velcroMedic1987

Any billing "soft" or "Hard" is illegal in a fire district based EMS in NYS.
"Soft" billing, while commonly done, particularly by many VAC's is illegal under Medicare/Medicaid rules

Armonk FD reliably has drivers, so the EMT will not be waiting for other personnel. The fire district chose WEMS due to the existing relationship with the medics. An RFP for 2015 will be forthcoming, the current contract is short term. This is a step in the right direction for providing consistent EMS to the district residents.

Everyone is slamming the FF for suing. Maybe this was their last resort. Maybe they tried to get headsets for years and the city shot them down. Do we know that?

To demean the firefighters fighting to protect themselves seems harsh to me. Would you have reacted the same to the FF suing over Nomex or SCBA 25 years ago?

Everyone is slamming the FF for suing. Maybe this was their last resort. Maybe they tried to get headsets for years and the city shot them down. Do we know that?

To demean the firefighters fighting to protect themselves seems harsh to me. Would you have reacted the same to the FF suing over Nomex or SCBA 25 years ago?

Everyone is slamming the FF for suing. Maybe this was their last resort. Maybe they tried to get headsets for years and the city shot them down. Do we know that?

To demean the firefighters fighting to protect themselves seems harsh to me. Would you have reacted the same to the FF suing over Nomex or SCBA 25 years ago?

Does the mounting of the siren make a difference?
So lets compare.

In the 1st picture the Q2 is completely recessed in the bumper. This provides good protection for the siren, but since the majority of the sound comes from the side not the front, the sound is directed under the bumper and into the cab. Also this design defeats the strongest bumper by cutting such a big hole in it. This reduces the crashworthiness of the cab.

In the 2nd pic. its mounted above the bumper, less protection for the siren, but the sound is pushed forward of the cab more than other arraignments.

In the 3rd pic a shroud is added, this forces more of the sound forward away from the cab

In pic 4 the siren is only partially recessed allowing the sound to travel, but the siren is more vulnerable to damage. The addition of crash protection protects it, but does reduce some of the effectiveness of the siren.
Every item on a rig is a compromise. One needs to evaluate the pros and cons of each of these

Sure, but when you're riding around in hot weather and your AC isn't working because your employer hasn't gotten it fixed, it won't seem like a very good option.

Many years ago we tested the siren noise at each riding position (with windows up & down) and found that the Db levels were below the NIOSH / OSHA levels where hearing protection would be required. I don't know if this could play into it.
A big problem with the head sets (like seatbelts) is compliance. Even when provided, we find most members do not want to use them.

That's true, the ones in Westchester are still toning for any available driver

The bigger problem is the old homes that have had additions. You think its well built and it is, except that new addition.
And we expect the property owner will advise us....The property owner cant even figure out what jurisdiction he lives in, but he is going to know that he has got truss construction. Another feel good bill.

The following link is to the WCPD PBA's response to the decision www.pbawcpd.org
The following is a link to the Town of Ossining and the questions raised of the village's proposal http://www.townofossining.com/j25/news/375-press-release-regarding-provision-of-police-services-now-available-online
There are some very valid points raised and it will be interesting to see if the Village is able to meet them.

The dealer may pay for coffee and donuts at the visit but they are definitely not paying for the trip. They build that cost into the cost of the apparatus and you're actually paying for it. You just circumvent the budget process by concealing it in the apparatus cost instead of a line item in the budget.

The dealer may pay for coffee and donuts at the visit but they are definitely not paying for the trip. They build that cost into the cost of the apparatus and you're actually paying for it. You just circumvent the budget process by concealing it in the apparatus cost instead of a line item in the budget.

Typically "hard" billing employs multiple attempts to collect from the applicable insurance company and patient directly and turning the account over to a collection agency if it goes unpaid.
"Soft" billing is when the local agency sends the bill to the insurance company and accepts what they pay without follow-up or collection.

More bandaids...

More bandaids...

More bandaids...

Different articles are reporting entirely different stories and if you read the comments it would seem that none of them are accurate. LOL

Interesting Article, Guess its been long enough since the last time we went down the stupid trail. They say the fire service is a 100 years of history unspoiled by progress.... Here we are failing to learn from history.
Back in the early 1990's we started with the every rig should have water....The Quint Concept. or even the Total Quint Concept. We even had the mini/maxi concept. We put everything we need on one truck and it 1) does nothing well and 2) add $100,000's to the cost of the rig.
St. Louis is now backing away since it doesn't really work as advertised. A couple of large VA depts. are now at the 1st replacement round and are asking why have the fleet costs skyrocked, and maybe we should not do this. Rochester went back to traditional units, because it too found it didn't really save money or work well.
Now if we cant get rigs on the road, adding another piece of equipment that somebody has to carry into a building is not going to help.
This week I heard 1 dept in the county paging out for any available interior firefighters to respond to an automatic alarm. Well if you can not handle a response to an A/A then equipment is not your problem. Every department in the county has taken millions in taxpayer money with the understanding of those taxpayers that when they call the FD, they will actually show up. If you can not do that, it is time to merge with someone else, hire someone else or hire your own staff.
Neat tool? do you put it on over or under your SCBA?
So this backpack weights about 45 lbs. So you use them on your initial knockdown but you have to leave your SCBA on the truck. Sounds like another toy that some depts. will buy with tax payer funds and it will sit on the rig till it no longer functions and its then thrown away.

The way DOH has made EMS operate makes this is a big deal. Suppose Empress went to a stand-by at a Newburgh HS football game because that's who "Newburgh wanted", would that be OK with MLSS or anyone else with the CON to operate in Orange County?
Suppose Gramma likes TransCare but lives in New Windsor. Can she call them to take her to St. Luke's just because that's who she wants? No, in the eyes of DOH she cannot.
The CON process sucks, it's antiquated and doesn't foster competition but that's the law so we should abide by it. As soon as we start picking and choosing what laws we follow we are no better than Congress or the President.

LOL at Res24cue. You keep proving me wrong that people can't be any dumber.
Law Enforcement Officers are the only thing that keeps order and prevents chaos in our country, regardless of what politicians, media and other groups try to feed us. The most important thing for all of us to do is to avoid sipping the Kool Aid that is fed to us making us think that LEOs are the enemy.
The enemy is ourselves and our thought process that we can be and are above the law. If we eliminate the laws that govern us and protect us, I will gladly pick up my family and move somewhere that has them, enforces them and protects my family.
I hate how our country is going down the toilet, and how so many people try to justify their illegal actions.

No, MLSS does NOT have a CON to operate in Westchester County.
All they would have to do is contact an agency with a CON for Westchester County and they could use that agency for the entire motorcade route in the County.
I think the point is that MLSS knows where they can and cannot operate but took this gig anyway. Probably for the PR.

It fits so they clearly took measurements. I always laugh when they get to the house with the new toy only to find out that it doesn't fit.
Then all of a sudden the firehouse renovatIon (or replacement) becomes a big issue. "We can't leave the new truck out in the elements without a 275,000 square foot, three story, nine bay, state of the art house to put it in".
LOL

they need more trucks?

X635, Please look this way

You never saw it, it does not exist. " The flash of light you saw in the sky was not a UFO. Swamp gas from a weather balloon was trapped in a thermal pocket and reflected the light from Venus."