64FFMJK

Arlington is getting the new rescue and one more engine.
Last Saturday was the factory training for the first engine and it will hopefully be in service by the end of the month as 32-15.
The Tower is in and being outfitted.
I have heard rumors that 32-52 number may be retired and it may end up being 32-55?
When I hear more I will let every one know.
Arlington is getting rid of 3 engines the old tower and rescue but probably not till after the first of the year since they want to get every thing in service and assigned to locations so they can determine what is in need of being replaced.

Clearly you fail to understand how EMS in the rural areas often rely on licensed fire responders at all levels to begin care. Having started in a small rural community where the closest mutual aid ambulance was 20 minutes out, I can attest that having members properly equipped to assist patients is not a disservice of any sort. Aside from administering oxygen, bleeding control, assisting with EPI-pens, spinal immobilization, CPR and even defibrillation are often performed by first responders with success. Not to mention being able to assess the situation and ammend the response appropriately.

I know this is an imposition on your hobby (a legitimate hobby that is not a threat). However, I believe the saying IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.
It may be a pain when a cop comes along to question you because somebody called it in. But the bad guys are still out to get us. Had Muhammad Atta been questioned about his seemingly innocent flying lessons (and his buddies too), maybe 9/11 wouldn't have happened.
My advice is "Suck it up, we're at war. Be nice to the cop and the tattletale, they are just doing what they have to do."
While you are out there on a photo shoot, if you see something...say something...and take pictures... they are good evidence.

Time is relative.
What I do in my first two years in the department isn't the same as what you might do. You may spend your time taking classes, while I keep going to hands on drills and respond to 100 calls compared to your 10 calls. On election night, it's usually a popularity contest, and the best candidate doesn't always prevail.
Make it tougher to move up.
- Make it 5 years in the department to move up.
- Require XXX amount of classroom training hours.
- Require XXX amount of hands on training hours.
- Require a higher % of call response then the average member.
- Put them to the test at drills and calls, make them make decisions!
I believe that training lays the foundation, while experience and ability builds the house. I can sit in 100 hours of class on how to throw a ground ladder, but until I do it and master it, it's all just speculation as to what I can do.
Senior members and officers MUST mentor the younger guys to seek out the future leadership. All of us can look around our firehouse and see who is officer material, and who should be left on the apron every call.

FYI...
A fireman's bell cap is intended to be worn with the brim facing the front.
No matter how cool you may think you look, it is never Ok to wear a uniform cap backwards. It is disrespectful to your uniform, your department, and the fire service as a whole.
It may even be grounds for a solid smack upside the head.
That is all.

Sounds like a good idea chief, unfortunately we wont follow in your foot steps, makes too much sense.
It seems the Fire District has very little say and the Rescue Squad has even less!!! The Town is the ultimate ruler over EMS in Pleasant Valley
From the Poughkeepsie Urinal:
Volunteers on the Pleasant Valley Rescue Squad respond to medical emergencies in the evenings, overnights and on weekends. Because of work obligations, many of the volunteers are not available to respond to medical emergencies during weekdays, requiring the assistance of the professional ambulance service.
We do respond during the day, not alot but we do! We also send our paid staff to high priority calls to assist Hudson Valley Paramedics. I think if anything Mr Hart and Mr McNair should come down and fill out an application! I have 3 duty crew shifts and would be more than happy to give them one.

$3500 to draw up a map and plan???? How about having the Pleasant Valley Fire District assume the contract since they are Pleasant Valley's experts when it comes to Fire and EMS in Pleasant Valley?

With all due respect to those "grieving", how are you making the connection between that incident and this thread? And, a little bit disingenuously I might add, as you posted several posts before invoking this.
And on an entirely different note, is it really that arduous to envision a "public safety concept" with cross-trained members. I hate to rain on anyone's parade, but I don't really think firefighting or law enforcement are of such an academic or unique nature that with motivated and determined employees, both positions could not be mastered. To assume otherwise really discredits members of both professions, in my personal opinion.

Captain, we all grieve for the loss of the brothers fallen in CT, VA and elsewhere but we can not forget that life goes on. We must constantly learn from the events, tragedy and lessons of actions both past and present. We can not stop learning just because it hurts too much, or it is too soon.
I choose not to "chill on this thread" because we too must learn from this video as if it were a NIOSH report. We must take the lessons learned and apply them to actions both present and future.
The individuals in the video this thread is based on risked their safety to extinguish what, a tractor-trailer truck cab with limited life-safety except those individuals who choose to unnecessarily risk their own safety. That sir contains a lesson if you ask me. That lesson is risk a little to save a little, risk a lot to save a lot. Those pictured in this video risked a lot to save something that was going to the dump the second that fire started.
I am sorry if this offended you, but we can not let the lessons of this video escape us.

This video seems to have hit a sore spot with some members ... Just because it's not how it's done up here doesn't mean it's not right .... The cops were there first and apparently did what had to be done !!! Remember it's not about who gets there first or who starts the initial attack or who gets the kudos, it's about saving life and property, remember thats what we all signed on for !!
Remember we are all in the Emergency Services Business together !!!!
Stay safe Folks !

A. I believe there is nothing wrong with sending resources early. It's just as easy to cancel them.
B. I don't agree that "any member" shouldn't be requesting resources. A firefighter is a firefighter, right? They should have the basic knowledge to know what they got, where it's going and what resources they need.
C. If it was your garage, your house, whatever - wouldn't you have a little bit of a "pucker-factor" going? It's your stuff!

Luckily, this was only a water tanker...

I disagree, the biggest problem is that they spend money on equipment but have no idea how to use it or its limitation. Everyone SHOULD have a bailout system of some kind, even if its just a rope, if thats what works for you. But you gotta work with it to know what its/your limitations are. That's why I took my harness off my gear, I don't get enough practice with it, and half the time it just gets in the way. Rope and a hook is good enough for me, as long as it slows my descent I'm comfortable enough.

These are all the comments by the person in question. I don't think it is paid vs. volunteer as much as misguided/uninformed about survivor benefits. And don't get yourself all worked up about an anonymous post in a newspaper blog, it's just another anonymous comment by someone uninformed. Nothing to lose sleep over.
As for respect, there is precious little respect for any of us in any emergency service right now and we have to work to earn it, not demand it or expect it.

I don't think people are trying to stir the pot, just offering their opinoins.

At the risk of getting a few malicious negatives (like the ones I got when someone actually looked me up and then negatively rated a thread that I had started LAST YEAR), not that I care too much anyway, I'd like to come out and say that I think the whole membership rating system is nothing more than a popularity contest that contributes nothing to the board. The whole point to the board is to debate the issues; if you agree and would be inclined to rate a post or thread positive, you don't have to say anything other than "I agree." Conversely, if you disagree, and would be inclined to rate it negatively, then it just seems better to debate the issue.

The same happened to me, its just popularity contest and a way for people to get even on post they dont like. I dont see any real purpose for it, but whatever, it is what it is.

I said they dont go far like to the City of Poughkeepsie or Fairvie, but they will do a close mutial aid.
Thomas

Do you get notified when some rates you??? Negativelly or positivelly???
Thomas

This can be very true. There is a HUGE differance between Paid Staff and Professional Staffing.
I know several Professional Fire Fighters both Paid and Volunteer and unfortunitly for the entire Fire Fighting career I know some Paid unprofessional Fire Fighters as well.

i hate slogans like that..... people don't care if your dept is volley or not, they want protection 24/7. that's it, and to put that on the truck is stupid, because there will be a time when that truck cant roll due to lack of manpower.... its a volley dept, it will happen.

This can be very true. There is a HUGE differance between Paid Staff and Professional Staffing.
I know several Professional Fire Fighters both Paid and Volunteer and unfortunitly for the entire Fire Fighting career I know some Paid unprofessional Fire Fighters as well.

This can be very true. There is a HUGE differance between Paid Staff and Professional Staffing.
I know several Professional Fire Fighters both Paid and Volunteer and unfortunitly for the entire Fire Fighting career I know some Paid unprofessional Fire Fighters as well.

Professionalism has far more to do with attitude than it does with paychecks.

This can be very true. There is a HUGE differance between Paid Staff and Professional Staffing.
I know several Professional Fire Fighters both Paid and Volunteer and unfortunitly for the entire Fire Fighting career I know some Paid unprofessional Fire Fighters as well.