61MACKBR1

Sadly, this may be what is in store for many departments here in Westchester County in the future. With many politians looking for ways to save additional dollars, in order to reduce operational expenses and lessen the burden off of the taxpayers, Consolidation or Regionalization of Services (Fire, Police, EMS) will be presented to the "Taxpayers" rather than those who are more educated into the needs/requirements of a specific area/district (such as Chiefs and others within the Fire Departments). If this Greenburgh Consolidation comes to be a reality in the next 5 years or so (Greenville, Hartsdale and Fairview combining) then you will start hearing County Politians pushing for some additional consolidations (for example a New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Eastchester, Pelham and Pelham Manor consolidation) Does it make sense from a Fire Protection sense? NO !! Does it have any financial implications? Maybe ???? Will the Unions ever allow it to happen? NO WAY !! If presented to the Taxpayers/Voters to approve, will the Unions have any say? Probably Not, as the decission will be taken out of their hands and placed in the hands of those citizens in the affect communities. Yes, this subject has been beaten to death over the years on the EMTBravo.net site, but now it appears, that the subject will be in the hands of the taxpayers and not in the hands of the Professionals

The concept of a "Regionalized" County Run Fire Department has been brought up on EMTBravo.net many many times. The concept has worked well in both Baltimore County, MD and Gwinnett County, GA. There would be no reduction in Fire Fighters, but rather all departments in Westchester County would be "Paid" and men/equipment distributed accordingly, based upon need (ie: Major Cities such as Yonkers, Mount Vernon, White Plains, New Rochelle, etc. would have in place the proper amount of Staffing and Equipment based upon the Urban setting of these cities. USAR and Special Operations Equipment and manpower could be set in various locations throughout the county, with the manpower there "properly trained" to utlize the equipment (I agree with one poster who said it would be difficult to have, say Yonkers, travel up to Northern Westchester with their Spec. Operations Equipment, if needed). Rather, have the equipment available and manned by trained personnel). This would mean that some of the personnel say in Yonkers, or New Rochelle already trained might be assigned to a County Station in Northern Westcheter, rather than in Yonkers or New Rochelle. This, again, would be a plan to deploy the manpower currently in place, based upon the level of training that they have, spread out, based upon needs, throughout Westchester County. You may not have 4 Tower Ladder Companies based in Northern Westchester, but you could have personnel (say men/women who normally work on an Engine or Rescue Company, housed in a a Northern Westecheter County Station), with a Special Operations/USAR Equipment there available, for these trained people to respond to on, should the opportunity arise that it is needed. Bottom line is that you would have the same (if not more) amount of "Indians" but less and more effective Regionalized "Chiefs". The concept could work, but it would require the cooperation of every fire district in Westchester County as well as every Union. Just my thoughts on this again.

I guess that the Journal News Staff knows more than anyone else, since they reported it as an explosion. Maybe the Journal News Reporters are connected with people at NBC or the Law and Order SVU Production Team OR maybe they have an "In" with someone within the New York Ledger (L&A SVU's aka for the New York Post)?

Hearing that Law & Order SVU was filming in Yonkers yesterday, around Van Cortland Park, for an upcoming episode. Is this true and was anyone up there during the filming and did anyone from Yonkers get in any of the shots as an "Extra"? (With the word that Mariska Hagarity was having problems again with the problem with the collasped lung that she had from back in the fall, I would suspect that she was not at any of the filming yesterday, but I would suspect that Chris Merloni, ICE -T, Belzer, and maybe Capt. Cragen might have been in the filming). Any and all information that anyone might have would be greatly appreciated.

Just heard B1 calling in on an incident where Con Ed was requested for a Gas Shut off, with initial fire knocked down. E306 and E307 being relocated. Does anyone have any information on the incident (where, initial assignments, etc)?

Is Spare YFD Ladder 79 still on loan in Mount Vernon? If so, how long does FDMV plan on using it, so that they can make the necessary repairs to the 2 Ladders and 1 Spare TL that they already have, that have been OOS? Also, does anyone know if Yonkers FD Spare Rescue 2 (the Old Rescue 1) has been repaired and is back and available to be used as the backup rescue in case that YFD R1 goes for routine maintenence? (If I remember correctly, Spare Ladder 79 was being used as the backup rescue, since YFD R2 was down for body repairs). Finally, does anyone have any photos that they can post on the New YFD Foam Unit (Ford F350 with Lift and other features)? Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.

Based upon Truck 4's very detailed account of the Multi-Departmental response to yesterday's trench rescue in Bronxville, this was a great job done by everyone involved. The one question that I have on the response sequence would be why, given that this incident was in Bronxville, that EFD would request NRFD's Rescue 4 and their Collapse Response Unit rather than requesting Yonkers Collaspe Response Team (Collaspe Rig, Squad 11), which is closer (Station 11 in Yonkers (Bronxville Road - Right on the Yonkers/Bronxville Boarder) is about a 4-5 minute response to the scene vs. Rescue 4 and the NRFD Team coming out of Station 1 in New Rochelle, right in downtown New Rochelle). It would appear that the equipment and manpower needed would have gotten to the scene faster if the intial Collapse Response Team would have come out of YFD's Station 11, then have NRFD's team come up as additional support. Is this because NRFD is the first due Mutual Aid district for Eastchester, and given that, thus the initial request for New Rochelle to respond, and then, based upon the assessment later on at the scene by the I/C, that the Yonkers FD Rescue Collapse Team was called in?

Here's a photo of a rig that is an example of Warning Lights and Siren "OVERKILL" (yes - even the roto ray is too much)

My apologies to EFD's Captain Dempsey as I had originally referred him a Chief Dempsey. His work at this incident as the I/C was truly outstanding, coordinating a multi-departmental effort. A truly great job done by him as well as all of the professional and voluteers who responded to and worked this incident.

According to TRUCK 4's report in addition to EFD's I/C Captain Dempsey and other ranking officers within the Eastchester Fire Department, the following Fire Commanders also responded to the incident: Yonkers FD Battalion Chief 2 (Might have been B/C Dunn?) Yonkers FD Car 2 (I think that is YFD's AC Fitzpatrick?) Westchester County B-18 Westchester County Car 2

Date: 1/28/09 Time: 12:24 Location: Eastchester FD Frequency: Units Operating: 29, 30, 16, 17, 27, 2101, 2102 Description Of Incident: Train Fire at Crestwood Train Station Writer: 61MACKBR1 Eastchester Engine 31 and NRFD Ladder 13 reloacting to Eastchester Station 1

Does anyone know if SCAN 60 is down?

Was that the Fanny Farmer/Bee Hive Fire on the Corner of 4th Avenue and 1st Street from the Early 80's? (Jewelry Store was also involved I believe)? If I remember, that was a huge fire in Mount Vernon FD's History.

Excellent Post by BFarr (below). When I resided in Yonkers back in the 1960's and 1970's, I too, remember when the Yonkers Fire Department was properly and adequately staffed. If BFarr and others within the department could confirm, this is how I remember it to be: Station 1 (Headquarters - New School Street): Engine 301 (Formally Engine 1) Ladder 71 (Formally Truck 1) Rescue 1 [Disbanded in 1976, was brought back briefly as Engine 305 in the 1980's and then removed from service again. Squad 1 was put into service back in the 1990's and then redesignated back as Rescue 1 in 1999) Station 2 (Vineyard Avenue): [station is no longer operational] Engine 302 (Formally Engine 2) Ladder 72 (Formally Truck 2) [Eventually Moved to Station 9 on Shonnard after Station 2 closed] Station 3 (Riverdale Avenue then Vark Street): Engine 303 (Formally Engine 3) Battalion 1 Station 4 (Radford Street): Engine 304 (Formally Engine 4) Ladder 74 (Formally Truck 4) Station 6 (Oak Street): Engine 306 (Formally Engine 6) Station 7 (Central Park Avenue): Engine 307 (Formally Engine 7) Repair Shop (Eventually moved to the DPW facility on Neprahan Avenue) Fire Prevention Division Station 8 (Warburton Avenue): Engine 308 (formally Engine 8) Station 9 (Shonnard): Engine 309 (Formally Engine 9) *Ladder 72 Eventually moved to Station 9 from Station 2 after Station 2 Closed) Station 10 (Saw Mill River Road): Engine 310 (Formally Engine 10) Station 11 (Bronxville Road): Engine 311 (Formally Engine 11) [Now Squad 11) [Also Truck 3 was housed here. Truck 3, now designated as Ladder 73 was moved to Station 13] Station 12 (Fortfield Avenue): Engine 312 (formally Engine 12) Ladder 75 (Formally Truck 5) Battalion 2 Station 13 (Kimball Avenue): Engine 313 (formally Engine 13) Ladder 73 (Formally Truck 6) [Truck 6 (ie: Ladder 76) was disbanded and Truck 3 (ie: Ladder 73) moved from Station 11 to Station 13] Station 14 (North Central Park Avenue) Engine 314 (Formally Engine 14) Ladder 70 (Formally Truck 7) No longer in Service are: Engine 301 Engine 302 Ladder 76 Can anyone in the department confirm this, as I remember it? Thanks

Based upon the information provided in today's Journal News report concerning yesterday's House Fire in Mount Vernon, FDMV's first due Ladder Truck (presumably TL-1) upon arrival had hydraulic problems when they were setting up the rig to fight the fire, and thus it could not be used. Instead FDMV used the YFD Ladder 79, that they have on loan from Yonkers, to fight the fire. How many weeks has YFD 79 been on loan to FDMV? Now it appears that all 4 Ladder Trucks that FDMV has are all down due to mechanical failure and failure to pass inspection? Maybe YFD can loan FDMV the Mack CF Tower Ladder (old TL-77) once it comes back from Pelham Manor? (Sad comment, but if Yonkers Mayor Amicone is shutting down Ladder Company 70 and moving TL75 to Station 14, maybe YFD can loan the "new" Smeal Ladder 70 to Mount Vernon as well as 79. Just tells you that Yonkers FD is much better supported as it relates to having available front line apparatus than Mount Vernon)

How about Code 3 making a replica of Yonkers FD Old ALF Century Tiller 73 ("Supertrain") - Now that would be one sweet looking 1/64 Scale Model (instead of basically copying the 306 model, with 313 [except for the XMAS Decorations])

According to this morning's Journal News, Yonkers Mayor Phillip Amicone is planning to annouce at his 12 Noon press conference that the city will be elliminating 1 Fire Company within the City of Yonkers, laying off Firefighters and demoting Lt.'s to the rank of Firefighter. http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...2#pluckcomments Stay tuned for further deveopments

According to an article in this morning's Journal News (See Below) it is being reported that a Ladder Company at the city's Fortfield Avenue Fire Station will be the Fire Company ellminiated within Mayor Amicone's budget cuts. That leaves only 1 active Tower Ladder truck (TL 71) and probably the most busest ladder company in the city, to cover the entire city (unless the TL is moved to either Station 13 or 14 to take over Ladder Company duties as either 73 or 70). Also, with 75 being elliminated, this leaves the east side with only 2 active ladder trucks (70 in the very north end of the East Side & 73 in the very south end of the East Side). This has to have a significant effect on ladder company response times. Makes you scratch your head and wonder what the Mayor is thinking? (How about cutting 1/2 of the city paid personal cars in the city and require those city employees to use their own personal vechicle to get back n' forth to work, to save money to keep essential city services - Hey Mayor Amicone - How about giving up your own city car as a gesture to the citizens of the city, to set an example of good, sound financial management) http://www.lohud.com/article/20081219/NEWS02/812190360

Regionalization might make sense, again within the same lines at Baltimore County, MD and Gwinnett County, GA. You can even include Yonkers in the plan, although, given the geographic make up within Yonkers, you could not reduce or spreadout Yonkers. Just keep Yonkers as they are, but include them in the Regional Format. Including Yonkers in a Regional Concept would elliminate the issues regarding Mutual Aid (as there would no longer be any territorial boundries and staffing issues to overcome, as everyone would be part of the same Fire District). Also, with the Yonkers Mayor planning cuts within YFD, you could "easily" take those YFD FF's affected and have them working over in the Mount Vernon Region, as part of say a "Westchester County Southern Fire District" (and we all know how poorly staffed [AND EQUIPED] Mount Vernon is right now). This way you have 1 single Westchster County Southern Fire District, comprised of the 2 Pelhams, Eastchester, Mount Vernon, Yonkers, Greenville, New Rochelle, etc, etc. Just a thought.

Just heard that New Rochelle Engine 22, 25 and Ladder 11 have been dispatched to White Plains on Mutual Aid, along with Scarsdale's Tower Ladder and a Greenville Engine Company. Is there a major fire going on in White Plains this afternoon?

Really sad for the city to have to come to this. Does anyone within the YFD know what Company will be elliminated?

Just heard Eastchester Ladder 16 get toned out to go to Mount Vernon Station 3 on Mutual Aide. Does anyone know what is going on in Mount Vernon?

Apparantly, Chief Everett and the Mount Vernon Fire Department is taking some action as it relates to their current Ladder Truck needs. FDMV has reached out to the Yonkers Fire Department, who has agreed to loan FDMV one of their Spare Ladder Trucks, for the time being. I think that the brass and management of the Yonkers FD should be highly commended for coming to the aide of their neighboring city. Maybe the solution to this FDMV mess is to have the Mount Vernon Fire Department managed by the City of Yonkers Fire Department? Does anyone have any insight to what YFD Spare Rig is going to be given to them on loan? (Spare Tower Ladder 80 or 81 or maybe Spare Ladder 78 or 79?) (Not sure how to quote from the Journal News, but below is the piece of the article from today's JN)

Just a comment, knowing that this senerio could never happen because the current administration in Mount Vernon would never go for paying the Fire Administration from another city to run its Fire Department (although if you think about it, given how well run the front line support within the YFD is, with the proper amount of "serviceable" spare apparatus, to support their front line rigs, they probably could do a much better job that the current Fire Administration in Mount Vernon). Maybe (and again just maybe) regionalization might be the possible solution (with the Current Administration within the YFD along with the Current Administraiton within the New Rochelle FD taking over and managing "Southern Westchester Fire District" with taxpayers from all Cities, Villages, and Towns that make up this "district" paying into it, leaving the managing of a Fire District to the people who have proven to be able to properly manage Front Line Fire Support, such as Yonkers and New Rochelle)? But this is a whole different topic that has and will continue to raise debate (both Pro and Con) on this forum, so I will leave that alone.

Below is a quote from today's story in the Journal News: Since when is Fairview a neighboring Fire District to Mount Vernon? An hour to responde to a call for Mutual Aid to Mount vernon? Thats pretty sad. This is exactly what was mentioned in some other posts on this site. With the significant delays now exhibited with "First Due Mutual Aid Companies" (apparently now Fairview, since New Rochelle and Yonkers have now moved lower on the list), someone is going to get unnecessarily seriously hurt and unnecessary major property damage will occur, unless someone in our County or State Government steps up and says "Enough is Enough" in Mount Vernon. Unless Mount Vernon can immediately increase the level of apparatus available and manpower, it well might be that Countywide Regionalization of Fire Districts could be the answer (but I will not open up that "can of worms" again, because it is apparantly a very sore subject among a number of members of EMTBravo.net)