TRUCK6018

NY does have the safe haven law and if I'm not mistaken, it's a federal law.

I can't say if they did or didn't but Long Island departments seem to fall under the microscope every now and then about poor judgment, whether it be drinking or spending stupid amounts of money. Note, this is not isolated to Long Island departments as I don't want to appear to be picking on them but, whether it be week long Newsday series or firefighters breaking up a block party with the fire truck, it's Long Island in the news. I can't really go with the "poor editing" comment. Anytime there's cameras around filming a show like this, everything's fair game. I think the firefighters should have refrained from having beer on the table.

No, it wasn't you. I saw the same thing. It was the Westhampton Beach Fire Department in Suffolk County, Long Island. No, I'm not afraid to mention names because it was on national television! Whether them arriving at the local eatery (an Irish pub) in fire apparatus was just Hollywood imagery or real, there was no mistaking the firefighters (in uniform) sitting around the table eating with Budweiser long necks in front of them. Not a good image at all.

LOL, yeah, ok. Now he's $500,000 poorer.

While I don't know of any radio communication issues, the Pats and Bill Belichick were fined a total of $750,000 for video taping the NY Jets signals during September 9th's game at Giants stadium. In addition, they will lose draft picks in 2008 based on how they finish for the season.

As sick as it is, this "group" protest funerals too! This group is to Christianity the same way Al-Qaeda is to Islam.

To prove that point this was reported in the Poughkeepsie Urinal last weekend on a side bar article in the "B" (local) section of the paper. There was no mention of any occupation let along firefighter.

That was Ladder 18 not Ladder 51. Ladder 51 belongs to Yorktown.

I'm sorry to say Seth, it's you. NYSDOT along with the NYSP CVEU (Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit) are alive and kicking on the highways and byways of the tri-state area. They often set up shop in rest areas of 684 and 84 (in NY and CT) and there's a weigh station on 95 north (east) in Greenwich, CT. They also like to hang out on the bridges Newburgh-Beacon, Mid-Hudson to name a few) and anywhere there's a toll plaza or parking area on a regular basis. They will essentially set up shop anywhere where a lot of trucks pass through. When they don't do stationary truck stops in a pre-determine area, the CVEU troopers patrol looking for truck violations. At the CVEU check points, they will generally preform level 2 (walk around) inspections which include lights, horn, brakes, tires, extinguisher, triangles and documentation (license, registration, inspection, medical card and manifests. If they happen to glance at something that is a violation of a level 1 (comprehensive) inspection, then they will do a level 1. They do not often preform level 1 inspections on a regular basis because it is more time consuming than the level 2.

Somers FD had (note had) two. Of the two, one has been replaced with the more conventional E series chassis. The remaining frightliner should be the next up for replacement.

My question is, what is the difference between regular membership and "social" membership aside from years of service?

There are many photos of the inside of the school on this site: Bennet Girls School

The Village of Nelsonville in Putnam County also had a Young pumper before the department was disbanded. Last I knew, the pumper is privately owned by one of Yorktown's members.

If you going to remember anything about Air Tran, remember this... They picked up the pieces of Value Jet after the deadly Everglades, Florida crash in 1996. In 1997 Air Tran and Value Jet merged operations.

It doesn't sound too far off from the Metro North maintenance trucks equipped with the high rail. Although the high rail isn't automatic, you can raise and lower the rail wheels to suit the needs.

Zone 4 is sponsored by Peekskill PD, for lack of better terms. It is maintained by the city garage down on South Street. In retrospect, if you look at zone 5's truck, it says Bedford PD on it.

That is indeed an old Somers ambulance as stated. That was before they were known as ambulances, in those days they were designated as "Rescues". If I remember correctly it is a late 80's Medtec Ambulance. It was designated as Rescue 38. After the rig was retired it was voted by the Board of Fire Commissioners of the Somers Fire District to donate it to the Westchester County Cause and Origin Team, Zone 4. It replaced a used Yorktown FD suburban (the former Rescue 16).

That is the same creek. Looking from the photos, the first group is in the area where the woman fell in (Wappingers Creek in there area of Main Street, Wappingers Falls). The second group of pictures is also Wappingers Creek, upstream at Route 376 and Red Oaks Mill Road, Poughkeepsie/Lagrange border.

Legally, a government body (fire district) can't make a purchase with out a bidding process. Furthermore, a specific manufacturer can't be named in the spec's to keep it competitive. The only way around the legalities is to work with Sutphen in writing the specs so they will be written specific to Sutphen. This way other manufacturers will have to take exceptions to the Sutphen specific items.

I have been involved with incidents more than once where the NYSP dive team was involved. While they are good at what they do, their response time is prolonged to Westchester as they come out of Troop K headquarters in Millbrook (Dutchess Co.). If the dive response is for a rescue, then it's the local responders that get wet. If you district is in a NYSP primary jurisdiction such as Somers, North Salem, Lewisboro, etc, the NYSP divers will more than likely take over the operation when it becomes a prolonged (more than one day) recovery. One incident that come to the top of my head was when a plane took down high tension power lines over the reservoir and electrocuted some fishermen in a row boat. After the operation was called off the first day, the NYSP became the primary divers with the local agencies divers standing by as back up until the recoveries were made. Another incident was a car into a pond. Once it was confirmed there was no one in the vehicle, the NYSP did not want local emergency responders assisting removing the vehicle. Since there was no immediate threat, the car sat in the drink for several hours while the NYSP divers responded. Note, the driver was unlicensed and the vehicle had an expired registration.

You would need more than one certified diver to start up a dive team. Having been involved in a fire department dive team, you need a minimum two divers at any call and that's bare minimum. You need a search diver and a backup (safety) diver. Additionally, tenders are needed along with ems personnel. The big difference between recreation diving and emergency diving is utilization of the divers. In recreation diving your diving with a buddy. The way our dive team was set up, one diver does a search pattern in a given area attached to a tag line where there is a tender on shore (or in a boat). The tender is your "buddy" in this case and you communicate back and forth with pull signals on the rope. In addition to the search diver and the tender, there needs to be a back up diver geared up and ready to go. This way is the search diver gets in trouble, the back up can follow the line right to him. That's three personnel in operation mode. From EMS, we required one ambulance committed to any dive operation. This is just for the team. Diving in the northeast usually required 8 mil or better wet suits which are fairly constrictive. Due to this, and other reasons (breathing compressed air at depth), divers are required to get checked out before suiting up and after dressing down. Other personnel needed for a dive scene include those needed to operate effectively under NIMS. Dive classes needed, bare minimum is PADI open water diver, advanced open water recommended. On top of those there are specialty courses such as dry suit, ice diving, rescue diving, night diving. Once you have established group of divers and a functional team, I highly recommend getting Walt "Butch" Hendricks of Lifeguard Systems to give a class. He's located in the Hurley/Shokan area of Ulster County. One thing to keep in mind, starting a dive team is an expensive endeavor. The cost of the open water course alone is $200-$300 (if memory serves me right). Then there's the cost of equipment which can exceed well over $1000 minimum per set for each diver. That just includes, mask, fins, snorkel, BC device, tank, regulators, weights and wet suits. To operate year round you will need dry suits and I would recommend cold water suits for support personnel on shore. Then there's other equipment that's needed such as ropes, pfd's (personal flotation device) for any one (other than geared up divers) near the water. If I had to give a number for start up costs for a functioning team I would say $20,000 would be a good start.

Prior to 1990 (when Engine 188 was purchased), Engine 182 (the Yat Ming piece) and an almost identical Engine 184 were stationed at the Amawalk Fire House. The only difference between the two is 500 extra gallons of water on 184 with a split rear to haul it around. The slime green engine you are likely thinking of is West Somers (Yorktown) Engine 279, there old Ward La France pumper. Engine 279 was also periodically house in the other three Somers houses from time to time.

In relation to that video: From Firehouse.com

There's also a NYS DOT yard on Arlo Lane in Cortlandt just off the Bear Mountain Parkway.

Who knows, the police might have gotten it as "report" of smoke, check and advise".