x635

Heads up to those who are truly seeking a job as a firefighter.....Providence is a fun city to live and work in!

I'm getting senile.

PLEASE let us in 03-2005 be going!!!!

Yesterday, during a visit to the Croton-Harmon Train Yard, we were informed and saw for ourselves that MTA-Metro North Railroad has a water tanker car on each line with 10,000 gallons of water and a 100GPM pump with an FD connection as well. When requested through the Rail dispatchers thru 60 Control, they can get an engine to pull it with an ETA of about 1 hour. Although this may not be on the first due card, I figured I would share it with all of you.....it may be good for a large brush fire in a remote area, a water main break, a large fire near a railroad line where water supply is a concern, etc. Also, I was very impressed with the size of the Croton-Harmon train yard. Not only is there some very cool stuff going on there (and the new M-7's are awesome, I even got to sit in the drivers seat of one and also do search and rescue in another) but both Harmon and Croton FD have a signifcantly challenging and unique hazard in their district. In addition to the MNRR Fire Bridgade, does Croton FD have any special equipment, training or alarm assignment to deal with this massive and danger-filled facility?

GREAT POST, and this is a fine example of what this board should be about! I don't know really what to say in reply, since I agree with this 110%. It's amazing how much knowledge you can gain from a simple class....each and every bit of knowledge you gain can give you power....power to save someones life or property, or even your own. I love, love to read.....something as simple as reading the three magazines I subscribe to (Firehouse, Fire Engineering, and Fire-Rescue) can be a great learning experience. The assertive firefighter is the one who will learn the most. I personally feel their should be a national or even local REAL certification and continuing education requirment for firefighters as well, but that's a whole 'nother issue.

I love waking up and finding topics like this and the training one on the forum.....thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. I never was really able to pinpoint what motivated me to get into the fire/ems service..........I've never wanted to do anything else but this, and can't imagine doing anything else at all. It all feels so natural for me to be doing. My father was a cop, my mother a nurse....so maybe that has something to do with it. I grew up in the Hartsdale Fire District, with the dream one day of becoming a career Hartsdale Firefighter. I've turned down jobs at other departments and even a job as a Greenburgh Police Officer....all with my desire to be a Hartsdale FF in mind. With some work and luck, I'm close to achieving my dream and 7 weeks to go...I am lucky to be a part of one of the best academy classes in the world that's giving me a great foundation to start from. What motivates me with this job, as cliche' as it sounds.....simply, I like to help people. I like the challenge the job presents, the situations I get to intervene in with my fellow PFF's/FF's. I love the awesome people I get to work with and learn from. I love working as a team to accomplish something. I love to learn, the never-ending educational oppurtunities and potential this job offers is a great reward, especially when it can empower us so much more. I think it's unique that I have the oppurtunity to serve the community I grew up in. Most of all, what motivates me, whether we see it or not.....is the clear difference we make in peoples lives and the impact we can have each and every day we go to work. The significance we have in the communities we operate in is taken for granted by some, but not by me. I am blessed to have the oppurtunity to serve in the way and where I do. I'm looking foward to my future in the fire service, and hope to be as great as the greats in this business.

My advice, having been through this test before: It's very easy to practice/train for. Just get a newspaper article, etc and practice retyping it. It's not a difficult test....but when you write something off as "only twenty words a minute", then that's where the problems begin. Make sure you can do way above that, thirty-forty wpm. As mentioned, don't forget the accuracy. But if you train and practice, it shouldnt be an issue.

Well, I have heard today that NY's only rock radio station (even that is a stretch now) is dumping its rock format to become "Free FM". So now in the NY Market, we have Z100, which is a waste of airwaves, 10,000 spanish language channel formats, and NO rock station. Thank goodness I switched to Sirius Satellite Radio. Octane Channel 20 is THE BEST!!!! Now that I've gone satellite, I can never go back! And I think many are with me...FM and commericals on radio is slowly dying! Also announced, David Lee Roth, EMT-D is replacing Howard Stern on the K-Rock channel. Adam Carolla will fill in other areas. I don't know, but I'd rather have Adam Carolla in the AM....not like I listen to Morning shows anyway since the Hillman is out of my area. I miss 107.3 WAAF Boston...now that's a FM rock radio station!!!

The photos were taken after a majority of the cleanup work was done, and we were packing up to go home.....long after the training evolutions were done (notice no photos of that) Capt. Ferguson packs our day with plenty of activities, especially these past couple of weeks. It didn't take that long timewise at all for a few of us to grab the camera, after getting permission and giving many thanks, and snap some pics right before the day was done.....got to have some fun/camraderie and document the beginning of awesome careers after a long week of learning! The only reason I posted the photos was to show off the class I am so proud to be a part of and for everyone involved and with an interest regarding 03-2005 to enjoy....

Here are some random photos from the end of the day today at Dutchess County FTC: http://www.emtbravo.lunarpages.com/SpecFea...esDutchess.html

http://www.wimp.com/tanker/ Just reminds you to keep your distance!

Check out this idiot that keeps many of us employed. http://media.skoopy.com/vids/vid_00549.wmv "Fire is baaaaaaad"

Today marks the halfway point for Probie Class 03-2005. The time is flying by. Seven more weeks to go. Spirits are high, and skills and teamwork are building each minute that goes by. New photos from our AVET class are posted, bottom of the page: http://www.westchestergov.com/emergserv/academy/probpics.htm Eli- There were a ton of Elsmere guys up there, and the tower hoisted the flag. I was looking for you.

Not to my knowledge....and if they did, it was a rare thing. Getting on Boston FD is a very, very tough thing to do. Not only do they not hire very large classes or often, but you have to be a resident, and a lot of the times recruits have family in the department. The minority clause of the past two decades also knocked a lot of people out of the running.

Usually, I'm not one for critiquing or bashing a department. But check out the guys in the photos, and see if you can spot the numerous issues. "Car Fire Spotted on Route to Firehouse Convention in Baltimore" If the link doesn't work, cut and paste this into your browser window: cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=44662&sectionId=45 I don't know what department this is, or where they are from, but I can't believe that things like this occur in today's fire service. I've seen some pretty powerful videos regarding issues like this, and the consequences of these actions, and don't understand why anyone who calls themeselves a firefighter doesn't believe in thier personal safety. These guys make true firefighters look bad......I hope these get back to the department's chief, he is ashamed, and makes immediate changes.....before someone is hurt or killed because of his and his FF's negligence.... I'm sure FFCloseCalls will be picking up on this one...

Check out this site: http://www.firechannel.org/ Tons of video from various LA-area incidents. Also a nice flashover and interior ops video

Just curious who has the oldest operating firehouse in Westchester? Ardsley has to be up there, with their one and only firehouse built in 1896.

So, you all know how much I love jetBlue. Well, now that they have added the new (and are the launch customer for) the Embraer E-190 100 Seat Passenger jet to their fleet of Airbus A-320's they have announced a major expansion, including two routes I have hoped for for a long, long time. The first....JFK-Austin, Texas for $79 each way. I have been dying to go to Austin and Texas for a long, long time......yet the fares always seemed unreasonable. Now, not only are the fares great....but the airline going there is awesome and I can watch live Direct TV or listen to XM Satellite Radio the whole way! Next....JFK-Boston/Logan for $25 each way. Can't beat that for a quick 40 minute trip to Boston. Thankfully, my large jetBlue credit will last me until after my probation is over, and then I can take advantage of jetBlues newest destinations, and fly on this awesome new plane. Just sharing some of my joy. Previously, I didn't think it got any better after B6 announced they were flying to Burbank, but they topped themselves again! More information here: http://www.jetblue.com/specialoffers/sale....ntcmp=e190_110& http://www.jetblue.com/travelinfo/ourfleet/e190.asp

Saw this photo on (New England) FireNews.org: http://www.massmetrofire.org/misc/NYPDCommUnit.jpg Definetly some type of comm unit as the title says, but what exactly is it's function? That looks like a TV truck tower on top? And there is another seal on the door which I don't reconize.

LOL!