Danger

Moose,
I empathize with you completely as I was recently placed in a similar situation. I am a 10 year member (joined at 16 years old) of a Westchester County fire department. I have served as an officer for the past 6 years as Rescue Company Lieutenant for 1 year, Rescue Company Captain for 2 years, Engine Company Lieutenant for 1 year, and Captain of the department for 2 years. Additionally, I have taken pride in being well trained and hold certificates for Firefighter 1, Firefigher 2, Firefigher Survival, Rescue Tech Basic, NYS/CT EMT, HAZ-MAT Operations, Truck Company Ops, Firefighter Assist and Search Teams, Introduction to Fire Officer, Fire Officer 1, Emergency Vehicle Operations Course, Emergency Vehicle Operator-Pump, and various Westchester County/Seminar Certifications. Outside of my Emergency Services Career, I have a college degree from a very prestigious Liberal Arts College and am in the process of getting a Masters in Business Administration from an acclaimed NYC University. In my professional career I am an executive for a Fortune 500 company in New York City.
In this past election, I was squeezed out of the line of Officers when an Ex-Chief decided to go around again (lost by 1 vote). At that time, I determined that I no longer wanted to be a part of that organiation and have been to the firehouse for 4 calls (all possible structure fires/entrapments) since the end of my term in may. I have not attended a single drill or meeting. I have drafted my letter of resignation and will submit it next month at our monthly meeting. It was my belief that the values of the organization of which I was a part was no longer consistent with my vision of what an emergency services organization should be and that I no longer wanted to be a part of it. With all due respect, it sounds like you should count your losses as well. Do you really want to be part of a fire department that allows individuals to occupy the rank of Captain with no formal training? Now that you are no longer Chief will you have faith that those individuals are making educated decisions that will ensure your safety on the fireground? Are the members of your organization operating in the best interest of the taxpayers who they serve? It sounds like they would be better trained if they actually cared about the lives of the people who they were responsible for protecting.
I will never join another emergency services organization unless I feel that they take pride in best serving the members of the community and ensure that they are "professionally staffed by volunteers." As for now, my career is over until I find an organization that takes pride in being able to fight fire, doesn't b**** when its time to perform a vigorous, physical drill, and spends less time worrying about attending parades, selling Christmas trees, or having barbecues. In my opinion, the volunteer fire service is somewhat lost and needs a reminder of the true, original goals and ideals on which the system was founded.

No they do not bill. It is illegal in NYS for "Special Districts" including Fire Districts to bill for EMS (or almost anything else). The Fire District Association has tried for years to change that law, but S. Silver has never allowed it to come to the floor for a vote.

I personally would have went with a grappling gun instead of a ladder to reach the hose bed.
Low hose beds, ladders on the side.

Good argument for FAST being part of FF1

I almost started crying this morning after I read the interview from the Journal News. These were Doctors and Lawyers and really good people who took part in the menacing of NYC and the citizens of the world enjoying a nice Sunday drive with their family. The riders were law abiding citizens and just enjoying the weather as well. The stars were misaligned when these 2 different worlds met and havoc created on the West Side Highway. Ok I am only being sarcastic here my friends. Live by the sword, die by the sword you skells!! I would have ran over 50 more of you if you surrounded me and my family!!!!!!!!!! ( side note that I ride a Harley and don't condone the actions of these " Bikers" )

(Ret) FDNY Battalion Chief Salka's response:
http://mobile.firehouse.com/blog/11152215/john-salka-reacts-to-boston-globe-article-on-fire-department-staffing

Yeah it would have made a huge difference. You would have had someone who didn't win a popularity contest actually in the position and who was trained to an exact level.

Admittedly I don't know a ton about drafting but I didn't know you could get a good draft with storz connections.

Thanks Captain, I was just going say you have to ensure that there are drafting gaskets which is a raised gasket instead of the flat ones in the items that are going to be used

You can, but only if you have the correct gasgets. Standard ones will not cut it.
Storz works well and other depts prefer to use cam locks, as threaded hose requires more time and manpower to set up

Listen to the audio. That's all I have to say.

Meh, we got it, we dont need anyone else....

Questions, lots of Questions, all on some sort of paper with ink lots of ink ! What kind of answers to you think you were going to get here ?

It would never work in Westchester, there is no bucket.

Whats next non multiple line engine companies or truck companies that are not pitched roof qualified.FAST is for our protection, US, if your not trained in it then well i find it hard to call you a firefighter.

Boy ..I see they put a lot of thought in that color scheme.

FASNY supporters are too old to use computers.

You're not wrong, but 30 minutes is a long time no matter what.

It ain't about the height.....it's the REACH.
And with a majority of SFD's in the suburbs and rural districts being set back from the roadway, even 75' is too short, as my department has seen all too often.

He does. Clearly.

Wow have you guys clearly misunderstood the intentions of the story. I for one have no personal problem with any law enforcement agency or specific law enforcement officer. I have countless friends who are cops in just about every agency in our local area. When you guys jump all over the "FD hates PD " bandwagon it is time to look in the mirror and ask yourself WT heck. The bottom line of my posting was to have the people who put themselves and others in harms way when they are not suited to maybe step back a little and think. I really don't give a rats behind about the ones who defend these types of actions. There will never be any type of incident that will change their minds. It must be the capes that are handed out at graduation. It's the ones I will never read about that the message sunk in. Just because the public hates cops does not mean that fire personel does as well. Pathetic!!!!

Any responder (PD, FD, EMS....) who does not have training to understand if they are being helpful or not because of there actions is not helping.
Not understanding if busting open doors or windows will improve smoke conditions or cause a back draft or flashover might save a victim or doom a victim.
A number of years ago I ended up on a scene where a police officer vented a window while his partner was inside searching. It caused either a backdraft or a flashover (dont know didnt get there till a few minutes after that). The officer was a close friend of my partner and before I intubated him he asked my partner to tell his wife and kids goodbye andhe loved them. The next day my partner quit as a medic.
Good intentions are great, but why do we do all kinds of training and have rules, and SOP's if the moment the scene turns bad we just rush in and ignore everything we learned (or did we fail to train our personnel and have sop's)?

Irene Gremmert ....

Great pics.
My department is looking for a new ambulance either this year or next. I have noticed many newer ambulances like the ones shown here, have gone to multiple lights on the front of the box instead of a light bar.
It would seem to me that you lose a lot of side and intersection warning, especially at a multi-lane intersections where fender/corner lights may be blocked by other vehicles.
Anyone have some insight? (sorry to go off topic, if I am)

Once we got rid of the buckets and went to LDH, the hose load was figured for the longest hose lay.