JetPhoto

And the Governor wants to allow them to get drivers licenses! I know not all are bad but a lot are because they simply don't care! They should let them show up for a license and then ship them back to their homeland for being an illegal

Can we donate our points to the operation of this board?

What do we do with them?

Sunday, September 23, 2007 Shortage of volunteers adds to woes By John Davis Poughkeepsie Journal Communities are coming to rely more and more on professional ambulance services due to the decline in volunteers on their local rescue squads. Several fire departments have terminated their rescue squad operations in the past few years due to lack of volunteer emergency medical technicians. Increased job demands and more time spent on the road commuting to work have contributed to this decrease. The shortage is driving an increase in the cost of ambulance service to communities, prompting them to consider sharing these expenses with neighboring communities by forming consortiums or regional ambulance systems. A key factor in the decline of local volunteers was the reduction of the work force at IBM in Poughkeepsie and East Fishkill in the early 1990s, said David Ping, vice president for strategic planning and business development at Health Quest, the Poughkeepsie-based health-care system. The company was very flexible in allowing its employees who were volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians to leave work and respond to emergencies. "IBM was a big advocate of volunteers," said Marc Reina, general manager of Alamo Ambulance Service. Many who lost their IBM jobs are now working at places that do not allow them the same freedom to take off when they are notified of an emergency. "A lot of people are working extra jobs," Reina said. Dwindling numbers Roosevelt Fire Department Chief Bill Steenbergh said he has seen a dwindling of volunteers in its firefighter and rescue squad, mostly among those in their 20s and 30s. "People are working multiple jobs to keep up with the rising cost of living," he said. "They are spending more time with their families." The Hyde Park Fire Department recently eliminated its rescue squad due to lack of volunteers. Six months ago the Staatsburg Fire District did the same thing and for the same reason. Residents of the districts were notified Northern Dutchess Paramedics would provide all ambulance service. While the Roosevelt Fire District is continuing to provide rescue service for another section of the Town of Hyde Park, the chief sees the writing on the wall. "There will be a day when the Roosevelt district will not have a volunteer ambulance service," Steenbergh said. With the loss of the rescue squads, residents lose a service that only costs them when they pay their fire taxes. The Roosevelt fire tax rate this year is $2.11 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. Roosevelt has an agreement with Alamo to provide advanced life support. The ambulance firm directly bills each patient's medical insurance company. Those who are underinsured or without insurance are responsible for paying the bill. First responders The loss of a rescue squad is more than about cutting cost. The volunteers are members of a tier of first responders, who, because they live locally, can be the first to reach someone who has been injured or is very ill. "That's why the role of the rescue squad is so important," Steenbergh said. "You need your neighbor coming out and providing immediate care." The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response is working with communities to coordinate ambulance service. This includes ensuring there is a tiered system of first responders and advanced life support providers. Howard Adams, emergency medical services coordinator for Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response, said first responders can be police officers, volunteer firefighters or even qualified members of the county department of public works. "If we lose our first responders, we will save no lives in those areas," Adams said. "It's key, absolutely key, the first responders have to be there." The first responders can provide first aid and comfort the patient before an ambulance arrives, providing advanced life support. This is what happened a little more than one year ago to Hyde Park resident Joseph Strong, who fell in his house and fractured his left hip. Strong, who lives in the Roosevelt Fire District, called 911 on his phone. First to arrive were volunteers with the rescue squad. "They looked to see what was wrong," Strong said. "I was sitting on the edge of the bed." The Roosevelt volunteers stayed with Strong until an Alamo ambulance crew arrived, put him on a stretcher, carried him to the vehicle and took him to Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck. Reach John Davis at jpdavis@poughkeepsiejournal.com or 845-437-4807.

For a photo: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pb...313/1006/NEWS01

That's no way to talk about their firefighters...

Date: September 23, 2007 Time:19:17 Location: Glenwood Rd C/S NJ state line & Newport Bridge Rd Frequency: 46.16, 460.600 Units Operating: Pine Island, Warwick FD, EMS, PD, Vernon FD(NJ) Description Of Incident: Multi car fatal MVA Writer: JETPHOTO 19:17 Units dispatched to a head on MVA with Inj 19:20 Pine Island car 1 on the scene on Glenwood Rd just in from Newport Bridge Rd 19:22 Cmd reports 2 car head on & 1 down the embankment. critical situation with heavy pin. Request medevac on stand by 19:27 Cmd request medevac to the scene, L/Z at the Scenic Farms Golf course. Cmd also request Vernon FD (NJ) to shut the road down at the state line 19:29 Lifenet Air 2 enroute ETA 19:45 19:33 Cmd reports 3 car mva, 8 pt's total, 1 victim extricated, 1 still pinned 19:36 Cmd request 2nd medevac 19:37 911 reports Lifenet 75 enroute ETA 20:00 19:45 Cmd reports 1 fatal victim was crushed 19:45 Warwick PD request A/I to the scene 20:13 Warwick LZ cmd reports Air 2 e/r to the hospital, Lifenet 75 at the L/Z 20:36 Cmd reports 2nd pinned victim now extricated and enroute to the L/Z 21:02 Warwick L/Z command reprts Lifenet 75 is e/r to the hospital

Bill, great shots! I wish I knew they were doing the lights again, I would have loved to take another boat trip down to see them again. Lets see what happens next year

Was it held to a room and contents fire? thanks for the pic

Time to start using a laser gun

For more information To learn more about prescribed burning and why fire management is important in the Shawangunks, visit the Shawangunk Ridge Biodiversity Partnership fire management Web site at www.gunksfireplan.org

Someone's going to be in trouble.....

Sounds like FD's & EMS will still be able to get money for calls on the highway, for at least another year.

More people need to play!

I'm not familiar with the way FDNY operates but do they give you probie gear 3 months before you begin probe school? This guy needs some psych meds

From the Times Herald-Record This can happen to anyone. It is important that we remeber to set up warning devices and use a firetruck to block lanes because you never know when a little old lady is going to visit your scene.

Check out: http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/Traffic_Ma...nt/HELP_Trucks/

On the Taconic Parkway in Putnam and Dutchess they communicate with SP Poughkeepsie often

The Poughkeepsie Journal printed the same AP story a couple days ago.

Meow

The way I see it is the more people see blue lights on emergency vehicles the more people will yield to a fireman go to a call.

I saw a photo of this in the paper, amazing.

Good story, thanks for posting. It's very sad that so much death had occured in 2006.