x635

Independent City Schols. They are excellent. Just built a new elementary in my nieghborhood. Taxes are very reasonable.

I think ambulance bills are ridiculous and a service that should be covered by taxes or charity. An ambulance is not a planned expense. I have an $800 ALS 911 bill that my insurance company won't pay for, and now the ambulance billing company is threatening to take me to collections. I won't give the medical details, and this was a while ago. I didn't even call for the ambulance! With the taxes you guys pay up there, I just laugh now that I'm living where I do. I have a Paramedic ambulance, staffed by two paid paramedics 24/7 a week, less then a mile from my house, in a nice EMS station. The ambulance is brand new, and refurbed or replaced every two years. Starting salary for a medic is $50,000 base (and low cost of living down here), and it's a civil service job. EMS is a full county department and service. Plus, I have a fire engine with ALS first response, and officer, driver, and THREE firefighters also less then a mile away. And, cops that actually have the time and manpower to PATROL! The area I live in is geographically and demographically similar to the Hudson Valley, yet I pay 1/4 of the taxes I would up there! I don't understand why they can make it work down here, but not in one of the wealthiest areas of the nation! Unbelievable. (Knock on wood I will never need those services!).

Fellow members, You're free to do what you wish and post what you want. With that said, hundreds of you have the capability to post on threads on this forum. Every so often, we have an online get well or condolence card on the forum that we ask all members to sign. Some get more posts then other. Many get more views then signatures. I can't tell you how many times and thanks I've gotten for these cards....the families and friends, who don't even know about this forum, come on here and read them, and even if it's just a quick note, it still means a ton. The more people that sign these online cards, the more impressive the show of support. I often print out the thread after the funeral and mail it to the family. I've gotten a ton of thank you letters to the members of this site. So, I ask that when you see one of these threads, or you're reading it, take a moment and hit "Add Reply" or fill in the quick reply box at the bottom of the page....it will only take a minute of your time to add something meaningful to someone's life. Thanks for your anticipated support! -Seth G. (P.S.-Kindly disable your signature for these posts!)

This thread has been updated to an online condolence card- please sign if you wish. Thoughts and prayers are with 1st Lt Trevor Yurista, his family, friends and fellow troops during this tragic time. -Seth G.

I have NO idea where they came up with that information, but I know it's got to be flawed based on some of the salaries I've seen in Westchester...... I'm also sure that it doesn't take into account what the firefighter is ACTUALLY making...

LMAO! Now if only New Rochelle was kind enough to buy a tiller and foam unit for the same purposes...... I know Utility 3 (van) used to carry the SCBA's and firefighting tools for the brigade before they got the engine and ladder..... I agree with the notion of an insane amount of redundancy in Westchester County. My understanding that the brigade was there orginally because of the increase in population of the area during the weekdays. With Valhalla and Hawthorne both having very busy coverage areas, and like most departments, dwindling daytime manpower, having a fire brigade for a campus with some very diverse hazards is not a bad thing at all. (Some examples of the hazards on the reservation: Level I Trauma Center Hospital, Childrens Hospital, Jail, Nursing Home, Clinics, Medical College with medical research facilities, water filtration plant, homeless shelter, juvenille detention facility, automotive repair shop, commercial laundry facility, steam tunnels, residential housing, fire training center, police training center, heliport, radio transmission tower, power substation, infastructure.....and all the people that come along with these types of facilities) When Pat Kelly was commisioner, there was even talk of making it a 24/7 career department. Personally, I feel, especially if we have County Police, then DES should have career firefighters to man their special operations endeavors, supplemented by volunteers. Make their primary coverage area the reservation during their downtime. With the way Westchester works, they have to spend this money (some of which is grants) or else the County reduces funding. It's just too bad they couldn't increase dispatcher's salaries with all this found money.........

Here's, I guess, the completed shot. The ambulance is parked in the third bay right now, apparently the bay floor at Live Oak is being rebuilt and all other apparatus is across the street at the water shop. I think the Utility is going to be delivered any day now..... Is that driveway on the right hand side of the building new?? Does it belong to EFD, and if so, where does it lead?

I'm sure this is a touchy subject for some, but please, let's keep this discussion civil and respectful. While reading through some of the LODD reports of the past, I've noticed some troubling facts. Some of the LODD's included elderly members of firefighter who collapsed at a non-firematic event such as a parade or at the firehouse. Or, what seems often enough, Fire Police collasping while on scene. While looking further into NIOSH reports, many of these people had existing cardiac and other problems that weren't considered by their department. So, each year we quote a number of firefighters who die, and these people are included. I acknowledge and respect that they probaly gave many years of service to their community, and should be entitled to whatever benefits their department provides, but my concern is lumping these deaths into LODD statistics. Until we start sorting this out, we're never going to see our LODD rate go down......

Has anyone come across a situation where a fire was extinguished in a private, detached residence by a fire sprinkler system? Has anyone responded to a call with a malfunction of these systems? I hope to see a residential home fire sprinkler law passed in the future, and this is something that's going to have to be added to the curriculum of a firefighters continuing education.

You raise a great point. However, that's a big ethical dilemma. To we want to ensure the firefighter is healthy, or god forbid, have something happen that could have been prevented? If it happens while on the job, then all the LODD associated costs. There have been cases where departments have thrown out firefighters for not being healthy. But, if a firefighter isn't healthy enough to do his duties at no fault of the department, then why shouldn't it be more like the outside world? Why do we only have to take a fitness test once in our careers?

Here's a photo of one of the extrication tool compartments....there are more tools on order, and this cabinet is still being set up.... I hope to have the full gallery of the photos I took of this truck up on x635Photos.com sometime this week. Thanks again to Chief Fitz and his staff not only for helping me to get these photos, but for their awesome hospitality!!

It is still there and in service. It tows the training trailer (photos coming soon), the water tanker, and some of the other trailers.

I know this has been covered, but since it is now a current event again, I'm curious to know what's going on. Since Montefiore bought OLM and renamed it "Montefiore North", what will be the fate of OLM*EMS? I know back in the day, OLM*EMS was one of THE best services to work for, a career aspiration for any EMT. It would be a shame if Monte dissolved them or let Transcare take over. Also, doesn't Monte/OLM own Lifeline or whatever that FDNY-looking transport company is? And didn't they used to own Approved before Empress bought them out?

I assume these are the "new" OLM buses.....anyone know what brand it is? (Besides Ford) Do they still use the OLM*EMS station?

Beautiful shot!!!

The only E-One I can think of that was recently disposed of in Westchester is Scarsdale Engine 55. Photo: http://x635photos.com/displayimage-1600.html

This car is SHARP! Note the LED's on the hood.....really adds to visibilty from the rear view mirror!! Other goodies include the 360 degree floodlight on the roof, dual shotgun rack, prisoner cage, custom electronics cabinet, GPS Navigation, rear view camera, Sound Off And Galls Warning Lights, Controllers, and Siren. Go-Rhino push bar and step bars. Heavy duty front speakers. Custom painted front door patch. Village Of Ardsley, NY (Town Of Greenburgh, Westchester County) 2008 Dodge Durango Outiftted By Stiloski's Emergency Vehicles Photo By Seth G. (x635) http://www.x635Photos.com

I'm a proponent of making First Responder certification mandatory for all career and volunteer firefighters, regardless if they respond on EMS calls or not. There's often times where a firefighter will be presented with an EMS situation, and wants to help, but really has no clue what to do but wait for EMS. In an area where EMS is often stretched thin, I feel it's crucial. I know many Career FF's have to be a certified First Responder (included in academy) or are required to be EMT's, but Volunteer's face the same situations and there's no reason why they shouldn't have this training also. Having this training will also benefit EMS, as we can get vitals as we arrive on the scene, and in some cases, pt packaged, etc. And, no offense to firefighters, depending on the department, the EMS training may get used more than the FF training!

I have heard the same.....it's a shame. For anyone who's counting, they won with a bid of $3,700.00

But firefighters can handle rescuing severly burned people from buildings, extricated victims who've suffered major trauma from motor vehicles, and give EMS the occasional "lift assiist". Where is the difference of being able to administer oxygen to a chest pain patient, take an initial blood pressure, properly tiage so the right resources can be sent or cancelled.....help start the EMS process ASAP and in the meantime help to save the patients life. The "can't stomach it" shouldn't be an issue, because, in that case, the firefighter is incapable of responding to a bunch of emergencies requiring firefighters, such as MVA's.

Hartsdale Fire District (Town Of Greenburgh, County Of Westchester NY) 2008 Ford F-350 Superduty 4x4 Ford Triton V-8 Gas Engine Car (Utility) 2174 Major funtions: District utility, Plow Snow, Tow Squad 6 Trailers

I'm not sure if it will be a Supervisors vehicle, or assigned to the officer on duty who is a member of the Town's multi-department SWAT unit. And here's a photo of the Ghost Lights lit up....I regret not getting video on this car and more shots. Some info on the Sound Off Ghost Lights from their site: http://www.soundoffsignal.com/warnamber/dd...d/GHOST_ddg.htm

I don't know if this is the same one, but when I photographed it last winter it was marked for L-34. Photo: http://x635photos.com/displayimage-1489.html I know White Plains is expecting delivery of an ALF Ladder similar to New Rochelle's, but I don't know the current status of that. Hopefully one of the WPFD members or someone in the know can help us out. I also vaguely remember L-34 (Ford/Smeal Quint) being OOS due to severe damage to the outriggers?

Town Of Greenburgh Technical Rescue Team New Collapse Rescue Support Unit GPD Fleet #119

I should mention that this truck was featured in article by Joe Pinto in Sep-Oct i2008 ssue of Fire Apparatus Journal along with some other new YFD aqquisitions.