grumpyff

A small boom was placed inside one of the pipes leading out of the drain, which headed down to the near by pond.( this photo also taken by me)

Command, with (Putnam) County Car 8, and Putnam County Hazmat.

Deploying contaiment booms in a nearby pond. The aerator in the pond was shut off shortly after this photo was taken. DEC later determined the sheen on the pond was normal, and not related to the spill

Photo of the contaminated drain with pads in place. ( I took this photo) Some of the product is visible on the white pad, it had a very strong odor near the drain

Date: 10/05/2008 Time: 1106 Location: 206 and 205 Cornwall Meadows Lane Frequency: 46.38 Units Operating: Patterson FD, County Car 8, Putnam County HazMat, NYC DEP, DEC, Dept of Health Description Of Incident: caller reports odor (possible gas/oil) in residence, as well as next door unit (#205) . Upon arival of Patterson FD, odor discovered to be coming from storm drains. Unknown petroleum based substance found in storm drain. Product extended into next drain, as well as pond. Booms placed in pond to prevent extension into Bog Brook, as well as booms and pads into effected storm drains. Vapors from product extended uphill to other storm drains. Putnam County Hazmat using gas meters determined residences are safe. Writer: grumpyff

Rest in Peace LT. Once again the job has turned its back on one of its own. The higher ups (read chiefs/ commissioner/mayor) could care less about you, but your men certainly did. Your first concern was the officers under your command, which is the sign of any good boss, which unfortunately is becoming harder and harder to find. Hopefully something positive will come out of this tragic loss, and the job's doctors will never tell someone in this horrible sitution to "go home and rest" while they try your case in the media. I hope your family gets through this tragic time. Remember,"The JOB is on the level"

Looks like a nice functional and thought out piece of apparatus. Hope it brings many years of reliable service to your department. Yes Fol-Da-Tank does offer a 5000 gallon folding pond. Here is their website: http://www.foldatank.com/ As with any tanker, you have to be aware of its extra weight and size compared to other fire apparatus as I am learning. The first time a drove Patterson 22-4-2 (3000 gallons and seen in my avatar) I learned real quick it takes a while to stop, and you have to slow down on the turns, more so that in an engine or rescue. Unless you are getting an escort I believe tankers should have lights and sirens. Granted you are not going to be exceeding the speed limits, but it may help you maintain the speed you are travelling at. It is not going to save you any time coming and going to the water source, but it does alert other drivers that you are requesting the right of way. If they fail to yield, get the license plate and notify law enforcement. Tankers should be operated by the more experienced drivers in the department, it is not the apparatus to learn emergency vehicle operations on.

Remember some parts of the county (northern sections) do not have adequate hydrant systems, that often require longer lays or tanker ops. Also NYC is relatively flat, whereas Westchester has some pretty good hills, which if you have to pump water up, are going to require relay engines. Could reductions be made, I'd say yes.

Thed red Cf was ex-Pelham IIRC

I would have all apparatus continue in in, with only the firstdue running 'hot'. I have seen a call for a possible car fire, where PD got on scene and reported no fire, overheat only. Our chief got on scene, to find the flames just starting to come oput from under the hood. If you make a mistake with a burglar alarm, the consequence is somebody's possession just got stolen, which can be replaced. On a fire alarm, on the other hand, if there is a fire, now it will only be bigger and hotter, with more spread.

Yes I was grandfathered in. After I called several times to complain, I was given a credit, but for the next few months there was always some type of billing shenanigans going on.

Rest in Peace officer. My condolences to her family.

Personally....TOO LITTLE TOO LATE. I am sick of the continually poor service. I am counting the days until my contract ends Feb 1, 2009. I call to complain about things such as dropped calls, late voicemails,etc. and get a sales pitch to buy a new phone. I've been with Nextel 4+ years, and that is what I get...buy a new phone? PLus a month after I complain my bill is thru the roof...because the dipshits at Nextel decided to eliminate my free incoming calls, and then claimed that I went over my minutes therefore must be charged for my supposedly free nights and weekends.

Station 2 house 2-3, 4-1 a 1986 International tanker 2300 gallons (with a small pump),2-2 (the 58 Mack), and 3-1 a 1988 Ford brush truck also oos with plans for replacement. 2-3 is first due on all calls, when it can get a crew. Station 2 is used mostly by guys that live in the area, although we did stop and pick up 2-3 last month for a possible structure fire in Fox Run.

At the time I was living in Pleasantville. My wife was a manager for Applebees, and I had just gone back to working 1930 by 0405 hrs at Transit Manhattan Task Force (NYPD). for the7 months prior I had worked 2200 x 0635. Sept 10, 11, 12 were my first three day swing, I was enjoying the time with my wife had equally crazy days off. We dropped the kids off at Bedford Road School, and then went to Stop N Shop down in North White Plains. We had the radio off in the car so we could talk. While in the store we heard some talking about a small plane hitting one of the towers. A Coca Cola delivery guy got a phone call telling him that the building next hers had been hit. He told her to get out of there and come home. Not to much longer a stock boy came running out of the backroom saying "The other tower's been hit!" I grabbed the cart and told my wife "Time to go, that was no accident". We paid for our groceries and got back to Pville as fast as possible. I jumped in the shower, because I did not know how long I would be at work. As the first tower fell I heard my wife screaming. I got dried/dressed fast as possible and packed a small bag, extra socks/underware/etc. I watched the second tower fall. My wife made my go with her to the school to pick up the kids. My son was in the first grade, my daughter in kindergarten. My son was so excited to get out of school early, until he saw the looks on people's faces in the front lobby. He asked" whats wrong, did something happen?" In the car I asked him if he remembered going to the towers just a few months earlier, that there was a really bad accident there. With that I jumped in my car and headed to work. I was worried about my father, who was supposed to be in the lobby of one of the towers that morning at 845 am. I called my mom who told me "His scheduled changed a couple of days ago, he's in Rhode Island." She told me to be safe and I headed out to work. I must have passed the County POlice HQ going about 80 mph. Next thing I knew a marked car pulled alongside. I flashed my shield, he waved and turned on his lights and sped off. I tried to follow his escort, but my car was not fast enough. I got to the 50 Pct and signed in. There were several of us who were off-duty. We were put in a van and sent to the 48 PCT. Along the way I saw several Westchester Depts, including my own , staged on Bailey Avenue. Due the confusion of the day, we got sent back to 50 Pct to get our personal cars, and the told drive to Outdoor Range at Rodman's Neck (city Island). from there we were loaded onto city buses and taken into Manhattan. That was probably the quietest bus ride I have ever been on. The plan was to go down 2nd Ave dropping cops at their commands, but our bus broke down on the FDR somewhere in the 90's. Another bus eventually came and finished the job. After passing 1 PP there was the bus driver, a sgt, and a few cops. One was from my command. At the rear of the bus were supplies from the the range, mostly bottled water and goggles. We ended up on West Street, near the southern pedestrian overpass. Total chaos outside. the sgt, told us stay in the bus, you be breathing enough of this s*** in the coming days, while he brought the supplies out the back door with a couple of his cops. We say plenty of crushed RMPS, Fire trucks, and even cop's memo books and nightsticks laying in the ash on the street. I don't remember if 7 WTC was still standing or not. THe sgt returned after a while and told us 'from what he heard PD was missing several hundred cops, FD was even worse off." I finally made it to my command on West 42 street & 8 avenue (in the subway) around 1930 that night, just in time for roll call. I was assigend to 14 street & 8 ave to secure the subway. I was released sometime the next morning, on my own to get back to my car, up near City Island. We wotrked 12 to 15 hour days, one day off a week for the next couple of months. I recently found a scrap of papper with my OT on it. That September I ended up working almost 115 hours of overtime, not one minute was from before September 11. The hardest part was waiting to see which of my friends and co-workers were lost. I found out one was missing the next day, the last I found out was ok about 5 days later while I was digging after working an overnight, and bumped into someone from his unit. Never Forget...some may have already, but those of that served there will always remember.

If it helps. Patterson has: 22-2-1 a 1994 Sutphen 1500/1000, used mainly as a source engine 22-2-3 a 2000 Sutphen 1500/1500, used as a engine, but with the capability to act as a tanker (10" dump chute in rear) 22-2-5 a 1993 Sutphen 1500/1000, the first due engine out of Station #1( 2-1 and 2-5 are almost identical, often referred to as twins). 22-2-2 is the departments 1958 Mack, currently out of service, with a possible restoration being investigated. (Dept Antique) 22-2-4 was donated to a department in Mississppi (IIRC) after Hurricane Katrina with no plans to replace it at this time.

Longevity pay, and health and welfare is also linked to future wage increases. In return, the PBA will drop 6 lawsuits against the city. For the a better look at the pay scale : NYCPBA.org

No givebacks, all take backs. Increase in vaction time to 13 days for officers at 3,4 and 5 years. No more weapons requalification on vacation day/rdo, increase in longevity pay, and pilot program to eliminate confinement to home while sick. Would have to stay home (while sick) only during your tour, not at all times as it currently stands. Medical we already have a choice of several plans, from no cost such as GHI and HIP to plans you pay several hundred every pay period, (Empire Blue Cross). Also a one payment into our Health and welfare fund (Union pays for dental/eye care).

Patterson has one, only used it in training. I know they had a problem with it landing intake side down, so it would suck a lot of muck. Problem corrected with a float attached to it.

I knew the speed limit change somewhere in that area I've driven in the area several times, either way not a good mechanism of injury.

Looking at a horses a$$ all day... I get the same look when dealing with stupid people

Remember, this is NYC.....every other FD in the country preaches respond safely, not Bloomberg and Scopetta. Respond faster or else the transfers begin. I had the pleasure of sitting in with the PD 911 dispatchers one night. If the call came from a house phone, the address normally came right up, a cell phone within a few minutes. Like JBE stated , throw in heavy accents, panic/confusion/adrenaline into the mix with some people who do not even know their proper address its total choas. I have locked up enough people who state their address is at St Nicholas and West 163 st. After a few questions you often find out that they live on say West 164 st, but get off at 163 st on the 'C' train. They often only know the major intersection near their residence.

Excellent photos!!! Did Stat Flight shut down the engines? it looks like several people were near the rear rotor of the aircraft. Normally the pilot stands guard near the rear wings/fin. IIRC the speed limit in the area is 45 mph.

Any word on if BLS 4 will continue, I am hearing it will be pulled tommorrow evening.. Back to paging out half the county for a call.

I am hearing from reliable sources that Transcare won the contract. In theory they should have enough equipment/manpower to cover Putnam, but we will have to wait and see if the contract provides for the BLS ambulance service being tested.