Patch6713

Westchester County Department of Emergency Services
Technical Rescue Team
Rescue 77
2020 Spartan Gladiator/Hackney
(Photo by me)
 

1482 in the picture, 1495 in the post

1482 in the picture, 1495 in the post

 
A quick look at their apparatus shows that their only other fire suppression units are "engine tankers" by their designation, 1000 and 1750 gal. This would make me think that a sizable portion of their district has no or un-reliable water sources. Running a "quint" with only 300 gallons of water would be un-arguably a horrible decision if that is the case. If you are only going to maintain two pieces, then the second must have a considerable water capacity as well. It appears they consolidated a medium duty rescue and pumper into the 2013 replacement as well. 
 
Maybe these gentlemen are just ahead of their time in acknowledging they have no true need for a tower ladder and that a 3/4 of a million dollar ladder truck sitting around is not a good investment. 

I have no direct knowledge but I don't believe (in general) that they have any wildland gear issued to its members.  

Watching right now

2015 Horton/Chevrolet 4500. Ambulance was visiting for final inspection. Delivery in a few weeks. Replaces a 2003ish MedTech/Ford E-350

Woodstock FD 2015 Horton / Chevy 4500

2015 Horton/Chevrolet 4500. Ambulance was visiting for final inspection. Delivery in a few weeks. Replaces a 2003ish MedTech/Ford E-350

Dutchess 911 to XXX respond for a reported conscious male patient, unknown if breathing.

Here is a link to the RadioReference.com page on Putnam County. The info there is updated by scanner enthusiasts on a regular basis. There is also quite a bit of info on individual department frequencies, and there is a link to the FCC's complete database of radio licenses in the county.
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=1864

I'm working on updating my department's radio lists and was looking for a little help.
I found this on the Radio Standard Operation Procedure issued by the Putnam BES
Channel 1 46.38 - Dispatch only
Channel 2 46.50 - Fireground Operations
Channel 3 46.30 - Fireground Operations
Channel 4 46.04 - Fireground Operations
Channel 5 46.44 - (Receive) Putnam 911 to Mobile Operations
(Transmit) Mobile to Putnam 911
Channel 6 46.44 - (Transmit & Receive) Mobile to Mobile
Channel 7 46.10 - Fire Ground 7
Channel 13 46.54 - (Receive only) Monitor Mobiles Talking to Putnam 911
154.4375 Countywide High band
155.340 Ambulance/Putnam Hospital communications
155.400 Ambulance/Hospital alternate frequency
155.220 Ambulance Hudson Valley Hospital
155.280 Ambulance/Unassigned
155.205 GVAC Dispatch, Putnam Valley Ambulance Dispatch, Philipstown VAC Dispatch (EMS)
Can someone provide me with the transmit frequencies and the PLs for each of these channels. I also could use a little more information for what each channel is used for. Thank you

I definitely think they (the EMS personnel) could've handled the situation better, however the video appears to me to be ambiguous at best as to whether or not the pt had a pulse or was breathing. The only thing that was clear was that the guy needed medical attention in some fashion. If their assessment was that he was breathing and had a pulse, then the administration of CPR would in all likelihood not be appropriate. They certainly could've had a little more pep in their step, but the patient was on the stretcher and on the way to the ambulance within a few of minutes contact by EMS. Again, if their assessment was that he was breathing and had a pulse, going to the ambulance rather than initiating care right there was the appropriate call IMO. Now, if their assessment was that he wasn't breathing and/or didn't have a pulse, then initiating care on the spot would've been the right thing to do.
I think the only thing clearly obvious to a lay person was that the guy appeared to be in need of medical care in some fashion since he was unconscious. The average lay person is often ignorant to exactly what care a patient needs on scene and what care EMS can actually provide at that point. I know I frequently encounter patients, family or bystanders who question why we aren't just putting the patient in the ambulance and driving to the hospital. The average lay person also often thinks that their medical needs or that of another person are more of an "emergency" than it actually is and this feeds the belief that EMS should be doing "more" to treat the patient, when in fact they may be doing everything they can within their scope of practice or the patient's condition only merits "minimal" care.
I think the video is a little less murky to the trained eye in that the initial assessment could have definitely been performed better, but it still fails to definitively answer the questions "is he breathing" and "does he have a pulse". We can only assume the answer to both questions was "yes" since they didn't immediately start CPR.
Without knowing all of the details, it's hard to say whether or not any or all of the suspensions for the 4 EMS providers were appropriate, but I think the speed in which they occurred were a PR move first (damage control) and a patient care issue second. The public often sees what they want to see in these situations, particularly when their is racial component (real or perceived) and want immediate action and far too often, management et al are too willing to bow down to that pressure and take punitive actions with incomplete information and in violation of the employees right to "due process".

To: New York State Law Enforcement Executives
From: Missing Persons Clearinghouse
Date: September 12, 2013
Subject: Missing Persons Toolbox Training
Incidents of missing persons with autism, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia who tend to
wander or become lost are on the rise. One in eighty-eight children are now diagnosed with
autism and an alarming new study shows that nearly half of them will wander or elope from a
safe environment. "Elopement is one of the very few problems in autism that is life-threatening,"
says pediatrician Paul Law, senior author of the study and director of the Interactive Autism
Network (IAN) Project, a national autism database headquartered at the Kennedy Krieger
Institute in Baltimore. "It is probably one of the leading, if not the leading, causes of death in
children with autism," he says. In addition, 60% of people with Alzheimer’s disease will wander
with studies showing the need to act quickly in these cases because more than 50% will suffer
serious injury or death if not located within 24 hours.
Successful resolution of these types of cases requires law enforcement agencies to preplan
and develop partnerships with local, county, state and volunteer organizations which can aid
with search and rescue operations. Extensive research has been conducted regarding behavioral
patterns and profiles of this vulnerable population which enables agencies to efficiently direct
their resources when conducting searches. The NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services -
Missing Persons Clearinghouse is pleased to announce a series of Missing Persons Toolbox
Training seminars at various locations throughout the state.
This free one day seminar, presented by Missing Persons Clearinghouse staff, focuses on
missing person cases which involve both urban and rural searches with an emphasis on people
with special needs, such as autism, Alzheimer’s and dementia. It includes a brief overview on
the NYS AMBER Alert, Missing Child Alert, Missing College Student Alert and Missing
Vulnerable Adult Alert programs. The afternoon session provides tools and resources necessary
to conduct successful search and rescue operations with presentations conducted by
representatives of the following agencies: NYS Department Environmental Conservation Forest
Rangers, NYS Federation of Search and Rescue, New York State Police Aviation and New York
State Police Canine Unit. This is a great opportunity for law enforcement agencies to create
partnerships and develop or update their protocols for these types of incidents.

Topics include:
 Identifying specific search method (s) based on special need of victim
 Understanding the importance of an immediate response
 Statistical find locations
 Incident Command System
 Wilderness searches
 Managing volunteers
 Urban searches
 Search Tactics/Reflex Tasks
 Project Lifesaver (live demonstration)
 NYSP Canine Unit
 Utilizing air resources – NYSP Aviation
 AMBER, Missing Child, College Student and Vulnerable Adult Alerts
The target audience includes supervisors, first responders, communications personnel and all staff involved in missing persons cases.
Locations for 2013:
Washington County – September 25 Cancelled
Cattaraugus County – October 16
Rockland County – October 22
St. Lawrence County – November 5 (new date)
Schenectady County – November 13 (new)
Onondaga County – December 11
Although we are planning for a large enrollment, seating will be limited. You must, therefore, receive confirmation of acceptance to attend. You must use the application to register. It can be downloaded by clicking here, or by going to the DCJS training calendar and scroll to the date preferred and download it from the website itself. The calendar is located at: http://calendar.dcjs.state.ny.us/
If you have any questions concerning the training please contact Senior Training Technician Raymond Neves at the address in the letterhead, by email at raymond.neves@dcjs.ny.gov or by telephone at 800-346-3543.
toolbox announcement_fall_2013.pdf

I agree with wiscems, have some follow up questions. Definitly shows interest. The question I always ask is what is something to the extent of what are the next steps from here. This hopefully will get you a time table of when they are planning on conducting more interviews, appointing someone, or getting back in contact with you. This way you know if they will be calling you when you get back home or two weeks later.
I also set up an email address that I use primarily for job interviews. It is professional (first name last name) instead of your common email that may be a little less formal or professional.
I also was told that when they (interviewers/employer/supervisors) call you not to answer the phone. Let it go to voicemail. Listen to the voicemail. This may give you some clues as to why they are calling so you can prepare yourself. And call them back when you are in a quiet place, with a pen and paper, and ready to answer questions. This way when they want you to write something down you don't have to fumble around or your not in a place that sounds like you have a rock concert in the back ground. Also, with this, make sure that your voice mail is professional for when it rings through.
If possible, before the interview, try and find out how many people will be interviewing you. Make a packet for each of these interviewers with a copy of your application, your resume, cover letter, and any other items you may need (copy of your EMT car) and put it in a nice folder or envelope. This way you can give them a copy when you start your interview, even though they may have a copy. And always have an extra copy in case there is more than the anticipated interviewers there and if not you can always use that copy for yourself as if you planned it that way.
And finally, try and be as relaxed as possible, while still staying professional. Going to an interview is stressful anyway you look at it. But, if you are well prepared, well dress, and confident in yourself it will be a much better experience for you and it will be noticed in a positive way by your interviewers. This is not to be interpreted, though, to be overconfident and cocky.

Have a pulse....... That's a joke, but there may be a bit of truth due to the extremely low pay in this career. The pay is causing the character of employee simply because of this.
My advice for any interview, not just for in the emergency service field is the following :
Wear a suit - Navy or Grey is best, but black will do (black is a tad bit formal)
Wear a white dress shirt and a tie. Neutral color tie is proper, no funky patterns
Wear dress socks and shoes.
Get a haircut the day before, shave the morning of and groom your fingernails.
Arrive to the interview 15-20 minutes early and leave home with ample time to spare in case of traffic or car trouble.
Shake hands with a medium grip. Firm, but not so you crush knuckles, yet not to the point of a dead fish handshake feeling
Make eye contact with handshakes and while talking to your interviewer.
Maintain good posture while in the interview with your back straight while sitting and your hands forward in front of you. DO NOT cross arms as this is a body language sign that you are hiding something.
Always answer the question being asked to the best of your ability. Nothing more and nothing less. DO NOT volunteer any information you aren't being asked as this make open doors to further questions that you may not be prepared to answer. Ask for clarification if the question being asked is not totally clear to you.
Do not ramble or repeat yourself while answering any questions
Always be honest. If you lie or stretch the truth, it always will be discovered at some point.
Be polite and be respectful. (Yes Sir No Maim)
Thank them for their time and consideration after the interview
Hope this helps

A few years back I was working on the EMS mutual aid plan with 60 Control leadership and the policy as I understood it was they can not call for another dept. for no response unless the original agency authorized it (in writing) before the fact. The reason was based on general municipal law andliability on mutual aid.
If Dept. A requests mutual aid and the dept responding crashes or has building fall on them, etc. the liability is clearly in GML that the requesting dept is responsable for the rig/equipment but the giving dept is responsable for the injury/disability/death.
If 60 control dispatches Dept. X to Dept. A's incident (with no pre-authorization or active request) and dept X crashes, who is responsible Dept A that never made the request or 60control that did.
I do not know if this is still the policy, but it does make sense in light of that legal concerns.

A long standing tradiotion here on Bravo, seems to go by the wayside...so i thought I would throw one together.
I know there were several more major incidents in the county that had no IA's..so these are based on only the IA's posted.
Incidents such as these reinforces the strong work done by the emergency services here in the county, from the 911 Dispacthers, the police, EMS, and firemen.
10; Tivoli Triple Fatal MVA - http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php/topic/44862-tivoli-triple-fatal-mva-1-14-12/
9. Dover 2nd Alarm with multiple animal rescues - http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php/topic/47182-dover-structure-fire-9612/
8. Glenham Deck Collpse with Aided - http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php/topic/46980-glenham-deck-collapse-with-injuries-8612/
7. Dover 2nd Alarm w/ Medevac Burn Victim (fatal) - http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php/topic/45638-dover-2nd-alarm-fire-w-medivac-31112/
6. East Fishkill Haz Mat/MCI - http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php/topic/46536-east-fishkill-sulfuric-acid-spill-15-patients-61312/
5. Arlington House Fire with Rescues - http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php/topic/45854-arlington-porch-fire-wpeople-trapped-3302012/
4. Rooselvelt Fatal MVA with Pin, in Water - http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php/topic/47693-roosevelt-mva-rollover-into-water-w-extrication-11912/
3. City of Beacon 2nd Alarm with Rescues - http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php/topic/45815-city-of-beacon-2nd-alarm-wentrapment-32612/
2. Fairview Multi Fatal House Fire - http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php/topic/44968-fairview-2nd-alarm-structure-fire-1-21-12/
1. City of Poughkeepsie 2nd Alarm with multiple rescues - http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php/topic/48034-city-of-poughkeepsie-2nd-alarm-fire-121712/

Great pictures.

One thing you didn't bring up but is worth considering is if you keep single role vehicles can you staff them? You very well may have been able to when you make the purchases back 20 or more years ago but what's your manpower these days? During the day? If staffing is no issue and you ran lots of fires single role vehicles might be the way to go but lets face it no one has the manpower to get all those rigs out. If some of your stations are not going to get two rigs out i may be better to replace the pumper and tanker with a pumper tanker. Maybe your main station has more manpower they could have a pumper and a pumper tanker there that could also be the spare for the other stations.
As for the rescue pumpers I think the designs over the last few years have really done a good job of getting a lot of space into the new rigs. Also staffing again comes into play. Can you get an engine and a rescue out at 1000 on a Tuesday? All the time? 50%? Only if Joe is home? If not you are not alone. If you are only getting one rig out and it doesn't have both tools and a pump and water eventually you will be caught with you pants down. In the rural setting this can be a busy rig if you plan it right. It can not only handle all the MVAs but if it has a pump it can fill tankers and do supply and fill in for front line pumpers out of service.
One thing I commend you and your department on is actually having the discussion. Many places are increasing the number of rigs or replacing without thinking about this. Single function rigs may be better but they do no good if they are sitting in the firehouse.

Hmmm it looks to me like a blitz attack until more resources get on scene. So where is that a bad thing that's what departments in the US have to and have done for ever to slow down progression until you get enough on scene to effectively fight the fire. We only see five minutes in this incident think how long it takes some areas to get equipment on scene in the states not everywhere has a full compliment of trucks engines and manpower five minutes away. From my perspective they did a great job knocking down visible fire and if your paying attention it looks like they also knocked it down enough where it's really not producing smoke now go in and mop up with proper manpower and equipment.

Best solution: LDH with inline pumping - a lost art.

Date: 8-11-12
Time: 03:34
Location: 2703 County Route 3
Frequency: F1, F2, Operations
Units Operating: Olive, Phonecia, West Hurley, Accord, Woodstock, Centerville/Cedar Grove, Olive First Aid, Ulster County Origin and Cause, and many more
Description Of Incident: Fully involved barn fire. Barn approximately 5,500 square feet
Reporters: Patch6713
Article: http://www.dailyfreeman.com/articles/2012/08/11/blotter/doc5026a2d1cd987404418790.txt

Ahhh, so now I finally make the connection! LMAO.
We're fortunate to have a great crew - thanks for the compliment

Victoria Offically is done with Boot Camp starts Monday on her way to being a MP
To say we are humbled and proud is an understatement
God Bless Her and all our troops
Jim