JohnnyOV

We cannot even get departments to agree on an standardized accountability system that can be used county wide, and everyone wants to jump into completely consolidating 60 fire departments (not including brigades and county teams)? How about we start with basic things like radio communication, accountability, mutual aid staffing and training requirements before we go completely changing the tax lines, which is going to be a complete logistical nightmare. On a side note, is it possible to completely remove all districts lines including fire protection, fire district and city limit lines, and create a Westchester County Fire District or Fire protection district? NYS fire laws are pretty stringent, and I'm pretty sure there has to be a majority vote from the tax payers in the fire district to absorb another or dissolve their own.

Might as well make designer fire gear as well... include interchangeable boots for the homes where the homeowners ask you to take your boots off before you come inside and check out the smoke condition...

Guess the southern county does participate in tanker operations....

Well, I guess the laws of physics cease to exist on top of your "city." Were these magic "btu's?" Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans? (enough "my Cousin Vinny," it's bed time)

Knowing what signs to look for on the exterior of the structure upon arrival are also very useful. Some consistent things I've noticed on the exterior of hoarders houses are, uncut lawns of a known occupied house, a plethora of odd trinkets and other lawn ornaments, moss and algae growing on the siding of the home, every window's shades are closed, pools are not cleaned or the winter covers on during the summer, garages that are packed to the brim and overflowing with stuff, neighbors stating that they are never allowed inside or that they are never seen outside or with anybody. If their cars are in the driveway too, look at the cleanliness of both the interior and exterior of the car. If there is crap stuffed throughout the back seats of the car, generally the house looks like that too. These are just personal observations I've made over a few years in my district. Does anyone else have any key signs to look for on the exterior? Also, I found that as you're doing your search, specifically in places that have "pathways" of papers, magazines, trash and other crap that goes completely to the ceiling, you need to be extremely careful to not bump into the walls of trash as it might collapse around you blocking your escape path, or becoming wedged under a door.

your 15 minute response time is off. It took 8 minutes for 273 to arrive on location after initial dispatch, and 272, arrived about 30 seconds later. The roads LMFD would have had to take are single lane roads, and extremely windy. Their travel time probably would have pushed 15 minutes. edit: I don't know why the text is bold, and I cannot get rid of it.....

Also, nothing that is being said here I am taking personally... I actually welcome all discussion as we can only improve our operations. There will be a post incident debrief in our department and I'm sure there will be plenty to talk about on how we could have improved.

Newsbuff, you're labed as an enthusiast... have you ever actually participated in any of the activities you've mentioned? If you have never operated in a tanker shuttle, or been on a hose line trying to put a 50% involved fire out from the interior, its going to be very hard for you to understand how labor intensive this type of operation is. It is no fault of your own, other then that you haven't experienced it first hand, and I do not hold that against you. The water and apparatus were needed. 3000 gallon ponds get used very quickly when you're operating long streches of LDH, and 3 hand lines and a blitz gun are being utilized. I'm not following. No other large operations, or even any other operations were occurring from any of the departments called for Yorktown's fire that I am aware of. And if there was before Yorktown's fire, we would have been pulling from other resources and attempting to not strain other departments. You're placing a lose-lose statement posed to us here... Are you suggesting that Yorktown has 5 engines and 5 tankers? If so, please, run for commissioner and tell the town you want to purchase 4 more tankers and 3 more engines... You'll be quite loved by our residents. edit: If not, what do you suggest we do? Not enough water and you lose the house, or have an abundance of apparatus for your own district, with no place to put them unless you build more firehouses.... This is not on the other end of the revervoir, its on the north side, about a 1/2 mile up from Rt 129 and the Croton boarder. Its 7 miles from LMFD Sta 1, with a travel time of 17 minutes. Dispatch to responding was 10 minutes on the dot, so their travel time was spot on. Reports from both the neighbors and the PD on location was that the homeowner was still inside. The neighbors were very adamant about this, and 100% positive at the time she was home and had not come outside. This was relayed to all incoming units. We attempted to enter the structure through the only viable part left that could sustain any life, and backed out when conditions dictated us to do so. Even if there was no life hazard, there were 3 members inside, and about 12-20 guys outside packed up, ready to drop what they were doing to effect a rescue.

I wasn't involved in the supply or relay, but from what I could tell, it was quite impressive. We came out of the structure and you guys were walking up. Seemed like you guys were on the road the movement you were dispatched. Yorktown has be thinking of changing our mascot to the Hamburglar for a while now..... just kidding. Notice went out this morning asking guys to keep an eye open for it.

This is why the dual dispatch with a FASTeam was implemented. Get them started, and if you don't need them, turn em around. All of our M/A teams were more then willing to try this out. Yorktown's own FAST team response protocol is if we cannot field a crew (minimum 4 FASTeam qualified members [which is pages long in our SOGs]) in 3 minutes and out the door in 5, we will notify 60-control and the IC we cannot field a FASTeam. If we know we cannot field it sooner then that, we'll notify them immediately. If we have the manpower(minimum 4 interior firefighters), but not a FASTeam, we will notify the IC that we can send either an engine or truck, if the IC so chooses to accept. We have a no retone policy, and honestly feel others lives are more important then our ego's As "buffy" as this sounds, our guys are very good at "getting on the horn" the moment a neighboring department gets called to a fire, and sending out mass texts and group chats (for those who have smart phones) to see who's around to respond. We sometimes know before the first due company arrives on scene, if we'll be able to field a crew or not should we be called. Members normally start making their way to HQ to lesson the time even more as the texts are going out. No 4 out of the first 5 arriving firemen are FASTeam members. 3 in and about 20 outside was being utilized.

Sorry Chief, I was reading up on my phone and not neglecting to respond to you. No offense taken, or feelings hurt either. To begin, the Yorktown Heights Fire District covers approximately 40 square miles, 1/2 of which contain no hydrants. The southern end of Yorktown is the non-hydrant district, with roads that were designed for travel well before cars were ever designed to be driven on them. Old Logging Rd, which is the access road for Maiden lane is even worse. It is a single lane goat path, with barely even enough room for a single engine, let alone some massive tankers to drive up, or even turn around. OUR engines and tanker are designed to fit up these roads/ driveways, and designed with our district in mind. Some of our neighboring department's tankers will not fit down our old roads, and if they do make it down, there is no where for them to turn around to get back to a fill site. Most of the houses located on these properties are large, older buildings constructed with balloon frame, wood, plaster, lathe, and are home to many hoarders (seems to be an epidemic in Yorktown recently). The newer homes are just as big and McMansions in some cases. Many unique homes and oddly designed layouts also adorn our district on the southend. Yorktown has 2 primary first due engines, Engine 273 out of the Commerce St station in the center of town with 1000 gallons, and Engine 272 out of Station 2 in the Northern, hydrant supplied section of town, with 750 gallons of water. The Tanker sits at the commerce st house as well. Engine 270 is a rescue pumper with only 500 gallons, and engine 271 is our spare engine (basically an older twin of 273). Engine 270 would normally be a 3rd due engine, if it responds at all, to keep our hurst tools available for a run. In our non-hydranted sections of town, it is not uncommon to have driveways that are hundreds, or even thousands of feet long (our longest being almost 1/2 a mile off of hog hill rd). Old logging road is basically no different then a common access driveway that is thousands of feet long. Now on to your question of why 7 departments were called. Our first due engine takes the drive way and normally lays in from the bottom for long lays. The next due engine then hooks up to that to relay pump to the first due. The tanker supplies the 2nd due, and drops its tank for a dump site there. At this particular house, the driveway was only 100' long, if that. 273 arrived first, and 272 was seconds behind them. Upon arrival, the neighbors were screaming that the owner was still inside, so our priorities immediately turned to life safety. Engine 272 immediately supplied 273 with their tank water, and sent their crew to assist in the offensive attack. Tanker 14 arrived shortly thereafter, and supplied 272. Millwood and Croton's engines were called as draft site fills, and I believe a relay and supply line to the tanker at the scene. Even with the water that was there with the initial 3 apparatus, the water filling the supply lines, and the time it takes to back one tanker out and have another one pull in and dump its tank, the supply was running out every 2-5 minutes and we could not keep up with the fire flow formula. More tankers were requested to compensate for the lack of water supply. Yorktown is very adamant about not stripping other towns and villages of apparatus for our fires. If we've called you for 1 piece, the only way we're going to call for something else is if there has been a discussion with the chief of that particular department a)having the capability to supply 2 pieces and the manpower and willingness to deplete their town of their own resources. If they say no, we can't/don't want to/ or unsure, they're not going to get called for 2. Our 10-75 assignment for any non hydrant area (which we'll stick to for the remainder of the discussion [our other boxes and assignments can be found here: Yorktown box alarms]) includes tankers from 3 other departments, and an engine as a source pumper; 1 and 1 are requested on the relocate to cover our town since our manpower is focused on the working fire. FASTeams are dual dispatched on the initial report of any type of structure fire before a working fire is transmitted. 2nd alarm, moves the engine that is standing by up to a new draft site, and brings in 2 additional tankers, a cascade to the scene, another FAST and another engine on a relocate to our HQ. 3rd alarm brings in 2 additional Tankers and the Field Comm unit. The relocated ladder will not be taken off standby, as they will clog the system up. So the 7 departments were: Yorktown as first due Croton - Engine and Tanker Millwood - Engine and Tanker Somers - Tanker, Rehab unit Continental Village - Tanker Katonah - Tanker Buchannon - Cascade Now, I'm for regonalization and standardization of some aspects of the fire department, but some areas of the county, regardless of fire district lines, are completely different then others. Apparatus design that work well in one area, may not work well in an area directly adjacent to that. Consolidation is always a hot topic, and I know prior i've been adamant about county consolidation. Honestly, I have no idea what the correct answer is. Sometimes, independant districts are fantastic, and other times they're completely horrendous. I really don't know if there is a single correct answer for the current situation around our area. And in the utmost respectful way to ask this possible, and I really mean that, would you or anyone else for that matter, consider consolidating the ENTIRE county, large cities included, into ONE regional department? If so, why, or if you exclude large cities from your plan, why are they so special and different from a town or village department?

Apparently calls were being received from the Saw Mill / TSP area, and Rt 35 and Rt 100 intersection in Somers for this. Flames were about 40-50 feet in the air, and the smoke column was in the hundreds. Upon arrival, flames were completely through 50% of the roof and 2nd floor on the A/B side, and fire had already progressed through the access to the bedroom area of the 2nd floor on the D side and was quickly taking over the first floor AB corner as well. First arriving units were met with neighbors and police who were positive that the homeowner was still inside, so a quick relay of 272 (750gal, 2nd due) to 273(1000, 1st due) gallons was established as personnel committed to gaining entry through the 2nd floor sun room area on the BC corner to effect a search and hold the fire off in that area. As crews were making a push and were getting a hold on the fire, the floor began to sag and immediately after the main joist to the roof partially gave way giving the interior guys quite the "pucker factor." An "Urgent" message was transmitted relaying the minor / partial collapse and units then pulled out, PAR was established, and a defensive operation then commenced. Homeowner was not home, and was out paying bills at the time. Once again, the home was packed with stuff creating an enormous fire load. It seems like all the hoarders like to flock to Yorktown these days....

I wish 41 grand went far over in the Tri-state area....

If I could like this more then once, I'd like it 100 times. Self evaluation only goes so far.

No one is worrying, in fact, people are applauding Somers Commissioners for exploring the possibility of providing a service that can only enhance the service that is in place. There is no bashing, only constructive ideas that others (mostly career firemen with decades of experience) are bringing to the table to help you out... free of charge. This is basically pro-bono consulting with limited information on your situation. Let your ego aside, embrace the fact that people are looking out for you and trying to help, rather then throwing you to the dogs. You currently have unlimited time to make this work, and work well. I would rather have 1000 different people try and help so there are 1000 different viewpoints on the topic, then only 5 people with almost no diversity on an issue. If time was a pressing issue, which right now it does not appear to be, then you would need that 1 guy making all the choices. But since this is not a state of emergency, and this is a democracy, explore ALL of your options, truly weigh the pros and cons of every choice that is out there, and make a choice that works for your district, and serves your customers the best choice that THEY are willing to pay for.

I forgot about that little tidbit.... FASNY ALWAYS knows whats good for the volunteer fire service (end sarcastic remark here). Do your homework and make an informed decision before you get to the ballot box.

Under direct return, high intensity flash.... ever notice how normal vehicle headlights never yield results like this? Your head lights are designed to point down at the road in front of you, not at a 90 degree angle to a vertical surface. High visibility requirements are a joke. Either way, what a scumbag

What amazes me, is that in FL, volunteers were required to undergo the same amount of training (pretty much went through the career academy) as a paid guy. Their numbers never dwindled, and no one really ever complained as far as I could tell. It was accepted, and understood that before you even step foot on that rig, you were just as qualified as your counterpart sitting next to you. NY obviously is stuck in the stoneage. Maybe its one of the reason's NYS has one of the highest LODD rates in the country.....

I remember when the rep points first started out, there was a negative icon. Any way to bring this back once you give a guy a rep point? Or just bring it back in general? I'm sure my points would drop about 300 in a day though...

Why does Somers dispatching and communications have so much more complexity then the rest of the county, other then the fact you tone out every 2 minutes until a unit is responding? 911 is received , dispatch goes out, units respond, call is handled accordingly, units clear. Have you ever paid attention to the time delay in when either yourself or another agency asks for mutual aid to or from your department? Minutes go by. Switching over to the county will save your tax payers money, include the same services you already have (with the exception of unlocking the diesel pump - god forbid), reduce your M/A times, and increase your interoperatibilty with the rest of the county. http://www.electstevepilla.com/?page_id=19 If the rest of your board feels this way about 60-control, you guys really need to get your facts straight...

Especially if you're from the Boston area... no offense to your horrendous accent guys

Sorry, long day.... only the dispatching is doubled up. Your county taxes already pay for the DES services, why not capitalize on them. As for the other functions, and as a legitimate question with no hidden agenda, why is there a need for a paid inhouse mechanic, or paid administrative personnel?

How much would you save to remove the inhouse dispatchers, the inhouse mechanic, the paid administrative personnel for the district, and switch that funding over to career firemen? You're already double taxing your district for services that are already provided by the county....

I'd wait until the actual run numbers come out detailing how many times each department was requested to the other... and filled a crew to respond.

I had no idea Paris Hilton hacked your account!