FD36

This guy is an embarrassment to the fire service. He put his own agenda ahead of public safety. Maybe he should have followed the actions of the chief in front of him and not like some careless idiot. It was an abuse of the towns vehicle and the privilege of driving an emergency vehicle. I think the major difference here being that he is a volunteer, is that had he been a career chief he would probably have been fired. In this case he carries on with his life, while this woman had to suffer because of his recklessness. Hopefully this has taught him a valuable lesson. None of us are exempt from negligence when it comes to driving to an emergency. Slow and steady wins the race.

He is full of sh#t!!!!! If it wasn't for the video and the phone call from FDNY he would still be braging to all his Volunteer friends

EXACTLY! This wannabe is only sorry that he was exposed for the pathetic poser that he is, and now that all of his cronies know the truth! Of all the things to pretend to be this is a new low. It's like slapping all of those who ACTUALLY were there and still deal with the horror of that day. Unbelievable......

RIP FF Townes , you have made the ultimate sacrifice, thank you for your service.

Thank you for your sacrifice, you are truly a HERO. RIP brother

RIP BROTHER,YOU MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS.

I don't know how long you've been in the fire service, but its constantly evolving; how'd we get along all those years w/o SCBA's or portable radios or cell phones or bunker pants and the list goes on and on. Could you imagine the chiefs in NYC being told to use their own cars and we'll pay for the lights and sirens and give you an allowance for gas?? I honestly don't thing it'd go over to well with them. If your doing work for any public agency where you need to be able to go out on the road on a moments notice you need to have the tools to do the job properly; and in many cases having a chiefs car is a "tool" that they need to have.

Correct that the fire service is constantly evolving, but sometimes it seems that every department in gods creation has at least three brand new suv's. Maybe its me but as a taxpayer I would rather see that money better spent, maybe on a more fuel efficient vehicle, or some new tools for firefighters. You take a look at some of the departments in lower westchester, the bigger cities, and they don't have the newest and greatest of vehicles or apparatus for that fact. IMO money could be spread a little farther by saving a buck here and there, starting with vehicles and fuel.

What ever happened to the time where there weren't chiefs vehicles for all of the chiefs? They used their personal vehicles and maybe recieved some sort of compensation for their gas and lights and sirens. There weren't 3 brand new suv's with lights and radios everywhere. Why did that work for so many years? And now municipalities are raising taxes, cutting budgets including fire/ems and police, just read the news papers. I have seen plenty of personal vehicles with red lights, any many with no markings, at fire scenes. Alot of dept's don't give their members anything for responding to calls with personal vehicles, it is "part of the job" of being in an emergency services department, a personal choice and maybe a small sacrifice. Going back to old practices in regards to the vehicle issue might not be a bad idea.

I just attended and listened to a 2 hour presentation put on by the OFPC about the new Emergency Escape and Self-Rescue Ropes and Systems Components 12NYCRR Part800.7

Just wondering how your depratment is handleing the problem-- ?? and no there is no money avaiable from the State of New York.

It effects every fire department in the State except FDNY (over one million population) is exempt from the statute.

Captain, are there any requirements mandating Dept's to issue these rope systems by a certain time, or who can actually train firefighters on them?

Wait....a person in a position that gets voted on, and could change yearly, is resposible for the hiring process of permanent career staff?

I guess I had never thought of that....as the combo departments around here have career Chiefs (Deputy Chief...but not from lack of trying)....but that could be interesting...and dare I say...somewhat of a concern, given the potential volitlity and inherent ever changing leadership of the volunteer service...

Imagine that, someone who won't be in charge for more than a few years having a say in who will be hired for a career that will be at least 20 years, when that person has never held that job. Sounds like a flaw in the system to me.

If you would like to start a Topic of Fire Stations in Peekskill (i.e. Station 2)

please feel free to do so but THIS TOPIC is to respectfully say CONGRATS to the Peekskill FD Officers.

Any other comments not on this topic will be deleted.

Thank You

Interesting that these posts were deleted, being that they were in response to a question that someone asked in relation to promotions for the Career staff. This happens in alot of the topics posted on here and remains posted, not deleted. Maybe you should let people read the posts, especially when they do relate to the topic at hand and let the truth be read, instead of trying to hide it.

MOD NOTE: unnecessary comment about site moderation and off topic post deleted by jack

No pun intended, but those are some sobering thoughts....

Sobering but unfortunately true. Seems to be the norm around here.......

It was definately wierd seeing a building I saw all my life in a pile today, but I can't say I'm overly upset about it either. The building was nothing but a shell and way gone from its heyday that family and friends have told me about over the years of what that firehouse once was. I feel bad for the older members who I'm sure had some fond memories and a few tragic ones as well while housed in that station. As far as the sign...that's the only thing that has made me wonder about this whole process..why wasn't it take some 20 something years ago when the station was built and put into the new one or why wasn't it replicated exactly like that one on the replacement station? I also have to wonder if the same sentiment was put into the old firehouse on Park St. was demolished during the urban renewel, I never heard much about it or seen many thing from it.

Additionally the career staff were vacated from Fire Station 2 due to significant health and safety issues. While I'm not sure what was implied by "business as usual" in regard to volunteer personnel utilizing the station, there is a big difference when you spend your majority of your time in a station that is basically your second home. "Business as usual" for the career personnel meant dealing with rodents, roaches, emissions from a large commerical laundry and fine particulate from diesel emmissions and exhaust (carcinogen) from laundry vehicles and the apparatus that has led to numerous personnel who have worked that station to complain of sore throats and respiratory problems. It is not uncommon to work that station and upon leaving having your clothing reek of a oily diesel odor.

Buisness as usual means exactly that! It should have read nothing as usual, I can't recall there EVER being many if not any people there.I believe there are only a few active firefighters from there anyway.

On a slightly related topic, why is Fire Patrol closed?

Rodent infestation.Odor of diesel in the career quaters.

Never mind needing a 2nd Engine Co. what about the poor soul trapped at a 5th fl window waiting for the 1st due ladder that's delayed because 4 career guys showed up on the 1st due Engine and the Ladder Co. is still waiting for a chauffer to show up!

Exactyl!

In a 100% Volunteer Response, ISO reqires a minimum or 36 volunteers and an IC on every fire call.

If you have 4 career ff's responding, then ISO wants 24 volunteers and an IC to respond with the 4 career.

If Peekskill FD has 40 interior volunteers, is it likely that they can get 24 to every call?

It is highly unlikely,damn near impossible.On occasion at a working structure fire there is a good turnout.

would rye still have this problem if NYS let some Volunters run red lights and a siren to a sceene or station.

Could you imagine the liability that would open up a municipality to?

On a general alarm how does the system work? The 4 paid guys are all driving a rig? 3 Engines and a Ladder? 2 Engines and 2 Ladders? If this is the case they must be depending on the Volunteers to respond and do the Firefighting while the paid staff opperate the rigs, or do they hand off the rig to a qualified Volunteer?

This is like the situation in Peekskill where its 6 guys all drivers of rigs. I think it would be better to hire maybe 1 or 2 more in Peekskill and combine the 8 on duty to man 1 Eng and 1 ladder and have the volnteers run the rest of the rigs. I have heard Peekskill has a strong Volunteer membership. I am in now way knocking a system what works for one does not for others, but I have always thought Port Chester should combine all the paid staff on one rig, as they have a strong Volunteer system as well to man the other rigs.

Unfortunately for Peekskill,staffing is inadequate on both the career and volunteer sides.Especially during the day time hours, there might only be 4 career and maybe a couple of volunteers.Out of the 5 career firefighters on shift only 4 respond on a full assignment,there is rarely 6 men on shift.The other issue there is the exclusivity right to the rigs.The days of there being a plethera of volunteer members are long gone.Recruiting new members seems to be a difficult task,probably because of the country's economic situation.Also the leadership there isn't helpful in trying to increase the number of career firefighters.Having one man rigs should be a thing of the past.It wouldn't make a big difference if all the career personnel were on the same rig, you would still not have enough manpower.If there was a need for another engine to respond and it wasen't manned by a career firefighter,it might not get there.You can't rely on what might show up,you have to guarantee what is going to show up.Try telling "joe tax payer" that you think people are gonna come.

It's always a shame when municipalities turn a blind eye on public safety.Granted it is a buisness to them,and a dollar and cents matter, but when tragedy strikes and lawyers look back on requests to increase public safety and nothing was done,then they are caught with their pants down.Only then will they realize that the money they could have spent on public safety doesn't add up to the amount they have to pay out in a lawsuit, because one of their employees wether volunteer or career is hurt or killed.Or how to explain to a family that their loved one's life wasen't worth spending more money on.

The way I see it is,it's not worth a life to be lost due to lack of funding for public safety, or lack of support from department heads hiding the truth about inadequate staffing levels.

I do not believe its ment to fool anyone, but If you stand along the parade route you see 100 members in your dept..... then you drive past the fire station and can recall all the ff's you saw in uniform marching.

nothing wrong with taking pride in your dept., nothing wrong with helping out, nothing wrong with freeing up members so they can go inside, the issue is if they are not interior firefighters are they firefighters?

A firefighter is someone who should be able to perform all aspects of firefighting. You dont call a police officer without a gun a police officer do you?

It's a shame that places with manpower issues hide what is a grim reality. A lack of firefighters. Wether some people think that Dept. heads don't hide the truth or not, it happens all over. If your Dept. has manpowere problems and you choose not to do anything about it then shame on you. That is hiding the truth. In my experience it seems that "pride" or as I see it, ignorance, is what gets in the way. In a combo Dept. where there is a lack of manpower and the "Dept. head" tells the municipal government that there aren't any problems, or that there is x number of "firefighters", and it sounds all good to the powers that be, its a tragedy waiting to happen. I know for a fact that it goes on, and it is pathetic, cowardly and gravely irresponsible.

A Dept. head, either a chief or commisioner or whoever is responsible should do anything in their power to adequately staff their Dept. with manpower wether it be career or volunteer. And if you can't recruit enough volunteers that can meet the requirements to become an interior firefighter, than you plead with the local gov't to hire more firefighters. Thats what a good leader does. The more trained personnel you have available to you the better prepared you are.

It is a tradegy to think that a Dept. head would let pride or a personel agenda get in the way of protecting the very community they are sworn to serve.

In a place like Horry County, which is a really big area with alot of responsibilies regarding the Fire Dept., has got to be tough to take time out of the daily tasks to recruit new members. Its a time consuming process as well as a money issue. I don't think that just because it might take quite a while for the process to take place, should be enough to make someone not want to volunteer. If you want to give a service to your community then great, just hang on. Life will go on during the time it takes to work throught the paperwork. Then it will be time to go through the training process, which should be an exciting thing to be a part of.

It shouldn't be a discouraging thing, you either want to be a firefighter or you don't. And when its your time to join and get training, get as much as possible. It could save someones life someday or even better, your own life! The reason for such stringent requirements is to give every firefighter the knowlege and training to protect themselves while protecting others. All that we have is training, so when the alarm rings we have not only the know how but the physical ability to do the job.

So yes the process might take time and yes it is alot to go through, but it is for a good reason, safety.

All to often Departments don't put enough into the screening process, the traing process and the requirements to maintain the status of firefighter. Its too easy to give out gear and a pager or radio to people and then they don't come around to calls or more importantly training. The more trained people at a call the better. Imagine needing help and yelling to the nearest person and them saying I can't help you because I don't know how, I didn't bother to show up for training. I would expect to be able to call upon someone wearing turnout gear to be able to do the jobs of an interior firefighter, and not have to wonder if that person was qualified or not, because there might not be time to think about it.

If you want to be a firefighter then go through the process and get trained.

ok so now what happens if a student fails out of ff-1 can this person still be considered an interior firefighter by his or hers dept? and if so why? And why would a dept take on the liability

Does said dept. even require their students to pass a ff1 test? Or do they just have to attend the class?

RIP BROTHER, GOD BE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

RIP

REST IN PEACE, YOUR HEROISM WILL GO UNFORGOTTEN

REST IN PEACE BROTHERS, MY PRAYERS TO YOUR FAMILIES AND THE FDNY