NWFDMedic

This was one of my biggest beefs with the LOSAP program as well. However, out last chief made a concerted effort to make sure that those members responding to alarms to help their benefit program had something to do. There are always a couple of bad apples that will open their mouths before lifting a finger but we now have several guys that will help do what they can, whether it's manning the radio for alarms, helping to clean and maintain apparatus, etc., we have gotten a lot of guys back into the fold because we make sure they have something to do. If you have guys who are just showing up to sign a sheet, you might want to be more proactive in getting them into roles that they can handle. As volunteer officers, we do that every day inside the truck, but sometimes we fall short outside of the truck.

From this morning's TH-R: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...0102039/-1/NEWS I've worked with Chief Carpenter as a mutual aid responder, with the ambulance since 1990 and the scariest moment when he came mutual aid to a fire where I was in command. I can remember he was one of those city guys who scared me, thinking that I was glad I wasn't our chief that had to go stand next to him to get orders. If you weren't getting it done, he would definitely let you know. but he was also one of the guys who would take the time to thank you for a good job. As a volunteer firefighter and fire officer, he treated me with the same respect and expectations that he gave his me. I got to shake his hand and wish him a good retirement a couple of weekends ago in his environment, at a structure fire. Thanks to Chief Carpenter for 46 years of service to the City of Newburgh and surrounding communities.

Well, to be perfectly honest with you, I'd be upset if my fire department bought a foreign truck. I understand that the truck is assembled in Texas and it provides the livelihood to several American workers. However, the real wealth, ie. the profit, behind the vehicle ends up back in Japan. We need to support the American worker and American business, not send our wealth overseas.

Thank goodness nobody was in there. IIRC from when I worked in the school system, New York does not require sprinklers in school buildings and in fact schools are exempt from most local building codes and rather follow some state inspection system.

There are two separate ambulance tax areas. Just like part of my town has sewers and part does not.

Welcome Rombout to the Mobile Life family. We've developed a good relationship helping out when we can over the past couple of years and I am certain we can continue to do even better. I'm working Fishkill tonight, so maybe I can get that first Rombout call. As far as the Beacon thing is concerned, I believe BVAC stepped forward to make sure the medic is still there. Also, BVAC is making a pretty good effort to make sure their ambulances are getting out more lately. Kudos to them.

I've never had their catering for an event, but they do one heck of a pancake breakfast. I wonder if cooking skill is a requirement to run for 62-1.

From the Poughkeepsie Journal: http://poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/200...ONTPAGECAROUSEL The article seems to blame state reimbursement for the cuts in mental health services. I just don't understand what the state plans to do with all of these mental health patients. Cornwall has already closed their inpatient unit this month, while the other two mental health units in Orange County were already busting at the seams. St. Francis is generally full 99.9% of the time and has to scramble every day to find beds for patients who need legitimate help, polling the other local mental health units and facilities in Westchester and the City. I can just imagine how many legitimate mental health patients aren't going to seek the treatment they need. If you went to a facility up here for mental health treatment and they sent you to some dirty nasty lock-down unit in Manhattan, would you go back again? I can hardly imagine how the patient feels.

You know, I haven't seen the new 53-45 yet and for a minute I actually thought NHFD had come to their senses... err, I mean painted their truck red. Eh, I guess the joke was on me. Nice truck guys, next time I work Wappingers I'll have to come down and check it out.

Rob, I'm not a Dutchess County member, but I work there and might be interested in attending one of the events. My only suggestion, for those of us who work set schedules, might be to have the two parties on different nights of the week. If you work Friday nights, you're pretty much out in the cold for both parties.

I worked 7p-7a for Mobile Life in Fishkill and when the clock struck midnight, they seemed to want to make me earn my holiday pay. Did 2 emergency jobs in EF, one in Wappingers, one in the City of Poughkeepsie, and of course our Christmas gift transport from SFH. Pretty rewarding night though, helped out two really sick patients.

On the AP wire... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/ODD...EMPLATE=DEFAULT I would imagine the foot pedal for the air horn wasn't something the man counted on.

Their CON does not allow them to operate in Southern Dutchess County. If it applies to Beekman, it would also apply to Pawling. I don't know whether Dover and Union Vale would qualify as their operational area. I was told that anything south of Poughkeepsie inclusive was considered "Southern Dutchess" under the old Sloper CON back in the day. Does that mean that anything north of Poughkeepsie would be "Northern Dutchess"? I just hope they can get something online so there is no lapse in coverage.

Got to love the State of New York. Going from point A to point B via point C. It's good to hear that you are getting some grant money up there though, since you have so much land that's tax exempt.

It can be done safely without communication over the air as well. It's not often that I have a fire apparatus picking up ground on me, but I definitely know when a police car wants to get by me and there doesn't need to be a word spoken on the radio. For the most part, if someone comes up behind me in a hurry with their lights going, I'm going to let them pass regardless. I guess there is a matter of professionalism and appropriateness. I don't care how fast I am going in a fire apparatus, I'm not going to pull over for a police car or ambulance if I'm first due to a structure fire. By the same token, if I'm going to an assault in an ambulance, I'd most definitely want the police car in front of me. If someone just blew by me when I was responding without me yielding right-of-way, I would imagine their supervisor would be hearing from me. Then again, if they did the same while I was driving down the street in my POV, their supervisor would probably get the same phone call.

All the way to Elmira for lights and lettering, wow. Is that where you purchased the vehicle from and it's just making a guest appearance at the station? Oh... and nice vehicle. I love the red over black too. Should be sharp in the end.

Rich, you can have a disco ball on the back for all I care, so long as it responds and it keeps me from having to go over the reservoir, through the woods, and past the end of civilization in a foot of snow for a paramedic assist on the top of a mountain and a patient that wants to go to some tiny hospital in Delaware County. Great job you guys do up there. Good luck in your upcoming busy season and happy holidays.

What I always wondered about "workfare" programs, which is basically what you are describing is how can this be fair to those already working. In my town, we pay people to clean the streets or work in parks and some of them are paid quite lucratively when you consider what the average EMT or Medic makes around here. Imagine if some homeless person had firefighter training and said he would be a firefighter for a city with a paid department for his government stipend. (On an unrelated note, how does work done by prison release programs affect union contracts?) In my humble opinion, it would be better for us to pay an able-bodied person for six months (or some random number) and then tell them they are off the system if they don't find a job. If you go out and get a full-time job in that time period or can at least document that you've searched for the job, your income status would be reevaluated, and if you needed further help, then and only then would you qualify for work training programs, etc. Show the initiative to get a full-time job, then we will see what we can do to help.

I guess it can be argued that increased homelessness could lead to a public health emergency or widespread lawlessness but it's really a stretch. I guess it's just like everything else, they are short money and they have a way to move money from pocket A to pocket B.

I think he's trying to say the EMS crew didn't respond right away. In their defense, when you're getting your rear kicked all day and you finally get the chance to pull in and get a cup of coffee or a burger, waiting the 30 seconds for them to make it when you get dispatched is not a big deal. If you're waiting 10 minutes, that's a whole different story.

Nice job by Rombout and Alamo. Nice pictures too. And of course ... nice vests.

I can tell you where they are going because we generally take them there... Benedictine, Putnam, Arden Hill, St. Vincent's (Harrison), New York Presbyterian (White Plains), New York Presbyterian (Gracie Sq. Manhattan), and I'm sure a few other places I've forgotten.

I can't believe it's been 20 years already. That was one of the first world events I was cognizant of as a young lad, the first being the Challenger disaster in 1986. May God bless the families on this difficult day.

How is my statement inaccurate? The four bargaining units refused to renegotiate their contracts. Maybe in these tough financial times, they should have stepped to the plate and helped the town in their difficult situation.

Snowstorms don't bother me. Ice storms are a different deal. I was upstate in 1998 and wow, what a mess. When they forecast significant icing, I buy a little bit more when I go grocery shopping. For the snowstorm, my preparation was to find my brush that I took out of the truck in the spring.