bifd09

what a great piece of American history - thanks for finding and sharing this

So, what is a suburban department to do for back-up communication when conventional means fail?

In the pre-cell phone era our station had a pull box out front which was a direct line to dispatch. When the station was renovated, the pull box was removed. With the recent failure of land lines AND cell towers during the recent storm, is it time to reconsider this decision? Is there still a need for a pull box?

Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened, nor will it be the last. I know of at least one ff (a chief) who was convicted of burning down a friend's barn ... and after a few years in jail, he actually approached the department and asked to rejoin it. It points to the need for a better screening process for both vollies and career firefighters. It might be a simple matter to check if an applicant has been convicted of arson or another crime but the critical question is how can a fire dept reliably screen its applicants to assure they're not going to become arsonists?

they were pretty lucky that they caught the cat - imagine the headlines if it splattered on the pavement. that said, the p.r. seems to be pretty good for the dept. notwithstanding the stupid 911 call.

curious statistics. the more interesting questions are: what percent of the city population is african-american vs. percent of african americans taking the test? what are the similar comparisons in los angeles and the other cities with higher minority employment rates? what factor(s) might account for the (slight) disparities between percentage taking the test vs. percentage passing - educational background, peer study groups, family members or friends in the dept who might act as coaches, etc... or anything more nefarious? how do recruitment practices differ amongst departments with differing minority membership rates? remember that racism is not always intentional but sometimes happens despite the best efforts of all to prevent it; much of it is imbedded in our culture, and takes time to change. sometimes a lawsuit is the impetus for that change.

all of westchester and rockland (and putnam, fairfield and nyc for that matter) is toast anyway if something happens there, not to mention what would happen to the first responders. it's a classic case of tuck you head between your legs and kiss your butt goodbye if you live anywhere in the region. look at chernobyl - they have videos showing workers sealing the place up and every one of them is now worm food. god bless us all if there's ever an accident or attack there.

I can't remember ever seeing a dead cat in a tree or on a phone pole

Date: 11/09/06 Time:16:30 Location: RT 22@ Rt 164 Frequency: Units Operating: Patterson FD, Patterson VAC, Putnam Medic 4, Brewster FD, STAT Flight, NYSP, Lake Carmel 17-71 Description Of Incident: Truck vs. car Writer: BIFD 09

Mike and I were both firefighters in the Town of North Castle before he moved to Brewster. I remember him as a guy with an ever present smile, a kind word, and an endless amount of energy. He was a man of integrity, full of honor and a clear sense of what is right. I hope his kids know what a great guy he was.