EFFDCO4

Scene illumination advancements (tower and portable)

Mobile Cascade Systems

Prepiped Foam

Extrication equipment advancements

Bailout Systems

Mandatory Physicals and FIT Tests

It seems a helicopter is called somewhere in the county a couple times a week. Are these patients being brought to Saints/Vasser or taken to facilities outside the county?

Since St. Francis and Vassar are both located in PK, I would assume they are being flown there; unless Westchester Medical Center is a more viable option. I know in East Fishkill it takes the bus a good 20 minutes to get to PK on a good day.

Why do your departments have to special call a FAST/RIT Team?

In our department, if it is a working fire, and we begin interior ops, one of the units from the first alarm gets assigned as the RIT team. It starts with the 2 in 2out (the 2 out being the first unofficial RIT Team), and then as more units and people show up, it becomes a formalized assignment.

Maybe in an ideal world this will work - but we all know that the fire service is hardly ideal; in fact it's completely random when it comes to who shows up when. You cannot afford to 'set aside' able interior firefighters from your department as the FAST or RIT team. It must be separate. We operate in Dutchess on automatic mutual aid for the neighboring FAST team to all structure fire assignments. If they're not needed they go home with our thanks. We supply the same for them at their structure fires. As for Tankers in our case, our 3 tankers will get us about 9,000 gallons of water plus the 2,000 gallons on the first arriving engines. Probably sufficient until the IC arrives on scene and determines the severity of the incident.

Fantastic photos guys - great job NRFD. An enormous amount of equipment properly stored and accessible; making utilization straightforward and sensible.

One comment on foam utilization - we have prepiped Class A foam on most of our first line pumpers and, to be honest, using it all depends on who is on the rig. I can vouch for my station by saying we use it for most everything with the exception of extinguishing flammable liquids and other exceptions (we also have the AFFF on board with an eductor just in case). It's a great control agent if used properly and in the correct proportion. For room and contents fires and vehicle fires you end up using a lot less water which is very important in areas such as ours where we rely on tankers and draft sites to supply the H2O. Just my 2 cents.

Although the Imaging Camera was my first choice (already taken); I must add that there is more focus now than every before on utilization of the TIC - making certain all interior crews are equipped with one (if available). Not too long ago, my district only had 1 TIC and due to the overwhelming advantage the firefighter has (if used properly of course), we now have someting like a dozen - one on each first due engine, the ladder, fast and squad units. Some may call it overkill - I call it SMART and READY.

To all those who dedicated so much time and effort to create this memorial - great job! If I were still in Peekskill - there is no doubt I would be right there with you. Can't wait to see it in person.

If you're operating at a working fire, and have two lines stretched and operating (LSO) from one engine, at one hydrant, are you gambling?

Is having two engines, connected to two different water sources, with one line each a better route to go? In case of failure with one engine, hydrant or anything inbetween, you have that other engine immediately as a backup.

That would all depend on the distance between the hydrants. Bear in mind that a different water source really needs to be on a different main. If you just tap into the next available hydrant you will reduce the available water at the original engine's hydrant or will risk losing water altogether if something were to happen to the water main itself. If you know the water system and have preplans that tell you which hydrants are on which mains then I would agree to pull water in from both sources - if you have enough supply line to reach. That is the ideal scenario - which probably wouldn’t be acted on until enough support arrives.

The same thing goes for draft sites (if you are from an area with little or no hydrants - like us). Be conscious of small streams that connect to each other and avoid double dipping, especially if you have a large scale incident. In our department earlier in the year we had an enormous fire at a local farm that required a well coordinated water shuttle operation from different sources feeding into 6 porta tanks. It is not an easy system to set up but once water begins to arrive, the pieces do fall into place. If one source happens to dry up, you always have the secondary - which is better than nothing at all. Same for hydrants I guess.

How sad. So many lives lost for no reason. I'm surprised that the call we had up in East Fishkill 12 hours earlier didn't have any fatalities. Again, vehicle going the wrong way - this time northbound in the southbound lanes - hit head on just south of Miller Hill. One serious injury and several other minor injuries. Could have been alot worse. State Police confirming that they would be personally transporting the driver of the pickup going the wrong way. I wonder why.

I think it's a shame that the Poughkeepsie Journal has yet to carry a story about this and fails to acknowledge what these 2-3 people did. I say Hats off to them and a job well done.

The Poughkeepskie Journal seems to never have coverage for anything that happens in our area - wierd. Unless it is a significant event like the Fishkill Farms fire.

June 03, 2009

Thomas J. Connell, Sr. of Larchmont, NY died peacefully on June 2, 2009. Born in New Rochelle, NY on May 21, 1937, Thomas graduated from Iona College and was a Vice President of the Chase Manhattan Bank for most of his career. Thomas was the loving husband of Alice Dematte Connell. He was predeceased by his wife of 41 years, Jeanette Mastocciolo Connell. He is survived by his four devoted children, Thomas, Jr. (Joanne), Margaret Pappalardo (Stephen), Jeanne Pacewicz (Michael), and Barbara Perrault (Robert); as well as 12 grandchildren, Timothy, Andrew, Kelsey, Danielle, Robert, Lauren, Kevin, Kara, James, Christopher, Bryan & Nicole. Tom is also survived by four stepchildren, Joyce Scala (Peter), Jane D'Amico (Kevin), Jill D'Alessandro (Michael), and William Dematte (Deb), 11 stepgrandchildren, a brother James and his wife Joan, and numerous nieces and nephews; all of whom looked up to him and loved him dearly. Thomas served as Chief of the Larchmont Volunteer Fire Department, was an active member of the Mamaroneck/Larchmont Old Timers, and past President of the New Rochelle Irish Benevolent Society. Services for Tom will be held at Fox Funeral Home in Larchmont, NY on Wednesday and Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9, followed by a 10:00 a.m. funeral Mass at St. Augustine's Church in Larchmont on Friday. In lieu of flowers, donations to The Larchmont Volunteer Fire Department. JOHN J. FOX FUNERAL HOME, INC. 2080 Boston Post Road Larchmont, NY 10538 (914) 834-0144 www.jjffh.com

What was the run own of ladder companies?

EFFD, PECO, Rombout..... Anyone else?

I thought I saw foam in one pic - would it have been feasable to use a rig from Stewart or IBM EF for high volume foam applications?

NOT Monday Morning QB'ing - just thinking over scenarios in my head....

Thanks

Ladders from East Fishkill, Village of Fishkill, Rombout and Wappingers.

Great Topic.

All too often complacency sets in which can be dangerous. Never wait to call for mutual aid. It's easier to send the equipment home than have a full blown catastrophe on your hands. My district dispatches all district tankers to the scene and a 2nd alarm notification is immediately given by the first arriving officer (or firefighter w/ radio), if smoke is showing. And don't play politics by giving the dispatcher your choice of mutual aid - let dispatch decide what is best. If you need more water, just call for more tankers, period. If you need an additonal FAST, just ask for one. As for coverage, they do that too. The IC has enough to worry about.

Porta Tanks - drop two side by side as soon as the first two tankers arrive - period. Foam - use it if you have it.

As for the amount of water needed, that all depends on how agressive the crew is in attacking the fire. We recently had a bedroom fire that was successfully extinguished with only 250 gallons of water w/ foam applied from the first arriving engine. Great stop. But it doesn't always work out that way so you have to be prepared, have predetermined 2nd and 3rd alarm definitions in the system and make the decision rather than regret it later on. If you haven't made that decision to call a 2nd alarm within the first few minutes on scene - it's probably too late, especially if you are a tanker district.

Great stop Peekskill FD.

I love seeing East Fishkill in action. For an all volunteer agency they act as if they train every day like setting up tarps to put tools on and usualy have a decent turnout of manpower from what I have seen.

Was the truck laying across the median thus closing 84 in both directions?

Great photos as usual.

Thanks for the EFFD kudos. The truck was laying on its side blocking both travel lanes in the eastbound direction along with a section of the median. Westbound was unaffected as the median in that area is about 100' wide. Upon arrival, we were immediately notified by Thruway DOT that the patient was pinned beneath the steering wheel and that an undetermined amount of explosives were on the bill of lading. My IC immediately ordered 84 Eastbound shut down completely (on our arrival, traffic was inching past the scene on the shoulder). Patient was extricated and transported via medivac which also landed in the eastbound lanes. We were eventually able to partially reopen the road after verifying the actual contents and ensuring it was safe to do so.

RIP Rich; you will be missed. All too often it goes unnoticed when a good samaratin or off duty emergency worker stops to help. Unfortunately not in this case.

'If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.'

- Mark Twain

Well said. I for one, have known this chief for 15 years and he was no doubt referring to the excessive water damage caused by the sprinkler's going off. Let's not read too much into this.

We have had two very close calls on I84 and the TSP where our members have almost been hit. One recently, a month ago when a vehicle lost control on black ice and slammed into the back of the engine. We had two members stowing gear and the engine was minutes from leaving. THANK GOD, they were paying attention and got out of the way.

Although the idea is to keep traffic moving on the highways, safety of the on-scene emergency personnel and patients is first and foremost the top priority. SAFETY is what is preached everyday in my district when apparatus and personnel are responding to incidents on our local highways - it's that simple. If the highway needs to be shut down, so be it; the IC understands that traffic needs to keep moving, but if the situation warrants it, shut it down. Take it from me, you don't want to have a errant Dodge Durango plow into the back of your blocking Engine on a norrow and windy parkway when your guys are stowing equipment. It's not a good feeling.

Additionally, without FD presence, there is no way the SP would be able to safely control a scene where a medic is working on a patient on one of our highways. Fire Police presence well ahead of the scene, proper apparatus blocking and positioning, and awareness are just some of the main priorities.

Congratulations you guys.

Unreal. I stopped trying to make sense of it all. It's killing me driving 100 miles per day. I remember reading that article on CNN money too. Oh well, conserve fuel, but a smaller car and don't leave the apparatus idling if not necessary (right 484?)

Back a year or so ago they refurb L-5 and had it paint all red (1st red rig in 35 years). After L-5 went in service E-12 went out for a referb after a MVC and it was also painted all red. The city then ordered 3 eng's and 2 ladders from ALF all to red, at the same time they had received some loaner units all painted in different colors. But all new apparatus will be the all red paint jobs.

Chris

Thanks CPAGE. It just looks so much more impressive with a set standard (not to belittle the actual purpuse of a piece of fire equipment)!!!

That Newark link is quite revealing. What the heck is the reasoning behind all of those color combinations. They look so non conforming. Not that it really matters, but don't you want your fleet to have the same coloring and striping (or at least work towards it)? It seems Newark just makes up color combinations as they go along. Whatever.

This is the most recent East Fishkill Fire District purchase, a 14’ Rescue Truck. Features include a Hale 250 GPM PTO driven fire pump mounted between the chassis frame rails, pump operator’s panel located inside a compartment, 500 gallon polypropylene water tank, front bumper extension with storage for 100’ of 1 3/4” pre-connected fire hose and storage for a pre-connected cutter and spreader, roll up compartment doors, roof top storage compartments, storage for 200’ of 1 3/4” pre-connected hose located on the roof, portable winch with connection points at front, rear and each side, Ziamatic swing out and down ladder mounted in the rear to gain access to the roof top, transverse compartment with storage for a stokes basket and a Little Giant 17’ ladder, oil dry hopper, Safety Vision rear vision camera with color monitor, Whelen LED warning light package, Onan 25kW hydraulic generator, Will-Burt Powerlite 6,000 watt light tower recess mounted in the roof of the body, compartment in hosebed to hold two 2 1/2” hard suction hoses and three pike poles. The chassis is an International 7400 4 x 4 with a Navistar 330 HP engine and an Allison automatic transmission.

Coaches pushing these teens too hard? Or something else?

2nd N.J. Teen Football Player Dies During Practice A teenage football player has died during practice in New Jersey -- the second such death this week.

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Are they still having that muster. I remember going for years and every year was supposed to be their last year - We used to make a weekend of it, it was fun.

Speaking of Peekskill, does anybody know what, if any, progress is being made on a new central firehouse for the City of Peeksill Fire Department. With the collapse of the really old firehouse museum (Centennial), the abadonment of a current (Peekskill Fire Patrol), a third in continued disrepair (Columbian Engine / Washington Engine), it seems to be time.