S1720G

I think you are more likely to get volunteers for a specialized team, at least in the initial recruitment stages. When it has the new shiny team feel. Then when the refresher training requirements come to light and the lack of call volume comes up membership either dwindles away of just gets apathetic. 
 
I have seen a local dive team and a local hazmat team both go away, thankfully to be replaced by other agencies. However it happens. 

I mean yeah, when you can't even get volunteers to train on basic strategies and tactics once a week, of course you aren't gonna be able to muster up a very specialized and highly proficient team and keep them around for years.  Like anything, the interest is cool for a few months, and then the equipment collects dust.

Excellent concept plus Riding Heavy (more then 4 people)is good too

Died

NY TF 3? 
 
Lol

Yeah many volunteer departments can't supply an engine for an activate fire alarm. Or an extrication. Especially in the middle of the day. Good luck with all of this. At least a bunch of people will get cool t shirts and a cool license plate. Let's face it, that's 75% of this. 
Car down an embankment off of 84, rope systems required= performed every year by brewster Patterson etc, elevators same thing. Please.

Yeah many volunteer departments can't supply an engine for an activate fire alarm. Or an extrication. Especially in the middle of the day. Good luck with all of this. At least a bunch of people will get cool t shirts and a cool license plate. Let's face it, that's 75% of this. 
Car down an embankment off of 84, rope systems required= performed every year by brewster Patterson etc, elevators same thing. Please.

I think it's a horrible idea

Here's the million dollar question....
 
Who's going to staff it?  It is going to be a volunteer system, much like the Westchester Haz-mat team, which due to slow response times, has been skipped over many a time for a properly staffed rig?
 
Tech team responses require an immense amount of training, and if you get the cert once and never handle the equipment for months, you're gonna lose that skill...

I noticed the lake George convention is going on right now. At a time when volunteer fire departments seem to have an issue with staffing on a good day, does anyone find that having a great deal of the active membership several hours away negatively effect public safety ? What are some of the things your departments do during events like this (or other parades...) to alleviate staffing issues ? 

I noticed the lake George convention is going on right now. At a time when volunteer fire departments seem to have an issue with staffing on a good day, does anyone find that having a great deal of the active membership several hours away negatively effect public safety ? What are some of the things your departments do during events like this (or other parades...) to alleviate staffing issues ? 

I noticed the lake George convention is going on right now. At a time when volunteer fire departments seem to have an issue with staffing on a good day, does anyone find that having a great deal of the active membership several hours away negatively effect public safety ? What are some of the things your departments do during events like this (or other parades...) to alleviate staffing issues ? 

 
This is brought up EVERY parade season.  The answers never change, and neither does the inadequate level of response.

There is no doubt in my mind that housing costs are NUMBER ONE.  There are many realities here, many that have set in in the Tri-state area.  Everyone, even people buying the million dollar home, is working harder and longer.  Many households have two working parents.  How about time spent commuting?  Thats getting longer too.
 
I haven't volunteered in a few years.  One day, I could find myself living in a place where I could volunteer again, but the reality is....I probably won't.  Why?  Because I have to work a second job, or I stay home with my child on days off while my wife is at work.  After work, well, that's the time we get to spend together, not much time left for drill, meetings, ect.  I'll have an hour, hour and half drive home from work...not looking to spend more time away from home.
 
I think volunteering is great in some communities.  I think it's a storied and proud institution, but in many places, it's days are numbered (or they should be).  Entirely necessary training requierments have become more and more onorous.  attendance in some places is dropping.  Smaller dept.s are calling for Mx aide every single time there is a fire.
 
What's the answer?  Consolidation.  Use the dedicated volunteer force more efficiently, let them handle a larger call volume and coverage area.  Supplement that force with a reasonable career organization and spread them out as well.  This all sounds familiar....like something a certain captain put out years ago.....I gues we're all still looking out for our little kingdoms and lot the greater good.

The medic on the fire engine idea was/is something that they've been toying around with for a while. It would probably start off as a pilot program or something. A lot of the logic is that they have a lot of paramedics and emts that came from FDNY Ems and after looking at their last promotion exam recently I'm assuming they anticipate a high number to continue coming over. The logistics of that I can't comment on with much certainty, but from what I was told these medics would not be transporting . Think of a "first response paramedic" . A regular ALS crew would be transporting . (On a side note, why would they pay a FF or in this care FF/medic, to staff an ambulance or do anything with transporting when they can pay a regular paramedic 1/2 the money to do so. Not saying medics don't deserve more , but financially it doesn't make sense). This is like.... at least a 5-10 year plan. They're just throwing around ideas and thinking of ways to utilize the people, a lot of which they trained in THeIR paramedic program, who come over to fire. Also, it would have to be hashed out with the unions (both fire and EMS). 
 
The difference or benefit of having an EMT on an engine VS a CFR ? Response times. I may be wrong, I'm not a "legal issues in the fire service " buff, but I'm almost positive they can't "stop the clock" for having a CFR on scene. If an emt on an engine is on scene , the clock stops when THEY go 10-84, not the ambulance , unless of course the bus is on scene first (10-91, one of the greatest things you can see on the computer ever!). It's all about response times, and their ability to say "we were on scene in 3:10".
 
but medically yes, there isn't much more an emt can do than a CFR kind of. Epi albuterol splitting aspirin etc just a few things but not much more. 

The term Hobbiest comes to mind 

Yes that's it exactly 

Yes that's it exactly 

Westchester (and im pretty sure dutchess co also) has all of those resources, and the manpower. Putnam county barely has enough to cover routine calls, but yes all good ideas, for sure. I'm not sure how man runs the Haz mat team takes in but I'm sure it's less than 10 a year. They'd be better off just spending the money on more paid EMS services to supplement (and inevitably take over) the volunteer ambulances. 

Eliminated. Why? Look at that mileage . Lol not a smart resource for 1 department. Would be smarter for a county (or several departments to share) to purchase and have it be special called by a department when needed. In areas with poor water sources it can be a great resource but it is A Very specific piece of specialty equipment.

The hose reel apparatus has not seen much use, as all the engines carry a fair amount of 5" LDH, and when a working fire is encountered, the responding mutual aid companies utilize their LDH as well. So the calls that require very long lays of LDH are few and far between. The last time I remember the hose reel unit used was at the "Uncle Bob's storage facility" fire on Rt.22 several years ago. There are hydrants in the village area, and in the Home Depot shopping center area; and several other isolated areas, but no- there is no new addition of hydrants into the district boundaries.

Westchester (and im pretty sure dutchess co also) has all of those resources, and the manpower. Putnam county barely has enough to cover routine calls, but yes all good ideas, for sure. I'm not sure how man runs the Haz mat team takes in but I'm sure it's less than 10 a year. They'd be better off just spending the money on more paid EMS services to supplement (and inevitably take over) the volunteer ambulances. 

Eliminated. Why? Look at that mileage . Lol not a smart resource for 1 department. Would be smarter for a county (or several departments to share) to purchase and have it be special called by a department when needed. In areas with poor water sources it can be a great resource but it is A Very specific piece of specialty equipment.

Westchester (and im pretty sure dutchess co also) has all of those resources, and the manpower. Putnam county barely has enough to cover routine calls, but yes all good ideas, for sure. I'm not sure how man runs the Haz mat team takes in but I'm sure it's less than 10 a year. They'd be better off just spending the money on more paid EMS services to supplement (and inevitably take over) the volunteer ambulances. 

The Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services (BOES) should purchase this vehicle from the Brewster-Southeast Fire District, and make it a regional asset. Maybe one of the county special team members could respond to the TOPS bldg and deliver it to the scene of an active emergency. S1720G is right about that idea. BOES had an idea for a county-wide foam unit, but it never happened, as far as I know. A trailer with lumber for a bldg collapse in the county would be another idea, as would a technical rescue team. Don't know if they will ever happen, as getting enough members to get trained and kept excited is hard to do (and money needed always rears its ugly head).