SteveOFD

In my Co. we're lucky to get anyone in the "crew" suited up prior to or responding on the rig. They only suit up if they see that there might be "work". Personally, I wear the pants and boots when I drive.

As mentioned earlier in the thread NFPA Standards are concensus "industry" standards. This means that the standard is adopted as a concensus of voting members of the NFPA. When it hits the fan and a FD is brought into court to defend itself, evidence will be presented against you that you did not follow "rules" adopted by a consensus of others like you in your "industry". When a jury of civilians, with no knowledge of firefighting, hear evidence that you did not follow rules established by others like you (Firefighters and others voting for the NFPA adopted standard) they will have very little problem establishing that you are at fault. NFPA Standards are established and "enforced" across various "industries" whether it be Electrical, Sprinkler System, Fire Alarm System or any other NFPA Standard. They are all alike in that they are all adopted as a consensus of interested parties within their "industry".

Hawkes Ave is the bridge that goes over Rt 9A just north of the intersection with Rt 134.

It will be for Ossining Steamer Co. (E98) and the FAST Utility (U51).

I just hope this training sinks in to our guys. The training was a quick 4 hours on a Monday night to accomplish both modules. Personnally I think trying to teach 100 guys at a time was not the most conducive to stressing the importance of these concepts, but at least the effort was there. I don't know if our long term members fully grasp that these concepts are required at all operations. We may make good stops with "lots of manpower", but we do need to fully grasp the concept of ICS (re: span of control and no freelancing). We do have a good core of members that do understand and embrace ICS. Traditions die hard and I hope that with the help of the Chief's that all of our members fully grasp these concepts.

Last week at the Chiefs request, Ossining FD had approximately 100 of our members take IS700 & IS100 inhouse.

I didn't win the Megamillions last week so I ordered the RadioShack Pro 2055 today. Regular price $230, on sale till the 4/29 for $150. FYI if you have to order it at a store tell the sales rep it is on sale. The one I had to deal with was going to sell it to me for the regular price till I told him it is on sale, then he clicked to another screen and the sale price was there.

Bub, I really wasn't listening to anyone in particular, just heard the freq come up amd saw it was the 472 freq. Also found the DPL is 243.

Was in the area today and heard West Harrison's Repeater freq. as 472.25Mhz today.

From EMSResponder.com posted at Firehouse.com Growing Cyanide Threat at Fires Gains National Attention Hydrogen Cyanide is the killer that few in the fire-rescue service seem to know about. AMANDA MILKOVITS, Journal Staff Writer The Providence Journal (Rhode Island) PROVIDENCE - The phone rang at 2:30 in the morning. "This is the Providence Fire Department," Patricia Baker heard on the line. She started screaming. Her husband of 31 years, Firefighter Kenneth E. Baker, had left for work hours earlier for an overnight shift. Fire Chief David Costa was talking to her, saying that her husband had been hurt. "I was screaming, 'Is he burned? Is he burned?' He said 'No, but he's not doing good.' " "I went crazy," Patricia Baker recalled later. Kenneth Baker had worked at two house fires that night, going inside at one house and then manning the pump at the second fire. He collapsed beside a fire engine and was rushed to the hospital by other firefighters who fought to restart his heart. Baker watched as the emergency room staff worked on her husband. His skin was ashen and he lay motionless, with tubes and IV lines snaking into his body. The couple had been together since they met in the 10th grade at Tolman High School in Pawtucket. He'd wanted to be a firefighter for as long as she'd known him. She always pushed from her mind the thought that the job could kill him. But the danger that had sent her 50-year-old husband into cardiac arrest on March 24 was caused by something she'd never considered. Baker and several other Providence firefighters had high levels of deadly cyanide in their bloodstream. The chief of the Providence Fire Department had never heard of such a thing. He wasn't alone. HYDROGEN CYANIDE is the killer that few in the fire service seem to know about. "The problem with firefighters is we've ignored the problem," said Bob Halton, editor in chief of Fire Enginering magazine. "There's been no groundswell for education because it's boring. It's not like search and rescue. It's chemistry and physics." This is a poison created by modern-day living, a deadly gas once used in wartime and now present in the plastics and polymers found in household goods, furnishings and home construction. "As people introduce more and more plastics into homes, we're seeing it more and more," said Fire Chief John Sinclair of Ellensburg, Wash., who's on a cyanide task force for the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Even when a fire smolders, those materials break down and emit poisonous gases, including hydrogen cyanide. When they burn,, the smoke is deadly. When the fire is out, the dangerous fumes remain. These are the same toxic fumes that killed most people in the Station nightclub fire, according to death certificates obtained by The Journal. The club's walls and ceiling were covered with highly flammable polyurethane foam -- a material that ignites like gasoline and gives off toxic fumes including hydrogen cyanide. The poisoning of Baker and several other Providence firefighters a week and a half ago could have national implications, fitting into a growing effort to educate fire departments and hospitals nationwide about the dangers of cyanide in smoke. At the same time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to fast-track an antidote to cyanide that's been used for years in Europe. The only antidote now on the market in the United States is known as the Lilly or Taylor kit, which includes a series of drugs to counteract and eliminate cyanide from the bloodstream. Rhode Island Hospital and Miriam Hospital have about 30 Taylor kits in their emergency rooms, said their spokeswoman. But the antidote has serious side effects and can kill someone who is misdiagnosed. It contains amyl nitrite, which is inhaled, followed by sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate, which are given intravenously, said Dr. Frantz Gibbs, director of the Rhode Island Hospital emergency room. Both nitrates bind with hemoglobin to form methemoglobin, which binds with cyanide and releases the poison's grip on oxygen. The sodium thiosulfate converts the cyanide, which is expelled by urination, Gibbs said. But methemoglobin also reduces the body's ability to carry oxygen, which is dangerous for patients who are suffering from carbon-monoxide poisoning -- and not cyanide, said Gibbs. The antitode used in Europe is hydroxocobalamin, a precursor to Vitamin B-12. The drug is given intravenously and neutralizes cyanide to form cyanocobalamin, Vitamin B-12, which the body expells by urination. North Carolina-based EMD Pharmaceuticals, whose parent company is Merck KGaA in Germany, has completed years of drug studies for the FDA, said spokeswoman Lauren Tortorete. Las Vegas Deputy Fire Chief Ken Riddle, who is the past chairman of the International Association of Fire Chiefs' EMS Section, said protocols are being worked on that would allow first-responders to give the antidote at the scene for smoke-inhalation victims. The drug has been found to be safe, he said. This summer, hydroxocobalamin is expected to get "fast drug" status, meaning it will be on the fast track for approval and could be authorized for use by Jan. 1, according to Halton. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is pushing to get the antidote approved, because of concern over terrorism, he said. The common use, Halton predicts, will be saving the lives of thousands of people who perish every year from smoke inhalation, a bigger killer than burns from fires. "Firemen need to understand that you can never, ever, ever breathe smoke," Halton said. "Smoke today is not your daddy's smoke. It's more toxic. It will kill you." CHIEF COSTA remembers that, when he came on the Providence Fire Department nearly 30 years ago, most house fires were wood smoke, and inhaling a puff of smoke could cause a headache that the firefighters would shake off. "I'll be totally frank with you, [the cyanide diagnosis] took me back a step because I haven't heard of this," he said. "I've been to the National Fire Academy every year for the past 10 years. If this was such a huge problem, you'd think you'd hear about it." Days after the episode, Costa formed a task force of firefighters to investigate the three fires in which firefighters had elevated levels of cyanide, and contacted the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for assistance. What the task force learns may lead to changes in policies and procedures -- such as requiring firefighters to wear their air packs and masks at all times, inside and outside the fire, and even after the flames are out. If that happens, Costa said, he'll need more firefighters at the scene to relieve each other as they replace their air tanks. The tanks typically last about 15 minutes or so during heavy use, he said. Some say that's the only solution. Halton, for one, wants firefighters to wear air packs at all times, until the fire is cold, because the poisonous fumes remain even after the fire is out. Out in Nevada, Henderson Fire Capt. Bruce Evans recalled another captain who died when a gust of smoke from a burning dice factory blew into his face. The smoke contained cyanide, he said, which prompted his department's awareness for protection from smoke inside and outside a fire. "But the days of not wearing an air pack -- that's like Russian roulette," Evans said. While hospitals may routinely check for carbon monoxide, the chiefs and firefighters' associations want doctors to also screen for cyanide poisoning. At the Rhode Island Hospital emergency room, Dr. Andrew Sucov made the determination quickly and got the antidote to three firefighters, including Baker. Evans, who is on the EMD advisory board, was amazed to hear about it. "Kudos to the folks in Rhode Island," Evans said. AT THE Rhode Island Hospital emergency room, the staff understands about cyanide poisoning from smoke, said Gibbs. The staff knows about the toxic fumes that develop from plastics in fires. Yet, it's a tricky diagnosis. Cyanide gets into the blood and binds with oxygen, preventing the body's cells from absorbing oxygen and effectively suffocating the body, especially the central nervous system. Results from the cyanide tests take 11?2 to 2 hours -- too long when someone's health is rapidly deteriorating. So, Gibbs said, the medical staff relies on other factors: observation, the patient's symptoms, tests for blood gases, and knowing whether the person has been in a fire. The results of the test are used to confirm the diagnosis, he said. Even after the antidote, survivors can have long-term effects from damage to their nervous system, Gibbs said. LAST SUNDAY afternoon, Baker opened his eyes for the first time since his cardiac arrest. He recognized his wife and their two children, and began crying. He's been visited daily by his family, the other firefighters, Chief Costa, and Mayor David N. Cicilline. He speaks, although his mind is unclear, Mrs. Baker said. On Friday, he was moved from Rhode Island Hospital to a rehabilitation unit at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island in Pawtucket, where his family lives, according to union president Paul A. Doughty. The long-term effects from the cyanide poisoning are still unknown. So, Mrs. Baker thinks about how her husband bowled a perfect game with his league, the Starlighters, just recently. How he organized the motorcycle torch run for the Special Olympics every year. How he'd recently tuned up his Harley Davidson for summer riding. All the family can do is wait, and hope, said Mrs. Baker. "I tell him I love him, and he says he loves me back," she said. "So, I know he's getting better." amilkovi@projo.com / (401) 277-7213 Copyright 2005 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Site Publication" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page. RSS Feeds for EMSResponder.com: Top EMS News Section

Checked the County List dated 1/24/06 posted at the Firehouse, note the following corrections from my previous post Greenville is in Battalion 18 Indian Point is not listed.

Sorry about the typo Somers is in Batt 13. Will check on Indian Pt. when I stop by the Firehouse, I may not have copied it right. The list I copied was on Weschester County letterhead. Also note addition of Mutual Aid Coordinator job listing on previous post.

Came across a DRAFT copy of the PROPOSED new Battalion listings: Battalion 10 - Buchanan, Croton, Montrose, Montrose VA, Peekskill, Verplanck Battalion 11 - Hawthorne, Grassland, Pleasantville, Thornwood, Valhalla Battalion 12 - Archville, Briarcliff Manor, Ossining, Pocantico Hills, Sing Sing, Sleepy Hollow Battalion 13 - Croton Falls, Goldens Bridge, Pound Ridge, Somers, South Salem, Vista Battalion 14 - Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Fairview, Hartsdale, Hastings, Irvington, Tarrytown Battalion 15 - Harrison, Larchmont, Mamaroneck Town, Mamaroneck Village, Port Chester, Rye Brook, Rye Battalion 16 - Armonk, Banksville, Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, Chappaqua, Katonah, Mount Kisco Battalion 17 - Camp Smith, Continental Village, Indian Point, Millwood, Mohegan, Yorktown Heights Battalion 18 - Eastchester, Greenville, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Pelham, Pelham Manor, Yonkers Battalion 19 - Greenville, North White Plains, Purchase, Scarsdale, West Harrison, Westchester County Airport, White Plains Also saw a separate notice looking for applicants for Fire Mutual Aid Coordinators for Battalion vacancies. Listing can be found at Westchestergov.com

Just a reminder the E-One episode is on tonight at 9PM & tomorrow 12A. Also this Sat 4/1 @ 4P. Also tonight on PBS Independent Lense - WNET Ch. 13 @ 10P A History of Women Firefighters in America. Also airs 3/30 @ 1:30A. Airs on WNET-DT 3/29 @ 8P, 3/30 @ 3A, 9A, 3P, 4/2 @ 6A.

These are listed elsewhere but they should be relisted here - the Westchester Co. 46.26 MHz repeaters: 453.2625 DPL261 - Banksville FD 460.1125 DPL243 - Briarcliff Manor FD 453.0250 DPL503 - Croton on Hudson FD 460.2375 DPL065 - Katonah FD 453.2750 DPL226 - Mohegan FD 453.4125 DPL244 - Montrose FD 453.9750 DPL413 - Pound Ridge FD 453.9250 DPL243 - West Harrison FD 453.5625 DPL 306, DPL 606 - Yorktown Heights FD

The FCC site cited by tbendick is the newest FCC website. There are two earlier versions that I use in addition to this one. The first version FCC website #1 is good for basic no frills search. The second version FCC website #2 provides more info. This is the version that I use to find new pending applications. Click on Pending ULS Data then select the Frequency Coordinator you want to search their applications for. The most active coordinators I have found for municipal applications are APCO, IMSA, & AHTSA, although I have found some applications with other coordinators. The newest version offers the most info by far. It does take some time to get used to though. It provides access to almost all info, from all correspondence (showing the actual letter on the agency's stationary) to and from the licensee, to the actual application itself. I found (and saved) the engineering overlay studies for the County's Trunked System showing the estimated geographical coverage of each frequency from each tower of the system. Use it and surf around the site and you will get a lot out of this version.

According to Ferrarafire.com production has started. Check out the link in my post #13 above.

Valley Cottage FD in Rockland County runs a 1975 ALF http://www.valleycottagefd.org/22-75.htm.

Just saw on the FCC's website that West Harrison FD has a pending application for new freq. Freq is 472.25/475.25Mhz, location is 100 Park Lane and mobiles. Does not look like a low band repeater, only UHF listed for this location.

"...if this person is solely VOLUNTEER, I think he can do whatever he wants to himself." Does this mean that the "VOLUNTEER" doesn't have to meet training standards because he is only a "VOLUNTEER". IMO we are all Professionals and need to meet minimum established standards. For those of you have not seen the reason for wearing SCBA watch Mark Noble video

From The Journal News legal section 3/8/06 City of Peekskill "Sealed bids for the purchase a 2007 RESCUE - PUMPER FIRE APPARATUS" to be opened 3/20/06. Any info, possibly E134?

I recently heard that the reason a local FD is dispatched by its PD is the amount of $$ that the FD would be charged by 60 to take its calls.

Tonight 3/07/06 9:30P & 12:30A episode on how Globe firefighting gear is manufactured. Episode will also air 3/11/06 @ 4:30P.

With 13 Depts. this Batt. was definately too big, stretching from Croton to Valhalla, Chappaqua to Archville. With the new radio system TalkGroup assignments by Batt. there would not have been much improvement over what we have now when it hits the fan. And when anyone in the Batt. TG accesses a tower off of the North Zone it would retransmit off all South Zone towers in addition to the remaining North Zone towers thus tying up a two freqs. and transmitting on both Zones.

Tarrytown fire feud ignites Fire Chief at center of controversy among companies Len Maniace-The Journal News Tarrytown - A conflict inside the Tarrytown Volunteer Fire Department boiled over this week when two companies were blocked from responding to some fire calls after their leaders expressed a lack of confidence in the village fire chief. Normal service was restored about 3 p.m. yesterday, following an emergency meeting of the Tarrytown Board of Trustees. The night before, Fire Chief James Lennox took responsibilities from Hope Hose and Riverside Hose companies. "The two companies sent letters to the village saying they would not acknowledge me as commissioner," Lennox said yesterday. "I was not going to put them out there." The order by Lennox was the latest salvo in an intensifying dispute between the fire chief and fire department leaders, who on Dec. 29 voted to suspend Lennox as chief. That suspension was annulled by the Board of Trustees on Jan 24. A legal opinion from Village Attorney Jeffrey Shumejda found that the Board of Fire Wardens had failed to make a verbatim transcript of the meeting when they suspended Lennox. After Hope and Riverside were dropped from answering certain fire calls, another Tarrytown fire company was reassigned by Lennox to cover those emergencies. Washington Engine Company was to pick up calls for car fires on village streets and the Thruway as well as responding to the Glenville Fire District in Greenburgh. "There was significant concern that the changes were not good ones and not based on good reasoning. We were having no problems prior to this," Mayor Drew Fixell said, adding that the board intended to further review the matter. The reassignment meant that both of the village's ladder trucks would be outside Tarrytown if there was a call in the Glenville Fire District, said Village Administrator Stephen McCabe. As it turned out, Washington Engine did not need to respond to any extra calls, said the presidents of Hope Hose and Riverside Hose. Lennox said the conflict grew out of his attempts to upgrade the Tarrytown Fire Department after he became chief in April. He said many firefighters did not have the required annual medical exams and many lacked training. Assistant Chief Robert Scogna said that department members regularly attended formal and informal training programs and that firefighters met various ability standards. When it came to medical exams, Scogna said Lennox gave conflicting messages, first saying completion of a questionaire was sufficient and then calling for physical exams later last year. Lennox's critics also complained that the chief lives in Montrose, violating a requirement of his office that he live in Tarrytown. Fixell said the law only requires that Lennox live within the village at the time of his appointment. Lennox said he moved to Montrose after taking office. Lennox, 43, is a New York City firefighter and has been a volunteer firefighter for 25 years.