SageVigiles

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.

I support the constitution and people's right to protest - HOWEVER......
You can protest peacefully and without causing trouble for the police and for the people around you that want nothing to do with the protest. It seems that these days there is a school of thinking that if you aren't causing trouble for the police then you really aren't protesting.
This is no longer a protest, it is an occupation. The rights of these liberal dipshits have been protected long enough, now it's time to protest the rights of the people that actually do live in the wall street area that have had to put up with this nonsense long enough. It's time to protect the rights of the struggling small business owners who have to try to keep these people out of their bathrooms because they are using then to bathe.
The crime in and around zuccotti park is increasing as is the boldness of the protesters. They have erected tents which is against the rules of the park but they cry and hide behind the constitution whenever someone tries to correct them.
This is not an organized protest anymore this is just a subversive subculture that accomplishes nothing.
It is time that the NYPD ends this occupation now and return the wall street area back to the citizens who ACTUALLY live there.

But those are just isolated incidents caused by "bad apples", or so sayeth my uber-liberal OWS loving professor when confronted with those facts, as well as Occupy Phoenix's "When to Kill a Cop" brochure.
Oh, and they are mainly being caused by homeless who the police are dumping there

Assault on a Peace Officer
Multiple incidents of sexual assault and rape (which members of OWS attempted to cover up)
Multiple incidents of drug use/sale/distribution
Multiple incidents of larceny, pickpocketing, etc
Rioting (Atlanta, DC, Oakland)
Need I continue?

Not understanding this comment. I've not seen anything that would infer NY collective bargaining rights for any public employees are in jeopardy. Source?

Recon team to Command, we've located the elephant in the room...

Ummm....has anyone thought if this guy could get up there, people with evil intentions could probaly too. Someone needs to look at this issue. This bridge is critical infastructure, as anyone knows, yet is very lax on security as compared to other bridges.
As far as making judgement on this individual, who cares? That's what we are there for. Yes, someone could get hurt in a rescue like this, but we put ourselves on the line everyday with every call. We knew this when we took the job. When we don't coordinate on these types of jobs, that's how people get hurt.
Also, the number of aviation resources (Helicopters) in the area poses it's own risks.

As stated before, it's not a matter of who cuffed the guy, it's a matter of pointing out and correcting false information that was disseminated through non-factual statements that had no legitimate source to back up the claim. As a law enforcement officer, I have a peaked interest in the original statement about who cuffed the guy.

Great! Now I feel like all the UC's I've been part of were a waste of my time!

Absolutely the right call, don't give him the satisfaction. Have 1 maintenance guy go up to the cable with a pair of bolt cutters. I'll bet you that idiot will climb up faster than anything. Either that or its #OccupyTheHudson...

Oh my God thank you for saying this. "Establishing Main Street Command" and properly using NIMS are too very different things. It also drives me nuts when departments establish Operations Section Chief for every call. If you're under your span of control, there's absolutely no reason to create the position. The point isn't to fill out boxes, its to organize the resources you need. The needs of the incident dictate your organizational chart, your organizational chart shouldn't be dictating the incident.

If he doesnt want to or isnt ready to come on just leave him there. He isnt a threat to anyone at this time why put rescuers at risk. Just postion a boat downstream to keep him under observation until he becomes a risk to himself and others. Also start the billing clock for the boat,the fuel, and the crew to send to this knucklehead, or put a lien on properties owned by him to recover these unnevessary costs created by his foolish publicity stunt

He is now on the flip side of Rockland's mental health establishment.... He went from being a former employee to becoming a patient

Oh my God thank you for saying this. "Establishing Main Street Command" and properly using NIMS are too very different things. It also drives me nuts when departments establish Operations Section Chief for every call. If you're under your span of control, there's absolutely no reason to create the position. The point isn't to fill out boxes, its to organize the resources you need. The needs of the incident dictate your organizational chart, your organizational chart shouldn't be dictating the incident.

Oh my God thank you for saying this. "Establishing Main Street Command" and properly using NIMS are too very different things. It also drives me nuts when departments establish Operations Section Chief for every call. If you're under your span of control, there's absolutely no reason to create the position. The point isn't to fill out boxes, its to organize the resources you need. The needs of the incident dictate your organizational chart, your organizational chart shouldn't be dictating the incident.

I'm a volunteer in Wallingford, and I gotta say it works REALLY well there between career and volunteer. Obviously each volunteer house is a bit different, but I'm very happy where I am.
The difference I've noticed between Wallingford and other combination departments that I've been a part of and/or observed. Yeah, the volunteer officers can be in command, but that's not what makes it work, and I feel like this article focuses a little too much on that aspect.
The reason the volunteers in Wallingford can be in command, and the reason that everyone gets treated equally there is because of training. Volunteers are held to a specific training standard. If you don't meet that standard, you don't get on the rig. Period. We also had a voluntary OSHA assessment to identify gaps in what we do and what we train in. Basically the way it works now is there is a database run through HQ with everyone's names. If you don't make your mandatory trainings within 1 year of the last one (365 days exactly) you go offline until you make it up. We have quarterly live burns, I believe you have to make 1 per year. Officers are required (according to what OSHA told us) to receive additional training above the Firefighters, so we do that too. Since everyone is held to a standard and that standard is non-negotiable, the Shift Commander and the rest of the career department knows that the guys stepping off the truck have a reasonable idea of what they are doing and can be trusted to make intelligent decisions. Not only that, but we train WITH the career department. That way we know what they expect from us and they know what our capabilities, equipment and limitations are. There are certain things we take active roles in, and certain things we take support roles in (some of the special ops stuff, specifically) simply because we lack the equipment and training to do proficiently. So we maintain our training in how to best support the career staff on such a scene (IE: proper sizeup of a tech rescue incident, setting up an initial system, etc)
But in all honesty, we don't make a big deal out of the "who is in command" business, we don't really care as long as the person knows what the hell they are doing. Which is the way it SHOULD be everywhere.
Just for informational purposes, Wallingford runs the following:
Headquarters (Career)
Car 4 (Shift Commander - Captain)
Truck 1
Engine 2
Medic 1
Numerous Special Ops and spare vehicles
Station 1 (Career)
Engine 1
Rescue 3 (ALS pickup, runs from 9-6 on weekdays I believe)
Station 4 (Volunteer - Cook Hill Company)
Engine 4
I believe the HAZMAT pickup/trailer is stored here as well.
NOTE: Station 4 only runs from 6PM-9AM, staffed by volunteers from Company 5, due to a lack of volunteers at that company.
Station 5 (Volunteer - Yalesville Company)
Engine 5
Squad 5 ("Medium" sized engine, used for EMS, rescue, brush, service calls, etc)
Station 7 (Volunteer - North Farms Company)
Engine 7
Rescue 7 (Heavy Rescue)
Tanker 7
Station 8 (Volunteer - East Wallingford Company)
Engine 8
Squad 8
Light/Generator Tower

I think the Squads also run with 1 Driver, 1 Officer and 3 or 4 Firefighters, so they have a little extra manpower in addition to the extra toys and training. This rig is just SLIGHTLY longer than Squad 1, and also has a different cab configuration. Where old SQ2 had 4 rear facing seats and a large compartment on the rear wall of the cab, this one has 2 rear facing seats with a compartment between them and two forward facing seats. Gives the guys a little more elbow room I believe, though I haven't yet seen the rig in person.
I believe that HAZMAT 1 is a second piece for Squad 1 as well, They have a Sterling cab with rescue body for that rig, painted in the classic all white traditional for NHFD. The other HAZMAT rig that SRFD18 is talking about is the state Mass Decontamination Trailer and Prime Mover, which I believe is stored at the Fire Academy, and is red. I'm not sure if they were also issued one of the "beer truck" style rigs that the state also hands out to the teams.
New Haven FD (and particularly the Squad Companies due to their Special Ops configuration) is part of the New Haven Area Special Hazards Team (NHASH) and comprises the South Division (1 of 5 divisions) with New Haven Police ESU, Yale Police ESU and the FBI New Haven office. NHPD, YPD and FBI are an important aspect of the team due to the fact that they comprise the Hazardous Devices Unit and provide NHASH with the ability to mitigate explosives incidents. Also I believe South Division is the only division with a law enforcement component, allowing tactical operations within the NHASH team.

I think the Squads also run with 1 Driver, 1 Officer and 3 or 4 Firefighters, so they have a little extra manpower in addition to the extra toys and training. This rig is just SLIGHTLY longer than Squad 1, and also has a different cab configuration. Where old SQ2 had 4 rear facing seats and a large compartment on the rear wall of the cab, this one has 2 rear facing seats with a compartment between them and two forward facing seats. Gives the guys a little more elbow room I believe, though I haven't yet seen the rig in person.
I believe that HAZMAT 1 is a second piece for Squad 1 as well, They have a Sterling cab with rescue body for that rig, painted in the classic all white traditional for NHFD. The other HAZMAT rig that SRFD18 is talking about is the state Mass Decontamination Trailer and Prime Mover, which I believe is stored at the Fire Academy, and is red. I'm not sure if they were also issued one of the "beer truck" style rigs that the state also hands out to the teams.
New Haven FD (and particularly the Squad Companies due to their Special Ops configuration) is part of the New Haven Area Special Hazards Team (NHASH) and comprises the South Division (1 of 5 divisions) with New Haven Police ESU, Yale Police ESU and the FBI New Haven office. NHPD, YPD and FBI are an important aspect of the team due to the fact that they comprise the Hazardous Devices Unit and provide NHASH with the ability to mitigate explosives incidents. Also I believe South Division is the only division with a law enforcement component, allowing tactical operations within the NHASH team.

I think the Squads also run with 1 Driver, 1 Officer and 3 or 4 Firefighters, so they have a little extra manpower in addition to the extra toys and training. This rig is just SLIGHTLY longer than Squad 1, and also has a different cab configuration. Where old SQ2 had 4 rear facing seats and a large compartment on the rear wall of the cab, this one has 2 rear facing seats with a compartment between them and two forward facing seats. Gives the guys a little more elbow room I believe, though I haven't yet seen the rig in person.
I believe that HAZMAT 1 is a second piece for Squad 1 as well, They have a Sterling cab with rescue body for that rig, painted in the classic all white traditional for NHFD. The other HAZMAT rig that SRFD18 is talking about is the state Mass Decontamination Trailer and Prime Mover, which I believe is stored at the Fire Academy, and is red. I'm not sure if they were also issued one of the "beer truck" style rigs that the state also hands out to the teams.
New Haven FD (and particularly the Squad Companies due to their Special Ops configuration) is part of the New Haven Area Special Hazards Team (NHASH) and comprises the South Division (1 of 5 divisions) with New Haven Police ESU, Yale Police ESU and the FBI New Haven office. NHPD, YPD and FBI are an important aspect of the team due to the fact that they comprise the Hazardous Devices Unit and provide NHASH with the ability to mitigate explosives incidents. Also I believe South Division is the only division with a law enforcement component, allowing tactical operations within the NHASH team.

I noticed there were at least 7 different departments which responded to this single family house fire. Also noticed what seemed to be a 16 minute response time for the firsl arriving apparatus? Seemed to be quite a while until two lines were reported to be operating as well. I really don't know this area so I'm not criticizing necessarily...perhaps this response time was very reasonable considering road distance and conditions, etc.
However, I feel this fire is another glaring example of why consolidation and regionalization in Emergency Services is so desperately needed in most of Westchester County.
Thoughts?

Before any public safety position is ever eliminated, all non-vital positions such as Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Commissioners, mayoral aides, secretaries, etc, should be eliminated.

I've never understood when police fire or EMS departments attempt to hold the municipality hostage by not doing their sworn duty. There has to be a better way to persuade them or save money. Better to lay off one officer than not respond to call. In fact, it appears to me the Chief would be a good place to start.
Being a boss when severe budget cuts come down has to be one of the most challenging times in anyone's professional life. Having to make huge staffing cuts, brown out companies or reducing minimum staffing hurts everyone involved, the citizens, the firefighters and the officers all the way to the top. Another thing I don't understand is the Chief's that flat out quit. I can see taking a hard stand, but getting yourself fired or quitting only leaves an opening for the same difficult position. Then what happens, they push someone from the inside up and force his/her into the same corner or hire an outsider to come make the cuts with no true knowledge of the particular department.

Hartsdale and Stratford, CT should write a book about their apparatus problems in recent years! No department should go through this!

Hello folks, I have not posted in a long time, just cant help myself, what has happened in 3 years:
New Rigs
New repeater portables
New Scotts
A real inventory of equipment
New CAD software and real IT network which we run
Replacement gear and washing and repair
BailOut systems
This is just a few of the examples of progress, Noah Lighty and Ted Beale have put us on a new path and they deserve a pat on the back, with the coming election we dont no what tommorow brings but they have shown leadership and that having your own people up top can make a difference. Lending Hartsdale a rig is a thank you from the past, we have received more then we gave. Might be my last post ( Law Dept.) Thanks to all for the past support.
Jim Loftus
( now a washed up calltaker and IT Whizard )