jcoppola

I always liked Macks. They are durable and great looking, and have a rich tradition in the fire service.

No problem Pat, but keep in mind that you are all a similar resource (volunteers) and like it or not, your actions reflect on one another and preception is going to be based on those actions. You speak for yourself in the comments about training and I know them to be true based on what I know about you. But that is not a general consenus among all the services and you know it. Joe

Tim, I appreciate your comments and they are good, but don't kid yourself, there is no love affair going on between the Danbury career and volunteer staffs. I think in thier case, the career chief is trying really hard to make them an assett because there are so many of them. In fact, they are being trained by the career staff training division. Would the Stamford volunteers accept training from the SFRD? I think not, in that most of them are now considered rival organizations. I have said it once and I will continue to say it...career and volunteer in Stamford will NEVER peacefully co-exist. In the case of Stamford, there are apparently not that many volunteers anymore, and the response to Long Ridge shows a case in point. I am sure many of these comments are going to peeve some people, but they are correct and I would not post them if I did not believe them.

Hartsdale has nice stuff, but I am out on the Spartan Gladiator cab/chassis. I personally think it is one of the most unsightly apparatus chassis out there. I like the old pierce dash better...

I doubt there are any similarities with the Stamford situation and ANY department in the region. I truly believe there is no solution. Stamford Fire will have to live with the fact that there are many vollie members who are "dug-in" and have no plan for stepping aside. Most of it is now pride over anything else, including delivery of adequate services. The volunteers need to learn to live with the fact that they are not the same as the paid department who has a ton of human and equipment resources and they will not falter, the tax base says so at the very least. These departments have enough capital resources to keep their doors open and their bills paid for many years, albeit in a very limited, skeleton-crew capacity. They will continue to be a thorn in Mayor Malloy's side for as long as they can. My opinion on this has remained consistent...if the volunteers cannot do it, then they need to rely upon those in the city who can and like it or not, that is the SFRD, represented by, again, like it or not, Local 786. It is appearing that there is a resounding theme that it cannot be done in many cases. Sorry, thats just a fact.

Like a meeting of the "5 families"??? Not likely.

This Long Ridge thing is just another horrible example of how badly things are going in Stamford. When will it end? If 5 percent of what I am reading is accurate, where is the public outcry? Especially considering a home and property in the Long Ridge section of the city is worth millions and with no pricetag on lives in danger...

Totally off the point. Adds nothing to the discussion.

Don't feel bad, we get major incidents in Norwalk and we don't even get mentioned half the time, and we are the only game in town...

In a quite unsuprising turn of events, the NY Mets were eliminated from the post season once again because they just cannot get the job done when it counts. How much more do they expect their fans (including me) to take. Unbelievable...or should I say quite believable??? What could be worse than watching the Phillies and the Brewers in the playoffs? I know...the Yankees aren't there either. SO LAME Nice job Jerry Manuel and the 2008 Mets - CHOKERS

Please...the Jets beat a SAD team on Sunday who actually kept scratching their way back into the game. Lets see what happens when they start playing some real teams...oh, I forgot, they are in the AFC...there aren't any REAL teams. Lets face it, the only football game in town is the NYG Big Blue Machine, fed by a boatload of confidence and no respect from peers.

Good riddance to Shea Stadium. The Mets did very little there by way of winning championships over the years. I still have to hang on to 1986 and what I have heard about 1969 to have any faith in this team. Such losers!

Very true...GO BLUE! For all intents and purposes, baseball season in OVER.

Even though that sucks, it still doesen't erase the "I hate my job" days...I have been having a lot of those lately!

You make great points as far as utilizing taxpayer rescources responsibly and you know where I stand on that. One thing you need to remember and I still feel it a little, is the pride that these departments have instilled in their members. Speaking only for BFD, I know the level of dedication and pride most of those guys feel for the place. It is not as cut-and-dry as you suggest and the key challenge is to strike a workable, safety oriented and fiscally responsible deal, not one based on blackmail and witholding funds. I lost quite a bit of that pride when those guys got laid off, but as I said before, they are better for it now and they know it. I ABSOLUTELY HATED answering to a volunteer chief when I was emplyed @ BFD and I ALWAYS felt that my best interestes were the LAST thing on the chief's mind. That is no way to run a business or an orgainzation. And you all who know me know how sincere I am in this because the whole situation caused a lot of family turmoil, of which I never backed down (and still to this day don't) My 2 cents+ Joe

I recently received this picture from someone on scene in the early phases of this protracted operation. The picture attached depicts the intensity of the fire found on arrival, almost total attic involvement through the roof. The operation went defensive early on due to collapses happening on arrival of the first due company.

No problem, just keepin you honest.

Simply ridiculous, as this whole situation has proven to be. Keep in mind, the same consultant that Stamford is using recommended a third ladder truck and a sixth engine in Norwalk to be staffed as well as a dual rescue company with 2 personnel on each rig...do you think that ever came to fruition? Of course not. I would not hold much stock in the consultant report, all it amounts to is more spending that the cities are not prepared to accept. I believe the consultant is a company called Tridata? They also recommended a new fire headquarters for us...5 years ago.

As far as I know, Belltown FD Incorporated owns the property and the building they occupy on Dorlen Road. The city has absolutely no right to it

I did not want to put this in the Incident Alert section because I don't have a lot of accurate information, except what I read in the Connecticut Post, but a few days ago, a home in Trumbull was targeted in a home invasion attempt. News reports indicate that 4 perpetrators attempted to enter the home of a Trumbull man who allegedly sold a fatal dose of heroin to one of the perpetrators' relatives last year. The occupant foiled the attempt by slamming the door on the perp and notifying other family members/occupants and they all fled in a car which was quickly pulled over by Trumbull PD who, by all accounts did a phenominal job of bringing this to a non-violent conclusion. Weapons and duct tape were recovered in the car and on a nearby lawn. Perpetrators are being held on various high bonds and are being charged with various charges including attempted murder, home invasion (carrying a minimum mandatory 10 year sentence in CT in the wake of Cheshire), possession of stolen weapons and various others. You can follow this story on www.ctpost.com

What an awesome looking vessel. Love the pictures! THANKS!!!!!!!!

I was home nursing a 1 month old recunstructed ACL surgery. I had the surgery on August 8, 2001 and was expected to be out of work at the FD until December of that year. I called my brother (FDNY L-40 at the time) to ask him if he was aware of what was going on. He said that he had just gotten to his apartment in Brooklyn from a normally busy night tour at E37/L40 and was going to get some rest. I instructed him to turn on his TV. He used a few expletives and hung up the phone. He obviously reported for duty and I did not hear from him until late that night. Not knowing his condition was hard, and the fact that I would not be able to help in any capacity was even harder. Like everybody else, I sat glued to a TV. Keeping my folks calm during the event knowing their son was at ground zero was no easy task either. But, my family was fortunate, and my heart goes out to the families of the "343" and I never will forget those sacrifices made during the biggest and most successful rescue effort in the history of the Fire Service. God Bless all those lost on 9/11. JVC

I extend my deepest condolences to the Chief's family and the Ridgefield PD. Joe Coppola Secretary Norwalk Fire Fighters Assn. - Local 830

I'm sure they will. I put no stock in rumors, there are so many conspiracy theories out there on this topic and all of them are 10% accurate at best to date. I really and truly hope that BFD can stay on the map in Stamford in a useful capacity, I hold out hope that they can. I need to put aside all of the feelings I have about what has been done there in the past 2 years and remember what a traditional place that has been and how many solid fire service careers it fostered, including my own and my brother's. I am sure there are 786 guys out there that know EXACTLY what I mean, because...they have been my friends and the ex-chief's friends for decades and we all received the same "education". JVC

Throwing that stuff out there with no source is an atrocity, and I am quite suprised at you for doing so. THe TOR thing makes sense, as there has to be some provision to house apparatus indoors in the winter months, but the Belltown thing seems far-fetched. They have the financial resources to stay in business way past Thanksgiving. I am in the know about that one for sure. I guess we shall see the outcome of the lynching of those who did not accept dictator Malloy's plan. RIDICULOUS!!!!!