FD828

I wasn't not trying to answer your question... I thought I did. But yes I believe you mean what you say. Yes I am for an intergrated department working side by side. I do not like anything about the mayor's plan. There are some things in your plan I like, and some I do not. There are some things in the "Brown Plan" I like and don't like. I think that the details could be worked out if we could all work together. I have to agree with TRex, 511 needs to go. And although the union is trying to look out for its members, I feel they are also looking out for the residents of this city. Perfect example is the recent loss of a large house Christmas night. The union DOES care about the citzens. We all have are hearts in the right place when it comes to serving the public.

I believe what you say is truely what you believe. But you are not alone in your way of thinking. The majority of the dept doesn't want to do away with the volunteers. A lot of guys feel that one way to go is say X department calls into service with dispatch and tells them that they have an engine or truck staffed with a full crew (Officer, Driver, 2 FF's - all training being equal) they will then be added to the CAD system. When a call comes in the CAD recommends the units. If they are the closest lets say Truck Company, they are assigned as such. When the crew decides to leave the station and no longer have a full crew they call out of service. I realize that this doesn't cover all the details that have to be implemented to ensure complete city wide coverage,(details can be worked out) but it shows that the guys are willing to work as you say shoulder to shoulder. I also have to tell you that part of the problem is that nobody from the city is willing to sit down and hear other suggested ideas about the fire service. And while others have said (and maybe you did as well), that the union could have put its 2 cents in like you yourself did, you have got to know that the union was not welcomed to participate in the fire study. So while I believe there are problem children on both "sides" the union isn't the "bad guy" in this "game". I would love if the volunteer chiefs sat down with the career staff chiefs and union and worked out a plan TOGETHER and brought it to the mayor (or Larobina whoever is really running things) and said this is what the fire service wants to do. But that is a pipe dream. It is total smoke and mirrors in my opinion, what the mayor is pushing for. Can you honestly believe that the citizens are not going to be paying tons of $ for the new fire department? What happens if/when the new paid staff wants to unionize? I know something needs to be done, but I truely believe that this is a huge mistake that is going to cost the tax payers lots of money, jobs will be created and jobs will be lost. Once it is done, it will take a whole lot to get it un-done. If you say what you believe, I don't think you believe this is the way to go either. Why anyone wants this plan is beyond me. I don't know what the future will bring. I just hope nobody loses their jobs and mostly that nobody gets hurt.

I agree that the paid and volunteer firefighters can work together, but you said it above. Officers that meet the SAME standards. Have ANY of the voluteers handed over the training records that were requested eons ago? And what are those standards? What are the standards of a firefighter or an officer? Are the career FF's and volunteer FF's really trained to the same level? I don't know. Perhaps there should be a minimum city wide list of mandatory training that all FF's have to have before they go "on the line". Then there should also be mandatory training for FF's before they are qualified to become officers including an amount of time served. I know that you have seen the men in action on calls. For the most part everyone works well together. There is 1 command at a scene and all officers are in charge of their company. I can't see the issue here. The voluteer LT's are not trying to give orders to the career LT or Captains and visa versa. So in my opinion the real problem is the people above everyone else. The volunteer chiefs want to be in charge in their districts, the career chiefs are going to be on the scene to watch over their own and it pisses off the volunteer chiefs. But again what is the training level and qualifications of the volunteer chiefs??? A lot of TRUST must be earned on both sides for any of this to work. And right now it is not there.

Not to mention the position it puts the firefighters in. We all know they have absolutely nothing to do with this hair brain idea, but they will sure be the ones taking all the heat from the public. Like they don't have enough to deal with already!

You didn't by any chance work/retire from Mohegan did you? Sounds very similar to a few of my friends currently/past employed there.

Absolutely positive. It is a seperate cable exactly like the pulse ox cable, even plugs in the same port on the LP 15. Measures Carbon Monoxide.

Anyone know if those same "rules" apply in Connecticut?

So basically if the commissioners of a fire district decide they need to buy all new engines, build a new fire station and give all their firefighters pay raises they can do it with a majority vote? Even if that means the taxes for those residents will double? And the town has no say and have to collect said monies?

I wonder where the mayor/Larobina came up with the statement that if the volunteer companies were to disban the SFRD would have to hire 117 new firefighters which would increase the budget by 48%?? When the Asst. Chief of the SFRD gave him a ZERO cost plan to cover the WHOLE city!!! How is it that the new SVFD would only need 58 new firefighters but the SFRD would need 117??? I guess they don't remember that SFRD already is covering with Engines 7, 8, and 9! More miss-information...great job mr. Mayor or should we say Mike Larobina... who is really running city hall these days?

In order to help keep our EMS responders safe, we have CO detectors that stay on at all times that are clipped to our 1st in bags. A very worthwhile expense that I feel all services should have. God forbid you're in someones residence treating a patient and there is high levels of CO. We also have to CO monitoring cable on our LP 15's. More expensive but it is 2010!

Does Newburgh have a minimum staffing level defined in their contract? What I mean is, the city lays off 12 guys, but the contract states "X" amount of FF's must be on duty at all times. So they have to hire back FF's on OT. So they save money here but spend it over there. Of course then they will blame the fire department for having so much overtime, forgetting they cut the staffing levels. Will they really save any money??? (That is of course there is language in the contract stating this.)

You get no argument there from me. Sounds about right.

Of course there lies the possibility that when the mayor finally tries to implement his new plan for "better" fire service, they will release the test results. Because they will need to hire 51 additional firefighters to work for the new "volunteer" department.

This is a letter to the editor well written by a police officer in New Jersey. Long but really worth reading. http://uslawman.websitetoolbox.com/printthread?id=4974192

Fair enough but regardless of the why, as we can now clearly see the entire premise of the merger was flawed to begin with and hence led to the current situation. Cogs I disagree. The "why" is extremely important. Perhaps the merger wouldn't be considered "flawed" if the current administration followed what the last was trying to accomplish. Increase fire protection for all residents of the city, increase staffing levels for North Stamford, and reduce costs. The current administration is to blame for any "flaws" in the merger.

And after they hire some/most/all the dedicated volunteers who will volunteer then? Who is going to show up for the automatic fire alarm at 3am? I know that not every call is being answered now by the volunteer force at all hours of the day (aside from BFD). And yes i know that not all of the volunteers want to be paid/career firefighters before the yelling starts. As for the overtime costs.... you can't say that there hasn't been a savings. The city refusing to hire firefighters to fill vacancies is what is driving up the OT. So perhaps if the city kept their end of the bargian then the OT wouldn't be what it is.

Count me in.

I agree with the others who posted before. A yearly fee isn't an outrageous request to keep the site going. Poll everyone. I appreciate this site and all the time/effort/work that goes into it. Wish I could do more.

HME actually makes a quint with a 75' rearmount stick.... NOT that you would want that! Stamford has 2 of them... E-5/E-6

I know it is hard to see, but the 3rd picture of the ladder... how close is it to those wires? It looks pretty close from that angle!

You said it. Someone who is ON THE SCENE!! If an alarm company calls back and wishes to cancel an alarm, the first due apparatus can and should continue lights and sirens (regardless if non-fire department personnel are trying to cancel) and the rest may respond normal traffic. But ALL apparatus should never be cancelled until a fire official arrives on scene to confirm that it is a false alarm and decide if any other resources are needed or not. Because we all know that sometimes it isn't a false alarm.

Saw this and wanted to make sure as many people see it as possible. Tip a Firefighter to Benefit Bridgeport LODD - August 20, 2010 Archie Moore's Restaurant 33 Elizabeth St. Derby, CT 06418 6PM to 10PM Raffle Tip your firefighter table server T-shirts for sale All proceeds will go the families of: Bridgeport Fire Department Lt Steven Velasquez Bridgeport Fire Department FF Michel Baik Contact Info e-mail Bridgeport FF Dave Lenart Len96703@aol.com

Should of posted this here not under the incidents, sorry. Tip a Firefighter to Benefit Bridgeport Fallen Firefighters Fund -TONIGHT The East Haven, West Haven, North Haven and Branford Fire Departments are sponsoring Tip-a-Firefighter to benefit the Bridgeport Fallen Firefighters Fund: Tip a Firefighter / 10% Night To Benefit: “Bridgeport Fallen Firefighters Fund” Tuesday August 3, 2010 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Texas Roadhouse 524 Sawmill Road West Haven CT Leather Helmet Raffle and more

Date:8/3/10 Don't know if this was posted or not. Just found out about it. Tip a Firefighter to Benefit Bridgeport Fallen Firefighters Fund -TONIGHT The East Haven, West Haven, North Haven and Branford Fire Departments are sponsoring Tip-a-Firefighter to benefit the Bridgeport Fallen Firefighters Fund: Tip a Firefighter / 10% Night To Benefit: "Bridgeport Fallen Firefighters Fund" Tuesday August 3, 2010 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Texas Roadhouse 524 Sawmill Road West Haven CT Leather Helmet Raffle and more

This is what I got from the Stamford L786 President. God be with them and their families. The viewing for Brother Velasquez will be held on Thursday, July 29, 2010 from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Klein Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, Connecticut 06605; (203) 337-6195. The viewing for Brother Baik will be held on Thursday, July 29, 2010 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Road, Trumbull, Connecticut 06611; (203) 373-1013. The funeral service for Brother Velasquez will be held on Friday, July 30 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Augustine Cathedral, 359 Washington Avenue, Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604, (203) 368-6777. The funeral service for Brother Baik will be held on Friday, July 30 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church, 5458 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604, (203) 372-9767. The funerals are not private as previously noted, only the inside of the chuch due to seating/space restrictions as with most funerals. A Collation honoring both our Brothers will be held on Friday, July 30, 2010 at the conclusion of the services at the Arena at Harbor Yard, 600 Main Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut. Local 834 and the Bridgeport Fire Department have established a fund to support the families of the two fallen fire fighters. Donations to the "Bridgeport Fallen Firefighters Fund" can be made through the Bridgeport Fire Department Employees Federal Credit Union at 3115 Madison Ave., Bridgeport CT 06606, Attn: Bridgeport Fallen Firefighters Fund. The credit union can be reached at (203) 374-8120 or 1-800-242-8120