SageVigiles

Fair enough, but I'm just saying the volunteers should work together alot more to get out the door together. Is that a common thing for guys to ride other house's trucks? Because I guess I just never got that impression.

Anyway, the Chief is absolutely right about E5/Sq6 needing new houses:

Engine 5 and Squad 6 are obviously tiny.

Engine 8 is pretty cramped too

Engine 10 looks like its a bit of a squeeze, but they seem to make due.

Any of the other vollies seem tiny to anyone else? I'm sure I'm missing some.

From the Danbury News Times, August 27, 2007

Link: http://www.newstimeslive.com/news/story.ph...p;sc=1#comments

DANBURY -- It's been nearly a century since horses hauled firefighting apparatus through the streets of the city.

But part of the second floor of Citizens Hose Co. #6, the 112-year-old volunteer fire station on Jefferson Avenue, still contains the hay bins that held the fuel for the department's early horsepower. The bay on the ground floor is barely large enough to accommodate the current fire engine.

"There's really no room to maneuver. When there is a fire, guys are climbing over each other to get dressed," said Citizens Hose Capt. Charlie Zilineck.

The time has come, city and fire officials agree, to replace what Danbury Fire Chief Geoffrey Herald calls the "quaint but outdated' buildings occupied by Citizens Hose and Wooster Hose Co. #5 on Coal Pit Hill Road with a fire station more suitable for a modern department.

In a report to the Common Council last month, Herald, who leads the city's paid department, proposed a combined facility be built somewhere in the south end of the city that would accommodate both volunteer companies.

While stressing that discussions are "still in the early stage" and that no site for the proposed new station has been identified, Herald said, "It's really time to move on it."

The two stations are the oldest among the six volunteer houses in the city, and fill an important role in assisting the paid department, fire officials said.

"Those companies are linchpins on the southern end of town," Herald said. "They are responsible for a lot of area."

Now referred to as Squad 6 by fire officials, the truck used by Citizens Hose carries lighting and salvage equipment and apparatus used to refill firefighters' air packs, Herald said.

Wooster Hose, which has about 15 active members, remains an engine company.

"They are two of our most active (volunteer) companies," said Common Council member Fred Visconti, a former firefighter who represents the Fifth Ward, where both are located.

While the two companies' buildings remain attractive, the cost of maintaining them has escalated disproportionately in recent years, Herald said.

"They need new roofs and the furnaces are always breaking down," Visconti said.

By combining the two volunteer companies under a single roof, members would be able to cross-train on each other's trucks, which would increase the manpower available in an emergency, Zilineck said. His company has about a dozen active members.

"It would be a big asset to the city," he said.

Herald said the size of the buildings also limits the size of the apparatus that can be stationed in them.

"They have to buy a fire truck that fits in the fire house, not the one they need to accomplish the job," he said.

Visconti said the city, ideally, would like to build the new facility on property that it already owns to keep down the cost.

"It's not going to happen overnight, but it needs to be done," he said.

Mayor Mark Boughton agreed.

"It's under preliminary discussion but it is a discussion where the time has come," Boughton said.

Before I respond to this, I would just like to state that I don't mean to bash on the Danbury volunteers, I have great respect for them and more than a few of my friends belong to various vollie companies across the city. That being said, Danbury's 12 volunteer companies, as of late, seem to have a problem getting out the door in a timely fashion. Stationing Engine 5 and Squad 6 together could definitely be a step in the right direction for a volunteer department that doesn't seem to have a system in place to respond together. For example, if I was a member of 14's (King Street) I would not be able to respond with Engine 8's if I was in that side of the city. Putting a few volunteer companies together may help to fix that problem and start working/responding together, with members of various companies responding on rigs together as needed. It sounds like a good idea to me, but I'm not sure how it would be taken by the companies themselves. Anyone have any thoughts? Especially from any of the Danbury Paid guys, or vollies if there are any on this forum.

ECLEMENTE,

Different Chief, different opinion... If Kentland doesn't want to and/or cannot staff an ambulance, they shouldnt have a gun pointed to their heads to do it. If the county wants a bus, the county should pay for it, and pay the price to staff it.

No different from Putnam County. By not paying for a career unit, the County is saying they want a cheap (practically free) solution to a life safety issue. Sure, it would be CHEAPER to run a volunteer ambulance, but it may be less reliable as far as response times. Luckily the Kentland Volunteers are not as vain as the Fire Chief, because they could just as easily accept the bus, and when the tone cracks, mysteriously nobody is available to respond.

Thats what the AP article was inferring, that they were "looking into" Criminally Neglegent Homicide charges.

Rest in Peace Brother, you, your family, and your co-workers are in our prayers.

This thread alone is going to bring us to 100,000...

What words are we constituting as "profane" exactly? Not trying to be a smartalec, but some words carry alittle more weight than others, vis a vis, the "A" word.

Danbury's new HAZMAT truck is a Ferrara but is mounted on an International Chassis. It is essentially a soda truck. It is not assigned as a Danbury Fire Department truck per say, but it belongs to the Northwest Regional Hazardous Materials Team, organized by CT Dept. of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (CT DEMHS.) From what members of my department have been told, the rig will be staffed by their EMS/HAZMAT Coordinator (I may be incorrect in his exact title) and another Danbury paid Firefighter who (I assume) will be a HAZMAT Technician. The rest of the team is almost entirely made up of volunteers who will proceed to scene in personal vehicles I believe. I'm not sure on all these details yet, but as I have put in an application to the team, I will find out more in September and will let you know.

Edit: A link to the NWR HAZMAT Team's website: www.geocities.com/nwrhazmatteam

I saw the one in the first picture at the Baltimore Fire Expo. Tried convincing the EMS Asst. Chief that we should sell both our ambulances and get that, you'd never have to worry about toning a second unit, you just drive from one call to the next! ALL ABOARD!

Associated Press is reporting that a "chunk" of the standpipe system was found in the basement of the building by Fire Marshals. So much for keeping the standpipe "dry but in service."

I hate to say it, but if 3 rescue workers were killed... its really a risk vs. benefit issue. Make the call, recovery before someone else gets killed.

Godspeed Brothers...

Here's an idea, I don't know how well it would work because I don't know how the county is split up exactly, but its a thought:

County Cars are responsible for a certain group of towns. Every district run by a county car (or 2 of them) has 1 medic unit assigned to that area to cover. I mean, if Empire was getting away with 4 medics for the entire county, it really couldn't be that expensive for every FD in the county to split the bill, could it? Even if you billed patients to offset some of the costs?

Date: 8-16-07

Time: Approx 1530hrs

Location: Parkwood Terrace Danbury, CT

Frequency: 460.550

Units Operating: DPD Patrol Div, ESU, Mobile Operations Center, Crisis Negotiation Unit, Numerous supervisors and command staff, Danbury EMS on S/B

Description Of Incident: Armed suspect barricaded himself in his house, threatening suicide. CNT negotiators on scene established contact with suspect. ESU/SWAT secured perimeter, Patrol Division handled traffic. Negotiators were able to talk the suspect out without incident.

Writer: SageVigiles

Link to Danbury News Times Article:

http://www.newstimeslive.com/news/story.php?id=1186569156&sc=1#tt

Nice, another trophy for Tanker 18... Guess one of us will have to make the trip out to pick it up.

Probably/hopefully just a hoax...

Danbury, CT used something similar to this a few years back when they had a pool truck catch fire in front of the Federal Correctional Institution. Nejame and Sons Pool company brought another tanker truck filled with water to supply the engine companies with water, as I believe that area is not covered by hydrants. A nice idea, but it seems alittle impractical... Tractor trailers are hard to manuever on New England backroads... Down South/out West is a different story. Flat land, wide open spaces make a tractor trailer considerably more easy to manuever. As far as a county operated tanker? I don't see that happening, you would probably only use it 2-3 times a year, I can't see that justifying maintenance and insurance costs... I know that in NY you don't need a CDL or any special license for driving a firetruck, but in CT you either need the "Q" endorsement on your Class D license or a CDL... but even then you don't have to have a Class A tractor-trailer license to drive rigs, so its alot of training for something that isn't really justified, at least not IMHO.

From Fox 5's website:

NYPD Steps Up Dirty Bomb Precautions

Spokesman Says Threat 'Unverified'

Last Edited: Friday, 10 Aug 2007, 10:11 PM EDT

Created: Friday, 10 Aug 2007, 10:11 PM EDT

The NYPD has modified its counter-terrorism posture Friday because of unverified intelligence regarding a dirty bomb risk.

This change includes an increased deployment of radiological sensors -- including those mounted on vehicles, boats and helicopters as well as those carried by NYPD personnel.

In addition, vehicle checkpoints are being established in New York City, including lower Manhattan, and at certain approaches to the city from neighboring areas.

These efforts are not in response to a verified threat, the department spokesman said.

I know Connecticut State Police "Trooper One" has a Bambi-Bucket as well. Not sure on the capacity, as I've never seen it used nor heard of it used before, but I know it exists.

I wonder how long that will last and how many people will have to die before Putnam decides they need a medic service. Can PCBES insure volunteer EMTs who get trained in ALS? I know that my department, New Fairfield, CT right over the border does not insure EMTs above the Intermediate level. That really seems like the only plausible solution, but you still have the problem of staffing during daytime hours. Sounds like we'll be doing alot more mutual aid for BLS runs during the day, its really rediculous when politicians put a price on human lives.

Sorry for the double post, but I'm wondering if the funeral will be a uniform occasion for firefighters who are attending.

Alex,

I'm very sorry for your loss brother, I didn't know the man, but I've served with you as a Police Explorer for more than a year now and if you are any indication of his leadership abilities I'm sure he was an outstanding officer. Let me know when the services are, I will be attending, and I'm sure some of the DPD Explorers will as well. Pass my condolences along to your family and stay strong Corporal.

Rest in Peace Chief

Alex Cardella

Firefighter, New Fairfield CT Volunteer Fire Department

Corporal, Danbury CT Police Explorer Post #33

August 20th, 2007 @1830 hours

No Captain to oversee the house? Any reason for that or is Boughton being his usual penny-pinching self?

Thank you, that helped alot.