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You KNOW Barry had a lot to do with this. Congrats BNechis and the NRFD! That's one whopper of a grant. Now maybe they'll give 2306 a new vehicle?

Comcast, south Florida; gf had problems accessing FB today, problem stated as a server issue. It's back up running now.

Rest in peace Cap. Prayers for his family.

Emergency services is a tough business. One thing we all learn as the years go by, is that this is a part of it. The hardest part. Saying good-bye to another brother/sister is the hardest and most emotional part of the job/s. It will always continue, in spite of everyones' best efforts to improve safety; something everyone who really takes the job to heart makes their number one priority. Paramedic Owen; may he rest in peace. God bless his family and the brotherhood will step up to fill their needs. They always do. That's what makes "first responders" some of the finest people in this country.

(I know that feeling well Seth. The "old town" and people that made it, gave it it's character, slipping away.) May Lou rest in peace, he certainly deserves it after such an amazing tenure on the job. God Rest.

She's a real beauty. Safe ops with her JCFD.

Here's wishing all of your dreams come true......being Firediver they're probably wet! Have a great one.

Got me good on 22-2-1 Jimmy. I spent a minute trying to figure out what the hell that red pipe was sticking out of the cab, 'till the next shots showed it... No photos at the R&R Hall of Fame? Are they afraid we'll all find out how old Mick Jagger really is? No secret, we can tell by looking at Keith Richards... The Chicago fireboat/E-58, God love 'em, now that's unique.... Thanks for sharing the photos.

May they Rest in Peace.

Probably the one area of personal safety that is most commonly overlooked in the fire service is that of hearing protection. But it is extremely important that fire departments and firefighters recognize and maintain awareness, and undertake protective measures for the well being, and preservation of the ability to hear. It is an invisible danger that too many firefighters are careless and carefree about. We all think our hearing is indestructible. Especially the younger brothers and sisters, who think everything else about their bodies is indestructible as well. But, this is not the case, as you will come to find out in the coming decades. The steps you take today to protect your hearing, could help ensure the quality of life you would like to maintain, is possible in the future. There is an OSHA Standard for Hearing Protection 29 CFR (1910.95). There is also a hearing protection requirement in NFPA 1500. Here's a link to USFA document regarding the issue: http://www.phsource.us/PH/OC/FireFighters/fa-118.pdf It's a dry subject and a dry read for sure. But your department is required to provide as safe a workplace as possible. How many of you are working for a department that is carefully following the OSHA Standard/NFPA Guideline? How many of you carry the same awareness to protect your hearing, as much as you protect your breathing in an IDLH wearing SCBA? Are you practicing and training using power tools, and wearing ear-muffs as well? Is your department providing you with the latest in head-gear for hearing protection? Do your rigs have a set-up of head-gear with communication for everyone aboard? How about for the pump operator? Practically speaking, it's impossible to protect your hearing at all times on the fireground. But did you know that the striking of the irons produces a decibel level of damaging proportions? Think about how many times you've been the firefighter holding the haligan while another member continually smacked the ax into it. Ever have a slight fuzzy ring in one or both ears after it was done? The continued exposure to loud and damaging noise takes a cumulative effect over time on your hearing. You can go for years, decades, without noticing any problems. But your department should be testing your hearing at least once a year. Are they providing that service to you, so you can understand as the years go by how the job is affecting your hearing? Don't brush this topic aside. There's worse things that can happen to your hearing than going deaf. There's an illness called tinnitus. It's where one day, you start to notice that your hearing is making some kind of noise all by itself. The damage your ears had been taking all along suddenly can't take anymore, and the effect of the damage presents itself as a non-stop, internal, no-cure known, constant noise in your ear/s. Put those ear-muffs on before you start that partner saw on your daily check. Develop ways to protect yourself, protect your ears, savor your exquisite hearing. Question for the board: Is your department OSHA compliant regarding hearing protection standards? What do you do personally to protect your hearing while at work?

When the time came for FDNY Fire Marshall Ron Bucca to be laid to rest in the aftermath of September 11th, it presented a dilemma in that The FDNY B.F.I. did not possess any apparatus to use for the funeral. The Caisson came from Pearl River FD. Yonkers graciously sent a Tower Ladder over for the American Flag display used with Eastchester's former L-17 Seagrave. Thanks to a very talented Eastchester Firefighter J.J. Rockhill, who did bus labeling as a side job, Eastchester was able to accommodate the Bucca family, and FDNY Manhattan Base B.F.I. in a very special way. Fire Marshall Bucca was working on a display for the FDNY Fire Museum at the time of his death; most know the Museum is housed in the Quarters of the FDNY decommissioned Engine 30. So Jay went to work on EFD's Engine 30. The detail was incredible, the respect unforgettable. The rig was used to escort the Caisson, and carried all floral arrangements. Note the Fire Marshall's Shield, Jay was able to recreate. (sorry the date stamp is off)

The reason I posted these photos is because for one day, Eastchester's E-30 in my opinion was the most meaningful, beautiful, yet heartbreaking fire engine I had ever seen. Maybe you can see that in the photos. FDNY Bureau of Fire Investigation (if I might) uses cars, not fire engines. That was what I was saying; Manhattan BFI did not have a rig. The Engine 30 concept came up due to Fire Marshall Bucca working on a Zoave (sp?) exhibition at the museum. It just worked out. Sorry for any confusion. I don't know how many funerals took place the day of F.M. Buccas. EFD and Pearl River were there to fill a need that day in support of a FDNY function; the BFI liasons were there to advise on advance planning on through the FDNY ceremony. The Bucca family deserved nothing less than full support from everyone, and they got it. They are the epitome of a patriotic, caring, American family.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20100901/NEWS02/9010352/Mount-Vernon-house-fire--5-firefighters-hurt--15-residents-displaced Wishing the injured FDMV firefighters a full recovery.

This Memorial is beautiful.

Guys don't forget you can purchase these now to support the families. Got mine delivered today; nice job BFD.

There's an excellent article in firefighter Nation about commercial roofs. Written by Michael M. Dugan, a "33-year veteran of the fire service and a 23-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), currently serving as captain of Ladder Company 123 ("The Eye of The Storm" house right?) in Brooklyn. As a firefighter in Ladder Company 43 (El Bario's Bravest, Spanish Harlem) Dugan received the James Gordon Bennett medal in 1992 and the Harry M. Archer Medal in 1993, the FDNY’s highest award for bravery." http://www.firefighternation.com/profiles/blogs/tips-for-venting-commercial Hopefully the building code where this structure is located requires the building to have a sprinkler system. If so, FD is at an advantage from the start, because sprinklers have over a 90% success rate at knocking down the fire before it can grow to the point where it starts to impinge on the structural components of the roof. I'd be really interested to do the walk-through of this building, to see how they designed the ceiling and how deep the plenum is. Wondering if it has an open floor plan, with divider walls that don't reach the roof. In that case, this could indeed be a very dangerous building. A compartment type fire would not be confined to the compartment, and would be free to grow exponentially and rapidly over the divider walls; without a sprinkler knockdown the building would be fully involved in minutes, and the roof would be twisted, melting and collapsing in less than a half hour. Cool pictures Seth. If you happen to be passing by there again sometime, maybe you could get a sneak peak inside. That would be interesting to see the interior. Thanks for posting the pics.

Fair enough, and you raised some really good points. Like ALS said and I agree, I'm surprised at how little reaction is being expressed here. Kudos for stepping up and posting your opinion. What confuses me most about the issue, the proposal, the way it's worded, it virtually ignores the other assets within the county that can be brought to bear. Assets that have been built up with federal grant money, hundreds, combined thousands(?) of hours of training. I keep asking about the SWSOTF because I thought that additional Haz Mat capability was being structured into the County for a purpose; where does this reorganization plan address those assets, that capability? I still believe the main issue regarding WCHMRT is their ability or lack thereof to respond in a timely manner? For something as important as Haz-Mat response, with a nuke plant, vital infrastructure of the greater NY area, Westchester needs more than what they have right now, would you agree? The county sure isn't about to expand the DES Haz-Mat we know that. But what about the existing departments within the county that have the capability to expand their coverage area? And where or how does the DPS/DES plan address the possibility of combined fire services in south Westchester? There was a good plan for tax dollar savings, proposed by the chiefs association. Where has that gone?

Careful...........they're bums!

Nice post Monty! I have a question for Captain Nechis. Could you possibly give us a review, an overview, regarding the Special Ops Task Force? A general overview regarding how much has been invested in terms of federal grant money, local municipality commitment, numbers of Haz-Mat personnel, that kind of stuff? I'm wondering where the Squads factor in with this proposal and the conversion of WCHMRT? Thanks.

Before somebody gets PO'ed about this comment, I mean it sincerely and with respect when I say a tech in a Level A suit is a hero. If you've been in one, you know what you're confronted with operating in one. It's tough duty, it's dangerous work, and going into CBRNE incidents is downright scary stuff. I have the utmost respect for Haz-Mat techs; just so there's no misunderstanding. Chief, if you don't mind I'd like to ask what's your opinion regarding DPS expanding into WCHMRT response?

I mean the big bones guys! lol Edit: uh oh....the larger framed gentlemen and ladies...

Really is a nice looking unit. But on the whole, these patrol cars today don't have enough room inside. Can you imagine some of the larger cops trying to squeeze in behind that wheel, with that damn cage right behind the seat? I don't know, but I'd put 'em all in Tahoes......

To me that's a simple question; I would do what is right for the fire service, what is right for EMS, if that was my Commission. But this same issue pops up when a chief of a department is asked his/her position regarding the department. Some people say your hands are bound and your mouth is taped when you get to the top, because you have to answer to the politicians. That you can't "really say" what you want to say. I say that's bullshit. A chief, or commissioner that is true to the job is going to go to bat for the troops, stand up and say/do what is right. That's what subordinates expect, and why so many are disillusioned when they see a boss being an a** kisser. Not saying that's what happened here, don't know the details, don't know the commissioner. But if he's been there for ten years, he knows 60-Control is irreplaceable. The training center is vital for the entire county. As far as the WCHMRT, to my knowledge they have trouble getting out the door. That's a problem that has to be addressed. There are so many assets within Westchester that could be called upon to solve the HMRT issue. Yonkers FD, The Special Ops Squads, NRFD, these people could easily cover southern Westchester. That leaves northern Westchester, and if DPS has 32 techs and the rigs/gear/equipment to handle "Haz-Mat North" they should if that's the only resource available to solve the problem. The...um....doctors that do haz-mat volunteering(is that how the previous poster put it?) can easily still show up 20 minutes late and get to work setting up decon. Not everybody has to be the hero in a level A suit. There's plenty enough to do on the scene of a major haz-mat, that everyone will be needed right?