psyanide

I found some pics of Chappaqua's old Ladder 3.  I am using links rather than raw pics.  The links are very light-weight, no ads, and IF you're interested, you can use it to go "up" to a gallery of CFD's 2002 Open House. 
officer side front
officer side rear
officer side front corner, arial
front
driver side front corner

Much better than 8, about as nice as 7 was. 
Laptop form factor is key, also.  you can always change the software, you can't make your machine larger or smaller.  A lot of recent 15.6" laptops "feature" numeric key pads on the right, however the keys themselves are narrower than a normal keyboard, which takes getting used to.  The surface is a 10.6 or 12.3 screen, I think.

Much better than 8, about as nice as 7 was. 
Laptop form factor is key, also.  you can always change the software, you can't make your machine larger or smaller.  A lot of recent 15.6" laptops "feature" numeric key pads on the right, however the keys themselves are narrower than a normal keyboard, which takes getting used to.  The surface is a 10.6 or 12.3 screen, I think.

 
Chappaqua FD Ladder 3 as a 1983 Hahn.  It found a nice second life though!!  One of our ex-chiefs (Pasquale) retired to Raton N.M. in the early 1990's and became a chief out there.  He or his department outright bought Ladder 3 and shipped it themselves.  They used it for a few years, though not sure it is still in service.  From 1999 - 2002 it had some increasingly expensive maintenance issues.  We had to have some of the parts custom-made for it, which cost an arm and a leg.

...i get ya, but if this works an it saves money in the long run, tough to argue....

Seems to me that the new plows allow for the second man to operate another truck from the existing fleet and clear additional roads without additional money spent or manpower lost. Smart sound use of taxpayer money.

3:30.....no one has stretched a line. No one seems to have completed a primary of the original fire occupancy, some dude is cutting like hell to open a Bilco door and another guy has his hood up under his helmet.....no face piece on....
This is confusing me....and looks terrible

This is a real sad statement on society. And I kinda feel it's capitalizing on fear.


Read more: http://www.newstimes.com/news/crime/article/Colombia-firm-makes-armored-clothes-for-kids-4168021.php#ixzz2H34tC4s7

Haha! That's a great idea Foreman. If you can invent -anything- that can literally knock common sense into people, patent it immediately and produce asn many units as possible. I'll take two (one to knock common sense into me at times).

Just this morning I saw a Class4-sized pickup truck towing a 2 axle trailer northbound on the saw mill parkway between Thornwood and Pleasantville. The gear on the trailer was roughly 7 feet high and covered in tarps. It was clearly low enough to fit under the Grant St Bridge, but it was far too wide, long, and illegal to be there. New within the past few months (in both directions) the saw mill has huge on-pavement signage stating no trucks/low bridge that lead up to the two bridges in Pleasantville. Based on where he was, the driver clearly drive right over the signage, and didn't exit. GPS is partly to blame, but only partly. When signs are clear, where does the rest of the problem lie?
I'd agree that part of the problem is people being too-reliant on GPS. GPS eliminates the absolute requirement to look at a map and have "the way" sketched in your mind prior to leaving. It promotes lazy navigation, last minute lane changes, ignorance of road rules. Do Thornwood/Pleasantville have to put up one of those over-the-road signs w/ dangling chains that says "if you hit these chains, you'll hit that bridge"? (I know that would never happen).

Instead of chains put a huge I beam reinforced with concrete across the road 2-300 feet before the bridge it's alot easier to clean up when it's hit and I gaurantee it knocks the GPS off the windshield and common sense into the driver

Just this morning I saw a Class4-sized pickup truck towing a 2 axle trailer northbound on the saw mill parkway between Thornwood and Pleasantville. The gear on the trailer was roughly 7 feet high and covered in tarps. It was clearly low enough to fit under the Grant St Bridge, but it was far too wide, long, and illegal to be there. New within the past few months (in both directions) the saw mill has huge on-pavement signage stating no trucks/low bridge that lead up to the two bridges in Pleasantville. Based on where he was, the driver clearly drive right over the signage, and didn't exit. GPS is partly to blame, but only partly. When signs are clear, where does the rest of the problem lie?
I'd agree that part of the problem is people being too-reliant on GPS. GPS eliminates the absolute requirement to look at a map and have "the way" sketched in your mind prior to leaving. It promotes lazy navigation, last minute lane changes, ignorance of road rules. Do Thornwood/Pleasantville have to put up one of those over-the-road signs w/ dangling chains that says "if you hit these chains, you'll hit that bridge"? (I know that would never happen).

"Rolling meat-outs"... I hear the Soylet Corporation backs that idea, too.

"Rolling meat-outs"... I hear the Soylet Corporation backs that idea, too.

I don't (ever) post because I often feel like I have nothing to add. I have no experience other than as family. My grandfather was FDNY. My brothers were volunteers in Dutchess County.
But I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to each and every one of you. As a family member, I understand the sacrifices you make, the training you make time for and the time you are away from your families, friends and other activities so you can serve your community in the most amazing way I can think of.
I salute your bravery, your commitment and your expertise. Our communities are better places because you live, work and volunteer here.
Consider this a long distance hug from a very grateful community member.
-Heather

Have we really become that much of a nation of whiners and publicity hounds that even an event as justified as the elimination of an avowed terrorist and virulently anti-American murderer causes some to be "offended" and get on the news? Let's put this in perspective
There are some upset because his codename was Geronimo. It's just a commonly used phrase and well known name, easily recognizble by everyone, not an anti Native American slur. Do people really have that much free time on their hands that they can sit and dwell on the meaning of a code name? C'mon get real will ya and go find something better to complain about.
Now an even hotter topic, whether or not he was armed...WHO CARES!!! Did this hero of so many radical Islamic murderers care whether or not the thousands he has or had murdered were armed or could defend themselves? NO he didn't, as a matter of fact he relied on the fact they weren't and preyed on the innocent just as all terrorists do. A clean quick kill for this coward is almost too good an end to this waste of human flesh. I'm quite sure many of us would have liked to have seen a much slower and excruciatingly painful demise for this "leader". To those that have a problem with the manner of his death, get over it and be thankful it was quick and he wasn't given a more fitting final few years of suffering.
And now on to his burial at sea. Again he was afforded much more respect than he ever gave to any one of his victims. Did he care that thousands were simply obliterated at Ground Zero, with no trace for the familes? NO again he counted on that. So he sleeps with the fishes, big deal. He got his immediate burial of his cleaned corpse as is Muslim custom, he got much more respect than he ever gave others or deserved. Stop whining and rejoice that he is DEAD, DEAD DEAD just as he shoud be.
And finally for all those who see his rightful removal from the face of the earth this as an increase in the risk that we, as Americans, face in this world...WAKE THE HELL UP!!!!. Osama bin Laden did not invent anti Americanism, radicalism or terrorism, he only benefited and gained notoriety from them. His death will have no great impact on the desire of those radical and militant elements in this world that want to harm us.
To Osama bin Laden GOOD RIDDANCE SCUMBAG and MAY YOU ROT IN HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY
Remain vigilant America and remember freedom is not free.
Thank you Obama
Thank you SEAL team six and all that serve our nation in the Military
And
God Bless America
Cogs

I will tell you that the group of young officers who stepped down are some of the finest firefighters I've ever known. They are kind individuals and diligent FF's who train hard so that when the big one arrives they are ready to give 110%. Their conflict with other members of authority in the department has played itself out many times across the fire service where hard working young members who have lots of experience from outside their home department are looked upon as a threat. They respectfully stood their ground and when the "old line" wouldn't budge, they resigned as a group so that there wouldn't be a toxic environment amongst the ranks.
These guys were the next generation of fine leaders for a small department that has always distinguished itself amongst its larger peers. Although I'm no longer living in NY, had I not chosen to move to Florida 6 years ago, I would most likely be chief of department today and would love to have each of these guys on my team of officers. Its the departments loss.

Yes to the goldfish question.
short version: During a standby, Chappaqua pranked Kisco by purchasing 200+ goldfish. Most goldfish were distributed into individual glasses, bowl TROPHIES, containers, etc, ALL OVER their fire house. The original emtbravo pics & posting is here -> http://www.emtbravo.com/Spec2/MKFish.html
Longer version + story: The night before their open house, Kisco asked us for a standby. We thought it was a prime opportunity to prank them BACK because the week prior, Kisco had "stolen" the license plate off out ladder truck and still had it. We searched high & low for our plate but never found it, so instead we opted to prank them back as creatively as we could. We knew Kisco's Open House in in the next day or two, so we tried to think of a prank that would be both funny and interesting. So we called the pet store down the street and bought every single goldfish in the store... "As a present for the open house". We decided we would also help decorate for the open house by using every glass, cup, mug, bowl, some trophies... toilet bowls, etc and filling them with water & fish. We placed them on almost every flat surface in the house in each room and the steps of the trucks. It was done in good spirit and we knew Kisco would put them to good use by giving them away to kids during the Open House (which they did). It was hilarious to see the looks on their faces when they walked through their house and had to organize 200+ goldfish. Kisco responded by making a new license plate for our ladder truck... a red plate with a large yellow goldfish emblem instead of the number. We eventually got our real plate back, but the "creative" plate was used on our ladder for a long time. The whole prank took us only a couple hours to lay out & execute. It was not preplanned, all spur of the moment.
edit: grammer

You've all heard of the Detroit ladder getting struck by the Amtrak train a couple weeks back. Here are some videos relating to it.
Video from the train's perspective:
http://www.break.com/index/detroit-fire-truck-hit-by-train.html
Video of aftermath from a chopper:
http://statter911.com/2010/03/01/breaking-news-detroit-tv-station-reports-fire-truck-hit-by-amtrak-train/

You've all heard of the Detroit ladder getting struck by the Amtrak train a couple weeks back. Here are some videos relating to it.
Video from the train's perspective:
http://www.break.com/index/detroit-fire-truck-hit-by-train.html
Video of aftermath from a chopper:
http://statter911.com/2010/03/01/breaking-news-detroit-tv-station-reports-fire-truck-hit-by-amtrak-train/

First things first, all recommendations here are assuming you have unplugged the laptop and taken the battery out. If you have not done that yet, do so now. That said, each solution posted here WILL help. In regards to vinegar leaving a residue, ordinary white distilled vinegar does not leave a residue. If you want to test it, test-wipe a glass. Or, if you still do not believe the vinegar part google it and see for yourself. The rubbing alcohol will works equally well, in fact the rubbing alcohol will remove the soot and stains better than windex on the plastic shielding. However, it cannot remove the smell as well as vinegar. Try researching the sites ehow, howstuffworks, and other self help sites for more robust recommendations. As for legitimacy, I build servers and repair laptops as well. I've also made my comments based on the assumption you are not cracking open this laptop screw by screw and washing the motherboard by hand.

Now a moderator note: If you don't like the thread, don't read it. There's no need to bash the thread just because you disagree with it. If we all did that there'd be one or two substantive posts and 20-30 negative ones in a great many threads on the forum. There's just no need for that.
Answer the question if you choose to. Ignore the issue if you choose to. But please don't disrupt the conversation that other people choose to have.

Flynn, as a suggestion, why don't you contact the chiefs of the departments for the information you need rather then ask for it in this forum? It's quite possible that the people in here don't have all the information that you need or they could end up giving you the wrong information without knowing it.

Fire Departments and there response times do not "hurt the community we protect". More often than not, our communities are served be either paid emergency services or volunteer services or some combination of the two. Most communities outside of the larger cities utilize volunteer services because the call volume, and type of response required by the emergency has not waranted the incremental spending that would be required by a paid organization. Financially, a volunteer organization operates at a fraction of the cost of a paid organization and the majority of calls that most volunteer organizations respond to, do not include a life hazard or significant property dammage threat. Therefore if a politician were to employ a risk/benefit assesment to the situation, they would not find much documentation that an a quicker response time would have altered the outcome of the situation. There are, however, some exceptions and should a situation arise that response time significantly altered the outcome of the situation, the community and the politicians would have to re-evaluate the existing services. The key question to ask is would a homeowner in a bedroom community be willing to have their fire tax increase from a few hundred dollars a year to a few thousand dollars a year? Right or wrong, I don't see it happening. We all serve at the pleaseure of our communities.
Just my two cents!!