SageVigiles

Sometimes we can forget just how fast things can turn to crap...in all of our fields..
Stay on your toes and expect the unexpected...the holidays are coming and we need to go home to what matters..
Just stay safe please, my Class A is just fine hanging in the closet.
(fyi - I didnt add the "Everyone Goes Home" tag line to the topic, I dont know who did...I don't buy into that concept...I understand that is not realistic and don't want to sensationaize the phrase. Soemtimes we can not control that, but we can take care of us and our own. )

Joey was a "plank holder" in Squad Co. 61 (Bronx), when we were "transformed" by DC Ray Downey (RIP 9-11-01) from an engine co. to a squad co. in SOC. As a newly formed co. we were constantly drilling and preparing to "go-online" as a squad, and many members of the hand-picked company were the original engine members. Joey loved going to the "Rock" every day tour for the months of training- he was always "up" for any type of hands-on activity. Especially when it came to "ropes". He was one of my "rope fairies"- guys who loved to take out the high-angle and confined space gear and rig up scenarios to drill on. I remember one "24" tour where we had spent the whole day training at the "Rock";came back to quarters for the night tour and had chow;drilled again for an hour on "firefighter removal" from the cellar, and then the brothers sat in the kitchem while I did paperwork in the co. office. Around midnight I heard footsteps (not Santa's reindeer) on the roof, so I climbed the scuttle ladder to check it out. There on the roof was Joey and the rest of the crew, setting up to do a "pickoff" from the top floor bunkroom. I was beat, and looking forward to lying down on the couch- but what could I say? I became the "victim" in the window for them to "rescue". You had to admire Joe's burning desire to excel at all phases of firefighting and rescue.
When I got promoted up a rank, he made me a "cutdown" halligan as an officers tool, w/ my nickname welded on it- that was the type of guy Joe was! His Dad (Joe,Sr) is a retired and well-loved Deputy Chief from the South Bronx (Div 6) and my heart gors out to him and the family, and the brothers who knew Joey on FDNY and LI where Joey was also a volly in his hometown. Sorry for this rambling message, but I'm surely going to miss Joey and his quiet but infectious smile and personality. Joey, R.I.P.,brother!

better hope PESH doesnt get ahold of this....

I recently came across another "fine" video on another site of a training session gone bad (for lack of better terms I really want to use). Unfortunately it is of a department that is in the coverage area of this site.
Just like the title says, what were you thinking?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
As a certified instructor you all should be givin' a swift kick on the backside, this was not funny, this could have been even potentially worse outcome. And why even post it?????
I don't care if I get reprimanded or suspended from the site for posting this. Everyone involved should be suspended by their officer / chief. Morons!!!!!
Obviously no one believes in safety anymore.

(Seth and mods, if you take this down, please me know by a PM. Thank you.)

CONSOLIDATION OF ALL FIRE and EMS Services. Tax Payers have enough and get tough on the politicians who then tell the Volunteer Groups, Professional Leaders (Chielfs/Commissioners) and Union Leaders that their constituants have had enough and a unified County Run Fire and EMS Operation emerges. No More Village Fire Department, No More Town EMS, No More City of "Fill In The BlanK" Fire Department. Cutbacks forcing Insurance Ratings going down will no longer go fly.

I see it a little differently--although your right about egos and things that might get in the way and I do agree with most of that.
I see many progresive firefighters coming through the ranks--firefighters with training--certified training. Not that there is any thing wrong with in house stuff. You have to think globely and not all the time localy.
There are many Departments that are taking aggresive steps to mandate training for their firefighters.From FIREFIGHTER ONE--SURVIVIAL--FAST-- OSHA--BBP -- HAZ MAT-- OFFICER TRAINING. you get the idea. The world is changing and we have to change with it or be left behind. That holds true for the fire service. The axium "lead--follow--or get out of the way" means as much today as it ever did.
How many times have we stated the We "are held to a higher standard" We have to keep that in the back of our minds as we move foward to protect the citizens of out community.
We have to blend the traditions of the past with a vision to the future. We also have to be honest with the community--we have to take a hard look at manpower/response times/training with one thing in mind--TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE
The best fire apparatus--the best equipment-the best intentions are no subsitute for training-dediciation and committment to the Department--to the community--to the fire servive.
just my thoughts

That was not hindsight. It was studied and found that that trend has been out there for many years in other areas, including outside this country.
Too many people did not and still do not want to hear this, but its been heading this way for decades and its not going to go away anytime soon.
This does not just affect the career service, or just the fire service. Its all encompassing and we can either fight to move it in the right direction or allow the people who have been running our country down to consume this as well.
It is not just the decision makers. The members were not interested, the unions were not interested, the politicians were not interested, the volunteers were not interested.
In most cases it was ignored, but some direct feedback that I recieved was we will never allow it and they will never cut us.
Yep, next year will be the same. since every year they will have to cut, until there is nothing left.

I'll take your last couple of comments on face value in that I will not infer from them anything that has to do with me personally. If I am wrong please enlighten the board as to what you are referring too.
The point I was trying to make about the career chiefs; they commissioned the consolidation study for south Westchester. While there in no movement with regard to that study (that we are aware of on this board anyway) that does not mean the career chiefs cannot start acting proactively when dealing with issues such as hiring. Think about it; ten departments combined, one of which is in the process of laying off six members. If the departments were combined, would this be happening? Or would the cost savings and effectiveness of a combined service make this not the case?
The fact that each fiefdom has it's own residency list would become a non-factor if all recruits were being hired for a larger partial county system. There would be more retirements as older members with more than their time in, would be hard pressed to adopt to a new command structure, new assignments that took them out of a cushy house somewhere in the 'burbs and put them down on 3rd and 3rd in the Vern. There would be more opportunity overall.
I still respectfully disagree with your assessment; I mean it would have to be an environment of near desperation for this to be the case. Yet, time and again we hear and read so many good things about the brotherhood, and that it is alive and well. I'd like to know what the Greenville guys think, as it is my understanding they were one of the departments that took in members from another job that were being laid off. Maybe they could provide some enlightening facts to the board.

City of New Rochelle is a City of 72,000. Your comparisons are apples to oranges or oranges to grapes. New Rochelle has true commercial high rises and a large daily influx of workers that the other cities I assume you are comparing to does not. I'm guessing the 72,000 is low ball anyway and definatly does not include the college students.

Chances are these other departments are not meeting the mark when it comes to national standards set forth for efficiency and safety of operations. If all you know about NR is the call volume, you know too little to compare them to anyone.
Also, can you explain the logic used in a calculation that determines "firefighters per shift per call"? Most of these types of numbers are used to compare FD to FD, but one must also show the types of responses and other factors to have any realistic comparison. A FD that provides first responder EMS may have greater incident counts than a similar FD that does zero EMS, but have far less time per incident due to the nature of the work.

I think they call that a self fulfilling prophecy

I think that maybe some people should retire! Wouldn't that save and maybe open up some spots for others on the a list?

Fir Na Tine (MEN of Fire)
I was actually going to write a defense of your post; I thought for sure you were being sarcastic. It's quite obvious you were not, you are dead serious. I think your post summarizes the mindset of what has taken hold in many of the locals in the fire service; hoorah for me and mine, screw everybody else. Did you ever think; what if the roles were reversed and it was your job on the cutting block? Wouldn't you hope that another job would consider taking on an experienced firefighter, with all the required NYS training and certification in the world? The Brothers who might be losing their jobs in New Rochelle did nothing wrong to be losing those positions. I would hope if I were in that position, some chief somewhere would still understand that Brotherhood extends beyond the ridiculous boundaries which still separate the smaller jobs in south Westchester.
As far as padding your pension goes, how much extra would you expect to be making without all of your slots filled on your job? Whatever happened to this thing we call "The Brotherhood"? Where everybody sacrifices just a little for the greater good? I'm glad I'm retired now, if your mindset is prevalent on the job.
And you of all people who always rail against "lowering standards". What exactly do you think you are advocating for in this post? To me, you have stated just about the lowest standard a "Brother" could stoop too.
"Men of fire" Fir Na tine....not "Boys of Greed."

What Rod Fraser has tried to do to this department is contemptable. He only says what Mayor Menino tells him to & he talks out of both sides of his mouth. For example:
1. In the article he states, “We want someone who can stand up for the betterment of the department against the union,’’ Fraser said in a phone interview Friday. “It’s difficult for someone who’s been in the union for 30-plus years to take themselves out of that.’’ HOWEVER a couple of paragraphs later he says, "The dozens of deputy chiefs and district chiefs within Boston Fire will not be excluded from consideration, Fraser affirmed. He said he has sent letters to them inviting them to apply. So far, only one has, he said.
OF COURSE ONLY ONE HAS! YOU'VE ALREADY TOLD THEM THAT THE "FIX IS IN"! THAT FOR ALL INTENTS & PURPOSES, THEY HAVE ZERO CHANCE! WHY WOULD ANY OF OUR DEPUTIES APPLY?!?
2. Taken from above, “It’s difficult for someone who’s been in the union for 30-plus years to take themselves out of that.’’
If that truly IS the case, why did you go before the CIty Council & attempt to keep Chief of Department Ronald Keating, a member of IAFF Local 718 for THIRTY-NINE years (1970-2009) for FIVE YEARS past the MANDATORY retirement age of 65? And when that failed, instead of acknowledging that the reason Local 718 opposed the measure is because it would set a precident that could be used again down the road to circumvent the MANDATORY retirement age, blather that the reason we opposed it was because, "Keating is a thorn in the side of the union - a rare example of a Boston firefighter who climbed the uniformed ranks only to break with the department’s insular culture and embrace his role as a no-nonsense, non-union manager." (Larry Harmon, Boston Globe 08/06/11)
Again from the Harmon article, "In an April letter, Menino asked the city council to raise Keating’s retirement age to 70. “It is vital that the department be allowed to retain an experienced manager and operational specialist in order to preserve its morale and effectiveness,’’ wrote the mayor, who further described the department as at a “critical crossroads.’’"
Chief Keating was 63 years old at the time of his appointment in 2009. The fact that he would be forced to retire in October 2011 when he turned 65 should have come as no shock to anybody. Harmon writes, "But given Keating’s capabilities, it makes plenty of sense to keep him in place for another six months or a year. That would allow Fraser to mount a thorough search for a replacement, preferably a candidate from outside the department." What has Mr. Fraser been DOING for the past TWO years?! Commissioner Fraser and Mayor Menino KNEW that Chief Keating HAD to retire in October 2011. Why did they not start the search sooner & have a replacement in place? If he hasn't managed to find a suitable candidate in the past two years, why should we believe that he would be able to with six additional months to do so?
I'll get off my soapbox now, I KNOW that the Globe is a rag not suitable for wrapping fish in, yet somehow I STILL manage to get annoyed by their biased reporting.

After these misguided individuals finish with OWS maybe they should go and protest outside all of the Universities and Colleges who charge astronomical tuitions to attend putting individuals in debt up to their a** before they even graduate and find a job. There's something nobody has any control over and won't say s*** about.

I am all for peaceful protest and freedom of speech. I am not for blanant disregard for the law and for those who are trying to uphold it. Many of these protestors are simply criminals with an agenda. Besides....they should be protesting Congress along with Fannie May and Freddie Mac who continie to soak the taxpayers...

Congratulations!!! You've just won a brand new can of worms!!!!
As of Thursday the official word from NHFD is that they have no idea what they are doing for residency requirements yet. The only absolutely concrete thing is that they give 5 extra points to residents under the city's civil service policies.
There is DISCUSSION (I repeat, discussion, NONE of this is concrete yet) of a cap on applications, that seems likely but the details of it are where we start wading into the rumor pool. It has been discussed at Board of Aldermen meetings to require 50% of the applications to be New Haven residents. It has also been discussed by certain advocacy groups that start with an "F" and end with an "irebirds Assocation" that 100% of the applications be NH residents, as in do not allow anyone from outside to take the test.
Again, what actually is going to happen regarding residency requirements is completely unknown, and that's the official word from the Asst. Chief/Executive Officer at last week's orientation for the hiring process. Stay tuned, because this is going to get REAL interesting.

I got a good one for you. A few weeks ago I was in Boston at South Station and watched "Occupy Boston" for awhile. Many of the protestors were wearing anarchy t-shirts and holding anarchy signs while chanting "This is what democracy looks like" in a country that's actually a republic... clearly they were confused. #Occupyahistoryclass

I got a good one for you. A few weeks ago I was in Boston at South Station and watched "Occupy Boston" for awhile. Many of the protestors were wearing anarchy t-shirts and holding anarchy signs while chanting "This is what democracy looks like" in a country that's actually a republic... clearly they were confused. #Occupyahistoryclass

Wait, the protestors are the police and fire department's friends?
Is that why they defacate on RMPs, spit at Police Officers, pass out flyers that say "when to kill a cop," prevent cops from investigating sexual assaults and help the perpetrators avoid prosecution, prevent EMS from responding to medical emergencies and break an EMT's leg? With friends like those, who needs enemies?
I respect the right to protest. But the fact of the matter is any other group that wanted to protest in that park that way would have been kicked out months ago. These kids need to follow the rules like everyone else, we as a country have humored them for long enough.

I got a good one for you. A few weeks ago I was in Boston at South Station and watched "Occupy Boston" for awhile. Many of the protestors were wearing anarchy t-shirts and holding anarchy signs while chanting "This is what democracy looks like" in a country that's actually a republic... clearly they were confused. #Occupyahistoryclass

These protesters may be your friend but they certainly aren't mine. These people don't care one iota about civil servants or even the common man. There have been many media reports about small businesses in the wall street area that have had to lay people off due to the decrease in business since these miscreants have shown up.
I support the constitution and people's right to protest and I don't agree with corporate greed. I think the system is broken and needs to be changed and there are ways to change it however those ways don't include running through the streets like a bunch of animals, pissing and shitting on police cars, raping, stealing,using drugs and in the case of occupy oakland, shooting people in the head. This is not an organized protest this is an occupation with no clear goal or purpose.
The protesters don't care about lower taxes and higher wages because most of them DON'T WORK and DON'T WANT TO. Watch the news reports, read the signs, they want to be given what you have worked for.. they want to take money for student loans and then NOT pay them back. They believe that if I work hard and make money that it should be shared with them ... f*** THAT. There have been signs that advocate the overthrow of the government, the ending of capitalism and the rise of socialism.
Rudy Guiliani said it best, "Instead of Occupying wall street, how about you occupy a job"

Wait, the protestors are the police and fire department's friends?
Is that why they defacate on RMPs, spit at Police Officers, pass out flyers that say "when to kill a cop," prevent cops from investigating sexual assaults and help the perpetrators avoid prosecution, prevent EMS from responding to medical emergencies and break an EMT's leg? With friends like those, who needs enemies?
I respect the right to protest. But the fact of the matter is any other group that wanted to protest in that park that way would have been kicked out months ago. These kids need to follow the rules like everyone else, we as a country have humored them for long enough.

Wait, the protestors are the police and fire department's friends?
Is that why they defacate on RMPs, spit at Police Officers, pass out flyers that say "when to kill a cop," prevent cops from investigating sexual assaults and help the perpetrators avoid prosecution, prevent EMS from responding to medical emergencies and break an EMT's leg? With friends like those, who needs enemies?
I respect the right to protest. But the fact of the matter is any other group that wanted to protest in that park that way would have been kicked out months ago. These kids need to follow the rules like everyone else, we as a country have humored them for long enough.

Wait, the protestors are the police and fire department's friends?
Is that why they defacate on RMPs, spit at Police Officers, pass out flyers that say "when to kill a cop," prevent cops from investigating sexual assaults and help the perpetrators avoid prosecution, prevent EMS from responding to medical emergencies and break an EMT's leg? With friends like those, who needs enemies?
I respect the right to protest. But the fact of the matter is any other group that wanted to protest in that park that way would have been kicked out months ago. These kids need to follow the rules like everyone else, we as a country have humored them for long enough.