Goose

Question: 60 Control has taken over EMS dispatching for a number of VACs and VFDs (which is a good thing). I assume that 60 Control is paging them over whatever band their pagers operate on. Now, what is the deal with some agencies having individual members calling in on a radio? Is this the County radio or a VAC/VFD owned radio frequency or county channel? Observation: Wouldn't it be better if 60 Control had a "hotline" # (they may even have one, i have no idea) that the crew members would call to let Control know the status of the crew and once a crew is completed they can put that over the pagers. Putnam largely operated like this (at least when i was there) and i think it was a pretty decent way of doings things. Overall it seems a far better way of doing things to me.

Isn't there some screwy thing with their mutual aid? Like...they dont call TMFD if they need a ladder but call Port Chester...skipping over TMFD (closest) and Rye (second closest)? I really hope , for their residents, they consider adding TMFD to their assignment until the situation is mitigated.

Stiffer background checks need to be done - no questions about that. But this is an absolutely terribly written article that, from where i sit, says all EMS providers are pedophiles or molesters. Just look at the comments from MSNBC...its absolutely disgusting what people are calling for/saying. The worst part of it all we have no one common voice that can take this moron author(s) to town and advocate for majority of solid individuals working EMS. Thats the saddest part of this whole thing. As far as the whole physical exam with patients. I and everyone i work with ALWAYS goes over what we want to do in terms of assessments and treatments and why we want to do them. If I'm with my female partners they always rise to the occasion and either preform the assessment while i'm outside or in another room or ride the job in. Always. I ALWAYS give the mileage and destination and, especially with minors (males or females) i try to have someone (parent, sister/brother of age, teacher, etc.) escort them.

I hear what your saying ALS, it may be something no one can speak of. Either way its cool. I just rarely speak with county control so i had a few questions i wanted to see if i couldn't get answered. Either way, glad that we have 60 and it's nice to see that more and more agencies are moving over to them. Maybe someday soon we will have central dispatching like our northern neighbors.

So would anyone mind referring to my second series of questions? The first (about how one converts to 60 Control) was answered (very well by the way). The second question is about the County trunked system. I was under the impression this was built for MCI/disasters and to better coordinate mutual aid. Oddly enough, it seems to have become a primary communication tool with 60 Control. Not a bad thing - i mean, after all, they answer me when i call them - but i recall reading about capacity issues before the system took off. So, my thought is that it wasn't designed to be used as a primary communication tool - or am i wrong? If I'm not what is the county looking to expand the system or adapt another system ontop of it for primary communication?

Ok, well this turned into something i surely never intended. Anyhow, to try and stear this thing a bit more on target: - when an agency approaches county control and shows interest in wanting to be dispatched by them what exactly goes on? Does 60 simply adopt the system that they are using or is a system/protocol developed with some of the old and some of the new (60 control providing the new)? - What's the status with the new radio system? I remember reading here that there were capacity issues before things even got off the ground completely. Has that made it more difficult to add EMS agencies into the centralized dispatching mix? Hypothetically could the county and the radio system handle dispatching every EMS agency right now? The only reason i bothered to ask these questions (and am regretting ever bothering starting this thread) was because i almost never talk with 60 control [only when i go m/a]. I appreciate the clarifications from everyone that offered them.

Stop being a tool. Devoid of knowing where he works and the dynamics of the system, him dispatching EMS could very well be a drain on precious air time or just overly distracting/frustrating while trying to dispatch and communicate with PD units. 60 Control should probably be dispatching all EMS and Fire to be quite honest, i just don't know how possible that is right now.

Yeah, i just don't get the whole call in with your own portable thing. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense because as the above poster stated, 90% of the time you're not hitting a repeater and thus wasting your time and when 60 Control or any dispatch for that matter, hears you or a fragment of your message and tries to acknowledge the guy/gal on the portable never hears it and the Dispatcher is calling 12 times for whatever unit it is. I really think that just calling a hot line # and being like "XXX VAC EMT/Driver enroute to the station" is a lot more advantageous. Also, i thought the new County radios were for mutual aid/MCIs and other disasters as oppose to day to day operations?

To the best of my knowledge there is no online course that will roll you out in the new update. Remember this is not a CME (though it does count for CME credit) this is an update to state protocol and thus they want you sitting in a class being taught by a CIC, CLI or MD.

Call the Town of Mamaroneck Ambulance District office http://www.townofmamaroneck.org/ambulance.html

Not sure how that works, i've never taken a CME not sponsored by the county. your best bet is call the WREMSCO and or state and find out if you can get credit.

Check DES, if not contact work or where you vollie - they will probably roll you out. And, the updated spinal protocol is not a "selective immobilization" or clearance protocol. It's a clarification of the current protocols.

who knows how many under covers there are riding the trains and subways...for every uniformed officer we see there has to be 2 (i just pulled that number out of the air) that we don't.

Just got back from the city with my girl. In and around the Empire State building, 34th Street and Penn Station was PACKED with ESU packing M4s and tons of patrol cars. Scary s***, but at least these guys are out in force - it is comforting. Sucks that you have to considering terrorism every time you do something though.

It had been an absolutely horrid 24 hours for the FDNY and this is what you have to say? Save the quarterbacking for another day. Thoughts and prayers to all involved. God bless the FDNY.

not surprising if its true. they lost their narcotics license at one point as well (shortly before the Putnam contract if i recall).

Couldn't have said it any better. Thanks for injecting some professionalism and general sense into this conversation. Who cares what it looks like, what it may have been, what could have been or what you think you see. Fact is none of you are the detectives or crash investigation team so why waste your breath? Really, no one cares to hear what you have to say. Let the trained professionals do their investigation once thats done by all means have an intelligent conversation about the findings and what it means for all of us - EMS, Fire, and Police. Until then, just shut your trap.

I think the driver was flown to WMC and the passenger was transfered there as well.

Unless you're talking snow valley campground or in that area, Medic 1 has a bit of a ways to travel. So, i would say BVAC's medic is the closest in the majority of the town of fishkill. Interesting about the city admin, but if BVAC (or the City, i dont know how it works in Beacon) has mutual aid agreements or is part of the county mutual aid plan (same thing, just overseen by the county) wouldn't they HAVE to send their medic unit? Correct me if i'm wrong, but i dont think you can deny mutual aid....

Like Bil14g said - to recert in New York classes are going to have to be taught by a CIC or CLI in. On-top of going to classes your going to have to get a CIC to sign off on the skills indicated in the packet as well. Again, 24 hours is the max for self study credit hours. Also don't forget that at least in Westchester CMEs need to be approved for credit by the region and you HAVE to sign in and out on the attendance sheet.

Dude, your preaching to the choir as far as SPFC and I are concerned. We know the deal. Obviously your brother in arms needs a bit of a reality check.

Funny isn't it? I can't tell you how many times his company of choice responded from new hamburg into east fishkill on priority jobs. This bullshit is probably the only thing i miss about working in Dutchess and it's this bullshit that continues to hold EMS back. Thanks "brother." What a joke.

amen brother. I don't work up north anymore but have good friends that do and know how hard they work despite the chips being stacked against them. It's time to cut the bull and advocate for real change. But, I'm not holding my breat.

Not for nothing but when I was working up north and pulled a tour in fishkill we did the best we could given the gross abuse of the mutual aid system by beacon. This not to say Alamo is without blame, but the fact remains that if beacon stepped up to the plate on a more regular basis fishkill units would not be stripped as often as it is. Looking at the even bigger picture is the abuse of the mutual aid system across the Hudson valley - many municipalities are relying more and more on surrounding units to do a a disturbingly high percentage of their jobs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5p3OB6roAg...feature=related