Remember585

You'd be amazed how quick the cost adds up when dealing with communications related equipment and the installation of same. Especially if it is being designed for interoperability with other agencies whom all have different comm equipment. I'd like to see this thing in person when it's done - being the comm geek that I am.

Interviews were held this week for 60 Control. I am told we are hiring five. Good luck to all.

The storms over the past couple of years have highlighted some needs for us, and we have either received those or are in the process of securing them. We lost our old, aluminum "Rescue Boat" during Irene. With the FEMA money we replaced it with a 14' Mercury RIB w/ 25 HP motor. We (prior to this) expanded our water rescue abilities with training and equipment, as well as dual-responses with neighboring Yorktown FD's Water Rescue Team. During Sandy, we were able to put this boat on the ready as well as our spare 12' inflatable. Sandy knocked out power to our only firehouse without a generator. Although it is in the Capital Budget for next year, our village has approved to pursue a federal grant now to install it. Hopefully it works out. The storms have sent us on dozens of calls that don't truly require the response of our larger apparatus, nor a ton of manpower. This year we were able to get the village to purchase us a Utility Truck, which we are in the process of getting ready to purchase and build. This vehicle will be outfitted with extra saws, traffic barricades, trash pumps and the like for storm-related calls. It will also allow us to take specialized equipment from a rig going out of service and keep it on a vehicle so we don't lose it - something we've lacked for a long time. Lastly, our "Radio Room" has seen some equipment additions and upgrades, and more on the way. This will give us a better place to set up and dispatch our units from during storms. A secondary communications system has been built and put on another firehouse - which is also our Village's backup EOC now. I believe anytime we come up short on something, that should be the last time. If we don't learn from our mistakes, we are doing a disservice to everyone.

Put the cape on last.

You know what I mean bro, if you have an issue sort it out at work, not bring it home. And yes, no leaving dead animals anywhere - that's just nasty.

W.T.F. Keep it in-house, don't involve the families!!!

I've often heard of Commissioners being referred to as "Has Been's" and "Never Were's" which try to run a department despite the input of their Chiefs and Officers. We don't have Commissioners, as we are a Municipal FD. We have a Fire Council made up of Wardens from our five companies and the three Chiefs. Despite the occasional quarrel, our Council leaves operational matters in the hands of the Chiefs.

The passenger side pump inlet layout is interesting. Is there a valve that allows the ECC to choose which intake he is working with?

Hank was one of my favorite people to just shoot the breeze with at CCVAC. When he talked about the Corps, he did so with great enthusiasm and pride. I remember doing a lot of calls with him, but one sticks out more. We had an infant cardiac arrest on Christmas morning, in the snow. I got on scene first and was doing CPR, when the rig showed up with him behind the wheel. When the call was done, we were driving back to HQ and he began to give me yet another history lesson on the area and how Crugers is it's own community, like it never happened. I swear we had that same conversation a dozen times over the years. You'll be missed, Hank. Thanks for the memories. John Munson, former 8812 / 8860.

How many fires have we all been to where the amount of water needed wasn't the issue - it was the lack of proper application of it? No need to call out certain incidents, but we all know they exist...

Looks like an older, possibly in-house-made low-level strainer to me. I know we have a similar one made of brass for pony suction on E118.

How many attic fires do they run that justifies this? Random...

Based on what I have seen over the years vacationing there, you can knock on any firehouse door in that area and see a handful of guys in the station - during the same time this fire occurred. I agree with others that it wouldn't have mattered because of the wind, construction, and cause of the fire. What stopped that blaze was the enormous trench created by excavators and the fire line created. Could it have been established sooner and closer to the heart of the blaze - who knows. Point is, even if SHFD was out the door with paid or volunteer crews on dispatch, they were behind the eight-ball before the first 911 call even came in. If anything can be blamed it would be years of salt water, sea air and Sandy.

Reach out to AAA Emergency Supply too - they're knowledgeable on these products as well. (914) 949-0512.

I can think of three incidents I've responded to where the municipal water system couldn't keep up - all in Peekskill. Hampton Oaks Apartments (1999?), Main Street shopping center (2005?) & more recently the Lakewood fire (2013).

Rumor has it that they still have that in their "Station 2," not sure if it's true.

Protein bar I-phone Headphones Let's gooooooo!

I've generally used "working" when it relates to a fire that is taking off and on it's way to consuming everything in it's path. I've said "active" when rolling up on a car with just the engine compartment going, or a small semi or mostly contained fire in a building. Not sure if what I'm transmitting or explaining is right, it's just how I try to decipher what we got.

The opposite of an unemployed one?

The brotherhood is still there. However social media outlets where guys can go and cry about mundane immature stuff that should be kept in house and worked out has ruined a lot of it. And - no disrespect to this website - places like this where everyone climbs on to their high horses and points fingers PUBLICLY instead of manning up and shooting a brother a private message, calling them or dropping in to their firehouse to talk to them man to man has ruined a lot of what we all used to know. I appreciate the things I have learned here and on other websites. I have made great friends and taken what I picked up here and put it to good use. However, there has been more drama for me and my department because of sites like this, Facebook and Myspace when it was still around. I have been accused of doing things I didn't. My department and members of it have been falsely or inaccurately implicated in things they didn't do. Friendships and professional relationships with neighboring departments have been tested, strained or ruined when someone sees/hears something and reacts to it before knowing the facts. We live in the information age. Everyone can hide behind a keyboard and be an expert on everything. They can call someone out for something with little to no facts, denouncing them to their easily impressionable audience. Let this be a lesson to all of you up and coming members of the fire service - WORK YOUR PROBLEMS OUT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF YOUR FIREHOUSE! If you can't say something to someone face to face, DON'T SAY IT! And to be "politically correct," we're not a brotherhood anymore. Many females have joined our ranks and proven to be exceptional parts of our department families. I like to say that the fire department is a family, and like the families we've been born into, we don't always agree, we don't even always like each other, but at the end of the day - we are (or should be) there for one another when the chips are down. I'm done. Thanks for listening. EDIT: I forgot to mention that I am not always liked, and often say things that offend people. It comes with a deep sense of pride in what I do and the department I am proud to be a part of. But, at the end of the day, I can sleep knowing I do what is best for my people and what's in the best interest of keeping our department going strong for years to come.

Out of Service according to members of CFFD. #figures LOL.

Trach patients with difficulty breathing... still baffles me...

We definitely need people...that's for sure...

Ossining FD deserves credit for throwing the ladders as well. They're among a small percentile around the county that has strong Truck Company presence at a fire scene - whether it's throwing portable ladders or getting the Truck into position. I actually missed this fire, but can tell you I am proud of the guys for always doing the right thing. Ironically, Monday night's FAST drill was a review of throwing ladders...

Original Horse-Drawn - Washington Engine Company No. 2 http://www.crotononhudson-ny.gov/Public_Documents/CrotonHudsonNY_WebDocs/HistoricalSociety/archives/fd/00086%20FD.jpg 1962 Mack - Engine 119 http://www.crotononhudson-ny.gov/Public_Documents/CrotonHudsonNY_WebDocs/HistoricalSociety/archives/fd/00051%20FD.jpg A great link to some Croton FD classics can be found here: http://www.crotononhudson-ny.gov/Public_Documents/CrotonHudsonNY_WebDocs/HistoricalSociety/archives/fd/fdindex.html