61MACKBR1

Thanks Frank for the clarification. Nice to see to Emergency Service Agencies working so well together in order to serve the citizens of the City of Yonkers. PS - IS THAT THE NEW LADDER 71 LOGO THAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR EMTBRAVO MONIKOR? (I really like this new design !!!)

Thanks Chief Fitz for the update. I am sure that the B-Chiefs will certainly enjoy their new Ford Trucks. Next up "New" for the Yonkers FD Fleet should be the New Engine 306 and 308 (ALF Eagle Pumpers) from American LaFrance and the New Engine 309, Squad 11, and Ladder 72 (Smeal/Spartan) from New England Fire Apparatus within the next couple of weeks.

My understanding is that for all Car Accidents requiring potential extrication, that YFD is dispatched with a 1 and 1 (Engine Company and Ladder Company, that carries Extrecation Tools) along with a Battalion Chief. YFD Rescue 1 is called upon if required for multple cars/passengers requiring extrication. I do not believe that YPD's ESU is the primary unit within the City of Yonkers for Auto Extractions. I am sure that either someone within either YFD or YPD can confirm.

Will this be one of YPD's Front Line ESU Rigs or will this be a "Special" YPD/ESU Rig, used only at special incidents? If it is going into "Regular Service" will it be assigned to the West Side or East Side of the city (What Precinct?)

Do they call that a "Mini-Rescue" or a Light Rescue? : ) [Not to be confused with the Heavy Rescues of Yonkers and New Rochelle} On a serious note, best of luck to the members of the Buchanan FD on this new rig. It appears to be a bit smaller than the Old Buchanan Rescue "Bread Truck" that you are currently using. Can we assume that with the design of the Body, that the stratigic placement of storage compartments, that this New Rescue 26, will be more than capabile of handling all of the equipment needed? Are you planning on keeping the Old Rescue 26 (The Bread Truck) as a back up as well as vehicle to store additional equipment (like a Utility Truck)?

As been mentioned many times within this topic as well as many times within EMTBravo.net, the Yonkers Fire Department is simply the BEST! Their dedication to excellence in firefighting, especially given that they are working at the "Bare Minimum" as it relates to Staffing and Front Line Apparatus Companies, relevent to the City, Geography, Age of Building, and Physical Conditions within the city, is simply amazing.

Thanks Chief Flynn. It is amazing that even as bare bones minimum you are able to have fire coverage for the City of Yonkers, you have a wonderful plan in place to bring in Off Duty Personnel to man the 3 Reserve Engine Companies and the 2 Reserve Ladder Companies housed at YFD SOD. Still, the politians who run the city needs to think about what could potentially happen, just having the city being covered by 3 Engine Companies and 2 Ladder Companies and still trying to handle "First Responder Calls" - Maybe someday the Mayor and City Councilmen/women will realize that Life and Property needs to be protected "Properly"

Ah - The Good Old Days in Yonkers. YFD using the Old ALF Century Tillers, some of those 1980's Mack CF's and who can forget the Classic Continential Compacs (heard that you could make a good Grill Cheese Sandwich inside the cabs on those old Compacs).

Chris - You raise an excellent point above. Yes, from my read on the accounts of yesterday's 4 Alarm Fire in Yonkers, all Engine Companies (303, 304, 306, 307,308,309,310, SQ 11, 312, 313, and 314) were dispatched to the scene of the fire, as were all but 1 Ladder Company (70, 71, 72, 73, & 74) along with Rescue 1. Ladder 75 was relocated to Station 4. Mutual Aid Companies were assigned to Station 1 (Hartsdale Engine, Greenvile Engine and Eastchester TL 17 and New Rochelle Engine 22 and Ladder 12 to Station 12. Once the YFD Off Duty Personnel who were recalled in arrived, YFD Reserve Engine Companies 316 and 315 were assigned to Station 12 and Station 1 respectfully, freeing up at least 1 out of town Engine Company at both Station 1 and Station 12. The members of YFD did a remarkable job yesterday, given how close those buildings are to one another, preventing it from spreading and having an even more disasterous situation from becoming a reality. While this 4 Alarm Fire was going on, these Mutual Aid and YFD Reserve Companies were responsible for handling the rest of the City of Yonkers, including "First Responder" calls. Notice that the closest "manned" station, to the Eastern Side of the City was Station 12 on Fortfield Avenue. What if they were called out to say a Gas Odor call somewhere in Northwest Yonkers or the Odell Avenue seciton of Yonkers. Then a call would come in for a "First Responder" medical call in the remote area of Northeast Yonkers? I could only imagine, with Empress having personnel at the fire scene, that their resources were also taxed. I could only imagine the response times on, say a "First Responder" call up in the farthest section of Northeast Yonkers (Near the Edgemont Boarder) that is usually covered by Engine 314. This is something that the politians in the City of Yonkers needs to think about. As Chief Flynn mentioned, the City of Yonkers is no where near the "proper" manpower levels for a city of its size, especially if you factor in the "Not Yet Completed" Ridge Hill Project (Where is the New Ladder Company (YFD Ladder 77 ?)and Fire House (New 2 Bay Station 10 for 310 and 77 ?) that was on the proposal when the Ridge Hill plans were discussed with the city. Haven't heard a word on that lately! Hmmm. Also, if you now factor in the "on the table" proposal for the New Yonkers Downtown Development, you are just adding to the already taxed Yonkers Fire Department. With this development, the proposal calls for a New 6 Bay YFD Headquarters. In my opinion, you would need to add at least 2 Additional Engine Companies, that should be housed at this New Headquarters (Engine 301 and 302) with an additional Ladder Company housed at Station 3 (Ladder 76 ?). This in addition to what was proposed for Ridge Hill. Now, realizing all of this "on paper companies" the Mayor is talking about cuts in Emergency Services. All it would take is for some "Well To Do" citizen of Yonkers, who is politically connected and who lives in that Remote Northeast Section of Yonkers to have a loved one fall ill and to find that the First Responder Response to them was "Delayed" because of staffing issues within the YFD, becuase they were fighting a difficult 4 Alarm Blaze in Southwest Yonkers? Wake up Mayor Ammicone and City Council Members and realize that this could happen one day (god forbid it does). Yes, Yonkers has the unique plan and fortune to be able to call in off duty personnel and to have the Equipped Spare Apparatus to help and take over from Called In Mutual Aid Companies, but its "not enough" YFD is the best run Professional City Fire Department in the State of New York (for its size) but is "far below" the manpower and apparatus levels of say a Syracuse, a Buffalo, a Rochester or other cities of its size in New York State, especially given its close proximity to New York City. Maybe some day people will wake up and see what is real.

Oswegowind - Glad to see that your son is a YFD Buff. I am sure that he will enjoy himself. (Maybe YFD SOD has that new Dunkin Donuts Coffee Machine installed by now and you can enjoy a fresh cup?)

B1, B2, and the Safety Truck rack up a "ton" of mileage throughout the years that they are in service, despite the outside appearance of looking great (Attributable to the great maintenence staff at the DPW). The Ford Excursion is no longer available and I am sure that YFD specd' out and choose the Pick Up because of its durability in those tough roads in Yonkers.

What, no Slave to the Grind Coffee at SOD? Does Chief Fitz and the guys down at Special Operations on Neph Ave only drink Dunkin Donuts Coffee?

Chris - Is it true that the Yonkers version of it is called the "Oswegowisper"? {Just a ha-ha LOL)

I had heard that Chief Dunn had requested in the specs that this special piece of equipment housed in the back of Batt 2 automatically goes off when the tone goes off initiated by YFD Dispatch, requesting the daily morning radio test. I also heard that the New Batt2 Truck has an "Auto-Pilot" option built into it, via their GPS Tracking system, that drives the truck automatically to the Bronxville Slave to the Grind location. [PS - Chief Dunn, you are the BEST and I am certain that your love of coffee is shared among the members and staff at Station 12. Slave to the Grind is one of the best around. Oswegowind - Yes, I knew it was a joke all along - LMAO : ) ]

I think that there is one just over the boarder in nearby Bronxville. Could it be that Chief Dunn might be an "Expresso Efficianto"? (Its not your every day Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts)

AND REMEMBER - The Yonkers Fire Department has the VERY LAST MACK EVER PRODUCED in their possession. Reserve Engine 298 (Formally Engine 306) is currently "resting comfortably" downstairs in "The Vault" (probably next to the restored 1950's ALF Midmount) at Station 8.

I am hearing on the FDMV Channel today, that the Mount Vernon Fire Department Dispatcher is now dispatching the City of Mount Vernon's Ambulance Service (must be the new service in the city). It appears as if there are 2 Ambulances covering the city (Ambulance 1 and Ambulance 2). Does anyone know if both of these ambulances are being quartered at any of the FDMV Fire Houses, then dispatched accordingly? (Maybe 1 out of the Fulton Avenue Station and the other maybe out of the 3rd Street Station) OR are they being dispatched "on the fly"

Here is a link to the 1974 Yonkers Fire Department Study conducted by New York City Rand Institute. Chief James Ryan (to whom I had the pleasure of being extended an invitation to meet and speak with him, in his office, back in 1974, while I was in College). http://www.litagion.org/pubs/reports/2006/R1566.2.pdf It is very interesting to read about some of the recommendations that were proposed, some realized (New Station 8) and some that were not (New Station 10). It is also interested in seeing how the Budgetary Cuts made to the Fire Department back in 1976 (Ellimination of Rescue 1, Engine 1, Engine 2, Truck 3, and Truck 7) against the recommendatons outlined in this study, and now, 36 years later, seeing what is in place today, and now looking ahead to what is needed in the future (given both the Ridge Hill Project and the proposed New Downtown Development Project). I would be interested in hearing back from those Fire Service Professionals (ie: Chief Fitzpatrick, Chief Flynn, Captain Bnechis, etc, etc) here on EMTBravo.net, getting their insights into what they have to say on the 1974 Report against what is current/future, some 36 Years later. Any and all comments from ALL here on EMTBravo would be appreciated and interesting.

My own (and non-professional) opinion would be that it "might" be better if Ambulances are dispatched by FDMV rather that MVPD. The reasoning behind this is that, i am led to understand that the Mount Vernon Fire Department usually sends out a Engine Company, as a "First Responder", in addition to the Primary Ambulance Unit assigned to the incident. I am not sure how Ambulances were dispatched prior to this chance (assumption would be that PD Disptached the Ambulances and FD dispatched the First Responder Engine Company). Now with both Ambulances and First Responder Engine Companies being dispatched together, I would say that it would be "more efficient" I believe that this is that way it is done in New Rochelle and Eastchester, with 60 Control dispatching both Ambulances and First Responder Engine Companies and I believe that it has worked very well for the City of New Rochelle (I will allow Captain Bnechis to comment on that). Other cities/towns/villages do it differently (Yonkers is separate)

Barry - I can see where having the Ambulances dispatched at the same time that a Fire Department First Responder Rig is going out, over the same frequency would be of benefit. With NRFD being dispatched by 60 Control, without any conflicts with NRFD Fire Ground, this is probably a "good thing" I was unaware that FDMV Fire Ground was on the same channel as FDMV's Fire Dispatch. Is that indeed the case? If that is so then I too can see some serious radio issues, say during a fire in Mount Vernon, with the staff using that radio frequency during the job, and then having FDMV dispatch trying to support Mutual Aid and NOW, Mount Vernon Ambulance Radio Dispatching and Traffic on top of that. I would be interested in hearing from those within FDMV on this issue and what there position is on this matter, now that both Ambulance 1 and Ambulance 2 are being dispatched by FDMV dispatch. "Saturday night the PD was still dispatching the ambulances. Did this change start on Monday?" Chris - Yes, apparently, this went into effect on March 1st. I have listened to the FDMV Dispatch Channel over the past 2 days and you can definately hear FDMV dispatching both Ambulances covering Mount Vernon, as well as the dispatching of FDMV Engine Companies as "First Responders" to Medical Emergencies within the City of Mount Vernon.

This is the kind of storm where 1. The Chains get put on the rigs early 2. The City/Town/Village Snow Plows work to keep the entrances and driveways of all of the Firehouses and Ambulances clear 3. Forget about getting any of the back roads touch until mid morning tomorrow 4. Any Volley Fire/Ambulance Personnel better get to their respective houses and plan on staying the night 5. Some Idiot will certainly make an attempt to drive in this weather to get somewhere when they really don't have to go, and get stuck or worse 6. Cities in Westchester/Rockland/Putnam/Orange and Dutchess Counties have their DPW Personnel driving "Garbage Trucks" equiped with Snow Plows

Thanks Chief Dunn for the great photos of your New Batt 2 Truck. I especially like the New B2 Logo (Did you design it?). Any chances of getting a Photo of the New B1 Logo? (Is it similiar or a completely different design?) Also, any news on the upcoming deliveries of YFD's New Engine 306, 308, 309, Squad 11, and Ladder 72? (From both ALF and Smeal)

Realistic = COPS Drama = Law and Order SVU (Nothing finer on TV than Mariska Hargatty)

Absolutely its got to be BOTH the French Connection and Bullett. You don't get any better than Gene Hackman as Popeye Doyle and Steve McQueen as Bullett. Now here is the BIG QUESTION for EVERYONE - What movie had the BETTER car chase scene? The French Connection OR Bullett?

Nice to hear Chief Fitz. I am sure that the Officers and Battalion Chiefs will certainly be very happy with these new Ford Trucks, designed with the needs of the Safety Chief and Battalion Chiefs within YFD. Any update on when YFD will take delivery on the New E-309, Squad-11, and Ladder 72 on your new Smeal/Spartan Rigs from NEFA and the New E-306 and E-308 from American LaFrance?