TRUCK6018

What you're thinking of is the ISO rating. ISO (at one time) would give additional credits for a backup alerting system. This only applies to volunteer departments with over 600 calls per year. However, this is no longer the case. Currently, for volunteer agencies to receive the full credit (under the receipt and handling of alarms section) they would need duplicate circuits. Dispatchers would need to transmit on two channels and members would be issued either two pagers or a pager and a handie-talkie. Fire horns are no longer applicable and alpha-paging is not applicable. I believe the change was made to conform with NFPA 1221: Standard for the Installation, Maintenance, and Use of Emergency Services Communications Systems .

These actions being taken over money makes it all the worse. Let the bean counters worry about the money, let the firefighters do their job.

I re-read the story and noticed a few things worth pointing out for clarification. Even though the chief was the one speaking to the press (probably as PIO), the article never says he ordered his units to stand down. What the chief is quoted in saying is " an officer on scene verified no one was in the house". As dadbo and commandchief stated, if an order's given, you follow it. It would not be proper for an officer to give an order to return if none of the information is verified.

Just as a side bar, there are numerous KME's in the Putnam/Northern Westchester area. The one's I know off the top of my head are Mohegan (2 engines), Yorktown (3 engines), Somers (1 engine, 1 tanker), Banksville (1 engine), Mahopac (1 engine).

This is a no brainer. Do what you have to do until the proper department arrives. If they want you to pack it up, so be it. The last thing you should do is turn around by orders of someone not even there. Last time I checked, the proper IC is the highest ranking officer (or first arriving vehicle) on scene. The public doesn't care about district boundaries. If they see a first arriving vehicle turn around, no matter whose it is, it's bad for business.

I'd like to wish Firefighter Moore a speedy recovery. There are two issues here as far as I'm concerned: 1) Seat belt usage. Have a SOP everyone must wear their seat belt while the vehicle is in motion at all times. PERIOD! While I respect your opinion ALS, the few seconds that someone takes the belt off to don their SCBA can mean a life. Phoenix Fire Chief Alan Brunacini made it impossible to take off your seat belt to don your SCBA. He orders ALL SCBA's removed from the jump seats. Granted, it was a bold, controversial move. If one life is saved, it's worth it. 2) NFPA 1901. NFPA 1901 recommendations are in place for apparatus safety. I understand all the BS issues: "New York isn't an NFPA state". "They can't tell us what to do". etc. The fact of the matter is, NFPA 1901 would have prevented this from happening. At a time, apparatus were grandfathered prior to the NFPA revisions. With the 2004 revision, this has changed. NFPA 1901, Annex D, 2004 edition has a schedule of apparatus replacement. In a nutshell, Annex D states: "It is recommended that apparatus built to meet the 1979 or 1985 editions of NFPA 1901 (or equivalent ULC Standards) be placed in reserve status and upgraded to incorporate as many features of the post 1991 fire apparatus as possible". Additionally, it states "Apparatus not built to NFPA apparatus standards or manufactured prior to 1979 (over 24 years old) should be considered for upgrading or replacement". Should these guide lines be implemented, that Baker would not have been on the street in it's current state. For anyone interested, here's the complete run down on NFPA 1901 Annex D: Annex D Guidelines for First Line and Reserve Apparatus

I would say the Garrity light is the way to go. Cheap and good little light. Nothing against the other lights, but the price difference if it breaks, melts or gets lost is 5 dollars on the high side ($3 at the Fire Store) for the Garrity compared to 25+ dollars for the others. As far as the weight of it, it's barely noticable. For those who want it all handed to them so you don't have to cut an inner tube for the strap or the 2x4's for the chocks can buy the Wack Pack from The Fire Store for $8.

No! Oven cooked is not good enough! Deep fried turkey tastes better then roasted bird. Unfortunately, every year you read about knuckleheads that burn their houses down doing it. Keeping the fryers inside is just plain stupid.

I checked it again and the regulater wasn't on. Thought it was the first time. My bad.

I'm confused. Why is the firefighter on air in the clips? I can see donning the pack but to have the mask and regulator on while still en-route? Doesn't make sense to me.

There are two Red Knight Chapters (that I know of) in Westchester County. Croton FD sponsors NY 7 and Somers sponsors NY 8. Last I knew, the Croton Chapter was reasonably active while Somers wasn't as active.

Is it that difficult to believe? I don't know where the numbers come from but just looking at the database glosery, aside from the engines, ladders, rescues, fireboats and ambulances, there is an average of 6 "other vehicles" within the various agencies. Another catagory of apparatus that will exagerate the numbers is the number of antiques and racers that the departments maintain.

EVOC, driver qualified and pump op's are all qualifications and courses one should have to be a MPO, not an officer! Don't get me wrong, lieutenants should have these. After all, part of their job is to train on the apparatus. How can you train someone if you don't have the training yourself?

All BS aside, a fitness program and trainer is actually a NFPA recommendation (NFPA 1583)! NFPA 1583: Additionally, under the guideline, a Health and Fitness Coordinator gets appointed and individualized fitness programs get established for members (NFPA 1583, Chapter 5).

No. Per New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law a CDL is not required to drive fire apparatus. Title 5 Driver' Licenses Article 19 Licensing of Drivers Section 501 (d) Exceptions ....a police or fire vehicle owned and identified as being owned by the state, a political subdivision thereof, an ambulance service...may be operated with any class license other than a class DJ, M or MJ license. In short, any individual with a licence, with the exception of junior or motorcycle only is allowed to drive fire and ems vehicles. The 21 year of age requirement many departments have is a recommendation that the insurance carriers give. I know ESIP recommends drivers be 21 or older.

It will be interesting to see the public's reaction to this report. It's no secret that Long Island has the biggest and the best. Now the bigger picture: The need. Example: The portrayed Coram firehouse. Four poles? One in the bathroom? Not to mention a "meeting room" that only rivals most catering halls. Locker rooms and a gym that would make Gold's envious. Not to mention the bar area (a must for all firehouses). This isn't a firehouse. It's a country club that happens to house a few firetrucks.

This is not a new system. I know some that use it in their respective departments (Greenwich, Ct/Poughkeepsie, NY) and it has it's advantages. It will stop all traffic at an intersection the vehicle is approaching except the direction of the emergency vehicle. The downside is if you're stopped on the side of the road with you emergency lights on, you have to remember to turn it off or else you can hold up a considerable amount of traffic. What is required on the emergency vehicle is a transmitting light that trips the receivers at the intersections.

I agree with you here. I've followed that incident from he start, through the trial and read the NIOSH report. Unfortunately, it wasn't only the qualifications (or lack there of) of the individuals involved. There was absolutely no regard for NFPA 1403 in this situation. Oops, I forgot, New York isn't an NFPA state (so I'm told). So departments don't have to follow NFPA guidelines (so I'm told). We'll leave that discussion for another time. Bottom line: Accountability! Not in the sense of fire ground accountability but to hold departments and members and officers and chiefs accountable for their actions. The next time you say "it can't happen here", think again. Fire doesn't play favorites. Volunteer or career, urban or rural, everyone is fair game. It can happen to us. Stay safe.

To be an interior firefighter you have to wear a mask, right? It's part of your PPE. My question is, why is it a requirement in some departments for officers to only have Firefighter I training? Firefighter I is state mandated to be an interior firefighter. That means to be an officer you only have to be an interior firefighter? Doesn't make very much sense to me. Popular vote and who's ever turn is next to be an officer should be a thing of he past. When you're the chief of a department and your asked to testify in court because things went bad, what are you going to say? When asked what your level of training is and the qualifications you have, what are your going to say? I was the next in line??? I hate to say, that won't cut it. When your the chief of a department, everyone and everything rests on your shoulders. Even when your not at a call, if it hits the fan, the buck stops with you. There is case history of departments getting sued for a lengthy response to a fire, and lost property as a result. The response time was only six minutes. Sad, but true. I understand, membership is scarce, people don't want to be officers but, lowering the standards are not the answer. Any Joe Shmo can wear a white hat. It takes a hell of a lot more to do the job.

Police Dash Cam Video

Anyone who has been to one of Chief Goldfeder's seminars will know it's definitely worth the trip.

Texarcana, Arkansas

If the chief is blocking the front the building with his car, he shouldn't be chief!

In Somers case "2444" is not a chief's vehicle. It's a radio designation for senior captain. In most of the Northern Westchester County Departments Car 2xx1 is chief. 2xx2 and 2xx3 are assistants and if the captains have issued radios, they will use 2xx4, 2xx5, etc. In Mohegan, the lieutenants are given radio designators too (2265-2267). One exception to the rule is Mount Kisco where there are a total of 4 chief officers. They utilize 2281-2284.

Rumor has it that in the new edition of the standard, the face shield will no longer be acceptable. It will have to be goggles.