Healz

Fry him!!!!

Bravo, well said! But what is the true cost does SFD have an awards program?

This is why I believe a national fund should be setup. All persons that are involved with extreme sports(whitewater rafting and kayak, back country ATV and snowmobile, Helicopter sking, Mountaineering, Spelunking)will pay a $5000.00 fee to assist with their rescue. Why should I have to pay for some a$$h@I3 that wants to foolhardily push the limits of mother nature. You can pay for the boats, helicopters, and special equipment to get your selfish a$$ out of trouble that you yourself has caused. I have seen the cost monetarily, physically, and mentally on local communities and their rescuers.

Wow! Like fighting fires for free.

During the late 90s the fire commissioners (elected volunteer firefighters that had retired from the private sector)for whatever reason felt that fuel was the major cost that they could cut. So a study was launched and they saw that engines get an average of 4 MPG and small SUVs are advertised as getting 20 MPG. HEY WE"LL SAVE FUEL!!! It was explained to them that you must look at the hour meter(HPG) on an engine because it could stand for hours and hours pumping without put miles on the odometer. This was or wasn't taken in to account. Also they don't get 20MPG when loaded with 500LB of gear. So it was decided to get fly cars for the paid firefighters to respond to EMS calls. WHY? TO SAVE FUEL, OF COURSE! Oh not to mention that most VAC calls were not being covered(that's why you now see a paid company operating the VAC today)So they purchased 3 vehicles and equipped them with EMS gear. Somewhere to the tune of 200,000.00(I believe this number to be higher) and then stopped U40(a well equipped Ford utility truck)from responding to backup the one man engines that respond to fires calls. HEY BUT WE SAVED FUEL!!! This action turned out to be dangerous, for paid and volunteer firefighters who did not have proper manning at calls, for volunteers firefighters who did not have a timely response of proper equipment to fight fires, and to the public who would have to wait for response. There were times when a paid firefighters would have to go back to the fire house to get the engine and then respond or that a engine was dispatched from miles away, because the fly car, who was available, but useless without, water, pump, irons, tools. HEY BUT WE SAVED FUEL!!! Times when fly cars were dispatched but could not take a door because they were EMS fly cars and did not have Irons. A set of irons were then placed on each fly car. HEY, BUT WE SAVED FUEL!!! The planning on this was so bad that at one station where there was no room, the fly car that was parked in front of the engine, would have to be driven out of the bay, around to the parking lot and then the paid firefighter would run back inside for the engine so he could respond to the call. The commissioners that are at the helm today are a good mix of business men, public sector retirees and Ex volunteer chiefs that understand logistics and there responsibility to the all around public safety, not just EMS and bean counting. They are rebuilding the department and I feel that these fly cars will be de-commissioned for other purposes in the future. One has already been removed from the firehouse and that house now dispatches an engine to EMS calls. HEY, THEY ARE NOT SAVING FUEL, but the public is better off it.

All Mohegan has to do now is hire enough paid firefighters to man it. Their numbers have been cut so badly that they have more apparatus then people on duty

Wow! Petty politicians stealing public funds for pet projects. HOW NOVEL

I have been an EMT since 1974 and have taken Recert courses and CMEs. I personally got more from the participation of a Recert course. It is more hands on then sitting at a lecture or in front of a computer. I enjoy tossing around a subject and getting as much in put as possible. Recert courses bring together more people and generally a more diverse group. Yes EMT courses were allot tougher in the old days it was more intensive and a true anatomy course. Most of the reading on the subject matter was done outside the classroom so you were well versed in the subject when the discussion took place in the class. this was after a test was given about past covered subjects. You also performed in front of the instructors and were judged each and every thing you did during assessments and other evolutions. During the first 6 weeks we lost over 20% of the class because they could not keep up with this curriculum. This may be due to bad study habits, motivation or maturity as many young people including myself were in the class. If this was done today 70% of each class would be lost and if CME was the only way to study for EMT tests 90% would fail. Over the years I have seen to many people that are unqualified to be EMTs. Let me explain, many EMTs do not use the correct terminology for simple terms that used to be standard. While terminology may seem a small thing it is the method that we transfer information to each other clearly. The written word on reports must be clear and undisputable. Another thing if you are not tested for the subject matter then you are not familiar with it. If you are just a warm body signing an attendance sheet you are not getting the training and this is what is going on in this State. The State should have instructors that are paid well and teach in geological areas where they don't live or serve. These instructors can also test for physical and legal compliance that is not being done now. Everyone know EMTs that cannot fulfill the physical aspects of being an EMT this could be pickup by testing from state instructors that is not being done now. There isn't anyone out there that hasn't heard "Oh I have a bad back, so I can't help you lift the patient". You are endangering your patient, your crew, and your agency. Drivers should also be capable of handling patients and have a minimum amount of training. Writing reports 101 should be part of the training, not study how to write reports, actual writing of situational reports. There is so much wrong with NYSBOH training CMEs its hard to know where to start. Sorry I got off subject a little

Thanks Chief may speak to you in the future Kurt if you are calling for other Depts from the get go doesn't this call for consolidation now. If you are on Auto Mutual Aid now how many depts will be called before a firefighting force is raised in the future. Lets think ahead for a 2 year plan and 5 years and 10 years. This is forward thinking and all depts will be better by the planning that is done today. We should all stop thinking about stop-gap measures. The actions that are taken today will have consequences tomorrow and for years to come. True leadership is taking care of the people that we serve and FFs & EMS that work so hard to provide this service. Having enough response now and in the future is for most.

Yes all the commissioners are volunteers. As far as I can remember (38years) there has never been an outsider as commissioner. Might be a good thing though.

Hi Chief The union is going through an arbitration right now district will testify @ 10am tomorrow at the Sta-2. It is the same old song here the district and some Vffs say we cost to much. Damn it they'er worth every nickle and if there were a few more, you would have a full attack team from the get go. The media, please! Thank you very much. Wow the Keys, hows the fishing? I cannot have a signature yet but when I do its going to I wasted most of my life the rest I spent fishing The call back system is used to back fill stations. There are times where we are called in to go to the scene Yes you are correct the website has to be updated. Numbers are wrong, but the fact are still correct. I would like thank all you guys for the warm welcome. I know that other CFFs would post but are a little scared for there jobs and retribution. Thanks again

Hi everyone I am a recent retiree from the Dist in question. You all know by my nickname, who I am. I have read the post on this subject and can agree with some and wonder about others. I went to the Commissioners meeting last night and was surprised at the conversation that took place. Since this was a public meeting I can discuss what most of the meet was about. There are training problems here, the Commissioners have tried without success to train 100% of the volunteers FFs. They have tried for over 2 years to get everyone in sync with the state and federal standards. They have let FFs go and now they have the wolf at the door and must expel members and notify them by certified mail. These infractions are mostly for noncompliance(OSHA, Repritor test, bail-out, policy, Etc) The Commissioners discussed at length and were disappointed that not all volunteers made the grade after 2 years. I can no longer make suggestions as a FF, but as a concerned citizen. I can only tell you how I feel and my experience with this district. As a CFF I did not like when Police Officers or Career firefighters from other Depts volunteered here and I knew that if I went to thier jobs to volunteer it would be a differant story. I was told by one career firefighter that he volunteered because he'll never make rank at his job, but could be a chief here. The one eyed man is king in the land of the blind. This CFF also had better benefits then I and better pay, but did not mind stepping on my toes when it came down to benefits for me and my family. Which made me very defensive of my job. After speaking to some CFFs and VFFs I now know that there has been problem at most of the recent fires. The blame game is going around in circles. There was a shortage of FFs to launch an interior attack and the few VFFs that could respond at least you were there. I am not going to second guess any decissions that were made by IC because I was not there. He made decissions on what he had and what he seen. Standard staffing at this time is: 2 CFFs @ HQ(L35,E25?,R32) 1 CFF @ Sta-2(R75,E253,L10) 1 CFF @ Sta-3 (R80,E254) 1 CFF @ Sta-4 (U11,U50,E25?) There has been cutbacks and there has not been any CFFs hired in almost 7 years. Is this a sign of the times I don't think so. Times were good and they still refused to hire. Guys say here that CFFs shortages are a sign of the times, well stand back and think are you working more, maybe a second job, whatever, your availablity to respond is alot less. They'er 7 positions that should be covered 4 shifts and 3 vacation floaters. There used to be 3 till 60c took dispatch 1 was dropped from HQ. As CFFs retired or transfered to other depts vacation floaters were put in permenent posts all openings are now covered by OT. OT will probably be the next complaint that the CFFs make to much. We all know that we went into this career for love and not the money. The CFFs that work @ Sta 2,3,4 are alone for their entire shift. The work force is shifting from 20s thru 40s to late 30s thru 50s, this is a problem. Without that shot of young blood more injuries and more absenteeism will happen causing a financial problem for the district. As a concerned citizen I would hope that the career ranks are returned to there full strenght. That the second Lieutenant position be replaced so that the strain of training 32 CFFs and 60 or so VFFs to standards could be accomplished in a timely manner. They are other concerns that I have but these seem to be the most pressing at this time. By bringing the training standards for VFFs up to regulated specks this would make a more harmonious fire district for everyone. There are facts and opinions in this post if you wish to call me out on any of these please do. I will try to answer your intelligent questions.