hudson144

UPDATE: Judge rules against our motion for a summary judgement-looks like we might be off to the Appeals Court!!!

Frank Ricci will be a keynote speaker at the FDIC this year. Frank was the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit against the City of New Haven CT better known as the "New Haven 20". His speach will be about "MERIT" in the Fire Service and will hit points about Advancement in the Fire Service based on Merit not race or creed. For those of you who are attending the FDIC try to make Frank's presentation.

After viewing Franks speach I have to wonder how some Fire Service Leaders look at themselves in the mirror. They would probably stutter if they tried to say the word "MERIT". When you have City Hall dictating or pulling strings of the "Puppets" they appoint, nothin will get done to benefit the Community or the FD. Now I am sure that this happens alot throughout the Fire Service not just in **** . For those of you who support the clowns that got there with no "MERIT", remember that someday you may suffer or your familys may suffer because of the lack of leadership within your dept. The mention of demotions,layoffs etc. is an example of what we all don't want. Just don't make a stink when it directly effects you. Stand up for each other!

At the FDIC Lieutenant Frank Ricci from the New Haven FD let it rip,thanks Frank for standing up and being a voice along with the others of the NH20. The speech is available on FH.com and If someone can post it I would appreciate it!

Nice stop to all involved- Coles Market is one of the oldest buildings in Montrose dating back to the late 1800's, from knowing the building 1st hand (I Lived there upstairs for 3 yrs) the construction of the building is the common enemy of us Firefighters. Balloon Construction. The fire was extending vertical and was stopped! If it was later after hours I am sure the outcome would have been alot different. jjc

Thank God it was 4:30,this could have been a bad situation if kids were in school.

ITS TIME HAS COME!

Isn't there a course out there that you take and then the Mayor makes you the Chief?

Buy a 4X4 Quad! lol

Last week when I was in Rockland County this was a conversation while at lunch,how long will it be until a disaster happens to become part of the Firefighting history? It usually takes a disaster to have changes made. In Cortlandt Manor there is a place that is another disaster waiting to happen. Do these facilitys fall under the Board of ED? There should be no exemptions when it comes to life safety. Local ans State officials need to step up and address the violations.

Mv civil service can be very helpful if you have questions,doesn't hurt to ask.

Good Luck goes out to retired Chief John Cinquemani on his recent retirement from the NY Air National Guard. Chief Master Sergeant Cinquemani has served the 105th Air Wing for approx 35 years. Originally located at the Westchester Airport chief Cinquemani had been Chief since the mid to late 70s. Good Luck in the retirement mode and thanks for serving! Congrats to newly appointed Chief John Wilson, Senior Master Sergeant Wilson has assumed the command of the Stewart Fire Department effective March 2010. Chief Wilson has been involved with the USAF FD for over 35 years serving both active duty as well as Air Guard duty. Good luck Chief!

When I first started working at 60-Control back in 1983 the Mutual Aid plan book from the Fire Chiefs Emergency Plan was still laying around. Written in the 40's the plan which had alot to do with the Civil Defense plan in the event of an attack of NYC was interesting to read. Amazingly almost 60 yrs later the plan was kind of activated for 911. My grandfather was involved back then when there was no county dispatch center, I believe it was out Westchester Co. Police and was not manned 24/7.

At least this Chief spoke out and mentioned that the results might have been different if staffing was adequate, Many Chiefs have a GAG order from Mayors,City Managers etc. At least he stood up for what sounds like a daily problem within his dept. I have read in the past that some chiefs would not comment on staffing and in some cases Chiefs have volunteered information to demote and reduce forces. Not the Fire Service leader we need protecting our lives as well as civilian lives.

I paid $17.00 last year on the train to Grand Central, that $17 could have got me 2 beers! lol, Talk about price gouging! I hear that the armory won't be open this year?

Just read the Superintendent of the NY State Police has announced his retirement effective wed mar 3, 2010, Has anyone noticed the amount of scandals going on? White plains Mayor, Yonkers politicians, Mount Vernon- to be announced at a later date! County Legislator, Whats going on here in NY?

Just what we need, ambulance traffic on the Fire Radio!!!!

The latest- we are still waiting for the decision on our motion for a summary judgement. Also there is a question about person's within Mount Vernon City Hall being neglectful in the decision to terminate the Lieutenants list 2 weeks before it expired. The forged letter submitted by the Vulcans and the letter by the Attorney for the Vulcans was withdrawn by the Vulcan Atty 2 days after being submitted because according to him the complaint filed by the Vulcans had no merit. Did someone in city hall who was in a position of authority and was ordered to investigate the Vulcans claims drop the ball? It would be great to see an investigation launched to disclose the corruption in my case. Public Corruption as always in City Hall!

A well written article: Less Diversity Is Needed in the Fire Service Feb 1, 2010 By Kelly B. Jernigan This commentary is in response to “A Matter of National Security” by Joseph B. Muhammad of the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters (IABFF) (Fire Commentary, September 2009). Wait, what? There is such a thing as the IABFF? Isn’t that what the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is for? The advancement of firefighters? Not black firefighters, not white firefighters, not female firefighters, not Hispanic firefighters, but FIREFIGHTERS? Aren’t we all one in this profession? After reading the article during lunch, I continued my daily duties at the firehouse, which included training. During training on a new piece of equipment, I ended up at the computer looking up technical specification questions that arose with our hands-on ventures. I did not find what I was looking for, but my search endeavors led me to the forums on the Fire Engineering Web site (www.fireengineering.com) regarding discrimination in the fire service. The topic was not as popular as I originally thought. I was expecting an infinite number of search results written by anyone who had an opinion on racism and diversity. However, very few of these articles were of any relevance to the fire service. In the forums, I discovered the same type of promotional test controversy in Houston, Texas. I searched for the case and found the article “7 Black Houston Firefighters Sue, Say City Exam Biased.” Similar to the New Haven 20 case, Dennis Thompson, the lawyer for the black firefighters in Houston, argued the tests were unfair. “Firefighters trying to attain the rank of captain and above in the Houston Fire Department must take a 100-question multiple-choice test. Numerous studies show that blacks as a group do less well on high-stakes tests,” Thompson said. He also stated, “Fire departments should use cognitive tests only as a pass-fail benchmark and also should focus on performance exercises and other criteria.” (Carolyn Feibel, Houston Chronicle, February 6, 2009) Captain Otis Jordan, president of the Houston Black Firefighters Association (HBFA), said, “We don’t do as well on these multiple-choice tests.” He also stated, “I compare fighting a fire, riding an apparatus, to playing football. Your best athlete might not be the straight-A student.” Statements such as these say to me Jordan believes black firefighters are not as intelligent as those of other races. It sounds like these lawyers and black firefighter associations are trying to prove their point by making their own race look bad. The HBFA was not affiliated with the lawsuit. If I were black, I would be irate at this lawyer or this group for saying I am not smart enough to take the same test as other races. I know if I were involved in a female coalition and it represented me with this argument, I would definitely ask for my dues back. I agree there are credible accusations and incidents of discrimination, many of which aren’t officially stated or do not make it past the initial grievance procedure. Some of these situations fall into the same category as the New Haven 20 “reverse discrimination” lawsuit, and the individuals involved don’t have the money or the time to challenge city government. They would rather go on and do their jobs as firefighters and hope things are improved by someone high enough wanting to do what is right for the department. Enough on the discrimination issue. I had to finish some things around the station, eat supper, and do the daily rituals before calling it a “workday” at the firehouse. Still, I couldn’t get this situation out of my mind. After many long hours pondering the subject of the New Haven 20, Houston, and even my own fire department, I have come to this conclusion: We need less diversity in the fire service. Yes, I said it, less diversity. Let me explain. In my mind there are two types of people in the fire service—there are firefighters and there are people who work for the fire department. FIREFIGHTERS Firefighters are people of all races, religions, walks of life—male and female—who live their lives for the fire service. They are the people who dreamed their whole lives about becoming firefighters or have been introduced to the lifestyle and fell in love with it. Firefighters are the ones who take the extra initiative to produce and conduct training, constantly learn new things about the fire service, and make suggestions on how to make the job safer and more efficient. Firefighters are the ones who worry about brotherhood and watching out for their fellow firefighters at all costs. Firefighters are the ones you want beside you when it hits the fan deep inside a building, when you are searching for the small child or elderly person and the smoke, heat, and fire are banked down so low it feels like your body is going to melt. Firefighters will be there with you until the end. Firefighters, when deciding to advance up the career ladder, will study promotional materials during every spare moment. They prepare for the tests, and most do well. But if they don’t, they blame no one but themselves, knowing that even though they may not be good test takers, they should have prepared more and studied harder. And by doing this, the next time they will do better. Even as chiefs or company officers, it shows if your heart is in the fire service. Chiefs and company officers whose first love is the fire service are the ones who know the fire department is unlike any other department in the city. The fire department doesn’t bring in as much revenue as the police department or Collections, but it is a necessity. Fire officers who fall into this category are not afraid to ask for what their people need. They are not afraid to be the rogue avengers, to take on the city managers and convince them what the department needs to be the best and the safest. They are the ones worried about the times when we have to make split-second decisions and knowing they are the right decisions, not about the things that we can go back and look up while sitting behind a desk. FIRE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES On the other hand, you have the people who work for the fire department. These are people who saw the ad in the paper for the fire department agility test and decided maybe working for city government would be better than working at a fast food restaurant. Fire department employees are also people of all races, religions, and walks of life—male and female. These are the employees who arrive at work at the last minute, abuse sick time, and never read or study to better themselves. They are the ones who do just enough to get by. They can usually quote verbatim the policies and procedures because they often use them to their advantage to see what they can get away with doing or not doing. Officers who are fire department employees are the ones who are more worried about proper supervisory methods and how to do paperwork. While these tasks are extremely important and must be mastered, learning how to operate efficiently and aggressively on the fire scene, in my opinion, is an art that must be learned first and foremost. We have all seen the type—officers who are great at doing administrative duties and paperwork but on the emergency scene are ineffective to the point of being inept. They are the ones who look good in the administration’s eyes because they never want to rock the boat. They never want to go against the grain to offer any new suggestions, even if those suggestions are for life safety. These officers will never stick their necks out and have to be on the defensive or give justification for having to go against policy for doing what it took to save a life. WHICH ONE ARE YOU? When you meet people in the fire service, you can talk to them for about 10 minutes and tell if you are talking to firefighters or people who work for the fire department. You can tell if they are genuinely interested in taking the promotion to better themselves along with hopes of bettering the department or if they are just interested in the status and the pay raise that come with the promotion. To put it in perspective, look around at some of the females in the fire service. I use this analogy because I can’t be labeled as prejudiced if I talk about my own kind, right? Are they firefighters or just females who work in the fire department? When the alarm comes in, do they have that “Let’s go get it, guys” attitude, or do they kind of hang back, hoping someone will take the lead? Are they the drivers who, when the announcement comes over the radio, “Smoke and heavy flames visible,” you hear the engine brake kick in, or are they the ones the officer has to call into the office after returning from the call and tell them, “Slow down, we can’t do anything if we don’t get there”? Do they expect and demand to have separate quarters all their own, or do they strive to be one of the guys? Do they become sensitive when the word “fireman” is used instead of “firefighter,” or is that how they introduce themselves, only to be corrected by the public? A firefighter who happens to be a female is the one who doesn’t care about special treatment. She expects and demands to be treated equally—not better, equally. You can talk to Blacks, Hispanics, and all the other races and tell the same. Black and Hispanic firefighters are no different from any other firefighters. They love the job. They are firefighters first and foremost. It’s the same situation no matter who you are. It may be different in general industry, but as much as we preach diversity, understanding differences, and equal opportunity, it all boils down to one thing in the fire service: Are you a firefighter or just someone who works for the fire department? THE PERFECT WORLD Imagine working for a department with all firefighters. Very few disciplinary procedures would be needed. If there were discipline, it would be for a minor infraction such as broken glass at the station from friendly horseplay. Everyone on the fire scene would know what they are supposed to do without being told, and they would know how to do it. We would have chiefs who are looked up to by everyone because they would be in that position because they deserve it, not because they know how to dress up a resume. They would not be afraid to take on the budget committees and city councils to get the money their firefighters need to be the best fire department in the state instead of thinking it will make them look good if they can turn in extra money at the end of the year. We would promote based on validated test scores, time in service, work ethics, past appraisals, and coworker recommendations. Promotions would not be based on diversity quotas or a friend taking a good friend to the top. In return, once people realize how promotions work in the department of firefighters, and if they wanted to be promoted, they would step up and produce all year, not just around promotion time. This is the reason we need to join together and express our desires to hire and promote individuals who are not only good employees but who are great firefighters or who are the type of officers we want to work for or strive to be like. Let’s do away with hiring employees and start hiring people who genuinely want to be firefighters. So next time you’re thinking of becoming a member of an ethnic or gender-specific organization so you can get help with screaming, “I didn’t get promoted because of my color, gender, ethnicity, or religion,” think about what class you represent. Are you a firefighter, or do you just work for the fire department? Kelly B. Jernigan is a 19-year veteran of the fire service and a captain on Winston-Salem (NC) Fire Department Truck 2. She is a former deputy chief and training officer with the South Lexington (NC) Volunteer Fire Department. Jernigan is a level II fire service and live burn instructor for the North Carolina Fire and Rescue Commission. She is a certified hazardous materials specialist and a rescue technician rope specialist. She was also the fire and rescue coordinator for Davidson County Community College for 10 years and has an associate degree in computer programming.

Half Moon Bay-residential sprinklers throughout the complex? jjc

Looks good to me! Equal Rights for all without lowering standards.

Again-TIC,so important these days, use them! Radios- Another thing that is not carried by many - communicating to the IC or anyone for help is vital when you are trapped. I will add in the flashlight also, from the experience on Gramatan Ave collapse in 1999 without a flashlight we still might be crawling around looking for the hoseline to get out! Basic stuff can and will save you.

Amazing- she praises the Firefighters then kicks them by ruling against them. There are still many SRO's out there that can cause the same situation,be aware and report them!

Alot of info here that can help, I always look at the Hudson River as I go south into NYC on the train, another resource that will be needed is marine units. If you look at the tracks on the Hudson line they are right on the shoreline of the river. Get it? HUDSON LINE lol. Access to many parts of the tracks along the river is simply not there. If there is a mishap along the River in many isolated spots getting to the scene can be another story in its self. Resources- local FD/PD. Coast Guard, CG Aux (Launch 5). Water rescues may be needed. Winter Ops may be hampered because of Ice on the River. This could be a nightmare for all involved. Not too long ago there was a derailment in stony point, not a passenger train either. Many people always complain about Indian Point but if they realized what goes up n down the tracks on the west shore they might have more concerns. Alot of times the wind is out of the NW. A Haz MAT leak from one of the cargo trains on the West Shore could certainly be a disaster for us east siders. The derailment in Stony Point that morning did not have any leaks but I do believe chemical cars were involved. Just another incident to plan for! Be safe .

Tonight i recieved the word that the long standing hiring decree for the Philadelphia Fire Department has been ordered by the courts to be disolved! Congrats go out to the members of the PFD for the battle and success in having the decree thrown out!!!