Danger

I fear the days of choosing a career as a firefighter because it is a good, secure, fairly paid with good benefits job are just about over.

Sending 33% of your available ALS resources to a soccer game for a broken ankle is a waste of resources. The BLS level of the system has to operate effectively and efficiently too.

Glasco's tanker is awesome!
New hamburg's truck is one of, if not THE finest Sutphen I have ever seen. 100 percent perfect rig in all aspects..(excpet maybe color...LOL)

As with every cause that is done it comes down to planning and getting the appropriate permissions in place. Fire Prevention and Public education is the primary function of an emergency service and to add on to your point about sports teams wearing pink and not switching entire parts of the uniforms...the members aren't asking to switch their entire uniform just the shirts they wear. Breast Cancer Awareness is a month and as with many organizations you have to choose what you feel is going to be a program you want to stick with and make it work for you. I know many FD's where it was agreed that October and wearing pink is the only endeavor of such that the administration would support while at work.
And you are correct why uniform standards are needed. Which is why when we approached our administration to do the same thing one of our points to them and all of our members was that everyone working had to have the pink shirt on and we had them all made to the same exact standard as our normal duty golf shirt...only difference is its pink and not blue.
Our "Proud to Wear Pink" experience has been overwhelming with the public support and positive PR that we've gotten for wearing them. On top of it we are selling pink t-shirts to raise funds to dontate to the new breast cancer center that is in the process of being constructed in a new wing of our local hospital. We just placed our 3rd order for more and our program to raise funds and raise awareness really exceded our expectations above and beyond.
So for some of you continue to live in your box and figure out why your communities don't understand what you do or why they pay taxes the way they do. Our community bought into what we set out to do and many because of our choice of support for our fundraiser have expressed their admiration for our investment into our community and its residents well being.
Cancer stretches wide and far...and while #6 on deaths breast cancer affects a significant amount of women and fundraisers and such have already improved treatments which allows that number to get lower and lower every year. Breast cancer is often a primary cancer because of great amount of lymph nodes that gives open access to the body for it to spread. If you don't like breast cancer that's fine...you and your agency don't have to pursue it...pick a cause and go for it.
And finally by the way the IAFF as a whole is doing the Proud to Wear Pink Campaign to raise funds for Susan G. Kohman Foundation. Just like they do a national local drive for muscular dystrophy. I could add more but I have to go wash my pink golf shirts for work tomorrow and go sell some more t-shirts for our fundraiser. Have fun blending in...I'll be interacting with my community tomorrow...all because we are "proud to wear pink."

Tying off is only beneficial if it can keep you out of the water. Tied off and in the water you can become dragged under. Tied off in the middle of the current you become an obstruction. Water builds behind you and creates an eddy in front of you. This sinks you lower and lower until the water can start over topping you. At this point you have the full force of the river holding you under. This all takes places in seconds.

This was an excellent article on many levels. I have been involved as a concerned citizen in my town- Ossining, as well as Croton, where I have many family and friends, in pushing for improvements in EMS. I have met quite a few great people on the career as well as the volunteer side, and also elected and other community officials who are thinking progressively.
It's hard to be objective about your own organization sometimes, and I have therefore unfortunately found it necessary to go on the record with some constructive criticisms. The battle to improve EMS in my community through regionalization, paid staffing where necessary, clearer lines of authority and accountability, fiscal transparency, as well as bettter transparency in regard to response times, numbers of certified volunteers who actually respond or pull shifts, etc. continues. Many individuals have approached me anonymously (out of fear of retaliation) with serious concerns in regard to their own organization. If anyone on here has information which they feel would aid me in my efforts to have much more transparency in finances and operations of EMS agencies in the above mentioned towns, feel free to contact me.
It's all about providing the best possible service to our communities in a cost efficient (not cheap necessarily) manner. Thank you to all who labor in this oftentimes extremely underappreciated field. Please try not to read more into my comments than there really is. And please, qtip....
Oh, and the oft repeated response of "well, if you think things need improving, then volunteer yourself!" won't put me on the defensive...try to put a bit more thought into your response, thanks...

I wish I had the time this evening to get on my soap box about duplication of apparatus in Westchester County and the need for a system that gave departments the ability to specialize in certain services rather than providing every service poorly. I just don't understand why the rest of America gets it and the NYC metro area doesn't.... Let one municipality deliver great rescue services and the next provide great truck company operations... So many places I can go with this. Time doesn't permit
With regard to Rescue Trucks.... Don't mistake a rescue truck for a rescue company...

A career member of a fire district can not be a commissioner of the fire district they work in in NYS. Apparently many volunteers do even though they receive retirement benifits. If we truly want impartial members serving they should not be district employees and volunteer firefighters are employees of the district.

I miss that light blue

Probably should have instituted that policy earlier

Probably should have instituted that policy earlier

The vehicle discussed is part of the Department's Auxiliary Water System designed to replace damaged city water mains in major catastrophes. The system can also be used for large scale dewatering operations. The truck is a 2011 Kenworth T370 , equipped with a Stellar Industries Shuttle Hooklift system. The pumping unit is powered by a 200 hp Diesel engine and utilizes a floating hydraulic pump with output ranging from 1320 to 2905 GPM depending on pressure.
The system uses 8-inch hose leading to a wye with two six-inch Storz outlets to supply two 2000 GPM pumpers. Additional self-contained pumping systems are available and can be transported on Department hooklift trucks. Satellites and airport hose wagons have been issued six-inch LDH.
http://www.liquidtra.../hiflowpump.asp

The vehicle discussed is part of the Department's Auxiliary Water System designed to replace damaged city water mains in major catastrophes. The system can also be used for large scale dewatering operations. The truck is a 2011 Kenworth T370 , equipped with a Stellar Industries Shuttle Hooklift system. The pumping unit is powered by a 200 hp Diesel engine and utilizes a floating hydraulic pump with output ranging from 1320 to 2905 GPM depending on pressure.
The system uses 8-inch hose leading to a wye with two six-inch Storz outlets to supply two 2000 GPM pumpers. Additional self-contained pumping systems are available and can be transported on Department hooklift trucks. Satellites and airport hose wagons have been issued six-inch LDH.
http://www.liquidtra.../hiflowpump.asp

Probably should have instituted that policy earlier

Probably should have instituted that policy earlier

So which is it the IAFF or the Department that wants it? They are not one and the same and often they are on opposite side of many issues. NYS has 100 depts that are career or combo and only about 6 provide ALS. I dont think you have studied this enough.
Who are you to determine what a community should think is valuable and is willing to pay for?
All of Florida "forces" everyone to be FL. firefighters to get hired or promoted, does that make for a down grade in firefighters?
So you've inteview all these ff's and determined this? I've been a paramedic and an instructor for over 25 years (firefighter & officer for similar), but my agency is BLS. I became a medic because I wanted to. My medic training makes me a better fire officer and my fire training makes me a better medic.
I know many depts that its highly competative to even get into medic programs.
I also know a number of non fire based medics, that are burned out, or want to be an RN, Cop, FF and the medic will be dropped when they get there. The medic is just to pay the bills for now (some are good and some are not....and many are forced by Mommy & Daddy because they need a job).
Then how can you make claims about the entire fire service? Since the majority of EMS in the US is fire based and has been that way for 40 or more years when is this padding going to have any effect?
Yes you are clearly a newbie and reading a bunch of articles maybe only has given you a small view of whats really out there.
So its better to provide it for profit like the big commercial services?
BTW, I'm not pissed off, Its common to see inexperienced people try to prove a point here.

The vehicle discussed is part of the Department's Auxiliary Water System designed to replace damaged city water mains in major catastrophes. The system can also be used for large scale dewatering operations. The truck is a 2011 Kenworth T370 , equipped with a Stellar Industries Shuttle Hooklift system. The pumping unit is powered by a 200 hp Diesel engine and utilizes a floating hydraulic pump with output ranging from 1320 to 2905 GPM depending on pressure.
The system uses 8-inch hose leading to a wye with two six-inch Storz outlets to supply two 2000 GPM pumpers. Additional self-contained pumping systems are available and can be transported on Department hooklift trucks. Satellites and airport hose wagons have been issued six-inch LDH.
http://www.liquidtra.../hiflowpump.asp

The vehicle discussed is part of the Department's Auxiliary Water System designed to replace damaged city water mains in major catastrophes. The system can also be used for large scale dewatering operations. The truck is a 2011 Kenworth T370 , equipped with a Stellar Industries Shuttle Hooklift system. The pumping unit is powered by a 200 hp Diesel engine and utilizes a floating hydraulic pump with output ranging from 1320 to 2905 GPM depending on pressure.
The system uses 8-inch hose leading to a wye with two six-inch Storz outlets to supply two 2000 GPM pumpers. Additional self-contained pumping systems are available and can be transported on Department hooklift trucks. Satellites and airport hose wagons have been issued six-inch LDH.
http://www.liquidtra.../hiflowpump.asp

The vehicle discussed is part of the Department's Auxiliary Water System designed to replace damaged city water mains in major catastrophes. The system can also be used for large scale dewatering operations. The truck is a 2011 Kenworth T370 , equipped with a Stellar Industries Shuttle Hooklift system. The pumping unit is powered by a 200 hp Diesel engine and utilizes a floating hydraulic pump with output ranging from 1320 to 2905 GPM depending on pressure.
The system uses 8-inch hose leading to a wye with two six-inch Storz outlets to supply two 2000 GPM pumpers. Additional self-contained pumping systems are available and can be transported on Department hooklift trucks. Satellites and airport hose wagons have been issued six-inch LDH.
http://www.liquidtra.../hiflowpump.asp

They need a consultant to review the consultant?

Calf. purchased 9 at 2 million each. No wonder the state is broke. Could have spared a few layoffs with 18 million. If communications are that important, pick up a few cans and a lot of string. Could have saved 17,999,991.

5 l/s/o really? And why does yfd have there masks on, and hfd doesn't?

Don't know where you are but I'm glad no instructor I've taught with has ever said that although sadly I've read it in other places. I'm a SB guy all around and for much of the same reasons given plus on a good windy day a combo nozzle can have a significant amount of it volume blown away. Remember also 350 gpm is the magic number anything less than 1 1/4" isn't going to get you that.

5 days a week of training to become a firefighter is a good start. Now add another 12 weeks.

The question I believe didn't really revolve around the 95ft vs 100ft ladder as it was meant to ask why Somers didn't choose the SPH100 which has a bucket that doesn't hang as low in the back and allows for ground ladders to be stored through the rig as apposed to on the officers side of the rig. The SP95 does not have those options. It is essentially a two man job to get a ladder off of the SP95 where as one man can remove and throw ground ladders from the SPH100 by them selves.