helicopper

A lot of people died for both of those "walls" to come down. It would be very sad if it took the same to solve this one.
Nicely written

We all seem to realize it but how many of us are doing anything about it?
To be blunt, the loss of the MDU's is irrelevant because there was never a tried and true plan for using them. There was a bunch of county owned equipment, stored in a local FD, and perhaps drilled on once in a while. That's no plan. Where was the training, drills, and exercises to validate the written plan? Was there ever a written plan? Unfortunately all the good intentions were never backed up with actions!
The County Haz-Mat team is going to have it's hands full if there's a situation that requires mass decon. We can't rely on them to do that too. That's why the trailers were pushed out to various locations around the county.

Absolutely a SWAT team was needed to hunt this animal. But an adequate perimeter was essential to contain him and that can only be done with adequate numbers of regular patrol officers (and supervisors). The cuts all jobs have been facing make it a very big IF there will be enough resources for containment. Add to this the fact that in most little jobs, the only supervisor working the 148 hours other than M-F days is "on the desk" and you've got a lot of cops with no supervision trying to do the right thing in a very difficult situation. Not the best recipe for success.

Preliminary reports are that these suspect was found OUTSIDE the established perimeter, too. Another example of how important it is to start big and insure containment.

Kudos to all that worked around the clock to get this animal off the street.

We all seem to realize it but how many of us are doing anything about it?
To be blunt, the loss of the MDU's is irrelevant because there was never a tried and true plan for using them. There was a bunch of county owned equipment, stored in a local FD, and perhaps drilled on once in a while. That's no plan. Where was the training, drills, and exercises to validate the written plan? Was there ever a written plan? Unfortunately all the good intentions were never backed up with actions!
The County Haz-Mat team is going to have it's hands full if there's a situation that requires mass decon. We can't rely on them to do that too. That's why the trailers were pushed out to various locations around the county.

"Tear down this Wall". Those famous words were once spoken by the late President Ronald Reagan. Those were the words he once said to then Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev. He was referring to a large cement and brick wall topped with razor wire, which physically divided the City of Berlin and the entire country of Germany. On the West side of that Wall in West Berlin, was a Free Country and Free Demorcracy. On the East side of the Wall in East Berlin was a Communist Country with no Freedoms.
Recently I had the opportunity to visit one of the Stamford, Ct Firehouses. I was invited to the quarters of Engine 8 which is on Vine Rd, about seven tenths of a mile south of the Merritt Parkway. That evening when I got off the Parkway was a firehouse to the left. I was later told that is Turn of the River Fire Depts quarters. A large, maybe three bay firehouse, that really isn't that old. So I headed south and three traffic lights was Vine Rd. Turned left and Stamford Fire Station 8 was right there.
When I got there I found a trailer mounted on a slab and a seperate single bay garage with the words Engine 8 on the top of it. It reminded me of some firehouse in the middle of nowhere in one of our very poor rural areas. This certainly wasn't what I expected to see in Connecticuts Fourth Largest City, in one of the richest counties in the country. (Fairfield County, Ct). That firehouse is the home of Three Stamford Firefighters, One Officer and Two Firefighters per shift. When I got there we talked about some of the older rigs that Stamford FD had, and of course of the Stamford Fire Dept how it is today. With two firehouses within 7/10s of a mile of each other I asked; "why aren't you up the street in that other firehouse". The answer was:
"We Are NOT Allowed in There"
The Stamford Firefighters are NOT allowed in there. I couldn't believe that ! Instead the City of Stamford must pay rent for that property to operate that Trailer mounted on a slab as Stamford Fire Station 8 with a seperate single bay garage. I asked how long they have been operating out of this trailer, and the officer told me, Four Years.
When a run comes in, these Stamford Firefighters must go outside into that garage, regardless of the the weather: snow, rain, wind, whatever, before they can get on the rig. All while a large firehouse, that is probadly empty sits Less than 7/10s of a mile away. In fact, while I was there, a run did come in. They responded to a call in one of the other volunteer areas. At that call was what appeared to me as a very young volunteer chief. Later I asked one of the Stamford Firefighters if that was the chief of the volunteer dept and I was told "yes, and he's 26 years old". Another shock that I just had a hard time understanding. Maybe he knows his stuff, I just wouldn't feel confortable taking orders from a 26 year old fire chief. Would you feel confortable taking orders on the fireground from a 26 year old ?
Now please understand, I am NOT putting that dept down. As I said, maybe that chief knows his stuff. In fact, I was actually pretty impressed with the members of that volunteer dept. And as I looked around, I happened to notice a well respected FDNY Officer from a very busy company, driving one of the rigs. He certainly has alot more firefighting experience than I ever did.
I was later told that there is also another Stamford fire station that is even closer to one of the volunteer firehouses that the Stamford Firefighters are NOT allowed to use and the taxpayers must pay the bills on that Stamford fire station also. I believe that is Stamford Fire Station 9.
Maybe there isn't a cement and brick wall with razor wire dividing the Fourth Largest City in Connecticut. But there certainly is a Wall in Stamford. It may not be physical, but its there. Recently a decision was approved to combine all Five Stamford Volunteer Fire Depts into one dept., and with one leader. A combination career/volunteer dept. I hope that this Wall can be torn down, just as that Berlin Wall was torn down decades ago. And the City of Stamford is only one example. Stamford just happens to be in the spotlight at the moment. There's more depts out there that also need to Tear Down Their Walls.

Actually the plan is we keep toning out for ambulances and then for mutual aid to cover the 1st (2nd & 3rd) due and by the time we get crews there the pts are dead and the flycar medics are contaminated.
I'll go further than saying it is not a good idea and say its a very bad idea! If the pt. off gasses the crew could be killed. Depending on the chemical you may not be able to decon the ambulance. All the little compartments and sliding door tracks, plus cusions etc.
20 years ago I saw ambulances in Germany that the rear was 100% stainless steel and was sealed in such a way they could and routinly did decon them. I also remember about that time reading about an ambulance that was contaminated and got EPA "baged" for disposal. Try explaining that to the tax payers, owners or chiefs.
15 years ago there was an incident in lower Westchester where 20+ contaminated pts were transported to SSMC, MVH & LH. None were deconned, they were allowed into 2 of the 3 ER's and EMS crews bitched that the 3rd ER would not let them in till the pts were deconned. NYS DOH fined the 2 hospitals for allowing entry.
You are correct, the plan for chemical emergencies here is to "hope for the best"......but that is the same plan as for staffing for everyday events.

That's not a plan. That's what would happen in the absence of a plan. Taking chemically contaminated patients in an ambulance is NOT a good idea, nor is bringing them to an emergency department regardless of their alleged capabilities (and the Entergy exercises/preparation is all focused on radioactive contamination which won't have off-gassing).
Let's face it, there is NO plan for a major incident. We all just hope for the best. That's not a plan either!

It looks like a larger regional Fire Department might be the only thing that could get a handle on things like this. Chiefs seem to join into things like the Southern Westchester Spec Ops Task Force and after a couple of years thay either "unjoin" or change their piece of the plan without telling anyone.
At least a regional FD would be structured and goal oriented fpr the area as opposed to the committee system with no teeth that we have now.

A hearty two cents for you...
From what you described above, it seems as though you've got three key areas you want to focus on and you want to highlight the relationships they share. Good plan! Trying to accomplish that in a single two hour session is near impossible as you can't possibly cover everything you want to cover in sufficient detail to be meaningful in that timeframe.
My suggestion is to do three two hour blocks, one on each building on the skills, in successive sessions. You can space them as far apart as necessary to suit the needs of the agency but it is still going to be awareness level and only an introduction for your peeps.
Haz-Mat AwarenessUse of ERG MCI OperationsTriage Counter-Terrorism Awareness
While the Boston bombing certainly captured headlines around the world, for your audience I think the West, TX explosion last night is more relevant as you've got far more farms and silos and fertilizer stored in northern Vermont than you have metro area marathons. Then you can use Boston to highlight the similarities between the response to a conventional incident (West explosion) and a terrorist incident (Marathon bombing). It will probably be easier to sell a local incident (silo explosion, tanker accident or feed store/hardware store fire) to your responders than a terrorist bombing.
Look at OSHA 1910.120 for specific requirements on Haz-Mat awareness level training and tailor your presentation to meet those objectives. There are tons of references on that out there to guide you in developing something so you don't have to start from scratch. In fact, check with the State EMS Office to see if they have a program already prepared that can be used to meet that training requirement.
I know how difficult it can be to get people into training or to get the buy-in for a lot of training on something that may never happen but training is the key to the success in Boston and many other incidents so I will always advocate more training. Good luck to you!

By going to the site its more confusing than the law.,For example:
Q: I own a handgun, is that an assault weapon?A: Most handguns are not assault weapons and are not affected by this law. A traditionally designed handgun is not an assault weapon. For example a single shot pistol or a revolver cannot be an assault weapon. To confirm that your handgun is not an assault weapon and to see common models and characteristics click here. Yet they reference magazines. Do they apply to hand guns or just long guns? If the magazine section applies to handguns, then almost all semi automatic handguns are affected by the law. They can’t even be truthful about something they passed yet don’t even know what they passed. Sounds like Pelosi’s statement, “we have to pass it to see what’s in it”.No they have to cover thier tracks by providing inaccurate information.

So does this mean that they (and other public safety agencies in the region) have funded personnel to the levels we had pre & post 9/11?
Many depts are at a lower level since the politicians have laid off or attritioned their agencies to the lowest levels in decades.

I think most agencies would be happy just sustaining what they've got. It seems that every year they try to get away with cutting more and more. Pretty soon, EVERY cut takes it's toll!

I think most agencies would be happy just sustaining what they've got. It seems that every year they try to get away with cutting more and more. Pretty soon, EVERY cut takes it's toll!

I think most agencies would be happy just sustaining what they've got. It seems that every year they try to get away with cutting more and more. Pretty soon, EVERY cut takes it's toll!

And the answer will be "no" to increased (unit) staffing.

 
My frustration exists on a number of levels. First and foremost, the fourth amendment is for searches and seizures and the second amendment relates to the right to keep and bear arms. I really hope that there wasn't any confusion over that since they're both referenced. Second, I'm surprised that a first responder from the NY area isn't a little bit more sensitive to the need for heightened security at our airports. How soon we forget!
Moving right along, a pen knife is not the same hazard as a bottle of an explosive compound. The penknife may hurt someone but not everybody is going to sit idly by while a plane is taken over anymore. The bottle of explosives can bring down an airplane. Hence the need to focus on that threat.
Finally, I will conced that the TSA is inconsistent, doesn't project a lot of confidence or professionalism all the time. However, they DO interdict an impressive array of prohibited items every year and their methods are not invasive or a waste of money. Invasive is a cavity search and while I've grumbled to the contrary on many occasions, the TSA is not especially invasive. Could they be more cost effective? Sure, but so could every school district, FD, PD, and other agency on the planet!

It is with great sadness that the Lake Carmel Fire Dept announces the passing of former Lieutenant Marcus Sorbellini (39 y/o). Marcus was involved in a one car motor vehicle accident in Beekman early Sunday morning where he died instantly. The passenger was air lifted to St. Frances in Dutchess with non life threatening injuries.
While I am on the web site to post about our member and the loss his four daughters now have I am here to extend my sincere gratitude to the men and women of the Beekman Fire dept and Ambulance as well as the Troopers and Medics that were on scene. From what I have gathered talking to a few of you that were on scene it was horrific and there is nothing in the world anybody can say to take those images away. All I can say is keep your head up and keep moving forward your brothers and sisters in Lake Carmel are thinking about you too and we are here if you need us.
Arrangements are as follows: Thursday 2-4pm and 7-9pm at Cargain Funeral Home, Fowler Ave, Carmel. Fire Dept will be paying their respects to the family at 7pm in uniform. The Funeral will be at St James on Rt 52 in Carmel on Friday beginning at 11am internment to follow at Raymond Hill Cemetery on Rt 52 in Carmel.
Chief Shawn Madsen
Lake Carmel FD
www.lcfd.com

Well, since we are all tossing in grist for the rumor mill: My understanding was that NYS DOH contacted the medical director about a narcotics policy issue. It was during that conversation that the director elected to resign. Still having the original question unanswered and now with no medical director, the Powers That Be (I don't know from REMAC SEMAC Regional council or NYS DOH BEMS) has issued a 6 month suspension. I do NOT know if that is a punishment suspension or a 'Hold on while we figure out what is going on here' suspension. Either way there is an appeals process. I have heard they have a new medical director. The Email I saw from HVR said that HVR medics whose primary affiliation in the HVR was Care 1 had 30 days to find a new primary or lose their MAC's. God I love the HVREMAC! I got the same cheery little note back when Westchester divorced them- affiliate in what remaines of our Region or we will deny that you exist. Kind of like the Palestinians and Isreal. But I digress.
I fully get that other companies will need to pickup Care 1 work and those companies will need the medics to do it. So the HVR is nudging them over to other companies rather then having them idle while other providers need them. But that move will only make it harder for C1 to restart as an ALS provider if they get through this.
Speaking as a long-time medic, I feel for the Care 1 medics. They did nothing wrong, and now their jobs are gone, and they are left to find work at the bottom of the pay scale and seniority list elsewhere.

The information I got (also from a reliable source) Friday was that ALS operations were suspended. I saw a couple of Care 1 ambulances on the road over the weekend so my guess is that BLS is still operating.

All the time and money wasted putting these in is what's getting to me. It would be nice if the federal government (or any government for that matter) learned to think things through before acting. How could they not see this coming?

Dont forget Rescue Squad, Rescue Company, Special Rescue,
Thanks for reminding me about the other terms, I too love the shake n' bake one from "Backdraft".
But most of the officers in my area will just stand in the front yard scratching their heads and say "Golly, that thar house is a fiar!! (spit) reckon we need more water and stuff and get me nother can o' skoal too!!"
Sorry...Im from long island originally and couldnt help the joke...you can take the person from the city but you cant take the city from the person...peace out.

If it's in your response area and they call 911 for an ambulance, there's a reason for paging volunteers.
The distinction you make bothers me - not just you saying it but the prevailing sentiment, so this isn't directed at you. If you're an EMS responder, you go where the calls are regardless of pay status. If you're a volunteer and don't want to respond on calls to the urgent care center when someone walks in feeling ill but is really having an MI, then you need to reevaluate your association and priorities.
We don't pick and choose our calls. The notion that we can/should/do is one of the failures of our current EMS system and why some calls go unanswered.

I love the fact that politicians use the term "assault weapon" or "military style" to make people think they are only needed by the military to kill people, but most of the legal "assault" weapons are not used by the military as they are not good enough.
So a person with a hand injury (say a retired police officer who was injuried on the job) wont be able to get a pistol grip...I we no longer consider ADA, only legal gun owners as potential mass killers.

@SRS131EMTFF You and so many others fail to realize that magazine capacity had little to do with most of these cases, considering the shooters carried multiple loaded weapons, thus making a reload "under pressure" unnecessary. Mag reloads can be conducted in mere seconds with very little training, and dropping one gun while reaching for a second is pretty fast too.
On the other hand, in the case in GA last week where the mother backed her kids into a crawlspace and had to shoot the intruder as he opened the space coming for them, she fired all 6 of her rounds hitting the perp 5 times (way better than most armed confrontation stats on hits/shots) and he still drove away, thankfully there wasn't more than one assailant.
The number of rounds does matter, likely more to someone forced into self defense than a killer executing a planned assault on innocent people. When fighting for your life it has been noted that most people lose their fine motor skills, thus accuracy is less likely, but in the case of cold killers seeking to execute innocent people one should not expect they're having the same physiological "fight or flight" reaction, thus they're more liklely to be far more deadly.

I'm delusional? Please. To drop the magazine and reload another 10 rounder takes seconds. There was NO ONE THERE TO STOP HIM. All that stopped him was a gun. Thirty round magazines certainly made it easier, but the results would have been the same. Why does banning these magazines change anything? Criminals will still have them.
Your definition has thought put into it. Most don't.
Your response about magazine size however shows the ignorance that went into the thinking in Albany with this bill. You posted two types of guns. Yup, you can find 5 round magazines for them. How about all the rest?
THEY DON'T MAKE THEM FOR MY GUNS.
So, now what do I do? I presently follow all the laws of my state. Am I supposed to stop carrying my handgun? Do I now lose the right to defend myself?