flyboy14295

We use companies, engines, trucks, etc. so we have accountability and maintain a span of control. THe IC does not have time to keep track of a bunch of guys doing some work around the edges. When we call mutual aid we need FIREFIGHTERS, not HELPERS.
I believe that all of those depts. have a policy for M/A of a minimum of 3, so which of those listed only sent 2
BINGO!!!

100% rigged

Aren't commissioners elected or appointed officials overseeing a fire protection district(or city, village, etc)?
These guys are just a bunch of whackers with no life and nothing better to do, except poking a bear with a stick. One day the bear is gonna wake up......

No idea what you're referring to... best one ever was the foot injury in the HVHC parking lot at like 3am...
You: "39M1 to 60 Control."
Me: "60 Control is on."
You: "John, are you serious?"
Me: "Yup, she is standing in the ER entrance awaiting your arrival."

In my department, we have the two tag system.
I can't remember the last time the two were separated.....
The best line I have heard from an officer at a fire I was at, "Is everyone out of the house?" I don't think that should EVER be a question.

In my department, we have the two tag system.
I can't remember the last time the two were separated.....
The best line I have heard from an officer at a fire I was at, "Is everyone out of the house?" I don't think that should EVER be a question.

Why did they have to shut down the opposite 2 lanes for a simple upright of a truck? Seems unprofessional to me and a little bit of an outdated technique. Glenns should get a bigger truck. Like the red one on the site here. Nice excavator

In other threads, departments are doing dual response just to get enough players on the field to look like they have a full team. If dual response does not completely cover when everyone is in town, how does it work when each department is running even shorter?
Good idea, better would be FD guides, who also know water supply and building info.
Yes, while some here think this is about vol. FD's, New Rochelle does have parades for Thanksgiving & Memorial Day. The T day parade startes north of the High School and travels all the way down to the south end. We start the parade with E-23, L-13, 2302 & R-4 when the parade gets to garden street, E23 & L13 peel off and E-21, E-22, L-11 & L-12 peel in. All rigs are in there 1st or second due area. And there is never a drop in level of service or an increase in response times.
In addition to the liability for failure to meet service demands, i would think you are proving that some of your fleet may
not be needed, if you can send it out of town. My father (who has nothing to do with emergency services) asked why does every dept. need a tower ladder (he lives in NO. West.), then after taking some of his grand kids to the Ossining Parade, he told me; "now I know, its to compete for a trophy". But what is the cost to the tax payer to buy these units, when the FD figures its ok to take them out of town (sometimes to a dozen parades).
On the same note, I can understand (and love) when a dept has a historical rig that goes to parades, but when you buy the brand new latest & greatest and told the mayor or tax payers that your community cant live without it, how can you take it away from them?
It has been argued that mutual aid in general does not provide the level of protection normally. In fact ISO does not recognize or give credit for mutual aid and even automatic aid is only credited at 90% (with multiple drills and sops)because they realize its not as good.
Very True. While its a long time ago and liability has changed, I remember a volunteer (who regularly posts here) returning from a parade on the back step of a rig and he almost stepped off to get his hat, they were on 684 at the time. Today that would have resulted in a multi million dollar law suit. Note Its not that he is worth it, just what his wife could get for his body.
If people do not know how there own depts function, then we one bshould not bother the chief as he has a lot of work to do....teaching his firefighters how they cover the district when its parade season.
If anyone actually believes this, then this is the justification for mandatory in house rostering of crews, since you need to provide service and you never know when an incident will occur, you can schedule the crews to be there when it does happen.
They must be very proud of these activities, maybe they should have press releases to let the taxpayers know and then the can be as proud also.

Thank you for your opinion. Would it be possible for you to provide any specific, factual information?

We have previously established the fact that many departments in the area have a real tough time with having an adequate number of trained firefighters able to cover incidents in their jurisdiction. In light of this, I would be interested to know with as much specificity as possible, what type of preplans various departments have made to ensure that when members and apparatus participate in a parade in another jurisdiction, there will be no diminution in fire protection during the time these members and apparatus are not available????

Is kudos really needed just because they did what they should do? Every firefighter is taught that if you can not complete an assignment you need to notify the IC. This is mandatory. If you can not respond for any reason, manpower, mechanical, your own calls, etc. you advise dispatch.
I see a major problem within your statement. They can send an engine company but not one that is trained well enough to be a "FAST". In general the concept of having mutual aid depts provide FAST makes sense if your dept is not big enough to have enough interior trained personnel on scene to do attack (including search and all other functions) and FAST. Also many VFD's FAST on mutual aid is based on sending its "best" which is not a bad idea, but if they can send an engine crew, that is not good enough to be FAST, thanks but no thanks. I do not want to be working inside a working fire knowing that the guys on my back up line are not trained or experienced enough to save me if something goes wrong!!!!
If you said they could not get out I would accept before I'd except we can only send partially trained FF's.
If you are not trained to save your brothers you are not a firefighter. Do not get on the rig.
Very well stated, thanks Chris. It is pretty clear that until either a) community &/or fire service leaders start to actually lead or b ) the state forces the issue, we will continue to see these threads after every fire. It real is sad to see how many leaders have there heads in the sand.

This is true in the northeast, but in many portions of the country county or regional depts. are career or combination. Often because it is cheaper when it is done on a regional bases. While the volume may be lower in bedroom communities, the type of response is based on the emergency, not the type of community (if the house is burning, the fire des not care if its in a city or out in the country). The spending difference that you speak of would be based on trying to fully staff a volunteer dept in Westchester with career personnel. When you look at the southern regional models (GA, SC & FLA, etc.) most stations with the call volumes seen in many Westchester depts. would only require an engine (and a tanker if no muni water system). Its amazing that they send less for career depts then we spend and meet national standards for response.
Clearly the overall budget is less in a volunteer dept., career depts. are established with larger populations than those found in most bedroom communities. Either a city or county/region. When covering a larger population the costs per family (or per tax payer). As an example I compared the per capita cost of my city FD with that of a number of VFD's in notrthern westchester and we average about $100 less per capita. The key is regionialization.
Even more amazing would be the amount of money that could be saved in the volunteer communities in Westchester if they would become a regional dept. The only one who would not save money is the apparatus dealers.
If life hazard or significant property dammage threat is not an issue then why does every dept in westchester need all the apparatus it has? Based on that statement alone, do we need all of the FD's (and stations and rigs) we have?
If politician did a risk/benefit assesment they would figure we would be better in some communities with no FD and pay the next dept over to come to the 1 call every few days. Politicians do risk/benefit assesments for there career, not for the safety of the community. If they think funding a new tower ladder in a VFD that does not need one will get them reelected then they will get a new TL.
If you ask that way, of course they will never go for it. One County in S.C. showed that going county wide and career dropped the ISO rating from a 9 to a 5, saving each property about $800/yr in fire insurance while increasing the fire tax by $300, they put it to a vote and everyone is saving money today.
You are right it wont happen here, because we will fight to keep our depts. seperate, even if we can not meet the needs, because we are way to proud of the "great" job we are doing.
The reason taxes are #1 in Westchester is because the pleasure of our communities is to do it this way, because they do not understand that the rest of the country does it for a fraction of the cost (this is mostly school tax, but every tax contributes).

reverse discrimination at its best.... man its great to be white...............
like stated above. if you pass you got the job, enuff said