JBE

It's probably to replace 34 Truck. They have the oldest frontline tiller in service.(Either a 99 or 2000)

I would call it an Engine, with the addition of an operable elevated master stream. With a few Ladder Company thingies thrown in for good measure.

I would call it an Engine, with the addition of an operable elevated master stream. With a few Ladder Company thingies thrown in for good measure.

I'm still wondering why these clowns haven't gotten a few new ones ripped by the state for heaven knows what shenanigans they have pulled. I did have an interesting experience recently while driving into work. I'm coming off of 17 and onto the Thruway at Woodbury or Harriman, or whatever that toll booth is. I see a bus behind me, L&S. I don't think anything of it, and happily herp a derp my way down the Thruway. I see the bus in my rear view, still responding to whatever. I still don't think anything of it. They finally pass me at the TZ and that's when I see the Hatzolah markings. I catch up to them somewhere in Yonkers, and follow them all the way into the city. Mind you, this is what, 40, 50 miles?? I see them getting off the Deegan at Van Cortlandt Park South. The first thought that went through my mind was, "What, they don't have a bus available in Riverdale.??? Such a thing.

They have been testing out the Samantha type voice in a firehouse near my office. Rescue Me is just that, TV. There are a number of departments who have that computerized voice reading the tickets in the firehouse, such as LA City and Chicago. Not too sure if it has filtered over to the radio. I am all for new technology, but, let's keep the human factor involved.

They have been testing out the Samantha type voice in a firehouse near my office. Rescue Me is just that, TV. There are a number of departments who have that computerized voice reading the tickets in the firehouse, such as LA City and Chicago. Not too sure if it has filtered over to the radio. I am all for new technology, but, let's keep the human factor involved.

I left them in dome, and just transported them in some big storage bins. Although my Super Pumper System took a beating after I knocked it off the wall.

We caught quite a few. In total, the FDNY Fire Dispatchers handled 22,000 alarms between 0001 Monday, and 2359 Tuesday. These ran from just calls for complaints, to alarms that weren't sent out, to fires and emergencies. Tippin the Mets hat to Angry Johnny.

Just to add to this. It served at E-283 for a while, then went to the academy for Chauffer Training, then went back to Louisiana.

We caught quite a few. In total, the FDNY Fire Dispatchers handled 22,000 alarms between 0001 Monday, and 2359 Tuesday. These ran from just calls for complaints, to alarms that weren't sent out, to fires and emergencies. Tippin the Mets hat to Angry Johnny.

This is an alarming trend that is going to continue. We just had a guy terminated for making what someone referred to as threatening speech on his facebook page. Granted, he didn't help his cause by continuing to run his mouth off the computer. Folks, watch what you say, it will come back to haunt you. Your freedom of speech is pretty much gone when you swear that oath to protect. It's only going to get worse.
And, I can tell you all with a fair amount of certainty, once one gets a bulls eye on their back, those who want that person to say something that will get them into even worse trouble will be licking their chops when you do.

This is an alarming trend that is going to continue. We just had a guy terminated for making what someone referred to as threatening speech on his facebook page. Granted, he didn't help his cause by continuing to run his mouth off the computer. Folks, watch what you say, it will come back to haunt you. Your freedom of speech is pretty much gone when you swear that oath to protect. It's only going to get worse.
And, I can tell you all with a fair amount of certainty, once one gets a bulls eye on their back, those who want that person to say something that will get them into even worse trouble will be licking their chops when you do.

Broad Channel lost at least one rig that I know of. I just got online yesterday. I got out of work Wednesday morning after working pretty much non stop from Sunday Morning til Tuesday AM. Then another 18 hour tour Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday Morning. We did 22,000 plus alarms between 0001 Monday to 2359 Tuesday. I cannot be prouder of the people I work with, and the Emergency Communications folks in the area. We got power back in Port Jervis sometime yesterday. I got home last night and all is well here. It is a mess out there obviously. Thoughts and Prayers for all who lost something or everything. I'll be back to work Monday.

Broad Channel lost at least one rig that I know of. I just got online yesterday. I got out of work Wednesday morning after working pretty much non stop from Sunday Morning til Tuesday AM. Then another 18 hour tour Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday Morning. We did 22,000 plus alarms between 0001 Monday to 2359 Tuesday. I cannot be prouder of the people I work with, and the Emergency Communications folks in the area. We got power back in Port Jervis sometime yesterday. I got home last night and all is well here. It is a mess out there obviously. Thoughts and Prayers for all who lost something or everything. I'll be back to work Monday.

Here is a copy of a letter I just sent to Governor Cuomo:
Dear Governor Cuomo,
I am appalled by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s decision to go forward with ING New York City Marathon just 6 days after the worst hurricane in over 100 years, which has decimated parts of New York State, New York City, and parts of the east coast of the United States. Bloomberg's claim that it will not impact rescue and recovery efforts one bit, is laughable at best. I am a New York City Police officer, and since the day that Hurricane Sandy hit New York I have worked twelve hours day. I have put aside my life and my families problems in order to maintain law and order in the City of New York, and was fully aware that situations like this would occur when I signed up to take the exam to become a police officer. I am one of the more fortunate ones, I only lost food in the refrigerator, some of my coworkers were not as fortunate. Several have lost their entire possessions, one, Artur Kasprzak, gave his life while off duty to save 7 lives. In addition, I have worked the Marathon in years past, and can tell you from firsthand experience it takes a lot of police officers to staff this event. In Manhattan, there are often anywhere from 8 to 12 police officers per block to keep the crowds back, and prevent them from crossing into the path of marathon runners. Just where does the city get all the officers to staff this event, and continue to provide enough officers to patrol the rest of the city? It orders a large number of officers, and supervisors to come in and work their day off. Most years this is not a problem, but due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and resulting problems, police officers are now handling additional duties such as traffic in intersections with no traffic lights, additional patrols in areas with no power, and providing security to gas stations to prevent the outbreak of violence as stations run out of gas with the earliest possible deliveries to be on Saturday. Tensions are running high in some parts of the city, as some people no longer have electricity, food, gas, and even running water in some cases. Bodies are still being recovered as I write this. Mass Transit has not been fully restored, mandatory carpooling to enter Manhattan has been instituted to lessen the effects of bridges and tunnels that remain closed. Now we are going to close more roads, and take more police officers off the street to protect a marathon? People are fighting over gasoline in parts of the city, does the Mayor think that some of these same people who are stressed over getting the basic necessities are going to stop their fighting and applaud the marathon as it closes more streets, stores, and places a greater burden on them so that the city can make some money from the Marathon. Some people will point out that just ten days after 9/11 Major League Baseball was playing games at Shea and Yankee Stadiums which became a source of hope. While the effects of 9/11 were widespread, and in some cases still felt today, the physical damage was confined to the World Trade Center. People could go to a place where they felt safe, their homes, have something to eat, go to the store and buy items they needed and travel pretty much as they pleased. Today in some areas of the State, and New York City, these same people no longer have homes, are wondering where there next meal will come from, and be able to take a hot shower in a place they feel secure in. I am not saying to cancel the Marathon, but perhaps this is not the right time to hold this event, and it should be rescheduled into the future. How can you justify the large number of road closures, police officers reassigned, and basic items such as bottled water, high calorie snacks, and other supplies such as blankets when some many of our fellow New Yorkers are lacking these basic items? Members of the New York National Guard, and other states National Guards are working to bring vital supplies to New York, to help stabilize and eventually recover from what the worst natural disasters to ever impact the State of New York. Many New Yorkers are working with their insurance companies and FEMA to begin the recovery process, and now Mayor Bloomberg’s actions are telling the people of New York, that money from tourists running in a marathon is more important to the city (and State) than they are. Please, use your power as governor to implore Mayor Bloomberg to reschedule the marathon. The impact from the marathon is just too much at this fragile time.
Sincerely,
Kurt Von Dietsch

Broad Channel lost at least one rig that I know of. I just got online yesterday. I got out of work Wednesday morning after working pretty much non stop from Sunday Morning til Tuesday AM. Then another 18 hour tour Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday Morning. We did 22,000 plus alarms between 0001 Monday to 2359 Tuesday. I cannot be prouder of the people I work with, and the Emergency Communications folks in the area. We got power back in Port Jervis sometime yesterday. I got home last night and all is well here. It is a mess out there obviously. Thoughts and Prayers for all who lost something or everything. I'll be back to work Monday.

Couple years ago I worked a night tour in 69 Engine.............Somewhere between 5-6 am we get an ERS no contact.........pull around the corner onto Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. and it's out 4 windows of a vacant building...........No B.S................Had no other calls

The street pull-box has not become obsolete. Not one bit. Unless you can show me a fool-proof, never fail method of reporting an emergency, there will be a place for the street pull box. Oh, remember that this device has to be available to everyone. How many people don't have cell-phones, or home phones? Not many in Dobbs Ferry, but in some inner-city neighborhoods, there are still some without.
How about a child? That same group of kids who maliciously pulls the box after school might actually have an emergency to report and no phone.
How about a catastrophic event? I don't know about you, but on 9/11 or the 2003 black-out, I couldn't make a phone call on my cell for hours.
Dispatch has taken steps to reduce malicious false alarms. Almost all pull-type boxes have been replaced with an intercom style. The person pushes a button and speaks with a dispatcher. Between the hours of 7am and 11pm, if no contact is received by the dispatcher, no units respond. If a "no-contact" box is received after 11pm, one single engine responds to investigate.
It doesn't happen often, but I have responded to more than one "ERS" (intercom pull-box) alarm that turned out to be an all hands fire. While the alarm was phoned in as well, it was the ERS report that had us out the door 30 seconds earlier.
The street alarm box still has a functional place in many areas. Cost? It is an almost invisible line item on this city's budget. It is a small price to pay for a tried and true system. This is a great example of positive redundancy.
Lastly, in light of the recently introduced "UCT 911" system and it's many shortcomings and failures, it's nice to know that there is still as system out there that will put the public in direct contact with Fire or Police dispatchers and not some low-rent, ineffectively trained call-taker.

So they're like hosewagons, or Pipelines, like Philly has.

I gotta admit, that spare Ford/Smeal is an interesting looking rig.

Not my quote, but I like it:
"A little CO inhalation isn't a bad thing. It helps me get back to sleep after those middle-of-the-night runs."

My boy, TL-2 summed it up quite nicely. You called 911 and got a civilian employee of the PD. To echo what was said here, if you had said 79th Street Boat Basin, you probably would not have had as big of a problem. In all fairness, most of these calltakers are overworked, underpaid, and aren't given the slightest bit of encouragement to learn outside of what they are taught. Not to mention, they do work in a pretty hostile work environment, where every minor screw up is given either a write up, or results in a loss of vacation time or pay. One other thing, depending on the name of the landmark, they can't put it in their system. Remember the shooting at City Hall a number of years back?? They couldn't put CITY HALL into their CAD. They can't put the bridges in for the most part. They need cross streets. If you had said, Hudson River and 79th Street that would have also helped.
They weren't trained properly in taking fire calls, and still screw stuff up on a pretty consistent basis. When you call 911 in NYC, you get the PD Calltaker who enters the information, sends it to the FDNY CAD/EMS CAD through a link, then conference calls you in to either us, or EMS. We take the info, basically to make sure PD didn't screw it up, and update the incident.
Now, here is the difference between us and them. They have folks who are nothing but professional call takers, who have it beaten into their heads to take calls at face value. They are not allowed to use common sense, and any inkling of common sense is quickly discouraged. Prior to UCT, you have no idea how many calls we disregarded, or told the caller the FDNY was not responding because it wasn't a fire department issue. Not so with UCT, they send us EVERYTHING!!!! I'm not going to give examples. One of the other disadvantages, is when you call 911 is that it isn't borough specific. They take calls for the whole city. I've worked most of my career between the Bronx and Manhattan, and I was born and kinda raised in Queens, and even I don't know all the streets. Although through out my experience, if I hear a street I am not familiar with, I can either ask my colleagues, or ask what borough it's in and have an idea of where it is. The way the building is set up, I spent sometime right in between EMS and PD, and overheard a lot of the operators. I remember one night recently, the calltaker kept repeating Bronx River Road and Nereid. I looked at her supervisor and said, Why don't you put in Webster Avenue and Nereid, or Webster and the City Line. I got ignored for a good two minutes.
We are not allowed to have professional call takers. We train our dispatchers to do everything. This takes up to 10 weeks of training. If one of my guys on a call doesn't know where something is, there is a strong possibility someone on my platform does.
If you need the FDNY or an Ambulance, the proper number to call in the boroughs are:
Manhattan 212-999-2222
Bronx 718-999-3333
Brooklyn 718-999-4444
Queens 718-999-5555
SI 718-999-6666
One of my dispatchers will answer the phone, and we will get you what you need.

Date:9-8-12
Time:1059
Location: 1 Beach 227 Street-Breezy Point
Frequency: 154.40
Units Operating: Engines: 329, 264/268, 266, 265. Ladders 137, 159, 121(FAST), Battalions 47,43
R-4, Sq-270, Div-13. RAC-2
Weather Conditions: Stormy
Description Of Incident: Confirmed touchdown of Tornado in the Breezy Point section of the Rockaways. Bn-47 reports numerous trees and wires down, investigating for injuries and structural damages. As of 1233, Con Ed and LIPA on scene taking care of wires. Breezy Point Maintenance handling trees, no ijuries or structural damage ATT. BN-47 used all hands, Sq, Rescue returned. 10-75 @1115, All Hands @1121.
Relocators: BN 51/47, E-285/264, 303/266, L-166/137, L-155/121, E-304/265, 225/329, L-172/159.
Dispatchers on Duty:64, 162,127,224,230,245.
Reporters: JBE

Date: 9-8-12
Time: 1117
Location: 1615 Canarsie Road Btw. Ave N and Seaview Ave(Canarsie)
Frequency: 154.37
Units Operating: E-283,323 L-174, L-120, L-170 BN-44, Div-15, Car 7(Bklyn Boro Commander, DAC Leonard)
Weather Conditions: Stormy
Description Of Incident: Box initially transmitted as single engine response for wires down. Upon arrival of E-283, Truck and BC requested.(174, 44) Box filled out (323, 120) @ 1143, OEM and DOB ntfd for homes damaged by tornado. 9314 and 9316 Canarsie Rd.
Relocators:E-280/283, 281/323, L-124/120
Dispatchers:52, 139, 246,259,263,764
Reporters:JBE

How is that you think this is a response to my challenge? My challenge was for the other poster to explain with specificity what he meant by "glass houses".
It is such a shame that again, another poster on this site has, from behind the anonymity of his keyboard, made unsubstantiated allegations using such words as "hate" and "despise"...we have so many serious problems in this world, and everyone on this website, career, volunteer, or other has so much more in common than we do differences. There is, unfortunately, so much real hate, violence and unfairness in this world, and to throw these words around so casually is really a damn shame to me. Why can't we just be big boys and respect differences of opinion without being so thin skinned or making personal attacks? I have used sarcasm on this site at times, and generally this was done in response to ludicrous misinformation on a subject near and dear to my heart, and / or a personal attack on my self or my department. However, in all my years interacting with members of the volunteer Fire and EMS service, both on this site, and in person, I have never been rude, disrespectful, or dishonest. In fact, I have been very supportive of any volunteers who have come to me for help or advice on many occasions. On a related note, when valid criticism of my own department or career departments in general is posted, I never take it personally, or try to make excuses or deny the truth.
However, here in Westchester County we have many serious issues with Fire and EMS services, and the majority of these issues (not all) are from the volunteer side. This is not personal, it is business. Very important, life or death business! Duplication of resources, ridiculous selection, training, promotion and retention standards, lack of transparency, horrible inadequate response standards, etc, etc. Many of these issues could be fairly easily solved, and therefore more death, pain and suffering could be avoided, if egos could be put aside, and valid criticisms could be accepted.
,
Adequate minimum training standards, consolidation and regionalization, transparency in regard to finances, resources, levels of training and competency need to happen. It is a complete failure of leadership and selfish egomaniacs who are more worried about their little fiefdoms than the public good who are standing in the way of this. My hope is that if I and others keep pointing out these serious issues, the many good, intelligent, dedicated and caring individuals in the volunteer sector will force this change down the throats of the entrenched "leaders" who have been holding progress back for so long.
My feelings are shared by so many, both career and volunteer- and just FYI, many of the career Firefighters who volunteers hold in such high regard actually feel exactly the same as I do- however they choose not to go public with their feelings because they want to make money by teaching you, selling you t shirts and other paraphanelia, receiving the many benefits of being volunteer Firefighters themselves, writing books and articles, setting themselves up for certain jobs in retirement, etc., etc., and they are not willing to suffer the personal attacks such as I have on here for expressing my feelings on this issue. It's actually hilarious to hear the criticisms of the volunteer fire service which are made in private by many career Firefighters who most volunteers proclaim to be their good friends and supporters
I realize I am making sense to a lot of you and many of you share my feelings. No matter how hard I try, the haters will always be out there. I accept and expect that. Thanks to all of you who have supported me on these issues. Together, over time, we will acccomplish much positive change in the service of those we are sworn to protect.