msm232

Westchester County Firefighting ...200 Hundred years of Tradition.....unimpeded by progress. Some of the issues.... -Multiple PSAPS. -Confusing apparatus designations -No Standardized training between departments -Strategy and Tactics take back seat to politics and pay back. -Carreer and volunteer fire services -Lack of countywide leadership to deal with above issues. Stay safe and keep you head down.

After a disccusion with a Thornwood Chief....... Patrol 5 Thronwood was a 1949 Am Lafrance. The 1966 GMC/Sanford was always MA 19 which was 1st due up untill the early eighties... Thanks Stay safe and keep your head down

North White Plains has Patrol 1 with a 1939 Ward Lafrance which is now our antique. The origainal bill of sale says .....with "Patrol Body" and our 1985 GMC light rescue until the county changed to NFPA apparatus designations. I will try to gte some pics... Thanks Stay safe and keep you head down.

What departments in westchester operated Patrol Vehicles' and who was the 1st?

Sorry, and my my favorite rescue-engine in the county- Ardsley It's hard getting old.... Stay Safe and keep your head down.

Lukas and Hurst are owned by the same corporation " IDEX " , the very same who owns Hale......Lukas is NOT out of business, and was not bought out by Hurst. IDEX forced Hurst and Lukas into a marketing agreement for distribution in the United States. To cut a long story short....Hurst was losing market share to High pressure tool lines like Lukas, Holmatro, Amkus and TNT. Mineral Oil tools that run at 10K psi are lighter, faster and safer then the antiquated Hurst Tools. It's like comparing apples and oranges! Hurst has the name...It was the first tool in the US much like Kleenx and Xerox. While Hurst was spending mucho amounts of money on the " Jaws of Life " Campaign, companies like Lukas spent tons of money on engineering the tools to out perform Hurst. Side by Side - High pressure Tools in the Hands of similar experienced FF'S will out gun the low pressure Tools. Every where else in the world .....Lukas is Lukas...Check it out for yourself... www.lukas.de. Oh and by the way....Before Hurst started marketing the centurian tools.......every new product that was introduced in the prior 5 years was made or given to hurst by lukas. FD's in Westchester using Lukas: South Salem Bedford Hills Katonah West Harrison Purchase - 3 Sets Fairview Yonkers - 5 Sets New Rochelle Larchmont Town Of Mamaroneck Village Of Mamaroneck - Ladder 21? Montrose Peekskill Vista Valhalla Thornwood Millwood Hastings Armonk North White Plains Greenburgh PD Stay safe and keep your head down.

Mt. Vernon has West Harrisons old T/L on a Mack Chassis....Amazing how it was no good any more in WH but it running its .......%*! off in Mt. Vernon as a front line spare....

Thornwood is a 76' Mack - FDNY reject - partially rebuilt/repaint in 01' Larchmont has Mack Engine - OOS Harrison - Engine 12 or 13 can't remember City of Stamford, CT

I would like to think that the fire department leadership of Westchester County would consider structured response as far as apparatus and tactics are concerned but it's just not going to happen. It has to happen between departments first, some are doing it on a small scale with dual responses and training. But as far as apparatus, and how departments decide to switch from ladder to towers, nothing will change in the near future, because the proliferation of T/L's in Westchester County will continue, these changes last 20 to 25 years if not more. Keep you down and stay safe.

Spring Valley is good example of a volunteer department that catches major work and will regret buying that Metz ladder.....they got rid of one of the best early quints ever made.... 1981/82 American Lafrance 75' single axle quint.... That apparatus was on the cover of FireHouse Mag Twice!!!! What a work horse battle wagon of a vehicle......Spring Valley has companies and I believe, the companies try to out do each other and therefore " Bigger is Better mentality" might have something to with that purchase.....Firefighting is very different in other parts of the world. Many places do not believe in interior attacks. Beware of vehicles that are not made in the US and have separate chassis, body and ladder manufacturers. Single source manufactures are the only way to go.....The metz has a detathable bucket, try doing that on a night like tonight. KISS method RULES. (Keep it simple stupid) (1) reason sticks are better for most departments are for there ease of deployment. Most standard duty ladder require only 2 stablizer jacks. Out/Down! Done! In the Town of Mt. Pleasant alone, Vahalla, Thornwood, Pleasantville, Hawthorne, Chappaqua, and Sleepy Hollow. Six out 10 departments have T/L's in mostly residential areas. Some stationed less then 1 mile away from each other. 4 to be exact - yet homes burn to the ground because of areas that do not have hydrants in these districts....is there something wrong with this picture! Keep you head down and stay safe.

The question I have is for the departments that have gotten rid of the sticks and gone to T/L's. Why? What has the stick not done that you want it to do? Most of Westchester is residential,, like Chap FD. How do you justfy going from 100' stick to a 70+ (what ever that is) Quint that is not running 1st due!!! Has the size of the home and set backs shrunk? or Has there been an influx of Taxpayers been built in the lovly hamlet of Chappaqua? Most of the time, in my opinion, there is a lack of forethought associated with these major purchases. How can a FD buy a piece of apparatus that does not go places in the district it may be needed? Yet, year in and year out this is happening in these departments. The thrill of getting a new truck, A TOWER LADDER over whelms any kind rational thoughts(strategy and Tactics) regarding residential structure fires. Don't get me wrong T/L's have their places in the fire service and several departments in Westchester warrant this type of equipment. But does Fairview need one, when Elmsford, White Plains, Hartdale, and Valhalla all have similar units soooo close. Sooner or later these types of poor stratefic decisions(Decisions that last 20 to 25 years) will come back to haunt the fire service and particularly those districts in the future. Keep your head down and Stay Safe.