IzzyEng4

DITTO

If an officer drives to a call and doesn't get releived by another driver on scene, he cannot and should not be a scene officer. He is in charge of his truck he had driven to the scene, not a fire officer.

I think there will still always be some sort of VAC or volunteers in an EMS agency as long as there is a concerted effort to maintain it, just like volunteer fire departments. I do however see that in area,especially in my city, that the call volume is too great and interest has waned with some of the members. Ithink havinf a suplimental paid force helps the problem especially in the day time when there is a lack of personnel. I don't think you'll see VAC's go by the wayside but I do see that larger responses in more suburban and urban areas will see an increase of paid staff in their organizations. And also maintain a volunteer group who are dedicated to serve as EMTs.

Many of AMR's regional units are unionized. I know New Haven, CT division of AMR is but I am unsure about theWaterbury Bridgport and Hartford divisions are or mot unionized. Every little bit helps this day and age.

ScanCT dropped Feed 7 which was the live feed from FDNYRadio.com. Seems like the server for FDNY Radio was down more than it was up or the combined it with Feed 4. Also no more Tac-9 pager any more. I wonder why?

In CT you have to be 18 to drive an ambulance and it is up to the agency if the driver has to be certified or not. The driver has ro at least know CPR and First Aid. A majority of the VAC want drviers to be MRT certified. If an agency allows uncertified drivers, then the minimum of one EMT and one MRT, on the ambulance or responding directly to the scene makes a full crew. Also to all ambulance drivers are usually required by their agency to take a safe driver / apparatus course weather it is a state, federal, insurance agency or ambulance agency driver training to meet the standards. I forget what group sets the driver standards nationally. That has been my experience.

The mail must get through!! They are still a priority above the military (in peace time) I think also. Flaggers are directing traffic and a person dirrecting traffic to maintain the flow at a construction or accident do become the traffic controller for that area over a mechanical device. I think it allso depends on local and / or state law also. The exception is Fire Police who have the peasce officer status.

Should be standard to carry them on all trucks. You'll wish you had one when you find out that the Classic VW Bug that the car enthusiast (spelling is wrong) owns had a Magnisium engine block. Happened to me and we didn't have one, was I supprised!

Not good.....

Ypu lmpw you just made me think, they'll give us the rebate and then the IRS will tax us on it becasue it is income! Sounds about right huh?

Two words ALS INTERCEPT! We do it all the time up here in New Haven County. If there is no medic available in the area, one is sent out. If they do not get on scene we can meet them enroute. I rather get my patient to a hospital rather to wait on scene for a medic. Yes there are times where you need to wait for a medic but you can always meet up with them along the way. There are plenty of times to scoot and boot and it doesn't matter how far / close the hospital is. I've had to BLS cardiacs and traumas to a hospital several times. You have to make that split decision. I rather get enroute to the hospital and meet the medic along the way than wait on scene, waiting cuts into that golden hour!

A $100!?!?!?!?! Great that will fill my tank 1.25 times!!!!! Thanks Mr. Pres. Vice Pres and the elected Congreesmen!!!

There one in the same. Jacks is a slang term associated with the old screw downs. Stablizers were the term used on older aerials that remained in the same poistion on the truck and went up or down. Outriggers were "jacks and stablizers" that moved out and down from the body of the truck. However the terms have changed. On Aerialscopes the middle set are out riggers and the two "jacks in the front and back are stablizers. A-Frame and E-one sissors are outriggers. The term is similar to what we call a hook, rake or pike and pipe, knob or nozzle. Though at one time there was a difference, today they tend to mean the same thing to the public.

It is National Academy Priority Dispatch and I used it where I used to work. I liked using it and it really standardized responses in a multi agency like where I used to work (CMED New Haven). Though we didn't use the "codes" over the area we did give / receive the codes from those towns who used the saem protocol. Made it easier to figure out what was going on and it was good for "CYA" in stead of wingin' it so to speak.

SICK SICK SICK!!!!! Wow! Way better than the Charger!!! I think that might be a version of the Whelen LED Vista lightbar.

YEs, Our new 2006 Smeal Rescue pumper had to have some soret of hose bed and well protection. Due to the time we bid the truck (November 19, 2005 a day after the standard came into effect) we had to have a hose bed cover, cover and netting for the crosslays and a webbing for the front bumper well. If we take them off, we are no longer covered by the NFPA standard. If our truck was ordered earlier than Nov 18, 2005 the standard would not have been forced upon us, it was optional. All new apparatus built after this date have to have some sort of hose cover on ther truck. Old apparatus do not have to have hose covers since it would be an after market add on but they recomend you to add coveres, not forcing you too. This standard came about after an incident in PA where a nozzle from a crosslay feel out of it's bed, strking and killing a young woman.

Ok I wasn't going to commet but I have too. Just because that a whole slew of probies graduate from an academy doesn't mean that all the positions are filled. I see it with CSP where I work with all the fields, troopers, dispatchers, clerks, et. al. I don't know much about FDMV but I know that a lot of there positions have been slashed over the years and that many slots were available not filled. Why? Hate to say it but it is cheeper to pay OT than it is to hire a new worker (salary, benifits, health care and retirment all cost a lot more in the long run than OT). Politicians look at numbers and look for an easy way out. Who here doesn't beleive that a fire department on a first alarm, especially a career department, should be able to handle at least a two-alarm fire, minus FAST, with ther own personnel and equipment? There are NFPA staffing standards that at least 75 % of the FDs in American do not meet. Also not fully staffing a department creates problems such as a FF's health and can shorten thier life span as a FF due to the extra work (depending how strenuous and busy the department is). I think that the members here from FDMV, by what I am reading here, want to be able to handle thier own incidents without calling MA every single time. There is also a factor that people depend to much on MA and the MA department's rank and file and also tax payers will start asking questions "Why are we going over there all the time while we are leaving some of ourt area's unprotected everytime they have a fire?" There is a whole slew of angles we can take here, pro and con and I'm not knocking anyone down with this post. The powers that be have to really look at this situation before something happens, and when OSHA comes in, then the withc hunt could begin. I have seen it around where I live and I have read up in alot of the trade articles about this subject and it is alarming. No fire department should have to suffer and unfortunately we all know no one will be totally satisfied but don;t make it dangerous and a department should be able to handle its own affairs on a first alarm. And also, no short cuts should be taken on equipment and apparatus, cause that spells trouble alsol Hang in there guys and gals from FDMV and keep your heads up. Stay Safe.

Another wealth of knowledge lost. RIP Chief Brennan.

HOT DANM!! I hope CSP gets one so I can get a ride-a-long in it. I'll have to say I need to go out for "troop area familization" again!!

I wasn't a Sr. fan but man was he one H-E-double hockey sticks- of a driver. Always respected him for his style and love of the sport. He did change they way NASCAR is looked at now. I watched that race he passed during. I like the car but I feel a fitting tribute would have Jr. race in the No. 3 Mr. Goodwrench car just this one time and them retire it for good. The tribute car is fitting though and very close.

Is that the roof or the truck?

I wasn't going to comment on this thread at first. As I have read the article and several of the postings, many of the things are true. Has there ben instances of facepieces getting ripped off, equipment purposely damaged or bottle turned off in the past, Why yes there has been, even before this particular instance with KFD. If you look at the history of the fire service in many cities, say NYC for example, there were numourus rivalries and sometimes fights broke out. Many organizatiosn hated each othere because of thier religious back ground or social economical status. During the segregation years and civil rights movements, there were actions taken against all african american fire companies or firefighters because of who they were. It didn't matter if the department was a volunteer, carreer of combination department, these actions happened and in some cases still happen. If leadership turns a blind eye to these, lack of a better term, crimes then the leadership is to blame for these persons creating problems and giving the departments a bad name. It's ok to have a good rivarly as in a joking sence but a line should be drawn when someone goes over the edge and should be repremanded for it. Though I have not gone on a ride along with any of the PGFD companies yet, I know a few people who went to school and served as live ins or did the ride along. They are a good department, just like anyone else. Many of their slogans, just like other departments are take from things said by others and are turned around and used to shrug it off. Where is the fine line? Simple, it is when egos take over and due reguard is lost. This is where we as firefighters get ourselves in trouble. No one is perfect but people have to take responsibility for thier actions and acusations. What happen in Kentland does happen elsewhere with other firefighters blemishing their department as well. Trouble is here they tend to "flaunt" thier pride a little too much and makes them stand out. Other fire companies & departments do the same through out the US. I don't have to name them. But someone has to step up, take action like the chiefs of Kentland and PGFD did. Can an air bottle be turned off? Depending on the make and how old, yes it can, purposely and accidently though newer bottles are harded to turn the valve because of the mechanisim to prevent a knob to turn if the bottel comes in contact with an object (NFPA requirement now). Facemasks getting ripped off, grounds for dismissal, period. The point is wre are our own worst enemy and how we present ourselves determines how we are perceived by others and the public. Every department has gone through thier "black eye" moment and no on can deny it, though the extents may be different. Think about it and ask around, you'll be supprised.

As I usually do reading all the fire amd EMS websites, It seems to me that there has been a rise in apparatus accidents. Just this past week Beltsville, MD rolled thier Pierce / Bronto Skylift going to a call. The said that weight and speed were initial factors to the accident. I know many of us here are apparatus drivers and engineers and I wanted to see what your thoughs were. Are accidents involving emergency vehicles on the rise again or is it just isolated? What are we doing to prevent these accidents? I don't want to beat this subject into the ground but there has been alot of them again lately.

I don't think they sold one of those yet. Imfresive but very industial Firefighting oriented.

I hate to say it, but you know when the protest of the 77 house will stop? When one of the neighbor's houses goes up in the middle of the night and 77 is right thier first. Then they will be prasing that the firehouse was there. People are so synical. Unfortunately I don't know the area but it sound like the same type of area where my firehouse is located. Doesn't matter where the house is, kids shouldn't be playing in the streets. Engine 77 & TL 78 good luck with the new buildings.