x635

Here's another one of my favorite parts about the room, Jimmy Boys turnouts. The only thing I notice, notice Jimmy Boy wears rubber boots, yet the guy next to him wears leathers. And judging by the color of his gear and the rest of the "firehouse", JB's a career Hartsdale Firefighter. Yet the only inaccuracies is that we don't wear red helmets (yet), and we don't drive E-Ones, lol [attachmentid=1706]

Here's a close up of one of the murals, with a story behind it. This is the TV in the "firehouse". The firefighter pictured is Hartsdale FD Group 3 Firefighter Chip Nanko, testing out a brand of escape ropes at Greenvile Fire Training Center that GUFA Local 1586 secured a $60,000 grant from State Senator Nick Spano for all the Greenburgh firefighters to be equipped with [attachmentid=1705] Again, beautiful work by the muralist, and all involved in the project!!! FOR MORE PHOTOS, VISIT: http://www.x635photos.com/thumbnails.php?album=75

I'm just curious, I had heard rumors that the Ford Crown Vic/Police Interceptor was going to be overhauled for the 2007 model year. In fact, a couple of years ago, I saw photos floating around the net of a conceptual design sporting NYPD graphics. Has anyone heard when the Crown Vic will be updated/refreshed? The current style is getting kind of old and boring (in the car world) especially with the new-to-the-scene Dodge Charger. Although I love the look of the current Crown Vic/PI, I'd love to see a redesign.

My department recieves a call from Greenburgh Water. The officers on duty are notified, and communicate it within their ranks. The firefighters on duty are notified, and then they subsequently notify others at tour changes. Additionally, the OOS hydrants are written on a chalkboard that members check frequently for first due area updates. Other then that, nothing. I'd like to see the OOS hydrants tagged, but in Greenburgh, the water department usually is very quick to fix hyrants. We also test a majority of the hydrants in our district once or twice a year to check that they are working. Also, it's funny to me how some departments will page out a parade, a spaghetti night, or justify some other nonsense being transmitted on 46.26, yet will keep the hydrant thing a secret, especially where members respond in their cars. Eventually, our MDT's will have the capability to indicate OOS hydrants.

LOL on the above graphic. Getting back to knowing all the hydrants in your first due, I totally agree that you should be equipped with that knowledge. However, there are several situations where aids to your knowledge, such as GPS mapping, would be helpful. For instance, besides my own first due (which rotates on a monthly basis- and between engine and truck), our department responds dual response with a number of surrounding departments in densly populated areas. A lot of the hydrants are in very unique locations, and sometimes the IC directs us to a specific hydrant, sometimes it's our job to find and secure. We always check the running cards or running book for the closest hydrants enroute. But to have....and recall that information...expecially at 3AM on a busy night....we can all sometimes have brain farts. My department has MDT's and a CAD that will be capable of locating hydrants in our areas.....which even though we have the knowledge and the running info, having a dynamic source would be a great assest. Also, in my department we have many large builldings, and need to know the sprinkler and standpipe locations to the precise place, and when we're working the truck, the exact position the truck should be in for these buildings. So. coupled with a whole bunch of other knowledge, sometimes simply recalling a hyrdrant cold can be tough. And what if you go down to Pelham as a Mutual Aid tanker (if your dept has a tanker) for a water main break? How familiar will you be then? Sometimes, books aren't that great. As sometihing additional, when the DPW burys a hydrant in snow and ice, especially one off a six lane highway, no matter how well you know where that hydrant is....sometimes your still whipping out a metal detector (another tool we carrry to find hydrants in winter)

I'm suprised no one has come up with a concept for articulating Fire or EMS apparatus. You'd think someone would at least try to make a Rescue truck out of one of these!! [attachmentid=1701]

Today, I had the chance to shoot FDNY's Ladder 52, a 2006 Seagrave 100' which covers the Riverdale section of the Bronx (or Manhattan, depending on who you ask) I really like the newly redesigned rear end, the stairs seem a lot easier to climb, and the waning package a lot nicer. [attachmentid=1684] [attachmentid=1685] [attachmentid=1686] And I also got to shoot FDNY Engine 3, which was sitting at the Engine manufacturers repair facility in NJ. [attachmentid=1687]

Another shot of Ladder 52, from the front angle. [attachmentid=1702]

Today, I finally got a good shot of one of NYS*DOT's New Mack Granites. These are the first Mack's I've ever seen for NYS*DOT. They seem to religously use International, or at least that's whose gotten the bid for as long as I can remember. It's nice to see them using Macks. [attachmentid=1659]

Although I completly understand and respect your point, I do sense a bit of tension with firefighters from this and previous posts of yours. I'm not the same way. I am a career FF and Paramedic. I have numerous friends that are cops, and I consider them standing shoulder to shoulder with me in this business. I also, as many know, have an great interest in Fire/EMS/PD/DPW apparatus, which is quite obvious. What my cop friends don't know about my job as a firefighter, I try and educate them about- not tell them it's "none of their business". Nobody here is trying to "dictate" what type of emergency apparatus a officer should have, rather just trying to learn and discuss, just like we discuss fire trucks and ambulances, etc. Just like you are welcomed to join in on those topics, others are welcomed to join in on this topic. I agree, there are many who don't know a single thing about what goes on in terms of a police car or any other emergency apparatus for that matter, but I know I, like many others, would like to learn more, especially given my interest in the Dodge Charger.

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I'm very proud of this shot, I've always wanted to add a real Sperry car to my collection, and on my photo hunt today, I shot this one at a siding in Hastings. [attachmentid=1697]

The diesel engine was running on this train, as visible from the exhaust plume. I think it only runs electric in Grand Central/Park Ave tunnel, north of the I don't know why.

And finally for my train photos from today, a CSX Duo heads northbound through Yonkers. Notice the notch which allows it to clear the third rail, thus enabling it to travel in Metro North terrirtory. [attachmentid=1700]

Port Of New Jersey 1197, in Bayonne. [attachmentid=1699]

Amongst my other train photos today, here's Metro North's GE Genesis #206 at Yonkers Station, 1:17 Local to Poughkeepsie with a track change to Track #2. [attachmentid=1698]

[attachmentid=1692] Today, I noticed this Holy Name ambulance with a unit identifier starting with "BLS". I remember something vaguely about Holy Name adding ambulances to their operations, but can't seem to find it. I think this is new for them, as far as I knew, in 2003 when I got a job offering there, they only had Medic flycars and provided ALS for Teaneck and surrounding municpalities. Can someone explain how this works- is this EMS or is this for transports? Also, what is the make of the module? Thanks!

If cars would just drive themselves, then we wouldn't be having these problems. There is absoultely no reason why with the technology thats out there, that cars can't drive themselves. And the Jetsons, which took place in the year 2000, even had flying cars, which would be GREAT for my spy shots!!! We have better things to do then sit in traffic and drive....that's why I love Metro North and Bee Line so much. And I would be able to take more photos if I didn't have to worry about driving safely.

Another shot... [attachmentid=1696]

You are incoreect. If you have a MDT with GPS mapping software in your rig, it costs NOTHING! Just input the latitude and longitdue or other GPS marker for the hydrant into the mapping system, and you have the hydrant via GPS. The hyrant does not need ANY GPS equipment. The cost for each individual hydrant is $0!!!

Here's an update on the situation. I have made several emails, calls, and letters to people at UMDNJ*EMS and the hospital public relations about obtaining photos, and haven't gotten any reply whatsoever. These were all sent progressively, when I didn't hear from one person, I waited, then went to the next, etc. So, today I was in Newark, and the Rescue was in the yard. I waited for a few minute, to see if the rescue or ambulances would go out on a call....no such luck. I parked my car, walked down the sidewalk, and managed to shoot standing away from the fence or across the street, but through a gap and over the fence, zoom in, and get a shot of their Rescue from a public street. I think it is a beautiful piece, and the sun was shining right on it. It's too bad UMDNJ wants to ignore me, I have a ton of respect for their field personel, but this whole situation leaves me with a bad taste about UMDNJ....especially when I've had other agencies I've contacted be s helpful and friendly. I'm told to I need formal permission to shoot their rigs in the yard, or get them from public property. Yet, I can't even get a hold of anyone to find out how to get formal permission. [attachmentid=1694] Well, at least I got some sort of shot of one of my favorite rescue trucks in the world.

And here's the original shot, before I zoomed and cropped. You may reconize the yard for the internationally televised TV show shown on TLC and then Discovery Health, "Paramedics". The yard has also has been shown in a number of local media shots and videos, and other photographers have been allowed (I assume) to shoot this rig in the yard. Take, for example, http://www.fdnytrucks.com/files/html/other...ounty/UMDNJ.htm Now I have contacts at UMDNJ that have offered to help, but since the Director wanted me to go through the formal channels, I am trying to do that per her to get to photograph this rescue..... I live 1 hour from Newark, and I can't chase rigs around Newark to get photos, nor do I want to risk my safety by doing so, thats why I want to shoot this in the yard. I'm not a crazy person, well maybe I am, but I just think that this situation and "policy" is ridiculous. [attachmentid=1695]

I agree strongly with that, as we are required to know every hydrant and even the approx flow in our district. However, sometimes when hydrants are buried in a gi-normous snow pile, and the street is cleaned, it's hard to find the hydrant. Also, sometimes you go into mutual aid districts, and finding a hydrant can be tough...especially when you don't have an updated guide by no fault of your own. The flags do tend to get ripped off, and the scotchlite on the hydrant tops is useless to me if the hydrant is down a hill, behind a dense shrub, etc. I personally feel the hydrant marker sticks and appropriate signage is the best way to locate hydrants, coupled with knowledge and up-to-date references (another reason for a countywide MDT system). Maybe even hydrants with GPS, so you can see exactly where the hydrants are in relation to your apparatus.

Well, many of you know my recent thread about how I always miss fires. Well, I missed another one in Hartsdale this morning. And this one I'm glad I missed....it was COLD out!!! Read more about it at: http://x635.blogspot.com/ [attachmentid=1691]