SageVigiles

If what 38ff is saying is happening in Ulster County (and I don't doubt him,) that's unacceptable. And if that's going on all over the state, then I think there are some drastic, immediate changes that need to be made. Why can't a local department with state certified Fire Instructors run their own Firefighter 1 class, and have the state/county (whoever is the authorized certification authority by ProBoard or IFSAC) send proctors in to administer the final practical skills and written exam as an impartial third-party, just like any other place in the world can? Unless there's a shortage of Instructors or something, there is literally no excuse why we as fire officers should have to tell our members "Sorry, but you can't take the mandatory course required to become certified for interior firefighting because we're only allowed to train 2 responders at a time." No wonder there's such a big problem with recruitment and retention. AND, if the issue is that there is a shortage of Instructors, why aren't they having classes to certify more??? The issue becomes, how can we have ANY minimum training standard if there's nobody teaching to it?

I understand WHY he was disciplined, clearly he stepped over some boundaries, but it doesn't make what he did any less awesome.

Thanks Pete! I was playing with manual settings this weekend at the Silver City Fire Fest in Meriden, I'll have some shots of that. Good tip on the RAW format, the files looked way better before I converted from psd to jpeg

I guess it makes sense given that an objective third party isn't coming in to do standardized testing to a specific standard, but there's no reason that couldn't be set up.

Dixwell Station still has "Rescue" and "Engine 3" on the outside of my station as well. Not sure if that meant Emergency 3 or 4 or if it meant one of the old Tactical Units, the units that came before the Squad Companies. I'm sure I'll have shots of that one soon too.

So currently State Certified Fire Instructors can't run Firefighter I programs in their own departments???

Did Waterbury declare bankruptcy or did OPM come in and take over?

Despite what the media, Al Sharpton and Eric Holder keep saying, Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law had nothing to do with this case, it wasn't even invoked. Zimmerman's attorneys argued was simple self-defense, a right that every American in the entire country has.

Date: 7/19/13 Time: Approx 1220 Hours Location: 40 Boyd Ave (Cross streets: JFK Blvd. and Bergen Ave) Units: Jersey City FD, Jersey City PD Missed the initial dispatch, I'm filling in units as I hear them on the air, 4th Alarm should be 12 Engines, 6 Ladders, Rescue, Squad 4, all 4 B/Cs, 1 D/C, 1 A/C, Safety Officer, Fire Investigation Unit, Mask Service Unit This is what I've heard so far: Engines: 2, 5, 6, 8, 9 10, 11 Trucks: L3, TL4, L9, L11 Squad Co. 4 Rescue Co. 1 Chiefs: B/C 1, B/C 2, B/C 2, B/C 4, Deputy 1, Car 3 (Asst. Chief), Car 4 (not sure who that is) Special Units: Mass Casualty Response Unit 1 Emergency Management: OEM-1, OEM-3 Multiple EMS units Mutual Aid: North Hudson Regional FD (not sure if coverage or to the scene), Bayonne FD (O/S) Description: Heavy fire in several structures with lots of exposure issues, etc. Caught the alert from the NE Emergency News and WX Feed Facebook group, but I'm tuned in to see what else I can pick up, I'll update as I hear things. 2 Extra Battalion Chiefs (B/C's 5 and 6) called back for coverage. Dispatch notifying command that a caller at 251 Union reporting fire extending into his house due to a shed next door catching fire. Squad 4 reporting they have a line on that fire now. Due to embers in the air. ***Batt 3 URGENT*** Charlie Division partial collapse. E2 outside the collapse area. Multiple FF's being transported, sounds like heat related injuries. Bravo Exposure Building: All visible fire K/D, searches negative. Command pulling all companies out of the fire building, too much water inside and lots of debris falling.

Unfortunately you may be on to something Chief. Unless somebody dies in your department (I mean that generally, not talking about you specifically Moose,) nothing will change, because those in leadership positions will continue to justify their inaction by saying "this couldn't happen to us, we're too (insert random BS descriptor here)" Alternatively, my generation could start demand more, I think the rising popularity of the "Combat Ready" style of firefighting among my peers, things MAY start to move in the right direction. I really like the energy and dedication that concept is bringing to the fire service, focusing on being proficient in the basics and motivating members to become lifelong students of the fire service instead of getting complacent when we think we've trained enough or taken enough classes (nothing kills my trust in a member or officer quite like those statements.) Maybe if those of us riding the back seats and the younger officers start raising the bar in terms of expectations and standards, we can drag rest of the service with us. But maybe I'm just feeling optimistic since I had my coffee an hour earlier this morning...

Congratulations Chief! Best of luck in retirement!

I have to agree with v85 here. The general public is not going to care (or in some cases doesn't have a say) and as long as nobody gets hurt neither will OSHA or the courts. So most departments think they can get away with whatever they want because they're the Fire Department, and nobody tells them what to do. As with everything else in the fire service, nothing will change until somebody dies.

Ah, thanks! Are all County Fire Academies authorized to test to ProBoard, or just the State Academy?

The State of NY doesn't use the national/international standard? Or are those just local course codes and the recruits are tested/certified to the NFPA equivalents?

Agreed, there seems to be an obsession with having nothing but buckets, I don't understand it myself. "Everything in moderation..."

A few points, I'm still a VERY new Instructor but they stand true: 1. Firefighter training should be a mix of classroom (cognitive) training and practical (psychomotor) skills, culminating in certification exams that require mastery in both. 2. Naturally you will pick some things up by watching scenes, but you won't understand the science behind WHY people are performing that action, which limits your ability to think critically when it comes to choosing tactics, etc. If you have so many extra interior members that can explain that stuff as it happens to the exterior guys during a structure fire, then guess what, you have the manpower for a FAST. 3. Whose to say the activities you're watching are good practices? Plenty of us have some bad habits (myself included) that you SHOULDN'T be learning. Finally I'll pass along something my FF2 instructor told us about learning by watching instead or participating. "I've watched Eddie Van Halen play 'Eruption' a couple of times, doesn't mean I can play guitar."

If you want to help your neighbor without training I suggest you join the Elks Club or the Lions. The stakes are much lower there. "Firefighting is an ultra hazardous occupation" and the neighbors you want to help (as well as your Brother and Sister Firefighters) DESERVE Fire Protection in line with the NATIONAL industry standard. Hell, even CERT has a minimum national training standard, yet most fire departments rag on CERT members as wannabe's. But they took the time to train to a standard. I suppose they shouldn't have to either, just because they want to help their neighbor?

Call them, us public health preparedness people don't get out much, I'm sure they'd love to talk to you!

www.medicalreservecorps.gov You should be able to find your local unit there with contact info. I run the local one for West Haven, CT. If you have any questions I can help you out, but units sometimes have different missions so they might do something very different than we do.

NFPA 1001 is the industry standard. Period. That's the legal standard you're going to be held to in court when something happens. Objective certification testing would eliminate the ability of departments to "fake it." If NYS can pass a gun control law against the wishes of almost every elected Sheriff in the state, I don't see why they can't pass a law setting NFPA Firefighter 1 as the minimum standard for all Firefighters against the wishes of every elected Fire Chief.

Damned shame. I'd have kept the CD logo just for looks. It would work with ARMS colors anyway!

Your local PD won't run a background?

Monroe, CT has a "Chief's Aide" position in their volunteer department for such a purpose. I believe the individual that holds the position is a retired Assistant Chief from Fairfield or Westport FD, if I'm not mistaken. Personally I think its a great way to have someone knowledgeable taking care of some of the important management positions (Accountability, Safety, etc) without taking away all your normal manpower and bringing some valuable experience to a department that doesn't catch a whole lot of fire work.

Its honestly pathetic. There's a national standard that already exists, but some places still want to live in the stone age and pretend its not necessary for them. If you don't want to EARN the title of Firefighter then I don't want you on my rig. I've said it before and I'll say it again, IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. It's about the community you're supposed to be serving and the level of service (and competency) they expect. The fact that they don't know the details is no excuse. They deserve it.

Date: 7/7/13 Time: Approx 2220 Location: 1341 Chapel Street (Box #901) Units: Box Alarm (Signal 73): Engines 6, 15, 4 Truck 4 Squad 2 Emergency 2 Car 34 (West Battalion Chief) Second Alarm (Signal 22): Engines 9, 11 Squad 1 Tower Ladder 1 Car 32 (Deputy Chief/Shift Commander) Car 31 (Chief of Department) Car 39 (Asst. Chief - Operations) Car 36 (Director of Training) Mask Service Unit Special Call (Signal 30): Fire Marshal's Office AMR and NHPD were also on scene, OEM usually gets sent on second alarms but I didn't see his truck. Description: Working fire in a 3-story OMD. Heavy fire on arrival but from the sound of it they had it knocked quick. I was only a few blocks out when they banged the second, but by the time I got there it was down and they were releasing some second alarm units. For those of you who don't know NHFD runs the following per shift: Engines: (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17) Trucks: (1-4) Squads: (1 and 2, Rescue Pumpers w/ special ops capabilities) Emergency Units: (1 and 2, EMS units) Battalion Chiefs: (Car 33 - East and Car 34 - West) Deputy Chief: (Car 32)