RES20CUE

When the new MA-14 comes in this year (hopefully), the current MA-14 will become the new U-5. With a little luck, it will have better lighting, reflective taping and possibly an arrow board or message board. The current U-5 does have an arrow stick.

Route 139 (period)- Somers Route 202- Between Lake Rd and Miller Ave- Somers Route 35- Between 118 and 100- Somers Somers responded to 127 Auto Accidents during 2004, a heck of a lot were on those stretches (including fatals).

On Tuesday, 10/19- The Somers Fire District voted to declare MA-13, surplus equipment and slated it for disposal. Mini-Attack 13, an International Chassis with bodywork done by a now defunct company out of Long Island, with a 300 GPM American- Barton front mounted pump and a 250 gallon booster tank, entered service in 1966 as Engine 185. It served Somers, as well as several other Westchester and Putnam departments well over her 38 years of service. She was on the front line of fires on Turkey Mtn in Yorktown, Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Pound Ridge, and Camp Smith in Continental Village, just to name a few! As time goes by, so does our beloved older apparatus- unfortunitly 38 years has taken a toll on the ol' girl and parts are not easy to find. She will remain in service until the new Engine arrives next week. So as a brand new Engine 185 (our 4th) is about to be delivered, our 2nd Engine 185 is about to be disposed. "Thanks for the memories"

The disposition is totally up to the Board of Fire Commissioners, so I do not know if or when it will be up for bid.

The NEW Engine 185 should be in service, by the end of the week, just trying to get a few more drivers qualified before she goes into service.

On January 3rd, at the Somers Fire District's Organizational Meeting, the following Chief's were approved and sworn- Chief (2441)- Edwin J. Byrnes III (3rd Generation Somers Chief) 1st Asst Chief (2442)- Robert A. Totten 2nd Asst Chief (2443)- Ex-Chief Robert J. Kramer (filling in the remainder of the term, 4/30/05)

Well, MA-13 was officially removed from service, and stripped of all it's gear on Wednesday, January 5th. It is now in the shops awaiting disposition. Well, she fought many good battles with the "red devil" but unfortunitly the time has come to retire her- 39 years of service to Somers, not too bad!!!

Just out of curiosity- Can't the DTMF Tones be recorded and then played back via a portable radio, to unlock the box? Not sure how that works. I know we've had a problem in the past with someone recording our siren tones and putting them back on the air to activate the sirens, just wondering if the same could be done with this box. In Somers, every "front line fire vehicle" is equipped with a real estate style entry box, that only the 3 Chiefs know the combo for. The 3 Chiefs also carry the Knox keys in thier cars. In the unlikely event that a Chief is not on the scene, a Chief can be called by the Dispatcher to get the combo. If the combo does go out, all of the boxes get changed right away. In the last 3 years, we have never had to give out the combo. If the Chief uses his key, it is announced on the air, and the Dispatcher records it.

Already in the Works!!!!

Yes that's correct. Yonkers does what they want on their own frequency, just like anyone else can. When they are on the county frequency they should be using the county designations. Yonkers Rescue is RESCUE1 on Yonkers Freq, but in the county it is RESCUE 11. Their Squad is Designated SQUAD 1, and they should be on the county radio as SQUAD 1 when they respond as part of the Squad. If E-311 reponds as an Engine they should be using ENGINE 311.

The correct designation is ENGINE 22, when it responds as part of the squad it will be SQUAD 2.

Date: 11/15/1976 Times: Alarm- 0153hrs Cleared- 0530hrs Location: Griffen Place, Shenorock Frequency: 46.26 Units Operating: Somers Units: Cars-2441, 2442, 2443; Engines- 180, 181, 182, 183, 184; Ladder 18; Rescue 20; Ambulances- 11, 12. Yorktown: 1 Engine, Mahopac: 1 Ambulance. Description Of Incident: Upon arrival- Heavy Fire from a wood frame, single family, occupied residential dwelling. Triple Fatality. This was the deadliest fire to ever strike the Town of Somers, and to this day still effects some of our brothers who operated there. Loretta Clement, a 42 year old depressed housewife, set her house on fire with her 3 children still inside asleep. All three children, 2 boys and a girl, ranging in ages from 4 to 9, perished in the fire, several rescue attempts by neighbors and firefighters were unsuccessful. 45 firefighters from Somers, 10 from Yorktown and 3 from Mahopac responded. Loretta Clement was sentenced on 11/2/1977 on 2 counts of 2nd Degree Murder 1 count of 2nd Degree Manslaughter; she is still incarcerated at Taconic Correctional Facility in Bedford Hills, serving 20 years to Life. On the 28th anniversary of this fire, I would like to keep in memory the 3 Clement children, as well as the 58 Firefighters who responded that fateful night, all who returned a changed man!

I couldn't even finish reading it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Believe me- Mr, Reisman is going to be hearing from me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't get me started... Unfourtunitly- Most of the converstations at the Firehouse on Sunday was about this.... The ones that were effected, are NOT HAPPY, at all... She deserves to rot in Hell, for not only killing her own kids, but the devestation that the Town of Somers felt, and especially the Chiefs, Officers, Members and Family members of the SVFD- who still suffer to this day... When does our release come???????????

Date: 12-17-04 Time: 0830hrs (dispatch) 0920hrs (under control) 0942hrs (all clear) Location: IFO 523 Heritage Hills (West Hill Drive) Description: 2 Pedestrians struck by a Motor Vehicle- Double Stat-Flight to WMC. Landing Zone at Somers VFD Training Grounds on RT 202. Units: Somers FD- C2442, C2443, E-183, 80B1, 80B2; WEMS 45M2, 45M3; Heritage Hills Security EMS; Somers PD; NYSP; Air 1, Air 2. Frequency: 46.26, 46.14, 155.220 Writer: RES20CUE

Somers VFD Holiday Party (oops- Mutual Aid Drill) will be held on Monday, December 27th, 2004 at 1900hrs at the Amawalk Firehouse...

Somers House Motto's- Granite Springs- "The Big House" Amawalk- "The Schoolhouse" Somers- "Heritage Hose" Lincolndale- "The Swamp"

Engine 185 is now all lettered. Next week is equipment mounting and then training from KME and are own qualifications. MSM- Thus far, it appears the quality is just as good as the Seagrave's, Pierce's and Oren's that we've had in the past. Fit and finish appears good- Both of the 2001 Seagraves had moderate paint peeling on the bodies. In fact E-181 is heading to severe paint peeling. From the time the estimate was done at a local body shop, to the time that Seagrave authorized payment and it was brought to the shop, the peeling had doubled and the shop would no longer do the work for his estimate. Service and repairs- so far I feel KME is better than Seagrave and the same as Pierce. We still have issues with the Seagraves that have not been corrected, that were on the original list from the delivery. All issues from this KME have already been address and corrected within 3 weeks. We'll see as time go on though. This is the 1st KME Preditor for Westchester

Date: 12/10/04 Time of Alarm: 1614 Time Cleared: 2111 Location: Route 202 (Lincolndale Road) west of Lake Road, Town of Somers; Somers Fire District Description: Fatal Motor Vehicle Accident, Mazda Sedan vs. Dodge Pick-up. Driver of Sedan DOA in vehicle, Driver of Pick-Up- RMA at scene. Road closed for several hours for accident reconstruction and investigation. Somers FD disentangled victim for County Coroner. Units: Somers FD- C2442, C2443, E183, E188, 80B2, 80B1 (on Standby); WEMS 45M2, Somers PD, NYSP, NYC DEP PD, WC ME, NYS DOT. Frequencies: 46.26/ 154.220 Writer: RES20CUE

Huh, ???? :confused2:

Unfortunately, we were too busy to annex "Station 10"!! Of course the ideas were there, - but just didn't the time!! Maybe next time.

Thank You to all. Hopefully, the "Wet Down" will be in the spring or early summer. We will probally do a combined "Wet Down" for E-185, RES20CUE, 80B3 and 2443, all should be delivered by May!

Mike, As far as I know it's still in Larchmont, but OOS. When are you coming back to shoot Engine 182? Give me a call.. Ed

As for Rob's question in Somers, we carry the following- Engines & Utility 5 - 1- 2 1/2 gallon Can 1- 20# ABC 1- 30# Metl-X Ladder, Tanker & Chief's Cars- 1- 2 1/2 gallon Can 1- 20# ABC MA's- 1- 10# ABC 5- 5 gallon Indian Cans Ambulances- 1- 5# ABC

NFPA 1901 requires the following on Pumpers, Aerials, Tankers, Initial Attack Vehicles and Service Vehicles: (1) 2 1/2 gallon (or larger) water extinguisher- an "Indian Can" meets this requirement, as well. - and - (1) Dry Chemical extinguisher with a minimum rating of 80-B:C, so this extinguisher can be an ABC, BC, or PKP. As ALS stated the Class "K" stands for Kitchen. It is now required that ALL commercial kitchens have one of these portable extinguishers in them to supplement the WET CHEMICAL fire extinguishing system for the range, hood and duct. The problem that has occurred over the last several years is that more us concerned weight watchers have shifted away from foods cooked in the traditional "animal fat" and gone to corn and canola oils. These oils require a higher heating temperature and the equipment holds these higher temps longer. The old "ANSUL" dry chemical systems and the normal BC extinguishers CANNOT extinguish these fires- thus comes the new "K" Class fire and extinguisher. Different manufacturers may call the contents different names but essentially it's Aqueous Potassium Carbonate or APC, better described as "liquid PKP". This "wet chemical" was designed by Range Guard over 25 years ago and was and still is exclusively used by the US Navy onboard ships in the Galley's (kitchen's for you land lubbers). Look for a County Course coming in 2005 relating to Commercial Kitchen Fires and extinguishing systems and the "K" class extinguishers. As stated above- to all you fire inspectors out there, if you didn't know already-- NO more Dry Chemical Hood Systems or Dry Chemical Portable Extinguishers in those Kitchens!! I know it's alot of material- but I think I answered your questions- then some!!

Battalion Coordinators are not necessarily "Volunteers". They are employed by the County and receive a stipend.