tommyguy

As a Yonkers resident I'm proud it was our guys who stopped these clowns. I don't know what these bikers were thinking. Good job guys! Been a busy weekend for YPD 4th Pct. .

An Army weather instructor I had when I was in training told us, "No REAL meteorologist would take one of those forecasting jobs. Weather systems are too dynamic. You can't forecast it very well over twenty-four hours. It's not predictable, anyway. It's not like the future weather is set a certain way and you just need to figure it out. Way too many variables." I've never forgotten that sergeant. And I've a bit of weather buff ever since.

Okay I see. Thanks for responding, I do appreciate it.

I have been away from White Plains now for fifteen years. And all the guys I knew in WPFD are retired. So maybe this is a dumb question but.... How did they operate with Tower Ladder 6 and Truck 33? (That was a Ford cab?) Weren't both assigned to Station Two and, IIRC, around the same time period?

A Florence Township firefighter, Brian Richardson, was severely injured this past May while responding to a truck fire. A tractor-trailer carrying oranges had caught fire on I-295. Richardson's company was first due and as the firefighter pulled open the trailer's rear door there was an explosion. Suffering multiple skull fractures, the initial prognosis was not good. But now, three months later, Richardson is well on his way to a full recovery. http://www.nbcphilad...overy/164981636

They came out excellent. These phone cameras are amazing.

Thanks I did not know that. Wonder what happens to TL6 when the new truck arrives?

I agree it looks like they did a great job, a fire that could've easily gotten out-of-control. As a former White Plains resident I am a bit confused. If the IA is correct it looks like the initial engine company assignment was Engs. 66 and 67. Normally the assignment would be (I think) Engs 65, 70 and possibly 71. So that sounds like something was else was going on at the same time on the south side of White Plains. If I can ask a question without ruffling any feathers, the IA shows Eng 71 was requested by 2512 at 12:28 PM, two hours after WPPD first requested that Fire respond. As far as I know Eng 74 is North White Plains.

The incident report shows the initial assignment was two engines, a truck and the rescue company. I think the tower ladder was special called. Anyway that's five companies and that would probably be about eighteen officers and firefighters. Since it was Engine 66 that first reported fire showing and Engine 67 was apparently second due it would appear to me the companies that would normally have responded first and second due were busy. Be interesting to know. The additional engine and truck company mentioned were sent to the scene two hours after WPFD first arrived, presumably as relief.

Sorry, yes I think that is the ALF delivered in 2009, though I admit I was thinking it was delivered more recently then that. In any event, it's the first time I recall seeing this truck in a photo in this forum. Noteworthy I think is that it's the first ALF rig WPFD has put in service in over fifty years. I think the last ALF was WPFD Truck 33 which came in 1957. At that time ALL three truck companies had ALFs. They were all replaced by Maxims during the 1970s.

Couldn't agree more and... That's White Plains' NEW Ladder 32 and it really looks sharp, doesn't it?

Looks like a pretty good job by WPFD I think, however, the the video kind of illustrates a common complaint among White Plains firefighters. They're always shorthanded.

Headsup and very courageous plus GREAT timing! You can see there's heavy traffic too. I was involved in one of these (as a bystander, though the first to call 911) on the Bruckner Expy near 149th St early one AM years ago. That one didn't have a happy ending. Not at all. I believe a Westchester County PO did something similar on the BRP not too long ago.

When it rains it really pours doesn't it? Seth I want to add my own humble best wishes to you and for you. Crazy thing is, a year or two down the road somehow everything always seems to make sense. I don't know why or how that is but life always seems to work that way. Hang in there buddy, you're a survivor I can tell.

Having read the articles I think this is basically a lapsed budget causing a cash flow problem. What happened was this: In this year's FY2012 budget negotiations the Scranton City Council cut a proposed 29% property tax increase to 5%. They proposed a bank loan to make up the revenue shortfall. To make the loan the banks want Scranton to increase property taxes 78%. The Council won't agree to that either and in the meantime the city has literally run out of cash. Mayor Doherty is offering to pay back the "deferred wages" with interest once the budget is finally passed but the unions are understandably leery of agreeing to this. http://thetimes-trib...wages-1.1335736 http://www.huffingto..._n_1652271.html

Mayor Doherty is really swinging for the fences. He also just refused part of an $8 million federal grant that would've provided money to hire and train 20 new firefighters and ensure the 29 firefighters laid off last year can come back. He said the money would run out in two years and he "can't obligate the city" beyond that. Below is a link which has video of the mayor and the vice-president of the firefighters union. Labor lawyers agree, however, the Mayor's "plan" has virtually zero chance of holding up in court. http://wnep.com/2012...rs-in-scranton/

Tough time to be the Yonkers Commish.

Thanks for the information, I appreciate your taking the time. I've worked in Elmsford a number of years and dealt with both Greenburgh PD and the Elmsford FD so I'm aware the Village is part of the Town. It is confusing though. I did not realize however, that the Village limits extended as far east as they do, This is what I found confusing, reason I asked if Fairview was maybe first due. I think I understand now what he meant. Is there an official Elmsford Fire District? Which would include the Village and adjaecant areas? The jurisdictional lines are sometimes confusing even for government agencies. Example- years ago there was a brawl in the parking lot at McDonald's on Central Avenue in Greenburgh. Both the Greenburgh Police Department and White Plains had responded. There were some lawsuits, etc and the part of the parking lot that was actually within the city limits of White Plains came into dispute. Eventually they had a surveyor come out to establish the border. For many years you could see the white line they painted through the parking lot which established the exact border. That's Westchester!

Who was first due then? Fairview? Where I work on Warehouse Lane, which has an Elmsford mailing address and the Elmsford zip code (10523), we're in the Town of Greenburgh but in the Elmsford FD district.

Wow! Do they know how it started?

I work in Elmsford and saw the smoke column when I was leaving work a "tad" early Friday afternoon. I was a little confused at first on the location. That address is actually outside the Elmsford village limits but within the Elmsford FD protection district. The Elmsford FD website says unfortunately the fire did extend into one of the exposures. They were confronted with a huge amount of fire upon arrival, the house was fully involved. Must've been cooking inside for quite a while before it became visible to neighbors. Judging by what I saw they actually knocked it down fairly quickly. So a great job by the guys. Sounds like the occupants were away, probably at work? What a devastating blow that is to come home from work and find your home has been destroyed by fire. I had it happen to me. Trust me, it is.....there's not enough words in the English language to describe the feeling.

One sight I will never forget. Truck 33 White Plains turning off North Lexington Avenue onto Main Street late one evening in the late 1960s. Bulling his way through against the direction of traffic, with lights, siren, horn, the works. That truck looked like a freight train! What a sight. By the way the three 1973 photos taken by Dr. Slater look like they were all taken on the grounds of White Plains High School. Does anyone know if that was the actual location?

Always something going on in Yonkers. Usually something a little out of the ordinary too. Passed by there twice Tuesday night with my better half (and her sister). Eng 310 and Rescue 1 were standing by. (And Con Ed!)

Ditto! Having grown up in White Plains and having seen all or most of that apparatus in action, the photos and comments here are incredible. What a terrific place White Plains was to grow up in. The photos taken from inside the bay at Station Two. Wowee. I could close my eyes and it's 1964 again.

At some point in the mid-1960s was Engine 65 operating with an American-LaFrance? I recall seeing them -- as a fire engine chasing kid back in WP -- probably for the first time, at a brush fire on Lake Street near the West Harrison border. The brush fire began to extend into some type of outdoor supply yard (been a long time) and Engine 67 requested an additional engine. It was 65. This would've been around 1965-66. Engine 67 had to stretch quite a ways to get to the fire and they couldn't hear the radio transmissions. The firefighter with the rig told me and another kid, "Tell them they're sending Engine 65." That was a red letter day!