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http://pelham.patch.com/articles/government-struggles-to-find-budget-dollars-for-pelham-fire-department

Gasoline to diesel? We had one of each, two identical '55 ALF pumpers, one with the conversion to diesel and automatic transmission, and the spare which was original gas motor and three speed stick. The spare also remained open-cab, while the diesel converted rig had a vinyl canopy installed. The diesel used to rev very high before auto shifting; that plus the canopy made it extremely loud in the cab, very echoey, couldn't hear the radio L&S. On a nice day, the spare was a pleasure comparatively. Edit: not exactly sure on the year of the rigs....'55,'56,'57....

http://www.firehouse.com/news/top-headlines/fdny-pilot-program-focuses-firefighter-accountability Hoping M'Ave, 16fire5, or other FDNY members could give us members here some further insight about the system. Thanks in advance.

http://www.fireengineering.com/index/articles/display/3487428472/articles/fire-engineering/fdic-articles/features/2011/03/ray-downey-2011.html

It's heartbreaking to read about such a young guy passing away. Sincere condolences to his family and friends and the Platekill Fire Department.

Yeah to keep things fair and balanced I have to pipe in about these guys too. Talk about BAD JUDGEMENT.... We all see it now so easily how stupid this was, but just add alcohol, and an attitude shared by the participants of "hey, we're the fire department, we can do whatever we want" and "we can get away with this" and take a look at the results. To our younger members...LEARN from this....please...

This game better be taking place in Libya or some other hideous backdrop. If not WTF are people in THAT company thinking? Time for some serious white shirt intervention.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and speculate. There were four firefighters in the cab, they were rowdy, they must have got into a heated argument with the driver, maybe said something "insulting" and this cabbie has had a dirty trick he has been waiting to use on somebody for a long time. He hit pay dirt with these unfortunate guys if it's true. Because they'll get dragged in front of the cameras, one way or the other. The problem I have with the driver's story is I could see a dispute, but I can't imagine three other Brothers would stand by and watch something like that go down. And if he knew they we firefighters it was because of what.....Class A Uniforms? You honestly think one of the members would attempt to do this and nobody else would stand up and say "this is wrong?" I don't belive the cabbie, I think he just pulled out his big gun screw job that he was waiting to nab somebody "important" so he can go home and watch the news and say to himself how much of a hero he is..... This is just my opinion, it is not based on anything other than the information presented in the short news report, and my own ideas on the matter.

What a tragedy. And the year 2011 continues to make it's mark as a horrendous year for law enforcement personnel. I can't remember another time with so many police LODDs in such a short time frame (aside from 9/11). Rest in Peace Officer Breitkopf. Prayers for Officer Gentile as well.

Ridin' the back step!!! OOOOOOh I'm tellin'!!......lol Nice shots.

Eastchester (through all of it's faults) could be used as a model for consolidation. The consultant's report done in the 1990s broke down what the cost would be if the Town and the two villages within the town, had each gone their own way at the turn of the Twentieth Century, and created three separate departments instead of creating one fire district. In the 1990s the savings was already in the area of many millions of dollars. The study that the Career Chiefs put together with the people at Pace U a few years ago (Captain Nechis is an expert regarding this study) showed what could be done with south Westchester career/combo departments. The models are out there, the studies completed, all that is needed is action. It has been pointed out this action will more than likely come from pressure at the State level, County level, or elsewhere. External pressure will force departments to start taking this matter seriously. A consolidation action committee should be formed, consisting of elected officials from fire districts, towns, villages and cities, their fire chiefs, along with union representation from the affected locals. Open communication, seriousness of purpose, and determination to improve delivery of service could result in progress. The resulting improvement in service delivery, along with safer working conditions for firefighters can be accomplished. The time is passed due for changes to be made.

There are many people on this site, both career and volunteer, who would disagree with your assessment of there being "a lot of friction between C&V." Most in Westchester do not see it as one fire service because it is not one fire service; Westchester is a complex County that runs the gamut of fully career cities in the south, to combination departments in between, and fully volunteer in the north. There are many disagreements, and certainly training standards would qualify for being one of the areas of most disagreement; but blanket statements such as yours, coming from outside the County, are at the very least, counterproductive.

Hi Seth, Was wondering what you meant by Rockland Fire Service being "much stronger and more progressive <sic> compared to Westchester"? Are you basing that statement on this one article, or other information? If it's other info, maybe you could expand a bit on it? I'm curious to learn why you formed this opinion. Thanks.

And a suspect gets his 15 minutes of fame: http://www.wyff4.com/r/27200800/detail.html

Hey guy, These firefighters did their best to try and help you out, but the confusion was created by you when you stated you were looking for something, yet upon further questioning, they pointed out to you you might actually be looking for something else (supply engine vs. more versatile pumper). Don't come back with antagonistic comments and insult the members. A guy with a couple of dozen posts on this board has no right calling out more experienced members here as rookies, and green-horns, etc. If you don't like what they have to say, the best course of action is to ignore it, and move on. Okay? I'd ask the other members to cease and desist with this guy; don't take the bait. Have a nice weekend everybody.

Now there's a statement worthy of a tatoo....

....."Alright, 10-4, K."

Back at ya for that one Nate!

Yep. the second most dangerous city in America: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/22/most-dangerous-cities-in-_n_787010.html#s188467 plans on laying off 1/4 of all municipal employees, including 1/2 the police department. http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Jerseys-Most-Violent-City-Approves-Layoffs-for-1-in-4-City-Workers-111260439.html So, what economist was it that said the other day that the "recession is over"????

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lohud/obituary.aspx?n=randy-wiebicke&pid=149064729&fhid=2172 Joining the Brothers in Heaven, Rest in Peace Lt. Wiebicke.

With all respect Brother "Men Of Fire" I have to disagree with you. As far back as firefighting goes, there have been hairbags that come into the service either by volunteering, or somehow scoring well enough and bluffing their way onto a career job. But we cannot take a broad stroke of the brush and paint all junior men/women into one complete group of people in the service who do not care about keeping the traditions, the nobility and the comrade-re of the Brotherhood alive. As an example, just look at how many of our members here on Bravo in the younger age group have become such active members here, and show so much interest in those traditions, and learning "the ways" of the fire service. I remember hearing senior men, when I was a junior man, extolling their observations that the Brotherhood wasn't what it used to be; that the Brotherhood was doomed to extinction. Those that do believe in the virtues of our Brotherhood need to be reassured by senior men such as yourself, that the traditions you speak of are indeed still alive, and need to develop the belief in themselves that they are part of something larger than just a job, and need to be taught that they will in the near future be the ones responsible for carrying on the Brotherhood, when they move into positions of seniority, promotion, and leadership. If we truly care enough in our fraternity to want it to survive and thrive well into the future, then senior men today need to redouble their efforts in seeing to it that these junior men are properly taught about the sacrifices our fore bearers gave to this noblest of professions. All members in senior positions, and leadership today need to be asking themselves a very personal question; are my judgments about the future being clouded by my personal disappointments about things that have happened to me through the years of my career? It becomes very difficult at times as the years pass, to maintain the motivation to want to pass on our finest traditions. To want to help our junior members succeed in gaining the true understanding of how the Brotherhood continues to evolve, through generations of sacrifice, members being killed in the performance of their duty, members fighting to gain workplace improvements through the collective bargaining process, and members becoming sick through a lack of workplace safety. I always believed the best way to educate our younger members about these things was to show them examples of what conditions were like before improvements were made. To tell them the stories of what our members went through to gain the improvements we have in place today. Some things obviously cannot be easily taught. Some things members are just going to have to learn for themselves; generosity and caring for each other, being able to forgive each other for mistakes and not hold grudges. But I truly understand how you feel. Sometimes it feels like paddling upstream against an overwhelming current. Sometimes we just want to throw it all down, and simply walk away. But the past generations of Brothers who fought so hard for all of the improvements we enjoy today; the firefighers who never got the chance to enjoy some of those improvements, because they got sick or were killed from the very things they were fighting so hard to improve; for the memory of these Brothers passed, we owe it to their memory to continue the fight. To continue to impress upon on our newer generation of firefighters that some things are worth fighting for, some things are worth giving our all for; and the Brotherhood is the greatest of attributes we share in the fire service. It may not feel like you are making much headway in passing these lessons on, but I guarantee you when the time comes and you have moved on from the job; if you have put in the effort to share with your newer members all of the greatest things about the Brotherhood, your efforts shall not have been in vain.

You're not kidding Ang! C'mon fellas let's calm it down up there a little huh? How am I supposed to work on my suntan with all of these fires, and rescues taking place; requiring me to be here manning the EMTBravo Command Post/EOC?

Talk about an obsession! lol You guys from Rescue are all a little wacky anyway......Have a great weekend Bad Roto-Ray Box!