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This is one of those policies that was put in effect, just to put something in effect. In a panic mode, the powers that be decided "something" had to be done. This is one of the "things" they came up with. Unfortunately, Policing is very political. When answering to a political machine, the answer cannot be "I don't know", "That is not possible", or "that is not practical". Politics demands something be done. Someone had to come up with an answer and this is the result. More than likely, the person demanding the answers has no idea what Policing is, what it entails and how it works. This person probably has little common sense. But, on paper, this looks great, he gets to say "we are doing something" and gets a press byte out of it. In reality, you are spending a lot of money sending cops out riding around in cars with flashing lights on. Even without the lights on, the "criminal element" would have seen the car a long time before the cops saw them.

The NYPD began to use the term "Emotionally Disturbed Person" back in the mid-late '70s. The reasoning was that while at a call, the officers and dispatchers of the time, would refer to "EDP's" as "psychos". The call would be put over the radio using the term "psycho". Every one in the area, cops, victim, passerby would hear this. The NYPD began to use the term "EDP", figuring it sounded much better than the previous term they were using. I went on the NYPD in 1981. I remember when I was new, a few old-timers that would occasionally slip back in time and use the term "psycho" while at a job or even on the radio. Prior to TV shows like "NYPD Blue" or "Law and Order", I would doubt that anyone outside of Police/Fire/EMS personnel, would even know what the term "EDP" was if they heard it.

An off-duty NYPD officer was one of the fatalities.

HIPPA generally does not apply to dead people. Once you die, you lose a lot of your rights. In most juristicitions, if not all, death records are public record. The ME's office releases that info as a matter of record.

Could this happen today? Yes of course. All the technology today:GPS monitoring, computer assistance, radar, redundant systems and other "fail safes" can all be rendered useless when one incompetent person, or careless person gets thrown into the mix. The chances of an "oh-sh*t" incident, over the long haul, is likely in the "probable" category. Anyone recall the Costa Concordia, the Ocean Liner from Italy? That was a modern ship with modern navigation aids and see what happened to that ship.

The cost of buying the rig is probably not the main problem, it is more likely the cost of the restoration is. Then you also have to remember, how many people have a place to store this indoors? Who has the mechanical ability to keep up with the maintenance for this? It is a nice idea to keep it and restore it, but it comes with a price that will turn most people, even interested people, away.

By the end of the 1920's, almost all cars and trucks had covered roofs, so I do not think it was a carry over. Open cab apparatus were being designed as "open cab" even after the other vehicles made by the same manufacturer, and other manufacturers, were being made with roofs.

Being on a Fire call is probably easier to swallow than being on an EMS call. And, when you are on an EMS call because the powers that be think it is OK, and financially responsible, to dump the failure of the present Volunteer EMS system on the local FD's, then yes, it does matter. A failure on one part of the system should not bring down the whole system. And, while I am not completely up to speed on Peekskill. From what I read, they are understaffed to begin with. Correct me if I am wrong, but from what I read, it seems Peekskill Firefighters may be taken out of service to go on a mutual aid EMS call to an outside jurisdiction to answer an EMS call that the original agency was unable to respond too? If that is the case, how would that one be answered out? I am not knocking the other agencies that are having problems, but this is a chronic EMS problem through out the country, not just the Hudson Valley. The problem is no one, be it FD/EMS supervisors, politicians or bean counters are answering this. They are playing it as a balancing act. They are coming up with half-assed solutions to a problem that will eventually bite them in the azz. It may not happen today, or tomorrow, but it will happen. The system is broke. It has been for a long time. It needs to be fixed. The answer is obvious. The answer is "pay up". But, that will not happen until the powers that be are forced into it. The cost may be more than financial.

This probably looks great on paper to bean counters and politicians. But what will they say when something "bad" happens at the wrong time and half your FD is tied up on ambulance calls? What will they say when reality happens.

I like the life net on the side of the Rye Seagrave. Stuff you do not see anymore.

This is what will probably happen, the officers will become "Westchester County" Police Officers. They will, in effect, "lateral" over to the WC Police, keeping their pension rights and seniority. No one will lose their job. They will wear WC uniforms. The cars will be marked as WC Police. They will be paid as WC Police. The former Mt Kisco Police will probably not complain, as the WC Police salary would be a raise. Their contract will become void. The Mt. Kisco Police, for all intents and purposes, will cease to exist.

A Mutual Aid question, I never thought about this. Does the "requested" department need a "valid" reason not to respond, such as they are busy with their own call, or something of that nature. Or, can the "requested" Department just say no, we are not going to that department/city/town anymore. I am asking if an outside Depatment can refuse to respond due to disagreeing with the way the requesting department is being run. Did Yonkers give a reason why they will no longer respond into Mt. Vernon? I am sure the answer is probably not that simple.

As of a month or so ago, it looked like their ambulance was repainted red and marked up as "Rescue", or something similar. the word "Ambulance" no longer appears on it.

I think the Montrose VA has stopped running an ambulance. I think 48B1 exist no more. I believe they now call their "ambulance" a "rescue". I do not know the reason for the change.

The Barracks may not be manned, but the Troopers assigned to it are on Patrol in the area.

Medibart wrote: " most importantly they provide a 24 hour emergency presence in town, since there is no full time police department" Not trying to nitpick, and I know they are not Somers employees, but I would imagine the NYSP Police Barracks in Somers would constitute a 24 hour emergency presence, and unlike the dispatchers, can actually respond to a call for help.

This has been going on for 15 years, if the members were even remotely interested, there was more than ample time to register. I think it means the majority are not that interested.

"The plan couldn't even get the votes of the estimated 100 volunteers of the Yorktown Heights Engine Company No. 1, which serves the district." That is the most telling part of the entire story.

Boston, Massachusetts

It appears the incident happened in Queens, but the boat docked at 90th St and the east side. While it may have not have been easily determined from the article, this incident apparently covered two locations. In this case an incorrect location, while confusing, would normally not make a story "inaccurate" by itself.

It looks like they took over the LTI side of the business, the articles mention nothing about buying ALF or taking it over. It looks like they bought a piece of the company.

I see lots of emergency vehicles with rear and forward facing blue lights in NY, some FD's, EMS, some other PD's. I do not think anyone cares enough to bother them. Is it legal in NY? I do not know, it does not intrigue me enough to look it up. I do not care and I wonder why anyone else would.

3 RCMP killed and two injured, gunman still on the run. http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/05/world/canada-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

This is not the '50s. This has to be the 70s, possibly early '80s.

It is the same thing. In the statute, it is not called a 'red light', it is called a "traffic control device".