Stepjam

Just yesterday on the Taconic, I passed a guy taking a long pull on his beer (a Corona, I think) while cruising along at 50+. I wonder if he had his cell phone on, too?

Don't worry. The governor says that tougher gun control laws will solve all of our problems.

I think people in general are getting crazier, throughout the spectrum. A group of nutjobs like this will, sooner or later, attract a different kind of nutjob. I think I said this before in this forum some time ago, but I think that eventually the WBC nuts will be the target of a nail bomb, a drive-by shooting, or, dare i say it, a heavily armed lone gunman.

True that. They also make their snow tires out of real snow.

I know a couple of European firefighter friends (Dutch) who were simply flabbergasted at our mostly-wooden residential construction. I won't repeat some of their comments here, but suffice to say that in Europe, load-bearing exterior walls and most especially, partition walls seldom rely on lumber and aren't faced with plywood, particle board, or sheet rock. But there are arguments to be made for either technique.

Oh my God. I will be praying for that boy.

BRAINS!!!!

In the wake of the Carmel tragedy, I asked some questions about the apparent fire vulnerabilities of lightweight home construction. There were some really informative replies, too. But the thread was removed, I guess someone took offense to it.

Do my eyes deceive, or is that Station 10 in the first picture? Talk about first due!

They are truly cursed. Too bad for the lady and her family, but I have zero compassion for him.

I forgot to add that my thoughts and prayers are with the Trooper. He used deadly force, and even if it's justifiable it is something he will have to live with.

Well done. He got what he deserved, and the rest of the posse will be guests of New York State for a few years. That said, there is very likely more to stories like this than we will see in the papers. Scum like that usually just doesn't randomly pick any house, they probably knew what they were looking for.

I didn't know. I loved his Sunday program on WNEW, always something rare and interesting.

A terrible tragedy, what a nightmare for that boy and the rest of his family. My prayers go out to them According to reports, it looks like the authorities are being cautious and conducting a thorough investigation. I am having a difficult time understanding how a relatively new house could be consumed so quickly by such a conflagration. In reading some related threads, I am getting the picture that "lightweight construction" may have been a contributing factor. Not being a carpenter, I'm not sure what this type of residential construction entails. My house, a center colonial, is twenty four years old, and I assumed it is of normal frame construction. Now I'm curious. One would hope that there is an inverse relationship between evolving construction techniques, and the resistance to fire spread of the structure that uses those techniques. Has home construction actually taken a backward step where fire safety is concerned? With regard to sprinklers, this may sound crazy but I wonder if the insurance lobby isn't opposed to them for residential use? An accidental discharge in a home could cause thousands of dollars in damages, especially if it goes unnoticed for hours or even days. Whatever statistical model these companies use might suggest that the potential incident frequency and settlement costs present an undesireable risk for them? I guess we'll soon find out.

Injuries are part of the job, and they will happen. I blew out a knee, but my medical coverage took care of the resulting bills and therapy. Other than that, I totally got over it.

You're kidding, right?

I'll bet Palos has a bot running on their page. But the YO has an EDP!!!

The Iranian regime has already proven its willingness to export terror. Just look at the attempts recently made on those Israeli diplomats. I'm actually surprised Israel hasn't launched a strike yet, although it may yet. Although I don't believe that the Iranian people are fully behind the crackpots who are now running the country. However, I do believe that any attack we launch had better achieve 100% of its objectives on the first try, because I think the people will rally behind the regime once an attack is launched. Intelligence gathering and follow-up strikes will be even more difficult to achieve. I think it would be the same for any nation or culture. In a nutshell, it can't be half-assed.

Not sure what the rules on "donations" are, but it looks to me that if everyone that voted dropped a buck in the boot instead, they could put in a kitchen that the devil himself, Gordon Ramsey, would be proud to curse in. I've been voting on this like an Atlantic City Republican, frequently and often. Just kidding, but in all seriousness, those guys need a kitchen badly.

I'm sure someone out there knows a lot more about this than I do, but I seem to remember that their original ex-FDNY ALF Century was destroyed on 9/11. Sometime after that, they received a donated, older E-One (I think) from somewhere down in the Tidewater area. Maybe that was short lived because of incompatible fittings, etc. Anyway, the Vollie Companies are a slice of old New York that I'm glad to see are still around, if only for posterity.

One thing that the usually under-informed Journal News omits from the article is Indian Point's emphasis on fire prevention. This is accomplished through housekeeping, chemical controls, proper storage of combustibles, and standing fire watches during any hot work, such as cutting and grinding. Most of the critical areas are covered by either an automated deluge system (sprinklers? HAH!) or a CO2 system. The Fire Brigade is also very effective. I'm sure the Journal News is hoping that its readers will draw the conclusion that Indian Point is defenseless against fire.

Nothing makes me prouder of being a Yonkers native than our excellent Fire Department. Have a long, prosperous, and healthy retirement, Chief. It's well deserved!

This is what it's all about. Thank you Officer Bourbeau!

I hate to admit that I remember the orange and blue cars very well, with their big gumball beacons. I lived on Knowles Street at the time. I believe they were Plymouth Valiants.

You are reading it correctly.