efdcapt115

Just got off the phone with Willy D. He had just gotten out of surgery. He is in good spirits, and hopes to be coming home very soon. I told him that many of the members here have posted well wishes, and he couldn't express his gratitude to everybody enough. When he gets home, I'm sure we'll hear from him soon enough on the board. Got some damn good people here that care, your concern means the world to the Captain.

An EMTBravo emblazoned Hockey Puck ey?

Republicans and a couple of cross-over Democrats in the Senate filibustered the Bill yesterday effectively killing it. And to our Connecticut Brothers, Joe Lieberman also voted to kill the Bill: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/20/obama-jobs-bill-first-responders-teachers-senate_n_1023229.html

Nah I didn't take it that way Brother. Was just wondering how you felt about it, if you would explain your position a little more, which you certainly did. Have a good one.

Well this is truly amazing. According to lohud, over 60 police units had to respond from as far south as Tuckahoe to deal with this unreasonable and unruly crowd. Why? Because their "muslim sensibilities" were insulted? Give me a freakin' break. The rules are posted and for certain rides, there is to be NO WEARING OF ANY TYPE OF HEADGEAR period. Why do these people think they are exempt from the rules, the laws? I know what they would like; Sharia Law. Their own version of a justice system implemented in the countries they emigrate to. I think that is a disgusting disgrace, as were the actions of these supposedly "religious" people at the Playland park. Look, you people want to assimilate in this country, fine. I guess we have to let some of you in. But if you don't like the system, the rules in place... TOO F'IN BAD, go back to the place you came from. The difference between these people and the ancestors of many of us here in this forum is our great-grandparents had a huge desire to assimilate into the American culture. That's why on my mother's side, they came from Italy, moved into the south Bronx and gave up teaching their native language to their children, my mother, and therefore I don't know Italian today as a result. I wish that part were different, but the point being these people were so anxious to "fit in" they even gave up their language. Italian was forbidden to be spoken in the house by my great-grandparents, as a result their great-grandchildren only speak English. Now these muslims with their headgear, the hijab, they can't even get on the Dragon Coaster without starting a ruckus? Like Playland OWES them something, like WE owe them anything? They should kiss the ground of freedom they walk upon, shut their damn mouths, follow the rules, or else. What a waste of PD resources to have to direct half the cars on patrol up to Playland because these freaking people were "insulted"! Enough! Fit in or GET OUT! http://www.lohud.com/article/20110830/NEWS02/110830004/Police-arrest-15-Playland-dispute-over-Muslim-headwear?odyssey=nav|head

A few months ago, went to the Fort Myers area of Florida looking at apartments. Found a few listings on Craigslist and followed up on them. Another one we found was obviously too good to be true; Cape Coral, private house with a dock and a pool. So I contact the owner out of curiosity and get the whole ridiculous story of how "she" is doing charity medical work in Nigeria, and won't be able to return anytime soon, but lucky for me, we can do the entire transaction right over the internet! So I play along with this Nigerian bonehead and get him to think I'm totally interested. He gives me all this information of how and where to send a Western Union money order for the deposit, and I keep right on playing with this S.O.B. I go to Moneygram, not Western Union, and I get a money order for....... ONE DOLLAR. cost me ten bucks to send it, I didn't care. I could picture this.....Nigerian, riding his bicycle to the bank where I sent the money order, drooling that he suckered somebody into forking over the $800 he wanted. heh heh. The guys at Moneygram thought it was hilarious. And so I waited......then came the email response and I acted shocked! "Somebody has ripped me off!" "I will investigate this" haha... Kept leading this jerk-off on for a week. Made him go back to the bank two more times before he finally gave up. I hope he had to bike through the freakin' desert on a rusty old one-speed with flat tires. It got to be an obsession. My gf was starting to look at me strange. But I thought, this is the revenge for all the poor old senior citizens, the trusting old souls that this worthless POS had suckered in the past. Call me sadistic, I don't care. I enjoyed every minute of it. PS: Many, if not the majority of real-estate listing on Craigslist are phony scams. Be careful if you get the sob story as the previous posters have mentioned.

Okay thanks. But didn't the building next to Jesse's burn some years ago as well? Chief? Cap?

So get all the local PASPS currently at the PDs into one room, with all the FDs and EMS dispatch all in that same room? Heck while you're at it, make it the E.O.C. for the County with extra room to accommodate the personnel that would be activated in case of a Westchester County state of emergency? Large flat screens on the walls with real time locators of incidents, units active on scenes, GPS devices and CAD computers in all fire apparatus....lots and lots of technology. How progressive! Add an adjacent public relations room with large windows looking out onto the communications room, for the TV cameras and reporters to locate and get real time information out to the public via a PIO, and a podium for the politicians to speak and calm the people in times of crisis. Guaranteed to garner interest if you offer the politicos a place to get IFO the cameras! And finally, any reporters who want premium access need only show their current EMTBravo membership card. lol

Was this the building next to Jesse's stand?

The rain finally stopped, I think we got 16 inches of it, and the cold front came in behind it just like they predicted: Brrrrr....... http://www.wunderground.com/q/zmw:33036.1.99999

You are quite welcome.

I respect your opinion moose. But how do you see it as causing grief?

Maybe you should re-read my post. I said the reason the chief denied wearing the shirts is because the Local did not seek the proper authorization. I was giving the chief leeway in that maybe last year this job wore the shirts, and the chief let it slide, but thought "next time they'd better do this right." The whole gist of my post is that chiefs do not "bend to the desires of the union", rather they want things done properly; ie getting the authorization to go ahead with the program. I said somebody that wasn't happy with the chief's decision, dropped a dime to the media. I think that was wrong, as it exacerbated the situation, and guaranteed the shirts program D.O.A. But for you to take such a cheap shot to say the union would claim not wearing the shirts would jeopardize lives is just that; a cheap shot. And your idea that wearing a different colored shirt is unprofessional is pretty bizarre in itself. Do you apply that same standard to fire trucks as well? Lime Green, Red and Black, unprofessional apparatus? Like I said, we're all entitled to have an opinion here, but at this point i think you're just a pot stirrer with issues.

I hear what you are saying about a discount at "Black Bear" isn't going to pertain to guys like you or me; as I log in from Florida. Doing partnerships with merchants that sell online would apply to everybody. The idea would be to provide financial incentive to get MORE members to join then currently voluntarily contribute. Say the site does a "free advertising" deal with an online merchant in exchange for discounts to supporting members. Now the free membership still gives you access to the site, but if you want 10% off from "XYZ Emergency Equipment Co" then you buy the membership. Doing tee-shirts; the site could sell them to everybody, or provide them for free to a member purchasing a premium membership. Same with the Pipes and Drums C.D., the site buys them from the band at a discount, offers them for sale through the site in exchange for the free advertising deal with the band. And also includes a free copy with the shirt, and the merchant package for the highest membership. I think what this would do is increase the number of members who contribute to the site, because now you build in a financial incentive to do so. If you go with the pay-for access model; good luck. If Rupert Murdoch and also the NY Times are struggling with that model, how do you think they're going to make it work here? To get the Shell gas discount, just join the Winn Dixie card program and buy your food there, and your gas at Shell. A co-marketing arrangement that made me think it could work here.

It comes down to this plain and simple. Many of you have expressed your opinions one way or the other with regard to firefighters wearing pink shirts during the Cancer Awareness Month. That's fine, we all have an opinion and are entitled to have one. The question however would be; why did this particular department end up on the CBS News because there ended up being disagreement about wearing the pink shirts? The answer is right in the news story. The Local "assumed" it would be okay, probably because it's a national cause backed by the IAFF, and many many departments are participating. The chief got a bug up his rear (as chiefs will do), when the employees just went ahead and did it, and obviously didn't get his permission. The Local "assumed" it was department approved, probably because they did the same thing last year. Knowing a little bit about how chiefs can think, maybe the chief said to himself last year "okay, they get a pass on it this year, but come next year they'd better show the respect for doing this through the proper channels." In other words "they'd better ask me next time." So a whole year passes, and that chief has it in the back of his mind. Maybe he hears around the firehouse how the guys are "ordering shirts" and he thinks again "they'd better ask this time." Comes "the day" and the members are all giddy to put on their pink shirts. Just one thing; nobody EVER asked the chief if it was okay. So bingo, shirts go on and the chief is ready, knows what he's going to do; ban wearing them. But he's still the guy who got disrespected last year and let it slide, so he tells them they can still wear the shirts, just not as on overshirt. And boy is the Local pissed. The chief is firm in his decision. Naturally he doesn't let on what the root cause of this whole issue is, because he thinks "how much more of a basic common sense issue is this, that NOBODY can think to ask permission?" So he waits, stays firm in his decision, waiting for one guy to remember they need to ask permission. And nobody does. Then somebody drops a dime to CBS News. Now inside, the chief is infuriated, but he doesn't show it. He's not going to give the dime dropper the satisfaction of knowing they "got to him." And with that call to the media, the guys used a nail-gun to rapidly finish the coffin sealing. From the guys perspective, they see the IAFF magazine, they see all these big city departments participating in the program, there's a lot of resentment toward the chief. But STILL, nobody thinks to ask permission. This pink shirt episode is a perfect analogy for what goes wrong with department communications, and why issues spiral upward and become worse rather than getting to the base causes more rapidly, and getting problems solved. What happened in North Jersey; let it become a learning experience for some of the younger members here. You MUST respect the chain of command, and if you expect your chief to just go along with things, and you forget that without the nod of the chief, life on the job can become very difficult, try to remember what happened here. I totally think these guys should be able to wear their shirts, in solidarity with the International, and all the countless departments taking place in this good cause. But guys, we have to remember our chiefs are human beings, and even the ones who exhibit very little to no ego at all can still take it personally if the members start doing things on their own, without the approval of the officer in charge. Good lesson in here.

Rob, That sounds pretty cool. Can you describe them; color, front, back, price, etc. Thanks!

No Cap, it's actually a barrier reef that we live on, with many bridges (and retired firefighters and cops) along the way. Up on Key Largo there's a guy from your job; name is Lance S. Further West from us is the City of Marathon; another NRFD Brother by the name of "Copi" lives out there. You can find your way to Key West by hopping from one retiree's home to another and yes, crossing a few bridges along the way.

Very nice photo. Thanks for sharing it with the board.

I read somewhere they shipped all the steel from the Trade Center to China, where it got melted down and recycled. I imagine they'd do the same with the old bridge metal.

Actually he's got ten points and counting....lol

How about selling the bridge to investors who could afford to strengthen the structure and build housing directly on it? Thousands of good paying union construction jobs, union trade jobs to build the housing, maybe condos. Architects, civil engineers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians. Then the housing; the rich would pay anything for that view. A whole new tax base to support upgrading the emergency services in the area and the schools; on both sides of the river. More cops, firefighters, teachers and medics. The economy needs big projects like this; a public/private works partnership where everybody gets something, and the local economy is the biggest beneficiary. Come on Mr. Supervisor, if you're gonna dream, dream big.

Youtube credit: Blastmagazine The first video gives a great view of the C or D side of the fire building, where it's apparent many of the ground ladder rescues took place, as the ladders are still placed. Also, check out the dimension of the building. It is immense in width/depth. Further observations; the building appears to be ordinary construction, that is masonry bearing walls with wood floor joists, interior structural members, and roof. BUT, check out how this side of the structure is four stories tall. For the benefit of some of our younger members with less experience who are eager to learn these things, notice this building is built on a grade where the A side is only three stories. The danger is this hypothetical; you enter the building through the A side (front door or window) and conduct a search through a smoke condition which worsens and forces you and your partner to evacuate through the C side (rear) windows. You assume you are on the ground level since you went in on that level and you didn't climb any stairs, so through dense smoke, you pop open a window in back and hoist yourself out expecting the ground to be beneath the window, but you drop from two stories up.......surprise. This is why it is always stressed so pointedly that commanders must get that 360 degree view walk-around or a firefighter describes it to the IC from the roof. Situations like this must be communicated asap by the IC to the members conducting interior searches/ or pushing in with the hand-line. One last thing: Great job Boston! Youtube credit: JesusRamos1687 View from the A side or front where the building is three stories tall. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4NyiLGd798

In the past couple of days I've had a couple of conversations with firefighters from both the career and volunteer sides of the business, and came away from both with very similar information. Apparently many departments are enacting IT policies which strictly prohibit active members from posting ANY information about their department on the internet, without expressed or written approval from the chief of department, or somebody else designated by the department. So basically, if you want to write anything about your department, you have to submit it to the chief for approval. I was quite surprised to hear this not once, but twice now in recent days. Is this some sort of trend taking hold in fire departments? And now the argument against such a policy. Why on good earth would a fire department want to throttle down the healthy sharing of information from/between firefighters? The situation as described made me think of that famous quote on the bust statue in front of Faber College, "Knowledge Is Good." (from the movie Animal House for some of the younger members) I mean how freaking ridiculous, I mean just when you think they can't get any more ridiculous, I mean.....C'mon! Are people in power so insecure they are now afraid of what the firefighters are thinking and saying to each other in the informal settings of a website? Fire related websites are tools of empowerment for those in the business. There has been such a movement toward the sharing of information, sharing of opinions, support for each other, support for each others departments, sharing of photography of equipment, tips on fireground operations, safer tool handling, special hazards one might encounter with particular vehicles if they become involved with fire, literally the list of positives for information sharing is endless. And now comes word from very smart and knowledgeable firefighters that the effort is on, in a backward and FUBARed way, to start suppressing what firefighters can and cannot say; well no actually it's worse. They are saying "we don't want you saying anything." What is this now, technology is here to help everybody, and departments want to enact a new DARK AGE? Shhhhhh..... I was wondering because there's been a few different threads where the commentary was noticeably light, and normally we'd have no shortage of guys wanting to get in on a potentially hot discussion. But now it makes sense what's been going on. And it's a damn shame. It's a shame that firefighters are being intimidated to not say anything, not even talk about firefighting in a generic sense without naming names or departments. We've always done a pretty good job at maintaining the etiquette, the protocols if you will. There's an unwritten line, well it used to be unwritten apparently, but we knew how far we could take things. Nobody is out there blogging with the intent of embarrassing a department. And yet now comes word of "the era of new censorship". I think it's a terrible direction for departments to be moving in. Let's hope it's the exception and not the rule. Just goes to show you, give a fire department a way to screw up a sure thing, a positive learning tool, the GREATNESS of the internet, an unprecedented tool that is helping departments, not hurting them, and they'll figure out a way to do it.

Date: October 17, 2011 Time: 00:45 hours Location: 3 Wardman Rd. X Waldren Rd./Westminster Ave., Roxbury Frequency: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?action=wp&feedId=497 Units Operating: Boston Fire Department---Boston Police Department CSI/Arson Investigation 00:48hrs. - 1st Alarm Assignment - Box 2246: Engine 42, Engine 24, Engine 14 Ladder 23, Ladder 4 Rescue 2 District 9(Ops.) 00:50hrs. - R.I.T./Rehab. Assignment: Engine 17(R.I.T.) Ladder 29(R.I.T.) District 4(R.I.T.) W-25(Rehab.) 00:55hrs. - 2nd Alarm Assignment: Engine 28, Engine 52, Engine 21 Tower Ladder 10, Tower Ladder 17 District 11, District 8(Accountability) Division 2(C7-DC-Comm.) W-12(Air) H1(Safety) 01:26hrs. - 3rd Alarm Assignment: Engine 53, Engine 22 Ladder 15 01:34hrs. - 4th Alarm Assignment: Engine 35, Engine 56 01:39hrs. - 5th Alarm Assignment: Engine 50, Engine 18, Engine 7(S/C), Engine 49(S/C), Engine 16(S/C), Engine 29(S/C) Ladder 7, Ladder 16(S/C), Ladder 19(S/C), Tower Ladder 3(S/C), Ladder 14(S/C) District 6(S/C) The 4 Engine Companies (S/C) the 4 Ladder Companies(S/C), the District Chief(S/C) were a "Detail Assignment." Based on the number of Ladder Companies on scene, the alarm level was considered at least a 6th. Mutual aid for station coverage from Brookline, Cambridge, and Quincy. Weather Conditions: 55 degrees F./mostly cloudy Description Of Incident: Three story brick, U-shaped apartment complex, explosion and fire from a ground floor apartment (burned resident reported to Boston Medical Center/3rd degree burns/10 percent-subsequently arrested, charged with arson and attempted murder) First in units reported heavy fire from ground floor windows, heavy smoke from second and third floor windows, nine people hanging out of windows and on ledges. At least 15 people rescued using ground ladders to the 3rd floor. Rescues hampered by child-proof screens. Six year old child dropped from third floor window by grandmother; caught by firefighter. Interior attack attempted but an exterior wall collapsed, ground ladder rescues were performed, operations went defensive. 42 apartments damaged or destroyed, 11+ residents and 2 firefighters transported to hospitals with various injuries. BPD investigators said the fire was consistent with a natural gas explosion/fire. Reporters: John M. Guilfoil and Matt Byrne, John R. Ellement, Aram Boghosian/ Boston Globe Writer: efdcapt115/sfrd18 http://www.boston.com/Boston/metrodesk/2011/10/firefighters-scene-roxbury-fire-amid-reports-people-trapped-inside-the-building/RHiqu5kCW92Pw3sXylcoBP/index.html

A racing Champion..... gone so young. Rest in Peace.