SageVigiles

It hides the fact that you don't have proper staffing to get an engine out the door in the first place...

Good call, or the other option:

Even at 565 mph, I suspect they may have an extended response time.

No life hazard. Clear the area, let it burn , extinguish remaining fire on the ground once the pole no longer has a falling debris issue. Call in the utility who owns it to do any elevated stabilization and or final extinguishment.

I thought it was just a bunch of Truckies who are afraid of heights.

The question was what constitutes a rescue company, not a rescue truck. Please please please DO NOT confuse a rescue company with a department that has a rescue truck.

Sometimes nothing more than some fancy lettering on the side of a rig and some T-shirts purchased in bulk with RESCUE scrawled on the back.
p.s. Not going to name any names as to not offend the offenders.

I was absolutely speechless when I first saw that! Here's heavy fire venting, then a firefighters emerges from the flames.
Hope they're doing okay. What an awful thing to go through with Christmas around the corner.

Date: 12/19/11
Time: 09:05 hours
Location: Prospect Pl x Albany Ave
Frequency: FDNY Brooklyn
Weather Conditions: cold
Description Of Incident: fire on the top floor and cockloft of a 3 story brownstone, mayday transmitted. News reports confirms several FFs injured, at least one with serious burns.
Reporters/Writer: ryang
News Link: http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/2-firefighters-inhured-in-brooklyn-blaze-20111219-APX
Additional Info:
Crown Heights, Brooklyn, NY, 12/19/11
Address: 1100 Prospect Pl @ Albany Ave
09:06 hours
Phone Box 920 - Report of fire in a multiple dwelling, possible people trapped.
Engs. 234, 214, 227
TL111, L132
Battalion 38
Rescue 2
10-75-920 - 09:09 hours
E235
L113 (FAST Truck)
Battalion 57
Division 15
Squad 252
7-5-920 - 09:13 hours
Battalion 38: Box 920, All-Hands, extra engine and truck, we have fire on the top floor of a 3 story 20x40 brownstone. Exposure 1 is a street, 2 is a similar attached, 3 is unknown, 4 is a similar attached.
E280, L176 S/C
RAC2
2-2-920 - 09:14 hours
BC38: 920, 2nd Alarm, we've got a MAYDAY.
Engs 217, 249, 222
E207 w/ Satellite 6
L174
TL120 (FAST Truck)
Battalion 37 (Safety Officer)
Battalion 41 (Resource Unit Leader)
Safety, Rescue Battalions
Tactical Support 2
FieldCom 1, Command Tactical Unit
Car 10 (DAC Kevin Butler, Bronx Borough Commander)

09:14 hours
BC38: Need EMS forthwith
09:17 hours
The staging area is Albany Ave and Bergen St
09:19 hours
EMS reports numerous units en-route
09:21 hours
Car 17 (BC Michael F. Gala Jr, Chief of Personnel) is responding

09:21 hours - Duration 16 minutes
Division 15: All members are accounted for, can I get a mixer off.
Note: Progress report relayed to Citywide that as per Division 15, there was fire in the cockloft with 2 lines stretched and in operation, all members were accounted for.
09:31 hours
By orders of Car 11D, Rescue Battalion is responding to the hospital, not the 2nd Alarm.
09:31 hours
Car 4G (DAC Edward Baggott, Deputy Assistant Chief of Operations) is responding

09:33 hours - Duration 28 minutes
L103, L102 S/C
09:43 hours - Duration 38 minutes
FieldCom: Progress Report on the 2nd Alarm at Box 920, at this time Division 15 reports: all visible fire has been extinguished, primary searches of the fire building and both exposure 2 and exposure 4 are complete and negative, secondaries are in progress, and the fire remains Doubtful. Also L113 is resuming the role of FAST truck, L120 has been put to work.
10:02 hours - Duration 57 minutes
FC: Progress Report on the 2nd Alarm at Box 920, at this time DAC Baggott, Car 4G reports: secondary searches in the fire building, exposure 2 and exposure 4 are complete and negative, and he's placing the fire at Probably Will Hold. Also can I get a mixer-off message.
10:06 hours
Car 14C (Fire Marshal) is responding
10:06 hours
FC: As per DAC Baggott, he would like a Battalion Chief on Staten Island to respond to the hospital where members are being transported, k.
Battalion 21 S/C to respond to the hospital
10:11 hours
FC: We have a correction on the address at 2nd Alarm Box 920, the address is 1100. 1102 is exposure 2.
10:16 hours - Duration 1 hour 11 minutes
FC: Progress Report #6 on the 2nd Alarm at Box 920, at this time DAC Baggott, Car 4G reports: he's placing the fire Under Control, k.
Relocations: E216/214, E236/222, E237/234, E205/235, L126/103, TL146/111, L156/113, TL107/120, L122/174

So what is this guy trying to do; save wear and tear on a piece of fire apparatus? Is this the crucial cost savings measure? Okay, let's send the ambulance guys/gals in a jeep Wrangler, heck they only needed jeeps in MASH.
Let's send the patrolman out on a Vespa. They come in beautiful shades of blue and you can get ten of them for the price of a patrol car.
"I'm in pursuit of a Mustang...Vespa 1 is in pursuit"...
Let's send the garbage pick-up guys out in....a pick-up. They can just pile it on top.
For recycling, just have the DPW guys dump out the contents of the recycle box on the sidewalk in front of the home, presto you've recycled it.
Carry a PWE in the suburban though. Besides all this other lunacy I've listed, remember if you can't get the fire knocked down with a PWE, you might as well just let the building burn....no chance in saving it. We have to SAVE that rig, you never know how serious a fire we could get in 2014.

I think Seal Team 6 would have been a much better "Person of the year"

http://www.time.com/time/
Looks like the police can now have to worry about more people who think the "cool thing to do" is to protest everything since Time decided to put a Protester above any other individual in the entire world.
Don't get me wrong, I understand the protests of governments who torture their people, and protesters who actual fight for a legitimate cause that benefits the masses, but I can see this backfiring in the Untied States face and more "OWS's" popping up everywhere. Stay safe to the brothers in Blue.

Ours is in Rules and Regs. Mine are up in the attic, Hudson, and I don't feel like looking for them right now, but they are more or less the standard, run of the mill regulations. If you need more info, I guess that if you ask me nicely I will go look. (That's in return for a hot dog in the future).
Also the word "UNIFORM" means everyone is dressed exacttly the same way.
If it was important, like a medal day or promotion or something else where you should look your best, I would get a haircut too. I wouldn't want the CHIEF telling me I could use a haircut...how 'bout you?

I think its very simple unless you want to see your department run like your high school student council with elected positions of dept. clown, nicest blue light package, again its simple b/c your life depends on it.
Regardless if no dept. standards exist for the officers, past experience, training, knowledge of district should all be taken into consideration. But your election is limited when you don't have the right membership stepping up to the plate.
Having military experience is great, however, one should still have FF 1, ICS, various tactical and building construction familiarization. Just b/c one person can lead a group of FF's, if he doesn't know were to lead his crew to he is useless.
The only way to get qualified people into the ranks is to change the dept. policy and establish a training program that will allow new and existing members to to get the necessary training to become officers is so desired . FF's to be worth there weight should be certified in either interior/ exterior operations. Building construction, various fire fighting tactical and operation classes. As a firstline officer one should have one level higher of those to be supervised. ICS training, specific tactical training truck, tanker or engine ops. And once the training program has been in place for a couple of years FF 2, instructor courses etc. Can be added.
I think the most important thing is to establish a training program that will standardize your FF's the first year, then continue with those classes and begin to offer the officer level training. As your years of training increase so will your ranks of qualified members for potential officers.
If you don't have a good foundation, what you try to build on top of it will be worthless.

Our department has recently put trainning requirements, as well as years served requirements into effect for our line officers.
Lt. is 3 years served with FF1 FF2 FF survival ICS 100 and 300 Intro to fire officer and Evoc
Capt. is 5 years served and must have served a term as Lt. with all Lt. trainning requirements as well as ISC 700 Truck Co. ops Fire Officer 1 and Fire behavior and arson awareness
All officers must have continuous 15% monthly attendence to run
We post a form in our house for all candidates. This is filled out by the cadidate and states amount of time served, all trainning, skills from personal life (jobs, military, other emergency service experiance, ect.) that you can bring to the table as an officer, and your vision and goals for the dept. as an officer.
We also have anoymous ballots for voting. It is a sheet with boxes next to the candidates names stating check x number of names. This seems to create a situation where the best person for the position gets elected.
With that said, volunteer elections will never be a perfect system.

If that pot is consolidation/regionalization, maybe stirring it is worthwhile.

Interesting...but one has to wonder if they are helping their plight....or hurting it?

What do the French know? That their best military unit is made up of foreigners. The French Foreign Legion. Out side of the ROK and Royals Marines...they are some of the toughest SOB's I've worked with. Otherwise the French know they are irrelevant in the world and not a super power which gets under their skin. They are no different then the Russians who will sell arms to the lowest bidder...Iraq, Egygt...etc...and when they haven't gotten full payment will attempt to thwart anything we do in the UN so they get their money. So f*ck the french.
As far as the other guy. I think he should have been put out. But I think the DA sounded sincere when he said he also took into consideration the family of PO Faulkner and what they would have to go through for the process to continue. He will get his someday somewhere.

Hey guys take a moment to take a peek at this site dedicated to Danny Faulkner. There is a plaque on Locust Street Between 12th & 13th Streets (Philadelphia)so we never forget who Danny Faulkner was..and what he meant to alot of people. I'll just leave it at that...
http://justice.danielfaulkner.com/ Thnx Crime Cop

What do the French know, anyway?...If it weren't for us, they'd be speaking German right now.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the case, On December 9, 1981 at 0350 hours Philidelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner conducted a traffic stop at the corner of 12th Street and Locust Street. PO Faulkner was attempting to arrest Wesley Cook when Cook's brother wesley (AKA mumia abu jamal who is a confirmed black panther) ran across the street and cowardly and like the piece of s*** that he is, shot officer Faulkner in the back. PO Faulkner was able to fire one round that struck mumia in the chest. PO Faulkner then collapsed to the ground. Mumia abu jamal in a second cowardly cold blooded move then shot officer faulkner 4 times at close range including once in the face.
The backup units arrived 90 seconds after the call for backup and found mumia next to officer faulkner holdig a gun, the gun that was used to murder danny faulkner. Mumia was identified by 4 witnesses as the man who murdered officer faulkner.
Mumia was found guilty in 1982 and sentenced to death. In 1989 the PA Supreme Court upheld the conviction and denied a request for a retrial. The US Supreme Court refused to hear arguments on mumias claims.
In 2008 a federal appeals court in their infinite wisdom ( please note the sarcasm) decided abu jamal should get a new sentencing hearing on the grounds that the instructions given to the jury in 1982 "may have been" misleading.
Yesterday, the Philidelphia DA decided to not seek the death penalty again and instead chose to seek life without parole.
This case had a mountain of overwhelming evidence and this mans guilt is undeniable but it seems that the pressure that was put forth by the likes of susan serandon, ed asner, maya angelou, alec baldwin, the beastie boys, harry belafonte, the black eyed peas, and the city of st. denis in france even named a friggen street after him - a street named in honor of a cop killer - UNREAL.
It is no secret that society sees the lives of police officers as expendable. It seems that today it is socially "hip" to be anti cop.
For those of you who took the time to read this rant I thank you. Very rarely do I let things get under my skin but I see the support for this murderer as a direct assault on myself and on police officers everywhere. Death would have been too good for this murderer but death is what he deserved. This animal gets to live out his life treated like a hero by those around him in jail but where is the justice for danny faulkner who is THE REAL HERO...

What sad news this morning. Worcester, Mass. IAFF Local 1009. We all bear witness once again to them getting hit hard. And news of our Brother lost this morning from Mount Vernon. December 8, 2011. Suddenly another infamous date. While we all commiserate here on the site, waiting for news.....a name....mornings like this one always bring you back full circle to other similar mornings.....
Today feels like....The Father's Day Fire.
Black Sunday.
Manlius, New York.
It's hard to make sense out of these days. Why?
It reminds me that the career fire service in America is actually not all that huge; and how we are all entwined together with a culture created and passed down through generations of firemen.
I cannot help but to think of the outpouring of respect that will be shown for these Brothers. I cannot help but to think of the absolute devastation that has occurred to two separate families this December morning. The trying days...months...years now put before families who only last evening had holiday plans in the works. Christmas forever changed for a lot of people in an instant.
In 2002 I traveled to Colorado Springs to pay respects at the IAFF National Memorial, hosted by IAFF Local 5, Colorado Springs Firefighters. The day before the Remembrance, I had a rented Toyota Four Runner, and decided to drive to the top of Pikes Peak. The Service the next day would be right in front of this mountain, where the Memorial is located.
When I reached the top after a couple of hours drive, standing there in the parking lot of the lodge I recognized the President of Local 1009. "Hey Worcester" I called out.
"Hey, how's it going?" the President of 1009 replied. "You want a beer?"
And so we shared a brew at 14,000 feet and spoke quietly amoungst ourselves.
The irony was not lost on me that there were six Brothers from 1009 standing there.
And now two more names will be chiseled into the face of that black wall out in Colorado Springs. In the shadow of Pikes Peak, surrounded by beauty, yet carved from tragedy.
Once again, Worcester Brothers will make the solemn journey, and this time our Brothers from Mount Vernon will accompany them.
So Rest now...jobs well done, the Lord has called you home.

Nice job by the Firefighters at 158 Engine ... I hope the Police Officers who were attacked are okay ... It remains to be seen what the locals will do to retaliate against the F.D.N.Y ...

Just saw this article in the NY Post, http://m.nypost.com/;s=qVpxiLsb__qTiqftAmOF914/p/news/local/bravest_gush_hour_VklxrQTpx6GyHTduvnhSWK NYPD responding to a call were outnumbered and being attacked by an unruly mob when the crew from Eng 158 used their deck gun to get the crowd to back up. I dont work in Staten Island, but want to extend a thank you. Unfortunately more and more PD units are running short handed, leading to long response times and less back up. My district in the Bronx routinely turns out 1 sector car per tour, and when it hits,the fan, back up seemed like it took for ever, now it does

The homeowner and her boyfriend knew the FD's policy and chose not to pay because they did think they would suffer a fire.

It's like the old saying, you get what you pay for. If we(public services) start doing things for free because it's what's morally right, we won't be around very long. The people will fight and say, as was stated above, he didn't pay and still got protection, so im not going to pay. Our money will dry up faster than you can blink an eye.