FirNaTine

I believe it's the other way around. Since so many Depts. rely on 60 Control for Dispatching, it becomes a complete cluster F*ck when the sh*t hits the fan. I remember years ago, when an NRFD Deputy Chief was unable to contact 60 by radio to request a 2nd Alarm because of all the other transmissions that were being broadcasted, some for the 2nd and 3rd times. He finally asked anyone who was monitoring and heard his request to please contact 60 Control and relay his message, which was eventually done by a neighboring Dept. thankfully. Geeze, talk about a SAFETY ISSUE!

Thanks Remember585. In all honesty, that's what I was trying to get across. I guess things got a little out of hand though, especially when I began getting attacked. Ones only recourse is to go on the offensive and come out swinging though. Geeze, now I know how ISRAEL feels!

You know what, your right. Professional is only spelled with one f and not two. It's one of those words I always mispell unfortunately. Please forgive me, I hope my spelling hasn't taken away from the true intent of this forum. I do know one thing for sure though, at least I'll admit when I'm wrong like a true PROFFESIONAL!

Couldn't agree with you more Huzzie! That in a nut shell is exactly my point and should stand true for both Career Depts. and Volunteer Depts. But it doesn't and you know why? Because Depts. over the years have constantly rolled the dice and have to their good fortune and that of the citizens they protect, have come up winners the majority of times. On the rare occassions where luck wasn't on their side, it was all kept hush, hush, swept under the rug and forgotten about. That's not an opinion, that's the truth! Maybe the title of this forum should have been "Should Depts. provide M/A if they're not adequately staffed and equiped to do so?" Oh well, sorry guys if I offended anyone. Those really weren't my intentions. I honestly thought I was just asking an innocent question. I didn't mean to get anybody's bowels in an uproar. Stay Safe and Cool!

Thanks CAM, for clarifying such a simple Question. I had a feeling this was a no brainer. However, I honestly believe, that it's the working Deputy Chief's right to call back his men and equipment that's out on M/A if their not, and I mean not engaged in assisting a neighboring Dept. at the scene of an emergency and he needs them for a true emergency within their own juristiction! We've already done it and its been done to us and you know what? The hosting M/A Depts. understood and nobody complained. It's then up to the Dept. who originally requested the M/A to get someone else in to cover. My main concern is my fellow firefighters and the civilians and their property, I took an oath to protect and who pay my SALARY. NOT providing Fire Protection for another Dept. who doesn't protect their citizens with adequate Fire Protection 24/7. Not that we do, which is even more of a reason to take a flexible approach to the M/A policy and always be prepared to return to your juristiction if need be. We shouldn't even be going on M/A with our inadequate staffing levels and lack of equipment, but that's a whole other issue and forum. I see no difference in this, than a Battalion Chief in FDNY putting a FAST Truck to work and requesting another to replace them, which happens quite often. I guess though I must have a Career FF's. attitude and outlook on the Fire Service in general. I look at it as a Proffesion and not a hobby where sometimes I get to go and play in other communities with my new equipment anf forget about my own, because we've been slow lately and need some work. Hey Attila from Pelham FD, you we're absolutely right with your posts a few months back. WOW!

I'll tell you what's really dumb and ignorant is not having enough men and equipment to respond and suppress a single alarm fire including having a FAST TEAM standing bye, which 99.9% of the time is not needed. M/A is suppose to be used for the BIG ONE, not your everyday bread and butter job, which eventually becomes a big BUFF Convention! I'll take everyone's advice though, and be sure to tell the people who are standing on their front lawn watching their house burn in my juristiction, that I can't help them because I have to respond to a neighboring town for standby. I'll shout it over the rigs PA system as we pass them bye. I'm sure that's what they want to hear. M/A is an agreement between municipalities, not a LAW. There's nothing written in stone that governs this policy. You're not going to be charged with abandonment as if your performing CPR on a patient and you decide to leave for another call. Let's all wake up and get our priorities straight fellows, before someone needlessly gets seriously injured or dies! Like I, along with many of my collegues in the Fire Service in West.Cnty. always state, the M/A system is a debacle and abused too often, to supplement another Depts. inadequate staffing and equipment levels! And don't say you can't pick up and leave a scene or station to respond back to your own juristiction. It was done to our Dept. 2 yrs ago by neighboring m/a depts. operating at a General Alarm and also by my Dept. standing bye in a neighboring city's station on at least 2 occassions that I know of. Our own come first in my opinion, especially if your not engaged in an aggressive offensive operation and it's nothing but another surround and drown operation!

Westchesters Bravest.com

You're absolutely right! Also, how about Depts. that really don't need 60 Control freqeuncy, to obtain their own Dispatching capabilities? That would really clear up the air and the mass confusion you hear and definitely save lives. It would also give 60 Control Dispatchers some breathing room, especially during severe weather conditions.

I don't want people to think I'm opening a can of worms here, but where does it state a M/A Co. can't break away to respond to an emergency in their own juristiction, whether their responding to the scene as a fast team or to standby in a station. I've been on M/A standby in Yonkers on 2 occassions and returned to MT.Vernon because we were needed at the initial call or a subsequent job. In my opinion, you should protect your own first, whether it be firefighters or the civilians that pay for protection. Is this same Fast Team suppose to pass a true emergency in their own town while enroute on M/A and just radio it in to Dispatch? What say you?

He wasn't twiddling his thumbs. He was actually trying to patch a hole in the inside service line by the foundation, that was the size of a quarter, and then ran outside trying to locate the curb box, which of course was buried as usual.

You also had a lot of guys though that had entered the Brotherhood. In fact some of them taught me at Iona College.

Let's face it, most of the injuries in soccer are exagerrated and Hollywood acts to get penalties awarded. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the Italian Soccer team Officials under current investigation right now in Europe for illegal wrong doings, such as cheating within the so called sport? Not to mention the so called breaks they got throughout their matches! Yeah, they won fairly. Give me a friggin break!

I hope not everyone who actually read that letter, believes all that bullshi! rhetoric! From what I've heard from many EMS personell that had contact with this so called Doctor, is that he was a friggin head case that shouldn't have even been practicing medicine. That's not from one EMT/Paramedic, that's from about 10, in the last 48hrs. I, and some of the members of my DEPT. personally had bad experiences with this MD. Too bad he didn't fulfill his wish, if you ask me! :angry:

I'm sure all the RESCUE BOYZ down there are battling it out right now with regards to who actually made the grab!

Hazing, Initiating, Harassment, call it what ever you want, if you can't take it, the Fire Service is no place for your sorry a** sensitive self! If you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen. No pun intended of course. Let's stop always trying to be politically correct, and worrying about LAWSUITS! Personally, I really don't want a guy who gets pissed off if a bucket of water is dropped on his head or his bed sheats shorted, backing my a** up in a fire. If he/she gets pissed at this, GOD only knows how they're going to react when the $hit hits the fan at a fire scene. Enough already with the sensitivity training. Let's all try and start acting like the big, courageous, professsional fireman, we claim to be!

That's some live load back there!

I'm glad someone brought up this topic. While I did not see this prior to a parade, I certainly saw it afterwards around 11:30 that same evening. An antique piece of apparatus was driving south on Boston Post Rd. with only 2 hardly visible tail lights working, 2 guys riding the backstep, a couple more in the hosebed and 2 in the front seat. What made matters worse is on occassion someone would hit the Qsiren. This occured from Harbor Island in Mamaroneck all the way down thru New Rochelle and believe it or not the chauffer was wearing a white hat. Not to mention the apparatus, slightly crossed the double yellow more than once. I along with my passengers couldn't believe what we were seeing, but the icing on the cake was when one of the backsteppers, grabbed his a** cheek and notioned to the vehicle behind him. Talk about unproffessional and irresponsible. I think most of us can figure out what Dept. they are all members of without me having to actually rat them out. I just hope they read this and remember we're always in the public eye, so please try and act proffesional 24/7, because somebody's always watching, especially after you've hoisted a few. And guys say Dennis Leary's show Rescue Me is a disgrace and embarassment to our proffession. If you ask me, it's right on the money. STAY SAFE Bros.

The only time I ever saw an entire soccer game and enjoyed it, was when my boys from IRELAND defeated ITALY at the Meadowlands in 1998. Other than that, I think Soccer is almost as boring as Basketball. It's just another sport where all you really have to watch is the last 5 minutes of the game. I mean come on really, those idiots ran around on Tuesday for over 2 1/2hrs. to finally score 2 friggin pts. in less than 5 minutes? I can't believe people actually find this so called sport entertaining and exciting! They must have some boring lives.

I wonder if their hand tools and power saws are as clean and polished as their rigs!

23 and proud of it!

Couldn't agree with you more CAM! I guess these guys figure once they find the downed firefighter who couldn't call a MayDay over an assigned portable radio they'll be able to get them to the Emergency Room alot quicker in their brand new shiney Chief's car with all it's new lights and sirens? I just hope those who can't see our rational CAM, aren't in a position of leadarship, such as a Chief within the fire service! God help those Departments, with that negative thinking!

Not only apparatus, but how about life saving equipment like portable radios and thermal imaging cameras just to name a couple!

I believe it's 21-22yrs old.

What are you guys going to do with the rigs these new ones are replacing?

Hopefully, we'll have better luck with this rig, than the other 3 new arrivals we got. You never honestly know what you're getting with a Demo rig. It's almost like buying a floor model. I hope it serves us well.