E.Babcock

On topic: I ride with Buffalo Fire as often as I can. I know two guys related to this issue, one from each side. The Firefighter who was passed over has told me as soon as this case is finished, he's getting Lt pay for Firefighter duties, and he gets RETRO active pay to the day he should have been promoted. He wouldn't give me a figure (not that I blame him), but he told me with the ammount of $$$ Buffalo Fire has to pay him, just on the back pay, he could retire at 40. He's in the area of 35... Now, on the flip side, I know one of the LTs who were chosen due to their race. He, quite simply, should not be a Lieutenant. He doesn't even have a company... Commisioner Lombardo, as much as he didn't enjy being Commisioner (again, this is all just what I've heard around the house), was phenominal. I have yet to meet a Firefighter, Lt, Captain, Battalion Chief, ANYONE, who didn't think Mike Lombardo was the best Commissioner they could have asked for. Yes, of course, there were politics involved, but, he did everything in his power to keep the guys riding the trucks safe. He got all new turnouts, every man in the department now has a radio, and they've gotten a ton of new rigs, all thanks to him. When I found out the reason Mayor Byron Brown removed Commissioner Lombardo was because he refused to pass over these Firefighters for those ones, all becasue of the colour of their skin, I was livid. As for the trucks, a quick fact for you: Buffalo runs 19 Engines and 9 Ladder companies. There are 4 Battalion Chiefs, under 1 Division Chief, as well as numerous support units and special operations chiefs. The oldest Front Line rigs now are Engines 22 and 33, and Ladders 4, 10 and 15. Engine 22, Engine 33 and Ladder 4 all have '99 Pierce Dash's, Ladder 10's got a 1998 Dash (I'm pretty sure), and Truck 15's got a '97 Dash (If memory serves me correctly..). However, 10's slated to get 14's old (2008) E-one, as 14 just got a brand new ALF Midmount, and 15's probably getting 6's old (2004) ALF rearmount. E22, E33 and L4 all have new trucks already on order. Buffalo just received 5 new American LaFrance Pumpers and 2 Aerials. Engines 2, 3, 23, 32 and 34 were replaced, and Ladders 6 and 14 were upgraded. With the exception of 2 pumpers and 1 aerial (Which are 2010 Crimsons), the remainder of the BFD's Engines and Ladders are all 2004-ish ALF Eagles. All of that was done by Commissioner Lombardo. Commissioner Whitfield's got BIIIG shoes to fill....

Hey there! My name is Eli, and I'm a Search and Rescue Technician with a volunteer group in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. I live just a short distance from Buffalo, New York. That usually helps people get a better idea of where I'm conquering the world from I'm currently in the process of applying to take the Primary Care Paramedic course here in Niagara, and, with any luck, I'll be graduating early 2013, and moving out to the west coast to pursue a Paramedic/Search and Rescue career out in British Columbia. The reasons I'm here are various and numerous, and probably even a little contagious. I just want to better myself by gaining some knowledge, and by spreading some of my knowledge around. I'm an instructor with the Navy League Cadets of Canada, so, I volunteer 6 hours a week to teach 9-12 year old kids things like knots, First-Aid, water safety, radio procedures, drill, self-discipline, confidence, teamwork, leadership, things of that nature. I'm also an AVID firebuff, I ride with the Buffalo, NY Fire Department every chance I get. I rarely miss a structure fire here in my hometown, although, thankfully, they don't come too often. If you've got a question I haven't answered here, feel free to drop me a line, and I'll most definately get back to ya! Likewise, even if you just wanna shoot the sh*t or vent about something/one/what, I have an open door policy! Cheers! Eli