PFDRes47cue

What a terrible tragedy for all involved. May everyone touched by the incident find strength to work through the rough times. RIP.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. For all of those working during the holiday season, stay safe. On a side note, I want send my condolences to the family of Al Grant, who was one of Potsdam FD's active members and treasure. He passed away early this morning and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. RIP Merry Christmas!

There is a couple thousand of these up in the North Country...every once in a while one ignites. Let it burn.

The snozzberries taste like snozzberries.

Perhaps make is visbile on every page and include every user online...like facebook...sorry to bring up facebook.

I was talking with a buddy today about how members know what function they have on scene and when this is decided. I know some department have specific seats on the apparatus assigned to a certain function (Can, hurst, ventilation, etc) on scene, these assignments remain the same call to call. Some department leave the decision up to the person in the "Officer's" seat on the rig, he/she will assign people to perform different functions based on scene-size up, updated info, etc. Other department, especially those where members respond POV to the scene, have members report to a command post, paid driver, etc to get an assignment. Two questions: 1 - What does your department do? 2 - Pros/Cons of the different methods 3 - If you department has an assignment attached to the seat on a rig, what are the assignments? Stay safe, Madison

Absolutely true Bnechis. I was not saying that AFA's are false alarms, but rather referring to AFA's that in fact turn out to be false alarms.

I agree with you 100% and I think that more people do this subconsciously then we think. A good time for Chiefs or Officers to do this is during training. This is why it is so important to take training seriously and to make it as real as possible. This way, when a run comes in the Officer knows who is the best fit for a task. If you know who is really good with Res-Q-Jacks or the Jaws, then it makes scenes run more efficiently.

I have been waiting a while for this to be discussed. This is one of the things that annoys me the most. IMHO there is nothing worse than not getting to the scene or even rolling a rig to a good amount of alarms. I understand that there is liability having the trucks on the road for false alarms but... you could always slow down the response. After all, rigs need to be driven and it is good for drivers to get on the road as frequently as possible. It is good practice to arrive on scene and use good judgment in terms of rig placement. It is good practice for crews to pack up and to use thermal imaging cameras, sniffers, gas meters, etc to refresh themselves, or teach younger members how to use them. This is one of the pros of having members respond to the scene POV...this way they see the scene, make a size-up, etc. I know several people who run calls when they are home from work or have someone to watch the kids who have not been on a scene in a while because they are put back in service right after the rig leaves the station or do not even leave the station. I am a big fan of checking out building, exposures, hydrant locations, etc on false alarms because it better prepares me for future calls. It is also a good time to check pre-fire plans and update them accordingly. Another thing that bothers me that so many people do not know what types of businesses are in their districts, or what is inside of a building. It is so important to tour building in your district and to know what to expect on alarms, where the control panel is, where the sprinkler system is, standpipes, stairs, elevators, rescue windows, etc. False alarms better prepare you for real alarms.

I think it would be a good tool to use to clear up the Shoutbox and to discuss things with people while streaming incidents.

Not a bad idea, but IMHO, adding reflective or better yet, glow-in-the-dark tape to the tool would be just as effective. Plus in my experience playing with glow-in-the-dark footballs, frisbees, etc they need to be in light to "recharge." This is not going to happen tucked away in a compartment.

What's an ego???

What is the requirement anywhere? I have seen pick up trucks being designated as "Light Rescues," who decides? This is true, the rig was not intended to be a Rescue but rather a Patrol. Not saying that the rig compares to an FDNY rescue, but hydraulic tools are no the only "rescue" tool on the rig. We have FAST equipment, rope rescue equipment, Res-Q-Jaks, ice rescue equipment, cribbing, airbags, winch, etc. There has been talk of in the future switching to the designation of Squad. As mentioned, the tag of Rescue was not a company decision...the company is not called the Rescue Company, it is the Patrol Company (Pleasantville Fire Patrol). Does a rescue have to be a heavy rescue?

Do you feel the same way about dash cameras in police vehicles?

Terrible sight to see. Thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. God bless.

I was going to bring this up. Kudos, to people who do not let physical differences get in the way of them accomplishing life goals.

Kudos to the Officer for doing all possible to calm and comfort the trapped victim.

I do not have any ties to Croton EMS but, I have to admit, it is nice to hear that they will have an EMT available 24-7. It seems to be a growing trend in the EMS field to have one or more paid EMT's covering calls for an agency. There is not a single EMS agency in the county that relies on 100% volunteer manpower that gets out the door fast enough due to having to wait for or tone out for an EMT or driver, a simple fix is to have a paid EMT/driver. This will unarguable reduce response times and provide care to the citizens quicker...the goal is to help the community asap...right??? As many people on this site know, I am all for running an agency with 100% volunteer manpower, however, this type of system and the egos (not necessarily bad) involved do have downfalls. The two that come to mind first are response time, and consistency. There is no argument out there that can go against the claim the have a staffed bus at all times wont increase response times and increase responses in general. It is time for agencies to analyze their performance and see how they can improve on their flaws to better serve the communities that we are responsible for. Not to point fingers or give names but I heard a call go out today over and over again... Agency A got called for a call (seizure or syncope...don't remember.) several minutes later, Agency A was toned out for an EMT. Several minutes after that, Agency B was toned out mutual aid for a full crew, while Agency A was toned out for a 3rd time for an EMT. Several minutes later, Agency A was toned out for an EMT again, Agency B for an EMT, and Agency C for a full crew. several seconds later, Agency C was toned out for a full crew. Several minutes later, Agency A and B were both toned out for an EMT (4th and 3rd dispatches respectively), and Agency C, a 3rd page for a full crew. Several seconds later, 60-control notified Agencies A,B, and C that Agency D was going to cover the call. THAT IS TOO MUCH WASTED TIME AND BS!!! Again, I am all for pride but not when the community suffers due to it. Kudos to the proactive step, the community will appreciate it for sure.

Police Officers already provide fire suppression, law enforcement, medical aid, and even remove trees from roadways during storms. They are already well-rounded town workers . But, I hear what you are saying and I don't see it as too far off of a possibility.

I work for the community. However, I was once told by a "Chief" that I was his employee... This is a dangerous topic to be discussing.

Serious respect HFD...way to lead by example and set the bar high. Thanks for making his b-day one he will never forget.

Santa will once again be out on Christmas Eve.

Glad you and your nephew had a good time. Not to speak on behalf of the department, but we enjoy doing this every year. We still do the Santa run on Christmas Eve...I actually have been Santa for the past two years and have taken on the task of planning the evening. Unfortunately this year I will be driving the truck and not playing Santa...my buddy wants to be Santa as part of his b-day celebration. We also bring the trucks to the elementary school every year for fire prevention and truck tours. The firehouse is open whenever someone is in it to give a tour. If you don't treat the community well, why should they treat you well? Who will get the trucks out? Treating the public well and getting out there is a no brainer for me.

The narrow road must make it difficult for wreckers on a frequent basis. Good work CVFD. Nice shots.

Nice shots. Great work CVFD.