firecapt32

I'm back form the wedding--glad to see the thread is still going-- no I didnt see the new years baby on a fire engine. In the fire service we are reactionaries-- we learn after the fact. If you dont believe me just look at our past. We ave 100 firefighter deaths every year - way- way- to many. We will continue to lose firefighters--Thats just the nature of the business we have chosen to be in, lets not do anything as careless as riding on top, side or with out seatbelts. No we havent had a santa fatility YET . Heres somthing no one has picked up on the holiday lights were allover the apparatus even on the front and over the pump panel.

to answer real quickly pots thoses thing you describe are part and parcel to the job of a firefighter.riding of top of or on the back step even santa can fall off and that my friend is stupid.We live in a dangerous world--we have chosen to be firefighters--at least we can be the safest that we can be. have a safe -happy new year I am headed to a wedding on Long Island!!!!!

OK lets change santa to the easter bunny--- does that make it any better. the idea isnt that santa or the easter bunny what ever- is rideing the apparatus. It just might be useing the aparatus for something its not designed to be doing. we can discuess all day and all night. You all callyour selves "professional"but at various times you sure dont act like it--sorry- but bringing santa around and calling it public relations just dosent cut it. Thats not professionalism. I dont mean to offend any one--but you cant preach firefighter safety one one hand and let santa ride the back step with the other. We strive for safety for our firefighters again this year 100 deaths have occured. We would give any thing to being those firefighters back to their families. Be "professional" act like professional and i dont mean career I mean doing the job in a professional manner.

weeeeohh we are moving right along on this one.Biglew you are correct this kind of a thread is for us to look at what others are doing inthe service. Some of the things will give us a black eye some improve our standing in the community. We should all learn and not be overly bashing each other. LCFD if thats your public relations you might just concidering doing somthing else to make the public aware of your department-- like maybe giving out smoke detectors/CO detectors. Grumpy please dont take this the wrong way but you are in a dream world if you think the driver is being quizzed on the streets or there is pre planning going on.

I would hate to be the Officer writing out the report-- Fire apparatus damaged during santas run through the town. 2 injured after falling off the hose bed. and by the way-- the apparatus cost apx 900k sorry it will be out of service for a few months while its being repared.--

BFD the county does a very good job at scheduleing classes we are under a mandate to provide firefighter one classes and we have produced 12 of them for the year 2006 thats the most in the State of New York. If you need classes ask for them. The county will do their best to get them on the schedule.

BFD was that my intro class?? I remember that well. i asked the same question then as we are asking now. We may have one County but we are sprerated into 60 some odd departments/ city/villages/fire districts. getting them on the same page wolld really be a Christmas miracle.

Glad I sparked some interest-- The more we are training with ff1 ff2 ect the less of a problem this will be. The more our Officers get educated Into to fireofficer/fire officer 1 2 ect the better they will be able to manage the fire department and the fires.worrying about who is arriving shouldnt be a concern to the IC BUT it is right now. If I am the IC and need a FAST I want quailfied personnel responding not just some body filling a position or someone that "dosent want to miss a job" Some department are right on the mark--- and should be congratulate, other department have a long way to go. As a IC I have the right to ask" who and what qualification of personnel arse you sending me" and I should haev the right to say no thank you I have to look elsewhere for personnel. As IC you are pesponsible for allthe firefighters the arrive to your incident.

great job Seth please please keep up the good work. You organization has made a difference in the firefighting community here in westchester. Being able to speak out about things willmake us better in the future. Safe and Happy Holiday everyone

there you go x635 --see practice makes it better. well said fireman488 glad to see you guys like the results.

ajs-fire stations are public property no alcohol shouod be allowed, bot even a hint of alcohol.I am sure there are a lot of stations that have bars, soda machines fullof beer, and things like that. bottom line alcohol and firefighting do not mix. As for functions picinics, dinners, ect you might be able to get away with it as long as its outside the station. but when you hang up the XZY fire company banner and are useing public funds be aware of the concequences.

I have been holding off on this one for a while but here it is. the County isnt the responsible agency. The depatment that has the fire is. question might be how does a IC who calls in mutual aid to assist his department know what he is getting?? is every mamber of a mutal aid company certified for interior work. There are some prett smart Chiefs out there lets here what you have to say.

Great topic so i might as well get in on it while its hot Unles the Cammand post is a block away the IC should have his grear on--- all of it. Cause you know as well as I do that he is going to stick his nose in to see whats happening and see if its really out or not. or to look around during over haul, Its just the nature of the Chief, so be on the safe side if you have it ware it.

I might have posted this on the wrong line but you guys are smart enough to figure that out. exmrvfc you make good points and maybe they should include smoking as a prerequsit for employment. Career firefighters have to take a physical every year including a pulmanory function test. I agree with you there should be some sort of condition set in contracts maybe a Cpat every year. make it mandatory for all interior firefighters as part of firefighter 1

lets not forget the revenue that Firefighters bring into a community--fire inspection ect. National fire is certinely a slanted view and yes there are cost no doubt. What does it cost your town for police protection/ highway and sanation plust the school system?is any one jumping to do those---I dont think so.

will you two stop bickering this thread is about the popular fire commissioner keith Fennelly ))) best of luck to Keith Demps will he be around for the Survival class?? maybe he will go first to make sure the ropes and ladders are ok??

Still a a lot of departments are antiquaited in their way of electing line officers and chiefs of department. What good is a line officer in a department that cannot lead or make a lesson plan or figure out how much water he might need to put out a fire.? Can you trust him to make life and death decisions?? All departments should be looking foward its not going to get any easier. Lets prepare for the future not dwell in the past.

OHHH I have tried to stay away from this one but I just cant help myself so here goes. Slightly diferent slant on things putting the burden on career members first. We alway claim we have the hardest job in the world stats will attest to that. we lose over 100 firefighters in any given year, one of the hightest rates ever, our injuries per 100,000 are amoung the highest in the country, our cancer rates are off the scharts, yet we still belong to volunteer companies. Employers that hire firefighters pay a lot of money for health insurance, retirement,disability insurance, ect. yet they allow career firefighters to belong to volunteer departments, pro players have clauses in their contracts forbiding them to do things. God forbid a career firefighter comes down with for example lung cancer--- where does he turn to hmmm his union, his department and his doctors. Union position is very clear on the matter, he came on the job, took a physical--took one every year so the lung cancer must have happened "on the job" and job related--- Department pays pretty cut and dry. Employer says ohhhh wait just a second that firefighter has been a active member of xyz volunuteer company for 20 years it must have come from his duties at that department not here at abc fire department. Sounds like court cases and the winner is the lawyers. Is it important where it happened?? does it mean the difference of a job related disability vs a medical retirement you bet your a** it does. sorry to be so long on the subject but its not as easy as them vs us or career vs vol Is any one getting the picture--- our health and safety is the most precseious thing we have, we go out of our way to make sure our municipalities have the best equipment , clothing ect for our members. we try and do a safe job to come home to our families every time we go out. Volunteer firefighters I just cant figure out how much taxes your saving by being a firefighter. the line about " if we had to pay for a career fire department the taxes would go through the roof" thats a old line and dosent make sence any more. I know volunteer firefighters have been around since Ben Franklin but its time to look into the future and not be caught in the past, see above statments about dieing. We all want to protect the citizens in our communities the bast way we can.

glad to know I am right once in a while. We had one on our eng used it one time in like 15 years.

there you go if osha and ISO want them then we should al be striving for them in our departments. better question is how many departments DONT have qualification for line officer or chief?

Looks to me like a modern version of a 4 way gate valve. Used to increase presure by adding another eng in line with out shuting the hydarnt down.

x as usual you are on top of a touchy subject. this has bee hasded rehased over and over again.You know my position look at some facts Career-- have to take a entrance test Vol-no test- usual vote of score/ pass physical mebers Career-- minium 229 hour of training vol- ff1 to be interior78hr career---100 inservce hours minium vol--osha refresher career--test for all promotion vol elected by department the list goes on and on, yes there are a lot of volunteer firefighters that have the trainig not questioniing that. A whole lot of very good volunteers. I better stop here befor i ramble a little too long--lets just say "training is good--certified training is better" it's a big sand box we should all be able to play in it safety togeather. happy hloiday to all and to all a good new year

god im getting old but i do remember them!! seems to me they didnt work very well for fire apparatus or was it just the driver useing them too much. I do remember Chief Park telling me" do yo know how much that shi- costs?" so of course as the fisty firefighter that i was i used more what did i care it wasent my money... my how times have changed!!!!

x635 your starting to scare me!!! you better be studing for a promotional exam... it will be time sooner then you think. remember they cant stay for ever---well in your case it might be different!!! just kidding good luck with the scanner--heres a secret--I have one too. an old one like me it needs upgrading

What a great idea CFE's . Isnt that what we are doing in the County now with the latest training reviews?? Those classes seem to be doing well and are full . So the education is out there for the fire departments, but alas-you can lead the horse to water but you cant make it drink. We need to find a way .It amazies me that emts' have to recert every few years mostly to keep up with the new tech stuff in the field, but we in the fire service just have to take basic stuff and its good for life... just dosent seem right.