SageVigiles

Over the past few hours Baltimore has had working fire dispatches at the following locations (I know I missed a few)

N Piedmont & Hilton - Dwelling
W Franklin & Evergreen - Commercial
Harman & Tolley - Dwelling
Baker & N Mount - Commercial
E 22nd & Greenmount - Commercial
W Pratt & Ackworth - Unk type
N MLK Jr Blvd & W Saratoga - Rite Aid
Harman & James - Vacant Dwelling
Frederick & S Bentalou - Gamestop

So far I know of:
Baltimore City FD
Baltimore County FD
Anne Arundel County FD
Howard County FD
Montgomery County FD
Prince George's County FD

Best way to get into a house that might otherwise be too busy for visitors? Knock with your elbows. Haven't met a crew of firemen yet that was too busy for a box of cannoli.

BCFD units are taking airmail at several fires in the city.
Baltimore City has requested 20 Engine Companies and 10 Truck Companies mutual aid from surrounding counties.

Over the past few hours Baltimore has had working fire dispatches at the following locations (I know I missed a few)

N Piedmont & Hilton - Dwelling
W Franklin & Evergreen - Commercial
Harman & Tolley - Dwelling
Baker & N Mount - Commercial
E 22nd & Greenmount - Commercial
W Pratt & Ackworth - Unk type
N MLK Jr Blvd & W Saratoga - Rite Aid
Harman & James - Vacant Dwelling
Frederick & S Bentalou - Gamestop

So far I know of:
Baltimore City FD
Baltimore County FD
Anne Arundel County FD
Howard County FD
Montgomery County FD
Prince George's County FD

BCFD units are taking airmail at several fires in the city.
Baltimore City has requested 20 Engine Companies and 10 Truck Companies mutual aid from surrounding counties.

"It would be fun statistics to look at, but it might make people bring up that evil "C" word that no body like *insert evil laugh here.*"

Best way to get into a house that might otherwise be too busy for visitors? Knock with your elbows. Haven't met a crew of firemen yet that was too busy for a box of cannoli.

Will they be using Morons Morris & McDonald's McDaniel for the oral portion of the exam as well? If so, enjoy that particular charlie-foxtrot.

I was in a bar talking to a friend whom I had met when he and his family visited my firehouse several years earlier. As we talked, we were approached by 4 drunk guys who said they were "firefighters from London Fire Brigade here on holiday". They had overheard us talking, realized I was a Firefighter, and wanted to know if my firehouse was close by so they could visit. I said "no problem, the firehouse (not mine) is at 48th and 8th" (54 Engine/Ladder 4). I even told them to specifically ask for my friend, Steve, who was working. Out of the bar they stumbled and a 1/2 hour later I got a not-so-nice text from Steve telling me what he thought of me sending the guys for their "visit". I thought it was funny.

West Haven's Allingtown FD should be ordering a replacement for their former lemon of an E-One Tower Ladder this week.
http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20150420/west-haven-could-sign-contract-for-new-870k-fire-truck-this-week
75' Quint from Pierce, $870,895.

Not that M' Ave needs someone to back up his statements, but in my experience this is 100% true. Some of the most welcoming houses I've visited were in completely off-the-path areas of Brooklyn and Da' Bronx, simply because they aren't easy to get to, and they appreciate the effort and attention. I still BS now and then with a few of the guys I met in Brooklyn a year or two ago.

Ten House is a really special circumstance. I've worked there once or twice as a detail. Great guys, had a great tour there recently.
Here's the deal....that firehouse is a living memorial, a tourist destination and certainly highly visable. It's hard to even respond on alarms from there. The moment the door go up, they're mobbed. They have to put signs out telling people not to cross the apparatus door threshold. They have to use ropes to stop sidwalk traffic to pull out.
It's a revolving door and I'm sure that it can be too much at times.
**To anyone visitng NYC and planning to visit a firehouse:
Please visit us! We're happy to chat, talk a little shop and maybe give a quick tour. However, if you're in the know, (and you are 'cause you're on this site) visit off the beaten path a bit. Give the guys in Times Square and The World Trade Center a break if you can.

Best way to get into a house that might otherwise be too busy for visitors? Knock with your elbows. Haven't met a crew of firemen yet that was too busy for a box of cannoli.

Met some of the guys at E54/L4 and L8. Awesome experience. I tried to meet some of the guys at Ten House and was met by some resistance. I'm sure every house is different, but I'd have to say most of the FDNY firefighters are awesome guys to talk to. I've randomly run into L5 and HM1 on lunch breaks and they were more than happy to shoot the crap. I'd love to see the inside of a lot of the houses!

Best way to get into a house that might otherwise be too busy for visitors? Knock with your elbows. Haven't met a crew of firemen yet that was too busy for a box of cannoli.

Well said!

Ya know....yeah, it usually is. When you're in Westchester County, you're living in someone's little fiefdom. Someone's little slice of the pie and it's a ridiculous exercise in redundancy. I'm paying my property tax bill (which is insanely high) and wondering why they're always asking for more money, but there are fewer cops and the roads are like the surface of the moon.
Too many Chief's, not enough Indians.....lets streamline the operations around here and put our money and manpower to better use.
It's all about ratio's with the fire service. We DO have some good resources here, so lets expand their scope of coverage and better utilize them. We could use an analogy that would apply to many volunteer departments around here:
Lets say Dept. A has 5, reliable and involved members and that department answers 2 calls a day. Dept. B next door also has 5 reliable and involved members answering 2 calls a day. Well, 5 guys is useless...and those guys would probably jump at the opportunity to do more with their dedication. So, COMBINE those depts. and you've got 10 solid guys handling 4 calls a day. You've doubled your available manpower and simultaneously increased staff utilization by 100%. In the process, you could eliminate half the chief's and their vehicles, probably a firehouse to maintain and a redundant vehicle or two.
But....that'll never happen, because everyone is too interested in protecting their slice of the pie....

Consolidation can be an answer, but you still need everyone to pay there fair share. And under the current MV administration, they do not appear to be willing.

Bill them for the mutual aid? We started to bill for mutual aid in the EMS arena when it was abundantly clear that mutual aid was not only, no longer mutual, but bordering on abusive. Over time the neighbors that were most "abusive" found that they could utilize the money they paid for outside aid better by putting into better staffing (per-diem) of their own service. While our finance dept liked the revenue, it wasn't enough to increase staffing, so fewer calls out of town are better for our personnel.
Is there something in NY that would prevent a City from telling a neighbor that they'll still respond, but they'll be billed for the associated costs? This way, the decision is purely financial and the proverbial ball is in the "abuser's" court? There must be a law against this, 'cause the answer is too simple.

The real problem is not if they should consolidate, its how can MV participate equally? YFD provides excellent fire protection to its citizens, while the political climate in MV is to rely on the neighbors.
The real issue is every career and combo will call back off duty firefighters to man spare apparatus or provide additional personnel to the scene during a major emergency, EXCEPT Mt Vernon. The MV Mayor expects everyone around them to pick up that cost.

Trains stop at "Stations", we work in fireHOUSES
If you had a poor experience at any of the shops you visited, that's a shame. Remember, ya never know what kinda day they were having and sometimes the revolving door of visitors is hard to deal with. I'm not regularly assigned to work in Midtown, but I have on occasion and while everyone's happy to chat and entertain visitors, it's hard to get other work done and sometimes it's overwhelming.
I'm not trying to dissuade visitors, we welcome it. Shame there was a bad experience, ya just never know how that day was going...
As for the NYPost article, correct, the member quoted was not a "Probie". The NYPost, journalistic beacon of integrity, took some posts from the "FDNYRant" (which is the worst thing ever) for that article and called them "quotes".
All in all, some guys are not happy with the Open House, and I understand it, but it's a couple of hours for some positive PR on a Saturday. We'll live.

Date: 4/16/15
Time: Approximately 1300
Location: 166 Spring St (cross of Button St)
District: West Battalion, Engine 11's First Due
Units:
First Alarm (assuming everyone was available and in position)
E11, E9, SQ2, E4, T2, Emergency 2, C34 (West Battalion Chief)
Second Alarm:
E15, E5, SQ1, TL1, C32 (Deputy Chief)
Other:
C39 (Asst. Chief - Operations)
C36 (Acting Dir. of Training)
C50 (Mask Service Unit)
Description:
Working fire in a 2.5 wood. Heavy fire showing on arrival, 2nd alarm of fire transmitted.

Date: 4/16/15
Time: Approximately 1300
Location: 166 Spring St (cross of Button St)
District: West Battalion, Engine 11's First Due
Units:
First Alarm (assuming everyone was available and in position)
E11, E9, SQ2, E4, T2, Emergency 2, C34 (West Battalion Chief)
Second Alarm:
E15, E5, SQ1, TL1, C32 (Deputy Chief)
Other:
C39 (Asst. Chief - Operations)
C36 (Acting Dir. of Training)
C50 (Mask Service Unit)
Description:
Working fire in a 2.5 wood. Heavy fire showing on arrival, 2nd alarm of fire transmitted.

Date: 4/16/15
Time: Approximately 1300
Location: 166 Spring St (cross of Button St)
District: West Battalion, Engine 11's First Due
Units:
First Alarm (assuming everyone was available and in position)
E11, E9, SQ2, E4, T2, Emergency 2, C34 (West Battalion Chief)
Second Alarm:
E15, E5, SQ1, TL1, C32 (Deputy Chief)
Other:
C39 (Asst. Chief - Operations)
C36 (Acting Dir. of Training)
C50 (Mask Service Unit)
Description:
Working fire in a 2.5 wood. Heavy fire showing on arrival, 2nd alarm of fire transmitted.