x635

They are trying. Unfortunetly, it will be years before the wages are anywhere near what they should be.

I was actually going to start this thread earlier today, but got shoved into work. Congrats to Gary, he will make an awesome Battalion ! I've worked with Gary numerous times, both when he was a Chief and with him as an EMT on the bus, and he is always a pleasure to work with. He is very nice and knowledgeable. He's like a multi-function tool for the Town of NS....does he work in every department, lol???

Just to note, Darien (Just north of Stamford,CT) has an ambulance corps run ENTIRELY by High school students/explorers. Commonly referenced to as "Post 53". They do have advisors, but they play mostly a background role. In CT, you can be an EMT at 16 years old. It is highly competitive to gain membership in this corps. As a freshman, you dispatch and learn the ropes. As a sophmore, you ride as an attendant. A junior is an EMT, and the senior drives. So you have 17 and 18 year old kids driving an ambulance through a metro area such as Stamford and Norwalk. The whole having the life experience and maturity that only comes with age and experience is a whole seperate issue. EMS is a PROFESSION, not a high school extracurricular acitivity.

The following paragraphs came out of an LA City FD press release, and I think they are pretty much dead-on and self-explanatory. I wish some dept's around here would think this way. The lines that I like the most are in bold:

I like the current FDNY Rescues (R1 fav), the current 95' Aerialscopes (TL41 fav), the Squad Engines (Sq-41 Fav), the current Seagrave 100' rearmounts (L38 fav), the current Tillers (39 fav), and the current Engines (E-6 fav). I also like the new ambulances and battalion cars. And I can't wait to see the new Mack Granite/Ferrara Collapse units. I also like the Field Com(s) and the new MERVs. I Also like the Mack/General Rescue spare, the Spirit Of Oklahoma, the current Hazmat 1, the Hazmat Kenworth/Pierce, Emergency Crew 532 (FM). I'm sure I'm forgetting some too. All the above look HOT and are laid out quite nicely, IMO!! I should note that my favorite Emergency vehicle in all of NYC is the current version of the NYPD Mack/Saulsbury Heavy Rescue ESU Trucks, like the current Truck 3. Second to that and some FDNY rigs, is the PAPD wreckers. My favorite rig of all though, is NOT an FDNY rig. My favorite rig in the world is LA City FD Engine 41, a 2004 Pierce Arrow XT, followed by a 2004 LA City FD ALF Tiller and an LA City 2003 Seagrave Engine, and a 1980's LA City Seagrave Engine.

14 MONTHS!! :yikes: I can't wait 14 months!! Tell ALF to hurry up!! Yonkers FD better get some new apparatus in the meantime to hold me over!!!! Can't wait to see the new Squad. Thanks for the updates.

That truck is HOT!!! I want one! I wish I could afford it, that and a garage for it in a house I own in Beverly Hills. Seriously, I want it. I wonder how much it is??

Man, this is like right out of a movie! I can't believe there were no systems in place to prevent this type of fire spread in such a large building. They say this fire was started by a candle. And only 200 firefighters responded. Guess not much you can do there.

Information passed along to me from FAC911. Dante was a former MOS of Empress EMS, as well as OLM*EMS and St. Vincents Midtown EMS. Dante moved to Florida a few years back for a career in Law Enforcment, and his life was tragically cut short a few days ago. RIP Dante. Link to the story regarding this tragedy: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/flo...,0,343882.story

What a nice obit in the paper today.. Just curious where he resided, and if we was affiliated with any company in WC. RIP Joe

Actually, "EDP" can be a medical condition. Schitzophrenia and Bipolar disorder, just to name a couple are disorders in the brain which cause behavioral disorders. Also, the symptoms of an "EDP" can also be caused by a diabetic emergency, drug overdose, stroke, hypoxia, or other life-threatening medical condition. Although some psych patients can be transported by PD to the hospital for evaluation, and in some cases, should be (Depression/Suicidal Idealogy), most of the times an ambulance is warranted and the safe thing to do. There have been several cases where the patient had been handled as an "EDP" by PD, and later died due to the undetected medical condition. IMO, there needs to be more emphasis in the EMT and EMT-P curriculum in how to handle, communicate with, and restrain EDPs. This is a fairly common call, and many people just dont know how to deal with it. However, I do also think that succesfully dealing with EDP's comes with experience and tact. Though sometimes, no matter what you do, chemical restraint is the only way to fly.

Excellent article, and excellent advice!!! =D> I absolutely agree with all your points and tips. I have always tried to do everything described below, it really does work.

Engine 148 is HOT! Very nice job by Gowans Knight in the layout and construction, and CFFD in the spec. I really like the Spartan Gladiator Xtreme Duty Cab. It's weird, with their quality and proximity to Westchester, its quite a suprise that more departments in this area don't use them. They will make anything. Engines, Tankers, Ladders (Bodywork) , Rescues, Tac Units, whatever you need they can do. CFFD's fleet is almost exclusively GK.

Gee this is a suprise. Duh! This is part of the reason why I like the "new thumper" that Mohegan has, and why it IS useful.

I said no such thing, and just because you and I have different opinions you said my comments are one sided, our Firefighting experiance's are different thats all. I have been in the Fire service for over 25 yrs and most of the replies are from one sided views. the only problem is they are on the wrong side. I haven't been negative, just stating my view. :-k =D> My issue is that you make up a bunch of "What Ifs" about the Dispatch side of things. The "What Ifs" could just as easily happen to the response side of things. I respect your views, and you have every right to state your opinion, as do I. Please note I've been on both sides of this issue. I just feel you need to look (and understand) facts from both sides of the issues before making prejuical comments. The term "Benefit of the doubt" comes to mind. You're not even giving this switch a chance with an open mind. 25 years is a long time, and you are probaly set in your ways, and like most senior guys, think us youngins are nuts. But it's going to be our future, and we all need to work together to progress to serve the citizens of the WC better.

The New England Patriots are the best team in Football!!! I've been saying it all along, and it rings true again tonight. Not only that, but they are a nice, down to earth bunch of guys!! CONGRATS AND GO PATRIOTS!!!

Date: 2-8-05 Time: 1022hrs Location: 718 Nepperhan Ave, C/S Lake St. Precision Valve Corp. Frequency: 484.725 Units Operating: Yonkers FD (Specific Units Unknown), Yonkers FD Special Operations-HazMat Divison, YPD*ESU, Empress Yonkers EMS SOD Description Of Incident: Volatile chemical leak from storage tank. Building (Manufacturing Plant) being evactuated while leak is contained and material is offloaded from faulty storage tank to tractor trailer. Writer: x635

I give up, lol!!! Your views are EXTREMLY one sided! Try and look at the whole big picture. Your points are very vague to me. So you are saying EVERY single Firefighter, er, dispatcher is a great dispatcher? And you are saying that every single Firefighter in any department is a great firefighter? You are portraying the perfect-do-no-wrong Firefighter Dispatcher. Selective memory I guess. All I'm hearing here is a bunch of prejudiced excuses why this won't work, or why it is bad. How about why it is good, and what will make it work better? Adapt to change??? BTW, FYI, 60 Control is not a single person effort....it is a TEAM effort!! Each group of 4-5 dispatchers works together to handle each and every call.

Again, I don't understand your comments. You say what if your CAD crashes, well there is a system in place for in the rare occurence that that happens. (Also, just so you know, hundreds of agencies around the country succesfully use a CAD system. CAD systems enhance operations in many different ways) WHAT IF YOUR FIRETRUCK BREAKS DOWN ON A WAY TO A CALL??? What if your hose breaks?? Huh? What If, What If, What If??? Yes, 60 Control has HAD CAD issues, but in the last couple of years they have made quite succesful strides. The County needs to allocate more $$$ for more staff to maintain the CAD. Don't forget, this is WC....it's not like its one agency.....YOu have 56 different fire and 38 different EMS agencies that all have their own way of doing things, which makes operating/desinging a CAD system for that quite a unique challenge. IMO, the words "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" are very, very dagerous words that usually impede progress. How would we find new, better, safer and more efficient ways to do things if we'd live by those words????? That statement right there is part of the problem with some people in the WC fire service. If the medical field lived by those words, then barbers would still be doing minor surgery. You say in one post that there is no time for mistakes, but in this post you say wait till a problem arises and lives are at stake before fixing it. Whats up with that? As far as firefighters making good dispatchers, I'm not really arguing that. I'm saying Firefighters shouldnt be dispatching, and professional dispatchers in a professional setting should. That, IMO, is a negligent waste of resources. How can you justify keeping a Firefighter behind a desk dispatching when there is an agency there that will do it essentially for free? I urge you to do a sit along with the professional men and women of 60 Control, and see how challenging their job is, and how well they do it. Anybody else with me here?

In tonights Simpsons episode, Comic Book Guy revealed his real name while introducing himself to Flanders. His real name....Jeff Albertson. And for those who follow, his T-shirt read "Nerds Do It Rarely"

LMAO!!! No, but it certainly sounds similar to somebody we work with, hence a new nickname, lol!!!

Congrats!!!