Bnechis

Thank you. To add pictures click "more reply options" button at the lower right corner of the reply box. You can then attach files. In general, most "heavy rescues", unless they have an additional unit(s) or trailers are not what is being referred to here. One must carry trench shoring, building collapse shoring, and other specialized tools for USAR based function. FEMA & NYS have extensive information on "Typing" which is used to determine capabilities.

The article indicated that the city was going to make up the difference in the compensation the TOR failed to ask SAFER for.

Excellent points! 1) Actually we require the manufacture builds the front bumper without damaging the vehicle (and minimizing damage to the pushed vehicle, if possible) so it can be used for pushing, 2) I could not fined a definition in the V&T for highway maintenance, but it did define "highway" as including all publicly owned road. Now that being said, there are approximately 180 miles of public highway in my city (excluding I-95 & the HRP). And they are controlled/maintained by our DPW. The engineering department is responsible for issuing "maintanince permits" to any entity that cuts through the pavement, or patches, fills or repaves it. Since they do not issue permits for the level of maintenance that we do, this is a none issue. In addition Federal & State law requires clean up of spilled hazardous materials on these roads, which we perform, again no permits are issued to anyone for this type of work. 3) Why should they be the exception to anything else that comes out of Albany. 4) I do not know if the courts would consider "responding" as operating (and we can all establish that it is considered hazardous) , but that does restrict, disrupt and impede normal traffic. Once we stop we clearly do this. Also if while moving its improper, then DOT, DPW's, Sanitation & Tow Trucks are all violating this as they are "operating" while moving all the time. 5) not that we do, but we can. Since once out of the fire house we are always on or adjacent to a public highway, so the only issue is does #4 apply, prior to our arrival. Of course its absurd (see #3). 6) We use the law firm of Duewe Cheatum & Howe. Was told by a NYS Judge (at a multi day seminar on FD Vehicle Liability) that best practices & even standards (like NFPA) outside NYS would generally not be admitted if it was to defend against a state regulation.

It has been some time since I last read the V&T laws, their have been some minor language changes and you bring up an interesting point. The definition of a hazard vehicle has changed, in the past amber light could be used on any vehicle involved in an operation where it was operating at reduced or different speeds than the flow of traffic. Now its rather limited, so as I read it, the following vehicles that regularly use amber lights are breaking the V&T: security companies, private security (hospitals, manufacturing, universities, etc.), oversized vehicles, escort vehicles, delivery vehicles, USPS (except on rural routes), fleet maintenance & repair vehicles, etc. Now while it is a little vague as to who may use ambler, it does indicate that as long as a vehicle is designed to push a disabled vehicle (our fire trucks are so equipped) or is involved in highway maintenance (like cleaning up a fluid spill or the remaining debris at a crash) as we regularly do, then the regulation clearly allows us to use amber lights. At the same time its hard to get past the language for blue lights as its on point: Article 9, 375, 41. 4. b. In addition to the red and white lights authorized to be displayed pursuant to paragraph two of this subdivision, one or more blue lights or combination blue and red lights or combination blue, red and white lights may be affixed to a police vehicle, fire vehicle, ambulance, emergency ambulance service vehicle, and county emergency medical services vehicle provided that such blue light or lights shall be displayed on a police vehicle, fire vehicle, ambulance, emergency ambulance service vehicle, and county emergency medical services vehicle for rear projection only.

Article said that 44 applied.

While no one is going to "pull them over and cite them". If they are involved in an accident, a smart lawyer will use this against the dept. and the taxpayers may end up paying, even if the incident had nothing to do with the color of the lights. Very hard to have credibility in court, when you violate the law and you should have known better. Actually that's part of the tort standards that will be used against them.

In the short term, this will help 8 volunteer firefighters become career firefighters, but in the long term it removes 8 volunteers from the volunteer service. Since it is illegal (federal law) for them to volunteer in Stamford once hired. This becomes one more nail in the coffin of the volunteer fire service in Stamford.

Yes. Very well designed. Lots of internal features, including security features. Major advantage, no greasing, no painting. just flushing (for the plumbing) is all that is needed for annual maintenance. Disadvantage, they are much more expensive than standard hydrants. Over the long run they will save money, but it may take 15 to 20 yrs to break even (not bad on a 50 - 75 yr life).

City ordinances can not contradict state law.

We tried to establish squads in northern Westchester, a number of depts. were approached and some trained. but politics got in the way.

The Westchester Special Operations Task Force(WSOTF) is a mutual aid group consisting of 11 Career FD's. The departments are divided into squad companies. Every squad is trained in Hazmat/WMD, Trench, Building Collapse, Confined Space & Rope Rescue. Each Squad is equipped with Hazmat/WMD equipment (except Yonkers handles it outside the squad). Greenville, New Rochelle & Yonkers squads have collapse rescue units in addition (which carry Trench, Building Collapse, Confined Space & Rope Rescue equipment). White Plains Squad also has collapse (but I am not sure if they carry trench). The squads are assigned as follows: Squad # 1 Yonkers Squad # 2 New Rochelle (with Larchmont & Pelham Manor recently being added) Squad # 3 Mt Vernon Squad # 4 White Plains Squad # 5 Eastchester / Scarsdale Squad # 6 Fairview / Greenville / Hartsdale Each squad must respond with a minimum of 5ff's & 1 Off. But some respond with more. Yonkers Squad Responds with a Collapse Unit. Their USAR Trailer responds with the Rescue and a USAR Task force to support the squads. Both Greenville & White Plains have collapse units. New Rochelle Responds with either hazmat/WMD support unit or Heavy Rescue and Collapse Rescue unit. New Rochelle was also designated for swift water rescue, has been equipped and officers have been trained as instructors. Members will be training this summer. The system is set up so that their are approximately 54 trained/certified responders on duty in the different depts. available to respond. Many of the squads have responded as far as Delaware County. NRFD has responded as far as Canada. We can be requested via 60 Control. Dispatch times are generally under 5 minutes to get sent out of district. When a tornado hit California Closets in Hawthorne (17 miles from NRFD Sta. #1) 60 Control Requested us immediately and YFD, GFD & NRFD had 50+ responders and equipment on-scene in under 25 minutes.

Friday afternoon 2 flew directly over my house at about 500 feet. I was in the backyard and you could feel the vibration and the down wash. Amazing. They made the cobras look like flies. They weigh as much as the new engine 23 and can lift up the old one.

Amen

Looks very good. That's very common for ladders overseas. I have heard rumor they have lots of potential pinch points & caution is needed.

How much effort are we making to PREVENT the use or assist people to get off the drugs? NYS wants to train 5,000 LEO's to postpone the problem. Because giving Narcan will save them...this time...but that just kicks the can down the road. I saw one study (from Mass.) that showed only 1% of overdoses actually receive narcan, because no call is ever made to 911, because the person is alone and cant or with "friends" who are afraid of "discovery". It also said that only about 10-12% of the narcan in the field is used in a given year, While it did not give a lot of detail, how much of that was to the AMS patient (that did not need it, but we give it incase they needed it)? Also, with those numbers about 70% of all narcan purchased expires without being used, and that is before we put it out on every PD, FD, & BLS unit.

Even if this brings a great outcome to an individual patient(s), I suspect the program is not very likely to be successful. How many systems do enough serious trauma that this is needed, but more important is how many ambulances are these calls being divided by? Also in many high volume systems, your transport times to a trauma center are often only a few minutes.

That was the 1st time it rained. Sorry if you missed it. Note: nothing leaked, so we are starting on a good note.

Its called an I-Zone Hook.. Very popular on the west cost (I have seen about 6 different versions). They use it when confronted with a wildfire that threatens multiple homes, when they need to hose down an exposure, then move 1,000 feet up the road to cover another one. They just loop the hose over it like it was a garden hose, then move up the road. Much faster than repacking or rolling it. We do not have that issue here, but we go out on the highways, and instead of repacking it while out on the road, much safer to get off the highway sooner, and repack it somewhere safe (or warm or dry, etc.). Also if the last 50 or 100 feet is dirty, its easy to hose it (and the rig off) before packing it back in the bed. Here is another style:

30 years ago we were carrying Albumin. I do not think it was ever even used. Just cost money & would expire in the rig.

Engine 22 on order

True, but at the same time NOTHING will kill Firefighters faster than the incident commander not having situational awareness, and not communicating conditions and actions to incoming and/or operating units. Almost the universal reason listed on every NIOSH fire ground LODD report...."Failure to Communicate" & "Failure to Command"

To bad the narcan didn't work on grandma............ But it is so much easier to give every 1st responder narcan than to fix EMS or the drug problem.

Narcan does no good if its being paged 2 or 3 times and then goes mutual aid. And I want to see BVM's for OD before narcan. What is really behind all of this? One law enforcement supervisor told me that he was at a recent "conference" on Narcan for law enforcement that was sponsored by Amphastar Pharmaceuticals (the only manufacturer of Narcan). What a shock. Anyone notice that in the last 7 years the price of the drug has doubled? In a recent article; "Amphastar says it is not able to discuss its pricing history for competitive reasons." What competitive reasons, as they have a monopoly?

What amazes me is Feiner keeps getting re-elected. His actions constantly result in litigation against the town.

That's ok because it is part of everyday FD tool maintenance.