X2321

Really nice photo Tommy. That would make a great Christmas card next year.

How about this for Putnam's Top 10 1) Brewster - 3/24 2204 Dunhill Dr-Fieldstone Pond Condos 2) Carmel - 12/16 Wendy's Route 6 Putnam Plaza 3) Lake Carmel - 3/4 43 Laurie Court 4) Brewster - 7/24 Seven Oaks Lane 5) Mahopac - 4/8 2 Munich Rd 6) Carmel - 11/25 13 North Gate Rd 7) Brewster - 8/9 538 Main Street - Louie's Pizza 8) Lake Carmel - 3/1 604 Ludingtonville Rd 9) Putnam Valley - 3/11 44 Wenonah Rd 10) Brewster - 2/19 2 Mountain Brook Rd

Seth - You started something that has turned into a huge public safety success. Just look at the numbers. You and your dedicated staff have given many people in our field an opportunity to learn, listen, share and view all aspects of the risky business that we are in. There is no other site that even comes close to accomplishing what you are doing. I'm sure that when you started this a few years ago you had no idea that it would turn into what it is today. Keep up the fantastic work, and don't let the bastards get you down.

Great job chief. As for the previous post, yes everyone here would have done the same, but it dosen't happen to often, so when it does lets give the guy a pat on the back. I'm sure the guys family considers him a hero.

I saw it also on Fox 5 last night. It was a mistake, it wasn't Brewster it was Rockland County departments. He also called them the Brewster Fire Dept from Westchester County.

I bet if Martin goes in he won't get his cigar wet.

Everyone has to realize that x635 has a life other than EMTBravo (as seen by recent posts) and a new career. I'm sure when he gets the time he will post new photos. It can't be easy keeping a site like this up and running. We should be patient, and when he has the time he will.

A good way to educate the public in your town is with a newsletter a few times a year. You can put all kinds of information in it and let the taxpayers know what your doing and what you would like to do. We talked about doing it in our dept but never got it off the ground. As far as rear-mounts we have one in North White Plains, Ladder 47. When we wanted to purchase it a few years ago it had to go out to a district-wide vote. It was voted down, the reason being there was a small group that didn't think we should purchase a new piece of equipment. They went out the night before the vote and stuffed mailboxes with false information about how much their taxes would go up. We were able to go a differant route and find money differant ways and purchase it. Our last apparatus purchase was in the early 80's.

We all know there are many risks in the firefighting business, but the firefighters in Mt Vernon and its surrounding communities should not have to put up with more risks because politicans don't have their priorities straight. I can't imagine what it was like a couple of weeks ago for the engine and ladder from New Rochelle and Pelham covering Mt Vernon, pulling up to a raging fire knowing the next piece of equipment was coming from Fairview and Greenville during rush hour. When Mt Vernon empties all its firehouse for a room and contents fire it covers the rest of the city with just 1 & 1. Thats not fair to the mutual aid comapnies and to the citizens of Mt Vernon. It seems like the politicans are more concerned with their image than public safety. I happen to know some people at the Journal News and will try and rattle them up to do another story about the situation in Mt. Vernon, but it seems like there are stories often but nothing is done. I think whoever had the idea about the noontime rally on the steps of city hall was on the money. If done correctly and well publicized it will be very effective.

Jason, It was hard to read your comments and not feel the need to reply. Lets get a couple of things straight here. Just the fact that you use the term volly leads me to believe that you once were a volunteer and now your a career guy, but forgot where you came from. You say you have been in the fire service for a short time, but you seem to have alot of opinions. I don't know what your situation in Connecticut is, but it sounds like there is some friction between your career dept. and your ex-volunteer dept. Please don't spread your Ct. problems into Westchester. In my profession I see fire depts. in Westchester work on a daily basis, both career and volunteer. Do some need improvements, of course. There are career and volunteer depts. that can use improvements in manpower, training and equipment. There are some really great career depts. in Westchester, like Yonkers and New Rochelle to name a few. There are also some really great volunteer depts. like Ossining and Mamaroneck to name a few. How can you make a statement like the level of service provided by a career dept. far exceeds that of a volunteer dept. Have you ever seen Ossining or Mamaroneck work ? I didn't think so. I see these depts get on the road just as fast as some career depts do, with just as much trained manpower if not more. I have been in the volunteer fire service for 27 years, and have gone up through the ranks to be chief of dept. on two different occasions. First of all, contrary to your comment, volunteer firefighters have more training know than in the past. Its a fact Jason, not just something coming out of my mouth. Also firehouses are no longer aka social clubs with free beer. Some of them were when I first joined in the late 70's, but very few at least in Westchester are any more. The one thing that I will agree with you on is that public safety is not the # 1 priority in some communities, but why bash the volunteer fire service for that problem. In my dept. everytime we tried to buy a piece of equipment or put a small addition on the firehouse it went out to a vote, and it always got voted down, so we made due with what we had or tried to find the money some other way. As far as your comment about spelling and grammar on this site, keep in mind that there are some junior members that belong to EMTBravo, and maybe they mispell a word from time to time, or even a senior member who types a little fast, but what does that have to do with being a good firefighter. By the way I looked up a word you used earlier, "nother" I couldn't find it in the dictionary. Finally one of your last comments, how a career guy shouldn't volunteer after he becomes a career guy because its frowned upon by the union. I'm willing to bet that you are an officer in your local. This is not a problem in Westchester, Rockland or Putnam. Can you imagine what it would be like if FDNY guys were not allowed to volunteer in the communities that they lived in. Many of them do and they play a vital role in their volunteer fire depts. Some of them are training officers or just help with training, some of them are line officers and even chiefs. Be safe Jason, and good luck in your career job.

That is the one where the volunteer engine was stored. I think it was called station 5. The origianl station 2 was at the corner of Hamilton Ave and South Lexington Ave near St Johns School, amd housed engine 66 and ladder 33. That was closed and than demolished when the new station 2 opened on Ferris Ave.

Hopefully the people from ABC will see and hear it.

For part of that day go to www.thejournalnews.com and on the right side of the home page click on Lasting Impressions of 2005, than click on the small icon that has 911 on it.

Maybe a good time to critique a fire could be during a live chat like the one hosted by Truck 4 recently. Members can be notified of the date and time of the live chat and members of the departments that were on the scene can take part. This way a moderator can control the bashing, and keep the discussion a learning experience.

Newsday on Sunday started an 8 day special series on Long Island fire departments and how they spend their money. It looks like they put a lot of work and time into it. www.nynewsday.com

Journal News photographers are now being asked to shoot video along with stills on some assignments. This is for a newscast that can be seen daily on their web page LoHud.com Its a few minutes of Westchester, Putnam and Rockland news, reported by a CBS anchor person.

Walmart, Costco and Sams. They all have great prices and do a good job. If you have digital media, the Fuji machine they have at all 3 stores is great and easy to use.

For all you Emergency fans, I met a woman last summer at a party in Brewster named Kristen, when she heard I was a firefighter she said her husband was Randy Mantooth from Emergency. I thought she was nuts. She than showed me some of her wedding pictures and sure enough she is married to Randy. She gave me his business card with his website www.randymantooth.com its a funny site.

I think it also happened in Vista a few years ago. They were growing in the basement and a grow light was knocked over resulting in a working fire in the house.

$2.40 a gallon on Mill Plain Road in Danbury ( exit 3 off 84 ).

Can someone please tell me where in the V & T law it states that you can not have a scanner in your car. The only thing that I can find is that if you have a scanner in your car while committing a crime, the charges can be bumped up.

Boy 602, 614, and 618 must be old if x635 was listening to them when he was 8 years old.

How about deer whistles on the bumper instead of sirens.

Is there any deaprtments left that run fund raiser for the burn center ? I remember a golf tournament a few years ago, but I don't know if that still happens. There was a foundation called "Burn Care Everywhere" and I think these people rasied money for the burn center.

This guy is right. We are so fourtunate to have a burn center in our backyard (or at least a short helicopter ride away). I know when the burn center first open fire departments all over the region were doing differant fund raisers to benefit the place. I'm not sure how it works now that the county dosen't run the hospital. If I remember correctly, the burn center is or was named The Hank Longo Burn Center. Hank was a Yonkers firefighter, and had alot to do with getting it up and running, and put together a bunch of fund raiser for the center. Hank died in the early 90's.