Oaks

It's Hartsdale's decision how they spend their 2% money. Not anyone else's.

Problem is they're saying that the eight victims of this "supplemented" the volunteer force.  So they're claiming that there's no substantial change in coverage by eliminating the eight career guys. 
 
 

Article in the Somers Record. Nicely written, goes into the history of the SFD and all.

 
 
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/somers/articles/more-volunteers-needed-for-the-somers-fire-depart

From the EMTBravo.com archives. Photos originally posted to Protection From The Past-Cutty630 Archives 3-27-05.
 
Mount Kisco-Business District
Major Emergency Structure Fire
South Moger Ave 11-25-1996
Photos By, From, And Thanks To The Archives Of Cutty630
 
http://emtbravo.webspaceforme.net/News/CuttyMK/CuttyMK.html
 
If you want to see more EMTBravo.com Blasts From The Past from our archives, please hit "Like" on this post.

Article in the Somers Record. Nicely written, goes into the history of the SFD and all.

 
 
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/somers/articles/more-volunteers-needed-for-the-somers-fire-depart

 
http://www.qchron.com/editions/south/goldfeder-let-s-take-better-care-of-vollies/article_61779911-c7c2-5be6-9d4a-7acc470973b2.html

It does stop with some Chiefs in this county! See the other article you posted about toxic leadership!

It does stop with some Chiefs in this county! See the other article you posted about toxic leadership!

It does stop with some Chiefs in this county! See the other article you posted about toxic leadership!

Article in the Somers Record. Nicely written, goes into the history of the SFD and all.

 
 
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/somers/articles/more-volunteers-needed-for-the-somers-fire-depart

Article in the Somers Record. Nicely written, goes into the history of the SFD and all.

 
 
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/somers/articles/more-volunteers-needed-for-the-somers-fire-depart

EMStar's Press Release
 

EMStar's Press Release
 

Makes sense. I've heard a lot of dissention between those in charge and the membership in the past couple of years over finances and the such.

I also want to add my name to the list of knowing why it didn't respond yesterday. I sent an email to the Commissioner, let's see what I get back.

In these departments that self-dispatch yet regularly need to request mutual aid for basic incidents, whats the protocol? I'd imagine the dispatcher still needs to contract 60 to request mutual aid. Is this assumption incorrect? If its not, what's the point of self-dispatch if you need to contact 60 for anything of substance?

This whole thread makes me want to chop up Excedrin and snort it...
The issue is a commissioner candidate who is looking at it from a financial standpoint and not a service one.
The issue isn't 60 Control. The issue is cost savings which ultimately would mean a drop in manpower.
Dispatch might be the only place a brother on light duty can go until they're fit for full duty.
Could 60 handle Hartsdale, yup - 100%. One day that time will come but if it does, it should be at the decision of the HFD Chief and Officers and not the commissioners. The men doing the job are the ones that should decide on what's best for that job.

I could not disagree more. After 26 years dispatching both Police & Fire I can tell you that it is absolutely possible to do both with a reasonable level of competence. They key I have found is not to have a background in either service, so you come in as a blank slate. I was a dispatcher for several years and already a dispatch Instructor when I first thought of becoming a Volunteer Firefighter, recruited by a fellow (now former) dispatcher. Now I am still a dispatcher, an ex-firefighter and he is an ex-dispatcher and now a career firefighter.
I did seek out some additional fire dispatch training, but that instructor despite being a career lieutenant had only rarely worked in dispatch. He was also too young to know who Johnny & Roy were (and that did come up in class).

Thanks Avon Rob, but you don't want a police dept. dispatching fire depts. It's two different worlds and police depts. just don't understand fire dispatching. The fire dispatch office should be run by the fire service and be staffed by fire dispatchers. Ideally it should also be physically separate from police dispatch, though it could be located in the same building.

Engine 969, GREAT IDEA!! Greenburgh PD could do the job. Only problem is GPD building is antiquated and space would be a major issue.

As an outside observer from another county, it sounds to me like the real issue here is the union is worried that the position will be lost if they go with county-dispatch.
Has anyone considered a compromise solution? The Town of Greenburgh could run its own dispatch center (with civilian dispatchers) that would dispatch all companies in the Township, eliminating the positions at each fire company. This would provide the cost efficiency of some degree of centralized dispatching but keep a reasonable amount of local control.
Similar dispatching centers exist on Long Island that include Babylon Town Central Fire Alarm in Suffolk County, and in Nassau County the North Bellmore FD dispatches for themselves and several other neighboring depts. Before I retired, I dispatched for 30 years at every level, my own dept, the North Bellmore FD, and Nassau County Firecom. And the best operation, the "happy medium" was the North Bellmore FD which is similar to what a Town dispatch center in Greenburgh might look like.

Not knowing about the situation, If you wanted to dispatch and not go to 60.....
Wouldn't it be cheaper to hire civilian dispatchers and train them?
Seems to be a waste of a FF position when the departments are constantly runnning short on manpower.
Maybe its time for Greenville, Fairview and Harstdale merge dispatch since you respond together all the time.
My 2 cents

I would rather have the "extra" guy on the floor. All day, everyday. Having a trained firefighter stuck in a room answering a phone and yapping on a radio instead of pulling hose is a waste of resources. Especially considering 60 control is there AND available to do the job FOR you.
Can you really look me in the face and say "I'd rather have firefighter Joe in the radio room and not helping us make the stretch down a smoke filled hallway because he really is more helpful to me on the radio than on the line." If so, you are whacked.

Excellent, to-the-point piece on this important matter and why the legislation is direly needed.
This op-ed letter was written to and published by the Journal News/LoHud.com by Chief Ed Rush of the Hartsdale Fire District.
http://www.lohud.com/get-access/?return=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lohud.com%2Fstory%2Fopinion%2Fcontributors%2F2015%2F12%2F08%2Fview-2-hartsdale-fires-show-lifesaving-value-working-smoke-alarms%2F76921504%2F

Just heard Timothy Kensing from Mount Kisco FD, Ex-Captain and Ex-President of Independent Fire Company, and close to 30 year member, suddenly passed away. RIP.