markmets415

Funny thing change is isn't. We have gone off two towers forever it seems and now with the simo there is only one set of tones, it is an adjustment. The only way to aid our issues in Wassaic is to put a tower right in the middle of town and that probably wouldn't fix it either. As stated before I live in Dover and my pager and portable work great but we had a call Tuesday and I was at the firehouse and my pager never opened. We are gathering this information and passing to DCER.

I figured I throw this out to see when other companies/depts hold their elections of officers and if any of the members here are running and what position they may be running for?? I will start it off, our elections are tonight and I am running for Asst. Chief, last served as Chief in 2000 so I guess it is time to get back at it.

Rob, hopefully you have one next year, I would have loved to have attended but had to work, so hopefully in 2009. I'm sure you guys had a blast.

Here is the link, you can barely see the fender of 99-61 in the background http://www.1strespondernews.com/webpages/p...072208121-A.jpg

OK, is that the color used on your 2 rigs??, that's just a wild guess. Craig you would not believe the interest in doing this project from the members, new and older guys, I think if we could have went and got it right after the meeting they would have went and got it.

Believe it or not that was discussed, it will be painted RED.

Taconic DDSO is still open and still has 12 emergency responders. 99-61 was taken to the NYS Fire Academy and is used for extrication I believe. I recently saw a story in one of the magazines and there was a picture with the Lake Carmel explorer's in it and 99-61 was in the back ground.

You have room for two rigs????

Well I gotta thank you the Signman, you took me on the road trip and got this whole thing started.

I'll toss in $5.00 , hey remember we may need some help from you guys down the road to with our own bring her home project.

It went well at our meeting last night, there were alot of older members that love this rig, so it was no problem getting the paper work needed to bring her home. Hopefully in the next few weeks I will be able to post another set of pictures on her journey back to Wassaic. Thanks to everyone that lit a fire under me to get this done.

the rig looks in pretty good shape. Nate good luck with it. I feel you, sad isn't that these rigs end up in a bone yard to get cut up into scrap.

RIP Detective Morelli. Man there is alot hate in the comments section of that story.

Thanks Rich, we in Dutchess are extremely lucky to have such an excellent group off County Cars, it is surely nice to know that they are there to assist and to be able to tap into their vast knowledge and also knowing they ALL have been there is a great resource.

Good group, a nice mix of older and younger officers, all with a good work ethic, should be a nice year.

Wassaic's Results and Amenia stayed the same. Chief Scott Boardman (Mr. Butter) 1st Asst. Chief - Robert Bergfels 2nd Asst. - Mark Christiansen (me) Capt. - Kenny Elliott 1st Lieut. - Matt Marshall 2nd Lieut. - Justin Butts Dan, they both ran for Chief and best of luck Joe

Tonight is the night whether the company wants to take her back, our meeting is tonight and the President wants me to bring to the membership, if they do not want it then we move onto plan B which is for me and the signman to obtain it privately.

excellent work!!!!!

BABY TRIPLETS RESCUED IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY (MD) ...FIREFIGHTERS HURT: 2 1/2-year-old triplet boys are now in critical condition after being heroically rescued from a house fire by Montgomery County Firefighters. Firefighters responded to the reported fire in Bethesda around 1330 hours and when companies arrived, the triplets' Father told firefighters that he had tried to grab his children, but couldn't. 2 Firefighters suffered minor injuries while rescuing the babies from the upstairs bedroom...the Father was taken to a hospital for possible burns and smoke inhalation. Here is more information and the communications tapes from Dave Statter911: http://www.wusa9.com/news/columnist/blogs/2008/12/maryland-firefighters-rescue-triplets.html posted with permission from the secretlist

Kudos to the Poughkeepsie Journal, Deputy Chief Pells, Arlington FD and Chief Becker, Milan FD on the article below. click on the link and select the home fires bar near the center of the page. http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/

REMEMBERING THE WORCESTER 6: Worcester Cold and Storage Warehouse Fire December 3, 1999 Wednesday, December 3, 2008 On December 3, 1999, a five-alarm fire broke out in an abandoned cold storage warehouse 5 blocks east of the downtown business district, near the Union Station train station. Fire companies from throughout the city and neighboring towns were called in. Due to reports that homeless persons were possibly inside, fire rescue personnel began a search of the six-story building. The firefighters' task was made extremely difficult by the large size of the building's interior, and the highly flammable composition of its interior insulation. Over nearly a century's use, the interior walls were progressively covered with various forms of insulating materials, including cork inpregnated with tar, polystyrene, and polyurethane foam, to a thickness of 18 inches of highly combustable material. Once ignited, the huge amount of fuel, fed initially by the large volume of air in the building, became virtually inextinguishable. The 6-story building's exterior walls were constructed of approximately 18 inches of brick and mortar, with no windows above the second floor level. The lack of available windows prevented firefighting personnel from making an acurate initial assessment of the fire. Initial breaching of lower-floor doors, combined with venting the building by smashing a roof skylight which resided over an elevator shaft, effectively turned the building into a huge chimney. With the fire rapidly accelerating out of control, rescue teams facing near-zero visibility became lost, with available breathing oxygen depeleted. Despite repeated radio calls for help, along with activation of audible location alarms, 6 firefighters, Paul A Brotherton, Timothy P. Jackson, Jeremiah M. Lucey, James F. “Jay” Lyons III, Joseph T. McGuirk and Lt. Thomas E. Spencer, who have since became known as the "Worcester Six", perished in the blaze. A PERSONAL ACCOUNT: Camaraderie Under Fire: A Remembrance of the Worcester Tragedy by Robert M. Winston It was December 3, 1999 when an abandoned cavernous warehouse was set afire by two homeless people who “lived” in the hulking structure. This was the Worcester Cold and Storage Warehouse that was located in the City of Worcester, Massachusetts. The scene of this fire was to become one of fiery collapse, death, heartache, heroism, and camaraderie under the most extreme firefighting conditions. The homeless man made sexual advances to his girl friend and she had rebuffed his suggestions. He became angry and the two were arguing and throwing things. They were using candles for light and one of the lighted candles was knocked into a pile of debris that quickly ignited. The fire spread as the two squatters fled into the cold night air leaving the fire to grow into what would become one of the worst Line Of Duty (fire service) Deaths (LODD) in the history of the Worcester Fire Department. Firefighters in many fire engines responded to the growing fire. More aid was called to the scene as it became obvious to the chief in charge that this was no routine fire-fight. Heavy smoke turned to visible flames as the fire ate through the nearly windowless ark of a structure. Inside were many firefighters straining to extinguish the flames. The interior was a maze of darkened rooms and corridors. Six floors of them! Debris was scattered everywhere adding to the difficulties of searching blindly to find the seat of the fire and being able to exit the building in a hurry if needed. A number of Firefighters became disoriented in the smoke, heat and darkness. They radioed for help. Brother firefighters entered the burning building to try and rescue their now trapped comrades. Time after time these rugged firefighting veterans made dangerous and heroic attempts to find their colleagues. It was no use. The fire had been eating away at the strength of the brick and wood edifice. It started to collapse. The fire chief in command ordered all firefighters to stop rescue attempts and to vacate the fire building. Six Worcester Firefighters would perish this night despite the Herculean efforts of a small army of firefighters. Recovery of their bodies would last for an arduous somber eight days and nights. The call went out across the New England region for assistance to respond to Worcester. Many emergency and non-emergency personnel turned out to help. They came by the hundreds to stand with and work with their brother and sister firefighters until the difficult and honorable task of recovery was completed. The City of Boston Fire Department immediately sent personnel and equipment to the tragic scene. I was one of the many that were sent. My role was one of the safety operational sector chiefs. Those of us that were assigned that task would check for safety issues, look for hazards and prevent any further injuries or deaths. Prior to our arrival at the warehouse fire tragedy, we were given a briefing that included specific instructions and alerted us that the Worcester Firefighters were under severe emotional stress. We were told that tempers may be short and to use tact and to be sensitive to the raw emotions being experienced by the Worcester Firefighters. It was the second night of the eight nights of recovery operations. The warehouse roof, floors and two exterior walls had fallen and were now huge piles of smoldering debris. The danger of additional structural collapse and of firefighters falling through burned out floors haunted us. The safety officers were kept busy and were vigilant. Injury or worse was at every step. As I was surveying a section of the building I noticed that a Worcester Fire Lieutenant was standing in a very dangerous location. Debris was loosely dangling above him. I approached the man to warn him of the situation. He was a tall lean guy. Much taller than I. His face was black with soot and his eyes were red and swollen. He looked very tired and tense. I tried to warn him, as delicately as I could, that he was in a dangerous spot. What we were cautioned about prior to our arrival at this fire was about to happen. The Lieutenant became angry with me and got in my face. He didn’t care what rank I was or that I was looking out for his safety. Angry emotion packed words were hurled at me. I tried to reason with him to no avail. A Worcester Chief Officer was standing nearby and saw and heard what was happening. He immediately positioned himself between the lieutenant and myself and defused what could have become an ugly situation. I explained the reason why I had tried to talk to his lieutenant and then I pointed upwards to the hanging debris. The chief understood, apologized to me and assured me that he’d talk to his lieutenant. We both knew and understood how tempers can flare under the unprecedented stressful circumstances that we were all caught up in. Eight days had passed since the fire began. I had returned to the scene and was again assigned as a safety operational sector chief. The pile of smoldering debris that was once this old warehouse had been reduced in size and fully extinguished. Five of Worcester’s Bravest had been recovered. One was still buried somewhere in the remaining mounds of twisted steel, burned wood and bricks. As I surveyed the scene I noticed the lieutenant that I had the earlier encounter with. He was searching some rubble. I inquired about him and was told that he had been at the scene from the fire’s start and had refused to go home for eight days and nights. The cold day turned into a very cold and windy December night as recovery operations continued for the last firefighter. Firefighter Paul Brotherton’s body was located under one of the many mounds of bricks and charred wood. His precise and somber removal from the debris will be a picture in my mind’s eye that I will never forget. It was so cold and dark and quiet as Firefighter Brotherton’s body was taken away in an ambulance. The sad task of recovery was finally over that night. The healing could begin. There was a large crowd of people standing quietly beyond the yellow safety tape that surrounded the ruins. Hundreds of firefighters formed two parallel lines leading from the destroyed building out to the crowd of onlookers. The Worcester Firefighters climbed down from the piles of debris and slowly walked between the two rows of firefighters who had come from other fire departments. As the Worcester Firefighters passed by us we saluted them, applauded them, shook their hands and some gave hugs. One by one they filed through the rows. A walk of honor and consolation. I barely recognized the lieutenant whom I encountered days before. It was his height that caused me to look harder at him than at his brothers. His face was now gaunt, blackened and the eyes were red and sunken. We looked at each other. He recognized me and stopped walking. It was more like a slow shuffle. I shook his hand first. Then the lieutenant literally collapsed into my arms. We embraced each other as only firefighters can do at a time like this and he began to sob. Even through our heavy wet protective firefighter’s gear he felt frail and unsteady. Tears stained our faces as we looked at each other. Unbelievably this exhausted weary fire lieutenant apologized to me. I was sort of…stunned. I told him that it was okay, gave him my condolences for his losses and hugged the man again. I watched him as he walked away shoulder to shoulder with his comrades. I never saw the man again. I have thought of him from time to time when the memory of the Worcester Tragedy comes back to me or when I see the word “camaraderie.” P.S. This horrific fire had occurred at about the same time as Chanukah was being observed. Chanukah is a Jewish Holiday also called the Festival of Lights. It commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians in 165 B.C. The Maccabees, under siege, were fighting for their lives at that time. Their lamp flames were fueled by oil. As their supplies were running out during this battle it was noticed that the lamp oil supplies would last only one more night. They prayed for a miracle to keep the lamp’s flames burning. God answered their prayers and caused the lamps to burn for eight nights. The eight nights of Chanukah have since been celebrated for centuries. The recovery of the six Worcester Firefighters lasted for eight days and nights. Near the top of one of the warehouse walls that was still standing was a piece of a wood beam. It had been smoldering and a flame had been flickering from the beam for days. Streams of water were occasionally directed at the flame in an attempt to extinguish it. Stubbornly the flame would not be put out. It was that last night when Firefighter Brotherton’s body was found that another miracle of sorts occurred. His body was recovered and with ceremony, it was brought down from the charred piles of what was once the warehouse and placed inside an ambulance. As that ambulance drove away I looked up at the spot where that flame had been burning for eight nights. It went out never to be seen again! Robert M. Winston Boston District Fire Chief, retired Former Pickens County (GA) Fire Chief posted with permission from firefighterclosecalls.com

Yes Signman that was the G-man.

very powerful, sad day indeed

Close the road!!!!

TENN FIREFIGHTER STRUCK WHILE DIRECTING TRAFFIC: Civilian claims... failed to see the Firefighter Tuesday, December 2, 2008 A DeBusk (TN) volunteer firefighter was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic near an accident scene on the Newport Highway on Sunday afternoon. Firefighter Michael Wayne McKinney, 27, was helping direct traffic on U.S. Highway 321 when he was struck by a pickup truck driven by Dale Kite, 78 Trooper David Good, who investigated the 1:40 p.m. accident said Kite was pulling his truck from a stopped position on Warrensburg Road and failed to see McKinney, who was helping to direct traffic. McKinney was taken by ambulance to Takoma Regional Hospital after the accident for treatment of what were believed to be non-life-threatening injuries. Regie Jones, chief of the DeBusk VFD said McKinney was struck after he pushed fellow firefighter Jason Seaton to safety as the truck approached. Jones said Seaton had been standing with his back to the approaching truck when McKinney pushed him to safety before being struck in both legs by the truck. This morning, Chief Jones said McKinney was treated for two sprained ankles and released from the hospital on Sunday afternoon. December 3, 2008: UPDATE: TENNESSEE FIREFIGHTER STRUCK-WAS WEARING VEST: FF Michael McKinney was wearing his traffic vest but as we often see, the public may not notice the equipment, lights or FF's wearing vests in the roadway. While vests play a critical role, we also must manage the traffic which often can include blocking any areas where we may be working with apparatus. posted with permission from the secretlist @ firefighterclosecalls.com