RescueKujo

Got lucky with the Las Vegas Fire Department. We had stopped at a couple of LVFD's stations, then proceeded to the main station. While there, one of their civilian employees in the medical office was retiring. AS every unit with the LVFD is ALS, they were rotating units in to say goodbye....JACKPOT for us photographers....since every rig of each type is almost identical, I'll only post a few....those of you who are into Code 3 Collectibles may recognize the first photo...
Photo Number 1-2000 Pierce Quantum/Snozzle 1500/750/25/25
Photo Number 2-2000 Pierce Quantum 1500/500/25/25
Photo Number 3-2008 Pierce Quantum 1500/750/25/25

More North Las Vegas FD Apparatus...
Photo Number 1-NLVFD T52 2007 Pierce Quantum 1500/500/100' Tower Aerial
Photo Number 2-NLVFD Reserve Truck 52 1994 Smeal 1500/200 75' Aerial
Photo NUmber 3-NLVFD Technical Rescue 52 2006 GMS/Reunel

Guys, I'm sorry I've taken so long to post these. I'm working on a backlog of photos right now. These are from a trip I took to Las Vegas with a group of friends from all over the country in November of last year...
North Las Vegas FD is switching their paint scheme as they order new rigs. So I'll post a few of each...
Photo Number 1-NLVFD Engine 51 2008 Pierce Quantum 1500/750
Photo Number 2-NLVFD Engine 53 2004 Pierce Quantum 1500/750
Photo Number 3-NLVFD Air Resource 53 2007 Pierce Saber

the next morning, an elderly driver drove his car through the front door of the Edgewater casino across the street from mine. I was able to get some rig photos, and a couple of long distance shots as casino security was limiting access (especially if they saw a camera)...

Great turnout by PD, FD and EMS for the funeral of Poughkeepsie Police Det. John Falcone in Carmel.

The rhetoric that is coming out from the lawyers and this guys family is ridiculous. The DA says that bonita zelman who is the attorney for the other players who were arrested that night called the lead detectives and said that unless the charges against her clients were dropped they wouldn't speak to investigators about the shooting. Zelman now denies this but i firmly believe this happened and the reason i believe this is that she is a low ball lawyer who saw dollar signs at the outset of this thing and figured that she could get her mug in front of the cameras and shame the DA's office into dropping the charges which isn't going to happen so now she is in way over her head and she is panicing and trying to make threats to get her clients out of trouble. If it can be proven that she made this statement then that is a matter for the NYS bar association to deal with as a possible misconduct issue.
The next topic is henry sr. who was on news 12 saying that the charges against the other players should be dropped because they were only trying to help his son ..... help his son how by breaking the window of a store ?? I don't remember ever reading about breaking a window out of anger as being a recognized part of first aid. The rest of the people were arrested for dis con/resisting, and I ask again, how was that trying to help dj henry. After the shooting dj henry was a prisoner of the police on scene which means that nobody should have been going near him except PD/EMS/FD.
Then we have michael sussman who proved himself to be a huge opportunist during the Yonkers desegragation case and now he is proving to be nothing more than that now. He is alledging that the ME's office fabricated the tox results because it contradicts witness statements from that night ... this fool would try to have us believe alcohol / marijuana and God knows what else fueled college students instead of a highly educated team of doctors and scientists... sorry mr sussman but NO.
The bottom line is that everyone involved on the henry side is grasping at straws becuause they know that they don't have a leg to stand on anymore. Any public opinion they had on their side is now gone - and shame on anyone who took their side to begin with.
During this whole thing we must keep the most important thing in mind and that is the officers involved. I have said it before in this thread and I will say it again, these cops were forced to respond the way they did because of dj henrys actions, the fault with this entire situation is on dj henry.

I am increasingly disgusted with the way the media is portraying this guy as the victim in this case. The victims are the cops who were involved, end of story.
As for these so called " minority law enforcement groups" who are so concerned with this case, the majority of them are corrections officers who have no clue what it's like to be a street cop. They should be embarassed to have held that press conference and said the anti cop things that they said. It's funny how they come out of the wood work when a cop shoots someone but when gang members are killing each other and people are getting robbed, beaten, raped, burglarized and shot each and every day, they say nothing. These jerks are opportunists and nothing more. Everyone ran to back up this guys family and his friends version of what happened and now that his BAC is back at a .13 everyone is quieting down a bit. It kind of reminds me of the tawana brawley case all those years ago... everyone ran to her defense and just like the witnesses in this case, she was a LIAR.
I pray that our brothers are doing well as they try to come to terms with the actions that they were forced to take. These cops made the right decisions and did an outstanding job given the circumstances. Just think, you have a large crowd and an out of control drunk driver, if the officer didn't take the action he did, imagine what the outcome could have been if the car sped into the crowd. This cop not only did the right thing, he is a hero in my book.

69 years, and most people today probably cant even tell you where Pearl Harbor is. I was lucky enough to visit in 2008, and it is a very moving experience seeing the USS Arizona Memorial. I heard more than one person remark about the oil that continues to seep out of the Arizona, like tear drops coming to the surface. As someone who took part in the rescue and recovery operations after 9/11, it gave me a better perspective of what those young sailors went through that morning. Actually hearing a Pearl Harbor survivor speak about events during the attack, really made it hit home. He had made his peace with everything that had happened, but the memories were still with him, like it was yesterday. Thankfully there are some of us today who understand the sacrifices made that day, and will continue to honor their memories today.

IE is namely comprised of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Both county lines start east of Orange and LA counties and extend to the CA-AZ border. Commute times from Riverside (IE) to Irvine, for example, is about 40 minutes without traffic. If you live 'up the hill' in Apple Valley/Victorville/Hesperia (IE), you're looking at a 90 minute commute without traffic.

I can understand Florida having a law for that, the state is full of older gentleman who's own set hang that low to start with. Why would they want to see it in public. LoL

The full IA can be viewed here.

















All of my photos that I took can be viewed here.
Let me know what you think...

In a previous life, I worked extensively with MSP aviation, specifically Trooper 2 (Andrew's AFB) and Trooper 3 (Frederick, MD). These guys are amongst the busiest emergency services aviators in the US with Trooper 2 at one point (possibly still today) being the busiest air medical unit in the country. (On a side note, lets not forget the crew of Trooper 2 that was lost in a severe weather related crash while on approach to the AFB to meet a ground unit not long ago)
These guys are often the only folks that are in the air during adverse weather conditions. They also respond on a regular basis over state lines into PA, WV, VA, and in the District. Many times they are the only bird available to major incidents where multiple patients need to be transported. This may be one of the reasons for the larger airframe. They are truly a multi role aviation unit and thus the size of the Dauphin may not fit their growing LE, S&R, and air medical needs moving forward.
MSP Aviation Command operates 7 units with 11 airframes (one is actually based out of a tiny outcrop of WV that shoots into MD). The order is only for 6 new birds. I'm wondering if one of the Dauphins is going to stay in service or if they are eliminating a unit.

Look, in many cities (probably most), most media outlets have various political philosophy's. Many of them are not likely to say any good about what union firefighters do if they are an anti-union slant paper. Others may not want to do a positive story about an event that may make a mayor or other political figure of another cloth appear in a good light.
Others are just plain lazy and wont, or cant due to budgetary restraints, go out and do old fashioned reporting. How many media outlets use and reuse canned stories from other media outlets. Many events on a weekend go unreported due to news rooms being understaffed.Some just listen to scanners and write a short based on radio transmissions instead hit pounding the dirt. Most stories just get repeated and repeated to fill time and make it look like they're busy and out there walkin' the beat.
Many, if not most, seek out the "sensational" stories to stir viewers/readers and affect ratings. The management wants ratings because advertising rates are based on them.
If we want our stories told, many times we have to do it ourselves. Every dept should make friends with certain media players and court them and fill them in when things happen. Those who want the stories get them, those who are lazy wont.

Date: 09/23/2010
Time: 4:20 p.m. PDT
Location: 11000 Via Hacienda Rancho San Diego
Departments: San Miguel Fire Department, AMR, San Diego County Sheriff's Department, FBI, ATF
Description: A woman was critically injured when a pipe bomb exploded when she turned the ignition key to start her pickup truck. Transported via AMR Medics to the UCSD Burn Center. Investigation led by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Arson/Bomb Squad, assisted by the FBI and ATF.
Links: KGTV 10 News Story
Writer: RescueKujo

Date: 09/23/2010
Time: 4:20 p.m. PDT
Location: 11000 Via Hacienda Rancho San Diego
Departments: San Miguel Fire Department, AMR, San Diego County Sheriff's Department, FBI, ATF
Description: A woman was critically injured when a pipe bomb exploded when she turned the ignition key to start her pickup truck. Transported via AMR Medics to the UCSD Burn Center. Investigation led by the San Diego County Sheriff's Department Arson/Bomb Squad, assisted by the FBI and ATF.
Links: KGTV 10 News Story
Writer: RescueKujo

Goose, thank you for remembering the EMS personnel from that day.
Remember the Fallen, not how they died, but how they lived and served.

As a young guy, I worked as a letter carrier in Westport, Ct from 1970-1975. For me it as a Great job. Single, living at home with Mommy and Daddy, good pay, and good benefits. But I think even in those days, the general attitude of most people there was that they were always better than everybody else. It was a completely different lifestyle than what I had known growing up about 15 miles away in Bridgeport. In Bridgeport, if a young guy had a job as a letter carrier, or a cop or fireman, it was looked upon as having a Great job. But it was sure different in Westport.
As I remember, the firefighters there talking that in Westport, people didn't have much use for public servents. I knew most of the firemen then because I would take my lunch break at the firehouses. With all those beautiful homes, fancy expensive cars, maids, butlers, and swimming pools, those people taught me a lot. I saw at a young age that money really doesn't buy happiness, because so many people there appeared to be UNhappy.
I do remember that there were some good people though, and they were happy. I delievered the mail to a guy by the name of Harry Ackley. He was the Fire Chief of the dept. A Great Guy. I think his son is now the chief. Great people. I also delievered the mail to the Fire Dept Union President at the time. I think his nickname was "Moose", and a few other firefighters and police officers. But none of them had the maids or swimming pools. But they seemed happy.
I hope the firefighters of Westport are careful when it comes time for them to perform. You could get hurt there and those people could care less. I respected those firefighters then, and I respect them now. But for me, I have no use for about 90 % of the people there. Just a very different lifestyle and priority for them. Just my own opinion I formed a very long time ago. Give me the ghettos of Bridgeport any day. At least I know where those people are coming from.

Not at all, maybe another rig can make it home. Anybody from Tarrytown with some purchasing power from the ladder company P. M. me for the details.

The systems that allow for keys to be removed while the vehicle remains running are commonly referred to as ignition override systems. These systems require they "pggyback" or are spliced into the OEM ignition cirucits of the vehicle. With ther ever increasing complexity of the OEM computer, and the reliance of all the OEM systems on these computers, we believe the greater the possibility of potential conflicts that could result in poor performance, error codes or malfunctions. The Tremco system is indeed the one I was referring to. I'm not sure why the one particular PD ultimately stopped using them but I can say that several years ago, one of the components that works with the system experienced some ongoing issues with longevity. This issue has since been rectified by way of a new manufacturer and heavier duty construction. Since this time, we have had no problems with them at all.
They integrate very simply with the OEM system(s), require no splicing, cutting or invasion of any OEM wiring and work very well. They are in use accross the country, providing excellent security for a wide variety of vehicles. While the Tremco system is one method of vehicle security, I'm sure there may be others that could be explored. This just happens to be the one we evaluated and found to meet the overall requirements for our customers, were simple to install, cost effective and reliable. When we researched the various alternatives, we found the number of emergency vehicles that had been stolen in prior years, was much greater than we had heard of......a trend which seems to be increasing.
My only purpose in bringing this up is for providers to recognize this as an increasing problem and to raise the concept of a security system as a means by which valuable equipment and vehicles may be secured and the potential for another death, possibly be averted.
SWS1

Well this is a topic that can't be adequetely covered in a couple hundred words on here. Here are some things that come off the top of my head.
1. Risk Management-The whole thing will depend on if the place is opened or closed. If it's open some sort of interior attack will probably be necessary to attempt a primary search. After the joint has closed the only life hazard becomes us and any advanced fire the risk may very well outweight the benifit of interior attack.
2. Water supply- Lay in (don't count on somebody else to do it for you). 2 1/2 with a smooth bore is an excellent choice in commercial for a number of reasons. Great reach, absorbs lots of btu's, and is powerful so that is blows those ceiling tiles apart and penetrates to the fire.
3. Thermal Imaging Camera- The TIC is always important but at a commercial building where you have high ceilings it may be your first warning of heat build up above your head. A good tactic is to lift up a ceiling tile on entry and check the plenum for fire before you venture in too far below it. The TIC will help you stay orientated, find victims, keep track of your crew, and locating the fire).
4. In many cases we will be dealing with truss roofs so roof ops is out.
5. Consider using the search rope if you are entering without a handline.
6. A middle of the night fire in one of these buildings is a good canidate for a backdraft.
Most of the fires you will encounter in these buildings are duct fires which have different tactics. Lastly here is the link to a LODD report about a fire in a McDonald's in Houston Texas that occured in 2000. This tragic fire took the lives of two firefighters.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200013.html

The argument is not that the firefighters or test writers are racists. It starts with the dept not being able to prove that the test did anything to help select better firefighters. First class or last class and you're still getting firefighters with similar pass rates and similar promotions rates. The tests in question had an higher failure rate amongst minorities. Traditionally in any standardized test, your basic education has a lot to do with how well you do on the test. Poor people get a crappier education than rich people. Its not all society, there are many factors including family and community issues. Here in grand ol' NYC the vast majority of our minorities come from garbage communities with weak schools, broken homes, and little community support. They are not going to do as well as better educated people who grew up in better communities with better schools. It just so happens these better communities are a little heavy on the white end of the spectrum. SO, what is really a poverty bias takes on a racial bias. In the Jim Crow south there were many laws put into place to disenfranchise blacks without explicitly preventing blacks from voting. Things like property ownership requirements and literacy requirements while not explicitly targeting blacks were used to target them. So piles of precedent and case law were developed to prevent those types of actions. This is the same principal that the city has lost on. The test wasn't intentionally racist, but it had the unintended consequence of placing a greater hurdle in the way of minorities. Now if you can create a test that directly speaks towards someone's ability as a firefighter or aptitude for becoming a firefighter you can test away to your hearts content. That is why you have the latest test created by the city. While it appears to be a lot of bullshit and unimportant babble, the test was essentially a pshych profile. I hope this made sense and didn't ramble too much. If it did, then why are you still reading?

There could be more, but ONE is minimum manning. You also need back-ups to cover vacations, sick time, etc.
In a high trivia area some Depts run full company of know-it-alls. You've seen them. They show up at your job, rate you on a scale of 10, and tell you how THEY would have put the fire out.
Lawyers don't count...different category, not covered under the manning clause.
While we're at it, there's another firehouse group that is actually saving their cities some money, Cities across the nation are removing the sirens from their apparatus. This is because of the large numbers of guys who WHINE all the way to the fire.

I don't post on here often, and when I do I keep my posts to a minimum. I like to get involved in debates about sensitive issues just as much as some other members do, but I don't get involved in serious debates on this site because you say one thing and right away 10 people are crying that you're bashing or criticizing. Quite frankly, it's a turn off for a lot of people who may be able to contribute positively to the forum, but don't want to get all mixed up in the nonsense.
I don't think that outright attacks should exist in this forum. I don't think this forum should become the equivalent of an NYPD Rant type forum where a bunch of disgruntled emergency services personnel talk about who is the worst paramedic, or the laziest cop, or the buffiest firefighter. I think this forum should remain a constructive place for local emergency services personnel to debate and discuss the issues that exist in emergency services, whether at the local or national level. Chris192's post in the other thread related to this topic is a perfect response I think... if only I could put it so eloquently, but honestly I don't care much about being eloquent.
Emergency services personnel generally have Alpha/dominant personalities. They're leaders, they face things that the general public does not face, and we do things that the general public does not do. Having an alpha personality means sometimes you have to grow some thick skin. If someone throws a jab at volunteers, don't cry about it. Come up with an educated rebuttal that disputes what that member is saying. Problems exist across the board with paid, volunteer, and combination departments. Discussing these problems is not bashing, it's a discussion to talk about the problems that exist. If you don't like the fact that your agency has faults that someone pointed out in this forum, get over it. Maybe the points brought up here are valid points, so instead of crying about it, do something about it. Make necessary changes, ask how things can be improved, ask what you can do to bring your agency up to the recognized standards.
The simple fact is that in an area where there is so much diversity amongst its emergency service personnel, there's always going to be conflict and debates. Just because someone's views on a certain person, agency, service, or method of doing things aren't your own views, as JFLYNN says, QTIP.
I can only hope that too many members of the general public don't read the nonsense that goes on here. Some of the threads are fantastic, with great input from a lot of educated and experienced individuals. The moderators do an excellent job of weeding out posts that are not constructive.
While I don't personally know you Seth, I know you value this forum for what it is and I know that you and the staff have put a lot of time, effort, and money into creating this forum. All I can say is, don't let all the petty complaints and other nonsense get to you. If people have a problem with things that are said here or topics that arise, let them move on, and find another forum where everyone holds hands and sings songs around a campfire. If they choose not to move on, then they are going to have to learn not to be so sensitive and grow some thicker skin.