RES20CUE

County: Westchester City/Town/Municipality/Dept: Montrose Veterans Affairs Fire Dept. Unit designation/identifier: Marine 21 Manufacturer and Model: Brunswick Commercial & Government Products (Boston Whaler) 22' Guardian Rescue Boat Pump size, tank size (water/foam), aerial type & length: N/A Status: DELIVERED Notes: The new Marine 21 was delivered yesterday, 10/9, this will be replacing the current Marine 21, a 1978 Boston Whaler 17' Guardian Rescue Boat. Still needs lettering and radio install Features: Remote control 200,000 cp spotlight Handheld spotlight Whelen 48" led edge ultra freedom w/siren Hi-low bow/side rails with 34” dive/rescue door Bow storage locker Forward below deck storage compartment 50" aluminum deck utility box Raymarine c90w 9" widescreen display w/loaded us charts Raymarine dsm300 sounder with transom transducer Mercury 225xxl Verado outboard engine

Chris498 is correct! Engine 164 was Westchester's First Tanker with an 800 gallon booster tank and a 500 GPM pump. It was the first piece of apparatus assigned to Amawalk Fire House (back when it was a barn behind the old school house), and the third new apparatus purchased by the Somers Volunteer Fire Department, before the Somers Fire District was formed. Unfortunately, this is the only rig that I was never able to get a good accounting of, as to why we got rid of it and who it went to, and why we kept the 2 older rigs (1940 & 1943) when the 4 new Seagraves came in 1958. We also don't have many pictures of it either! We do have another copy of this same ad in our historical files.

Actually, this is nothing new, the shift to the electronic bugle occurred many years ago. With the rate of the WWII vets reporting to the Supreme Commander every day, there was no way possible for the Active Duty Honor Guards to keep up. They tapped into the Reserves to perform the Honor Guard tasks. Before I retired, the Navy Reserve held numerous training sessions to get our folks "up to par" to perform the newly acquired duties. We even were given a casket at the Reserve Centers to practice with. Playing a Bugle is a hard task, and not many people can play them well. The answer to that was the electronic bugle. So you still see the service member in the background holding the bugle, and hear taps from that "bugler", and not hear a horrific rendition played by someone who can't play the bugle, or the "boom box" playing a tape behind someone else's grave stone (I've seen and heard both). As more and more Reservists have been activated and the overall strength of the military has been drawn down, the Veterans Groups have stepped in to perform the honor guard duties. I've done several as a VFW member, alongside 1 to 3 service members. Usually those service members are running to 4 to 6 burials a day. The veterans groups will act as the color guard and rifle squad, generally leaving the flag-folding detail and bugler to the service members. I hope this sheds some light on this. I'm not saying that I agree, I'm saying this is the world we're in today!

Not only was he a great actor and a great man, he served as a Gunner's Mate in the U.S. Navy from 1935 to 1945, participating in the D-Day Invasion. He was awarded the U.S. Navy Memorial's Lone Sailor Award in 1997, and was made an Honorary Chief Petty Officer in 2004. Fair Winds and Following Seas, My Brother!

Yes, Marine 21 stays on the Trailer at Fire Headquarters and is towed by Engine 224. This allows for year-round response. We can launch at either the VA property (depending on tide) or George's Island, which boarders the VA property.

County: Westchester City/Town/Municipality/Dept: Montrose Veterans Affairs Fire Dept. Unit designation/identifier: Marine 21 Manufacturer and Model: Brunswick Commercial & Government Products (Boston Whaler) 22' Guardian Rescue Boat Pump size, tank size (water/foam), aerial type & length: N/A Status: In Production Notes: This will be replacing the current Marine 21, a 1978 Boston Whaler 17' Guardian Rescue Boat.

County: Westchester City/Town/Municipality/Dept: Montrose Veterans Affairs FD Unit designation/identifier: Engine 224 Chassis & Body (or Aerial) Manufacturer and model: Ford F-550 (4x4)w/ Rosenbauer Body Pump size, tank size (water/foam), aerial type & length: Pump= Waterous 1000 GPM; Water Tank= 300 Gallon Status: Delivered Notes: This vehicle will be replacing the current MA-28 (1998 International/E-One). Same concept of vehicle except with a "class A" pump. MA-28 only has a 500 GPM pump. This vehicle also is our EMS first response vehicle and Rescue. The last Engine 224 (1970 International/FTI) was replaced by MA-28 in 1998.

That is a Sierra Pacific Infrared Multi-Sensor Imager, equipped with FLIR technology. So it can be used as a CCTV or Thermal Imaging Camera. It was not provided by the Police. The Police purchased 2 of them, and were not able to mount the 2nd one. It was then given to the FD, for use. This has multiple uses well beyond searching for a missing person. Just another tool that the VA Fire Department has in it's arsenal!

Montrose Veterans Affairs FD 2011 Total= 680 Fire/Rescue/HazMat= 323 EMS= 202 Mutual Aid= 155 (123 Dual Response to NYS Veterans Nursing Home; 33 Others) Busiest Fire Unit= MA-28 (309) Busiest Ambulance= 48B1 (150)

Great Job to all who responded! Thank you to all the mutual aid, we can't do it without you! No, we didn't find it while out and about. The majority of our alarms are dispatched internally, and we are on our own frequency, so many of you don't hear us. The entire campus fire alarm system transmits to the fire house, and we self respond from there. A box alarm was received via the alarm system, immediately followed by a phone call on our internal fire phone. I was the first to arrive, with nothing showing, by receiving reports from evacuating residents of a fire on the #3 floor. First attack crew was in the fire room in less than 6 minutes, and radioed they had fire showing, resulting in the 10-75 via county radio. As a special treat this week- we are currently undergoing our tri-ennial inspection and evaluations from the VA Fire Service Program Manager, so the whole operation was evaluated by him! The box was transmitted 4 minutes before shift change, so there was 2 full crews in house at the time of the alarm, resulting in 11 personnel on scene, before mutual aid; a very rare occurrance! Quick knock-down, No civilian casulties, and only 1 very minor FF injury (cut finger) Again- Awesome job by everyone!

The Canandaigua VAFD was added to every alarm, initially when this all broke. I don't believe they are still responding on every alarm. I think this only lasted for a week or two. As for the VA Fire Departments, you are partially correct. When I first started with the VA back in the 90's, there were 31 VA Fire Departments across the nation, today there is only 20! If a city, village or other organized FD can meet the federal government's criteria to respond to a fire (4 interior firefighters- certified iaw NFPA 1001, on a class A pumper and have water on the fire within 8 minutes of recieving the alarm and the response must be within 3 1/2 miles of the VA facility), they may be able to take over the suppression part of the FD. This is only if the Medical Center Director requests an evaluation to be conducted for feasibility. There are a couple of VAFD's left inside area's protected by full-career departments.

The Canandaigua VA Fire Department is still alive and well! I have had many conversations with Chief Spears in reference to their response to the City. They were also added to every response into the City, along with the volunteers (as Barry noted). I'm not going state what we talked about and what happened, but "Mutual Aid" is just that "MUTUAL" if you can't reciprocate, then don't expect the other departments to keep bailing you out!

2 positions open for FIREFIGHTER(EMT/HAZMAT TECH/INSPECTOR) at Montrose Veterans Affairs Fire Department. Must have Firefighter II, HazMat Tech, NYS EMT-B, ICS-700 & 100. Link is below- Montrose VA FD Firefighter

If you look on SOMERSVFD.COM, you'll see that the Somers VFD, actually began in Shenorock and was in existance for 6 years before expanding to Somers VFD. So it's not something in the works, but something that already existed!

In Somers- the old MA-14 is now Utility 34 and assigned to the Fire Police. It is also used for general utility work at fire scenes and pump outs. Basically it took the place of Utility 5, which was reassigned to the Maintenance Shop. The "pump/tank/reel skid" was removed and sold to Mahopac, and they installed it on their Utility truck. The current MA-14 was designed as an Initial Attack Unit, not just for Brush fires. With these McMansions that are being built, with great set-backs and 6' wide driveways- it is extremely difficult to get the bigger Engines in. This rig is capable of being a driveway engine. It has air packs and pre-connected lines. It also is equipped for EMS response. Another factor it was designed for was below-grade parking structures, so it can get in for a car fire, where an Engine cannot. A lot of time and effort was put in by the committee for this vehicle, and if I say so myself- It is an excellent piece of equipment, that truly meets our specific needs.

Sutphen won the bid for the new engine. It should be delivered in the first half of 2010.

Has anyone heard any news on the Catskill FireCats Muster for 2009?

This is a LADDER. It is not replacing any Engine! Engine 186 will be sold in the near future, and a new Engine has been ordered. Somers needs to have 5 Engines and 2 Ladders to properly cover the populated areas of the District. Ladder 48 will not be in service for a while, yet. We still need to qualify driver/operators, purchase some equipment and mount the equipment. It will eventually be housed in Somers Fire House, once the doors are raised, in the next few weeks.

Jim, does this work? Because the street address should be Somers Road, not Mill Street. Mill Street ends at Brick Hill Road. I guess anything is possible, with GPS! You have to enter my street as Rodgers, when in fact it's Rogers!!

Tom, Thanks for these pics. I actually have most of them! In the picture of Engine 186 (1966 International), behind Granite Springs Fire House, you can make out our old 1970 Cadillac Ambulance (A-12) in the background across the street. I was there when that picture was taken! In the picture of A-11 (1975 Chevy/Horton), marked with the "RESCUE" on the side. That is probably 1 of a kind! The blue and white "RESCUE" sticker, was applied right after the Department sold the Ambulances to the Distict in 1982 and they changed them from Ambulance to Rescue designations (cheaper insurance back then). Also, note that there is no elephant on the passengers side door. That Ambulance was involved in accident and the door was repaired and the new elephant has not been painted on yet (also to reason for the black rim on the rear tire).

I just noticed tonight that Yorktown's Rescue 16 is for sale on e-bay. The last I had heard through this site, was that Yorktown was keeping this and re-designating it HazMat 4. R-16 on e-Bay

Wow, another great person taken from us. Lee always treated the Emergency Services community in the Northern Westchester and Putnam areas very well. He always did a great job, and stood behind his work. I remember him doing the work on my father's POV when he was Chief back in the 70s, and of course, he did my car when I was Chief, 25 years later. RIP, Lee

Kevin, Just read the post. Good Luck and stay safe. I just returned from there in November. There is a lot of "stuff" going on there, but the media still seems to think Iraq is more important, so you're not getting the real story on the news. On the other hand, it's much better that the media stay away and let us do our job! Follow your TTP's and again stay safe! If you need anything at all, including info send me a PM, I'll be more than happy to help out! Ed Byrnes Master Chief Petty Officer (Damage Control), US Navy

Seth, The branches of the MILITARY are Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine. Although the USPHS and NOAA, are uniformed forces, they are not Armed Military Forces.

Good Job with this, up to this point, Tom- Warrant Officers grades are- WO1 CWO2 CWO3 CWO4 CWO5 The Navy does not have or use the WO1 paygrade. The reason? In the Navy, you have to hold the paygrade of E-7 (Chief Petty Officer) to apply for the Warrant Officer Program. In the Navy, a Chief is highly respected, as such, once a Chief always a Chief! Also, an E-9 in the Navy is a Master Chief Petty Officer, period. The Command/Force/Fleet titles are positions, not grades or ranks.