M' Ave

Nope, it just goes back in the bed and we go back in service Sharp looking rig. Great gold leave! I'm sure it will serve well for many years.

Interesting info. Thanks for the clarification, because during the following day-tour, we (CFRs) were most certainly told to leave stable patients before the arrival of a bus. Calling telemetry was "suggested".

I believe that every new Engine, Ladder and Rescue has a split tilt cab.

I worked from Sunday afternoon until Monday evening, so I was on duty throughout. Just to clarify, I don't believe that any more could be asked of those on the street. Cops, EMS workers, firemen and others were doing the best that we could. I think what's important here is that the city do a better job of preparing citizens prior to the arrival of the storm. More media coverage to encourage people NOT TO DRIVE and stay out of the way of public safety and sanitation workers. More resources should have been available in terms of an increased number of buses on the road and all ambulances should have been staffed with 3. Every engine in the city was given a 5th man for the 24 and beyond, with good reason. More resources should have been stacked up and ready pending the storm's arrival. There is no reason that 1,300 calls should be back-logged, no matter how minor the emergency is. This tough, and in some cases fatal, occurrence aught to end any discussions regarding Fire, EMS, Police of Sanitation budget cuts. Clearly we need all of the resources we have and in some cases, more.

We've had to put chains on both the engine and ladder in my firehouse more than once during the last few winters. If there have been times when 40-60,000 lb. rigs need chains, then there have been more examples of times when a lighter smaller unit like an ambulance could have used them. NYPD's RMPs have chains, why not ambulances. Having chains is not a resource for every situation, it's common sense.

Engine companies were also permitted to leave a patient if they deemed that person to be stable. Normally this would be considered abandonment, but with such a backlog of EMS runs, engines needed to be available and couldn't be left waiting for hours for a bus. Pretty lousy move on the part of the city. They should have had far more ambulances on the road and.....ever heard of tire chains? Why are ambulances left without chains?

I've said it before, everyone appreciates a dispatcher who knows the companies, the map and the job. I'm only familiar with 'da Bronx, but we're lucky from The Beef on down, top notch dispatchers. Makes working that much better when the voice on the radio has a good handle on things.

Rig in Production This would appear to be the first of 20 with delivery beginning in Q1 '11. Recently, the first of an order has been assigned to the BOT, but this rig is not too much different from current the R.M., in terms of operation. Who know's? Co's to receive these new rigs supposedly are: 137, 156, 19, 81, 29, 55, 123, 24, 169, 32, 42, 154 and others...

What a disappointment to hear that there has been a backlash from HQ. Not one person on the street minds responding and being turned around. So what? We all certainly are glad to have all resources headed in, needed or not. Rescue is assigned to every 10-75 in the boro. At the majority of fires their services are not needed. So what? They show up and if the fire is well in hand, they are released. However, it's nice to know that Resc. and the F.A.S.T. truck and extra engines are there IF they are needed, or at least on the way. A good dispatcher, who knows their boro is an indispensable resource. Sounds like a heads up move to send R-3 to a job because they were around the corner. Someone should get an atta-boy for that. This is the city trying to keep resources available so it looks like they can make the cuts they're looking to make. Thanks to the dispatchers for watching out for us out there. Don't let the out-of-touch brass bully you around!

Good. I've had the opportunity to speak with some of the candidates on 6019. They've been well spoken and driven people. They were royally f%#cked and they deserve another shot. Good for them and everyone else who's going to have a chance. With our extended hiring freeze, hiring will most likely extend deeper into the next list. However, study up! Ya gotta get 100.

This is mostly correct. When a regular piece of apparatus goes O.O.S., the company strips their rig of EVERYTHING and drives it too the shops. They swap rigs there, for a completely empty spare and head back to quarters. The reserve rigs are used for special details, such as extra fire protection at major (read: unusual) events. When a movie shoot uses pyrotechnics, they might put a dedicated engine there, a 500 series engine. The reserve will also be used by a company who has lost an active member. They will use a spare while their rig is being prepared for a funeral procession. As for a call back, they're not REALLY set-up in that capacity and they don't really need to be. At any given time there are 200 engines and 150 trucks in service, a smattering of reserves doesn't really make a difference. Should, god forbid, we have another large scale terrorist attack, that might change. Especially since the current administration sees fit to take more front line companies out of service. Anyway, back to the spares, ometimes the rigs are stored outside and this means that all of the tools are in a locked trunk, or several trunks. A little time would be needed to make them ready.

it's a Squad Spare. A rig that is not in regular service, but has a designation number (such as a 500 Engine or a 700 Truck) is a reserve unit, meaning that it's ready to use. Those rigs have a full compliment of equipment. I don't know if there is still an 800 numbered spare, but I assume there is. However, I don't believe it's a spare, it would be a reserve. Spares have no # designation, beyond a shops I.D. number. To the best of my knowledge, spares used for Squads are regular engines that have been modified in house by the shops. That'll be the way until the current Squad assigned rigs are replaced.

THAT's the big question! What happened to that story?

How about L44? Ya think they'd like they're rig back one of these days. They've had a dog-s%#t spare EVERY time I've been detailed there. It'd be nice if the job had a decent rig for those guys, seeing as they've had their regular rig for several months.

No, the new FDNY ladders are being built by Ferrara. Just 'cause FDNY has them, doesn't mean they're good. That said, I've never heard a fireman (from anywhere who spends a lot of time with their rig) have non-stop GLOWING reviews of it. I'm certain Seagrave totes the fact the NYC buys their engines and I'm certain that this has influenced the purchase of apparatus around the country. Well....I work in a company (like most in NYC) with a Seagrave and it's a piece of s#%t. It's several years from replacement and it has rust you can put your finger through. It rides like it has no suspension and it accelerates as if it has a lawn-mower engine. I've talked to guys who work in company's with Ferrara engines, they hate them too. You can't please anyone and no one builds a perfect rig.

Interesting. They were supposedly going to be delivered by the end of the year........guess not. Well, it'll be nice to see them in action. All of the rear-mounts in my battalion and surrounding battalions are pretty much done.....time for a new rig.

You'd be surprised. It'd be interesting to see an actual cubic ft. number, but that aside, I'd bet it's fairly similar. What the T.L. lacks in compartments space (and it's not that much) it makes up for in "deck space". I'm referring to the area around the boom. Also, remember that a tiller and rear-mount have to allot space for 2 lengths of 2-1/2" hose and other components for a ladder pipe. I'd bet that it works out to be a wash...more or less.

The aerial device might be different, but other than that, a truck is a truck. Sometimes there is a rearmount and a TL on a box, sometimes two rearmounts or occasionally two towers. They both carry the same compliment of tools. A tower ladder would only be specified on a response if there was a need for the bucket. The most common need would be to act as an elevated master stream.

I'm very split on this topic. In a perfect world, I'd say, no we shouldn't bill for these services. However, if it can help fund operations and keep a company open, then I support it. Ambulances bill for their services and that's a public safety organization as well. Realistically, fire departments everywhere have taken on additional responsibilities. We have, very much, become the swiss army knife of public service. While this a great thing, it does mean that we put increased wear and tear on our gear and apparatus and have to purchase and maintain additional equipment.

I've seen steel studs used a lot in residential applications, however, not in a bearing wall. While they certainly can and do corrode, I've never seen an example of this being in a position to cause structural weakness. It wouldn't surprise me though, I'm sure it happens someplace.

Actions and spending of a "particular group" of firefighters dragged the whole service through the mud on a few occasions over the past few years. That's where my comment comes from. Believe me, my current employer has been smeared before and it's a painful event. We've all been there, however I've never been a part of a truck nutz event, not in my volunteer career or professional career. its one thing to be the target of a news campaign or other smear campaign, however nothing says dummy hick fireman like hanging silver balls at the back of the rig. That's an a--hole move that makes us look, as a group, like ignorant morons. It only adds insult to injury when it's the LEADER who does it and then defies his BOSS. This guy should lose his position. If he doesn't, you should vote him out at the next possible moment.

Boy..........another bad P.R. article for L.I. fire departments. Surprised? Nope, not so much. I wonder if they replace a perfectly good set of TruckNutz every 5 years along with the rigs?

I've heard that the Pierce is holding up fine and that the members like it, however, it doesn't really fit into the uniformity the shops likes to have in apparatus. 5, basically, identical rescues. I think it'll be the last of the 5 to be replaced though. I'm sure it will serve well in the spare pool.

I thought they had an engine and a truck?

I didn't read the entire report thoroughly enough, but two easy savings areas jump out. One is the existence of three chiefs who's combined salary's are almost $600,000. The other is the additional cost of dispatching in house and not with a professional dispatch agency. In this day and age, with the technology and redundancy afforded and agency like 60-Control, why not utilize it. I'd like to think that one department could be more effective by whittling down the brass and adding more manpower on the street.