E106MKFD

In Hawthorne, Empress EMT's staff the ambulance, and Transcare provides the medic. So if you see an Empress EMT driving a Transcare flycar, now you know why!

I just took a ride by the Yorktown Friendly's and it's dark, no sign on the doors or anything though. I would've taken a picture but there are a bunch of people hanging around the ice cream window, and I can't figure out if its a odd memorial, employees that didn't get the memo, or the zombie apocalypse has begun and the walking dead like fribbles and very slow service.

The person that needs his or her life saved by you does not give a poop what color your patch is. Patch's we don't need no stinking patch's !

For along time it was Ldr. 14, which was one of the early tower ladder company due to it's location near the tri-boro and bridges to the Bronx not to mention it's Harlem location

This was the quarters of Eng. 36, "Skells Angels". A busy and storied company shuttered by the Bloomberg administration. Thanks bloomy.....and thanks for 4 years without a contract

A dormant FDNY station on 125th Street in Harlem is to become a new cultural center for the neighborhood. What companies were stationed before the cuts?
Link:
http://therealdeal.com/blog/2014/08/31/vacant-east-harlem-firehouse-to-become-cultural-center/

I disagree. All fire trucks should carry water............... in easily deployable 16-20 ounce plastic bottles.

I would imagine the higher call volume can be attributed to your Mayor and the PSA's the city has done in regards to the building explosion. The Harlem Explosion was 100% preventable since it was reported well after each resident of the building smelled the gas odor. After the incident I've seen PSA's saying if you smell something call 911 or call con Ed. If you believe it is gas call 911.
From the public eye the jump in call volume is understandable. If your government and emergency service agencies tell you how dangerous gas is and you see an apartment building blow up on TV I would probably call 911 too if I thought I smelled gas. I don't think Con Ed is just sending FD's so they aren't as swamped I think there have been a lot of calls that are categorized as serious in nature and they have the fire department respond in as well. The FD has lights and sirens and can mitigate an incident with proper training. Con Ed can sit in traffic for a half hour and hope the leak isn't filling up a building before they get there.
Is it annoying how many calls we go on for gas emergencies? Yes, of course! But if it means it gives a peace of mind to the public we serve and helps minimize the probability for gas explosions then it is worthwhile. Better safe then sorry.

Yes but do they have the trained personnel available to operate all of that equipment that was purchased with our grant (read tax) money?
If it sits there with no one to operate it, its useless
If it responds, but with only a small % of the personnel needed to perform the mission, its useless
and if it responds to incidents without being called, and ignores policies, procedures and ICS in general, because "nobody can stop us", its more than useless it is a danger to themselves, other responders and the community.

Just like they did in New York City with stop, question, frisk???
Yea. That worked well.....

I agree with the quote in the article, most of these "issues" are just poor attempts to demonize the law enforcement community as a whole. Those who seek to discredit the police at every opportunity continue to ignore that police officers are our neighbors, friends, family and normal human beings, not some group of robotic storm troopers out to impose Draconian laws on unsuspecting people. Again and again they continue to make excuses for people who commit crimes by deflecting and changing the topic. I'm not ready to vilify or exonerate the Ferguson Officer, but I think he and his department (and the community) deserve a fair shooting investigation and one free of political spectacle as this situation has become.

This thread is about Stamford Fire-Rescue's new Engine 8, a 2014 KME with a 1500 GPM pump, a 1,000 gallon tank, and 30 gallon foam tank. They operate out of a temporary station next to Stamford EMS Station 4 on Vine Rd near High Ridge Road. It covers the northern part of the city, specifically the High Ridge and Turn Of River sections. They cover urban, suburban, and rural sections of the city In addition, they cover the Merritt Parkway. A large part of their district is unhydranted. The company, Engine 8, was put into service in July of 2008 to cover the Turn Of River Volunteer fire department district. It is always staffed by 1 Officer, One Firefighter/Apparatus Operator, and one Firefighter. When staffing levels allow, a fourth crew member is also added. All members are part of IAFF Local 786.The company nick name is "Ridge Runners - 8 Ball Express"
Stamford Fire-Rescue's entire district is diverse, as they cover multiple high rises, commercial, industrial, and transit infrastructure, including a major interstate, I-95, the Merritt Parkway, a large Metro-North Commuter Railroad maintenance yard. There are large hospitals, office buildings, and large scale residential developments. They also cover a large suburban section, as well as some very rural area with very large and valuable real estate and huge areas of brush with limited access.
The career firefighters of Local 786 staff 9 Engine companies, 3 truck companies, 1 heavy rescue company, and 1 shift commander. A Fire Lieutenant also is a coordinator in the city's consolidated 911 communications center. This adds up to a minimum of 52 firefighters a shift. A Hazmat company and Hazmat support vehicles are cross staffed.
The KME Severe-Service Predator type chassis was specified and chosen for the terrain, roads, and structures it covers.
I'd really like to thank Captain Matt Palmer, one of my favorite fire captains, for taking the time to give me a complete in depth tour of the new KME. I do want to apologize, as the photos didn't turn out as nice as I wanted them to, but hope everyone still enjoys them and can see all the neat specs.
For comparison to the new Engine 8, here's the FORMER Engine 8, a 2005 HME.


And here we go with the NEW engine......
Stamford Fire Rescue
Engine 8
2014 KME Severe Service Predator
1500/1000/30
Engine 8 showing off the new colors and graphics of SFRD:

Engine 8's company patch

Front view

Front intake. KME standard is the chrome.

Front trash line

Driver's area

Auto Charge Status Center - a new product from Kussmaul

Drivers area panel - transmission control, air brake, Jake (engine) brake, power windows, headlights, panel dimmer, power mirrors

Drivers area panel - A/C controls, On-Spot automatic tire chain control, arrowstick control, 12V port

Drivers area panel for lighting controls

Engine tunnel....housing the LUCAS 2 automatic CPR compression device

EMS compartment....rear cab

Another shot of the engine tunnel...

Drivers side cab compartment....housing various items including a 12V DC hydrant barrel pump....hydrant barrels are pumped in the early fall to prevent freezing during wintertime

Pump Panel

Tank level indicator

Evacuation (air horn) button and fuel/DEF level indicator light on pump panel

Remote control for drivers side intake valve

Remote controlled drivers side intake valve

Pump panel uses wheel-type valves instead of push-pull "T"'s, making for an easier and smoother opening and closing of valves

Note how all valves are labeled for function. "Blitzfire", "Flying Wye", "ProPak", etc

Drivers side body

12V port for hydrant barrel pump mentioned above in the MPO's compartment

A real leather helmet that's seen real work

Rear shot

Blitzfire mount

Holamatro Combi Tool with CORE technology and new compact pump

Apartment/High Rise hose packs with pike poles integrated into tray

Officer's side saw compartment with LDH hose clamp. Saw blades are mounted to a custom mount on the right of the compartment, and pre-mixed fuel is in the yellow bracket

Officer's side front body compartment containing various tools

Wheelwell compartments with plenty of space housing 2 SCBA bottles and a water can

Officer's side

Officer's side pump panel. Notice the ProPak foam pack....unique to see it pre-connected with a 1" line

Officer's side rear compartment....containing various tools for the officer

Heavy duty rubber wheel well flares - easy to replace if damaged

Drivers side Whelen Pioneer LED Scene Light

Scott Safety thermal imaging camera mounted under officer's side rear jumpseat

Officers side cab....

Officer's area in cab

Whelen Pioneer low-profile side scene light mounted between officer's/driver's door and rear cab door....brand new product available from Whelen

Officer's side safety panel and Q siren controls

Officer's side radio and Firecom in cab-communication control panel

Officer's MDT

New SFRD logo on cab door

Hydrant type legend

Station 8's "Temporary" Engine bay

Station 8's "Temporary" Living Quarters

Apartment/High Rise pack.....note the custom made tray for it

Cab roof

Storage area on top of the "L" shaped tank

Storage area and deck gun above pump panel

Ash can

LED lights to illuminate the crosslay area

Note the high-intensity headlights

Brow light

Front bumper with LED illuminated cornering light

LDH connection with hydrant bag

I agree, the article definitely has some flaws, and it also fails to acknowledge that so many fire departments are failing because they can't get with the times. If your idea of a recruitment plan consists of a signboard in front of the firehouse, you might want to consider getting some fresh blood into your recruitment committee.
There ARE some volunteer departments out there who are growing AND managing to consistently put well-trained Firefighters and EMTs on the street. Unfortunately they seem to be the minority.

You are all "missing the boat." NYC has seen MANY maritime disasters. In fact, the colony of New Amsterdam was formed because of a maritime disaster when the ship Tyger burned to the waterline while moored in lower Manhattan. Capt Adrien Block (ie, Block Island) and his crew built the first European structures on the island and inhabited them until they built a new ship (Onrust). The hull of the ship was found in 1916 during work on the subway system at Greenwich and Dey Streets; now under the WTC site. Two firefighters were killed in maritime fires; Thomas Cooney in 1902 (fire on the British Queen started near Hoboken but drifted to Governors Island) and John Harvey in 1930 (fire at Pier 42, aboard the Muenchen). Lt. Francis Blessing of Rescue 1 was awarded the James Gordon Bennett Medal for rescuing two men from a submarine fire at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1918. 1941, the SS Panuco at Pier 27 in Brooklyn - 41 dead. In 1942 the SS Normandie burned at Pier 88 where it rolled on its side and got stuck in the mud because of the instabilty caused by the massive amounts of water pumped in to battle the blaze. Fifty workers died aboard the SS Constellation at a fire in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1960. In 1966 the SS Alva Cape and SS Massahusetts collided and exploded, killing 33. Other fires occurred along the riverfronts that did not include ships, only the piers such as the Lukenbach pier in 1956 where 10 civlians died and the Staten Island Ferry Terminal fire in 1946 where FDNY Telegraph Bureau Lineman Harold Clandening made the Supreme Sacrifice. The most recent maritime disaster was the SI Ferry Andrew Barberi crash that killed 10 civilians; no fire but a maritime disaster responded to by FDNY. And of course, there are the ones already mentioned by the group.

Just one other note...I guess it depends how you define "biggest."

This happened on May 30 1973, . I was 5 years old at the time. I remember hearing the explosion and then my house shook for about 3 minutes, and I was about 3 miles away from it. The SS Esso Brussels & SS Sea Witch collided Just North of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge then drifted under the bridge while still on fire. I remember one of the boats was pushed to the shore line after the fire was "put out" it sat there for weeks smoldering about 25 feet from land.
The lower level of the bridge was closed for weeks, and then opened and closed for repairs for a few years due to this.
This is possibly the biggest Maritime Incident in NYC history. Here is a link with some info
http://wikimapia.org/10471086/SS-Esso-Brussels-SS-Sea-Witch-Collision-Site and a pic of that night. Does anyone remember this or any other major Maritime Incident in NY

.

Wow, you guys have run short staffed for so long you have not got a clue what proper staffing is. And I am not talking about this latest crisis. 75 firefighters lets see how short you really are........
To staff 4 engines (you mentioned 3, but don't you run 4), 2 ladders and a command unit to meet the minimum standards to respond to a 2,000 sq ft. single family house without a basement requires a minimum of 26 firefighters per shift. That 12 more than you currently run.
That gives you 3 firefighters and 1 officer on EVERY RIG.
To maintain 26 per shift you need 104 firefighters plus the additional members who are assigned to staff (training, codes, chief, etc.) you also need to cover contractual overtime which means each member would work an additional 20% or you need to go to 5.2 FTE's to staff your rigs, which would bring the total dept size to 135 (plus staff).
You are fighting for table scraps when you really need a steak diner. And you seem willing to accept the scraps.
And while you think you can handle a room & content fire under the "normal" staffing, you are cutting way too many corners and putting yourselves and the citizens at risk.
Now I can guarantee you will never see the numbers you should have. In fact I predicted 6 years ago that most of the career depts. were going to see staffing reductions and that we could either consolidate or each dept would suffer. I figured that we were spending the same amount of money to staff rigs with one or two as a consolidated dept would spend with 4 on a rig.
22 firefighters & officers on a response was what I proposed, and the response from almost everyone is we do not want that.
Now every one of the depts. is either fighting to survive (and I'm sorry but those that run with less than OSHA requires are not surviving) or has already faced the reductions (and more are coming).
Go read the NIST study's on staffing. They proved that fewer better staffed rigs do a better job than lots of understaffed ones do. They actually proved that 2 + 2 = 3
when 2 firefighter engines team up with another 2 firefighter engine, they are only as effective as a 3 firefighter engine and the standard says 4 minimum.

This will be first due to MVAs, car fires, brush fires, CO calls, wires and gas calls etc. Yes it will replace TL 12 in the bay.

11.26.81 551 Main St New Rochelle, second alarm

Main St Port Chester mid '70's

Main St Port Chester NY mid '70s

State law is silent on who provides law enforcement, other than the requirement to have law enforcement, so village town, county (which includes Sheriff) or State is acceptable.
State law specifically prohibits county fire. In fact in the 1980's they had to pass laws to allow counties to run hazmat teams and in the 1990's to run USAR teams.

Okay.....the concrete info:
The 10-code is a Starfire code, but only for the dispatcher to input. There will be no change in how the Battalion/Division Aide reports control of the incident.

But the Mayor fails to acknowledge that the majority of members who are out sick are out on service connected injuries or illness due to exposure from documented contamination in the fire stations.
Understaffing is the leading cause of service connected injuries.

Some more photos from Rob and I......

I miss the old days of GOOD conversation, discussion and the occasional spirited debate. We all may never have agreed on everything, but it was always good to see each side's perspective.
A lot of what I learned on here has helped me over the years as a fireman and as a Chief Officer. It's too bad coming here for knowledgeable discussions has been replaced by generally useless posts about fire trucks, fire shows and pointless one-upping/finger-pointing.
I admit I used to post more often, but between being banned for a while, accused of stuff I didn't do, speaking my mind and hurting peoples' feelings and yes, being told I shouldn't post on here by my job, I have stepped back.
It would be nice to see things get back to the old here...