ALS Flycar In Briarcliff

[27east 19]

who runs the ALS fly-car for up there? is is the 45 medics or the 36?

[TR54 239]

who runs the ALS fly-car for up there? is is the 45 medics or the 36?

I believe the 36 (OVAC) medic was on N state Rd at a Difficulty Breathing call when this Extrication occurred. 2051/2251 asked for Chappaqua VAC right away.This may have brought a different Medic.

[Plectron 1]

Depending where in Briarcliff you are, it will either be 36M1, or 37M1/2

[Remember585 815]

If the incident was in the Town of New Castle, I am pretty sure you get the 45 Medic, unless it is a contracted area with the Ossining Medic.

36-Medic-1 is the Tri-Community ALS Fly-Car for Briarcliff, Croton and Ossining.

45-Medic-1 is the primary ALS unit for New Castle, Mount Kisco and North Castle.

37-Medics are for the Mount Pleasent area and the Grasslands reservation during the day, and at night 87A1 covers ALS on the campus.

[mfc2257 464]

If there was ever a definition for the term "grey area", EMS response on the Taconic between Briarcliff and Millwood's first due fits it.

Years back, it was determined that the most effective way to cover the Taconic corridor between Pleasantville Road and Route 100 (due to the large, split elevation center divide) was to send R-36 Southbound and R-37 Northbound with their respective Engine Companies regardless of who's district the MVA is in. This significantly cut down on the time needed for each department to travel to the oppisite end of the corridor, turn around and respond all the way back again for a wreck in the other lane. This has proven to be a wonderful agreement.

One major benefit is that Millwood picks up a Briarcliff FD ambulance and fly car on all these calls. Two agencies cover everything from suppression, traffic, extrication, ems, you name it.

Where the problem lies is that Chappaqua VAC covers a sliver of the territory right before the RT 100 exit. They are dispatched via New Castle PD and do 99% of their communications via NCPD's freq.... 95% of the time the MVA dispatch is made via 60control. By the time NCPD makes it to the scene, transmits the alarm to CVAC and their fly car and the response is made, Millwood and Briarcliff have made significant progress and patients are often packaged and transported via BMFD EMS to the proper facility.

This isn't an argument for or against CVAC, just that with the logistics of the FD agreement on the TSP, BMFD EMS is the logical choice if CVAC hasn't made it to the scene yet.

Edited September 6, 2005 by mfc2257

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I actually got stuck in that grey area once on a MVA right in that location. I was working as 36M1 one night and there was a multiple roll over with 3 occupants one ejected. Part of the problem lied in the area it occurred as stated already and the other part was the fact that PD's were dispatching which leads to further coordination problems. By the time I was dispatched to the call, Stat Flight had been requested and was landing as I arrived. The call had been going on for a good at least 15 mins or longer before I was finally sent, and I was the only ALS unit sent and that was because one of Briarcliff Chief's was monitoring while at work at 60 Control. I had to do more explaining why I was there late then anything being the one patient (who should have been scooped and just driven BLS. He was borderline by MOI only. I wrote a thorough PCR covering myself and someone actually tried to rasie a question about my "response" time. Which was only about 8 mins from OVAC HQ.

[Guest JQP442]

Wait a minute!!!  Stop the presses!!!

Are you implying that Police dispatch doesn't work??

SHAME ON YOU!!!!

I can't think of 1, or 500 incidents in the past few years that got -ucked up thanks to a PD dispatch.......

How dare you!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ONLY 1, or 500 incidents in the past few years

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Who me? Never.

[mfc2257 464]

I would love to air some specifics about PD dispatch & "check & advise" policies that I've personally witnessed which very nearly cost some folks their lives over the years, but I don't think it'll solve any problems to do so here.

Catch me with a few beers in me on a night when I'm home from FL and I'd probably let some pretty scary stories out of the bag.

What is even more frustrating is the fact that when the lightbulb goes on in the PD's head that they don't have a bag of meds or a Hurst tool in the trunk of their RMP and that the FD/EMS really is needed, that they make almost no effort at communicating the sizeup to incoming FD units via 60control.... Not only are you 20 minutes behind the 8 ball, but you're inbound to a hairy scene with absolutely no information about what you're going to find. Be nice to know if you needed to add a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th EMS unit to the box, or another Rescue etc.

[dadbo46 50]

Seems appropriate that mutual aid agreements between agencies are appropriate to provide the best rendering of emergency services to the good citizens of Westchester County. Forget about the turf and do the right thing.

[SHAC7301 0]

Amen to the last two replies!!!

[SEC92 0]

ALS, I UNDERSTAND MOST OF THE PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD DISLIKE PD'S AND THERE DISPATCHING AND WILL TAKE SHOTS WHENEVER THEY CAN. THE TSP CALLS ARE ALL DISPATCHED THROUGH COUNTY FIRE CONTROL AND IF THE LOCAL PD GETS A CALL FROM CONTROL THEY WILL RETRANSMIT THE ALARM.

Edited September 11, 2005 by SEC92

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Sec, that's understood. I never took a shot at anyone. My posts deal with the fact that a centralized dispatching for all Fire/EMS would lead to better coordination and better service to their customers by way of pre-arrival instructions etc, which most PD's do not have the resources to commit their dispatcher(s) to do. 911 is a huge problem in Westchester, it goes against every recommended procedure for 911 to be operated by both the President's commission for a emergency number under then President Johnson and NENA the national emergency number association. There are counties much more complex then Westchester in emergency services and PD and with more call volume that have central dispatching and make it work. There is no real reason why other then strong lobbying at the time and weakness on other levels why there isn't central 911 answering, which also would have eased some of the problems currently with cellular 911 and transferring calls in that regard.

The case I pointed out was only in reply to a earlier post outlining the difficulties in coordinating that area of the TSP when it comes to response, not a shot at anyone. I did receive the call very late into the incident, I never did place blame on anyone, other then it took time for a 60 control telecommunicator to place a call through OPD to have me sent. So if anything I also was hinting at the challenges placed on PD dispatching by the nature of you have your job to do as well outside of worrying about FD and/or VAC's if you do both. I think that is far from taking a shot. Being I've worked in all 3 sides of emergency services, alluding to that I may dislike PD's is way off. I haven't forgetten my services in that field. Do I think any PD should be dispatching Fire/EMS that's no secret, no. Unless you have in place dispatchers that can give the same level of care across the board.