Reputation from jd783 - EMTBravo.com

jd783 liked a post in a topic by dwcfireman in Millions in tax dollars misspent by Yonkers firefighters union July 15, 2017

They already do administer the funds. The way it works is that the 2% funding is initially collected by the NYS Insurance Department(Insurance Law, Section 2118) (I would also like to indicate that this same law gives the State Comptroller's Office full authority to audit all fire department, district, and company treasury departments). From there, the NYSID distributes the funds to the department/district, who in turn distribute it to the company(ies). For the sake of this explanation, as both paid and volunteer fire departments receive 2% funding, labor unions representing firefighters and fire officers are considered fire companies.

Now, the issue at hand about how to appropriately spend these funds is detailed in Sections 9104 and 9105 of the State Insurance Law. Essentially, these sections state that the money must be spent FOR the firefighters and their families, such as to provide food and refreshments after drills and meetings, parades, and picnics; fire department tee shirts, jackets, and other apparel; furniture, air conditioning, and entertainment for firefighters at the fire house; annual awards banquets and holiday parties for fire company members; and radio receiving devices (pagers). The list for what you CANNOT spend the money on is just as long, which includes paying for training courses, fire prevention, medical leave/benefits (although there is a caveat on that which I'll explain below), assisting disaster survivors, and paying for delegates to attend conferences/conventions.

The caveat with medical leave and benefits can be legal if, and only if, the company has been approved legislatively for the funds to go to a benevolent association, in which then the money can be used to reimburse firefighters for medical expenses that they paid for out of pocket.

This above information can be found at the below links:
FASNY: https://www.fasny.com/pdfs/redhandbook.pdf
NYS Department of Financial Services: http://www.dfs.ny.gov/insurance/faqs/faqs_ft_fft.htm

For more information about the legality of the collection and distribution of funds, you can also visit http://www.dfs.ny.gov/insurance/ogco2007/rg070522.htm (this is another page from the NYS Department of Financial Services that includes the names of court cases to direct you to certain laws and court decisions that have created the current foreign insurance program).

AND, if you fear that the State Comptroller is going to investigate your fire company next (don't worry, they'll get to you eventually ), here's the link to the Office of the NYS Comptroller: http://osc.state.ny.us/localgov/firedist/faq.htm. This site provides all of the information that you need to better manage your company's funds, prepare for an audit, and how to fix your financial problems.

Don't sit around and wait. Be proactive and prevent your department/company from being the next news headline.

jd783 liked a post in a topic by FireMedic049 in Economic Study: Volunteer Firefighters Save NY Taxpayers More than $3 Billion Each Year August 15, 2016

Yeah, most people would say that, but they also say stuff like you should always lay in and some other things that aren't always the best option.

In this situation, the best place for the first engine is right in front in order to effectively utilize the deck gun to slow the progress of the fire. From the view provided, it appears that it would be very possible for the engine to take a position along the curb at the end of the driveway and still leave plenty of room for the Tower that arrived to get a good position since there aren't cars in the roadway and overhead wires don't seem to be an issue. In this case, the Tower didn't exactly take the address, so the engine wouldn't have necessarily been in the way anyway.

Another possible scenario would be for the first engine to dump their tank thru the deck gun and then move forward to get out of the way for the Tower in front of the house.
This is very true. I had a similar experience a couple weeks ago working my side job on the ambulance. Reported kitchen fire late morning on a weekday in a 2 story garden style apartment building. That community is served by a volunteer department. My partner and I were the first arriving unit (aside from police) 5 minutes after dispatch. At that point, I don't believe any of the VFDs alerted for the call had a unit on the road yet.

Upon our arrival, there was heavy fire venting out of a 1st floor window, middle of the row. The 2nd floor window above had failed and that apartment was starting to catch and there was some light smoke from the eaves and roof vents of the common attic. I would estimate it was at least 5 minutes after we arrived until the first fire unit arrived. Which was actually the career chief of a combination department responding as the initial RIT, immediately followed by the 1st due VFD. They brought their 75' quint with 250-300 gallons of water on board rather than one of their pumpers with at least 750 gallons of water. This was important since it's well known that their water system in general is poor and known to be poor in this complex.

They arrived with 4 on the quint - Assistant Chief driving with 3 FFs who aren't exactly the A team. I made the hydrant connection for them and my partner pumped their unit for the first hour or so (he was a former member of that VFD). The fire was growing, but it was still possible to get a stop on it and hold it to the apartments already affected. Well, 10 hours later as we left the scene, they had burned the roof off 2/3 of the building with significant damage to the living areas. It was only 2/3 because they managed to get most of a trench cut done on the one side before getting chased off the roof, but they also started it about 10-15 later than they should have despite having the resources to do so. They didn't even try on the other side.

The poor water supply was definitely a problem, but the combination of a slow response, initial personnel not really up to the task at hand and some initial strategic/tactical decisions that could've been better, resulted in a near total loss of the building (at least 24 apartments) rather than only a few apartments.

In the aftermath, the focus of the public and media was the problems with the water infrastructure and linking that to the result of the incident with no consideration about the role that response time, proficiency of the fire department and the decision making played in the result that day.

jd783 liked a post in a topic by bad box in Economic Study: Volunteer Firefighters Save NY Taxpayers More than $3 Billion Each Year August 13, 2016

This video does a good job of showing what commonly happens when a house is on fire in an area not protected by a full time staff of on duty firefighters. By the time the fire department arrives, there's no home left to save.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW70mP_bbfo

AFS1970 liked a post in a topic by jd783 in Mahopac Falls FD fatal fire. July 15, 2016

Lets all look at the facts that are stated about this fire, Time of day 4am, location of the fire Kitchen?,location of victim bedroom.
Theory Food on the stove, resident wake to heavy smoke condition, over come by co
I am in no way a supporter of the volunteer fire service, but this was a tragic event that could have happened in any municipality
Im sure the responding agencies did all they could for the fire victim Thanks

AFS1970 liked a post in a topic by jd783 in Mahopac Falls FD fatal fire. July 15, 2016

Lets all look at the facts that are stated about this fire, Time of day 4am, location of the fire Kitchen?,location of victim bedroom.
Theory Food on the stove, resident wake to heavy smoke condition, over come by co
I am in no way a supporter of the volunteer fire service, but this was a tragic event that could have happened in any municipality
Im sure the responding agencies did all they could for the fire victim Thanks

jd783 liked a post in a topic by x152 in Village Of Port Chester Disbands Career FD May 27, 2016

Wow, surprise??

Funny how the truth starts to trickle to the surface?

So much for the "financial" crisis spin??

Good old anti-union animus alive and well.

I am sure that the News12 story is only one of many to come. Careful, who you elect in your annual popularity contests, your vote may come back to embarrass you and your entire Department.

In this case, your vote will undoubtably cost your Village and Department enough money that the next gold laced fire truck or grossly oversized ladder truck that you were dreaming about ends up being built by Mattel.

Hint...when these clowns wash out of another volunteer fire department, there is usually a good reason for it. Don't become the "Florida" of your local volunteer system and accept all of the trash that funnels down hill.

And for all of those that like to cry how the IAFF is running around with false claims of pamphlets on how to eliminate volunteers, Port Chester FD Volunteer Leadership has just provided an epic historical blunder that will resonate for decades the facts about who is trying to eliminate who.

Nothing like the truth to ruin a good fantasy.

jd783 liked a post in a topic by nfd2004 in Village Of Port Chester Disbands Career FD May 12, 2016

If I read the above correctly, Five of the seven volunteer fire companies are willing to support those laid off career firefighters. If that is correct, "Hat's off to those Brother Firefighters who are willing to step up to the plate and do what is right". This could be a huge plus in their favor. Try to put yourself in those career firefighters shoes. They loose their jobs from what I am starting to realize over some political or power hungry individuals, who apparently have no concern for these firefighters or for the citizens who depend on them.

If I were one of those laid off firefighters, I would make sure I never forget who supported me and who didn't.

Of the Five departments whose members are supporting those laid off firefighters, is it possible for someone to post which departments they are. They deserve a "pat on the back and recognition" for what they are doing. Let the World know what True Brotherhood in the Fire Service is all about.

jd783 liked a post in a topic by PCFD ENG58 in Village Of Port Chester Disbands Career FD May 5, 2016

My hands are still shaking over this . I was at Gulliver's and as you all know to well that it is the early stages of the fire that are the most critical and that night we through firefighters after firefighters at the rescue side of it and saved over 100 but that was when Engine 58 had a 2 man crew and Engine 59 had a 2 man crew because there where 16 on the job and the Volunteer side had men hanging off the rigs because there where no seats left to sit in. Port Chester is a very busy dept and the call volume will burn out the volunteers going to the small calls like CO ,trash, brush, car, and what ever in the middle of the night . One of the Chiefs is a member on here .

jd783 liked a post in a topic by Bnechis in Village Of Port Chester Disbands Career FD May 4, 2016

It is clearly not a financial issue. Watch the village board meeting on their website.

1) they state they want to add cops
2) they state they failed to pass the tax cap override 30 days prior (as required by law)
3) they stated they can only add cops if they cut the budget elsewhere (since they can't legally raise taxes)
4) they started with a number of cuts, including the $600,000 in salary/benefits for the career firefighters

now here is is the kicker.......

5) they included dropping the Rye Brook "payment" (with no explanation). This payment is approximately $1,000,000 for fire protection.

So how many cops can they hire with this math? $600,000 - $1,000,000 = negative $400,000. In other words, the village will have to come up with an additional $400,000 to fund the FD.