Remember585

You don't pay for them?!

I'd imagine that just like any other "documentation" you need, it costs money. If it didn't - this wouldn't be Westchester County, New York!

I really thought Britney would be the first to grab a dirt nap this year, guess I was wrong.

If memory serves me, our policy at 60 Control is this: Tones. If no response then tones again after 5 minutes. If still no response, third tones and usually Mutual Aid starts. It doesn't happen often, but I have had to do it. Once a unit, any unit, from an FD signs on, then it is in their hands to tell us if additional tones are needed or not. A lot of Departments will pride themselves on getting out the door quick, but it's with a driver only. To me, that really isn't covering anything. What if that rig arrives with the driver and nobody else is there. Oh, it's only an automatic alarm, what are the odds? Oh wait, we have smoke showing! Can you drive, run the call, stretch a line all at the same time? I doubt it. Paid staffiing would be the answer if it was possible, but some smaller areas can't afford it. Like others have said, start consolidating and/or developing dual response plans. The public expects us to provide a service, it is out job to do it right.

You've got a better chance of seeing the baby Jesus then a new contract!

The big problem with the EMT-I's that I always see is that most times you have a Medic on location that wants to ensure everything for the patient is done, and done right. And, many times, the Medic may not know the capabilities of an EMT-I so they don't use them. Additionally, many times when you have a "Tube job," the Medic wants to do it because they don't get to do it that often and want / need to get it. I don't blame them, but it sucks for the I's. I also took the EMT-I class with Barry at OVAC in either 1999 or 2000. I had to drop the course because I started a new job that didn't allow me the time to finish it out. Looking back at it now, I am kind of glad I didn't waste my time. It is a good program, but in my area the EMT-I's don't get to use their skills as often as they would like. And Seth you are right - Captain Nechis is a great instructor whom I have taken a few EMS and Fire classes with. Barry - are you still teaching anything up here at the WCFTC?

"K."

Port Chester is dispatched off the same transmitter they always were. A tie line from Port Chester comes to us at 60 Control. Jack, the Pound Ridge Cross-Band actually goes to 46.06, not 46.26. It was changed when PRFD went to 46.06 for communications.

You don't. 46.26 is a busy channel. Luckily, more and more departments are taking advantage of the Fire Grounds, Trunked System and their own ops channels. Radio traffic on 46.26 is starting to get better. Those that hate hearing everyone else just leave their pagers on Alert so it only opens when their FD gets a call.

Wondering if anyone knows the answer to this. If you have one of those Kenwood TK630/730/830 radios with dual heads, can you take, say, the 630/730 and swap one out with an 830? What I have is a Low-Band TK630 and a Dual-Band TK730 / TK830. I am considering making the UHF independent and putting the Low & High bands together. Thanks in advance.

I've actually been to scenes where an aerial is used to push down or lift up the wires so another aerial can have access!!! F That!

Date: 1/9/08 Time: 05:55 Location: Area of 721 Titicus Road "Vox Bar & Restaurant" (Cross of Peach Lake Road) Frequency: 46.26 / Fire 13 / 151.535 Units Operating: CFFD 2072, 2073, MA16, T8, R28 / WEMS 45M3 / NSVAC 72B1 / NYSP Description Of Incident: Rollover with one pinned. Writer: Remember585 05:58 - 2073 on scene. 06:01 - 2073 confirming one pinned. MA16 on location. 2072 Responding. 06:03 - 2073 requesting re-tone of R28. 06:04 - 2072 on scene. T8 responding. 06:07 - 2073 requesting Bryson's Towing to the scene ASAP. T8 on scene. 06:08 - R28 responding, 72B1 responding. 60 Control reports TMC notified for Bryson's. 06:09 - 60 Control reporting a 5 minute ETA for Bryson's. 06:10 - 45M3 on location. 06:15 - 72B1 on location. 06:18 - R28 on location. 2073 Reports victim extricated and in care of EMS.

Who knows what happened to it. If you're looking for a link along the river up that way, try ours (Croton) 453.0250 or Mohegan 453.2750. I can pick it up all the way down county, same with Briarcliff which I think is 460.1125.

Yeah, I asked him this AM and he gave me an answer I was hoping for, thanks Chief!

For the most part, PCFD get dispatched on 46.26, units respond on 46.26 and the IC communicates with 60 Control on 46.26. But most of their on-scene ops are on Fireground channels, which unless you're near by you won't hear.

Anyone......Bueller? Bueller?

Good call Haz-Mat! Miss ya down here!

Thanks guys, but I promise driving thru Croton is still OK. Except for all the speed traps...

Still not done computing the Department total, but Croton FD Station #2 ran 213 calls, the SAME EXACT NUMBER as last year.

Two of my favorite rigs... Engine 119 Tanker 10

Rescue 134 is used as a Rescue. It has a pump that can be used if it is needed, but another Engine company covers it's traditional first due. Peekskill FD has 6 Stations, most times only 5 are staffed by one career FF each. Two stations are ALS stations, and that Career FF is a Paramedic and does double duty either operating the Engine or the ALS Fly-Car. One station is also staffed by a FF/EMT who will respond as a BLS Engine to assist Peekskill EMS. Six Stations Four Engines (E130, E131, E132, E133) Two ALS Fly-Cars (39M1, 39M2) One Tower Ladder (TL45) One Rescue (R134) Hope that helps.

Search for what? Are you talking about a primary search for a victim? Or are you talking about a downed / missing FF search? If it's the latter, and you are WAITING TO CALL A FAST UNTIL YOU NEED IT, SHAME ON YOU! Even if you don't call in a FAST right away, you should always designate a crew to stand-by to watch out for your people. And, on the issue of just calling in an Engine, Truck or Rescue company to be your FAST - do they have training in that discipline? A FAST is much more methodical in it's operation and better trained (most times) then a normal firefighter. For me, if I am running a scene I want a trained, qualified FAST and not an Engine with a driver, an Officer and three guys fresh out of FF I class. Give me experienced, trained firefighters with knowledge, no just pulses.

There's a lot of valid points being discussed here, and although at first it seemed like a bash fest of a certain agency, it seems to have gone back to being more "generic." Here's my take. I have been a part of an FD that provides EMS since I was 14, which means I have been doing it for 16 years. Myself, and the guys and gals that were around when I started will talk about how it used to be - when the horn blew it was a RACE to get the ambulance out. People would literally race each other, cut each other off and run past one another to get the rig out. It used to be FUN. On the other hand, I also have belonged to two other EMS agencies. One was pager called and the other was duty crews. We had problems on both sides getting calls covered. The pager-call agency has seen an enormous call volume increase thanks in part to a Skilled Care Facility that calls for an ambulance at least once a day. To cover that many more calls with less people then there used to be is a royal pain in the backside. Then there's the VAC I belonged to that we had to do crews at. There were times where members didn't show up and nobody covered them, times when the crew was only one person and we had to abuse, I mean use, the Medic to cover calls and a bunch of other issues trying to cover calls. Then, to boot, it seems like the public forgot how to care for themselves for the little things like a broken finger or toe, a cut on their head, etc. They stopped drving to the hospital and started calling 9-1-1. Our call volume has gone up close to 300% in about 12 years in my FDEMS. We went from having one ambulance to having two. We went from "Load & Go," to "Wait for the Medic." A lot has changed. And a bigger change is coming in only a couple months when we, the CFD, will stop providing EMS and it will be done by the newly formed CEMS. Will this make a difference? YES, even if it is only minute. Will it help response times? Not sure but I really hope so. The difference I am talking about is that EMS will no longer be the bastard child of the FD. It will have it's own leaders, people with actual EMS EXPERIENCE AND CERTIFICATIONS. We're going to stop depending on people answering the pager calls and put together duty crews. We're going to TRAIN, we're going to MEET TOGETHER and we are going to PERIODICALLY REVIEW HOW WE'RE DOING. And we have all pretty much agreed that if it isn't making a huge difference in the level of care, then we will explore the next step, which would be employment of personnel. I have worked as an EMT at many places, many times. I have been involved with paid EMS both on the scene and from the other side of the radio at work. Here's the big misconception that everyone has. PAID DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN BETTER! How many times have we discussed a certain commercial service in the area and their reckless driving, piss poor care and overall unprofessionalism? Exactly. A paycheck means nothing when it comes to being professional and proficient in what we are suppost to do. I know ALS and I have spoken on this subject many times, just like I have with my fellow members, workers, and other colleagues. We have spent hours on top of hours discussing the peril state EMS is in around here. As we've seen from our fellow posters in other areas outside the "WC" it is all over the place. I think the bottom line is something that has been mentioned before, EMS deserves equality among PD and FD. Once that is accomplished, then maybe we can get our elected officials to back us the way they always (OK, almost always) support PD & FD. And, those of us hiding behind our computers bashing an agency for it's inabilities, are we doing anything to help? Maybe you don't have the time to volunteer and cover calls, but perhaps you can help your VAC by asking them how you can help, even if it is a letter writing campaign to the politicians for funding and such. And to all those that helped us with Mutual Aid last year, thank you, I only hope we can scale it back and stop abusing you. That's my two cents.

Situatuon #1 - The FF with the highest level of training should assume care of the patient. If you're all equals, then draw straws. The Officer should be In Charge of the overall scene, which means he holds a radio and not the IV bag, and making sure appropriate resources show up, etc. Situatuon #2 - I would think the transporting agency is, in essence, a higher level of care then a non-transporting agency, no?