JBE

Just got home from my Union meeting. The Union is trying to get a "Hard to Fill" status for my job. If this goes through, residency requirement...GONE!!! I'll keep you folks posted. If it goes through, you can bet I will be out and about recruiting.

It was re-installed, heard em on the radio the other day.

They don't catch work like other companies in the Bronx. Occasionally some good first or second due work running south into 75/33's area. You wanna see work?? Go east into the 15 Battalion.

I always liked Eric Gross. Went to school with his kids. Nice guy, and he was definitely a buff. News 12 here in NYC covers the Bronx, and they are the absolute WORST!!!!

I have to politely disagree with you here, Pudge. Yes the ambulances will be staffed by firefighters, but if you have a situation where you have a fire in the first due area of a unit that got shut down, an ambulance with two firefighters isn't going to be able to do much in the way of suppression.

I would think that because most areas have a water supply that is in better condition.

Feel better guys. Ya dun good.

This is something I kinda came up with after listening to some comments passed at my job and on a few other messageboards. You know you're a buff when.... You have more radios tuned to the local fire/ems/police frequencies than you have to your favorite music station. You can rattle off assignments to locations faster than the crustiest dispatcher. And you're not a dispatcher. You're on a first name basis with most of the chiefs and 1/3 of the firefighters in your town/city. You've got more antennas sticking out of your house/car than the local radio station. 75% of the shirts you own are FD/PD/EMS shirts. You've got a scanner in at least one room in your house, and it's on 24/7. Your favorite book is published by Hagstrom. Any portion of your paycheck goes to donuts/food for your local firehouse. ***DISPATCHERS ONLY**** You argue about who should be first due to that location and why. (Usually because you know someone in that firehouse or you buff there) You can barely get out of your car because the weight of your radios, pagers, cell phone, camera, and video equipment is weighing you down. Your idea of a fun night out is taking in 3 or 4 fires in a 6 hour period. Your clothes and your cars interior reek of smoke. You remember incidents that most Emergency personnel you know have totally forgotten about. You hear certain dispatchers on the radio and you know who they are just by their voice. To add to the above, you know it's going to be a good tour when you hear a certain dispatcher on the radio. You tell non buffs to get out of the way so you can get some better photos/video footage. You happen to show up on a scene without a camera and the firefighters break your chops about it. You're taking your kids along, and they're taking pictures, too!! You try to talk to non-buffs about an incident, using job related slang. They all nod their heads and sort of smile, and then they slowly back up a step or two. You covet memorabilia like it was a Honus Wagner Rookie Card ****BUFF DISPATCHERS ONLY***** You show up at a fire scene to take pictures and you get your chops broken for a company getting relocated or asked why they were given a certain assignment.(I can attest to this because it happened to me) And the biggest way you can tell if you're a buff.... You have a riding list and seat assignments for your personal car, and you're only going food shopping. If anyone wants to add to this please feel free.

I forgot one, and I know you'll get a kick out of this one. You end up taking in a fire in the middle of a date.(March 1999, 3rd Alarm Bronx Box 4147 for a row of taxpayers,E. Tremont Avenue and Lafayette Avenue. Believe it or not, we went out on about three more dates after that and I helped paint her apartment!!!!)

Anestheisa nothing, somebody got a salt shaker??

I draw on my experience and concur with this line of thought. Tap the siren when needed, but when you're hauling someone from the @$$ end of Lake Carmel out near Kentwood Estates, it's a hike. Unless that patient is critical or unstable, lights only. Although, if anyone from back then is on this board and remembers, I wasn't the greatest at driving the bus.

Believe me, there are a few of us out there considering it.

I'm getting disappointed and it's only 5 games into the season.

Tapes are public information. They get pulled all the time for investigations, hooking people up, etc. This one was probably too good to pass up and they released it to the press. In all fairness, it's good that they did. It kind of shines a light on the BS us dispatcher types have to deal with on a regular basis.

Come to work with me sometime folks, I will show you abuse of the 911 system.

Only if it's Sweden...kinda regular around here.

I have nothing to add to this so I suppose that's a negative.

You really need to take a non buff vacation or at least a day or two off from all of this.

I'm placing this thread here because this is a subject that deals with the early stages of employment. And I had no other idea where to put it. When I got hired in 1997, my probie class was told by our upper management, "We hired you, we got no problem with firing you." "Don't expect to be off over the summer", "You WILL ALL be working July 4th", "That's a good way to get yourself fired". "Don't expect to see a vacation anytime soon, or any OT" Should I continue?? I know I posted a thread about how we're looking for people, etc. But, isn't there a better way to get the point across that you don't have to get all negative and try to intimidate the new people?? You want people to come to work, you want them to enjoy what they do, you want them to be happy. You want them to STICK AROUND!!! I have given this a lot of thought and have come up with some much better ways to do it. This job is what you make it, folks. Make the most of what is being taught to you and you will succeed. This can be a great job for most people. There are a lot of positives, to it. Camraderie with your peers and superiors. Self satisfaction in a job well done. Knowing in some way, shape, or form, you may have just saved someones life today. Just like any job, there are some negatives. Since our line of work is a 24/7/365 career, You will be required to work nights and weekends. There will be times in your first year here where you will have to work holidays. You may miss that Thanksgiving dinner at Moms house or the birthday party of a loved one. If this is not your cup of tea, there's the door. You're going to be asked to learn and absorb a lot of information in a short amount of time. We believe you can do it and your instructors will devote themselves to working with you. You will have to study hard and not become complacent just because you have been hired. If this does not appeal to you, there's the door. You will be expected to arrive on time, and be released from duty when your supervisor says you can go. You need to stay out of trouble and away from negative influences. You are going to be held to a higher standard than most people because of who you work for and what you represent. Please understand that the choices you make can be the difference between life and death. This is the business we are in, folks. If you choose not to abide by these rules, there's the door. A lot less negativity, but stern. I think it gets the point across. I was wondering what you folks thought of it because I am constantly hearing probies say the same things I heard 8 years ago when I was in their shoes.

The only team here that surprises me is Houston.

I figure the Mets will at least make wild card. Maybe the second round of the playoffs. After that, I dunno. The Yankees will make the playoffs, get all overconfident and then lose to someone like Boston.

HUBBAS ROCKS!!!!!

Union Vale up in Dutchess has one as well, or had. This was a while ago.

8 years as of this week.

Nahhhh stick to So Cal dude...Always something happening.