mstrang1

Sonya "the Black Widow" Thomas is my hero!

Often times over the past few months I have seen a local Westchester Chiefs vehicle parked outside Metrotech Plaza in Brooklyn. Now, my personal opinion is that, unless this Chief is on official departmental business, or decides to respond to a call from Brooklyn, all the way to Westchester, that this Chief is abusing the perk of having a car, provided for by the village of ************. Do other people agree that Volunteer Chief's (and Career Chiefs also, for that matter) abuse the perk of having a free vehicle, and using it long distances away from the primary response area?

Stamford truck 4(reserve unit) is a 106' Mack RSI(?) RM stick, and just ordered 109' RM HME to be used as truck 1.

seems less like a propane tank and more like an acetylene tank with the double walled tanks.

What is the FD's role at a barricaded subject call? I imagine it is in case the nutcase inside lights the place on fire, but is there any other reason? Thanks in advance...

My condolences go out to the Arena family. Over the past year or so, I have been reading and following Jimmy's story, keeping him in my prayers, telling his story whenever asked about my bracelet. I am truly sorry for your loss, and feel lost myself, having never met young Jimmy. Even though, over the past week or so, I knew things would end this way, I always felt that the day would not be this one, it would not be now. I would soon have a chance to meet him. Well, I was wrong. I feel a part of me is missing, for not having met this young man. Rest in Peace, Jimmyboy.

Stamford Fire & Rescue Dept(SFRD) had a number of car fires that were located in close proximity to structures(house, garage, etc) and decided to add a truck company to all car fires(except the highway, which gets 2 engines only). So car fires in the city get 1 engine and 1 truck. It seems reasonable, because you at least will have a second unit on scene or en route when you arrive to find the garage or house has been ignited.

I have never met Jimmy Boy, nor any of the Arena family, for that matter. But it seems like I know him so well. On a daily basis, when people, strangers even, ask me what the grey bracelet I wear is for, I get choked up. My heart goes out to the entire Arena Family, best wishes, and my thoughts and prayers are with you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIMMYBOY!!!!!!!!!!!

Some of the best guacamole around!

I remember reading in Fire Engineering or Firehouse a few years back about a FD somewhere that bought a bunch of these Pods and loaned them to homeowners after a fire to store all their salvagable properties. Was a good PR move, figure no one else does it because of cost. Another Dept I saw had several boxes for different areas of special ops. ie 1 box for trench, 1 for high angle, 1 for collapse, etc. and depending on the call they put a different box on the truck and went. Makes it cost efficient bc you only maintain 1 vehicle and get 3 or 4 "different vehicles" out of it.

The Pierce has been "retired". Currently it sits at the Mech Div. on Magee Ave, along with the Mack Squrt, and a few other very old engines. The reserves these days are the two Mack MR Engines(the old 3 and 6). In additional news, a new Engine 7 has been ordered, and a new Truck 2 is being spec'd.

I was wondering if anyone knows a website where I can put an address in NYC in, and find out who is first due there? I want to find out who covers my girlfriends apt. Thanks...

DObbs Ferry TL 23 has no pump on it. Ardsley L 50 (AKA Q1) has a 75'RM ladder and a 1500 GPM/400G tank. It kinda works for them. Some negatives of the apparatus itself are for 1, the apparatus is too short to carry a 2 section 35' ladder, so it carries 3 section ladders. It has (if I remember correctly a 30 and a 36 foot 3 section). These things are heavy as hell, and the one on the exterior is mounted quite high. There is also a limited amount of storage space on there, forcing traditional truck tools to be forced on the engine. It also does not have the luxury of having its own ground monitor (only the one on the stick). Also, having to run a pump, worry about a water source, AND getting the aerial put up(the outrigger controls are on rear of apparatus) is not only tedious, but nearly impossible to do all at once. A positive is that you do not have to worry about the first due engine blocking the front of the building, only the chiefs and police cars...

This morning while on 12th Avenue, I saw Sat 1 responding NB, with an Engine Co. My question is, are the Sat units Special call only? And if so, does anyone know where it was headed this morning? and how many runs/yr do they get?

EJS I was being quite sarcastic in calling those terms "much lengthier". I am sorry that sarcasm cannot be expressed wholeheartedly online.

The other day while driving up Route 9, I saw Briarcliff FD pulling up to what looked like an MVA in the parking lot adjacent to Archville FDs Firehouse. Can anyone tell me why ARCHVILLE was not dispatched from this call as it was about 150 feet from the apron? I also know that BFD responds to Sleepy Hollow CC, which, I believe, they have to pass AFD House to get to. What gives?

I understand that the call got covered, and that is the whole point of it all. I did not hear the dispatch, only saw the engine (I assume 92), after following the bus up the hill. I assumed (I know about assuming, yada yada yada) that it was a minor accident and the engine was only there for BLS support. I remember there was an intense thread on this site regarding BMFD going that route. But can anyone tell me, just for $h!ts and giggles, exactly what the area that AFD covers? Also, being such a small (...or so it seems) district and dept, do they have automatic mutual aid agreements?

I have heard Ardsley, which has its own frequency, use the IDs, (20)"11" and (20)"12", as well as "64" and "65" instead of the much lengthier "Engine 164" and "Engine 165".

I remember reading an article last year sometime(forget where it was?), but the jist of the article was that a game could not be played because no AED was present.

Ardsley Quint 1, I mean Ladder 50, is a 88 LTI/Hahn.

Ardsley has a Sparky costume as well.

SFRD49 could verify this, but apparently this was the worst accident he has been to where he did NOT have to do anything, and the guy walked away! They said the whole car was destroyed except for the driver's seat. Lucky guy!

As of June 2, Engine 3 and Engine 6 are now in service. As stated above, they are HME Silverfox 1500/750/30 Pumpers. The old Mack MR Chassis E3 and E6 are both now outfitted as reserve units. FInally SFRD has come around to having most engines the same make and (almost) the same layout. SFRD purchased a single HME, then two separate twin HMEs, for a total of five HMEs (out of 7 front-line engine companies). There are slight variations between the three orders of pumpers, but basically they are the same. The two new ones have on board foam, as did both of the engines they replaced. E3 and E6 cover I-95. An initial concern with the two new engines are a high hosebed, due to the 750 gal tank and the "thru the pump" ladder storage.

Ardsley has been in the planning stages for a new firehouse at the same location since before I joined the fire dept in 96. There were recent problems with the Architect, but a new one has been hired, and supposedly construction can be started in spring. We'll see.