ex-commish

Thanks for the info Boss. Always something out there to raise aggravate us. What next ????? Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

From what I have read in other articles this strain is not easily passed from human to human so I ask how serious of a threat is this flu to us here in the states? Does anyone have more knowledge on this? Thank you. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

What a terrible tradegy. Not too much good news lately for the members of the fire service. May they all rest in peace. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

If someone can't make the benefit but would like to make a donation to the family is there an address or contact person handling this? Thanks Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

May God rest his soul. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

A person can rob a bank for years and get away with it. The law isn't an issue untill that person gets caught. The same applies to us. We can operate with total disregard for OSHA and other laws and nothing happen untill someone gets hurt or God forbid killed now the law will mean something. OSHA is not going to go to every fire scene and see if the department operates under the guidelines of the law. It is agains't the law to rob a bank as it is to not operate in a safe manner. You decide and deal with the consequences. Past disregard for NFPA and OSHA has landed a fire chief in jail. It is simply a safety issue. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

Congratulatons and best of luck on your new home. I would now apply for a Home Depot or Lowes card....you're gonna need it Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

First, no one should be mad at you for expressing your opinion. There is some validity in what you are saying. I remember years ago the state wanted to make it mandatory for us to obtain CDL's and I believe the reisitance was due to the cost factor and it was a time where unfunded mandates were off the hook. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

Sorry, I hit the add reply button before I was going to address your post. First, what you have stated is why our selection for officer process needs serious reform My first question is, how would being a driver make a good officer? I would rather a well trained person who has taken officer training classes, who is calm, experienced, and has decent knowledge of building construction and fire behavior lead me into a fire than someone who can drive. Like you said you have competent people who are not drivers and based on your rules they can not become officers so there is a chance your department may be shortchanging itself with that rule. I have known many good officers who are not drivers and know many good drivers who do not want to be officers. Sometime back I was researching what officers should have and I looked at the FLIP school career officers have to take and no where was any reference made to driving rather tactics, fire behavior and educational methodoogy at a minumum. Now as far as driver qualifications...........we require defensive driving, evoc, pump and ariel ops. Each one of our rigs has a chief driver who is responsible for testing you which involves driving, pumping, aerial ops, and vehicle maintenance as well as street knowledge. EVOC is a good course because besides driving it addresses laws regarding emergency apparatus and reponse as well as vehicle maintanance which is often overlooked with in-house programs. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

May he rest in peace. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

What is unfortunate is those who feel the need to "lean" on a siren or horn makes it harder for everyone else. I too will tap the horn or tap the siren button when a kid waves but that's it. What really bothers me is when the parade is over and some rigs leave with the sirens and wail them all the way back to thier firehouse. Some departments now tell you no sirens when you leave and I have seen the police pull drivers from the vehicle if they did not honor the request. Let's remember what these half to a million dollar rigs are really for. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

As a fulltime law enforcement officer and volunteer fire chief I have to disagree, respectfully. My vol FD issues a badge and photo ID card for ID purposes. The badge is actually part of a class A uniform. And don't get me wrong, I hardly carry my work badge with me so I don't have badge fetish like others and I don't think this case will deter people from volunteering. If a badge is all you are in it for than something is wrong. You need a hobby or something. There may be more than the story than we know but if it is true that it was only a possession issue than I feel he was arrested unjustly. If he abused it, than has what is coming to him. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

This is why you never carry a shield without a photo ID card. A badge is meaningless without ID. I have been an EMT for about 10 years and never knew such ems badges existed. MY FD issues each member a department badge and photo ID card and the newer ID cards will now have expiration dates on them for security reasons. I could see if this person abused his badge or attemtped to do something illegal with it but according to the letter he did nothing wrong other than possessing what he was entitled to possess. This will be an interesting case. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

I was vocal in another board against inmate firefighters especially those serving life for murder but this man did sacrafice his life and I do hope the good Lord has rested his soul. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

May he rest in peace and May the good Lord protect his family. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

I have to agree. Strong and talented team. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

Training Vital in South Carolina Firefighter's Accident Updated: 03-10-2006 07:06:54 PM SUSAN NICOL KYLE Firehouse.Com News Training is being credited for saving a volunteer firefighter from South Carolina, seriously burned last week after falling through a ceiling into a burning room. "She really saved herself by doing everything she had been taught," said Howe Springs Deputy Chief William Dillon. "It could have been much worse, believe me." Jennifer Huggins, 21, was back in surgery Friday at Augusta Hospital in Georgia, one week after the incident that left her with burns on her scalp, leg, hand and buttocks. Dillon said he and Huggins were in an attic of an apartment complex where eight apartments had burned. "The apartment below us had been checked not five minutes before, and the fire was out." Unfortunately, that wasn't the case at all. Huggins fell through the floor into a burning closet, piled with clothes. Her helmet and right glove were knocked off in the fall, but she managed to put them back on. Her flash hood stayed on. "As she rolled over to kill the flames, she said the fire was coming up in her face. But she remembered her training, to get to a wall." Dillon, who dropped down to help, said before going into the attic, they had been in the apartment below and remembered the layout. "That walk-through is what saved us." As the fire in the room grew more intense, Dillon said he didn't think they had time to wait to be rescued. "We made a run for it into the bedroom. Through it all, she kept her composure. I know she was in intense pain but she did what her training told her to do." Both firefighters were taken to a local trauma center. Dillon, who suffered burns to his throat, leg and neck, was treated and released. Huggins was flown the burn center in Georgia for special treatment. Her condition was upgraded from critical to serious but guarded. The 21-year-old single mother has a long road to recovery ahead of her, Dillon said, adding that her fellow volunteers are helping in any way they can. Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blaze as well as how the fire rekindled in the apartment. "All everyone down here is saying is that Jennifer saved herself. That's all there is to it..." Howe Springs Fire Co. Some hobby Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

You ask if you pass a fit test with a beard haven't you proven that your beard doesn't interfere? Perhaps but I ask has it been proven that you have a good seal, even with possitive pressure? With the law saying no beards why take a chance on someone getting injured and perhaps losing benefits if it is proven you were injured by not having a proper seal. Now some would say what chances are that happening but you have to remember we are in the buisness of what could happen no what we think may not happen. As far as the DC firefighters, what did they win? Is there religious belief's going to prevent contaminents from breeching the seal? Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

Mississippi Inmate Firefighter Dies In House Fire JASON PATTERSON The Bolivar Commercial Michael Davenport was brought to Sunflower County for taking a life. This morning he died while trying to save some. Davenport, a 40-year-old inmate serving a life sentence in the Mississippi State Penitentiary for homicide, died last night while battling a house fire off of Highway 32 in Sunflower County. He was a member of the prison's inmate volunteer fire department. Mississippi Department of Corrections officials confirmed this morning that a call was received reporting the fire at 11:52 p.m. Wednesday and Davenport was pronounced dead at 3:26 a.m. Although few details were available by press time, Davenport is believed to have died of smoke inhalation. Sunflower County Coroner Doug Card said Davenport died while inside the home. "The house was a split level house and he was up on the top level," Card said. "Apparently while he was up there in all of the smoke he got disoriented and couldn't get out." Card said the residence was approximately two miles from the gate of the prison, but he did not know who owned the home. Card said all occupants of the home were able to escape safely. Three inmates are reported to have responded to the fire. Inmate Gary Lambert suffered a broken leg after falling off of a ladder while fighting the fire. Lambert, 47, is serving a life sentence for homicide. He was convicted in Covington County and has been serving time since 1983. He is being treated at the Sunflower County Hospital. Sunflower County Sheriff James Haywood was in court this morning and unavailable for comment. Forgive me for sounding cruel or harsh and maybe 20 years working around criminals has made me this way but why in the world would anyone allow a convict, especially a convicted murderer to volunteer in a fire department and fight fires off the grounds of the prison? Are there areas that hard up for fire protection that they have to rely on murderers to respond? I feel bad the inmate died ( I do have some heart) but what next?? Allow them to patrol our streets? EMS? Deliver your mail? I feel what we do is a privelge and like any other privelge it should be taken away when you commit a crime, especially taking one's life. I mean these guys are serving life sentences. Would you want them handling a set of irons near you? How do others feel about this??? Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

The respratory standard requires mask fit testing annually. It also requires that there be no facial hair that interferes with the mask seal during testing. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

JB: A battalion is a group of fire departments that usually work together and frequently are called in to mutual aid together. Each battlion has a coordinator in which they are responsible for assisting the chief or incident commander with mutual aid assignments which allows the commander to worry about the incident and not worry about who's covering who. They also serve as a great help to obtain other resources. There are other duties they are responsible for such as coordinating battalion drills. As far as to why the realignment, my guess is some battalions, like mine were too big. Battalion 12 had approx 12 departments and now we we ( new batt 11) are down to 5 which I believe to be more manageable. I hope I answered at least some of your questions. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

Give me a shout at 914-774-0418. I think my department would be interested. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

May he rest in peace. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

Animals fight for survival. These idiots simply have been watching too many gangster movies. Put them in a jail cell with real criminals and see how they act. Andy Mancusi Chief Hawthorne FD

What would poor Lambchop say????