helicopper

Yes but if they only earn a dollar per day in Venezuela it is not that big a difference is it? How much is milk per gallon in Venezuela?

The Senate passed it but both the Assembly and Governor are not expected to support it.

Great plan but the VA is a federal agency and you'll never see them rolled into a local program (no matter how much sense it makes). Apart from that it makes a lot of sense!

I question your assertion that the housing market is within the reach of most people's salaries in New York State. The vast majority of people don't live and work in the same community, especially around any of the urban centers (NYC, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo) because of the high cost of living. The average commute is now about 37 minutes or so. Most people are moving further and further away in order to afford their home. As for the savings of consolidation/regionalization your point is well taken - if you maintain 59 individual fire departments there will be no savings. HOWEVER, and this is the premise of the analysis and recommendations by the state, if you reduce the number to (and this is an arbitrary number for illustrating my point - not a recommendation from the report) fifteen fire departments in the county, you spread the costs over a much larger tax base and have a higher call volume. Instead of 1000 homes in the 1 square mile fire department/district, you now have 10,000 in a 10 mile district. If everyone has a 20% increase in their fire tax, from $300 per year to $360 per year, but the individual homeowner receives a discount on their insurance for the ISO change and saves $100, they are in fact still paying LESS for the change. It's about economies of scale and standardization. Instead of competing or ignoring neighboring departments, there could be standard apparatus configurations so you know where to find stuff no matter which truck you're on, everyone would have the same hose threads, communications will be simpler, relocations will not be "mutual aid", etc. etc. etc. Nothing precludes a district/department from maintaining a volunteer element either. This could create a system like the ones in MD or VA where there are career stations and volunteer stations. The whole point is making sure that everyone receives a prompt response from qualified responders. Sure if we all fight it and everyone sues everyone else challenging it but if a reasonable plan is presented and a timeframe to make the transition is developed it could happen in less than 15 years! Despite that, there needs to be so much cooperation and so many agreements that I don't think it will happen any time soon especially since so many people would rather fiercely defend their turf and little empire than do something "for the greater good".

Date: 05/08/08 Time: about 1430 Location: North Avenue to Pelham Parkway in the Bronx Frequency: NRPD, WCPD, NYPD Units Operating: Numerous NRPD, WCPD, Westchester County PD Aviation, NYPD Aviation, and probably others... Description Of Incident: NRPD encountered suspects stripping a vehicle off North Avenue, two suspects apprehended at scene, one fled in a vehicle onto I-95 southbound. Pursued into the Bronx and finally apprehended on foot off Pelham Parkway. At the same time a mile or two away at Orchard Beach there was another job going on that got the response of two more NYPD helicopters plus ground units. Writer: Chris192 Links: http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/NEWS02/805080534 ://http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...WS02/805080534 ://http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...WS02/805080534 ://http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...WS02/805080534

Isn't it a good opportunity for on-the-job training? Couldn't it be considered an exercise of the resources? Happily we have very few real technical rescue jobs so practice during a non-life threatening event seems to make sense. Why make it a big deal?

So you have x-ray vision now? There's no way of knowing the length of the blade or what it damaged. It could have been manipulated by the stabber or the stabee if he tried to pull it out himself or fell down. Frothy blood in the airway is a good indicator but is not present 100% of the time. Agreed, air transport sounds great but would likely do more harm than good (especially waiting for it). As for cutting the blade, WHY? It's not a fence post, you can move him as is so move him to a hospital where he belongs! Cutting it will only move it more and could make the surgery more difficult if its suddenly flush with the skin. Stabilize it in place and transport.

Let me guess, he got home and asked his wife if dinner was ready yet before leaning into the refrigerator for a beer! Raz is absolutely right, never remove an impaled object in the field!

I'd like to see more detail about the incident but what's a few keystrokes to recognize the comm center personnel involved?

Not really... By definition, a mass casualty incident is going to be more than two! I've heard the term "multiple" casualty incident used as well but never for just two patients. Five has always been the rule of thumb that I've been told. True but I don't think "declared MCI levels" start until a minimum threshold is reached. The point about doing all the MCI management techniques is a good one and we should pay attention to those basics so when the MCI is really a mass one, the techniques are not foreign!

[confused] "An" as in one ambulance for a declared MCI? How many victims constitute a level 1 MCI? [confused/]

OK, so how many levels and how many patients and ambulances for each in the Dutchess system? How many other counties or EMS systems have such designations?

GM, I think you need to re-read the story. Despite precious little information, it does say that she was injured when the apparatus wheel broke through a septic tank lid so she didn't really "enter" the scene did she. It does make you wonder what that driveway looked like!

Or "get rich quick scheme"...

They ignore the yield sign - and the oncoming traffic that they cut off! What makes you think they'll actually stop for a stop sign? They'll just blast through that too, unless there's a cop sitting there and how often does that happen?

I'm not aware of a written policy in our area prohibiting fire or PD acting as first responders to assist EMS by either accompanying the medic/EMT or driving. There may be preferences and there may be turf/ego issues but they usually get set aside long enough to finish the call before the bashing begins. In twenty plus years I've never seen a crew refuse the help if it was needed nor have I ever seen someone not at least offer to drive or help out when necessary. It is absurd that a paramedic can't perform his/her skills in an ambulance being driven by PD or FD. If they're going too fast, tell 'em to slow down. Are all the crews matched for life? What if I take a day off and you get a different driver? There are major issues down there and I applaud the few brave souls that made it a public issue! For the political powers to say that it is not an issue is unbelievable.

The bambi-bucket for a Bell 407 is rated to 180 gallons. There are smaller and larger buckets and other options for belly mounted tanks too.

Hey Moose, how fast do you have to pedal to get the light rotating???

And happily Barry, the exercise this Saturday should be a vast improvement over the ones from 13 years ago. Many of the comments made here are reflective of changes in the plan and I'd have to say that great strides have been taken since the days of one BLS ambulance responding to an alert. The evolution in our business is a slow one but there is evolution!!! We'll see how every feels after Saturday I guess!

Well said! I think the gas prices have made us all a little cranky. Let's not take it out on each other and for heaven's sake, let's not make this a paid/volunteer debate!

I don't know if I'd go that far... with either job!!

Correct. Used to be thousands of people took this test. Now they're so desperate that they're virtually begging people to take the test. Speaks VOLUMES! The fees (as I understand it) have nothing at all to do with the PD (or FD as the case may be). They are fees to offset the expenses incurred by the Civil Service Commission for administering the exam and all the other administrative issues associated with the test/lists/etc.

Sounds great on paper but while all the cops are fighting the fire, who's doing the cop stuff (traffic, perimeter, etc.)? Who's covering all the required assignments while they're all in training, call audits, CME's, etc.? Like I said, from an administrator's perspective it sounds like a home run but I can't see it working on the practical side - unless you're the Port Authority or other agency with oodles of resources.

There's a fee for almost every civil service exam.

When STAT-Flight was dispatched by 60-Control we elected to avoid confusion by not using Air 1 for radio communications. There were also old ideas about avoiding other radio designations in use by other agencies so we avoided them. Now that they're Life-Net 7-5 or whatever it really is a non-issue but we also use the designation with the FAA so we aren't going to change anytime soon. As for the special operations kite, I can neither confirm nor deny its existence and photo opportunities are restricted to those with Top Secret clearances or higher!