JBE

I guess doing it in a bag and lighting it wasn't enough.

I was giving a drill about this a few months ago. I prefaced it with the fact that this was a very popular form of Suicide in Japan. Then made a joke about it being another popular Japanese import along with anime octopus tentacle p***. Needless to say, it didn't go over too well with some members of my tour.

I thought this name change happened already??

Idiots, I never understood the allure. It's a firehouse, not a fraternity house. You're there to serve the public, not get crocked and go out joyriding on a rig. Idiots.

What I mean by ignoring, and I should have clarified, is when a unit just comes up and says, "Ladder XX to Manhattan, do you have any further information on this Box?? K". Without calling properly and being acknowledged. I am a little bit of a stickler when it comes to proper radio procedure On both sides of the radio. Under no circumstances would I allow something more important to be ignored. My guys breathe the wrong way, there's a phone call made from HQ. That being said, I reiterate my earlier statement about ATT, and Be Advised.

So who fixes the Bronto parts on the present E-One rigs?? I'm a tad confuzzled here. Secondly, I know of a certain buff I met at the Silver City Fest last year who is probably a bit upset at this particular prospect.

I tell my guys to ignore them too, unless it's obviously something important. You wait till you're acknowledged. That's another story for another time, my friend.

I'll echo that, I remember in my Lake Carmel days, we were required to say, "Lake Carmel 17-2-1 to 40 Control" (tells you how long I've been out of there), 17-2-1 responding. I wanted to expand a little bit on at this time. Manholes and wires down. It's a storm, snow storm, wind storm rain storm. Wires and manholes all day. Units are asking for Con Ed, or an ETA. Usually an ETA. Here's where At this time comes in handy. "Engine XX to Manhattan, K" "Engine XX, K" "Manhattan, we got smoke pushing from a manhole under pressure. Can you get us an ETA from Con Ed, K??" Now mind you, this has been going on for hours and Con Ed doesn't have a crew available, anywhere. "Engine XX, be advised, Con Ed is not providing ETA's at this time, K" "Engine XX, 10-4" Meaning, you'll be lucky if you see them before sunrise tomorrow. However, this may change, and they may have crews coming in to handle the extra work load. So, we may say "At this time" "Be advised", I threw that in as a way to emphasize the point. This is a way to let the unit operating, and hopefully other units operating in other places know, that, just inform us where it is, and we will give it to Con Ed. Because God knows when they're gonna show up.

I don't see a problem with Be Advised. It's a way to make a point without going all bells and whistles. "Be Advised, you got another incident going on nearby, watch for other units responding in." K is either over used, misused, or not used at all. I'm a big stickler on Keep it simple. Sometimes, one in the dispatch office has to spoonfeed, or lead field units by the hand. At this time?? Ehhhh depends on the context of the situation. Note I am keeping my comments brief as so not to start an online pi$$ing contest between field folks and behind the scenes folks. I could go on for a week with stuff that gets overused, underused, said improperly, etc. That's up to the supervisor or head of the communications center to solve the problem, or set particular policy. It's also up to the White hats out in the field to enforce the policy as well.

Your best bet is to talk to someone in recruitment for any agency that is giving a test. Also, talk to your Command Enlisted Advisor( I think you guys call them Command Sergeant Majors) and explain the situation to them. You may be able to swing a few days leave while Stateside to take tests. I was fortunate, and mildly stupid when I was in the Coast Guard that I never left the East Coast. But, it also allowed me the opportunity to take a number of exams while I had liberty/leave. Took the test for Fire Alarm Dispatcher three days after my terminal leave started. Another piece of advice, take every single test anywhere you can. Don't just limit yourself to the greater NYC area. Best of luck to you, thank you for your service to our country and above all, STAY LOW AND GET HOME SAFE!!!!

Shame it's being left to rot like this. Hope someone tries to acquire it and give it a good home in its retirement.

Dirtbag move on the part of this guy. Betcha when he goes to his eternal reward, he will get laid out in the rotunda. Rassum Frassum..

I dunno, Joe. I don't think they could be charged with a hate crime. They haven't taken a violent turn with anyone. Just standing there with signs and protesting I don't think qualifies. Phelps' daughter is an attorney, so she knows her way around the law. I applaud the Supreme Court for taking a controversial subject and making a tough decision. As reprehensible as Phelps(note I wouldn't consider this guy a Reverend) and his followers beliefs are, the SCOTUS made the right call on this one. A number of my gay and lesbian friends were screaming about this the other day. I wanted to say to them, "Look, it may not be the decision you wanted, but it was the right decision." I would also say the same thing to any of my military friends, current or retired. It sickens me as a veteran that these people have nothing better to do than protest at funerals of men and women who were just doing their jobs. They are protected by the Constitution and this is an example that it works. I'd actually like to sit down and read the dissenting justices opinion. Westboro, IMHO, is a cult, plain and simple, that hides behind religion and the First Amendment to make its views public. One could say the same about white supremacist groups, black power groups, and folks of their ilk. they use the First Amendment as a shield. You may not like what they say, but they have the right to say it. I took an oath to protect the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Do groups such as this infuriate me?? Of course. Would I like to see them disappear?? Yup. Will I defend their right to say what they want?? You bet I will. I do feel, free speech should be tempered with common sense, but the letter of the law says otherwise. I'm actually suprised nobody has tried to destroy the church, or throw these people a beating.

Say no more...

I was just a small part in this. Once I knew it was a done deal with the comm board and the city council, I handed the ball off to Beef, Bill, and the rest of the crew on 180.

Just to add to that, Chief, he was the only non-firefighter member of the band.

He was the senior Supervising Dispatcher in the city at the time of his passing. He voluntarily demoted himself from Chief Dispatcher to Supervisor in 2002 to better provide for his family. I had the opportunity and pleasure to work with, and for Dennis for a number of years up in the Bronx. In addition to the street renaming, a Yankee jersey, Number 22 is hanging up on the wall of the Bronx CO, and his dispatcher number will be officially retired tomorrow as well. I learned more about being a boss by watching him than I ever have, and learned a lot about the Bronx in a few short years. We could throw out a location that we weren't sure of, and he could give us the Box number and assignment like it was second nature. Hey Doc!!! Mosholu Parkway just north of Gun Hill??? Box 8992, 79 Engine, 37 Truck, and the 52's. As The former Dispatcher "Tree Tree Oh, K" now, One Two Six would say, "He was the computer before there was a computer." He is truly missed by his friends, family and colleagues. I think the changes that have been going on in the job today would break his heart. RIP, DOC, you were one of a kind. And to quote him, channeling Vincent La Guardia Gambini, "And I'm done with this one!!!!" Jimmy JBE Raftery Supervising Dispatcher #47 FDNY Manhattan/Citywide Operations Bronx Alumni 1997-98, 2002-2004, 2005-2009

Meaning leeway with assignments to incidents, or making relocations, or asking incident commanders what they want?? I'll give you some examples because we are presently getting nickled and dimed for showing initiative. Last weekend, a city bus comes off the Clearview Expressway and collides with a tractor trailer, a building and a few other vehicles. Rescues 4 and 3 are assigned. As the situation winds down, Rescue 3 takes up and begins to head home. They are special called to a fire due to numerous calls coming into the Queens dispatchers. The supervising dispatcher(not me) is then contacted by one of the brass at HQ wanting to know why this was done. The regulations state that if the normally assigned Rescue(Or Squad) is not available, the IC must be notified and advise the IC if they want a Rescue(Or Squad). If the request is not made, the nearest available Rescue is assigned upon transmission of the All Hands. When it comes to the Squads, the only exception is if that Squad is operating as an Engine company on the first alarm assignment, then the next up Squad goes on the 10-75. Example: Squad 61 is first or second due to Jacobi and a 10-75 gets dumped, Squad 41 goes. I understand the need for rules and regulations, but this, IMO was a heads up move, taking initiative. Needless to say, that supervisor will probably be spanked. Never mind the fact that R-3 was about 5 minutes away, and it would have been an easy 20-30 minutes before R-2 got there from Brooklyn. Next incident, 2nd Alarm out in Staten Island last week. Fire is in a commercial building, 10-75 transmitted, relocators on the road as per SOP. 2nd floor gives way and dumps a number of firefighters down onto the 1st floor. Maydays transmitted, 2nd Alarm transmitted, no 10-66 transmitted, and I'm unsure if the dispatcher prompted the IC to see if they wanted it dumped. Staten Island Dispatchers re-direct two truck companies off of other runs to the fire, and then special call TL-77 to pick up Rescue Collapse Unit 5 and Special Call Rescue 2. I've been told that the supervisor(again, NOT me) is probably going to get spanked for this one as well. Never mind the fact that the additional help can always be turned around if not needed. Never mind the fact that not only me, but a number of my colleagues thought this was a heads up move. What sorts of latitude, as dispatchers, do you have when it comes to situations when you're gonna have to use your head, and not rely on a piece of paper, or what a Chief from a specific department wants?? I ask this question because over the past few years, some of the things that are normally an FDNY Chiefs responsibility have been placed in the hands of the dispatchers. Setting up staging areas at multiple alarm fires, when unless we are around the corner and can see it, we have no idea what the road conditions might be, Transmitting the 10-76 or 10-77 in a building that meets that criteria as soon as a multiple is transmitted for that building. I'm looking forward to hearing what you guys have to say. Thank you.

That was hysterical.

I wasn't going to say it.

Got mine with my name misspelled. Lovely.

RIP Officer, glad to have known you.

KNBC reporting one LA City FF transported to Cedars-Sinai in full arrest. Fire was in West Hollywood, both LA City and County responded.

I'm back to work later this week, I will get the info about how it was received. I will take a stab and say it was a phone alarm. This isn't the first time this has happened, where both FDNY and MV have either gotten simultaneous calls, or one got there after the other, etc. I can remember a second alarm a couple of years ago where FDNY was operating and we didn't know MV was there till about 20 minutes into it.

THE APOCALYPSE IS AT HAND!!!!! Seriously, Churches go either one of two ways. Either you get in and knock it down quick, or it's surround and drown. Looks like they had the chips stacked against em before they went out the door.