eric12401

North Korea and South Korea will consolidate before Pelham and Pelham Manor

Due to the Federal Shut Down. FEMA has cancelled all storms.

Play the video backwards...it will look like the fire is going out.

It was NOT a rekindle. I know these aren't your words but there were members there after midnight into Sunday morning on fire watch. Extensive overhaul was done and all burned contents get thrown out. The word "Rekindle" is not part of this department's way of doing business.

http://dailyfreeman.com/articles/2012/12/31/blotter/doc50e1b49c2d021612549615.txt

http://dailyfreeman.com/articles/2012/12/31/blotter/doc50e1b49c2d021612549615.txt

Thank you.

I have just one question for those that are supporting this group as a "right to free speech". Before you make your statement think, put yourself in the place of these families, parent for the most part of 6 year olds. Would you still support their free speech if it was your loved ones funeral that was being protested? A child that was innocently gunned down or teacher protecting a child. How would you feel if you were meet by people saying "God Hates America" and spewing hateful words while you were grieving and trying to spend your last moments with your child or loved one. Is this the memory you would want or does this just add "icing to the cake" of pain that these families are already feeling. It is easy to quote scripture, the Constitution and law but one needs to step back and think before speaking and ponder what if this were me. What would I do? What would I want done? I don't think one person here will say they want the last memories of their loved ones funeral service to be marred with controversy. Just my opinion.

Every department has its own issues, EVERY department, paid or volunteer the issues exist. My advice to you, after having being in your shoes one point or another, is to run, take the position, and do what you can possibly do with it. Put your heart into what you do, train, take many classes and try to the best of your ability fix the current and your past issues. Treat people with repect and you WILL get repsect in return. Adress the problems at hand and try to repair them, your membership will be thankful...eventually. If you take heat, take it, use it as a learning tool while resolving what ver the issue at hand is.
Talk to other department heads, ask for help, guidance and you will come up with a solution. Make deciscions, make then as wise as you can and when you make a poor one, own up to it. Do not look for a scape goat, only you can admit to the unadmitable. Work with everyone, as a team, socialize as a team, do things together as a family. I am not telling you to go to someones home, that you wouldnt normally go to, but when you guys do something social, include who ever you can. Make the people that have "issues" feel included. Asking for outside help makes you a better person, doesnt make you unknowledgeable, makes you wise to realize you need additional help.
Good Luck!

Lomontville FD will be sending a card and a patch to him

Me and four other guys from my department went down to the Rockaways to help a battalion chief your his house. He was very grateful and we were excited to lend him a hand in his time of need

Let me tell ya a few things about them bastard dispatchers.....I know a little bit.
First off - it sucks. But it is OK too...
It is a GOOD living, but obviously not as "fun" or "glorious" as our police, fire, and even EMS counterparts.
The BIGGEST thing I have noticied in over 15 years "in the chair" is that EVERYONE in the field thinks they could do it better, or things could be done different. Everyone in a uniform has IDEALS, but dispatchers have PROTOCOLS. For the most part the voice ont he radio doesnt make those protocol, but we are bound to adhere to them. So if you get angry or frustrated - direct that to the policy makers, not the person on the other end of the radio.
We get it from every direction...and speaking from MY job, literally everyone is our superioir...I am the #5 on my job senority wise..I been around, yet even the newest, junior cop or fireman tells me what to do...but that is part of MY job...other agencies are different..they have a more structured, Dispatch Command..we are under the authority of the Police Watch Commander and FD Shift Commander...yet there is still a small army of Sergeants, Liuetenant, Captains, Chiefs, and Deputy Chiefs that can change it all with a simple command...
EVERY shift is run different - under the direction of the Watch Commander..so if you are like me, and work OT on different shifts..you had BETTER do i tTHAT bosses way..
You guys get to SEE your jurasdiction every day - you know it intimately..hell I been working in our City for 12 years and I dont know ALOT of the streets,..Yes, I know what police post they are on, who to send, and even what fire truck is first due - but I have been "lost" on the southside of our city as recently as last week..we dont get out to see it enough, if at all. Sure maps, and CAD are nice - but there is no subsitute for actual street time. Some agencies make "ride time" a part of training - and thats awesome.
"They dont give us enough info.." Yep...true. But we give you all of what we can get from our callers - which in an urban setting like mine - sometimes is just an address...if I had a dollar for everytime a caller said - "just send the M F'ing cops/Ambulance" I could retire to the Keys with George..LOL. And if we give alot of info - we are met with "headquarters - get off the air.." There is NO happy median it seems sometimes.
Dont get me wrong - I am NOT defending all dispatchers - I have worked with some real turds...but thankfully, for the most part - we weed them out. Not all...but alot..this job is not for everyone.
I will openly admit that this is NOT what I pictured myself doing...well, it is not what I wanted to do..anyone who knows me knows I should be on a firetruck for 40 hours a week, but I do not regret it one bit. I have a good life and make good money...I can support my family well, we own a house, 2 cars, and a dog...the American Dream, right? I am heads and shoulders above where my parents where at my age. I stay cool in the summer, warm in the winter, park in a secure parking agarge, and can surf Bravo for 8 hours a day. For that I am very thankful.
One of the things I cherish the most about my job is RESPECT. The guys on the other side of the radio - be it police or fire, appreciate me and the job I do..I take care of "my guys"..they know when the crap hits the fan in a foot pursuit that I am right there with them, and help is on the way. I know how the FD operates and usually have what the Captain requests done or ready to be done. I do my job well, because lives of cops and firemen depend on it. I have actually been written up for two commendations by Fire Lieutenants after tough, hectic, SCARY jobs for my actions in assisting them...both times they were denied because, "he is just a dispatcher...". Who cares....it's the RESPECT from those guys that mean more to me than ANY peice of paper signed by the Mayor.
So yeah, dispatching sucks..but it pays the bills. And I know that there are a few guys out there that know we really DO make a difference. So cut us some slack...or take the test and get "in the chair."

Yesterday November 19th 2012, The Plattekill Fire Department was faced with another 2 tragic losses to its community during a time of year that is supposed to be filled with family memories, happy celebrations of what you are thankful for and the anticipation of another great holiday season, but was shattered by 2 separate fatal incidents who had us running on our feet.
I can tell you one thing though; through out my career in the fire service, I had the chance to work with some of the best professionals in the field. For this I am thankful. The 1st incident was difficult, difficult because when you are called to an incident; your mind set tells you what you have to do. Your mind runs through scenarios and ways you can mitigate the situation, quickly and safely as possible…and then you get there. And anyone knows who have had the chance or the job as a commanding officer can tell you everything you could have thought of while en-route WILL be changed in an instant and you must adapt to the current situation at hand. Did we know it was going take so long to get into the scene? No…
Did we think we were going to pull him out quickly and send him off the hospital to get his wounds treated? Yes…
Our members, Cronomer Valley’s members and Clintondales Members treated the scene with respect and professionalism that in my opinion goes unmatched by other incidents I have seen or read about. Again, this is something else I am thankful for… to have an extended family who wants the same professional outcome I do. To Cronomer Valley, Clintondale and Modena FD, I say thank you as once again you have gone above and beyond assisting the Plattekill Fire Department and personally me when I need you most
And then the second incident… it hits Cronomer Valley pagers and you can tell by the sound of the dispatchers voice that this was not going to be an easy incident, period. It rang through the command post like the wind, and people moved and shuffled, all while keeping the integrity of command post in tact. With in minutes our pagers opened up as the request for the Plattekill Stand by’s to respond as part of this MVA is in our district… I can tell you through years of stand by’s in other peoples quarters its not often you catch a fatal incident that you knew from the get go was serious. To our Mutual Aid department stand bys last night, Modena and Orange Lake, thank you for covering us at this one as your help does not go unnoticed. Wallkill and Marlboro thank you for filling in for both incidents… for all of you I am truly grateful.
I have to tell you; lately Cronomer Valley and Plattekill have seen a lot in the last few days, almost like we have become one agency, working together like we are a very well oiled machine. It’s been a rough month for both agencies and all I can say to you is, keep your head up, like I tell our members, we are here to help the community. We are here to help each other. And while doing so, may run across an incident effect you and how you look at things, the people you may help may even be some one you know. I am thankful for the opportunity to work with you guys as we would do anything for you and you have done anything for us.
Car 3

To the Brothers from Depts with funny names to the North ----------- all of us from Nassau want to extend a simple but heart felt
THANK YOU!
It definitely was interesting to hear Yonkers L-78 & the Battalion covering Hempstead while we were operating at fire the other morning.
Please Stay Safe.

I was deployed on Saturday morning (Yonkers spare L-78) at about 0900Hrs with a crew of five firefighters and did not get home until Monday morning at about 0230Hrs. We were first sent to Freeport LI and then sent to Baldwin LI. I had a great crew who was willing to do anything asked to help the people of Long Island. We responded to many calls and our relief crew actually caught a couple of structure fires.

Yonkers Fire has a ladder company (Spare L-78) with a full crew (Officer and 3 FF) plus a Battalion Chief and Aide in Nassau, I believe in Baldwin. They are returning tomorrow at 0800 after a 72 hour deployment.
YFD Mobile Command has been in Citi Field, with 2 of our SOC members, for the last several days. It is expected to be there for a long time. It is being heavily utilized by various OEM / FEMA, etc.
We also have a Haz-Mat Task Force operating in Suffolk County out of the Islip Airport alongside a career FD Haz-Mat team there.It consists of 2 YFD Battalion Chiefs, and approximately 4 YFD Company Officers, and 15 or so YFD Firefighters, as well as 1 Officer and 3 Firefighters from Hartsdale Fire, and 1 Officer and 6 Firefighters from Greenville Fire. All or most of these members have been trained to the Haz-Mat Tech level, and some to Haz-Mat Specialist level.They finish their 72 hours tomorrow evening I believe. They have been doing a very significant amount of work, the details of which I do not have. Suffice to say that local opinion has been very positive and they have been requested to extend their deployment for at least 72 more hours.
However, in light of the coming Nor-Easter, our exhausted personnel as a result of the Hurricane Sandy mitigation- preparation- response, and recovery efforts in Yonkers, and the recovery work on Long Island, and our very undermanned department (40+ members under authorized strength due to a delayed class hiring), we have declined the request to extend the Haz Mat Task Force deployment. We will see what effect the coming storm has, and if still requested, and able, we will redeploy another Haz Mat Group.
This is a horrible situation for so many, but it is nice to see how readily most First Responders as well civilians give of their time, effort, and money to attempt to ease the suffering and return us all to some sense of normalcy.
Once again, I could not be more proud of my YFD brothers, many of whom suffered damage to their own homes, as well as extended loss of electricity, yet continued to rise to the challenge and performed admirably during the many events of this last week.

Vails Gate E478 and M483 IFO the Point Lookout-Lido Firehouse

PLLFD Fire Police van, VGFD E478 and a Matagorda County Texas Ambulance ready for action.

Our home away from home for 72 hours.

VGFD M483 surveying damage at the beach directly across from the Point Lookout-Lido Firehouse.

New York State DEC Police at a Hess station in Long Beach...tensions were very high.

Credit of this picture collage goes to Lt. Oates, VGFD. It shows members of the Vails Gate and Point Lookout-Lido FD's, as well as the aftermath of a car fire w/extension as well as the damage in Long Beach.

A quick thanks to all the mutual aid companies coming to the island. You know the old saying..it's not a matter of "if" its a matter of "when", well for many in NJ and NY along the shore lines "when" came on October 29th. Areas have been decimated and will never be the same.
A few quick pics from the EOC in Westbury at Nassau Fire communications. Oh and by the way the "Keep Calm and Carry On" sign was in place months before the storm came in! Also any emt bravo members who make it into the Comm area ask for Mike Capo. Be Safe out there guys.

I just got home from being deployed to Nassau County. We (Vails Gate FD) left with E478 for a 72 hour deployment on Thursday morning.
We arrived at the EOC in Westbury around noon on Thursday and were quickly sent to the Point Lookout-Lido Fire department on the eastern border of Long Beach.
The PLLFD lost much of its equipment out of their 2nd station where we were operating out of. At the height of the storm, there was 3-4 feet of water that came into the apparatus bays. Their members were very pleased to see us as they had been operating nonstop since the onset of the storm. Many of their members had personally lost almost everything they own from clothes to cars to their homes. They were in the best of spirits as they could be and welcomed us with open arms. The entire experience was a great example of the brotherhood to say the least.
Our main objective was to cover calls for them in their district. During our deployment we ran everything from EMS to a car fire, chimney fire and a number of CO alarms.
During our deployment, we were without running water (showers) and obviously no power. We were using bottled water to wash up the best we could as well as to drink. There was no heat in the firehouse, so we layered up and used as many blankets as possible.
That said, and as other have said, be prepared if/when you are deployed. Bring plenty of clean socks (long socks), underwear and warm clothes. I would also recommend a sleeping bag, pillow and some blankets.
We were relieved on Sunday by a rescue pumper and crew from Gansevoort, NY around noon.
Vails Gate will be deploying again tomorrow at 6am with Truck484 and a full crew. No word on where they are going yet.
To all those who have been affected by Sandy and to all first responder's and volunteers, stay safe and god bless!
I have some pictures and may share some and more info when i get more time. For now, i'm going to enjoy some rest.
*I will reiterate what Chris (helicopper) has said; these deployments are for 72 hours, not 12 or 24 hours. With that said, be prepared to be there for the entire 72 hours! Make sure your employers (for vols) are well aware of your plans, as well as your families.
Make sure that you are properly packed with the items we have mentioned.
Also, cellular phone service was shotty to say the least, so keep that in mind. Your loved ones may not be able to get a hold of you if need be.

Ulster County just put out an announcment checking for available resources for possible deployment.
An engine w/minimum of 4 interior certified FF's or;
A tanker/heavy rescue/storm emergency fire unit.

Here is a copy of a letter I just sent to Governor Cuomo:
Dear Governor Cuomo,
I am appalled by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s decision to go forward with ING New York City Marathon just 6 days after the worst hurricane in over 100 years, which has decimated parts of New York State, New York City, and parts of the east coast of the United States. Bloomberg's claim that it will not impact rescue and recovery efforts one bit, is laughable at best. I am a New York City Police officer, and since the day that Hurricane Sandy hit New York I have worked twelve hours day. I have put aside my life and my families problems in order to maintain law and order in the City of New York, and was fully aware that situations like this would occur when I signed up to take the exam to become a police officer. I am one of the more fortunate ones, I only lost food in the refrigerator, some of my coworkers were not as fortunate. Several have lost their entire possessions, one, Artur Kasprzak, gave his life while off duty to save 7 lives. In addition, I have worked the Marathon in years past, and can tell you from firsthand experience it takes a lot of police officers to staff this event. In Manhattan, there are often anywhere from 8 to 12 police officers per block to keep the crowds back, and prevent them from crossing into the path of marathon runners. Just where does the city get all the officers to staff this event, and continue to provide enough officers to patrol the rest of the city? It orders a large number of officers, and supervisors to come in and work their day off. Most years this is not a problem, but due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, and resulting problems, police officers are now handling additional duties such as traffic in intersections with no traffic lights, additional patrols in areas with no power, and providing security to gas stations to prevent the outbreak of violence as stations run out of gas with the earliest possible deliveries to be on Saturday. Tensions are running high in some parts of the city, as some people no longer have electricity, food, gas, and even running water in some cases. Bodies are still being recovered as I write this. Mass Transit has not been fully restored, mandatory carpooling to enter Manhattan has been instituted to lessen the effects of bridges and tunnels that remain closed. Now we are going to close more roads, and take more police officers off the street to protect a marathon? People are fighting over gasoline in parts of the city, does the Mayor think that some of these same people who are stressed over getting the basic necessities are going to stop their fighting and applaud the marathon as it closes more streets, stores, and places a greater burden on them so that the city can make some money from the Marathon. Some people will point out that just ten days after 9/11 Major League Baseball was playing games at Shea and Yankee Stadiums which became a source of hope. While the effects of 9/11 were widespread, and in some cases still felt today, the physical damage was confined to the World Trade Center. People could go to a place where they felt safe, their homes, have something to eat, go to the store and buy items they needed and travel pretty much as they pleased. Today in some areas of the State, and New York City, these same people no longer have homes, are wondering where there next meal will come from, and be able to take a hot shower in a place they feel secure in. I am not saying to cancel the Marathon, but perhaps this is not the right time to hold this event, and it should be rescheduled into the future. How can you justify the large number of road closures, police officers reassigned, and basic items such as bottled water, high calorie snacks, and other supplies such as blankets when some many of our fellow New Yorkers are lacking these basic items? Members of the New York National Guard, and other states National Guards are working to bring vital supplies to New York, to help stabilize and eventually recover from what the worst natural disasters to ever impact the State of New York. Many New Yorkers are working with their insurance companies and FEMA to begin the recovery process, and now Mayor Bloomberg’s actions are telling the people of New York, that money from tourists running in a marathon is more important to the city (and State) than they are. Please, use your power as governor to implore Mayor Bloomberg to reschedule the marathon. The impact from the marathon is just too much at this fragile time.
Sincerely,
Kurt Von Dietsch

Snowstorm last Halloween, hurricane this Halloween... I can only imagine what comes next year!

The European model has now shifted north making a landfall in New Jersey, which is NOT what we wanted. It previously had it making landfall in the Delmarva Peninsula.

Snowstorm last Halloween, hurricane this Halloween... I can only imagine what comes next year!

Lots of rain and lots of wind!