helicopper

Standardization and ease of identification. Of course there is nothing standard in anything in NY.

Is it really the cops fault that the alternate roads are all windy one lane roads and people have no freakin' idea where they are? Not for anything but I found out about the accident while still in NYC and avoided the area from miles away. It's not like the media didn't warn people and it's really not rocket science. And, after a while of hearing "is the road closed" and "but that's the way I know" you have to go back and sit in the car or you're gonna say something that gets you jammed up!

While a good idea in theory, the problem is that every local FD has it's own issues, priorities, and agendas so a coordinated effort - such as the one you propose - would be nearly impossible to manage. On the subject of responders/staffing, what is the bare minimum necessary to be considered a viable "haz-mat team"? You will need at least four dressed out in appropriate PPE (2 in-2 out) plus an IC (properly trained) and sufficient numbers for decon, right?

The county has lots of decon equipment but it has few decon resources. It might be semantics but to me a resource is something that is trained, equipped, and staffed (even on-call) and available to respond. Equipment is the bunch of trailers full of stuff sitting around without being used while a resource is one that can actually be mobilized and utilized for the prescribed purpose.

Hey y'all! Let's not lose focus about the REAL issue here. The real issue is not a vollie who is career somewhere else. The issue here is that there is a fully-functional firehouse run by volunteers who won't allow the city engine staffed by career FF to stay there and as a result, they have to live in a trailer down the road. THAT is a travesty and I'm surprised there isn't more outcry about it. Pathetic little turf battle!

We all seem to realize it but how many of us are doing anything about it? To be blunt, the loss of the MDU's is irrelevant because there was never a tried and true plan for using them. There was a bunch of county owned equipment, stored in a local FD, and perhaps drilled on once in a while. That's no plan. Where was the training, drills, and exercises to validate the written plan? Was there ever a written plan? Unfortunately all the good intentions were never backed up with actions! The County Haz-Mat team is going to have it's hands full if there's a situation that requires mass decon. We can't rely on them to do that too. That's why the trailers were pushed out to various locations around the county.

Absolutely a SWAT team was needed to hunt this animal. But an adequate perimeter was essential to contain him and that can only be done with adequate numbers of regular patrol officers (and supervisors). The cuts all jobs have been facing make it a very big IF there will be enough resources for containment. Add to this the fact that in most little jobs, the only supervisor working the 148 hours other than M-F days is "on the desk" and you've got a lot of cops with no supervision trying to do the right thing in a very difficult situation. Not the best recipe for success. Preliminary reports are that these suspect was found OUTSIDE the established perimeter, too. Another example of how important it is to start big and insure containment. Kudos to all that worked around the clock to get this animal off the street.

That's not a plan. That's what would happen in the absence of a plan. Taking chemically contaminated patients in an ambulance is NOT a good idea, nor is bringing them to an emergency department regardless of their alleged capabilities (and the Entergy exercises/preparation is all focused on radioactive contamination which won't have off-gassing). Let's face it, there is NO plan for a major incident. We all just hope for the best. That's not a plan either!

A hearty two cents for you... From what you described above, it seems as though you've got three key areas you want to focus on and you want to highlight the relationships they share. Good plan! Trying to accomplish that in a single two hour session is near impossible as you can't possibly cover everything you want to cover in sufficient detail to be meaningful in that timeframe. My suggestion is to do three two hour blocks, one on each building on the skills, in successive sessions. You can space them as far apart as necessary to suit the needs of the agency but it is still going to be awareness level and only an introduction for your peeps. Haz-Mat AwarenessUse of ERGMCI OperationsTriageCounter-Terrorism Awareness While the Boston bombing certainly captured headlines around the world, for your audience I think the West, TX explosion last night is more relevant as you've got far more farms and silos and fertilizer stored in northern Vermont than you have metro area marathons. Then you can use Boston to highlight the similarities between the response to a conventional incident (West explosion) and a terrorist incident (Marathon bombing). It will probably be easier to sell a local incident (silo explosion, tanker accident or feed store/hardware store fire) to your responders than a terrorist bombing. Look at OSHA 1910.120 for specific requirements on Haz-Mat awareness level training and tailor your presentation to meet those objectives. There are tons of references on that out there to guide you in developing something so you don't have to start from scratch. In fact, check with the State EMS Office to see if they have a program already prepared that can be used to meet that training requirement. I know how difficult it can be to get people into training or to get the buy-in for a lot of training on something that may never happen but training is the key to the success in Boston and many other incidents so I will always advocate more training. Good luck to you!

04-15-13 Approx 1415 Boylston Street Numerous agencies operating Description: Two explosions near finish line of Boston Marathon. Multiple casualties, some reportedly serious. Boston emergency services and numerous supporting agencies operating. At approximately 1450, Boston PD disrupted a suspicious device nearby resulting in numerous reports of another explosion. Very active scene. Operations ongoing.

I think most agencies would be happy just sustaining what they've got. It seems that every year they try to get away with cutting more and more. Pretty soon, EVERY cut takes it's toll!

Threads merged.

RIP!

  My frustration exists on a number of levels. First and foremost, the fourth amendment is for searches and seizures and the second amendment relates to the right to keep and bear arms. I really hope that there wasn't any confusion over that since they're both referenced. Second, I'm surprised that a first responder from the NY area isn't a little bit more sensitive to the need for heightened security at our airports. How soon we forget! Moving right along, a pen knife is not the same hazard as a bottle of an explosive compound. The penknife may hurt someone but not everybody is going to sit idly by while a plane is taken over anymore. The bottle of explosives can bring down an airplane. Hence the need to focus on that threat. Finally, I will conced that the TSA is inconsistent, doesn't project a lot of confidence or professionalism all the time. However, they DO interdict an impressive array of prohibited items every year and their methods are not invasive or a waste of money. Invasive is a cavity search and while I've grumbled to the contrary on many occasions, the TSA is not especially invasive. Could they be more cost effective? Sure, but so could every school district, FD, PD, and other agency on the planet!

The water bottle was missed. Chalk up another point for the TSA. (sigh) Plastic utensils aren't prohibited. Belts are removed so they don't trigger the sensors as you pass through. They're only dangerous around your waist if you have six pagers, two pairs of scissors, a leatherman and a cell phone on it! LOL

As it was explained to me, their ALS privileges and Part 80 approval were suspended by the State DOH and each region they operate in notified.

The information I got (also from a reliable source) Friday was that ALS operations were suspended. I saw a couple of Care 1 ambulances on the road over the weekend so my guess is that BLS is still operating.

Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Angela-Carella-Court-order-dispatch-data-latest-4404335.php#ixzz2PjQdlfdi So it took a judge to tell them they have to do their job and comply with the rules? That's sad!

If it's in your response area and they call 911 for an ambulance, there's a reason for paging volunteers. The distinction you make bothers me - not just you saying it but the prevailing sentiment, so this isn't directed at you. If you're an EMS responder, you go where the calls are regardless of pay status. If you're a volunteer and don't want to respond on calls to the urgent care center when someone walks in feeling ill but is really having an MI, then you need to reevaluate your association and priorities. We don't pick and choose our calls. The notion that we can/should/do is one of the failures of our current EMS system and why some calls go unanswered.

http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/01122013Severe-Flu-Season http://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/influenza/seasonal/

Revocation is generally punishment for a conviction such as DWI. The 115 suspensions means that he was stopped and received 115 tickets that he failed to appear (or pay fines on). Some may have been child support related too. The penalties for driving with a suspended or revoked license are virtually the same so the issue isn't that he was suspended and not revoked. The issue really is that he's been getting stopped over and over again without being arrested. They just "hang more paper" on him and let him go. He should have been arrested for felony aggravated unlicensed about 100 suspensions ago.

http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/568703/-Deal-of-the-century--in-multiple-thefts-case.html How about this one. Courtesy of a friend of mine in HI.

Nope, no flaming. Just glad you figured it out.

Did you find your posts? Nothing of yours was deleted from here.