Critic

It is kind of an obsolete and unnecessary technology nowadays.

It seems like a big party at these fires nowadays and departments invite their friends....then these people and departments go onto Facebook afterwards and brag about how much mutual aid there was and what a battle it was. What they are saying is that they really don't care about someone's life being burnt away, and they are proud that one or two departments can't handle what is essentially a simple fire without having to call in a ridiculous amount of help. I recall a fire whether Chief actually said he had 150 firefighters on scene of a fully involved raised ranch in defensive operation! How is that possible?

Liberty Lines has very strict supervisors who sometimes work undercover. I'm sure if this person was in fact doing what is alleged, he would have already been caught and fired by now.

This whole thing raises the question....all this growth of Transcare....has it been done ethically?

Before Metrocare became Transcare, didn't the owner of that company go to jail for corruption? I forget his name, he was out of Brooklyn. And weren't there issues then about how a commercial, for profit company aqquired NYC 911 contracts??

And didn't Jim O'Connor abruptly abandon Empress for the newly formed Transcare (before the merged with Metropolitan and became "Metrocare") right when Empress went bankrupt, and stole contracts from Empress then (like the WMC one)?

I wonder how the membership of FD's with strong unions, like New Rochelle and White Plains, who use the services of Transcare, will react.

I have a few ideas. Maybe the staff should be let go to save money, and EMTBravo should go back to doing the work himself.

Also, maybe you should turn over the site to someone who could run it better. I'm sure there would be a lot of people out there willing to take over the reins.

Or, as mentioned before, shut down all the other sites until you can handle running one.

I think the PARADE JUDGES, along with the host departments, need to take a stand on this as well. If any unit is seen arriving at the parade with members riding on top or the back, then that department is disqualified from the parade.

Just because a fire get's knocked down and people work together doesn't mean a fire department did a great job automatically. When a fire gets fought SAFELY and efficiently, then it's a great job. That includes wearing of SCBA's, footing ground ladders, securing yourself to a ground ladder when operating a hosestream, not placing a ladder on a corner, then climbing up to a small porch that the ladder pipe is draining onto and subsequently icing up on, not fighting the fire from the outside AND inside, not operating inside a collapsing structure etc. The job doesn't get done whatever it takes.

Remember, this job goes far beyond putting water on the fire......

I prefer the Cutters Edge chainsaw.

What did this sign cost Yorktown?

Will it have a pump?

I don't believe it totally defeats the purpose.  The ladder doesn't roll on every single alarm, so he stays at HQ to handle the radios/phones.  This also helps 60-Control alot because its 1 less dept. they have to dispatch or answer calls for.  Other places have a similar operation.  In Mohegan, the radios/phones get turned over when there is a major alarm or multiple alarms where the dispatcher is needed to respond.

You're WRONG! It doesn't help 60-Control at all, nor does it help Rye. 60 doesn't need less work, they need more work so they can grow and justify more staffing and funding. When dumping house, they get all the work without any of the credit. With each agency that gets onboard with 60, thats one step towards having a more modern and effecient communications system.

Who staffs this field com that has been appearing at all these incidents lately?

He was asked if he wanted it...he said no.  There was foam from millwood, plus there are several foam units in that area of Westchester as well.  Montrose VA,  Buchanan and I believe Verplanck has a engine with foam on it.  And I'm not talking just a few buckets, I'm talking foam tanks with around the pump propotioners.

So, you're saying you'd rather take multiple units out of service and strip communities down, rather than call for less units, and one (Utility 70) designated and equipped for that purpose, with specially trained manpower, and, over 500 gallons of foam on board? We might as well sell U-70 then if it's not going to be used. I always thought the idea was to have a central foam supply to respond to exactly this type of incident. The foam on the dept's apparatus was to be primarily for first response. Let's hope we're not not calling for these special units because they are career-based. [-X