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Recently, I found out that the Westchester Parade Judges Association has me in target, lol. I'd just like to say I have nothing against them, and respect what they do and the decisions they make. I stand by the fact I think TL-57 looked GREAT, and it should have won. Just like a referee/umpire or Olympic Judges, or other public judging associations there are going to be people who don't agree with or like the decisions made!! Since they are a public orgiinization, that is part of the deal with making judements. I do respect their decision of E-199, it looked great as well. But that's a whole different story. This post has nothing to do with them, and is just my opinion regarding parades in general, NOT them. I AM NOT forming a parade judging association to compete with them by any means, but I am going to judge a couple of parades using my standards for FUN and unofficially, and post the results on the site. (See This Thread:The EMTBravo.com Parade Judges Association Despite what I have been told by someone, I'm pretty sure I am allowed to do this! Anyways, I'm pretty sure that this is the year 2005. I think that judging Parades by shiny trucks, how many guys in march and in step, etc etc is antiquated and really serves no purpose for enhancing our main goal, serving the public. Apparatus should be judged on other things such as layout, maintainence,tools carried, innovative hose pack, progressiveness and innovations, NFPA compiance and safety features, pride taken in the apparatus, etc etc. Manpower should be judged on certifications/classes, turnout gear, physical fitness, etc We should be proud of winning trophys at parades for firematic reasons, not because we can detail a truck and march in step. Everybody likes a shiny firetruck, and many people enjoy the competion of who can do it the best. But we are here to serve the public. Why can't we be more competive and more focused when it comes to that? Why can't we be more proud of our ability to be better firematically at a parade then at a traditional parade? Who knows what great ideas that a "new style" parade could breed, and where it could lead us... Just my 0.02 cents. What's yours?

OK, how do you ticket a CHICKEN?????

And great post by Cutty!!!

Is that why you are the "Anti-Hijacking Unit"???

So, I've thought of several categories for our personal, visual only judging of the P'ville Parade on Friday night. Results will be posted on this site afterwards. I'd like to ask the membership of this forum what categories THEY would like to see included. Some of the preliminary ones I have thought of so far (this is the rough draft): -Best color scheme -Best lighting package -Best company logo or graphic -Best striping package -Most progressive feature -Most pride shown in line of march -Best hose pack (anything packed for a parade is not counted) -Best battle scar -Best Chiefs car conversion -Cleanliest rig -Most orderly rig And with some of the factors mentioned above taken into account: -Best Engine -Best Truck (Straight Stick, Tower Ladder, Quint) -Best Rescue -Best Bus -Best Cheifs Car -Best Utility -Best Antique Everybody is best overall, so that won't be an category Oh yeah, and we're going to explain WHY we picked what we picked!!! Of course, since this is our first time doing this, this is going to be "beta". Let me know what you think. We're only going to talk about the above topic here, so dont even start.

That would be me. I wish I had a way to do that!

Hey All- Just wondering if Career Firefighters employed in Westchester County are restricted to live in certain areas, and/or restricted to live in NY state. I know some departments, such as Stamford and Norwalk, have a radius requirment. And I think FDNY has something like NYS only, and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Sullivan and Orange. But not sure about Westchester. I heard you can live in NJ or CT if you wanted, but not sure and curious.

No, FOLLOWING THE POSTED RULES of this forum is easier! Just because you don't like or agree with an idea doesn't mean you have to trash it or put it down the way you have been. I can most certainly deal with your "criticism"...but it makes no sense to me at all. And it's not even criticism, you're not even explaining rationally WHY something wouldn't work...you're just making nasty and mocking comments. Either you have quite a difficult time grasping a simple concept, or you are just looking to attack someone or something here. That elevator comment proves it all....how does that validate your position that the stairs are a poor idea????? So far, haven't heard ONE explanation of your position, only those ridiculous comments you have been making. Let me try and explain this again......Bring the bag of Speed-E-Dry up the stairs, rip open top, dump in hopper. Done it before, takes two seconds. You can free up compartment space normally taken by bags or buckets, and hold a lot more speedy dry, and dispense it a lot easier then the more traditional ways. WHAT IS HARD ABOUT THAT? If it's such a poor idea like you claim, you can exlplain to me why it is becoming such a standard and popular rescue truck feature, and why so many urban muncipalties also have this on their rescue(s)????? And once again, I will try to explain to you that only the secondary/auxillary and rarely needed tools and equipment are stored up top. This frees up MORE compartment space at ground level for the everyday tools. And wouldn't you go up stairs to get in a walk-in rescue as well????? So let me get this straight? Just because people improve on something, or make an idea better or more efficient, you don't like it? Your car probaly still runs on leaded gasoline.....

First Friday in June is ALWAYS Pleasantville, and I love to go to P'Ville and have been looking foward to it all year. Plus props for 2371! I just heard Montrose was on the same night last week. Why did Montrose schedule for the same night? I would have liked to go to Montrose too :-(

In addition to my post just above this, here are some visual aids: (Photos taken by me, the Rescue is Radnor, PA a 2004 Seagrave/Rescue 1) The stairs themselves Speedy dry hopper fill point Shovels, rakes, and assorted hand tools EMS and rope rescue equipment Stairs folded up with additional storage also accesible from the sides Officers side rear compartment. You really don't lose much space because of the stairs at all. Note the button to dispense the speedy-dry in portions, and the spout is right under the compartment by the bumper. Also note how you can't see where the chute is bringing it from the hopper.

First off, if you do not tone down the negativty and intensity of your comments, more of your posts will begin to be deleted. The bottom line here is really that you are out of touch with modern-day fire apparatus, and don't seem to fully understand these features. A Speedy-Dry hopper is a VERY popular option, and is becoming standard on most rescue trucks nowadays. This is a more effiecient way to use and dispense the product into buckets to be spread, instead of storing it in hard-to-handle individual bags or buckets which take up more compartment room. As for a command post on the roof, this can give an IC a better vantage point,giving him/her a different persepctive and allowing him/her to view more of the scene with less obstructions. Same reason why almost all modern-day command posts include a elevated camera. Getting back to the stairs themselves, you really don't lose that much compartment space at all....in fact, you probaly actually gain better space layout, and again have better and safer access to the huge compartments up top. And where did anybody say anything about rehab?? But since you brought it up, this rig seems like it will have a spacious open Spartan cab with room for members to soak up the AC or heat in the back as applicable. Since you seem to have a very-closed minded and non-progressive attitude about fire apparatus spec'ing, you must still think riding on the tailboard is a important feature. Start thinking outside the box.

It was actually on the front page of Yahoo! this AM, with the top stories. I think the bigger question is where does Hoss find this stuff.

Care to elaborate? Your multiple negative comments this morning aren't very well explained. You fail to say why you don't like this feature. This "stuff" is actually a quite popular feature, and appears on heavy rescues in major cities such as Baltimore, MD. This feature provides a extremly safe and effective access to large rooftop compartments. Many heavy rescues have rooftop compartments that are accessible via a "pool-type" ladder, which makes it very dangerous for a FF to access the roof, and much more to bring up/down equipment. The roof-compartments are very large, and are typically used to store haz mat containment booms, extra equipment, etc not always used often but when needed is needed. Please note that there are also compartments built into the stairs. Also, the roof makes a great "observation point" for an Incident command post. I think the stair feature is a VERY safe, efficient, and progressive spec.

FYI, photos of these cars are posted. I shot them last Wednesday, and made a post about it as well on this forum.

I went to Caruso's Deli in Ossining today for lunch with my partner while working. Had Chicken Parm and Rice. Was really, really good!!! I defintely will be going back to sample more of their food.

Guys, this should prove that this guy is a liar and is making stuff up. I highly doubt he is even a parade judge or ex-chief. It's easy to hide behind an online name and keyboard and spew.

"Blog" is shot for the term, Weblog This should explain everything you need to know and more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

LOL Truckie, that took quite a bit of effort to individually quote like that.

Hey all I just planned a trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for next month. Of course, I am flying my favorite airline, Jetblue. And I am staying at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, FL which I hear is awesome. The point of this trip is for me to just de-stress, relax, and get away, although I hope to get some apparatus photos. Anybody have any advice or suggestions, whether related to apparatus photos or just the general area? I already bought a Frommmers and read several websites, but it's always better to hear what friends have to say... I've never been to Florida, either

Thank you Plectron! See, even he says you have no right to be there and do this!!! Call me what you want, idiots. I'm sure none of you will ever make chief of your department. I AM NOT JUDGING THE PARADE! IN THAT SENSE!!!!!! What are you people not understanding? Clean out your ears! I am going to make a list of our favorites, and post it on this site! There is NOTHING wrong with that at all! This type of political and egotistical nonsense is what gives a certain sector of the fire service a bad name, and what drives people away! You are not god of the parades!!! I hope you are this passionate about response and delivery of service!!! Why is this such a big deal that I want to do this? Ugh, Serenity Now, Serentity Now, Serentity Now, Serentity Now, Serentity Now, Serentity Now, Serentity Now, Serentity Now, Serentity Now, Serentity Now, Serentity Now, Serentity Now, Serentity Now, Serentity Now........... Nice post, DADAY

OK, "ExCheifPJ", I'm starting to get a little suscpicous that you are just someone messing around with me. The stuff you are saying and implying is just ridculous and absurd. There is NO way you can be serious! And did you read my above reply to you? I'm also really fascinated that EMTBravo said I had no authorization to do that. Those who know me will understand completly what I mean by that. And, WATCH YOUR NEGATIVE, NASTY comments! They are against the rules and purpose of this forum (I'm temporarily granting myself a waiver here...) Do this again, and they will be deleted and continue to do so and you will be removed. These posts are only still up so I can rebut your idiotic posts! Do you even know what you are talking about? Or are you just making stuff up? Oh, and we WILL be at Pleasantville, and we WILL be picking our favorites, and we WILL be taking photos, and letting the members of this site choose a members choice! So deal with that, Mr. Bitter and Miserable!!

So today, I'm working and enroute to Quizno's on Tuckahoe Road. What do I find? Several Boston PD cars, several Mass SP cars, and a Boston EMS bus!! In Yonkers! I will have photos up tommorow! Pretty cool for me. First city I worked EMS in and the first city I worked as a Medic in came and visited lol. In reality, these were cars for a movie they were filming.