x635

It appears Code 3 has "temporarily" reopened the Buy-Sell-Trade forum so people could retreive contact info from previous transactions. FFMartin, nice to see you here!

In LA and headed for bed...I'm pooped! Check my blog for details on my day. On deck for tommorow, buffing LA City and County with my friend Orlando.

Not to get off topic, but I feel that everyone in the rig should be an extra set of eyes for the driver. Now, I'm not talking about backseat drivers, but "lookouts". I was taught that early on, and have seen it work in action. Also, let's not forget the video CAN be claimed as evidence and used in a court of law.....in or against our favor. I also wanted to comment on the remark that the driver will "drive cooler if he is being filmed". That is one of the most immature remarks I have heard, and anyone who does that shouldn't be driving, nor even be riding in a firetruck.

I think the County should take advantage of this oppurtunity, and partner with the State to provide a rpermenant egional state course training facility to replace Camp Smith, complete with tech rescue simulators. I know the DES is running out of space, but with a couple of modular trailers, the county has plenty of space and options to host these classes and bring the DES up another notch. This would allow for course to fill with those from other areas for courses that have too low enrollment by themselves with Westchester attendees.

I don't think that everyone who films a response video should be thrown into the same pot. Yes, I do agree there are some who film inapropriately, but what about those who have a long ride, are all outfitted, pregaming in their head and shoot a quick video (while not driving but still spotting) Or those who are riding along...like I will be tommorow or the next day with a company for the sole purpose of photography? Or those who have a camera mounted or placed on the dash, and all the photographer needs to do is press a button- "set it and forget it" There are even some deparments that have the "Drive Cam", a always recording digital video camera for the purposes of documentation, training, and liability. You should have permission from the officer to film and publish the video in whatever cicrumstance. Let's just not accuse everyone who films of doing something wrong. On a side note, some of these videos are getting a little tiring and old.

I'm in San Francisco....First blog entry made! I love this city!

Today, while just browsing around Putnam and Dutchess, I got to see two very nice tower ladders. First, was the City Of Beacon, which I never think of being in Dutchess County. They have a real nice late-model ALF midmount tower: [attachmentid=1267] [attachmentid=1268] And East Fishkill had 39-46 on display today at their headquarters (or Truck 39?) [attachmentid=1269] And their Fire Police van too: [attachmentid=1270]

Today, while driving through Cold Spring, I noticed this [attachmentid=1266] Is this facility still active? I had once heard that Dutchess CC gave classes here. Is anything still done here? And Buterfield used to be a full service hospital at one time too, right? When did it close?

While in Garrison today, I noticed this at a park near the waterfront by the train station. [attachmentid=1265] It looks like it could be a dry hydrant, but just curious what it was and if it was FD related? And only really knowing Garrison via driving through on Route 9, they have some really old, close wooden structures that are tough to access with fire apparatus.

Just a reminder, tonight I am getting packed and ready to go. My trip starts tommorow, and I'll be blogging the trip, with at least an entry each evening with some sneak peaks of the photos I got. http://www.x635.blogspot.com

I'm curious, what's on everyone's (realistic) Code 3 wishlist? For me: 1. Los Angeles City ALF Tiller 2. Yonkers PD ESU Truck 4 3. Hartsdale Engine 170 Pierce Dash and Ward LaFrance (Set!) 4. LA City FD Pierce Arrow XT 5. Hartsdale FD Tower Ladder 15 6. Yonkers FD ALF Engine 306 7. Bedford Hills TL-57 I'd love to see all the above in 1/64th diecast!

A great web resource for the emergency services diecast collector. www.fireengines.net

Just curious, of our forum membership, who collects diecast apparatus? I do, and I have quite a large collection. I mainly enjoy Code 3's, but I have models of all different makes and sizes making for a very large minature fleet. Lately, I haven't been into it as much, due to funds going elsewhere and limited space, but the interest is still strong. One day I will have a room dedicated for display purposes.

Very well said, Truck4. I also was a longtime member of the Code 3 forum, as well as an avid Code 3 colllector. I made many, many friends through that board, and learned a great deal. There were also considerable "behavorial" issues on that completly unmoderated board, which ultimately annoyed a lot of people away from that forum. Members were allowed to run rampant , and that ultimately destroyed the forum experience. There were a lot of great people on that forum from around the world. I hope we can build on the good points of that forum, and I hope to share what's going on in the diecast world with some of my Code 3 friends over here. And I hope to see the C3 board reopen one day.

Looking back on the past year makes me realize the speed and turbulence of life. I remember on this sad anniversary the lessons Jimmy Boy taught us all, the memories he gave us in his short time, and his enduring parents who gave us him. Thankfully, through the J.I.M.M.Y. foundation, Jimmy's legacy will live on. Thoughts and prayers are with the Arena family for the first anniversary of this tragic event.

[attachmentid=1260] Starting this Sunday, exclusively on x635:The Blog you can follow along with me as I travel to San Francisco, CA (my first time there) and later down to L.A. on one of my semi-annual California photo hunts. Click here for further details: http://x635.blogspot.com/2006/09/blog-alon...california.html

So, I'm starting to really get into this video thing, and sharing my digital videos via my blog. I currently shoot video using my litle Canon Digital Elph S500 5.0, which does a decent job. I am researching sometime in the near future getting a very compact digital video camera that stores onto a small digital media card, that's inexpensive and would be easy to tote around with my Canon Digital Rebel. I prefer the Canon brand, but does anyone have any experience or advice with this? The options are so diverse and large, that I'm looking for a good starting off point for my research.

Recently, I got off my probationary period (succesfully) at my (career) FD. Now, I recieved plenty of advice on etiquette as a probie, but now that's so instilled into me that I'm not sure, or I forget how to address people respectfully as a non-probie. Outside of the firehouse and off duty, do you address your deputy chiefs or officers as "Cap" or "Dep" , or by their first name? Additionally, do you address officers from neighboring or other departments by their rank or just by their first name, since their not your officer? I believe in showing respect, but at the same time I don't want to be ridiculous. I'm aware that the senior men just call these guys by their first name, but that's mostly because they served with them for a long time on the line before they were officers.

Date: 9-26-06 Time: 1730hrs Location: 5 Schroeder Street (Large Housing Project) Frequency: Units Operating: Yonkers PD, YPD*ESU, Empress EMS Description Of Incident: Officers on patrol of the complex tried to control and break up an unruly crowd. As they were arresting one of the suspects for disorderly conduct, residents of a nearby multiple story project building started throwing various items at the officers from the upper floors. 1 officer was doused with a large quantity of commercial bleach after the bottle was thrown at him and broke. Officer was transported by Yonkers-Empress EMS for exposure, and released. Writer: x635

I'm excited about this new version of the D-Reb! Thanks for the heads up!

That first song (around the 2 minute mark) is one of my favorites from my favorite band. "Down With The Sickness", by Disturbed, off their first album, "The Sickness". The second song around the 4 minute mark is also by Disturbed, off their latest album "10,000 fists". The song is entitled "Just Stop". Great album and I highly reccomend it.

That's disgusting and insulting that they were even allowed to plea considering their gross negligence. Over 100 people died in this fire, and countless more were critically injured. Not to mention the suffering of the families. And they system allows them to plea?

Hmmm. I would think you didn't even read my article, or severly misread it, yet you seemed to pick up on a point or two. I'm sorry, you felt is was a "sensational" ranting, and you looked for faults in the article and me. I'm also puzzled by some of your inconsistencies and inaccuracies in your reply. The title was sensational, but it was to make you think and to catch readers. You accuse me of "sensational ranting", "inconsistencies", "having no substance", "being irresponsible" etc. yet don't provide any information to back up your claims, other then implying that everyone should just assume constructions sites are dangerous and that I'm an idiot for trying to bring some points of construction site dangers to peoples attention. If you've been following the recent tragedy in the Bronx that claimed two firefighters and injured more in the Bronx, preliminary information is that cheap and shoddy construction with poor oversight from the responsible agencies contributed to the floor collapse, and ultimately, these FDNY firefighters deaths. That's the "cheap and shoddy" construction I was referencing. Although there are many safe and responsible construction workers out there, there are many fly-by-night, poorly trained or experienced ones that, because of their actions to work quick and make a profit, pose a direct danger to us. Of course I don't think construction workers are directly trying to kill firefighters, but I do strongly feel, although that all construction sites are dangerous, that some are uneccarily dangerous and do not have to be that way. I'm not saying that construction sites should be clean and orderly, just as safe as possible for the benefit of all involved. Sloppy construction kills, and creates uneccesary work for Fire, EMS, and Police agencies. As for your accusations about the "contradictions" with the Ardsley site/article, which had nothing to do with this article and was not mentioned. Bringing the Ardsley blog entry into this was completly irrelevant and unccesary, and again makes me question your motives whether you are actually replying to this article or have a bone to pick with me. The Ardsley site perimiter was well fenced off and much cleaner...and much different. In case you didn't notice, it was a complete demolition site. This was about this one site in partiucular, and had nothing to do with the other numerous construction projects I am following, except in my mind where I noted how much safer the other sites were then this site that I am talking about. Since my officers took action, the site I was referencing in my article has cleaned up it's act considerably. I will provide some more photos of this construction site where there are many dangers to firefighters that aren't neccesary. Some others not photographed include such things as uncapped rebar, exposed live wiring,hidden trenches, poorly secured walls, men working in large trenches over their head with no ladder, bent trussses from demolition that aren't being repaired, etc.. This site was wide open. Homeless people were wandering past the back of the site at night, consuming alcohol during the evening. Here, this hole was left wide open during a dormant holiday weekend. It goes down eight feet into water, and this opening is not marked in any way, shape or form...no cone, nothing. At nighttime, you can't see it. When the photo was taken, the area was not fenced off, and it's behind a major shopping center with some pedestrians transversing through the site. What is so hard about placing caution tape or saftey faence around this until ther cover is placed on? This remains like this. This is an unceccesary danger in my opinion on a construction site that is a real easy fix. [attachmentid=1237] Here, we found a scuttle obstructed. This could possibly save an inhabitants live sometime down the road. [attachmentid=1238] A difficult to access sprinkler connection (which was needed for the rest of the strip mall not under construction) [attachmentid=1239] A trench where workers were working over their heads earlier in the day [attachmentid=1240] I stay strong in my OPINION hat first dues should stay familiar with construction projects in their area. There are uneccesary dangers on a construction site, and firefighters should try to stay familar with them and remediate them whereever possibe. If there are things that can cause me to go home minus a brother...if I have to use strong words to bring the issue to peoples attention to prevent that, then I will. Yeah, of course this job is dangerous no matter what, but awareness of the danger and elimination of as many dangers as possible is in all of our best interest...and this includes the public. It's our job to keep them safe too. In closing, construction workers have a tough job, and a lot of the times what they do puts us in danger, and they don't even realize it. It's part of our job to know these dangers, and try to educate these workers and ourselves to prevent tragedy. I don't appreciate the way my article was replied too, and all the accusations made toward me and the site. It seems there was more of an issue with the author and the site. If you're calling me nieve, and saying that you are complacent with construction sites being dangerous, then someone needs to seriously rethink his position.

I think a lot of these critics are ignorant. I feel, in some ways, thats part of the FD's fault for not educating the citizens enough about their local FD. Of course, some people like to be anti-anything, but we do play a role. It's things like http://www.lafd.blogspot.com that are great. Let's the community know whats going on with THEIR local FD, and that we're actually out there doing stuff. Nice piece.

I'm working on an article, and I'm looking for any area departments that use and are satisfied with CAFS. Please post the details here, or contact me. The only department I'm aware of locally that has and uses it is Fairview.