chris498

1075 you and I obviously think the same way. I want to agree that what we do today is very important. You could not be more right when you stated that most people who are served by volunteers today, do not know that fact. Here are some things that worked for my department. Advertising is key.... let the public know who you are, and what you do.... attend community events as a department.... put faces with the service. Take the time to talk with those who show even the slightest interest.... most will say no thank you.... some will join. We have worked very agressively in my department to recruite a large number of new people..... let me say this.... the best recruiter is a happy recruit.... try to remember that because someone did not grow up with you in your community does not rule out the amount of pride, knowledge and enthusiasm they can bring to an organization. New members have friends who they may ask to join somewhere down the road if they themselves are happy as members. Not every new member will stay.... this should not discourage you in your recruiting efforts..... I want to say that advertising is not begging, it is honest, and it is necessary.... let people know you need members, they will come. We always need to act like professionals, for our community and for ourselves, in every aspect of the service we provide. A lot can be done to recruit and retain new members. How we plan today is how we will survive into the future. Stay safe.

This Year the Convention Parade will be hosted by Verplank.

FWD of Clintonville Wisc. was the parent company of Seagrave between 1963 and 2003 when Jim Hebe former CEO of the new Freightliner ALF purchsed the company. FWD was responsible for moving Seagrave from Columbus Ohio to their current factory in Clintonville. At one point FWD had it's own custom fire apparatus line... in efforts to streamline productions in the 1970's FWD trucks began using the same cabs and chassis an example of this in Westchester apparatus was Ossinings 1970 FWD Pumper. The cab of this truck and of a Seagrave PB are indenitical. Frequently if you bought an 4WD Seagrave.... it arrived with FWD plates. So you are right in thinking they are similar... they are the same. During the 1950's FWD was a somewhat popular fire truck even in Westchester County... Ossining, Bedford Hills, and Mamaroneck Village all operated FWD Pumpers. Until recently if you ordered an Aerialscope Tower, FWD was the predominantly used chassis.... some of this has to do with the fact the Aerialscope was also owned by FWD. FWD bought the Aerialscope line when Baker went bankrupt around 1991. I hope this has not confused you. In short you are correct, they are the same.

Great Shot guys!!! Now for a historical question about the truck for HFD. I had been told several times that both of these aerials were purchases used from the City of White Plains FD.... and confirmations on that?

Sorry Croton..... how could I forget 119?????? But I think then that would make your Mack the Last complete engine Mack built for a Westchester Department.

Purchase retired the 1957 Seagrave Quad in late 2003 with a new Seagrave TB Pumper, I believe Engine 240. At the time of my last visit, the intentions of the Purchase Fire Department was to maintain the quad as a parade piece and an antique.... efforts were being made to find adequate storage for the unit. The Seagrave was the second brand new fire engine Purchase bought, th first was a 1937 ALF Pumper (Similar in style to Scarsdales Antique, also a 1937 ALF)

Croton, Croton Falls, Montrose, Mohegan, South Salem, Pound Ridge, Armonk, Fairview, Elmsford, Greenville, Irvington, Archville, Pocantico Hills, Chappaqua, Thornwood, Pelham Manor, Verplank, Buchanan, Hartsdale, and Valhalla have all never owned or operated Seagrave Fire Apparatus to the best of my knowledge.

Hastings on Hudson had a 1962 Seagrave 70th Srs. Pumper that served Riverview Manor. A cool truck it had no doors, and an open cab. Tarrytown had a 1962 Seagrave 70th Srs. Pumper in service at Riverside Hose. A beautiful truck, all white with a canopy cab. It served until 1989. I have a shot of this truck, I will try to post it in the coming days. Port Chester was mainly a Ward LaFrance department during the time period in question, and Rye was using Maxims. New Rochelle definately had a Seagrave 70th Srs. Tiller with an open cab. White Plains had several 70th Srs. open cab pumpers from around 1957. One of which made its way to Fairview as a muster piece after retirement from the big city. Eastchester had a 1956 Seagrave 70th Srs. midship aerial.... the newspaper printed an aticle about the huge to do, as one commisioner questioned why they had purchased a Seagrave instead of ALF's like the prior deliveries. Ardsley had two 70th Srs. Pumpers.... one was a 1955 open cab job, and the second was a 1963 open cab job that had a beautiful chrome nose..... lets see if Seth can get us a copy of the one. These rigs ran well until retirement in 1978 and 1988 respectively. I cannot attest to Mt.Vernon's rigs or any additional New Rochelle units. But other than the one mentioned..... I think that is about all of them. Maxim, Ward Lafrance, and ALF had an almost strangle hold on the county at that point. Oren was very popular too.

Mack Fire Apparatus were built in Allentown PA. But here are some interesting facts about Mack Fire Apparatus. The Famous C chassis series once so previlent in WC firefighting was actually designed by Ahrens Fox and C.D. Beck a bus manufacturer. When Mack bought Aherns Fox/Beck around 1957 they acquired the plant in Sydney Ohio where the 6 (yes only 6 Beck Ahrens Foxes were built were built. After that Mack bulit some fire apparatus there for several years before making the move back to Allentown. Additionally, Mack was soooo overwhelmed by deliveries during the late 1950's and early 1960's they contracted with Hahn Fire Apparatus of Hamburg PA to build the bodies. During this agreement Hahn built about 250 or so bodies on Mack Chassis. Additionally, Mack Trucks had a large factory in Long Island City, part of Queens for many many years... I cannot swear that they built fire trucks there, but certainly many local engines passed through that facility while awaitng their final delivery. The sales team most likely would have changed after 1984 when Mack discontinued manufacturing complete fire apparatus.... most rigs after that recieved bodies by Ward 79 (Was Ward LaFrance), Ranger (a small now defucnt firm in RI) I will try to find out from Mt. Kisco (Mutuals) I think they recieved the last completely built Mack pumper in WC (1983 Mack CF, still in service. Engine 103 I think) Sorry sooo long winded. Thought you all might be interested.

Katonah has been off the back step now for years and years and years......

I hope people don't think we were suggesting the dispatchers were not doing their jobs...... that was not the point I think that we were trying to convey here, rather that when it comes to mutual-aid, there are probably more effective means for the fire departments to coordinate with 60 pre-incident to make sure that the closest mutual aid is being sent, more along the lines of pre-existing automatic mutual aid agreements among departments. I hope that makes sense. I know you all down there work very diligently and your work should be applauded.

To begin, Thank you! You are correct that we in the fire service do not do enough to thank the dispatchers at 60 Control. Perhaps non-intentionally the discussion on mutual-aid suggested that the dispatchers could do a better job.... and if that is the case I am sorry, because that is not what I meant to convey in the discussion.... what I meant to convey is not even important in this forum...... I'll just say thank you. You all down at control do one hell of a job.

You are right about requesting mutual aid.... like Bedford Village, they get a call for a possible structure fire they automatically get tankers from Pound Ridge and Banksville. That is the way it should be, getting the closest available help on it's way when it is needed. But you are right, we could do more with auto-response and pre-determined mutual aid, though I think 60 has run cards for every department that includes preferences for mutual aid. I don't want to see the county ram these decisions down our throats though either. We as departments should be coming to these decissions and moving in that direction on our own.

Maybe I'm missing the point.... I thought the point of this discussion was Mutual Aid - Working Together.... who cares who gets there first?????? Fire Departments around the county have mutual aid agreements with their neighbors.... other companies arrive on scene before the first due all of the time.... it happens, big deal. The point is WORKING TOGETHER..... right???? Suggesting that we are all a bunch of first graders is denagrating to the fire service and the work that we all do. I don't care if some else arrives first in my district, I have no problem with mutual aid, thank god for mutual aid. I agree that there are areas in W.C Fire Service that could be worked on/improved but still I think we all do a good job. So lets stop throwing stones and whining, lets Work Together for a common good and not against each other!

Round 31 of Fire Act Grant has been posted. Mount Vernon FD got $155,538 for firefighting ops/firefighter safety.

Very excited about the Hills new tanker! Can't wait to see it!!!! Here is hoping Katonah follows suite.

I disagree with alsfirefighter here on this one.... I have no problem with another department being first due on my scene esspecially if they are looking for an MVA.... great, get started.... but why not send the FD who's department it is in as well? If it's a bad accident..... more hands are usually welcome. If it's minor, great we'll go ten-20. Secondly, are there issues legal issues if it happens in my district and I say," You know what, they are there, I don't need to go....." and then something goes wrong..... somebody gets hurt? Additionally, not all Volunteer firefighters drive to the scene.... in fact in many communities this practice is discouraged. As long as something is happening in my fire district and my crew is not tied up somewhere else.... I want them there...... then we can work together!

Listen, if I were a chief and I had a spare engine to lend to a neighboring department in a time of need, I would. But I agree in a lot of cases, the ability to ways on a lot of factors..... does the insurance cover such a move for a long period of time? Do we have a back up rig that could be lent out for a long period of time??? And I agree that there are a lot of departments whose intentions might be good, but simply cannot spare a rig for plain reason of leaving themselves under-protected. I'm not trying to make excusses here either.... I'm just saying that to lambast all of LFD neighbors for not being able to help would be unfair because of the large numbers of variables that way into the equation here. By the way..... which units are broken again and what is wrong with them?

This year Seagrave has promised to expand their line to include new midship aerials, both straight stick and tower.... there was a large press release on this whole new undertaking in Fire Apparatus Magazine this past month (Different from Fire Apparatus Journal). It sounds interesting.... I just hope that they dont' scarifice quality for quantity and that the cab style does not change.... but from the sounds of it Seagrave is about to take on the big boys with a new factory, increased product line, but with the same quality people building the same quality trucks....... as for who to go with, Seagrave, Pierce..... spec it right and talk to people who already operate them..... you'll be fine...... but I would look at Wallington NJ's Seagrave Quint.....MEAN!!!!!

But about the tires rubbing against the front intake..... ummm wouldn't that render the trucks un road worthy? How then are they still in service.... it seems that would constitute a major safety issue........ I'm sorry rescue 20... I don't mean to be critical really, just too trying to better understand the problem :roll:

South Salem's has a new engine on order from ALF. It will be on an Eagle Chassis and is expected this spring at some point. This engine may be assigned to E167 a number not used by SSFD since older pumpers were retired in 1986 by the then new E168..... Both older Engines the 1983 ALF (E166) and E168 will be kept. 168 to remain the source engine..... 166 will become second due scene engine. As for Valhalla..... I have seen the 1993 Pierce Lance Pumper (ten man cab with top mounted pump) listed in several magazines as for sale by brokers.... no further info on that though.

Ossining

Mohegan Lake...... Ladder 10, Ladder 35 and the Telesquirt.

I am going to agree with Mofire on this one. I know all departments have agreed to let certain members who live in other districts to join their department, for a varity of reason...... but Mofire is right, to make this a common practice is unfair to other fire departments who are struggling to attract and retain new members..... if one department pulls people from all other fire districts, what are those districts suppossed to do for new members? Like I said there are always a few exceptions (everyone else in the thier family is already a member of said department, the home commmunity is not interested in them, they live sooo far away from their own districts fire house responding there is impracticle, they work in the other fire district) .... but really if somebody wants to join to serve their community, they should live or work in that community.

Rescue 5 Located in Eastchester.... the last time I saw it it had gone to the Training Center..........