JN352

I have used both the blitz-fire and akrons version. I liked both of them but I found akrons to be smaller and easier to use. The one nice advantage to the blitzfire is its automatic shutoff feature, but i wonder if that might get set off at the wrong time accidentally. I think this is another good tool to have in our toolbox but in no way does it replace anything we currently use. It has its uses and seemes to perform very well especially when there is limited manpower. Just a note though, my opinions of this come from training with these devices only, havent had the chance to use them under fire yet, but I still would highly recomend them for if nothing else there ease of use.

yeah White Plains has them on their rescue they have used them a few times and they work pretty well. They are not composite however they are all metal with nylon straps.

For me its simple... If you want to grow a beard go ahead but dont expect to step foot on a rig.. if you ride out on an EMS assist and next thing you know there is a hazmat situation, WHAT NOW?! Its a safety issue and not just for that individual but for the other members of the crew who may now be put in harms way rescuing a member b/c that member was overcome b/c they did not have a good seal b/c of a stupid beard... SAFETY!!!!!! FIRST!!!!!.... And dont expect to get credit for that call sitting on the couch either. Put out or get out! And thats not even getting into the legal side of it. On a side note there has been a number of articles in FH magazine lately on this subject. most recent in this months, check it out.

Some one asked about White Plains FD SP packs... They use 2" rubber hose with a smooth bore nozzel. The main pack is a 100' length with an additional 50' length also brought in by the crew. The officer carries a bag with various tools for the ops. including a fog attatchment for the break away smooth bore. ......In addition the discussion of 2 1/2 vs. 1 3/4 can go on forever but the most important thing is to just be FLEXIBLE and use what is going to best perform under those specific circumstances. Dont always take preconnects especially during training. Change it up so your people dont get complacent.

Yeah, and if you dont have to shovel hydrants the next day!

In addition to what has already been said, it is the responsibility of officers to show the next man in line his job and what has to be done. Too often we see politics playing into leadership and officers not learning from above. Once again this is because those senior officers were never shown the "right" way when they were jr ossifers!

City of White Plains Ladder 32 is a 105' RM stick

Lets not play games here... I am a volunteer in an all volunteer company with paid dept's on one side and vollies on the other. I live in this town and I want to protect my family and the families of my town with the best possible fire protection I can, however the career I have chosen is as a Firefighter and I get paid to protect the families of the city I work in. I have the benefit of seeing both sides of the coin... not everyone does. There is some animosity between these two groups and anyone who says different is either not being honest or doesnt know what they are talking about. The reasons are typically union related and the complaints as long as I have been around come from a small group of career firfighters usually bashing the abilities and or "unprofessionalism" of vollies. Is this so far from the truth? In some parts yes and in others no. Vollies vollunteer for many varied reasons, but typically they want to be the best they can, but its tough, we as vollunteers have jobs and families and it is difficult to manage our time between the many parts of your life. Career firefighters have it easy in the sense that it is their job to train and they get the time (during working hours) and money to be a proffessional firefighter. With that said i am going to repeat what many have already said on this topic..... This is 2005, no longer are the days of partying and drinking in the firehouse as a vollie, we as vollunteers cannot expect that we will be viewed in the eyes of career firefighters as equals if we dont train ourselves in a way that meets the requirements of the most stringent departments training standards and act in a way that fits what we are doing.... SAVING LIVES. Just because we are Volunteers does not mean we cannot be professional. Keep this in mind whatever you do as a volunteer on or off duty. As a career firefighter we cannot be blinded by the stereotype of a volunteer. Look at what your surrounding departments have to offer. More often than not you will find a dedicated group of people who are willing to do what it takes to get the job done and lets face it career brothers whether you like it or not, when it comes down to it we all want to accomplish the same thing ... the best job possible. Dont get sucked into the the bullshit about unions and vollies taking jobs away from us, that fear as mentioned by others is a two way street and as the current situation goes no paid jobs in this area are going to be lost to vollies anytime in the near future. If anything it will be the other way around so lets give the vollies a chance to prove themselves, and vollies lets step up to the plate and act like the proffesionals we are and can be and get the job done!

Pace University allowed me to transfer in all 5 credits of the EMT course (which I took at WCC). They also gave me another 2 credits for being a CPR instructor. I was able to use them towards electives.

Jimmy Lees has great apps. but there BBQ is no match for southbound. At Southbound I would suggest their Pulled pork, smoked sausage, and corn fritters and of course a nice cold one to wash it all down.

Hudson has the right idea... its silly to not take a FD job b/c of the location. who cares where you get on just get on and worry about your ideal place later.