Oswegowind

Date: 5/25/10 Time: 2347 Location: SMRP SB just south of I87/Mountain Rd (Google Map Link) Frequency: WCPD/46.26 Units Operating: WCPD multiple cars, Irvington FD Weather Conditions: Clear and dark Description Of Incident: Single car mva with heavy entrapment Reporters: O-Wind Writer: O-Wind (O/S) Single SUV with at least 1 person trapped...hit the boulder on the sb side just after you merge from I87/Mountain Rd. Extensive damage and obvious extended extrication. WCPD request FD/EMS forthwith upon arrival. Also requested Accident Investigator. This was a fatal MVA. PM me with units that responded.

I have my views as you have yours. Prior to 9/11 I never would've thought that someone would fly a plane into a building, let alone 3 or what could've been 4. And before that no one could've convinced me that using a 20' bayliner with explosives on board would damage a US Navy ship like the USS Cole, but I believe that already happened. They have used car bombs all over the world. I am not saying that this was performed by terrorists of Arab decent, but it was an act of terrorism none-the-less. My point is that no one should ever become complacent. We should take a thorough look at every event and prepare for the next time. This should be a wake up call, or a reminder. Oh, and by the way, this is not the first time such a bomb as was located in Times Square was found undetonated. Car Bomb in Haymarked in UK, January 29, 2007 And again, in 2007, the Glasgow incident...the bomb was the same. Take it as you may. Those incidents were in 2007. In 2008 on more than 1 occassion a primary IED was used to disable pieces of military equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan. The only difference is that there was in fact a delayed secondary IED that was triggered and killed the first responders. Secondary IED uses on Youtube I'm not trying to make it worse than it actually was, I am just trying to be realistic about what it was. And I do believe that people have a different sense of fear when they see uniformed persons killed doing their job. It may be caused by the media, but it happens. People are shot everyday, but when a police officer is shot it creates the "awe" effect.

Guys, I think we got lucky on this one. This could have gone much much worse. Times Square is an international target, just as were the World Trade Center's Twin Towers. They are gone, terrorism is not. Times Square is the "crossroads of the universe"! If you have any doubt that this wasn't supposed to blow up and cause massive worldwide terror, you are completely ignorant. I am a firm believer that terrorists will not rest, and that they intend to destroy our way of life. I also believe that too many Americans have forgotten 9/11 or just don't believe it will ever happen again. I want each and everyone of you to carefully formulate your own opinions, but base those opinions on fact. A bombing in Times Square would have international collateral damages. Not just Americans are the targets at that specific location. But also people who have traveled here because the "West" appeals to them. They didn't attack the New York Stock Exchange on September 11th, they attacked the WORLD Trade Center. They also attacked the Pentagon, the institution in charge of America's military, which is working with Country's all over the WORLD that have mutual interests with our Country. We saw bombings of buses in London, those bombings weren't just aimed at Londoners, but who uses buses when in London? Tourists that don't drive over seas, some of which may have been American. The English are our friends, they support us as we support them. Terrorists attack targets that not only terrorize you and I, but as many people who support our way of life or mirror it in some fashion. I believe that not only the reporting person, Mr. Orton the Vietnam Veteran street vendor, but P.O. Wayne Rhatigan of the NYPD were instrumental in setting off the massive response and evacuation that insured public safety. Although, they may have become the first casualties had this device operated properly and not have been detected, I am glad that they are here today. From what I have read, and seen there was at least one clock in the auto that was set for midnight, did the smoke trigger a response that the terrorist(s) were not counting on? Was there a specific delay? This we will not know until the person(s) responsible are in custody and hopefully they speak. Kudos to the crews that responded from all agencies to the initial incident. Now what? I am confident that the FBI and the NYPD are more than capable of following leads and will hunt down the person(s) that tried to influence our world again. Here are some links I have gathered so that you too can follow up on this incident as I am: (MSN Video from NBC detailing bomb description) From that link you can see other pertinent videos about the incident, including the interview with the original reporting person. (Google search results for Times Square Bomb Threat) Some points of fact that I have developed about this incident: A. The vehicle was left running, with its "park anywhere" (hazard) lights flashing. B. The Improvised Explosive Device located was conceived with an interesting detail. Reports are that there were 2 gas "cans" in the rear seat portion of the vehicle and 3 20lb gallon propane tanks (barbecue grill size) with fireworks (incendiaries) and supposed timers, one of which was set for 2400. It is reported that the propane tank valves were left in the closed position. Now, my opinion: A. The vehicle running and hazard lights flashing is an everyday occurrence. It was a distraction! It was saying, I'll be right back to move my car. They were betting on everyday people to keep moving and not notice because they are going from place to place. They were hoping patrols would just pass on by and not investigate further because it happens every single day. IF it were not for the smoke, this would have been completely different. How many times do we just walk by and say "a******" in our minds? If the vehicle was parked in a no parking zone, there was a chance it would have been moved by towing. But by leaving the motor running and the hazards flashing it may only have been ticketed! I believe this was done purposefully to make it look like nothing was actually wrong with it being there, other than some moron just parking there and putting on their flashers! B. The IED was designed for 2 fashions. The gas cans were to explode causing a massived fire injuring many people and damaging property in the area as well as causing a major fire. The propane tanks in the off position tell me that they were not meant to explode immediately. I have seen other propane tank explosions demonstrations and incidents in videos. The valve as reported in one of the news feeds will resist heat, and they are saying that they may not have ignited immediately. I believe that this was done specifically and that this was actually 2 devices in one vehicle. The first would cause an explosion and fire, it would create havoc and panic, and it would also bring an influx of emergency personnel to the scene. IN MY OPINION: The propane tanks were intended to kill police, fire, and EMS personnel at the scene. The fire would have eventually broken the heat seals on the propane tank valves as is seen in other propane tank incidents such as Tacoma, Washington were a foundry blew up. They would have exploded when first responders had arrived to mitigate the incident. And if they didn't, maybe that is why there is a timer on for 2400, to explode while people are helping/investigating! Killing people is one thing, but killing those responding to help is another. Not only would it scare people that their life is in danger, but it would instill a fear that uniformed personnel are not immune. Just like 9/11, the biggest impact was seeing PD/FD/EMS units and personnel killed. Consistently we talk about the 343 or the 37 etc. Thousands of civilians were killed too. We are always talking about pulling out our military because we have lost uniformed soldiers. A person dies, it is one thing. When the person that is meant to protect us dies, it is another. There are psychological effects from both, but I believe that everyday people think it is much worse when those who are there to deal with the situation in their uniform die. It instills a deeper fear.

Date: 4/24/10 Time:1922 Location: 204 Elm St (Google Map Link) Frequency: 484.7125 Units Operating: YFD Engines: 306, 303, 312, 309, 304; Ladders: 71, 75; Rescue 1, Safety Batt., Battalion 1; YPD 200, 310, 312, 302, 303, 305, 201, 402; Empress EMS Weather Conditions: Nice Description Of Incident: Working Fire, 3 story wood frame Reporters: Numerous Writer: O-Wind, Truck4 (o/s) 1922 - Numerous calls to 911, visible flames from window on 3rd floor. 1924 - B1 updated, requests 5th due (E304) as the FAS Team. 1924 - R1 has smoke showing. 1926 - E306 with a 3 story frame, 10-29 (working fire. 1928 - B1, signal 10-30 (all hands, 1st alarm). 1934 - B1: Size up; 3 story wood frame OMD, fire in rear of 3rd floor, 2 L/S/O, Co's ventilating and evacuating, Primary search complete. 1934 - B1: Exposure 1 is the street, exposure 2 1 story, exposure 3 is the rear yard, exposure 4 is a 3 story wood OMD with 3 foot separation. 1946 - B1: Fire is out, co's picking up. *note* On the google map link, it is the brown 3 story that is hiding behind the tree on the street level view... Building has burned before.

Interesting scenario. 1st off, I am sure we have a procedure for this, I don't recall seeing it since training when I started 5 years ago though. The calltaker is supposed to prioritize a missing person who is either under the age of 12, or has a mental incapacity of some sort; such as alzheimer's disease or autism. For situations like this we are supposed to send the initial car and a supervisor to the "scene" of where the person is missing from. We also alert the communications supervisor (or are supposed to) and the street lieutenant. Hoping that the calltaker did their due diligence when receiving the call, we transmit a description immediately and send additional cars to canvass for the missing. I have never dispatched the fire department to assist, but this is considering the jurisdiction I am employed in has a significant amount of patrols working. I personally make immediate calls to our ambulance service as they are an "on the street" unit and may come across the missing during their shift, our bus/mass transit service; Liberty Lines whom operates the BeeLine Bus System in southern Westchester (this has yielded results for me twice in the past 2 years!), and call our local emergency rooms because a "good Samaritan" may have picked up the missing and dropped them off at the hospital because maybe they were confused or looked as though they needed medical attention. The car should get photos of the missing for distribution to canvassing units and a copy should be brought to our Youth division which handles all missing person cases. YD provides a flier using picture and description which gets distributed more thoroughly a short time after the incident has originated. In the case of the "bodies of water" issue, I know that we have utilized the Mt. Pleasant dive team in the past to recover a missing female from the Hudson River. I would recommend them in the future as well. If a K9 is used and tracks to the body of water, then it is imperative to call in experts that are trained in searching in the water. It would not be the first time that a person went missing and ended up in a body of water. Usually these cases end tragically, and considerations should be in place to handle that scenario. It is also important to consider a pool to be a body of water. Small children have been recovered in swimming pools after going missing in the past. While canvassing, some personnel should be deployed on foot to thoroughly canvass the immediate area and be sure to check even covered swimming pools which are even more dangerous than open ones. As well, if a small child is missing from "home", someone should consult the parents as to where the child likes to hide, I can't count the number of times children are found inside of their home, hiding, thinking it is a game. As for the persons of deteriorating mental capacity or those with illnesses such as autism, the County of Westchester participates in the "Project Lifesaver" program. If you have anyone in your family or even a neighbor, or a repeatedly missing person that suffers from one of those conditions, you should recommend this program. You can view the following links for more information: Project Lifesaver homepage Westchester County Page

Are we still calling the NYPD? I didn't realize that. As usual, can't teach old dogs new tricks. And Since the "Mason" series license plates are such a hit at work! I am working on a new invention, it is called Space Travel, tell your friends!

Pictures from the Montrose fire in no particular order, with no time stamp.

Date: 04-16-2010 Time: 0445 Location: West 242nd St. & Manhattan College Parkway Frequency: Units Operating: 52 Precinct Patrols Weather Conditions: Description Of Incident: Robbery by Force of Auto Reporters/Writer: O-Wind At 0445 hours the NYPD 52 Precinct is investigating a car jacking in which a female was forcibly removed from the auto. Reported is that the male passenger was sleeping in the back seat of the black Hyundai Sonata sedan. Whereabouts unknown at this time. Also involved is a purple Chrysler PT Cruiser. As well the suspects are simply described as 4 Caucasian makes. And no, apparently this is not a joke.

Yes, you are right...maybe I should go watch it...lol

Please tell me you have Netflix. If so, go watch immediately: "Coming to America" starring Eddie Murphy. And that is an order!

Is that the one next to MacDougal's?

Do this after you take care of my project K. LOL!

Well, that is an answer. It could say simply that; "It is not necessary for a member who is not actively involved in firefighting to be in full PPE." Simple and an answer, not a rebuttal which was expressed almost immediately by the "don't even start..." post. I believe it is understood that many volunteers respond to calls from their "work" and there are a number of jobs where it is inappropriate to wear clothing that reflects your out of work activities as was apparent. The "guy" at the back of the ladder is obviously in some "professional" or white collar type of work as evidenced by his clothing. To bystanders, of which there were many at this scene as the high school and local businesses were all open at the time, and to the person who asked the question, you cannot tell that that person is qualified based solely on their appearance; clothing. And John, please don't utilize the "they don't do it, why should we" comparison. Each agency/organization has its own rules or guidelines. Some may be more proactive on fireground safety than others, as well some may be more inclined to provide constructive discipline in order to correct malevolent behavior from reoccurring. You have been doing this for probably half your life and from working with you in the past you always seemed to understand that the common way may not be the best way or the safest. And poop does happen, but that is no excuse now is it? If we don't question things how do we find better solutions or guidelines? We asked, what is under our ground and discovered oil. We asked, what is beyond our atmosphere and now we fly satellites that provide us with everyday advanced quality of life. Never stop questioning. Find better ways. Almost every luxury we are afforded today began as a question somewhere. So, I hereby pose a question to all that read and respond on these forums: ~Can we try to have intelligent, diverse, and constructive discussions about incidents so that all of us can be afforded an opportunity to learn new ideas and theories without the constant defense and/or personal involvement? ~And can we bury terms such as "monday morning quaterback" and personal attacks so that as a community of skilled emergency service workers whether paid or volunteer we can grow into the ideal system that many of us believe we could have with proper leadership? As a fellow bravoer whom has questioned me on occasion, and I hope he gets the answer he is looking for when he does, JFlynn consistently says: QTIP

Empress is finally replacing that thing? The tone encoder in the YFD dispatch room is fairly ancient too, however it works like a gem still! Easy to use manually but our CAD integration sends groups of tones remotely upon "d" or dispatch of call. You can also encode a singular or multiple set of tones from the CAD manually. There are a newer version, but I have never used it and it doesn't look nearly as easy as the original ones... Nice catch Seth! Save it for the EMTBravo museum that opens in 2056.

Actually, my understanding is that one of the major reasons that Seth created EMTBravo was to create an information exchange amongst emergency service providers in Westchester County. In fact he and I used to talk extensively back then. There are a number of other members of this site that have been here since the beginning, and I am sure they remember that. There were lists of resources, etc. And one of the goals I believe was to allow people to ask questions, and those with definitive "inside" answers to provide the information. A company website may list employment opportunities on its home page, however that may not have been updated or may be a permanent stance so that they are always ready to hire people when needed. This forum gives you the ability to ask a possible insider. The answer may not always be provided in the public forum, however there are ways for someone to answer the question correctly without everyone including their boss avail to reading so. There are Empress supervisors and employees that visit this forum and may be able to provide insight, whether it be a posting in this thread or a quick direct message giving the person appropriate and necessary information. As Seth said, we have seen Empress go from glory to purgatory and back to glory over the years. I worked there, and although there were times I hated it, there were times I loved it. Many of the guys I go out with now-a-days all worked there at some point. We have all moved on, it is considered a stepping stone, but we all talk about our times at Empress. Well, not all of us have moved on...sorry Rich...lol I give them credit because it is hard to run a profit service while serving the poverty stricken...which barring Y-town and the upper east side of Yonkers, that is the majority!~

Nice! Only 1 question here. The hosebed cover is electric powered, do you know if there is an unlock in the event of failure that it can be removed easily by 1 or 2 FF in a rush?

Well, I'm gonna go there. If your age is correct on your profile, then you are 18-20 years old. Instead of worrying about what other people are saying or critiquing or even questioning, maybe you should pay attention so that you learn from mistakes of others. Photos can be a very good and also very safe method of learning. The point is, you, as an obviously new emergency service worker are "impressionable". You should take some time to learn what is right, and not what some people do because they have the feeling that nothing will ever happen to them. If no one ever steps up and questions things here and there than nothing ever gets fixed or even looked at. Questioning leads to understanding. Don't assume, ask. And people on this board need to get a grip. The majority of the people on this forum are working or have worked in some capacity in the emergency services (Police-Fire-EMS). Each individual has their own knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. And each individual can build upon that daily if they admit1 so. But we only have understanding when items are questioned and correct answers are provided. It's time to stop with the quick defenses and the covering up of things because people don't feel it is "kosher". People may not like that I am not afraid to speak my mind, but that is just too bad. I say, instead of getting defensive or stopping a discussion, let's have that discussion. Questions can be asked, and answers can be furnished. And if the question is unfounded then it has passed and that person has learned something, however if the question leads to someone's life being saved in the future than so be it. Now, I was there. The ladder operator did have more than enough time to put on his gear before any use of the ladder. So, if the Montrose FD policy, which I have not read nor am at all familiar with, states that all members at the scene of a fire shall don personal protective equipment prior to doing an fireground work, than this member should have followed that operating guideline to ensure his own safety. If the Montrose FD does not have such policy, than he was acting correctly. Now, if there is no such policy in place, maybe that in itself should be reviewed. I do know the Chief (2271) of the Montrose FD, and respect that he is very knowledgeable, in fact he is the only one I have known to be chief over there. I would hope that he is open to hearing about things he may not have seen because his focus is getting the correct resources in place to stop the fire from growing and saving a building. So, I believe the question is: Should the "guy" in photo #7 above, have been wearing PPE while working on the Ladder Tower on the fireground, in this case stabilizing the outriggers? 1From Websters Dictionary: admit ---> 1 a : to allow scope for : permit <admits no possibility of misunderstanding> b : to concede as true or valid <admitted making a mistake> 2 a : to allow entry (as to a place, fellowship, or privilege) <an open window had admitted rain> <admitted to the club> b : to accept into a hospital as an inpatient <he was admitted last night for chest pains> I am using definition #2a when referring to the word scripted. In the third sentence, "HERE", is not a reference to EMTBravo, it is just a part of speech.

When did we get a helicopter in Westchester?

More pics in time order at: Montrose Fire at Cole's Market Edited: Link repair Well, the link is repaired, however you have to be on Facebook to see facebook pics now apparently. I logged in using an alternate logon that I use at work...and the pics were viewable. Normally I set my photos to "Only Friends" however this album is set to "Everyone". I may be inclined to place them in the FB Bravo user group with permission from the admin there. Enjoy...

Links to pics: Some pics on EMT Bravo Network Also on Facebook: Facebook Photo Link

The Yankees have their own, just up the street from the Stadium. E68 and L49! Bought the Code 3 issues of them a few years back for my Yankee memorabilia collection! They look much better with the "BRONX BOMBERS" streamer across the front windshield!

Wow, sorry to hear that. My sincerest condolences to you and yours. Has a cause been determined? I ask because the main body looked to be in a room with a fireplace. I have a zero clearance propane fed fireplace in my living room, love it, but it actually scares me cause the mantle gets hot, so we don't use it for more than an hour at a time. As well, recently in my area there was a fire caused by embers landing on a wood floor. Thanks for any input.

I agree, this is a problem now again. At my own home, I have two placards with 4 1/2" numbers, they are placed at both of the front entry doors (bsmt/1st floor), and are under a light, one of which is on sensor so when you enter the drive you can see your way to the door safely. I deal with this regularly because we send people all over the place. I have to call people back at least once per shift to get further info about the style/color of home or have them come out to meet the emergency services that responded. As well, in Yonkers there are problems with split streets, and also with streets where the houses are "out of sequence". I am not sure how this is permitted, however maybe it is time to correct it for the sake of all involved. 1 street in particular was just worked on, Grassy Sprain Rd, not to be confused with East Grassy Sprain Rd nor Sprain Rd, which all run north and south off of Tuckahoe Rd within about a 1/4 mile of each other...Some houses on Grassy Sprain Rd go by an older numerical system and some identify themselves by a newer numerical system. In other words, we have BOLO info such as "XX is located on the east side of the street and out of order, this can be found between XX and opposite XY. Is beige with green shutters". It can be fun, kind of like a scavenger hunt.

Moments later they called situation under control. They did request backup from surrounding agencies. I tuned one of our portables but didn't hear what had happened.

Procedure is to call 60 control for our Mutual Aid request. Unless otherwise directed by the Deputy Chief at scene to request Mutual Aid from another source, such as the FDNY. Although it is a bordering location, our first due mutual aid to cover is from other Westchester County agencies. In this case, New Rochelle, Eastchester, Greenville, and Hartsdale. These departments have not only the Countywide Trunked Radio system in their apparatus but also have the YFD Fire Ops frequency and can easily communicate with dispatch. I also don't believe FDNY wants to be called to "cover" until resources/personnel are called back. In this case, as well with the Elliott Ave fire 2 weeks ago, M/A co's covered stations and did not go to work at the scene. Yonkers recalled men and filled reserve/spare apparatus and then relieved the M/A co's. as per procedure. Thanks again for the fast help from 60 control in getting us M/A. As well, kudos to the men on scene and the D/C for stopping the 4 story next door from being lost. There was a lot of house on North Broadway last night, glad I don't have to roll it up...lol