yfd910

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Posts posted by yfd910

  4. Posted

    Larchmont board skips vote on paid fire chief

    (Original publication: April 5, 2007)LoHud.com

    Larchmont trustees last night did not vote on a measure to install a paid fire chief to oversee the village's combination paid and volunteer fire district.

    Mayor Liz Feld unexpectedly adjourned the meeting to next Wednesday night because of "delicate discussions" with the village's volunteer fire officials, who are against the creation of the new position.

    The volunteer fire department will hold its election of officers tonight, including the election of a new volunteer fire chief.

    - Candice Ferrette

    It's amazing that on this board with all the stupid taglines/signatures of "work together, win together" "train hard" "enthusiast" "pursuing fire career", etc. that there are people here who are against making a full time Career Chief, especially career men who try to point out the cost of this. Not to mention in the above quote, the volunteer officials(??) who are against this position.

    You guys really need to get a grip on the fire service in general. So many of you talk about protecting the public, and then rant against the creation of a position to oversee that protection on a full time basis?? Obviously, the Mayor feels someone needs to be held accountable for this protection. From what I read there are 2 Captains in Larchmont. One of them becomes Chief, promoted from within. Up until they both take the test, a chief can be appointed as provisional. A Captain to Chief, a Lt. to Captain, a FF to Lt., and possibly....a volunteer (who's on the list!!) to FF?? Is there really something wrong with that?? Like I've said before, the test is in June, how many of you volunteers in Larchmont, or all over the county will be taking that test??? All?? Most? Trust me, drive by the testing site and you'll see the Chief Cars outside, the stickers on the windows, blue lights on the dashboards and all the Dept. T-Shirts on everyones backs. Everyone wants to be a FF.

    And why the hell are the volunteers so against this?? Balance of Power?? Are you the same induviduals who say "protect the public"??? What are you so afraid of? Losing your "Wet-down" parties?? Inspection parades?? Company get-togethers?? You talk about a cost factor of thousands of dollars , and yet you're the same people who knock on the doors of these taxpayers and use fill the boot drives to ask for money (donations) for your Company parties??

    I understand the cost does have a domino effect, believe me I do, but millions of dollars should not be placed in just anyone's hands. Like someone said in an earlier post, look at what happens in Long Island and the "charity" money that was used to fund vacations in New Jersey.

    This is another example that combination departments do not work when "balance of power" is an issue or deciding factor, and consolidating departments in Lower Westchester is around the corner. The study is being done using Yonkers as a model, and I'm sure in the next few years it will be a reality. A full-time staffed, career fire district in Lower Westchester, protecting the public 24/7/365.

  5. Posted

    ino, my dept doesnt have any roto rays on our rigs, i remebered when we had a thread about roto rays and the yonkers rescue,

    I CAN'T BELIEVE ANY OF YOU GUYS ACTUALLY BELIEVED ME WHEN I SAID WE WERE GOING TO HAVE ROTO-RAYS ON OUR RIGS!!!!!! AND YOU'RE UPSET ABOUT IT!!!! HOW SAD!!!! THERE WILL NEVER BE A ROTO-GAY ON A YFD RIG!!!!! LET IT GO ALREADY!!!!!!!!

  7. Posted

    this project will never happen!

    Way to be positive, Probie!!

    This project means millions in revenue to the City of Yonkers Schools, Police and Fire. Your fellow "IAFF BROTHERS", whose sticker you have next to your name and on your car, are counting on this project going through.........get a grip, will ya!!

  9. Posted

    It may seem like a good idea on paper, but I don't think it's feasible. Too many questions to go along with it. I think it will be another over used and abused thing like mutual aid. I think the County is too big for one unit. What would happen in the case of fires at opposite ends of the county, even if they're not at the same time? How many people will staff it? 24/7? On call? Paid? Volunteer? Who's going to fund it? Will it be equally divided among departments? What happens when one department uses it more than the others? Who's going to be in charge of it? The County, but with all the departments paying for it?

    I'm not sure which departments have their own cascade system, which I would guess most do, but I don't think there's a real need for a county wide MSU before other issues are addressed like a county wide or southern westchester department, automatic mutual aid or responses, etc.

    I'm not trying to be negative about it, but you all know when it comes to more than one fire department and sharing resources, like in L.I., there are way too many questions, and most depts. don't like to share.

    If the DES dispatchers need raises, I'm sure there are other ways for them to get a raise without relying on the local departments spending their own money to buy equipment and funding something that really isn't needed.

  13. Posted

    Mack61

    Spoke with Chief Fitzpatrick last night and he told me that Yonkers' new ALF Eagle Tandem Axle Heavy Rescue will have a Roto-Ray on both the front and back of the rig. Isn't that great news for the citizens of Yonkers to be able to see the new ALF Eagle Tandem Axle Heavy Rescue coming and going??

  15. Posted · Edited by yfd910

    yfd910,

    Lets us also not menton how many career FF's are volunteers in their home towns.

    Not mention it? You just did!

    Yes, while it does happen and is looked down upon, like I said in my post, it's in a combo dept. that the problem arises. If career guys volunteer in a combo dept., they should give up their IAFF card and benefits. That's taking a job from someone.

  16. Posted

    I like to think this whole "Career vs. Volunteer" thing can be summed up in June 2007 and every four years afterwards:

    Drive by White Plains HS the day of the Towns & Villages Fire Test. See how many "Chief's" cars you see parked outside taking the test. See how many guys wearing their Department t-shirt's walk in and out. I've been taking these tests for years and there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of men grasping at the chance to get paid to be a firefighter.

    Judging from all the stupid taglines most members have on here, I think there are too many young members who have no idea what's going on and have only heard one side of an ongoing dilema from the wrong people to have a real grasp on this whole situation.

    I think volunteers have their place in areas that can't quite justify having full time FF's (1 or 2 runs a day), and there are areas that need full time FF's, but the problem of "vs." really only applies to combo departments, like when volunteers are used to supplement staffing during storms and recalls instead of calling in off duty members. That's when the problem arises. Just because I get paid for what I do doesn't mean I don't love what I do.

  21. Posted

    Don't you guys think some of these percentage figures are a little high??

    I mean, 40-60% above an induvidual's salary???

    At an average salary of $70,000, you think it costs $25-40,000/year in benefits???

    Medical Insurance, Pension, 207-A Disibility Insurance, what else is there??

    If you go by the Municipality alone, one Dept. I know of claims 85% of their budget is for personnel.

    There are too many people out there who feel paid FF's "cost" too much,

    and this will only add to it....

    This is worth looking into.

  22. Posted

    The next County test is (should be) in June 2007.

    The Towns and Villages in Westchester, plus the cities of Rye and Peekskill use the same written test, scored with block grading. Scores are based in groups of 5 starting at 100, 95, 90 etc. down to 70. When the scores come out, each Department gets a list from West. County Civil Service office with the scores of their residents. The handful mentioned above, along with Lake Mohegan I believe, do sometimes get a County list also, which has everyone and their score who took and passed the test from throughout the County, as these towns don't require residency. To be considered a resident in most places, you need to establish residency before the applications come out, which is usually 3 months prior to the test date. When a Dept. needs men, most first conduct an interview, then send the candidates to the County physical. After passing the physical, the Dept. makes it's selection, and off to the academy you go......

    That's just my basic idea from past experience.

    The 4 cities; Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle, and White Plains do their own testing and physicals, scored to the hundreth of a point, and they're pretty serious about residency. Only Yonkers runs it's own academy, the other cities send their men to a County academy class.

    Did I miss anything???

    Hope I helped.

    Joe

  23. Posted

    OK. Here we go:

    The last class hired was in July of 2003 - 39 were hired.

    The last test was given in June 2004. Physicals were conducted in the Fall of 2004.

    Now, there haven't been enough vacancies on the job to justify hiring a class.............yet. Also, certain criteria must be met pertaining to the list that was established in 2003 (and is still the current list) which I will not discuss to anyone off the job (YFD). You all know the rumors. Now, no municiplaity, under Civil Service law, can release or establish a new list while there is still a current list in effect. No, Yonkers does not reveal their scoring system, but I would think, like the other cities in Westchester, that it's a combination of the written score and the physical scores. Also, remember that Yonkers is held to the Consent Decree, which does effect scoring, like it or not. When YFD is ready to hire a new class, and certain criteria are met for the current list, the new list will be established, take effect, letters sent out to all who passed with your score and your placement / number on the list, and, shortly afterward, applications sent to those that are being considered for the job.

    Just be patient.................