x635

Before I begin, I know the Hudson Valley doesn't have a strong Horton dealer. It seems at one time, that Horton was being used by many agencies in the Hudson Valley. Then, it was PL Custom, and now Lifeline (which I hope becomes the predominant brand) Many agencies buy Seagrave because they have been proven in numerous urban areas, especially FDNY. But FDNY uses Hortons, which are not cheap either, and I'm suprised most agencies don't follow that.

The problem is, that the Academy is a melting pot, with recruits from various departments, all with departments that have different ways of doing things. With such an atmosphere, the instructors do the best they can to give the recruits a solid foundation on which to build from, which has been mentioned previously in this thread. The FDNY academy is different because they are training them to be FDNY firefighters from the ground up.

Agreed. Just saying that these driveways prohibit apparatus placement, which makes taking the tools and ladders from the truck to the incident even more of a schlep.

I know there used to be a dealer on Columbus....right down the street from the firehouse on the opposite side. Always could find a variety of Hortons waiting to be delivered or repaired. I wonder who the NYC area sales rep is......if they are delivering hundreds of ambulances to NYC, I guess their isn't a reason to work hard to push it anywhere else in the area. I've always heard that Hortons have electrical problems, but then again, I really haven't heard of any brands that didn't.

Nice pics. Looks like a typical limited access, far from the road driveway there......too bad they couldn't get Wilton's truck in there. Whose engine is that behind New Canaan's tanker?

I know the career fire academy used to be called the "Westchester Career Chiefs Academy". It was my impression then that the Career Chiefs Association are the ones who ran the academy. Nowadays, isn't it a DES thing? Also, does Westchester still have an active Career Chiefs assoication...don't hear to much about it.

FULL STORY: http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../NEWS/809230422

Just a reminder, wrecker operators are becoming intergral parts of many emergency scenes and they have very dangerous jobs as well. FULL STORY: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/ODD...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

I remember a long time back, I found while cleaning out a closet in the Ardsley Firehouse glass cylinders filled with a chemical that, "back in the day", used to be thrown into rooms and help knock down the fires. The older guys who knew the older guys who actually had used them said they worked great....until they found out how toxic the chemical inside was...and hence why they stopped using it. I wonder how many firefighters would be accepting of this new technology.......I know some that would cry about it taking "our jobs away", but based on the information I've browsed through, this is a really neat technology that I think is going to become as common as an AED or fire extinguisher on apparatus one day.

Nice find! Does anyone know where this photo was taken? The truck looked so much healthier when it was in service...the photo above is actually sad. I hope it finds new life with a needy US department rather then being cut up for scrap. Also makes me wonder why more departments, especially in the wealthier areas, don't just donate their apparatus to begin with.

You have to factor in, though, that New Milford's EMS coverage area is HUGE, and most of it is down narrow, windy roads. That also factors into transport and turnaround times. Plus, they only have two ambulances, and run well over 1,500 calls a year and growing. I don't know if this came with a lot of drama or not from the membership, but overall they made the smart move to resolve a problem that many VAC's spend time trying to cover up.

Interesting article about how Metro-D.C. area departments are using new "wake up" alerting technology. I know it's used in a lot of firehouses in L.A. County, and it certainly is more pleasant then the traditional. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...8030901963.html

I'm sure with this new rule, there are a ton of suppliers who will be clammoring to produce a traffic safety vest "just for firefighters" in the coming months.

Some of these dispatchers lost EVERYTHING.....they continue to go to work because they are dedicated professionals and are in some cases, mandated, but don't have homes to go back to. Many of these people continue to work while their families are in shelters hours away, in dispatch centers that are remote or have become very difficult to get to. I agree with some of the notions that people in these areas should expect these types of things, but on the same token, what happens if one day, someone said your hometown and your house in Westchester where you have lived many years was prone to earthquakes, and you needed to evacuate? Your family leaves, you stay at work, and then you lose your house. Now, you're stuck at the dispatch center, and all the bosses and everyone else are worrying about other things somewhere besides the dispatch center, roads are impassable, you're operating with a bare bones crew, and stores are closed. Do I think in the future this is an issue that needs to be addressed proactively? Yes, of course. But right now they're asking for help, not handouts. Many of these dispatchers have lived in this area for their entire lives. Most make very little money, and can't afford to live elswhere, or don't want to.

Were any of our local agencies representing??? FULL STORY: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/ODD...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

Special thanks to JJPINTO for the photo! (Photo by and posted with permission from jjpinto. Posted on behalf of jjpinto by x635) Westchester County Department Of Transportation Bee-Line Bus System 2008 Orion V #803 Features: High back, coach style seats Luggage racks Individual luggage racks Laptop power plug-ins at each seat Metrocard accepted Low emissions engine w/ particulate filiter Plus a lot of other neat specs that I will post later.... These buses will be replacing the old 800 series MCI Commuter coaches that serve on the express commuter routes to Manhattan. New "Express" lettering will be added soon. Thanks again to JJPINTO for the photo

Congrats Rich!!!

Squad 800 is a "frankenstein" of sorts, as it was assembled from a variety of other FDNY apparatus "donors". It's also interesting to note that Texron (a commercial truck shop) in the Bronx did a majority of the re-assembly and bodywork. I believe this was rebuilt in 2004 or 2005. I'm sure someone can correct me if I'm wrong...

Sounds like a really neat concept for fundraising!

803's Passenger Side Thanks again to jjpinto for the shots!

I know Port Chester-Rye-Rye Brook EMS has been using Brauns the past several years. I know they're due for a new ambulance soon (if they haven't gotten one already). I had heard rumors that it was going to be on a Chevrolet Express 4500 Type III chasis, does anyone know if that still holds true?

If NYC*EMS was around today, instead of having been merged with FDNY in 1996, do you think things would be different? For example, do you think pay would be better, and it would be comprable to a third service municipal agency such as Boston EMS?

Please, use Rescustuff. Not only do they do a great job, they're also longtime sponsors and supporters of this forum and EMTBravo.com. By giving them your business, you help to keep this site online and free!!

Just looking through some of the articles regarding the collision between a Los Angeles Metrolink commuter train and freight train on Friday, which resulted in 25 deaths and numerous injuries, many of them critical. It seems like California always gets hit with these gigantic disasters. But, as always, it seems like they were well prepared, and their comprehensive ICS. MCI, and task force concepts worked well considering the carnage, as well as all agencies working together. With so many Metro North commuter trains packed each day traveling through the northern suburbs, I wonder if a similar incident (and I hope one doesn't happen), if this could be handled with the same efficiency as it was on Friday. During the LA incident, the agencies were still holding their own by responding to other 911 calls including fires. I wonder if this area could absorb such a disaster without stripping coverage from vast areas? I'm sure you'll see articles in many magazines in the months to come, this is definetly one to learn from.

Has anyone seen this product? Looks like some more evolvement in lightbar technolgy, and a new player in the ever-growing competive field of lightbar manufacturers. http://www.rontan.com/Product_Pages/WingluxS-p.html