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Beautiful fireboat; just one problem. The Red Sex emblem on the side of the cabin. Eesh. PS: Made ya look

Spoken well for all of us.

CNN is tapped into WABC and WCBS. They are showing a neighborhood in Elmsford, I think Fairview is on scene evacuating residents out of private homes in an area where a local resident stated this is the "worst flooding he's ever seen" in that neighborhood. They didn't show him, but I think it was a Chief from Fairview that was interviewed. If you put on WABC in NY, or CNN National you'll see the swiftwater team in action, taking out residents. 1015 hours.

We also have to remember just one manhole cover out of place could create a virtual whirlpool, not necessarily visible from the surface. One misstep by a rescuer or a civilian could pull you down into the open manhole. From there, all bets are off.

Rescues, removals, you guys re getting into semantics. The fact is there were homes that were completely flooded, and the only way for the residents to be "removed" was by boat. I'm sure if one of those structures had lit up on fire because the water reached the electric panel in the basement, there'd be no discussion about whether these were rescues or not. How about a compromise; "preventative removal from potential hazard"? lol -Grammatically yours.

I pass this yard frequently on I-95 headed up to South Carolina. In addition to the complete rigs and military trucks, they also have quite a few fire engine cabs, dismounted from their frames. Like the prior poster pointed out, there's not much movement of the inventory in the yard, but I'm sure occasionally they sell something to a department of lesser means......

Nice reply Cap, thanks. I hope the injured Brother made a full recovery. But let me ask; is there a solution to the issue of getting yourself into places where you are susceptible to getting caught in a flashover? Should a member occasionally remove a glove and raise his hand into the thermal layers to gauge the intensity of the heat in the compartment? I've read articles that stated to this, and also articles that stated to never take your gloves off. Of course these issues would mostly arise with the Truck Company member doing the search above the fire floor; probably the most dangerous place to be as they most often do not have the benefit of a hoseline for protection. What do you think is the best course of action (for our younger members benefit) to avoid inadvertently getting yourself too far into a room that is so hot the contents are about to burst into flame; ie the flashover?

Mt. Rainier, amazing. With the fog that settles in, it often looks like it's floating in the air, just like your photo. I have two sisters that live in Seattle, and have spent quite a bit of time there myself. Did you order a fish at the market and watch them throw it around? lol Nice shots Mike, thanks for sharing.

As always G, awesome post. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.

Brother ALS, I'm retired for 5 years already. I won't be wearing or not wearing one any longer. Just wanted to stir the conversation a bit. Thanks for a really good post.

:P

Yes really nice shots Brother. And in the meantime you got me running around down here looking for a house for you guys! Glad you finally let me know you're not coming.......by posting these photos! LOL Kidding aside, beautiful part of the country you chose, glad you had a great time.

Chief Henry Campbell used to talk about the advances in PPE; and the subsequent disadvantages. "Dressed To Be Killed" was how he talked about it. The one piece of gear that bothered him (and he influenced my opinion as well) is the NOMEX hood. That piece of gear completes "full encapsulation." Being fully protected is a great thing; BUT, how do you know if you're going places within a burning structure where maybe you shouldn't be, or at least for very long? The backside of your ears used to be the spot on your body that would definitely tell you if the area you were in was too hot, and possibly about to flashover. If you felt a blister forming on your ear, you were in too far. Firefighters have been killed in flashovers, and theoretically should they have been where they were? How can you tell if it's too hot for you to survive in a compartment/room if you are "fully encapsulated"? That's the one piece of gear I've always questioned; ever since Chief Campbell brought it up. Thoughts?

Additionally, down here they are not called ambulances, rather Rescues.

The theoretical risk I am proposing is the loss of maybe one or two blocks of buildings/houses/businesses, possible loss of civilian life, and the heavy criticism from the community that pays our salaries as a result. Or for a volunteer department, the same type of criticism sans the salary part. The second risk is extraordinary with sending the troops out to do their jobs in severely adverse weather. The benefit would be a successful firefighting operation, and no extraordinary injuries to the firefighters as a result of taking the chance of working in severe weather. Maybe a grab or two and lives saved. Of course this an extreme scenario, and probably unlikely to occur in most parts of Westchester County; I could envision this occurring in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Yonkers or Mt. Vernon. Kinda like that 8 alarm job they had in the FDNY during the snowstorm where they had that extreme difficulty getting into the scene due to the unplowed streets. Unlikely....but possible. You tell me Cap. If it was your call, what would you do (theoretical discussion not intended to have any implications on any members actions while on the clock)?

This info and the prior post about Ct. operational recommendations is all well and good, but I have a question. What if a structure fire in a densely populated neighborhood threatens to become a conflagration due to the lack of a suppression response? Does a department have it's rigs sit in the barn, while a theoretical ordinary constructed building fire goes through the roof, spreads to the H type multi-dwelling exposure next door, then the private homes further down the street, all the way down to the 7-11 with the gasoline pumps on the corner? Then the fire jumps the roadway and starts down the other side of the street. Interesting scenario? What would you do if it was your call to make; respond or not respond?

Where we are, unless the forecasters are extremely wrong, looks like we'll skirt this one. But, it might come right up the east coast. Who really knows? All we know down here, is when there gets to be bad weather in the area we can count on "Henry" showing up. He's an Osprey Hawk, and you can bet surer than patootie if there's bad weather in the area, he'll land, perch and fish for sushi on and off the mast of the sailboat on the canal behind our house. So, anybody making preps for the storm just in case?

The first Brother featured on this calender is retired FDNY Captain Billy "Blazes" Spinelli. He is the man behind the "343" hats; having done them at the first, second, and fifth year; and now the tenth. All proceeds from the hat sales have gone and will continue to be donated to the FDNY Bravest Scholarship Fund. If you are interested in 10 year Remembrance "343" hats, info as follows: front of hat says FDNY with 343 underneath. On the right side is the American Flag. Back of the hat says "In Memory of 9/11/01." Left side will say "10 years" this time. Hats come in black or blue, lettering is red. Prices as follows: 1 dozen $13.00 per hat plus postage 3 dozen $12.00 per hat " ". Individual hats are $15.00 per hat, minimum of 2 hats per order plus postage. Through Billy's efforts, to date the 343 hats have given $38,070.00 to the fund. This is a one shot deal; the next time he will do the hats will be 9/11/2016. Contact Captain Spinelli at BlazesL59@aol.com or just give him a call; phone number: 914-961-5199 They go really fast if you want to lay out for a dozen or three. I took five boxes of them to the NASCAR race at Dover, Del. in June 2002 and sold out in about an hour. NEVER FORGET.

Bloombag on TV right now calling for a mandatory evacuation of the entire Rockaways....

NYC Hospitals and Nursing Facilities being evacuated as per NY News 1: http://queens.ny1.com/content/top_stories/145829/hurricane-watchcity-braces-for-storm-s-impact--hospital-evacuations-underway

Since you mentioned my former department, I can tell you what I WOULD do; 24 hours before the storms arrival, I'd activate all spare apparatus, prep the Zodiac for potential action/rescue of stranded motorists on the Bronx River/Hutchinson River, equip ALL apparatus with life-rings, life-saving ropes, and life jackets, and finally recall off-duty personnel so that all rigs are staffed with three firefighters and an officer. Get the rigs filled up with diesel, stock up on 5 gallon plastic Jerry-cans and fill those with fuel for generators and pumps, and make contingency plans for a secondary place to refill apparatus, in case the primary pumps fail or are flooded. I'd call a Southern Westchester Chiefs emergency meeting, coordinate with SEMO and FEMA, and find out what funding might be available for reimbursement from the county, State or Feds. Good luck Brothers, it might be a difficult storm for the entire tri-state area. Safe Ops. Refer to the thread about turnout gear keeping you afloat while wearing an SCBA, and be sure to sound off with a pike pole IFO, if you must enter a flooded area to facilitate a rescue.

Not gonna work. Bad storms lead to a back-log of alarms for most departments. You go out and start responding you will find yourself away from home and your loved ones for many, many hours.

Ooops.

Date:8/25/2011 Time:2318 hrs. Location:Casino Royale in Monterrey Departments: All local FD's/PD's Description: Two dozen gunmen burst into a casino in northern Mexico on Thursday, doused it with gasoline and started a fire that trapped gamblers inside, killing at least 45 people and injuring a dozen more, authorities said. Links: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/25/mexican-casino-attack-40-dead_n_937411.html Writer: A/P Update: Death count now at 53.

As opposed to the snowstorm when he was a headless chicken? No disrespect for your opinion Bro, but I hate Bloomberg as much as he hates the Fire Dept., and can't wait to see him gone from office. Just my opinion.