ems-buff

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/rye-city/2016/06/06/rye-public-safety-department/85299246/
RYE CITY - The city may create a single Public Safety Department for police and firefighters in an effort to address ongoing fire staffing issues and to provide a more cohesive approach to emergency services.
The idea behind the move, City Manager Marcus Serrano said, is to create a direct chain of command by appointing a paid public safety commissioner to set policy and establish uniform procedures for police officers and both paid and volunteer firefighters. Under the proposed law, the public safety commissioner would appoint paid fire officers. The volunteers would still elect their own chief, assistant chiefs and other officers, but their choices would be subject to the commissioner's approval. The volunteer chief and assistants would work with the career officers, and all would report directly to the commissioner. 
 

I dont hear them in the New Rochelle area?

Date:11/28/13
Time:03:15
Incident Type: Basement fire in a PD
Location: 25 Beechtree dr
District:E23,L13
Units:E23, E21, E22, E25, L13, TL11, 2302, 2301, 30A2 NRPD

Description: Residential fire alarm
E23 E21 L13 TL11 2302 dispatched to Automatic fire alarm.
E23 L13 10/84 nothing showing. During size up E23 transmits the 10/75 for heavy smoke in the home through the windows L13 forcing entry and E 23 stretching in.
E22 E25 added to the box
E23 reports basement fire stretching down the stairs
All hands working
Just another routine residential fire alarm? I think not. Homeowner was not home at the time to meet first arriving companies and a total 360 performed by first due companies shows why there is no such call as routine. Nice stop by all NRFD units working Thanksgiving morning. This homeowner certainly has something to be thankful for this year!!

Congrats to the newest class of 60 Control dispatchers!
Sal Astarita #668
Chris McGee #669
Alex Camacho #670
Mike Cyrulik #671
Alex Dennett #672

I will stop using a backboard when I won't get fired for not using it.

So what is the propose of this truck? Are they not letting engines responding anymore?

So what is the propose of this truck? Are they not letting engines responding anymore?

Great save by village of Mamaroneck firefighters and Mamaroneck EMS.
http://www.lohud.com/article/20131024/NEWS/310240091/Mamaroneck-firefighters-honored-saving-woman-s-life

Nice little black eye for the fire service in Westchester county.. WTG fellas

Nice little black eye for the fire service in Westchester county.. WTG fellas

W.T.F.
Keep it in-house, don't involve the families!!!

Won't matter in westchester given the average bls ambulance response time. You're guaranteed an anoxic injury.

It is clearly different from one dept to another and even when the depts have the "same" i.e. 2 engines + 1 ladder = 1st alarm the staffing can be 3 or 13 for that same alarm. It really should not be that.
30 years ago we would send 2 engines + 1 ladder + 1 chief to a fire and that would get you 13-15 ff's.
Now we send 2 engines + 2 ladder + 1 chief and you get 14ff's. Plus once its a worker, you get 2 more engines (1 for water & 1 FAST).
The ISO standards require a minimum of 2 engines + 1 ladder (or rescue) + 1 chief and a minimum of 13 on duty members or 37 on call members
NFPA 1710 require a minimum of 2 engines + 1 ladder (or rescue) + 1 chief but a minimum of 16 or 17 (the extra 2 over ISO are for 2 out and for a search team), if its a worker they require you add 2 more to the 2 out to make it a FAST and add a safety officer.
Historically each alarm duplicated whatever the 1st alarm sent and as far as I am concerned that how it sould be. Just because your dept does not have enough rigs to make the next alarm level with what you have should not mean you run short.
Now whats really interesting is why:
Before phones and radios we had street boxes and everyone knew if there was a fire you ran to the closest box and pulled the lever AND waited for the FD to arrive so you could direct them to the call. When you pulled the lever the # on the box would be transmitted via telegraph to all the fire stations in the dept and either a bell would sound the number (VFD's had the horns sound the #) &/or a tape would be cut with the number of holes.
So if the box was #236 the tape would look like this: << <<< <<<<<<. The man on watch would look up on a big wall chart and find out what intersection #236 was at (VFD's had a little pocket manual) and what the pattern was. Then if the pattern included that rig they went. The standard was a minimum of 2 engines (an engine was a steamer and hose wagon) and a ladder or city service unit).
If they got there and the chief want more help, he would have someone run to the next pull box (say #237) and "Pull or strike the 2nd Alarm" or if they had a telegraph key in the box he could go back to the original box and "tap out or strike a 2nd alarm"
When that # came in the house watch would look at the chart, see that the 1st alarm units were not available and additional units would go to the new box (not knowing if they were going to the same job or a different one nearby).
If this was still not enough, go to the third box and "Pull or strike the 3rd Alarm"

What defines a working fire?
When members of the department show up who you haven't seen in months for training, meetings, etc. and they are the first ones on the rigs and there throwing didicated members off. That's when you know it a working fire.

She use to call MEMS, we use to let the new probationary member talk on the phone with her, and say to them, we have pd tracing the call keep them on the phone to we can get to her... Goodtimes.... Wonder if she passed?

Ossining FD deserves credit for throwing the ladders as well. They're among a small percentile around the county that has strong Truck Company presence at a fire scene - whether it's throwing portable ladders or getting the Truck into position. I actually missed this fire, but can tell you I am proud of the guys for always doing the right thing.
Ironically, Monday night's FAST drill was a review of throwing ladders...

I have to give it up to the dispatchers at 60 & 40 Control,I don't see how you do it .... If my Ambulances, Cars, Units, whatever don't answer the first time I call them. I am on them. Make me call you twice or 3 times , its on . My Uncle died as a result lousy ambulance service . My poison pen set into motion revamping of a county wide als/bls system that still has many flaws but is better now then ever .....

Back when West Nile Virus became an issue. I took a call from an older female that went like this;
Me: "Fire Department."
Lady: "Hello, there are two birds on my front porch and they won't go away."
Me: "OK mam, this is the fire department, what do you want me to do?"
Lady: "Well I already called the police and they said to call you. These birds have been in front of my door for over a half hour and won't go away. They are very menacing and keep staring at me."
Me: "Unless they're on fire, we really can't do anything. If they're still there in a half hour, call the police and file a harassment complaint."

So because the firefighters and the dispatchers didn't have the ability to see into the future and see this fire was gonna break out and sent the first due company on another call, this needs to be investigated? Secondly, they said the woman went to the fire house to report the fire, that's why you should just call 911 on the phone, cause you know they'll always be there.

Like most VAC's (and a lot of us ), they have issues. However, I believe that this is just a normal fundraising event.
The Town of Newburgh Volunteer Ambulance Corp d/b/a Town of Newburgh EMS, runs (has) 3 ambulances. They have contracted paid staff (2 EMT's) that work 6a-6p, 7 days/week. They also bill for service.
The town is approximately 47 sq miles with a small area in the north also covered by Plattekill Fire Dept which runs a BLS ambulance.
http://www.tonvac.org/ although it appears the website hasn't been updated for several years.

Your burnt out? Try working 70 - 90 hours weekly in this "system."
That said, forget per diem and forget part time. EMS providers deserve a real career path. Either allow a larger pre established agency (in this case GPD comes to mind) handle it or start going to the media and hope change will begin.

As I see it trying to run an EMS agency with all volunteers in Westchester County is out of the question! Twenty years ago when people could afford to live here and work only one job to make ends meet VACS were full of members who rode schedules weekly. In fact when a "new member" joined it was almost impossible for that member to "ride" weeknights because 5 man crews had been working together for years! Recently, it has been nearly impossible to get new members because the "younger potential" members were moving out of Westchester because of these taxes. In many communities the "call volume" has gotten to the point that volunteers have to stay in quarters for the entire shift..when I rode it was possible to respond from home of somewhere in the community within 4 minutes which freed the volunteer to do some limited errands etc. I believe the "response" is now mandatory within a very short period of time.
We are teetering on a very short leash here in Westchester when it comes to EMS and Fire Dept. response. More and more only one ambulance often with only two people is available to respond no matter what the nature of the call. I dare say that should the call be traumatic that the survival rate is significantly less than it was years ago just from a response time angle. Many of you have raised the question of going to PAID staff. It is a great idea BUT WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GET ENOUGH MEDICS AND EMT'S FROM? Most per diems are not making enough per hour and thus are running from one agency to another for shifts. We are losing contol of our emergency responders due to lack of manpower. Time for the politicians to recognize this and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT ..before it is too late.

I have been a EMT BRAVO member for longer than a month, just I got a new e-mail address and had to re-register under a different user name I have been a member for awhile.
My family lives in Irvington, and I Volunteer
And Dobbs Ferry has not had a problem for 15 years, I believe they started having a problem in 2005 or so, when a new administration was voted in and alot of old timers left or kicked out.
Dobbs Ferry VAC has done a lot for Irvington. Remember when Irvington Police Officer Lugio Osso was involved in the headon with the teen who stole the car from Conn. It was Dobbs Ferry VAC that transported him and treated him. IVAC was stuck on Main Street. Irvington has also been in Tarrytown alot. Why doesn't TVAC pay back Irvington. It was Irvington that helped TVAC with a problem of scheduling crews. Tarrytown eventully went Paid day time . So huzzie59 learn your history first I've been riding paid/volunteer Fire/EMS for 30 years.

I would love to see EMS Agenies who don't get out get automatic mutual aid. No more of this 3 tone outs. (4 if you count the initial dispatch) I think it's crazy that there are 20min respond times for an ambulance in this county. Some of which only respond with a driver only, with no EMT/first responder. What happens if that unit is flag down on the way to the job he was dispatched to?

and a brother from my fire company who was on the bus that day, along with an in law of mine from VMFD was there too...... I think, due to the overall operation, its better to thank the entire group involved.
way to be professional with the no sh*t. totally uncalled for.