SageVigiles

I'm #174 on one of the exam lists, took it about 6-8 months ago, but I still haven't heard anything. One of my college buddies got on with them and he said its not unusual for the process to take 2-3 years.

First of all its a Clean Harbors truck, so you know its going to be a nightmare sorting through all the different products you're going to have inside. But it should be run the same way any other HAZMAT call runs, use the 8-Step Process: 1. Site Management and Control - Isolate the area, evacuate anyone nearby, set up some initial zones based on an unknown product, since this is a Clean Harbors truck and is likely a collection of various HAZMATs picked up from locations all over the place. Start ICS and make sure you have an IC and a Safety Officer. In CT we're also going to call the Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection as required by state statute, they'll send one or two of their Emergency Response Coordinators out to assist. Regional (or in NY's case, County) HAZMAT team also added and EMS for standby. 2. Identify Product - The placards are only telling me so much. We're going to need some kind of paperwork on the products involved. If the leak isn't all over the place, we can likely send someone into the cab to get some shipping papers. If not, remember we're dealing with Clean Harbors here, not Crazy Joe's Overnight Waste Removal and Handyman Services. Its a HUGE environmental company with some professional management staff, and I wouldn't be totally surprised if they had an electronic database that will tell me exactly what's supposed to be inside that truck. Obviously we're going to trust but verify, but it will give me a starting point to get my research guys on. 3. Hazard and Risk Evaluation - Sure, the placards look scary, but realistically what states of matter am I dealing with? What's the hazard to my personnel if I send them in there? What are the exposure limits, etc? 4. PPE and Equipment - Based on the info from 2 and 3, I'm going to confer with my HAZMAT guys to determine what the right suit is to wear. Say it with me: NOT EVERY HAZMAT CALL REQUIRES LEVEL A!!!! Our team uses the HAZMATIQ system in our region, so based on the chemical name the "playbook" we use tells us what our PPE should be for our mission posture, either "Rescue" or "Plumbing," and what the metering package is that's relevant for that/those products. It will also lay out the "red light" meters, ones that, if they go off, indicate there's something unexpected happening or something we haven't accounted for in our plan. It really simplifies the process and cuts back on a lot of the chemistry lessons we need to give non-HAZMAT geek Chiefs and ICs on scene. Based on the video these guys are in turnouts and SCBA and some of the guys were in the Lion or Blauer suits with the Nomex outer shell so its probably pretty safe to assume the flammables were really their main concern, along with the respiratory hazards that we almost always protect ourselves from. Most likely we're bringing in pH and F paper to ensure its not a corrosive atmosphere before we bring in the expensive toys, then a 4-gas, PID, Drager Chipset if you can narrow things down, maybe a First Defender or other Raman Spectroscopy device if you're really coming up with nothing at all (but only if you're sure its not a flammable) 5. Information Management and Resource Coordination - Do I have my ICS set up to make sure the right people are running the right operations? Do I have all the personnel and equipment I'm going to need for this operation? If not, who am I calling to get them? Do I have a RIT/Backup team in place? Am I going to need a forklift and/or jack for moving some of these drums? 6 - Implement Response Objectives - Now that we have ourselves organized and know what we're dealing with, lets go in and start moving some drums. Sort them out, figure out what's leaking and how to stop it. If we can't stop it, lets over-pack it and let the cleanup company get it the hell out of my district. But remember, we can't do anything until we have #7 at least set up first! 7 - Decontamination - Clean up the guys, the gear and the other drums that weren't leaking but have some product on them. Assuming the product wasn't that "Dangerous When Wet" one, we're probably just talking about soap and water, but again its based off what my research came back in steps 2/3. 8 - Termination - Brief everyone on short/long term symptoms of exposure, quick hotwash of what went well and what we can improve on. Start taking up and handing off the scene to the cleanup company (who will probably just end up being Clean Harbors again anyway.)

Well thanks man, I'm not up to that episode yet...

I went to New Fairfield High School with Staff Sergeant Lobraico. He graduated in 2008, a year behind me. We weren't very close, but I definitely knew who he was and vice versa. SSG Lobraico was a member of USAF Security Forces, their version of Military Police. Both of TJ's parents are US Air Force, and his father is a Police Officer with the City of Stamford. TJ had hoped to follow in his fathers footsteps and become a Police Officer upon his return. Tuesday night I got a call from Deputy Chief Bernie Meehan of Danbury FD. DC Meehan knows I went to NFHS with TJ, and he wanted to invite me to ride with him as the convoy welcomed TJ home to Connecticut. New York State Police lead the convoy to the State Line and handed off the lead position to the Connecticut State Police. Danbury Fire, Danbury Police, Danbury Police Explorers and Western CT State University Police made sure the path was clear through the city to Cornell Funeral Home. I don't think I've ever seen so many police cars on the highway or snaking through the streets of Danbury before. I must say this was one of the most powerful experiences of my life, TJ definitely got the Hero's welcome he deserves, I just wish it would have been under different circumstances. I could never thank DC Meehan enough for the opportunity to be a part of this. Anyone who thinks the Brotherhood is dead has never met Bernie Meehan, this guy "gets it." Here are a few of my shots from yesterday's convoy. Danbury Squad 1, Car 30 and CT State Police at the Exit 1 on ramp. Danbury Engine 26 at the Kenosia Ave. overpass.

The NYPD test is a great way to practice, because you can take it on your schedule (its walk-in) and you can take it again every 3 months or so. I want to say it was only like $35-$40 too. I'd definitely look at taking that.

This isn't a "new" phenomenon in public safety, but its sure garnering more attention as of late. I'm hearing a lot about CISD and Psychological First Aid in regional planning and preparedness meetings at work, and a lot of Medical Reserve Corps units are starting to get involved in this. My feeling is that most of us as responders do not have the time to become trained behavioral health professionals, but we need to train our people to recognize issues and be able to direct our peers to the help they need. Employee Assistance Programs are a great start, and for large-scale incidents there are a lot of other resources out there: CT Critical Incident Stress Management Team: Specific to first responders http://www.ctcism.org/ CT Dept. of Mental Health & Addiction Services / Dept. of Children and Families Regional Response Teams: Not necessarily specific to responders, played a HUGE role in the Sandy Hook incident http://www.ct.gov/dmhas/lib/dmhas/publications/dbhfactsheetr5.pdf Line-of-Duty State Response Teams (LASTs): Specific to Line-of-Duty Deaths in the fire service http://firehero.org/resources/departments/last/LASTBrochure.pdf The FBI's Office of Victim Assistance also has great resources to tap into, though its usually only available after violent incidents, etc.

There's a difference between teaching a certification class and a training course. If you're not Fire Officer I, you can't teach Fire Officer I. But can you provide additional command-level decision making and leadership training to your members? I'd argue you'd be foolish not to.

Getting on an FD in Florida is... different, from what I hear. You go to a fire college/academy and THEN get picked up by a department, but a lot of the guys who are trained/certified are unemployed from what I was told by a few buddies down there. Columbia, SC closes next week, if you're already certified Firefighter I and II you go through an abbreviated academy.

"I'm gonna go get the papers get the papers"

Here we are again, automatically blaming an inanimate object before we get the facts on a potential criminal case... If they write it in the newspaper, it has to be correct, right? God knows they wouldn't print anything 100% confirmed. I wasn't aware reporters were certified accident investigators... And nobody whose ever had just "a couple drinks in him" has ever gotten in a DUI accident before, right? Let the cops do their job.

Please someone close this thread before this escalates.

Great shots! No shame in shooting with a phone camera. I'm new to the hobby, but the advice I was given is "The best camera is the one you have with you at the time"

Well said my friend. Good job to your and your team.

The things our government wastes time (and money) regulating...

Except the giant star of life? Private, for-profit companies (IE: Empress) aren't granted access to UASI or other Homeland Security funds, if I'm not mistaken.

Got a real camera finally, Canon Rebel T3 (refurbished), so no more point and shoot for me. I've been playing around with the settings and features, so I took a ride out with a friend to Ellsworth Ave in New Haven, home of the West Battalion. Car 34 (West Battalion Chief) - 2012 Ford F-350 Squad Company 2 - 2011 Pierce Arrow XT Rescue Pumper Messing around with angles, tight fit so I wasn't able to get everything I wanted in the shot. Used a "cheater" HDR editing software for this one, just playing around with different stuff. Emergency 2 is no longer at this station, they're at Howard Avenue with E11 and T2. Has been for years they just never updated the sign. Engine 9 was out while I was there. Any advice or tips would be welcome, I'm new to the hobby.

Its kind of the same logic that Connecticut applies to their entire State Police fleet. No markings somehow makes you incognito, except for the giant pushbar, and unique license plate suffixes, cruise lights with light up "STATE POLICE" in the middle of your lightbar, etc. Unless you're from WAY out of state or pulled over by the non-descript Traffic Squad cars, there is literally no reason you should ever be caught off guard by CSP's unmarked cars. Now, there's a few "reasons" people argue as to why CSP has unmarked cars: Some argue its related to resale value, some argue Troopers don't want their take-home vehicles marked (Yes, every CT State Trooper has a take-home vehicle.) Use your own judgement there, I see pros and cons to both. Unmarked cars only work on the terribly unobservant among our population. That said, they should work perfectly against the people NYSP is looking to catch. Also, I must ask, does ANYONE have a phone without a speaker nowadays? Is that even a thing anymore? Why do I still see people talking with iPhone headphones and/or holding their phone next to their heads?

Wow. Well done Izzy... My only correction is that the Engines being replaced this year are 5, 9 and 11. The bids actually came out through the city purchasing system the other day. For some reason 6's is not going this year. 5 will be a 500 water/500 foam Engine, probably about the length of one of the squads I'd think. That leaves Engines 6 and 8 (and maybe 10) with Quantums, if I'm not mistaken. Everything else has been converted over. The guys are already training on Truck 1, they've been down at the school for the last few days. Tony is DEFINITELY a magician. For those not familiar with NHFD, the department needed a new Fire Investigation Unit. State Police wrecked one of their Major Crimes trucks, so NHFD took the box off of that and mounted it on a brand new E-Series cab/chassis. Looks brand new. He's also the creative mind behind the original Frankensquad, as Izzy mentioned, as well as the Fox 1 refurb I posted a few months ago. Rumor has it he's cooking something up with the old T2A, but everyone's quite tight lipped about it. I can't wait to see what comes out of that shop next.

Rest in Peace Trooper Martindale.

There's a couple pieces back there, though I'm not sure what kind of shape they're in. The "Rescue" you posted a picture of is back there as well as one of the old Tactical Units and an old engine or two. I'm going to see if any of my buddies work down there so I could take a ride and snap a few shots.

I live down the street from there, but they took one of them down to the shops to be disassembled a few months before I got the camera. Now its E6, T2, one of the spare tillers (can't remember if its 2A or 4A), the spare Fire Investigation Unit and the Police Department's Bureau of Identification van.

I know that Engine 3 and the "Rescue" were different companies, but you guys answered my question, the "Rescue" was essentially the same as the Emergency Unit, as opposed to the Tactical Units (that later became the Squads.)

Wow, I feel incredibly old. I remember going to the christening at First Presbyterian for that truck...

Commish, is R-38-60 getting replaced?

Right, but if you as the Fire District can't hire Instructors yourself to teach a class independent of the State/County, then there isn't even away to go around the state funding.