong, the dictator's dead!!

I hope this silence is people on vacation (without their laptops ) and not a lack of capabilties. Anybody from Peekskill/Continental Village on here? Didn't you have a job in Camp Smith last month that required ropes?

Well, since I was invited to comment.... The section of the VTL that Remember posted states it pretty clearly - riding on a vehicle is illegal. That it also violates NFPA standards is pretty clear too. I look at it this way - IF something does happen and there is a lawsuit or charges, the FD and vehicle operator are going to be hard-pressed to defend the decision to ignore the law, NFPA standards (and others that surely exist) concerning this subject. Since the law is being violated I don't think the department or its officers can enjoy the defense of public officer laws or other indemnification. This creates a pretty ugly situation and probably will forever negate whatever positive PR was enjoyed by hauling jolly ol' Saint Nick around. Now, would it be OK if they put a seatbelt on the sleigh in the picture??? (just kidding!) Anybody want to weigh in on how tall fire apparatus is and how high the sleigh puts Santa's head? I'd be more concerned with low branches and wires - some mental image for the kids waving to Santa as he gets decapitated by a low slung wire across the road.

Maybe it's not the project itself but the size of it - can Brewster justify an 11,000+ square foot "sub"station at a cost of 5 million dollars? If I were facing this bond referendum I'd be asking the same questions their potential neighbors are asking - why so big and why so much? A lot of departments have had a hard time passing building referendums lately (Millwood and North White Plains come to mind) so it's not unique to Brewster or Putnam politics. As for the location of Putnam Medic 4 - it should be based where the call volume is! Period! Happy Holidays!

True, the County isn't the responsible agency but they're the best suited to administer a countywide program. As for the cost of an electronic radio-tag system, with all the grants funds that are out there, the County could probably rope some into a program such as this. Interesting idea - it will be great to see something positive like this implemented!

When the chief "assumes" or otherwise acquires command from a subordinate on the scene it is a transfer of command. Perhaps its just terminology or semantics but the reality is one officer is transfering command to the chief. Not a big deal, really - but since we're discussing it...

The use of ICS is only one part of NIMS. The fact that agencies all over the place are using ICS on a daily basis and recognizing that formalizing the process that Chiefs and other bosses have been using for years is just one benefit. Hopefully, the powers that be in agencies all over are reading the rest of NIMS and starting to develop better plans, SOPs, etc. as part of the preparedness requirements are going to benefit us all! Training and exercises are another part of NIMS that will benefit us all by compelling agencies to become proactive and exercise the plans that may have been collecting dust and never been tested. Standardizing equipment, personnel qualifications, resource categories, etc. are other benefits that will be realized as people get more involved with NIMS compliance. That it took the threat of withholding money to kick all this activity into gear is unfortunate but I for one am glad it finally happened!

Keep it up Seth! Dialogue and discussion is the only thing that brings improvement to our business and this is a very good forum for that exchange. You have a bigger membership at EMTBravo than any call audit or CME I've ever attended - if the numbers are still the same the EMTBravo membership is 2 1/2 times bigger than the attendance at Vital Signs every year! New members of our services are asking questions, seeking guidance and discussing ideas and tactics with veterans - this is 21st Century mentoring at its finest! Veteran firefighters are discussing tactics and strategies here, across departmental and jurisdictional borders, too - that's impressive! Sure, at times we disagree and at times we don't express our differences as effectively as we can but I think the exchange takes the high road the majority of the time. Censorship has no place in this or any forum and complacency does in fact kill! If law enforcement didn't fight for change we'd still be carrying revolvers and blowing whistles to get help! EMS is almost always changed from within and from the street, not usually the administration. If people find it so objectionable, they can stop logging in and withdraw their membership. Nobody is forcing them to view this forum! Everyone has and is entitled to their opinion but nobody should force you or anyone to else to accept theirs! Don't let the nay-sayers get to you and don't take it personally! Happy holidays to everyone at EMTBravo! Keep up the good work and if you're working - have a safe and uneventful holiday!

Now, that is some holiday spirit! Very cool! Great idea, guys! When do they do their Westchester/Putnam tour???

I think the Kaiser is their field comm and equipped with interoperability equipment.

This is an interesting issue and I think it raises some rather important issues. CFR/EMT/Paramedics in NY are certified not licensed and operate under the license of the medical director of the EMS system they are working in (whether BLS or ALS). If the EMS provider is working outside the EMS system in a non-traditional first responder capacity (at a fitness center/sporting event/etc.) under whose authority are they operating? Short of CPR and AED which has been pushed out to the community at large, can an EMS provider - operating outside an EMS agency/system - perform skills or administer oxygen/glucose/etc.? I don't mean simple things that are "first aid" like bandaging. What local protocols will you be operating under if you're not working as part of an EMS system? The NYS BLS protocols? Do they apply to individual EMS providers or are they system oriented? Who oversees the EMS provider in this setting? What QI/QA program do they work with to insure that they are performing as they should? Hope someone can shed some more light on our "authority" as certified (or in some cases certifiable) providers!

If the chief is not entering a hazardous environment, does he really need to wear complete PPE? I understand what you're saying about setting an example but the chief can set a better example by instructing his subordinates to wear the required PPE for the environment they're working in and assigning a Safety Officer to make sure they do. If the chief is going to enter a fire building or hazardous area he should absolutely be wearing the right PPE!

SteveShyrock wrote: I contacted a few attorneys that I work with who have access to westlaw and other sources of case law information. Short & sweet they told me was that if the operator of an emergency vehicle is operating with lights & sirens they are held to a higher duty of care as we are considered professionals and therefore we owe the public a higher duty of care. As for crossing the double yellow line I was advised by these attorneys, one of which who does a lot of defense work for ambulance companies (I am insurance adjuster) said that there was case law in NYS from sometime in the 1980s where the courts determined that there is no reason, based on the law that the public must pull to the right & yield to the emergency vehicle, for any emergency vehicle to cross the double yellow line. He also added that the way the court decisions have gone over the past 20 years or so that driving on the wrong side of the double yellow line is being placed in the same category as passing a school bus with flashing red lights. It is definitely true that we are held to a higher standard when operating with lights and siren or when exercising some of the other privileges granted us during emergency operations. Please post the citations about the case law you reference when you get them. I'll find them most useful as I'm sure many other EMTBravo members will! Thanks and happy holidays! Chris