spin_the_wheel

My money is on the paper not getting the story straight. After all we still use "Cherry Pickers" at the big ones according to most news agencies!!

Ding Ding Ding!!! But on a serious note my department is affected by this mess.

My inside sources (no BS) tell me that every day a certain number of employees work at the Lancaster LTI site and work the complete day.

Rockland Monsey old school Rescue

From Rockland ALF from Spring Valley. This must have been a work horse!

Goldens Bridge Mack CF

Great later model Maxim from Ossining. Question about this rig. If I am not mistaken this rig lasted into the 2000's? If so di the guys still ride the back step? I think it had hose bed bench seats...did they ride up there?

Rye Classic Seagrave

Very true. LTI was one of the best manufacturers of aerial ladders at one time. I am sure someone will buy LTI if this is the final call for ALF.

I saw an email from a high up at LTI stating LTI will remain open. We will see what happens I guess.

My Department had many Engines like this up until 1990. It was a popular feature in Volunteer Departments in the North East especially on Mack trucks. Believe it or not back in the day the "bench seats" above the hose beds were usually filled with many bodies gearing up! Photos circa 1971

Seth years ago...maybe 10-15 there was a state wide push and I think a bill for 20 year retirement (or maybe it was 25) for 911 ops and dispatchers in NY State. It got as far as Pataki's desk and he killed it.

There are many things rookies should know.... here is one thought I teach. RESPECT your uniforms. All 3 of them. Firefighting (actions on the fire ground), dress (actions when in class A's), and civilian (actions while off duty and wearing your FD t-shirts, hats, puffy jackets etc....) Understand that YES you are held to a higher standard when your a firefighter. If you cannot respect this fact, understand it and live it, move on.

The EMS service in the are is obviously flawed and needs help. I agree that is the true problem here. That said....as far as the individual involved you do what you have to do sometimes. IF things work out you can look yourself in the mirror every morning and know that you did the right thing. The hell with whatever anyone else thinks or a suspension letter on file. Like someone else said take your medicine and move on. These are the "war" stories that get better with time. "Remember the time when you took the......." When things work out you are able to laugh at them years form now. I would walk with my head held high for a job well done. For the individual to resign there has to be other problems going on. Who knows what they are but this is not worth resigning over. JMO

For you young guys it is a good stepping stone and will be good on a resume for the future for someone seeking to get hired for the Port Authority F/F positions that will open up soon and be permanent positions for years to come.

There are some fire districts with 5 elected fire commissioners without their own fire department.

Well done although I prefer the "in service weathered look" Here is the box that was on duty 2 houses away form me growing up. It looks virtually the way it did when it was taken off the pole in 1986.

What would that have to do with the Spring Valley FD? They are not "taking jobs" form union people. How could that be if there were never paid positions to begin with? I guess if your a union guy (for the record I am also, and also volunteer) when you have work done on your home you always use labor from union locals to do the work. Not electricians, plumbers or carpenters that are not in a union right? Good man.

I guess your not a firefighter. Unfortunately firefighters refer to a "good job" large fire, all the time and brag about how many workers a department/company responds to in the course of a year. From NY City to Seattle and all points in between. There is a fire service magazine Firehouse that does an annual "run" survey in which it lists the number of alarms a department/company responds to during the year. The more "runs" the more bragging rights. So in a way we all glamorize and promote someone else's pain and loss. The departments/companies with the most "destruction" are the ones we all want to run with. Not saying this is right, but it is a part of the firehouse culture. It's said that the best firehouse would be the one that gets no alarms. This means a safe community with 0 dollars fire damage. As far as 150 firefighters at a raised ranch house, this all depends on the size of the home. There are some very big raised ranch homes. A large ranch that has gone to a defensive operation may be a very manpower intensive operation when all is said and done. (long hose stretches and packing, exposure problems/brand patrol, over haul, relief crews, 1 bottle and done) Another thing about Chiefs giving numbers on manpower at alarms, they usually always go over the actual number if they are not prepared and have done an actual personnel count. But that means a good accountability officer and system in place. A topic for another day.

FASNY had a class on this a few years back. Why dont you contact them.

Few things are ever unanimous. Look at the posts in this thread. Clearly people have strong feelings for both sides of the topic of switching. In the end it will be the board of fire commissioners call as to switch or not. How they do it will make a world of difference. Management 101 never make a major change without including lower management (Chiefs, Officers) and even some of your workers (back step firefighters) in explaining your decisions and thought process as to why the change needs to be made. It makes everyone on the "team" feel as if they are part of the process in deciding the course and future of the organization or buisness. You need to back up a decision like this with facts. In the end you do what you have to do but doing this without feedback from the ranks is wrong. JMO

On the fire end of things who has mobile fieldcom/command post units? I know Yonkers has their own unit, who mans it civilian dispatchers or firefighters and is it available to respond anywhere in Westchester if needed? 60 control do they have a larger unit and a smaller unit? Who mans these units the dispatchers? Any other departments have one...New Roc, White Plains? Do the people manning the units have Class A fire gear if they are not firefighters? Who acts as Supervisor/boss on the units? In the event of a really large scale incident is there any plan to use all the units? Like one for operations, one for logistics, one for planning to work with the NIIMS system? Does the Westchester office of emergency management have their own? Are they included in anyone's large scale plan. I know this is a lot of questions but Nassau had a large brush fire last week and we had 3 fieldcom units working together on day 2 of the incident. Once you got over the ego trip of "this should be our fire" the 3 units worked very well together. Thanks Guys.

Thanks for the info. When 60 control's unit is called how does it deploy? With a dispatcher that's working taking the rig or are dispatchers called in from home? Or does a supervisor take the truck? Nassau County uses an on duty dispatcher to take the truck with the closest off duty supervisor going to the scene to meet the truck. Minimum manning for the truck is 2. Usually the number 1 or 2 Chief from our communications center will also respond as well as the county Fire Marshal or his assistant. A dispatcher is called in from home to report to the dispatch center to cover the open spot. Minimum manning 24/7 is 5 dispatchers and one supervisor.

You would think so, but at the incident I am speaking of there were over 40 incoming mutual aid companies from 2 counties. The area for the command post was ideal to stage the 3 units. Each unit had a specific area of responsibility with the appropriate rep from the host dept in their particular IC role. Each unit had all the necessary freq's and the communication between the 3 went well. I think this system worked well especially when there was a chance to be operating for a few days.

Because most of these fire companies were probably incorporated in the late 1800's and early 1900's. To be a corporation you needed "directors" to apply and then corporation officers... President, Vice, Secretary etc....