Remember585

Totally thought this was going in a different direction....

Thank you to all the Veterans - past & present - that allow us to have all the freedoms we take for granted. And... does anyone know if there's still a flag disposal box at Montrose FD?

I saw this in an email I got from my union. I don't live in Yonkers - but this is a mistake. From what I listen to on the scanner in Yonkers, removing FD First Response is a bad, BAD idea, as is closing companies and/or stations. Hopefully it doesn't happen!

This is not a dig at any one apparatus or department, please don't think it is. Why aren't we calling apparatus what they are? For example, there's a few apparatus in Westchester that are Engines with Rescue capabilities being called "Rescue's." Examples are Armonk R85, Pleasantville R47, Thornwood R75 & West Harrison's burnt-up Rescue 35. I personally like the designations of "Squad" for these types of apparatus - it works in so many other areas of this country, why can't it work here? **These comments are mine and do not represent or reflect on any affiliations I may have.**

Looks nice, well thought out, and fairly simple to use. Good luck Armonk!

The warning light that the Tip-Up Bar is up is a great idea. I like the car, not overly done - good luck with it!

Yes, siren recessed in bumper. Rig will fit fine in the firehouse if that's what you meant by the doors.

All you need is a dollar and a dream.

I don't plan on doing it, and greatly appreciate you hooking a brother up again, so please don't take it as a slap in the face. My intention with saying that is that I know someone will probably find something I say offensive at some point in time and get their undergarments wedged between the cheeks of the buttocks. I don't think it's a game, never have, but seeing how I've been ousted more than once for my opinions, a betting man would say I'll probably get spanked again. And, just to be clear, IT IS NOT MY INTENTION TO COME IN HERE WITH A WOODEN PADDLE TO STIR THE POT. I respect you and the site(s) you have created and will do my best to behave, be a contributing member and even share some nifty buff-esque stuff from time to time. Shine on brother, shine on.

I am very sorry for your family's loss, Frank. May Peter rest in eternal peace.

I know I will get crucified for saying this - but here goes. As a long-time member of the forums, and as someone who generally doesn't hold back my opinions, I have frequently found myself on the receiving end of what I call "over-moderation." My recent banishment from here came on the heels of a thread I started, begging people not to hijack the thread or turn it into the all-too-common paid vs. volunteer debate. Almost immediately after starting the topic, some chose to go the route I didn't want it to go, I became irritated (some call it pissed off) and fired off. When I went back and forth with someone openly about this, I got banned (I don't know if he did or not, but that's not the point). I then sent a message to the Moderators both here and on my Facebook page with some choice phrases. I spent a few months banned from here, but as you can see, I am back (for now). Putting aside my personal opinions of certain people running these forums, I still enjoy them for the most part and honestly feel they are an invaluable tool to all of us - provided we use them the right way. I know I've given Seth my word that I will try harder to brush certain things off and not engage in some of my previous behaviors, but I know I'll probably slip up again. I am a very, VERY opinionated person, passionate about what we do with a fairly decent amount of experience and training to support what I say. I've seen friends and family hurt or worse doing this stuff and can only hope that some of the things we talk about on public forums like these will make all of us smarter and more cognizant of the dangers we face. Another thing to consider... As others have said in the past, sometimes we just need to put our "big boy pants" on and develop a thicker skin for the criticisms and advice of others. Nobody is perfect, especially me, and we all make mistakes. As members of the emergency service community we're one big family - like it or not - and even though we may constantly fight about things, we still (usually) can pull together when the chips are down. We go through a lot of bad things together and a lot of good too - but we need to put certain stuff off to the side and keep the forums on track to do what they're meant to do, help us all do our jobs better and safer, and to stick with one another when we need it most. The fire service is a great part of our country's culture and I am so very glad to be a part of it. I've made countless friends doing it, and even more so from just this forum. I know that we all think our own way of doing things is always better than the other guys, but it isn't always the case and coming to online resources like this with an open mind can (and does) help all of us. Last thought... In this month's Fire Engineering there's an article on fire department social media policies. I think every Chief, Commissioner and Officer should take the time to read it and understand it. I know I learned a few things reading it which will change certain feces I occasionally spew from my mouth and on to my keyboard! Thanks for posting this George!

Do I need a passport?

Increased workloads mean nothing to the pencil pushers. Personal goals / pet projects usually trump the public's safety. It's a real shame.

I used Fire One last year to do our pump, hose, aerial and ground ladder testing. http://www.fire-one.com/

That's what she said. Yes, it will fit alongside E119 nicely.

Whoever drew the district lines back in the day was a recreational glue-sniffer at best. If you could see how some lines are done in this county, you'd go nuts. For example, we have to go thru Ossining, then Millwood, then Yorktown fire districts to get to some streets in our district. It's not a perfect world we live in, but it somehow works.

Everyone has opinions about everything. Heck, I have my own opinions about this. But one has to ask the question... WHAT DOES IT MATTER WHAT A FIRE DISTRICT / DEPARTMENT DOES WITH IT'S MONEY IF IT ISN'T BEING USED ILLEGALLY?! I don't live in Yorktown, nor am I in their fire district. My money says that they've done some kind of homework to decide that adding a third station will be of some benefit in some way, shape or form. Sure there may not be a fire down this way for many years. And perhaps guys don't live close to this station. But if there is a fire one day, and the Engine in that fire station gets there first, puts out the fire quickly and possible saves someone's life - I'd bet dollars to donuts that everyone will sing it's praises. I don't understand the hypocricies that go on here sometimes. Everyone wants to be "brothers" when they need something, but so many people are so quick to start criticizing others.

Our department has a few dual responses / automatic aids in place for certain areas / certain call types. For Water Rescue incidents in the Croton River, we're dispatched along with the Yorktown FD Water Rescue Team. For incidents on the Hudson River, we get dispatched along with another Marine unit & WCPD (if in the water). For possible structure fires in our non-hydrant areas, two Mutual Aid Tankers are dispatched initially with us. For possible Haz-Mat incidents, the Montrose VAFD Haz-Mat team is dispatched along with our assignment. Not to get all soap-boxy - but departments that aren't using 60 Control and taking advantage of it's CAD system to set up special responses / pre-plans are truly missing out.

What would really impress me is if the proceeds of this film go to charities that benefit our troops. The Wounder Warrior Project and Operation Homefront come to mind. If any of the ticket sales to this film go to anything like this, then I will pay to go see it.

This may be a dumb question - but in the case of combination departments, can the department/district say that all firefighters (paid or volunteer) have the same minimum training (the 229)?

Agreed. Minimal training for all of us - paid/volunteer in all 50 states - should be the same! People find themselves moving more now then they did years ago to seek work - if a guy is trained to be a firefighter in Alaska he should be qualified to do it in Hawaii!

Thanks Walt. I kind of figured this, but we wanted to make sure we didn't have to tell a guy that's been in 35 years he now has to take Firefighter I because he never took Initial Attack and that's the only option now.

That's kind of what I am trying to verify. We have our own minimum training requirements, and I am trying to make sure we meet what is LEGALLY REQUIRED and put in what we expect from our guys. Last I knew, each department basically draws up their own set of rules, but I would hate to do it then find we missed something required of us. If you know what I mean. Thanks.

Vinny, I took Essentials in 1994. All I remember was folding tarps, rolling hose, and putting on our gear and air packs. No real hands on stuff until I took Initial Fire Attack, Fire Attack II and others. What guys get now in Firefighter I is so much better, it's just not enough yet. I think we should all push to see FF I, FF II, Survival, FAST, HMFRO, Confined Space Awareness, AVET and Truck Ops all into one "minimal" program. Sure it's a lot, but it is a good start.

NYS states that minimum training for Interior Firefighters is as follows: For members that joined before 8/1/02: Firefighting Essentials and Initial Fire Attack For members that joined between 8/1/02 and 12/31/05: Basic Firefighter, Intermediate Firefighter and Firefighter Survival After 1/1/06: Firefighter I and Firefighter Survival The question I had and still have is this: If a member joined an FD say 20 years ago, was the Essentials and IFA the required training, or was it just Essentials? And, do guys now need to take equivalent or better classes to retain their Interior status, or are they "grandfathered?" Thanks.