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Jason "Gong" Jones........I dont know much about him......I didn't think they would be able to find a decent person for Dave Williams (Who died on tour last year for those who dont know, of cardiomegaly, or an enlarged heart during the Indiana stop of Ozzfest on 8/4/02). There's no replacing Dave, but this guy sounds pretty decent. I'll wait till the album comes out in March, but if it's anything like their new track, "Step Up"......it'll be awesome. I'm glad this band is carrying on, and am looking foward to seeing them in person when they sttart touring. That Horse drawn muster thing sound pretty cool. If only I too had the time to travel.

From:http://www.geocities.com/liafaa/

Of all the above events, IMO, Harrisburg is the biggest and best. Also, Truck 4, that NJ Metro Fire Photog's night and flea market, (usually the day before the West Patterson muster), have you ever been? Is it worth the trip?

I don't see FDNY going digital anytime soon. Also, I'm hearing the County's new system will be analog trunked,not digital, but you never know with them. For your current scanner, try putting an inline filter before your antenna connection and see if this helps. also try repositioning your scanner in your vehicle, and trying a diffent antenna position or completly different antenna. The best scanner I can reccomend is: http://www.scannermaster.com/store/01-500828.html it does digital AND trunking, so you have the best of both worlds. A less expensive basic scanner that should probaly fit your needs: http://www.scannermaster.com/store/01-500826 And a portable scanner, which is easiest to transport and does digital and trunking: http://www.scannermaster.com/store/01-500776.html

DRD- Text paging is a great supplemental method. There are a number of different ways you can text page. However, the problem you face with this is that you are at the mercy of the company's network, and if its running slow or down for maitenence, etc. For these reasons, it should't be relied on 100% and alternative methods always need to be in place and maintained. If you don't have a CAD system capable of this or can't be dispatched by 60, then your best bet would be to send a mass email in Outlook. This way, you can page everybodies phone, not just those who have Nextels. You would probaly need to make SOP's, and a template with abbreviations, etc and remember charecter limits on people phones. Also, you may want to contact Arch Wireless (www.arch.com), they will work with you to provide paging solutions however at a cost and it probaly will require carry a seperate pager.

(Original Photographer Unknown) Here's a photo of Ardsley's '55 Seagrave. Sorry about the quality, it'a from a photocopy I made of the picture and I took a picture of that with my camera since I do not have my scanner up here. I do have a picture of the '63 as well I beleive, I will have to find what I did with it which may take awhile. And just note,although it isn't a 70th, Ardsley still has a Seagrave..a 1928 known as "Old Betsy" that is still serving. I wish they had kept one of the old 70th series though, too.

RES20CUE, besides the age, was this a good rig? I think I remember seing this in person once, and it was had some cracks because of the way the cab was attached to the body. Also, what made Somer's stray away from Seagrave in '75?

Again, let's try to not stray far from the topic at hand here. As ALSFirefighter and others said, it's not only about somebody to do the compressions, it's about doing consistent (which is a big problem all EMS providers have, when moving the patient,getting thrown around in the back, getting tired,improper compression balance, placement, etc etc) and quality. Try doing CPR at 3am during an 8 flight carrydown of a poorly lit narrow stairwell when it's 90 degrees outside and 100% humidty. Is the patient being effectively/consistently perfused during this time? When the crews get down, are they going to be able to do good CPR? Studies have shown that providers have trouble judging their own fatigue level during ocmpressions. As we all know,100% EFFECTIVE and CONSISTENT chest compressions, coupled with other critical interventions,can increase cornary and cerebral perfusion, making the difference between life and death in some cases. I suggest everybody who has issues with this device take a look at this study: http://www.revivant.com/pages/prod/Clinica...erRev_May_5.pdf To spend the extra money on BP for Lifepak is a nice thing, but I personally dont trust automatic BP's....and that's something that can be done just as easily manually. Also, I beleive, according to the article and a Zoll sales rep, that this device is on loan for evaluation purposes to Mohegan. Whether or not they buy it remains to be seen. As I said before, time will make or break this device. I think it has a good concept, by being able to do effective and consistent CPR %100 of the time. I'm sure many agencies can't see spending that amount of money for a toy, in some and probaly many eyes. But when the AED and other devices came out, they too were met with a great deal of skepticism.

RWC130 found the Ladder 45 for sale.....The old one, that is.....looks like this used fire apparatus dealer sunk some serious money into it. http://www.company-two.com/truckpages/89pierce.htm

City Of Stamford Police Officer Exam Filing Period Ends: 2/18/04 Written Exam: 3/20/04 (50%) Physcial Agilty:5/15/04 Oral Exam: Week Of 06/14/04(%50) Salary: Starting $47,042 Requirments: 60 College Credits (May be reduced for Military or Police Experience) Fees: $30 written, $40 agility Application and more information: http://www.cityofstamford.org/HumanResourc...liceOfficer.htm

If it's a daytime call, where resources are already limited or may be tied up elsehwere, yes it can be a problem as it strikes out several firefighters and equipment in your own community, as well as lowers first-due arrival times. It's nice to have that extra there, but only if that extra is available without costing elswhere. #1. Although it cuts out the "middleman", I notice HFD contacted DFPD directly instead of requesting mutual aid through 60 Control. Although this does save a small amount of time at this point, it costs time later. I feel 60 Control should be notified when units are responding mutual aid. That way, when Hasting's FD Chief gets on the air to request further units, they (Dispatchers) have a clue as to what's going on and where, and times not lost during that request over the air. It also gives the dispatchers a better picture of resource allocation, that way if Irvington or Ardsley strikes a job, they know that Hastings and Dobbs Ferry are already tied up, and to go with the next line MA. #2 I also noticed that PD requested right away without FD request. Is this Hasting's normal protocol to dispatch FAST upon receipt of a structure-type response, or was this done due to the winter-weather conditions that would have signifcantly delayed a normal response?

http://www.pop-upflashingcones.com/popup1.htm Just came across this device online from a Ron Moore article (Firehouse Magazine, "University Of Extrication") . Seems like a good choice for those fire apparatus that dont have room for cones, or (grrr) are worried about how cones "will look" if mounted on the exterior. These will even fit in the chiefs vehicle. Big flashy lights don't always equal all out protection, and neither do these, but coupled with appropriate apparatus placement/ positioning, these can give drivers warning earlier which may help to prevent some situations. I beleive there is a law too, a Federal DOT one, that requires cones when operating on an Interstate. Also, related to this topic, an article by Ron Moore regarding Highway safety and apparatus positioning: http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/a...onId=19&id=1034 And a webiste focused on Fire/EMS/PD Highway operations and safety: http://www.respondersafety.com/

Wouldn't this be putting "all their eggs in one basket"? Their dispatching operations are certainly fragmented, and most FDNY Fire Alarm Offices are in a need of a major overhaul and upgrade, but I don't feel Fire/EMS/PD dispatch consolidation (For NYC) is the best way to go. Their are certain benefits to the concept, but I think that having one Fire/EMS dispatch center for each borough is the best idea. The dispatchers know the area,apparatus, and crews better, and if one dispatch center goes down or is incapacitated, the other can pick up the slack.

I wonder if fear of political reprocussions or other untoward actions on the part of the FD could have played a factor in this?

The number of buses a VAC has depends on many variables. How many calls do they run,distance to MA, how big is their district, etc. I think if a VAC has one ambulance, that can be enough provided they have mutual aid within a reasonable distance willing to cover them if their vehicle goes down. On one hand, for 1 ambulance corps (I believe in Westchester County, it's Pound Ridge, Ardsley, and Verplank) the amount of calls they run and the amount of membership they have, I doubt it would be very economical to purchase, run, maintain, house, fuel etc a second ambulance. Maybe a first responder vehicle, such as an old PD car would be more feasible way to respond quicker while having no amb and awaiting MA transport units while the primary ambulance is OOS or unavailable. One the other hand, It would be a nice feature to have a back-up ambulance, even if it's a used Type II, but not critical. After all, look at some of the back-up apparatus FD's and PD's in this county are privledged to have. And , if that VAC gets into an MVA and they have to wait for a long period for a new bus, it's nice to have your own backup, but then again it's always possible to get a loaner ambulance. It would be nice if the county could maintain a "spare pool" of Fire and EMS apparatus for dept's, like other counties, but I seriously doubt that will ever happen and it's a whole nother topic. And, most importantly, before any VAC or ambulance service considers purchasing a second ambulance,they need to be able to staff that one ambulance 24/7 first and foremost before a second vehicle is considered. After all, what goods a second ambulance if you can't staff it?

Apparently, Firefighters in Pittsburgh still ride the tailboards. Can I safely say this practice is obsolete in Westchester now?

DFFD227- To clear it up- Greenburgh Police in the villages sends one civilian Paramedic in a flycar. 75, the flycar out of DFH, only covers the villages and is back up to the town. For calls in the town, the BLS ambulance is staffed by one Police Officer EMT, and there is an ambulance staffed by a civilan paramedic. With these, a police sector officer usually meets the ambulance at the scene and drives, or one of the firefighter drives. Also, usually the Police Officer Paramedics staff the Paramedic Expeditons when available for town coverage. . Usually police officers in smaller towns respond to try and lend a hand or take a report as may be their protocol. Some are first responders and carry defib units. As for engines being dispatched "to get there quicker", it's basically to intiate care quicker and reduce downtime. Your brain begins to die within 4-6 minutes without oxygen. If the FD engine or other first responder can get there quicker, intiate ventilations to provide oxygen to the blood, provide chest compressions to circulate that blood to the brain, and defib the heart that may be beating in a chaotic fashion that hinders its pumping abilty, the sooner all that can be done, coupled with appropriate ALS care, the greater the patients chances at survival are. Also, as an EMS provider, it's nice to have those extra set of hands sometimes to carry equipment, patients, do CPR,etc Me personally though ,the less the better unless its a critical patient. If I was having chest pain, I wouldnt want 20 people milling around my place. And nothing against FF's, but on EMS calls, no reason to wear bunker gear inside the patients house for a number of obvious reasons. Now, can we try to stay on or near the topic with the CPR machine thingy, lol?

BumpTTT......Anybody got the above question?

TIC's can be useful for PD and EMS applications as well. Searching for perps (I think I saw on Cops a few times some helicopters actually use this technology), locating the position of barricaded perps, as well (EMS and PD-wise) as looking for ejected vicitms and missing children.

Great shot in today's Journal News of Carmel's new(er) Tower Ladder operating at a fire yesterday: http://www.thejournalnews.com/dailygallery...4/images/10.jpg

MoFire24, I didn't forget. You're absolutely right!!!

All I want is a letter explaining the delay. 10 months is a little ridiculous, at least can I find out my score, dont care about the ranking right now,lol. BTW, Doesn't the county have to conduct the agilty test before they certify the list as well? And to go on a little mini-rant here. Next time I file, I'd like to be able to do it online .And the fee should be $25 for Westchester residents, $50 for everybody else lol. Stop trying to make money off me, I pay(ed) my taxes as a county resident. At least it's not Nassau PD's $100 for the PD test. Maybe I will go on welfare, then all of you have to pay for me to take the test,lol!

Just a little further insight regarding the run card system: I do like the concept. It's not without it's own issues though. There once was a system named Filepro. It was the old 60 Control "CAD" that is basically the system you are describing. The CAD system before this, it was the backup CAD. There was also hard-copy sheets of (standard, not street specific) deparment run cards placed in binders. Both these systems were taken out of service recently. The problem is, the county does not or cannot fund for more people to staff the CAD office of 60 Control.There's only one Lt. that currently staffs that office full time, and it is a difficult, time consuming, complicated, and laborous job for one person to maintain the primary CAD system, amongst other duties, which is neccasary to keep times, etc. Take into mind,as well, the extremly complicated setup of Westchester systems, and the never ending flow of changes, error reports, street modifications etc etc that the CAD person has to deal with. Also, from a dispatchers perspective, it's also easier and saves time to keep things streamlined in one system. The CAD is also much more than mutual aid as well, it is a legal record of operations, EMD system, etc. The CAD is efficent and can knock off many of the task mentioned here with ease. The problem is, the county needs to pay for an appropriate amount of staff to support the CAD "behind the scenes" operations. That staff should also be available to train the dispatchers when an upgrade is made, so they can make the most out of the CAD. On the flip side, Dispatchers and related should have more input into MA assignments, since they deal with it on a daily basis, but thats a whole 'nother issue. Also, legislators are reactive. If this system was implemented, and let's say worked, that'll just justify spending even less on the current CAD system and operations. IMO, You're never going to have a decent mutual aid system or mutual aid dispatch system until people adopt the same or similar ways of doing things

I like that one too, lol.