mikeinet

http://www.news10now.com/content/top_stori....asp?ArID=11520

From a legal prospective.... If you get in an accident (while responding or not) your apparatus is OUT OF SERVICE... Same laws hold if you are driving a regular viechle... if you leave the scene, it's leaving the scene of an accident which can have legal implications. From that prospective, there's nothing you can do besides having a chief or somene drive by and pick up the crew (not driver) and have them continue to the scene. Even though the situation sucks, legally there's nothing that can really be done... This actually happened to someone I know. Department A was paged out for a working structure (unknown entrapment) - Department B was paged out to standby at Dept A's firehouse. (My friend is on Dept - While responding, a truck from Dept A t-boned a car when going through an intersection - was placed out of service and Dept B was redirected to the scene.

News 12 Writeup: http://www.news12.com/WC/topstories/article?id=101779 edit: Additional article via journal news: http://www.thejournalnews.com/newsroom/022...smithspill.html

Such a great show. I really don't know what they are doing though... it seems like things are starting to get very sketchy/falling apart - I hope they're not trying to do away with the show overall. About doc... I'm not sure what they'll do, but how can you keep someone that was in his position still in FDNY or something like that? Seems like that they had to do away with his character (expired contract??) Such a great show, I like it back in the earlier days more though when they actually had more Fire related incidents rather than now just police/ems (though I'm still not fully complaining)

http://www.westchestergov.com/emergserv/forms/SFI2.pdf ^-- Job Description http://www.westchestergov.com/emergserv/forms/SFI1.pdf ^-- Canvas Letter

I couldn't agree any more! I'm in the middle of dispatch training for EMS... small university agency but we run ~1500 calls a year. Even in our small orginization we get the typical "well the dispatcher should do that... should have done that" - no credit is given at all. It's not always easy/fun having to help someone on the phone who just found their friend uncioncious/having a seizure/<enter a medical problem here> while trying to dispatch an ambulance, notify PD, etc. A lot is juggled. I hold the uptmost respect for dispatchers... its a tough job that is never thanked (like many things in the emergency services field)

I'm not sure how much it would cost say 60-control... but I can give what I know: Somewhat involved with an orginization in Syracuse (EMS) that is looking to do this. The cost to unlock the "paging" feature within our CAD is ~$3,800. This records when pages are made, allows pages to be made to ceratin 'groups' (ie: a group can be setup for a crew on a veichle, or to all drivers... etc.) I'm not sure the actual exact numbers on pagers and stuff but I know we had some sort of a deal worked out to get the pagers for a pretty decent amount and a pretty decent montly fee. It isn't cheap, but I think the outcomes are better and more worth it. We currently had a nextel system setup (in addition to pagers) for certain paging... we're moving away from it because of problems with the nextel network in the Syracuse Area and just various issues with phones breaking and such. (We have the skinny black phones that we got for I think a few bucks a shot).

I think there used to be a company somewhere that would do it for $$. I think i/page is a great idea... but the program needs to be expanded/upgraded. Right now the entire system has to be restarted to institute a change. What would be great is if there would be some web-interface that could be setup so that departments could manage it themselves and it be real-time... not a max of say 5 per dept that can only be changed once a month. it doesn't cost 60 anything to use (besides the cost of the software) so I don't see what the big issues is (besides upgrading the cad of course) I most definetly support text paging though. Especially in parts of westchester that have issues with hills causing pager signal issues.

If a patient signs an RMA... they (by the PCR) are waiving any medical attention... can you as a EMT still provide care after the patient signed their right away??? It feels that this would be an even bigger legal issue that the origional issue (providing care after an RMA)

I'm sorry, but certain things like this are out of control - do people (not to say anything against cops) live such by rules these days that things such as this, people doing their job, helping others... not matter anymore? *shrug*

Lot of firehouse related photographs too. http://www.thejournalnews.com/dailygallery/index.htm Click on today's date 1/25/04

This article was in the Journal News today:

Off the top of my head: Millwood, Mt. Kisco, Golden's Bridge, North White Pl., I know there's more... someone fill in the rest

Some unit on the scene (chief?) extinguished the fire before any engine rolled in... Chief requested 1 bus to respond to take 1 person to the hospital (I think for bruses? smoke inhalation). Engine Co was told to continue and hit the hydrant after was transmitted the fire was extinguished.

Hey all, Curious about what everyone's doing for new year precautions? Also - curious if anyone else heard about this. I just got an email from one of my buddies in NJ, according to him "As of 4pm yesterday afternoon, the Governor of NJ issued a mandate for all ambulance corps, police departments, and fire depts in NJ to notify the office of counter-terrorism over the next 12 hours of available manpower, aparatus and aparatus location, and all supplies and to have all members on call due to an "imminent terrorist threat" to the NYC metropolitan area. " Any idea how valid this threat is and if there's anything like this going on in NYS? Happy Holidays

Note: this is the origional article in the Journal News Man fights for his family's legacy in Millwood By THE JOURNAL NEWS THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: December 10, 2003) MILLWOOD — Leo Rotta spent his youth loading coal and lumber onto truck beds in the 1940s and '50s. As a member of the family-owned business, Millwood Supply, Rotta didn't have much of a choice. The supply company that has operated from this hamlet since the 1890s, was bought by Rotta's father, Bernardo, and his aunts and uncles in 1932, and is considered the oldest, continuous lumberyard in Westchester. But not all of Rotta's growing years were dedicated to manual labor. "We used to have great baseball games and picnics here," he said, pointing to a corner of the 2-acre property at 87 Millwood Road. "I also had the job of bringing water to the chicken house and tending to the asparagus plants. I spent all my spare time at the yard." Such fond memories, Rotta said, are what is driving him to take a stand. In recent weeks, the Millwood Fire District informed Rotta that it intends to seize his land by eminent domain to make way for a new firehouse. Eminent domain is used by government agencies to condemn private property for public projects or to maintain public safety. Under eminent domain, property owners receive fair compensation for their land. Faced with little recourse, Rotta said he will still do what he can to fight for his family's legacy, particularly since he believes there are other viable properties in the area for the fire district to purchase. The Rotta family stopped operating Millwood Supply in the 1970s and has since leased the name of the business and the property. "The only thing I can do is call public attention to this and show how misguided and politically driven this is," said Rotta, 66, of Eastchester. "I'm the loser and the taxpayer will also lose because in my estimation, we don't need a new firehouse." Some residents are sympathetic to Rotta's situation, claiming that a new firehouse is not necessary. "Let the fire district stay where they are," said Bill Gordon, an airline pilot who lives at 128 Millwood Road. "If they wanted a firehouse, then I wouldn't mind. But what they want is a clubhouse and a meeting hall for the Millwood Task Force. I really don't think a new firehouse is for the benefit of the residents." Gordon said he fears that if the fire district is allowed to take over the Millwood Supply property, then it will set the stage for future condemnation proceedings. "If they get eminent domain there, they can claim eminent domain on any property in the town," said Gordon. "It's Rotta's land. He's entitled to do what he wants with it. He should be protected by the government." The Millwood Firehouse No. 1 is at the intersection of routes 120 and 133, a few hundreds yards up the street from Millwood Supply. Fire officials said they have been searching for more than a decade for a location for their new headquarters, claiming that its present facility, built in 1924, is too cramped and unsafe. The fire district looked at 12 other properties that wound up hindered by various obstacles, including Con Edison and New York City watershed restrictions and rock outcroppings impossible to blast, said Mark Blitstein, a Millwood volunteer firefighter and spokesman for the Board of Fire Commissioners. In 1998, the fire district considered condemning a Schuman Road property occupied by Hudson Canyon Construction. After months of litigation, the district and the property owner settled out of court, leaving the fire district to explore other options. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed and company owner T.J. Muldoon would not comment yesterday. The failure to acquire the Hudson Canyon Construction property, however, has not deterred fire officials from attempting eminent domain proceedings a second time. "The firehouse must be in a central area," said Blitstein. "The only site that fits the bill was Millwood Supply." But Rotta argues that the property across the street from the lumberyard is for sale and would more than serve the fire district's needs. Blitstein, however, said they do not need a 3.7-acre plot of land and would have to pay a high price for it. "There are a lot of ways they could massage that area that would be economical and not impact businesses," contended Rotta. "Use 50 percent of it and sell the unused portion." Preliminary plans for the fire station call for a 16,000-square-foot facility that would accommodate a training room, six firetrucks and will also serve as a shelter site for residents during emergencies, said Blitstein. Specifics on the cost of the new firehouse have not been unveiled, but Blitstein said it will likely be comparable to a $2.7 million fire headquarters being built in Ossining. Mark Tulis, the attorney representing the Millwood Fire District and a former New Castle supervisor, said that before eminent domain proceedings commence, they are looking for suitable relocation sites for a tenant that lives in a house on the lumberyard property and for the business itself. Since 2000, Fred Cohen has leased the store and run Millwood Supply. Cohen refused to comment as did the couple who live in the house. Tulis said that an appraisal of the property has been made, but declined to disclose the estimate. Rotta said he is spending upward of $12,000 to get his own appraisal of the property and did not yet have an estimate. "I would love to get this done in a friendly manner and negotiate a price with Mr. Rotta," said Tulis. "He can throw up procedural roadblocks but as long as the fire district follows the law, he'll have a difficult time blocking the process." With the future of his property uncertain, Rotta said one thing is clear. "I'm keeping the name, Millwood Supply," he said. "That is not for sale."

There is property around in millwood... but not many that is viable for a firehouse. The places that are availiable have issues with rock drilling... physical location... safety... plot size... There's no doubt a building can be replaced on it's same property/current plot... but the plot of land does not allow for the house to be greatly expanded, let alone to note anyone familar with the area knows the firehouse is on an extremly dangerous turn. To my knowledge, the way this was brought up with the owner was that the district would *buy* the land from the owner of the plot... but if a deal was not viable, then eminent domain would have to be used... not a "we own you, give it to us" from the start. This guy then turned and pulled an ad in the journal news which LOVES to throw mud (we need to look back on the mud that was thrown at Greeley during the stripper party a few years ago?) saying the district was going to take away the land that his family came from a foreign country to have... common. It's sad that this is the way our society is towards emergency services... Im happy this finally got onto the boards though... curious to see where everyone else is thinking about this. There's another origional article that was posted too. I'll try to post it if I find it.

http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/a...nId=46&id=22813

Hey all, Does anyone know if there's going to me an EMT-Basic class offered over the summer? If so, do you know where/the dates? Thanks a lot

Thanks guys, good info. Anybody have any idea when dates of classes might start to be published? I left a message for the number above posted in the thread so hopefully i'll hear back from that. thanks

Personally, I don't really understand the NYS bluelight laws. If you look at Vermont, they have literally no restrictions, they're allowed red lights... sirens... etc. They are responding to an emergency and are rightfully doing so. I personally only have one blue light, but generally when responding also use my emeregency flashers (yellow) for safety reasons. If i'm going through an intersection, I think for *our* safety, we should be allowed more than one light. I think that side strobes or something should be allowed in case say someone making a right-on-red doesn't see you, etc.

Training officer didn't have any info on it... I'll try giving that number a call. Thanks.

Do you know anywhere I can get more information about it *now*? (trying to plan something out) Thanks!

Seems kind of a large unit to carry around on a call. It would be cool though to just get everything on a palm pilot or something and when at the hospital/in quarters be able to "beam" the info to a computer and get a PCR (as we know it) print out with everything on it.

There's a number of departments that have brought up legislation in State Gov't that have changed it. (Just for their depts)