SECTMB

Just asking. If you are the Crew Chief/EMT and responding in Ambulance #1 to call #1, the presumed lower priority call, and call #2 is sent out and appears to be of a higher priority, can the Crew Chief/EMT self divert to the higher priority call and instruct his dispatch to have Ambulance #2 take in Call #1 when the crew assembles for response?

I got a kick out of reading the responses attached to the article. Most were of the mind that Cuomo should go. Really? This is NY we are talking about. Is there a more corrupt State governmental body in this Country? Maybe an equal or close, but certainly none more corrupt. Cuomo or no Cuomo, Albany doesn't change, it just changes those who go there with the intention to make a difference for the better. As they say, power corrupts. The bottom line here for the volunteers should be, if you expect anything other than the satisfaction of helping your neighbors, when you can, you will be disappointed.

I've always thought that it is a subjective response following an incident based on the perceived performance of the personnel on scene. We all know, or should know, if we did everything we could, and did it correctly, to minimize the damage to person(s) or property. Deaths, injuries and damage may be part of the equation, but our successful intervention to lessen their severity determines whether we rate a 'good' of 'great' job rating. And, of course, we all should know when we didn't do things correctly and the outcome may have been different had our performance been better.

I believe in the volunteer arena that most mutual aid is necessary because the first due department is, initially or subsequently, unable to guarantee a response with the appropriate apparatus and manpower necessary for suppression. I believe IC's are quick to request mutual aid because as their own department is assembling and responding they will not know what resources are available until they arrive on scene. We may know by radio traffic that Engine X is responding but we don't necessarily know how many persons are on the apparatus or their individual qualifications. These days, while Dept. 'A' may have three engines and a ladder, there is no guarantee that the IC will get three fully staffed engines and a ladder from his own department. Hence, request early, return early. While the head count at the end of the incident may be large, and at that point seem excessive, it might have been minimal at the outset of the incident. With volunteer departments, day and time of day, are critical factors to the IC as he formulates his strategy, sometimes even prior to arrival based on follow up radio information coming in through the dispatch center. Who would like to be the IC criticized for not having the necessary resources on scene in a timely manner?

Sounds like they could use a few of these in Rockland today. How big is the Firematic facility. The pictures always look like its very cramped for space.

I know I'm talking through the wrong end, but it seems to me that the guys with the guns and the vests and the shields and the armored vehicles are just taking way too long to allow aid to stricken victims. With the weaponry being used in these incidents the wounds are too serious to wait. There are countless stories of victims bleeding out who might have had a chance with immediate care. I know that securing the scene is all about preventing additional victims, but there has to be a middle ground between responding in like Barney Fife and Bruce Willis.

Seems to me if a person is willing to put most of their personal life on hold to generally be available 24/7/365 and most likely would participate or intervene in any situtation come upon whether in or outside his/her own district, then the use of a vehicle as a perk is more than justified. Lots of volunteers put in a lot of hours and Chiefs lots more. Lots of police chiefs have department vehicles available to them 24/7 as well although usually unmarked so not as obvious. If you expect someone to be available 24/7 then you should provide the means for them. If it becomes a pr problem start stripping the command cars of their department name but don't penalize the Chiefs in the name of political correctness.

Intersection of 44 and 44A. c/s Tyrell across from the Cooperative extension.

I lived in Millbrook for ten years at an intersection that got quite a few serious accidents. On day Liam and myself assisted in some traffic control, routing traffic through my farm to get passed the accident. He was quite nice to help out and every bit the regular guy.

Each department has a number designation. I'm from Briarcliff Manor, we are department number 205. Therefore our Chief is 2051, the Assistants are 2052 and 2053 and our Deputy Chiefs are 2054, 2055 etc.

In an episode of NCIS the pacemaker in a 'whistle blower' was hacked and adjusted to kill him by inducing a heart attack.

Our department offers a free flu shot, really, why wouldn't you get one. Haven't gotten the flu since getting the shot but I can remember how miserable the flu can be and certainly want to avoid it or limit its' impact.

Its been a long time since I knew anyone who was trying for a spot with the FDNY. But when I did, they worked their asses off to be ready for probie school. They showed up, in shape, knowing what was to be expected and ready to perform to FDNY standards. They knew they had one chance to make it. I don't think many of the candidates today, especially the diverse one, share the same mind set and determination as the career firefighters they hope to replace.

Is this the way a 27 year career should end? I hope they find the person (firefighter) responsible, charge him and dismiss him. I hope his son finds another paid job with another department that appreciates the family tradition inherent in the fire service.

Interesting, it looks like the house was possible cleaned out, judging by all the trash bags at the curb and the mattresses and other items stacked at the side. Was someone upset about being evicted? Firematically, try to remember not to charge the supply line from the hydrant until it's connected to the pump intake.

Maybe someone can enlighten me. As soon as the individual mandate becomes effective and an individual is required to buy the insurance, won't that person, and the thousands or millions of others, in kind, be able to sue for relief under the Constitutions equal protection clause since so many other thousands of individuals have been granted waivers or special consideration. Don't all these waivers to certain unions and groups and Congress members and their staffs and families violate the equal protection clause? And I am still fuzzy on the President, acting on his own or through his agency heads, can arbitrarily adjust the provisions of the law with regard to the timetable of the laws implementation. When did the Executive branch receive the power to amend laws enacted by the Legislative branch? Does the 'rule of law' no longer exist in this country any longer?

And how are the full time, career departments going to be paid for? Citizens in Jersey, as elsewhere, are struggling under the local tax burdens as it is. What would the implementation of a paid department do to the property taxes that are already among the highest in the country? There is no arguing the benefits of having a paid department, just how to pay for it.

In addition to Kings that Marty mentioned, we also used a few gallons for the Rte. 9A tanker fire.

Seecamp 32 cal semi w/hollowpoints.

I think a lot has to do with the make up your individual company and the length of service of those members. I know that in my particular case my involvement is traditional. My grandfather and father were members of Hope Hose and then my father became of member of Hilltop when we lived in Pocantico. From an early age there was exposure to the firehouse. When we moved to Briarcliff my father did not join up but when I came of age I joined, followed by two brothers and eventually three nephews and along the way there were a couple of cousins and a niece for a time. Talk about brotherhood and sisterhood. My Scarborough company had a history of multiple family members and it still does. There are numerous father/son/daughter/wife active members. Some younger persons who join are surprised to learn that while they are new to us, we may have known their parents or other family members for years. While we are not immune to disagreement, we have always been a tight knit group. The little kids we tolerated so many years ago are now the officers and even though they may roll their eyes a little, the younger members respect the older guys and that respect is returned by working together, not criticizing the younger members and mentoring them with our knowledge and experience. We have been through the good times, bad times, births, deaths, marriages and divorces with each other whether your last name was the same or not. So I think the brother/sisterhood is still out there, but how it shows itself is a direct reflection of yourself, how you were raised and the 'company' you keep.

Theirs is a great old traditional small town, on the green, firehouse, but it is so restrictive for todays apparatus. The pictures of the new 44, even with its slick top, look like it barely gets inside. I'd say they're long overdue for a new firehouse.

The judiciary just can't seem to stop meddling in the affairs of the emergency services. First Garaufis (sp) stymies recruitment for years and now Freed wants to control apparatus and maintenance. And beyond the FDNY you have Sheindlin curbing stop, frisk and question. There are an awful lot of judges out there, on every level, local to the supremes, who legislate from the bench. Its long been a disturbing trend that seems to occur more and more frequently. I must have missed the memo advising that attainment of the bench gives you the ability to know what's best for everyone else regardless of any factual information to the contrary.

I would think any illegality can be remedied through legislation if only there were politicians with the will to address the problem.

Here we go again. So, if a department is dispatched for a mutual aid working fire and is unable to put a rig on the road, I would presume that they would be unable to respond, at that time, to a call within their own district, thereby prompting mutual aid themselves. I wonder if the apparatus that never moves is the result of accommodations to insurance requirements as much as it is a department's own vanity. Why have three engines if you can only ever get one or two on the road? Why are there not more automatic mutual responses, particularly for reported structure fires? Millwood and Ossining get dual dispatch to Maryknoll, Millwood and Briarcliff to incidents on the Taconic, Archville and Pocantico go out together, the tri-villages get dispatched together. Why is there not more of this done as a standard practice to ensure that something is leaving 'a' station to respond? Some departments regularly fail to respond in a timely fashion, almost every department fails occasionally. Westchester's demographics are changing and not in a favorable way for the volunteer services. On the other hand, the increasing tax burdens put restraints on the existing paid departments and prohibit volunteer departments from supplementing their ranks with paid personnel during resident 'work hours'. I would like to see the County create its own department and enter into mutual aid pacts with all the existing County departments to provide automatic, dual response, mutual aid. Station their 'single company' apparatus, preferably quints, at various County facilities adjoining multiple districts that they can respond into. If the County Police can absorb a local police department, why could they not in the future absorb a local fire department? Aren't they already the Department of Public Safety? Can they not just expand the services they offer? There are economies in efficiency and there have been previous posts about the abundant quantity of engines and ladders available in the County, many of which without the manpower to respond them. There are also countless examples of successful County wide departments around the country providing a professional level of response with fewer houses, fewer apparatus and ranks of either paid or combination paid/volunteer. We go around and around on this manpower and response issue every couple of months and nothing ever changes. The FD old guard are too entrenched and intractable and the politicians too gutless to address a genuine quality of life issue affecting every citizen of the County, somewhere, on almost a daily basis.

I returned for a visit after being away for several years and was appalled at the condition of the highways and medians and overgrowth on the side of the roads impairing vision of the signage. An overhead banner sign and large signs on the supports posts would be helpful, but the State needed money for all the "Welcome to NY, Andrew Cuomo Governor" signs.