signal30

So who is Hartsdale? Is it the volunteer members (6 is it?) or the FD as a whole which includes taxpayer funded career personnel? Or is it the community leaders, or the taxpayer themselves? 
 
What is sad is the failure to recognize that FD's or any organization that takes money that is either or tax or portion of another payment should be 100% accounted for and used in an appropriate manner. FD's provide a service to the community, thus they serve the community, not themselves as it appears in so many cases.  
 
This is the kind of stuff that drives a huge wedge between career and volunteer firefighters. This makes us all look bad, when it's thankfully a handful of the total US Fire Service. No wonder people question why providing fire services is so expensive, they see how much money is spent frivolously by some and think we all do it.

What agency did you guys use to buy it surplus? DLA or another agency?

You're gonna hear far worse in the years to come, one day it's going to be "wow, Major Department Still Cares About Hiring Standards", or "Wow, Major Department Still Goes INSIDE to Fight Fires"

If they're still in High School, that should be their priority. EVERYTHING comes second to them completing their education (figuring out those pesky pump calculations is much more difficult without simple Math)-- yea, I'm stretching that reasoning a little bit, but I think we see the point.
I think the department should be commended for this!!! The higher ups seem to be leading this young, impressionable minions along the correct path. This path means that there are bigger things than coming down for "big one" (let's face it, we've all missed the "big one" at one point or another).
I don't think you see it right now, but I hope you will, but it seems like this department is saying "I want your help, I need your help, but I don't need it THAT much, you do what you need to do, and that means finish school, we've got this"
Kudos!

If they're still in High School, that should be their priority. EVERYTHING comes second to them completing their education (figuring out those pesky pump calculations is much more difficult without simple Math)-- yea, I'm stretching that reasoning a little bit, but I think we see the point.
I think the department should be commended for this!!! The higher ups seem to be leading this young, impressionable minions along the correct path. This path means that there are bigger things than coming down for "big one" (let's face it, we've all missed the "big one" at one point or another).
I don't think you see it right now, but I hope you will, but it seems like this department is saying "I want your help, I need your help, but I don't need it THAT much, you do what you need to do, and that means finish school, we've got this"
Kudos!

If they're still in High School, that should be their priority. EVERYTHING comes second to them completing their education (figuring out those pesky pump calculations is much more difficult without simple Math)-- yea, I'm stretching that reasoning a little bit, but I think we see the point.
I think the department should be commended for this!!! The higher ups seem to be leading this young, impressionable minions along the correct path. This path means that there are bigger things than coming down for "big one" (let's face it, we've all missed the "big one" at one point or another).
I don't think you see it right now, but I hope you will, but it seems like this department is saying "I want your help, I need your help, but I don't need it THAT much, you do what you need to do, and that means finish school, we've got this"
Kudos!

If they're still in High School, that should be their priority. EVERYTHING comes second to them completing their education (figuring out those pesky pump calculations is much more difficult without simple Math)-- yea, I'm stretching that reasoning a little bit, but I think we see the point.
I think the department should be commended for this!!! The higher ups seem to be leading this young, impressionable minions along the correct path. This path means that there are bigger things than coming down for "big one" (let's face it, we've all missed the "big one" at one point or another).
I don't think you see it right now, but I hope you will, but it seems like this department is saying "I want your help, I need your help, but I don't need it THAT much, you do what you need to do, and that means finish school, we've got this"
Kudos!

Date: February 5, 2014
Time: 1030
Incident Type: Structure Fire (Arson w/ armed gunman)
Location: Saddlemire Road
District: Town of Knox
Units: Knox Fire, Berne Fire, East Berne Fire, Altamont Fire, Gallupville Fire, Albany County Fire Coordinator (C1), Guilderland Medic 32, Albany County Sheriffs Office, New York State Police

Description:
Units dispatched to a possible structure fire in the Town of Knox, first arriving Chief found trees that had been cut down blocking the driveway who then advised all units to stage. Albany County Communications Center received calls indicating that the person who lived at the residence was heavily armed and threatened to kill any responders. Confirmed working fire, unable to proceed in due to scene not being safe.
Further reports indicated that the subject who had set the fire fled the scene in a 2007 Chevy Silverado and was armed with a shotgun. Area police agencies are currently on the lookout.

Either way, I'd like to take a moment for the cheesy "thanks for the response" type of post...
I think it's interesting that there are some similarities between the goals of the Unions and the "Companies"

My department has two identities. First is the "department" which is managed by the Chief . The town government only recognizes the Chief as the leader of the FD. The town funds basically 100% of any firefighting and rescue related expense. The Chief is also responsible for discipline that is needed for incidents that happen during the course of operations, drills, in the firehouse (town owned property) and in the public that reflect badly the department or town . The Chief acts as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors. The chief is responsible for the town funded operations. The Chief has 2 assistants, 2 captains and 5 lieutenants to run the operations of the department.
The "company", the legal entity of the fire and ems service is a 501c corporation registered with the Secretary of State. The Leader is the President, who oversees a Board of Directors that include a secretary, treasurer, assistant treasurer , EMS Director and 3 trustees. The president is responsible for the company funded operations. This includes the private property we own (fire museum, land and associated antique apparatus) as well as the owning and funding the two ambulances. The company is also responsible for funding items not funded for by the town. In Connecticut, a municipality cannot own a PSA , thus cannot own an ambulance ( ct municipalities are not required to provide ems transport, but must provide ALS via Paramedic). The fire company also is responsible for paying the EMS personnel. We use a 3rd party EMS manpower company to staff the ambulances. This is done via billing for services. Disciplinary actions of the President covers any infraction of the by-laws. Any line officer ( A/C, Capt or LT) can be a member of the BOD.
There is a separate group that oversees the discipline( suspensions) handed out by the Chief . This is a grievance committee made up of a ex-chiefs and past Presidents. If a member wishes to appeal their suspension, then we review the event and make report and recommendation to the company membership .

I understand the dynamics of municipal departments and how they generally run when they are career staffed.
Could any of you provide insight as to how it works within your organizations in regards to the dynamics of the Fire Company and the Department itself? I'm mainly curious about a municipal volunteer department and how it works with the fire company, although insight on fire districts would be great too!
The Hose Company provides the man power for the department, correct? The department (fire chief) is in charge during calls and the company (company president) is in charge of the inner workings of the building such as fundraising, elections?
How do you guys operate and are there any good items to read about the subject? Any specific laws? I know this is a wide range of questions, just wondering how your organizations operate and differentiate things between the chief being in charge and the president being charge.

When I first started in the field, I carried all that crap on me but all it really did was give me a back ache. As I got older and wiser, I trimmed it to a pair of shears, flashlight and stethescope. Do you really need to carry a BP cuff on your person? Don't you bring a bag with you when you contact a patient?
Keep it light, keep it functional. If you don't use it on every call, you can probably leave it on the ambulance until you do.

just keep going until it sounds expensive...

just keep going until it sounds expensive...

just keep going until it sounds expensive...

just keep going until it sounds expensive...

just keep going until it sounds expensive...

Yea, they're always on official business... quite frankly, I get to watch thousands spent on gold leaf for trucks...then I go to work... where I'm told "there's no money" for fixing damn near anything on the trucks, and forget hiring another guy... There is more of an issue here than just bringing the command vehicle wherever you go because you're technically in service.
True, does sound like a little childish to bring it up here...but I do get what he's getting at. I'm quite tired of seeing the constant struggle for so many departments, then watching other departments spend the money on bullshit because if you don't spend it, you lose it...so that's where the goldleaf for the command vehicle goes...or maybe an extra lightbar...
just because a set of by-laws doesn't mention it...doesn't exclude it from ethical behavior. Our trusty bylaws haven't exactly been known to be perfect by any means...
For the record, I'm not against chief cars... I'm in favor...they have a purpose, but they should only be used for that purpose and that purpose only... perhaps state contract should only allow for non-luxury cars...perhaps military grade...because some of us know how the military thought of comfort when it came to vehicles...
We are, indeed, our own worst enemies...

Yea, they're always on official business... quite frankly, I get to watch thousands spent on gold leaf for trucks...then I go to work... where I'm told "there's no money" for fixing damn near anything on the trucks, and forget hiring another guy... There is more of an issue here than just bringing the command vehicle wherever you go because you're technically in service.
True, does sound like a little childish to bring it up here...but I do get what he's getting at. I'm quite tired of seeing the constant struggle for so many departments, then watching other departments spend the money on bullshit because if you don't spend it, you lose it...so that's where the goldleaf for the command vehicle goes...or maybe an extra lightbar...
just because a set of by-laws doesn't mention it...doesn't exclude it from ethical behavior. Our trusty bylaws haven't exactly been known to be perfect by any means...
For the record, I'm not against chief cars... I'm in favor...they have a purpose, but they should only be used for that purpose and that purpose only... perhaps state contract should only allow for non-luxury cars...perhaps military grade...because some of us know how the military thought of comfort when it came to vehicles...
We are, indeed, our own worst enemies...

Ever get the feeling some people here post things just to pound their chest and claim to be the most amazing "whatever" in history?

Canada, eh? almost made it.... oh...wait...wrong way...douchnozzle

Those with the ability to take action, have the responsibility to take action...
Lets pray the actions that are needed are those of words....

probably one of the bests posts on the subject written thus far...

probably one of the bests posts on the subject written thus far...

This truck is extreme overkill, yep, you definitely see it i'm sure, but i'm not so sure you're going to see anything else with this thing parked somewhere. I'm all about woo woo's, but someone made the comment of the "cost" issue with some departments that have to scavenge for simple safety items for their members while other departments blow their money on excessive items. Granted, I understand how budgets work...use the money this year, otherwise you can't really justify asking for the same amount next year. But maybe some of us can look at ourselves and be big boys and girls and say, you know what? i think we can cut back a little bit...
Yes, the truck looks good, and i don't necessarily know too much about this agency's jurisdiction, but i really would love to have been in the meeting where all this was being discussed. I doubt that at any point, was there ever so much of a concern about the cost.