x242Steve

I agree about "Winding the Q"... I was on my way home the other morning, listening to Howard Stern at a medium volume, in a hard-top Jeep (not much sound-proofing)... My point is, I was neither blasting my radio nor in a sound-proof box... Anyhow, TOR E62 was coming up behind me en route to an MVA and I wouldn't have noticed him until much later had it not been for the mechanical siren. Also, as far as front-facing warning lights go, I wonder what considerations are being taken to design warning lights that are of appropriate height/varying throw for reaching the back windows/mirrors of today's SUV population, but that will still get the attention of the Lieutenant driving his Honda Insight (SFRD folks will get the reference.)

Correct me if I'm wrong... In NY State, for at least the last 10 years, Hep-B vaccine is required to attend public schools (you need to have the full dosage by 10th grade I think?).... Does anyone know how long this program has been in effect? Do other states have similar requirements?

If you look at the pics of their Engines and their Tower, they all appear to have two bells, several Q's (or at least the shrouds) and a couple of Mars 888's on the front bumpers... My ears are ringing ... PS- Is it me, or are their Engines reminiscent of Millwood's Tanker 15?

Do bonfires count? [attachmentid=1987] [attachmentid=1988] (The red snake makes an appearance before its extinction)

February 16, 2007 SHELTON, Conn. --A volunteer firefighter who was the first to arrive at the scene of a Shelton house fire used snow from the lawn to put out most of the flames. On Thursday afternoon, Dave VanWart, a firefighter with the Echo Hose Hook and Ladder Company, was the first firefighter to respond to a blaze that broke out in a two-family house on Murphy Lane. VanWart, a 25-year-old landscaper, grabbed a shovel from the bed of his truck and ran to the first-floor apartment. Fire officials said that VanWart managed to put out most of the flames by shoveling snow from the lawn. Assistant Fire Chief Mike Ulrich said using snow created steam and steam puts fire out fast. After VanWart doused most of the fire, other firefighters arrived and finished off the flames, which had climbed into the wall cavity. ------ Information from: Connecticut Post, http://www.connpost.com

CITY OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT An Equal Opportunity Employer Civil Service Employment Opportunities For the City of Stamford Computer Systems Administrator - Emergency Communications Center LAST FILING DATE: OPEN UNTIL FILLED OPEN COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION NO. 07 - 02 **SALARY RANGE: $70,696 - $90,829 http://www.cityofstamford.org/filestorage/...ECC_AppPack.pdf

I checked it out back in July before I decided on a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited... The Caliber was an attractive deal; fully loaded with AWD and Sirius satellite radio for under $23k... Had a surprising amount of leg room, and pretty decent fuel economy, but I am so used to driving trucks that I really wanted something a little higher off the ground... I would check some consumer websites and see how it's been doing, maintenance-wise, since buying a car in its first year of existence can sometimes mean a lot of trips to the dealer for recalls... (My dad has an '07 Jeep Compass and they still haven't figured out what's causing the [Check Engine] light to come one, which is apparently a model-wide problem)

Recently, Seth and the other moderators of these forums have gone to great lengths to make sure that everyone who posts on this website has information in their profile regarding various information, particularly which (if any) department you are a member of. Since September of 2003, which is when I moved back to Westchester after 4 years in Boston, I have been a proud member of the Poningoe Hook and Ladder Company of the City of Rye Fire Dept. I will freely admit that since April of 2006 I have been inactive due to a temporary re-location to Northern Westchester (I am in the process of looking for a new apartment in the Rye area now.) In these past 3+ years of involvement with the Fire Service, I have also gained employment as a Public Safety Dispatcher with the Stamford Dept. of Emergency Communications (911/Police/Fire/EMS), beginning in October of 2005. Having been involved with the world of Emergency Services in these capacities, I have found it appropriate to become involved with various discussions and alerts on the EMTBravo forums from time to time. I would like to think that I have used my best discretion in my writings on this website when it comes to properly representing the departments that I volunteer for and am employed by. Quite simply: When you post on these forums, your statements are linked to the department(s) you belong to, whether you like it or not and whether or not you sign your post with a nifty disclaimer. Recently, an active member of these forums who associates himself with one of the departments that I am also affiliated with decided to share his opinion with everyone regarding the physical condition, re-designation and re-location of fire apparatus owned by that municipality. Some discussion has followed as to the appropriateness of his comments. Let me be the first to say that I have worked with this person in emergency operations and know that he is a well-trained firefighter who always gets the job done. I do not fault this individual for sharing his opinion about the physical condition of a 26-year-old pumper. What bothered me about his post was the obviously sarcastic and negative tone that was taken towards "The powers that be [and] their infinate (sic) wisdom." Granted, every department has plenty of problems whether they are obvious or not. However, it should go without saying that this website is NOT an appropriate place to air grievances about your higher-ups. We all need to realize that a LOT of people read these forums. A quick glance at these boards over the past couple of days will show you that some very high-ranking officials in many departments throughout Westchester County, Fairfield County, NYC and beyond are active readers of the opinions that are often expressed here. This being said, "watching your @$$" should not be the only reason to think for a minute before you press that "Post New Topic" button. Now that you have at least one department tagged to your name when you post here, you are officially (yet un-officially) a representative of that department/those departments. In the world of Emergency Services, there are already enough aspects of our daily professional/departmental lives that have to be handled extra-carefully to avoid injury or death, not to mention the uncomfortable social situations that can arise with co-workers and fellow members. I could go on and on about this, but I risk sounding preachy. Sorry if I already did, I just like to try and co-exist peacefully with the people that I spend my time around, and THAT is a concept that I don't mind representing as a member of the Rye FD and Stamford 911.

Mt. Kisco checking in with snow falling ATT.

Fire Training is one area where NY State has a bit of an edge on some surrounding states as far as availability. The County system comes in handy, in that most counties have a Training Center, or at least a Fire Administration that can help out with setting up training. Connecticut, for example, has counties but they have no governmental structure on the county level... i.e. there is no Fairfield County Department of Emergency Services. I'm sure BFD182, CHIEFPHIL, or another CT firefighter can elaborate, but from what I have been told by co-workers, many volunteers in CT have to travel all the way to the state training center in Windsor Locks (near Hartford) for classes unless they can get a large enough group together to have a state class at a satellite location. IMO the WCFTC is in an excellent location as far as being easy to get to from all points in Westchester. As far as the length of classes, I have not encountered anyone who was literally unable to attend a certain class due to the time committment. Everyone I know who is committed to learning more has found ways around work and family-related scheduling conflicts. If you are genuinely eager to join the FD, you can usually figure out a way to make classes work.

Highway drivers generally have no concern for anything except getting from Point A to Point B... The phrase "Tunnel vision" is applicable yet again! ...as far as you being out of your mind, I'm quite sure its only a genetic problem. PS- Your signature is not compliant with NIMS and you have been disqualified from any Homeland Security funding.

I feel your pain... Lived in Boston for 4 years and (once I was old enough) always went to Costco in PCNY when I was home on breaks so I could bring Yuengling back to Mass... As if there wasn't enough choice in frosty beverages in Beantown!

In the Stamford Fire and Rescue Dept, once a working fire is declared a Medic (ALS) is automatically dispatched to the scene along with the RIT.

12/24: 1500-0300 (12/25) 12/25: 1500-2300 (Relieving BFD182's Squad) 1/1: Vacation 1/4: Reporting for 3 months of midnight shift at 2300

Seth- If you're not solely looking in the SUV category, check out the Dodge Caliber... You can get the R/T All-Wheel-Drive model, fully loaded (including Sirius radio) for under $23k... I checked one out before I got my Wrangler, and it was very impressive; surprising amount of interior room, but it was just a little too low to the ground for my liking after coming from driving full-size pickups.

[attachmentid=1761] Unknown stats on the PD Special Ops unit... it is the same GMC cab and very similar body, lights, etc... also has a rear-mounted telescoping mast with a camera on top, I was told this was for "Keeping an eye-in-the-sky" on large crowds at events such as parades. (Note: The PD rig was also purchased through a grant from Homeland Security, in case you "135" tax-payers were wondering.)

Westchester giving $4 million upgrade to 911 system By Shawn Cohen The Journal News (Original Publication: December 12, 2006) WHITE PLAINS - Westchester County is spending $4 million to upgrade its 911 system, replacing the aging technology that allows emergency calls from land-line phones to be routed directly to local police departments. The multi-year project will replace answering equipment at police and fire departments throughout the county. Calls will still be handled the same way, though the new computerized systems will allow police to more efficiently answer and dispatch responses to emergencies. Dispatchers will answer calls using a mouse to click on a screen rather than pushing a button on a phone, and they will be able to replay recorded calls with no delay. "The time is right for an upgrade," said County Executive Andy Spano. "We haven't had any problems, but that's why we want to address the situation now. When it comes to emergency response, Westchester should continue setting the standard with top-notch capabilities and state-of-the-art equipment." Existing equipment is nearing its life expectancy of about 15 years, Spano said. So far, upgrades have been completed for police in Elmsford, Pleasantville, Ossining village, Peekskill and Yorktown. New Rochelle is next, and other departments will be staggered over the next several years.

I see you were up in Allston Rock City and Brookline... Please tell me you stopped in at Anna's Taqueria (If you like Chipotle, you will LOVE that place)

No, I don't think he'll go back to the Blue Jays...

Digital doesn't mean random people aren't listening... While scanners that can properly monitor trunking systems are prohibitively expensive, its pocket change for a drug dealer... Plus there are websites with live feeds, so all they need is a "look-out" sitting at home with a computer and a Nextel...

Seth- What, no IA for this one? I take it that was formerly a dumpster? Or perhaps a Goodwill container? Just a guess...

IMO, these are less of an eye-sore than the "flags" that some town attach to hydrants (which inevitably get snapped off)... ...and to the NIMBY's I say: TB!IOPP (Too Bad! It's on Public Property)

Perhaps she was talking about Rye's former "Commish" himself... http://premierespeakers.com/4684/index.cfm

Date: 12/2/06 Time: 1900 Location: 3 Peck Rd Directions: Rte 133 > Courtmel Rd > Noyes Rd > Peck Rd Frequency: 46.260, Fireground 8 Primary Dispatcher: 631 Units Operating: Mount Kisco 2281, 2284, E106, E103, E104, TL14, R31, R15, 70B1. Bedford Hills TL57 (FAST), 2033. Millwood R36 (Cascade), 2251 Units Relocated to MK: Chappaqua 2062, E146. Thornwood 2472, TL1 Description Of Incident: Working fire in a private dwelling Writer: 242steve 1900: E106, E103, TL14, R31 dispatched on possible structure fire 1901: Car 2284 responding 1905: Mount Kisco re-toned for working fire 1906: Bedford Hills FAST toned out to respond to the scene 1907: Battalion 16 responding 1908: Chappaqua Engine, Pleasantville TL5 to relocate to Mt. Kisco Green St station 1911: Thornwood TL1 to relocate to Mt. Kisco in place of TL5 1914: Chappaqua E146 relocating 1914: 70B1 responding, TL57 (FAST) on scene 1916: E104 responding 1918: 70B1 and E104 on scene 1924: 2281 requests Millwood R36 respond to scene for cascade 1925: Millwood R36 toned out 1932: R36 responding 1935: Zone 5 C&O team toned out to landline 60-control 1939: R36 and 2251 on location 1943: 70B1 requests Medic unit to scene, for stand-by only 2031: County Car 24 responding ...as of 2230: Thornwood TL1 still standing by at Mount Kisco's Green Street station...

I read in a CT newspaper the other day (forget which one) that the Fire Dispatcher had a history of disciplinary actions against her... This Milford situation has definitely made me think twice about comments I make while discussing cases on the phone with police officers, firefighters and medics.