helicopper

It wasn't a traffic stop - the NYS Commercial Police (a little known enforcement agency within the state government) was escorting this years Superbowl commercials to TV stations all over the state. Many states don't have a dedicated department like this and just refer the work to the State Patrol/Highway Patrol/State Police but New York doesn't want to take the heat for one of these million dollar commercials winding up on YouTube before the game! At other times of the year they also provide security at the filming of commercials and TV shows around the state. What colors was the car and where on Route 9 were you? It was a rare sighting indeed!

I disagree - there is a fundamental difference between call audits and 10-13 parties. Call audits are supposed to be educational experiences while 10-13 parties are fundraisers to benefit someone in need. Reading about all the antics of so-called responsible adults who are involved in providing our job security leads me to question whether not we should have that much faith in people!

I have to agree with all the other posts on here. If municipally owned, it would be idle most of the time and wind up costing the town/city/fire district money in the long run. FD personnel would have to be crossed trained to operate it and that requires training meaning something else isn't being done because there sure isn't lots of down time anymore. Rather than duplicate existing resources (as was pointed out these things exist all over the County in towing/recovery services) concerned agencies should train and contract with the entities that have them already and establish agreements for their emergency use.

It's really no different than if we were patrolling in a car and heard a call nearby - we'll respond and render assistance where possible. We've been called by some jobs to do deterrence patrols where patterns have been identified and others to simply provide "high visibility". As Oswego said, aviation on this side of the country is often under-utilized and alot of guys think we can only be called for the "big one" which is not the case - we'll respond to any job that requests us. Both helicopters have the capability to talk to every PD in the County directly - a major interoperability improvement - so if we're flying over Yonkers odds are we'll be monitoring their frequency. Perhaps we'll have a raffle for a helicopter ride-along - but you won't be able to use EMTBravo points for your ticket!!! As far as equipment goes - both aircraft are equipped with nightsuns and thermal imaging cameras (new helicopter also has a color camera for day video). The old helicopter also has LOJACK but the new helicopter does not - the explosion of ONSTAR and GPS based systems in many cars has reduced the popularity of LOJACK so the new helicopter has some other bells and whistles. The new helicopter also has a hoist for rescues or extractions, a cargo hook for bambi-bucket operations or other external load missions, and microwave downlink to broadcast video to command posts or other appropriate locations on the ground. And I think OSWEGO may have to change his avatar to "publicist for the County PD Aviation Unit" in the future!

Unless you're planning on committing a crime while walking around with the scanner, I don't know of any laws prohibiting your listening to police frequencies. The vehicle and traffic law prohibits use of a scanner in a vehicle on police frequencies but that's about it.

Don't visit unless you have some time on your hands! http://members.iinet.net.au/~pontipak/redsquare.html Remember that I warned you!

Another ongoing discussion on this board concerning issues about RMA's involving persons under 18 caused me to wonder about the answer to this scenario: Your EMS agency is dispatched to a motor vehicle accident with injuries. Upon arrival (or even enroute if you prefer), you're advised by PD that there are no injuries. The caller reporting the accident was not one of the involved motorists and was just "passing by". 1. Do you still contact the occupants of the vehicles or do you go back in-service having been cancelled at scene or unfounded (no injuries)? 2. If you make contact with the occupants do you make them sign an RMA even though they are claiming no injuries and did not call for your services? 3. If one of the occupants is a minor (less than 18) what do you do about them? I'm curious about how these situations are handled because I've seen them go a bunch of different ways - including some arguments with "patients" about refusing "treatment". Since we're all going to be hunkered down riding out the big "sub-tropical storm" tomorrow there should be lots of time for everyone to respond...

Nobody in particular but there does seem to be an unusually high level of hostility by Boston fans toward NYY fans. It is a game after all!

Well said - one championship in 83 years and all of a sudden they're the best ever. Sheesh, Boston's only been in what five or six World Series in the last CENTURY (plus) and the Yankees suck??? I've always been a Yankees fan and have always respected the Red Sox nation the same way I respect Cubs fans - talk about always being on the short end - but wasn't there an awful lot of hostility and anger in that video? Maybe a softer toilet tissue or more roughage in your diet, dude! Should be an interesting post season again this year!

The van full of Brownies or a "magical thinking" little one is a totally different ball game. My focus is the little cherubs who have gained majority (or at least captain-cy) in the eyes of DMV and the law but not yet the DOH. A 16 or 17 year old gets into an accident and is unhurt yet from some of the posts I've read on this forum, there seems to be an almost knee-jerk reaction that they must be transported. That's what got me thinking about the issue. Using the disposition code 008 for no patient seems best but I've seen crews getting 5-6 RMA's from all the participants in an MVA with no injuries. Obviously if they have visible injuries or are in some sort of visible distress, they're a patient. CK, you use common sense as a guide but unfortunately there is no practical testing on that skill in EMT or medic school.

Thanks CK! Great post - when in doubt, look for DOH policy statements. At last, guidance that says not everyone is a patient! Now, on the subject of minors - if the occupant of a vehicle involved in a MVA is less than 18 years old but denies any injury or complaint and isn't the party who called 911, how do you handle them? Personally, I go back to your disposition code 008 because their age is irrelevant if they're not hurt but I wonder what other people do about it.

Here's another thought for you Seth, how about a prize for the person making the 100,000th post? Spammers will be disqualified!

Tick Tock! Hey, did you hear that NYS is going to outlaw the use of blue and green lights on volunteer vehicles. PD is going to the federal standard red/blue and FD/EMS will be red/white. Effective 3/1/08. (If that doesn't push us over the edge tonight nothing will)

If a competent person states that they are not injured - what exactly are they refusing? The evaluation and offer of assistance to the driver of a vehicle who hits a pedestrian is a good call but again, when someone states they are not injured and declines your assistance, why compel them to sign a refusal of treatment (what treatment were you offering them anyway?). Here's a real twist now - does your agency bill people who RMA? I know someone who received a bill from an EMS agency for $50.00 for an RMA? Now that really muddies the water, doesn't it?

But I bet the Rye Highway Superintendent would be available...

What is the policy for a person under 18 who has a guardian acting in loco parentis? Such as the school nurse or a school administrator or a police officer. If the parents of a person under 18 are present, they are allowed to RMA for the minor right? As for the tazer and medic evaluation policy, that sounds like overkill to me. An EMT can assess a tazed subject just as well as a medic and if no significant signs and symptoms of something else are going on, there's no need to tie up a medic - especially in systems where they are in such short supply. Neck and back pain after violently resisting arrest and being tazed - big surprise! I don't think the discussion about transport to the hospital for barb removal relates to the Sleepy Hollow case but rather discussions about policies elsewhere. ALS, you're right - this is one of the more interesting discussions of late!

Good grief, are you really suggesting that a mope with a tazer barb in his butt should go to a HOSPITAL? Talk about misallocation of resources! One moment you argue that calling ALS isn't really necessary (I agree wholeheartedly) and next you say take the mope to a HOSPITAL? EMS (both BLS and ALS) and HOSPITALS have enough to deal with without babysitting a whiny perp who's gonna say whatever he thinks will keep him in the hospital longer. If you issue a cop a tazer (and OC/mace/pepper spray for that matter), train them how to treat those tazed or sprayed. As ALS said, put a tube of antibiotic ointment and a few bandaids with the spare batteries/probes and call it a day. Call EMS when EMS is necessary - injury, diff breathing, complications from their pharmacological experimentation - but don't tie up critical resources for nothing. And medics don't "give advice" - they treat people - calling the medic to the precinct is a waste of time. If the cops need to be babysat by a medic to pull out the barbs, they should be tazed themselves! For heaven's sake, it isn't that complicated! Thanks ALS and JJB for the clarification on barb removal. Go Joba and the Yanks!

I would argue that the tazer barbs are not impaled objects as considered in EMS protocols - they don't want you to remove something when you don't know how long it is or where the damage has been done. With a tazer we know the length of the barb and they don't penetrate deeper than the dermis. IF the barb is elsewhere (head/groin for example) then it would be appropriate to transport for eval/removal. ALSfirefighter probably has more info on this from the tactical medic perspective too. If training is provided to the police who are using tasers they won't be untrained will they?

If you take a class "on your own" and get hurt are you still going to be covered by your department's insurance. As much as it sucks to have to think about this the way health insurance and line of duty injuries are handled these days makes me wonder... Even if you pay the $25 or whatever it costs yourself, I'd want an official order or at least a letter from my chief "assigning" me to the course so I'm covered if I get hurt.

At the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services from 9/25-9/27. See announcement for info and how to register or click here. There are NO walk-in registrations and class size is limited so register early! I_300_Putnam_092507.pdf

Four evening sessions and one Saturday to complete the ICS Intermediate course. Course is being held at the Police Academy, right across the street from the fire training center on Dana Road. See announcement for info and how to register or click here. There are NO walk-in registrations and class size is limited so register early! I_300_westchester_co_092507.pdf

At the Westchester County DES training center from 10/1-10/3. See announcement for info and how to register or click here. There are NO walk-in registrations and class size is limited so register early! I_300_westchester_100107.pdf

Ya know, given how this season started I'm pretty impressed that the Yankees are even in the wildcard race! Don't count on Boston to choke - as much as it pains me to say it there staff has been much more consistent in the past few years and as long as they stay healthy (don't discount banana peels from turning up outside Fenway! ) it will not be easy to catch them. The most impressive part of this season has been the Yankees minor league talent coming up and delivering in a major major league way! Duncan, Hughes, Kennedy and of course Chamberlain (being stalked by none other than our own Oswegowind - can you say T-O-P? ). Now maybe Cashman will stop trading away our YOUNG talent for big name (and $$$$) veterans on the tail end of their careers! Look out in 2008!

You know, this was my first thought too. It may be on the up and up with people being responsible adults but there will always be skeptics (as seen in this thread) not only questioning the prudence of having a call audit at a bar but also questioning the value of the content if attendees are drinking and socializing during it. On the flip side, I remember attending a Brodies call audit MANY years ago (could probably be measured in DOG years!) and the audit was held in a private room where no alcohol was served and then after the audit the group adjourned to the bar so there may not be any issue. Despite that fond and sober memory, the appearance of impropriety is enough to make me side with those who are not in favor of it. The issue of vicarious liability is also a compelling argument - good point RWC! See you all at Brodies!!!

Absolutely tragic! Most (if not all) of all K9 vehicles around here have an automatic engine idler that starts the car and runs the AC automatically. If that fails (as I understand it) the lights flash, horn sounds, and windows open. I can't believe that in Arizona where it is so unbelievably hot, they don't have them. As horrible as it is for the officer involved, he is facing the same charges any civilian would and probably will lose his job. A sad day indeed!