AFS1970

Editing out the non-pertinent info is an iffy thing at best, because it requires the receiver to decide what is important in what the sender said. It can be done, but only if everybody is trained to know what is important. A policy we had in the Dispatch Center where I work (although it is enforced intermittantly) is that any transmission that changes the status of an incident or unit needs to be repeated. Especially in the Volunteer service, when you are responding and depending on a pager for your radio traffic, and all you keep hearing is received.....received.....received....and maybe a time or a unit number, you really can't tell if the units on scene are calling for a second alarm or canceling all other units. Repeating messages would certainly eliminate the confusion.

While not considered a Rescue Pumper, our first due Engine 41, here in Belltown is set up mostly the way you described. We only have a 500 Galon Tank, but we have plenty of hydrant coverage in the majority of our district. For Extrication we cary a Holmatro Combi-Tool. We also have several hooks, two saws, and most of what we need to do truck work. It serves us well, but was designed to be able to work that way until the truck or rescue gets there. The Cab is a 6 man Spartan, so when full, the crew could be split to perform multiple functions.

Only because I've run into this before, I believe those Under 18 can not complete two sections of the CT FF1, due to OSHA regulations. One of the sections is Ladders, because there is a workplace standard that states minors can not climb more than 6 feet up a ladder. The second is the SCBA section, because minors are not supposed to be exposed to any IDLH atmosphere and thus can not be trained to be exposed. I am actually trying to find the relevant standards on someother issues concerning Juniors, so when I find them I will post them. I know that alot of departments restrict their FF1 classes to those over 18, mostly due to these reasons. This is a relatively new change, in that I know within the last 10 years you were allowed to take the class and wait until you are 18 to take the tests.

Cool site, Nice format & features.

Although this is only semi related, I know that a Firefighter I class that some of our newer members just attended included ladder bailouts (not rope bailouts) which I found interesting, because I had never learned this untill I took Firefighter Safety & Survival at the CT Fire Academy. I see teaching bailouts in a basic class as a great safety improvement.

Seems to me this was a careless mistake on the part of the Fire Department. They had probably dealt with the developer previously and thought them to have reliable information. I know we did a drill at a house once, where we did not burn anything. The General Contractor was all for it, but we still required a letter from the homeowner allowing us to drill on the property and structure. All we were doing was gutting a roof that was about to be taken off the house to make way for a new second floor. Now I understand why we needed to be so careful.

Speaking as a pretty rabid pro volunteer, I have to agree that the shirt was at best in bad taste and at worst insulting to all firefighters both career and volunteer. I have never liked shirts that have some sort of issue related message because it brings opinions out in the public that will ultimately hurt the publics opinion of us all. One of my training officers when I first started (who is now a career firefighter) once told me, that Mrs. Jones who's house is on fire and is holding her baby out the window doesn't care one bit if you are getting a paycheck or not, she just wants you to save her baby, so you better be ready to go to work and do what needs to be done. That shirt says to me that those guys may be more about fighting something other than fire.

I've never heard of this case, does anyone know why the DOJ is disputing his status? I remember seeing a Volunteer EMT from Virginia listed as a LODD from 9/11/01, so I am curious as to why someone more local is not seen as one.

I think that there needs to be a combination of age, experience and training. Age is of course important because as we get older we have experienced a little bit more of life. Experience is important but is relative to the department, you can have the most experience within your department without any outside experience, which can be both good and bad. Training is becomming more and more important as call volume goes up but fire volume goes down. Training is also becomming important from a legal standpoint. You can be a capable officer without any certificates, but sometimes all those certificates come into play after an incident, when the court of public opion goes into session. I made the mistake of being a young officer a few years back. I was elected Lieutenant when I didn't have the experience or attitude I should have. I made it 8 months into a 1 year term, before loudly quitting. I stayed around as a firefighter and took some more classes, and this year was elected as a Captain. I'm not sure I'm better at it than I was, but I am better prepared to do it, which may make all the difference. One comment on the election or popularity contest method of promotion, my department like many volunteer departments elects our officers for set terms. I think this provides a check and ballance system, as the membership can review and remove a bad officer. But popularity contests are not limited to volunteer departments, as some departments leave promotions up to politically appointed civilian commissions with little or no fire service experience. I agree that in a perfect world all our officers would be our best and brightest, but this is not a perfect world. Sometimes we become officers, not because we are the best but because we are the best option. All of us, but especially younger officers, can not afford to stop training or trying to improve ourselves within the fire service.

I had forgotten about the Black roof on R77. And I didn't know about the old Glenbrook & other Long Ridge rigs. So I stand corrected. I'm not sure that the old E5 can be considered anything over anything, since it was almost a stripe patern of red and white, a strange but interesting looking design, to say the least.

Tower Ladder 45 is down at Interstate Trucks in Hagerstown, MD getting some repair work / upgrading done. So for the time being we are an Engine / Rescue house. The work isn't expected to take long, however.

I know Paul Conway makes Boston style shields including inserts for the New York Shield with the Boston style numbers. We had an ex-member who wore one like that. But then again I wanted to spec our new gear out with the BFD (F & D inside the holes of the logo on the back like Boston wears, but no one else liked the idea.

Of course there is a slight bad side to Amber lights. I agree that Amber is easier to distinguish from Red break lights on a car, but I think that the driving public is desensitized to Amber lights of any kind, because they are the catch all lights for anyone who wants/needs them. With Public Works, Tow Trucks, Snow Plows and even Mail Carriers using them, I am not sure the public really gets the idea that they are passing an emergency scene and should use caution around vehicles and responders. I think Blue or even Green is a better color choice, because it will still not be Red but also will not be confused with various non Emergency Vehicles.

A couple of thoughts on the Paid / Volunteer aspect of that article...... First of all, I think the phrase "On Duty" applies to all of us while responding to a call, regardless of payroll status. No matter what your opinion about pre-response activities, I think we should all agree that one is on duty while responding to and working at any incident.. Second, finally a news article that just talks about a Firefighter, not a Volunteer or Career Firefighter. Too bad it is a negative story. I have found that the positive stories often don't mention volunterism and the negative stories usually feature the word Volunteer prominantly. I'm glad to see news coverage that calls us what we are, Firefighters.

Probably dating myself here, but I remember Dark Green/Light Green Stamford Police Cars & Dark Green/White Stamford Auxiliary Police Cars. Of course back then Turn of River had all Red apparatus. An interesting trivia not is that I believe the old E62 was the First White over Red rig in Stamford, and the new E62 is the first Black over Red rig here. The berst part about it is that the Boars Head boys have to stop with the Good Humor jokes now.

One Minor Correction, the Spartan/General that is assigned to E2 in Stamford is lettered as E12, which it will be when the new E2 comes in. E11 is I think the unnumbered Reserve used at the Training Academy, this is a white over red Mack CF that previously served as E5 and E1. I was surprized to see the General yesterday in service as E2, as I had heard that it would not return after being damaged in a colision. I guess that rumor was wrong.

I read a mystery a few years ago that took place on Amtrak trains, I think it was called Foamers. The book had an escape by the hero, that utilized that old tunnel. I never thought about there being a train car still there, I would have thought it kept elsewhere then brought to the hotel as needed. Then again there are lots of historical mysteries under NYC.

I like to think that our website is worth visiting. The webmaster is constantly changing or updating stuff. There should be more pictures added soon, as the gallery is being redone. Belltown FD Website

On the subject of using different sirens. When I joined, one of the guys who trained me in a lot of stuff was a self confessed Siren Buff. He actually taught me some good things about sirens, most of which I still use, most of which are probably very annoying. All our rigs have Electronic Sirens, Mechanical Q's and Airhorns. I was taught to use them in levels. I was taught never to use the Mechanical going to a Medical, only to Fire calls. Airhorns were for added noise at intersections or heavy traffic. When two Sirens were used they should be on different sounds, since the Q only has one, the electronic must have a sound that doesn't mesh with the Q. I have since adapted the no Q on medicals to use the Q as another level if traffic seems heavy. I have no idea if there was ever anything scietific behind these rules, but I bet they were passed down from senior guy to probie more than once. I can't say I use them exclusively, but they do seem to work, when approaching non yielding traffic being able to add another layer onto the audible warning moves people over a fair amount of the time.

Westport is a combination Department, I do not know how active the volunteer side is. I know they run 2 man engines (I think 5 but I'm not sure). A Truck & Rescue share a 2 man crew, there is also a Command Officer and his Driver. I know there are Career Line Officers but I'm not aware of how many or where they are stationed. Wish I could give you more stats but that's all I can remember, some of which may have changed.

Before anyone gets offended, sorry for mixing up my lakes. I meand Mohegan and not Carmel. But I also misread Izzy and thought he was from Lake Mohegan. Thats what I get for posting when I'm tired. Either way I have to work that day, and we have a big Softball game the next day, so it is unlikely that I will make the muster.

Years ago, I saw an article, I can't remember where, that addressed the number of colors displayed, but not the number of actual lights. The interesting thing is that it kind of said the same thing as the Red + Amber theory, in that this article said that a combination of ANY two colors was seen further away than any single color since the human mind processed the changing colors faster. Now this article was before LED's by a long shot, and before strobes were small enough to be popular in POV's, so the info might be a bit dated. I just thought it was an interesting factor to consider.

We have the flyer posted in our station, so I know it is on. Great to see someone from Lake Carmel, for a number of years the Belltown team was right up there on the hill next to you. There is some talk of us sending a team again, but I doubt it will happen this year. I personally don't go anymore, and I don't think we'll ever return to the hill.

Quiet cars are one of the reasons we went from that old single "gum ball" rotary to lightbars and corner strobes and grille lights, ect. We had to become more visible, since we were being made less audible. I will add that I don't believe for a moment that any of that is an excuse. Yesterday I was going to an MVA, I was riding as the Rescue Officer, There was a Police Car moving in front of us (that's a whole other issue) but it meant that oncomming traffic had to know we were comming. I had the electronic & mechanical sirens going and was using the airhorns, yet still somone comming towards me felt they were ok making a left turn into a side street, across our lane on our side of the street. Judging by their speed taking that turn, I can't believe that they didn't see or hear us.

And of course from a patch collector standpoint I think New York may have more rockers than anywhere else, most of which I've seen in blue only.