Capejake72

I don't know how much I trust the NY Post and their sensationalism journalistic style, but I'm sure there were the some problems, given this was an unprecendented event. However, their article was mostly blamed on "claims" from the public, who, are ignorant about calltaking and dispatch operations and views that may have been skewed.
In the article, they reference people calling 911 from the mandatory evacuation zone. Really? Those people should really shut up, because they ignored the evacuation orders and then called 911 when what was told was going to happen happened. They have no right to complain.

Dan, I caught this today crossing Mill @ Catherine. The answer to who cares? They had a Sanford and Son packed with enough lights to make the biggest volly jealous and shot across three lanes of high speed traffic, and for what? It's unfortunate that someone died but there's no hurry, that situation isn't changing, and it's wrong to risk putting other people in said hearse over it.

One of the E-one's. Runs out of flushing Queens.

My boy, TL-2 summed it up quite nicely. You called 911 and got a civilian employee of the PD. To echo what was said here, if you had said 79th Street Boat Basin, you probably would not have had as big of a problem. In all fairness, most of these calltakers are overworked, underpaid, and aren't given the slightest bit of encouragement to learn outside of what they are taught. Not to mention, they do work in a pretty hostile work environment, where every minor screw up is given either a write up, or results in a loss of vacation time or pay. One other thing, depending on the name of the landmark, they can't put it in their system. Remember the shooting at City Hall a number of years back?? They couldn't put CITY HALL into their CAD. They can't put the bridges in for the most part. They need cross streets. If you had said, Hudson River and 79th Street that would have also helped.
They weren't trained properly in taking fire calls, and still screw stuff up on a pretty consistent basis. When you call 911 in NYC, you get the PD Calltaker who enters the information, sends it to the FDNY CAD/EMS CAD through a link, then conference calls you in to either us, or EMS. We take the info, basically to make sure PD didn't screw it up, and update the incident.
Now, here is the difference between us and them. They have folks who are nothing but professional call takers, who have it beaten into their heads to take calls at face value. They are not allowed to use common sense, and any inkling of common sense is quickly discouraged. Prior to UCT, you have no idea how many calls we disregarded, or told the caller the FDNY was not responding because it wasn't a fire department issue. Not so with UCT, they send us EVERYTHING!!!! I'm not going to give examples. One of the other disadvantages, is when you call 911 is that it isn't borough specific. They take calls for the whole city. I've worked most of my career between the Bronx and Manhattan, and I was born and kinda raised in Queens, and even I don't know all the streets. Although through out my experience, if I hear a street I am not familiar with, I can either ask my colleagues, or ask what borough it's in and have an idea of where it is. The way the building is set up, I spent sometime right in between EMS and PD, and overheard a lot of the operators. I remember one night recently, the calltaker kept repeating Bronx River Road and Nereid. I looked at her supervisor and said, Why don't you put in Webster Avenue and Nereid, or Webster and the City Line. I got ignored for a good two minutes.
We are not allowed to have professional call takers. We train our dispatchers to do everything. This takes up to 10 weeks of training. If one of my guys on a call doesn't know where something is, there is a strong possibility someone on my platform does.
If you need the FDNY or an Ambulance, the proper number to call in the boroughs are:
Manhattan 212-999-2222
Bronx 718-999-3333
Brooklyn 718-999-4444
Queens 718-999-5555
SI 718-999-6666
One of my dispatchers will answer the phone, and we will get you what you need.

Thanks everyone for the comments, I'm glad they came out well.
BFD1054 you are right about Duck FD, but the "staffing" is a little weird. The Chief, Asst. Chief, Captains, and Lieut. are all FFs employed by the town for year-round coverage. The remaining members are still all volunteer, but the paid officer staff helps ensure a response to all emergencies even in the off-peak season. Funny tid bit about that, Duck FD has been so successful in their T-shirt sales (I have 3 myself), they were able to purchase and outfit Brush 11, the red ford pickup I managed to shoot, in addition to subsidizing some of the cost for career staffing through the Town of Duck.... Not to shabby. Also, the Sheriff cars are very sharp, I managed to see an undercover Titan on my way out at a traffic stop, sorry I didnt grab a photo. My personal favorites were the slick-top Jeep Cherokees they recently replaced over the past few years.
Sorry about the photo peterose313, Platform 61 is a rear-mount tower ladder, the bucket did get kind of cut off in the pictures.
One thing I found most interesting about EMS operations, especially in Corolla (the northern most point on Route 12), is the relative necessity for helicopter intervention. The closest hospital to Corolla is 35 miles away, an ambulance ride that takes almost an hour depending on weather and traffic. As a result, any type of moderate illness or injury is usually flown into Norfolk, VA, including strokes, cardiac patients with any significant history, and trauma patients. A very different EMS experience than what I'm used to.

So I just finished up an incredible week out in the Outer Banks of North Carolina; for those of you who have been there, I really don't need to say more, and for those of you who have not been there, be sure to put it on your future vacation bucket list. I have never been one to take photos of apparatus, but with the help of my sister's new Nikon D60 camera, I figured I would give it a shot. I know some of the pictures didn't come out perfect, but I hope the majority are worth looking at.

I had the opportunity to head over to Navy Week Boston this afternoon to check out the ships that were available to be boarded. Very impressive collection of ships. I was only able to get on the USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. The ship was pretty amazing. The crew was great and took the time to show you the ship and talk about their different roles on board. All photos except for the remote gun system and missile launch pad are from the Gravely. The German vessel had a beer garden on the helipad. The ship was closed when I was there so I wasn't sure if it was for visitors or sailors only. Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July!

Not the best pic but here it is.

Someone asked what I started with.. Here is a before picture of the 1969 M274A5 Mechanical Mule when I first got it. Alot of replacing of leaking seals, gaskets, some engine and transaxle work, all new fluids, finding or fabricating some missing parts, wire wheeling, sandblasting, primering, and painting went into it. And a ton of hours doing research: Reading the military technical manuals, looking at other mules, and some SWAGing. The 2nd picture is the day before I put the stenciling and reflective decals on it.

Your sentiments are a common misconception amongst the uninformed because for most ESU guys, it doesn't suck. The key element of the mnemonic ESU is SERVICE. ESU cops are there as a service to their fellow patrol officers by utilizing specialized training and providing specialized equipment to get a job done that a patrol cop can't possibly do with his/her level of training and equipment at hand. Whether it's a sick raccoon, a cop who locks his/her keys in their patrol car, retrieving a piece of evidence from an area that may be inaccessible to patrol officers, all the way up to the big pin job or the big newsworthy hostage job, real ESU cops enjoy being an asset to their fellow officers and take pride in their work, from the "ridiculous animal job" to the heavy jobs.
A lot of people think an ESU cop spends his days cutting people out of cars and booming doors. The reality is most of the time is spent with the seemingly mundane jobs, but even the mudnane jobs have their role. An ESU cop who becomes proficient handling animals and utilizing the tranquilizer guns and animal nooses by responding to "all those silly animal jobs" will be more proficient when he/she is now executing a search warrant and is tasked with utilizing the same equipment to neutralize the drug dealers aggressive pit bull.

46 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty so far this year. Four of these officers were killed by vehicular assault. Seventeen by gunfire, 3 were stabbed, and one died in a vehicle pursuit.
Here we have a police officer chasing a potentially armed suspect (as 17 other officers this year did) in a vehicle pursuit (as one other officer this year did) and when confronted he was almost run down by the suspect (as four other officers this year actually were).
In this case, the police officer persevered and will be home with his family this Father's Day. For 46 other families, they have lost their father, brother, sister, mother, son, daughter and will never celebrate another holiday with them. There is a difference between the police and everyone else that most will never understand because, as others have so clearly stated in this thread, you really have to experience it to understand.
Will I shed a tear or lose a wink of sleep because this violent felon lost her life in a battle with police? No, I will not. If you think that makes me a sadist or makes my union a criminal enterprise, you're deluded. This police officer will have to live with the fact that he took a human life in the course of his duties. That may or may not be easy for him. If you've never had to make that decision, you can't appreciate the gravity of it.
Did she "deserve" to die? I don't believe she did but again, as has been pointed out here already, she set the wheels in motion (forgive the pun) that resulted in her death. There were a dozen different ways that her death could have been avoided, all under her control so she could be in jail right now instead of the ME's Office. She chose the path that resulted in here death.
If anyone thinks that empathy will defuse a violent situation that has already escalated into the realm of physical violence and assault, you're sorely mistaken. That ship has sailed! You don't bring a knife to a gunfight and you don't try to reason with someone who is actively trying to take your life. It's a bitter reality but until society changes and abides by those pesky little things called LAWS, we're going to have police officers enforcing the laws, sometimes using physical force to do so.
It's an imperfect world.

Woah, do not lump EMS in there with you guys (you've seen our uniforms. FDNY EMT/Paramedic couldn't be any more clearly displayed without being in lights). They like us waaaay more than they like you.
In all seriousness; scum bags of all degrees and varieties frequently help us, hold doors, offer to carry equipment etc because we are there to help. We don't judge, arrest, or break things. We just solve problems. People not in their right mind (psychotic break or intoxicated) are a whole different animal and can't be included here as they're irrational and will even attack friends and family. No cop is getting a helping hand from the dealers outside the projects. Hell, they can't even get help solving the crimes they're accused of ignoring.
Every cop in every neighborhood wears body armor because people want to do them harm. Every year there are stories of officers being attacked out of nowhere simply because they're wearing a badge. FDNY EMS is issued ballistic/stab rated vests because one member several years ago was stabbed by a patient and his personally purchased vest was credited with saving his life. We are not required to wear them and in more then 40 years not a single EMT or Medic working for the city has been shot. Firefighters get some flack for "trashing" homes during overhaul, but are generally seen as heros and welcomed when they're responding to a call. Police officers are tasked with enforcing the written laws. By simply performing their job they are going to piss off everyone. The people who call them will never get help fast enough and the people they pursue will too often value their own freedom over the lives of those around them.
Now we all have locations and individuals that no matter who we are will be under attack. Airmail sounds cute and the onion that exploded next to us was kind of funny. The mini fridge that landed as we were fleeing was neither cute nor funny. Guess what, as we were fleeing an army of cops were charging in.
Anyone willing to take a car at gunpoint and then recklessly flee the police putting dozens of innocent civilian lives at risk is a piece of garbage and doesn't deserve to share this earth with the rest of us. There are plenty of cases where normal people wind up in bad situations that get them shot. Diallo and Henry are two cases that come to mind. She was not the victim of tragic circumstances, but a predator willing to put her selfish needs above the safety of those around her. We are better off without her. I only hope the involved officers can be as at peace with this as I am.

Okay, thanks. Now I won't suffer sleepless nights wondering who I am. Sadist, check.
Now that we've covered that...yeah, I'm glad to see people, who do damage to society at large, get there's. If that lady car jacked your Camry at gunpoint, perhaps you'd be singing a different tune. Hey, maybe that minivan she crashed into could have been filled with your family. What if she slammed into a crowd of children headed home from school? Some people are just no good and when their transgressions get them killed, I don't shed a tear.
Okay, I'm finished. If this was a bit too much reality, you can head back to NeverNever Land now.

I can't believe people are crying for this woman....
...this is pretty simple, if u drive the car you stole at gunpoint through red lights, collide with a minivan, hit a cop with the car door and then try to drive away in reverse, you might get shot. Oh, and you're going to deserve it too.
It's that simple, without bringing in that this animal was headed to court Friday to face multiple violent felony charges. All of this and people still cry and are quoted as saying, "she had her whole life ahead of her". I'm going to speak for society and say that I'm glad her life was snuffed out!

New york state park rangers store brush fire tools in the fire house now

as a career wildland firefighter, I can remember when I started for a small New England department, jeans, work boots and a long sleeve shirt was all we had for brush gear (and a damn sight better than bunker gear).. as FFBlaser said, check with your state Forestry Agency (DEP< DNR, etc) they have volunteer fire assistance grants where they will supply or assist your department with PPE, tools, pumps, hoses, booster tanks and often surplus government or military vehicles to be converted into firefighting vehicles, as well as training and Red Card certification, so you can safely and effectively fight wildland fires..
Be Safe

as a career wildland firefighter, I can remember when I started for a small New England department, jeans, work boots and a long sleeve shirt was all we had for brush gear (and a damn sight better than bunker gear).. as FFBlaser said, check with your state Forestry Agency (DEP< DNR, etc) they have volunteer fire assistance grants where they will supply or assist your department with PPE, tools, pumps, hoses, booster tanks and often surplus government or military vehicles to be converted into firefighting vehicles, as well as training and Red Card certification, so you can safely and effectively fight wildland fires..
Be Safe

Obviously no one who has replied has ever been a mile or two in the woods with an indian tank and a rake. Jeans and a pair of boots with ankle support is a perfect combo. What good is the wildland gear we carry? All it is made of is a nomex material, which will do what? prevent ash from burning through it? Id rather walk up 20 flights for a project fire than walk a mile on flat ground in bunker gear. Try it, but don't say I didn't warn you when your feet swell up.

You have to pick up the book "Boston's Fire trail". It is actually the same trail for the most part as the Freedom Trail. pretty much all of Boston's infamous fires occurred along the route.

the "trenches" that are cut by the Forest Service tractor plows are what stops a fire, water and/or foam will cool the fuels, take the heat away, protect structures, and stop a small slow moving fire, but bare dirt (mineral soil) is the only sure thing (unless you can safely counterfire in front of the wildfire)

the "trenches" that are cut by the Forest Service tractor plows are what stops a fire, water and/or foam will cool the fuels, take the heat away, protect structures, and stop a small slow moving fire, but bare dirt (mineral soil) is the only sure thing (unless you can safely counterfire in front of the wildfire)