x635

Tonight, I saw the best, and now my favorite, "Cops" segment. This particular incident went down with Brevard (?) County Sherriff in Florida. They had a foot pursuit, and the subject went into a large pond. It was in the middle of a golf course, at night. The officers jumped in and swam right after him, along with the K-9 dog. The officers outswam this guy and made a nice collar. That perp was lucky there weren't any alligators in that pond!!! Never seen anything quite like it! Just when Cops was getting dull, boring, and routine, they capture something fun!

I've also added photos of Stiloski's fleet to a new Wrecker section of my photo gallery. Stiloski's has a tremendous amount of equipment that would help at a variety of different incidents. http://www.x635photos.com/thumbnails.php?album=68

Today, I passed by Scarsdale EMS's new headquarters on Weaver Street. All I can say is WOW! Due to Scarsdale's strict zoning regs and overly anal neighbors, they had to make this place look like it fits in as an average house in a Scarsdale neighborhood. And, boy, does it look GOOD! It was nighttime, so I'll try and get back to get some photos. Also, I know this is all being paid for with donations and loans, and the residents of Scarsdale are, besides giving them a hard time about building it, also being stingy with donations.

Well, after a MASSIVE, MASSIVE amount of site work and trucking in fill, Home Depot in Hawthorne is close to opening. This Home Depot is on Dana Road off 9A, opposite the Dana Road the WC Fire Training Center is on. Hopefully, this Home Depot will be clean and well stocked, and not dirty, cluttered, poorly stocked, packed, and skelly like the one in Yonkers. And it's closer then Port Chester, which is my closest nice HD. Now only for a Lowes in Westchester. Hawthorne's going to be very convient for many central Westchester people. From what I understand, this is going to be a much "freindlier" home depot, with bright lighting and wider aisles, and a much more upscale layout then the typical Hoome Depot. More like Lowes concept. Oddly enough, for those that remember, there used to be a Lloyd's Home Improvment Center right across the street (then it was Tops Appliance, now Bloomingdales Furniture Clearance Center). I loved Lloyds, my father and I used to go there as a kid to pick up stuff for fixing up the house. Now, years after they went under, here comes Home Depot right across the street. And to those Greenburgh residents, the tax dollars from this could have been ours....but Paul Feiner and his adminsitration didn't want it in the town, so Home Depot moved it a few feet up, over the line into Mount Pleasant, but still on the Union Carbide property. After some vicous court battles, this scaled down Home Depot is the result. I'm sure this Home Depot will also add some run volume for Hawthorne Fire/EMS. [attachmentid=1631] [attachmentid=1629]

Here's an additional shot to give you a better idea of how it sits off 9A: [attachmentid=1644]

Here are some photos. Progress is of this week, and they seem to be moving along fast. It's going to be beuatiful. Here's the shot from Weaver Street: [attachmentid=1641] And of their new bays: [attachmentid=1642] And of their old, cramped, obsolete soon to be former quarters in the middle of a busy 5 way intersection: [attachmentid=1643]

I can also help by assisting you to record simulated MAYDAY recordings that would be applicable to your training. x635@EMTBravo.com if you are interested.

If Ladder 4 was in Orange County, CA, this is what it would look like: http://www.emergencyrigs.net/viewphoto.asp...=3379&Size=med_ That's a really nice versatile package they got there, on an Arrow XT and all.

That is the point of this. My Lime campaign is continuing. Any other color choice would be horrible.

Date: 12-1-06 Time:1900hrs Location: 1-15 North Central Ave. C/S West Hartsdale Ave. Frequency: Units Operating: Greenburgh PD, GPD Detective Divison, GPD Crime Scene Unit, GPD K-9 Unit Description Of Incident: Suspect reportedly tried to rob Duane Reade store at 1-15 N. Central in Hartsdale. This suspect is POSSIBLY the "bomber robber" who has been targeting local Westchester businesses over the past few weeks by threatening them with a bomb and demanding cash. Foot pursuit ensured upon PD arrival, large perimiter established. Supect was reportedly collared and is in custody of GPD. No further information at this time. Writer: x635, HFD23 1900hrs: Report of "the bomber guy" via 911 in Duane Reade, 1 North Central. 1902hrs: 65? in foot pursuit on North Washington. Subject was witnessed leaving the rear entrance of Duane Reade. 1903hrs: 65 has subject in custody 2300hrs: Crime scene with perimiter still in operation.

Has anyone seen the new LED devices that are in aerials and ground ladders that light up the treads/path? I think this is a most ingenious invention, it really makes nightime operations and climbing safer when you can see where you are climbing (although anywhere a ladder is should be lit as much as possible) Just wondering if anyone around here has this retrofitted or spec'd onto their ladders?

I just wanted to remind everyone about LFD171's Westchester Apparatus (and beyond) photo album. He has quite the extensive collection of apparatus photos from the area. Check it out: http://public.fotki.com/lfd171/

Check out this site for some incredible MS Paint Line Art drawings by RIEMT. Feautres apparatus from all over the country! Some awesome work and talent!!! http://s9.photobucket.com/albums/a55/RIemt/Drawings/

Heavy winds and rain here in the City Of Hartsdale...I'm retreating to the x635 Storm Cellar!!!

It's great to see New Rochelle adding to their roster. I hope this additional 8 guys will provide the staffing needed to roll R-4 independent of TL-11 24/7. Especially considering a few years ago, layoffs were being touted as well as the closure of Engine 24. What a turnaround in the city's economy, and I'm proud that New Rochelle is another fine Westchester department. They are well staffed with experienced and knowledgeable firefighters, they're progressive, and fight fires well and with great discipline. Coupled with some changes/upgrades you will see in NRFD in the next few years, I would hope others will use them as a model and follow suit. One of the most respectable things about them as well is that they are so modest. Like other departments in Westchester, such as Yonkers, Eastchester, Scarsdale, Hartsdale/Fairview/Greenville, White Plains, etc, they are slowly yet steadily taking steps to bring the WC fire service to where it needs to be. My only hope would be that NRFD takes over EMS from Transcare, with buses, and at least civilian medics/EMTs if not FF's, and the whole deal.

Here's his letter to his guys. Although a great, progressive department with a paramilitary style culture, they are embroiled in human-resoources related politics that plague not only the FD, but many other city departments. Unfortunetly, a lot of this was beyond the chiefs control, but he had to take responsibilty for the actions of his men and women. This is a sad end to the Chiefs long career.

I spotted this unmarked DPW Truck, awaiting delivery to the customer, at Hines Bros. International/Navistar in Bridgeport, CT on 11-30-06. As many people know, I love DPW trucks. This is one of the hottest Navistars I've ever seen. It's red, short wheelbase, neat features like the strobes intergrated into the dump body as well as an intergrated sander and 4x4. My guess is that this is going to New Milford DPW. They are the only DPW I know of in CT with red trucks. Seems Hines has the contract for CT State DOT and DPW vehicles. They had a TON of State vehicles there, as well as other similar ones awaiting delivery to other CT DPWs. Here's the photo: [attachmentid=1624]

Well, thanks to a member of this forum in the know (who cant post but I can!) Ford is anticipating losing market share to Dodge. Chevrolet has lost a lot of business due to recent quality issues. Word is Crown Vic will be scrapped for the '09 model year, and based on the Chargers sucess, Ford may roll out a classic rear wheel drive muscle car with a police package. We'll see. For a company promoting itself as "bold", the Crown Vic although reliable and trusty is sure getting dated.

Let's face a fact here. Many of us have sat in traffic, sometimes for a BS accident, and complained about sitting stopped in traffic for a minor accident. Or even a construction site where no one is working. Now when you put yourselves on the other end of the spectrum, it's fine. The officer has a job to keep traffic moving...and I've seen supervisors scream at...even write up....their patrolmen for shutting down a road or closing a lane. We all know the nightmare this creates, and of course our safety always comes first, but this area is a traffic nightmare, and we also should be cognisant of that as well. Yes, I feel more comforable with an apparatus blocking the scene, especially on a high speed roadway, but sometimes, as my example above, we need to realize we aren't always right, and sometimes we need to learn to work together better. I also feel placing an apparatus 100 feet from the scene to warn drivers ahead of time, or placing a sign, is a smart move.

No, it's not a simple hyprocrisy, you misunderstood. I am complaining about the services that my high taxes pay for. We pay a fortune in Greenburgh, and I (opinion) feel that a lot of money is misspent and/or wasted. I also never said anything about higher wages. Nobody ever complains about the cost of police officers, school bus drivers, sanitation workers, teachers, and other professional services we pay for with our taxes. Yet when it comes to hiring firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs, it seems everyone wants to go the cheapest route possible, and rely on a system that, in some places, is obsolete. And the answer to fixing staffing problems is just dumping more money into incentives, with no foresight into future needs. I'm not getting into a war over whether career or volunteer is better. That's not what this discussion is about. I am talking about subsisidies for housing for volunteers in the busy Town Of Greenburgh, staffing, and resource allocation. For my dollars, I think it would be better spent investing in a long term solution, rather then having my tax dollars paying someone elses mortage. Yes, I am getting a service in return....but I would like to be guarenteed an engine with 4 men who are also EMT's or higher, are physically fit and mature, and held to certain standards with certain consequences. I'm sorry, but I feel solving staffing solutions by giving volunteer FF's housing is a solution filled with holes and potential issues. Also, I've noticed that the majority of volunteer FF's nowadays is young kids who live at home, with their parents. Because that's all they can afford. I think in Pound Ridge's case, where they bought a rooming house and required certain things from the members living there, is a good example of where a career FD would not be beneficial, and the FD came up with...and implemented....a creative solution to staff their department. I feel the Town Of Greenburgh is a different story altogether.

And here's one more of a wall (I think) they are building so they can widen 9A at Dana Road and add turning lanes. [attachmentid=1630]

It could be. But with the intergrated sander body and some other features, it seemed more like a DPW truck to me.

Thanks for the heads up. I forgot this was even coming out today, with the Code 3 forum being gone and all. Regular Price: $324.99 Club Members: $249.99 That sure is STEEP, especially for an after the holidays release! I'm going to hold out and wait on this one. I'd rather have a regular rearmount, like Ladder 110 or Ladder 38. Also it's weird that it says edition quantity "unlimited".

Date: 12-1-06 Time: 0315hrs Location: Nepperhan Ave. & Columbus Place Frequency: Units Operating: E303, E306, L71, R1, B1, C6, YPD, YPD*ESU Description Of Incident: Unmarked Yonkers Police vehicleon fire near YPD radio shops. Car was parked on the street awaiting radio repair. Fire exposure damaged another unmarked YPD unit parked adjacent. PD believes fire started due to arson. Writer: x635

Now I'm really interested, because Mr. Feiner has stated to me via email that this housing will be made available to "paid" employees of the town, not just volunteers. I understand the housing costs are out of control, and something needs to be done to make this town more affordable for us "blue collar workers", but even if I could afford a house in this town, the taxes are INSANE. This town spends money like it grows on trees...literally. They spend on every concievable outllandish thing, with no concious to the taxes in this town. What I'm truly concerned about is service provided to the citizens, many of which are my friends and family. To tell you the truth, I feel much more comfortable knowing that when I pick up the phone, I know what I am getting (with the exception of EMS at times) Now, if my tax dollars go to subsidize this housing for both PAID and VOLUNTEERS, what is the end result? I'm very confused?