spin_the_wheel

Tarrytown signals http://www.tarrytown...arm_Signals.pdf Thanks for all the feedback.....who transmits the horn codes the PD? Can 60 control do this as well?

I came across a listing of horn codes for Tarrytown FD. Question... were these locations former street box locations, or are they just intersection codes. Does Tarrytown still use these signals? Also saw an "all clear" code..what was that used for? Was that a "throw back" from the civil defense siren days for an air raid siren test with an all clear?

2 separate Truck companies...both with tiller rigs....and wooden ladders!!! All you truckies out there how can you not love that!

Had to post this for my friends in Westchester and Mack CF fans everywhere. Ahhh how times change. I took this pic probably about 12 years ago. Same spot on the ramp for the Mack..

Same guys who almost went through the roof for keeps at this worker....great move city of Detroit. http://www.clickonde...hz/-/index.html p.s. just saw JM15 already posted this!

You are correct, but they are more then just that in this day and age. 50 years ago they were more like a "custodian" for the firehouse and were hired to maintain the Gamewell alarm system in town. At its peak it had over 250 boxes between the street boxes and Belmont Race Track. The 2 workers would spend countless hours tracing shorts in the system I have been told! I can only speak for the 4 that work for my district. One is not a firefighter at all. The other 3 only respond on certain alarms. Telephone alarms for fire, serious mva's. The time is logged that they are at the alarm and they pay back that time. Its like they punch out and respond as would someone who works at the cleaners during the day and would leave work and respond to fire calls. So when one of them is doing the annual mask fit test on a Wednesday night they may not be geting paid for this, they are working on give back time. When they are doing work on our training tower at night they may not be getting paid for this. When they are plowing snow in the winter over night they may not be getting paid for this. I understand this comes down to a union issue and a working out of title issue and I respect those with that point of view. One thought on this though. If the bottom line, what we all say and preach...that the customer...the public, they always come first. If thats the case, the public does not care that they respond to alarms, the people taking these jobs dont care that they are working like this and respond to alarms and the fire district that hires them does not mind this system, then that should be the only thing that matters. Did they find a way around the system instead of hiring someone with the title firefighter I guess they did. But if you look at in terms of a regular "day job" and the employer allows them to leave to answer alarms it can make some sense. I'm sure we will agree to disagree be safe.

I agree if civil service recognizes this job title it should be a competitive list.

Thats a sound way to look at it. Thanjks for the post.

I'm gonna guess most depts. with this sort of system do not consider themselves "combo" in any way.

Would you consider an all volunteer Dept. that has a paid AMT/EMT on duty Mon-Fri 7am to 7pm BUT does not act as a firefighter in any way a combination Dept? The ambulance does respond to fire calls but the person acts only in an EMS role. Also this persons job title is AMT/EMT, not firehouseman as some places have.

You are 100% correct if your goal is to prove to the public the difference between Interior or Exterior or the public is questioning manpower issues. But if a manpower issue is not in question or some type of point to prove is not a concern, who cares what the public sees. Short of dressing guys in hot pink gear I dont think the general public would notice anything different unless it was specifically pointed out to them.

The simplest indicator can be the non presence of SCBA on an individual. Otherwise a different helmet color will do. Many places use this system

Myself and Bnechis have disagreed or debated points of view and topics on many threads over the years on the Bravo...but he has nailed it with this statement. You cannot argue this statement.

Dino your reading me all wrong......there is no "contempt" here at all. Just saying there are more then 2 ways to skin a cat (no offense to cat lovers) Trying to compare career to volunteer never works out. The point was to show that many functions on the fireground, can be accomplished with exterior guys who do not go into a fire building. And as I said above our exterior designated guys, not many mind you, are not "helpers". All are senior guys with 35 to 40 years who still want to help out the dept. Just like a career guy hates every minute of being on "light duty" Im sure an "exterior" guy wishes he could be "interior" again. But in "our" world he can still play a role without worring about the ramifications the career firefighter has to worry about. Not knocking career here, there are career guys I know who have been forced out of the job due to certain injuries. They know they still can play a role but its the system they are in that prevents it. The volunteer system in many places allows things to play out in a different way. Thanks to NIMS and all the other "standards" set forth on todays fireground you need a ton of guys. Im not talking about fire police traffic control duty here, Im talking about assigning positions of accountability officer, staging officer, rehab people, PIO to name a few. Most working fires even the most routine, all of these positons come into play. In the end we will agree to disagree but as long as the fires go out its all good. Be safe.

6 or 7 coming in on the ladder would be a great response so in this case theymay not need their own Ladder if an automatic m/a system was in place.

Our "exterior" firefighters all started as "interior" so they also have the same training as "full duty", we do not except members as "exterior" from the start. And since they do not have to worry about civil service rules or loosing pensions or jobs they can come in handy on the fireground. What works for some may not work for others. It may be flawed, but fact is some of the functions on the fireground in a career system can be done by exterior firefighters in a volunteer system.

Ridgefield is staffed with how many? 2, 3 guys? You dont think SSFD can muster up that many? How many runs do they do a year? How many workers? If they cant staff it then I agree this is a bad move.

I'll tell you what has helped response times on mutual aid calls in my little corner of the world is the use of nextell push to talk groups, blackberry and I-phone message groups. When ever a neighboring dept signs on with a "next to, vicinity of, across from" call, or when the county dispatch uses the "code" when it sounds like work, one of the younger "buffs' gets on one of these groups our company has set up and lets everyone know whats what. Guys start heading to the firehouse. Most of the time if I dont head out when this "chatter" starts up, I miss the rig. Most of the time the rig is loading up and almost ready to head out before the dispatcher hits our tones. Most of the departments in my area do this sort of thing. Our mutual aid response times have shortend drastically due to this system. Now again, in my little corner of the world this works, we dont have a long drive to get to the firehouses but I would imagine departments with a long travel time to the firehouse setting up a system like this would help. It also gives you an idea who's responding. A few years ago this sort of thing happened on a weekday about 1pm and believe it or not I was pulling into your very own Stu Leonards! Sorry guys not available!!!

So noted.

Do you have guys working that are on "light duty". And do they/could they perform some functiuon at a fire scene if needed. Limited exterior work, fill bottles, staging officers or other IC roles. Some paid departments have guys like this that would be like "exterior" firefighters in a volunteer system.

How hard would it be for the 2 Depts involved to have an understanding that if the Volunteer Dept is called into the Career area on M/A they must have the same amount or more interior F/F's as staffed on the same career rig that is requested. Career has a staffing of 4 on an Engine...the volunteer company coming in M/A must have 4 or more as well. Career Ladder has 3....volunteer M/A ladder must have at least 3.

Sounds like a storage issue as to why they are parting with it. In the ebay ad it states they must get rid of it due to "quarters being condensed". It is a shame DPW or some other village storage site cannot hang on to it for the FD..

Any extras out there? PM me if someone has one thanks.

I agree BUT when this fails due to many reasons,or God forbid someone dies or is injured due to this system another precedent will have been set, and hopefully prove that this is not the way to go.

Looks like a sound merger between 4 fire companies. http://www.bluerockfire.com/sitecontent/index/page/History