Decontamination Trailer Program

[x635 4,066]

Does anybody have any further information regarding this program?

Who is getting the trailers, what kind of equipment/setup will they have, who is responsible for the maitenence, what will tow the trailers?

[x635 4,066]

Is this program just a figment of my imagination?

[Stench60 29]

The word on the grapevine is that the Battalion 15 trailer will be housed here in Port Chester.

As to equipment, towing etc. that remains to be seen. We have had Decon training here due to being a reception center for Indian Point. I know quite a bit of this, if not all of the program, is being done in house by the county.

[DRD 0]

The trailers, once deployed, will be a great asset to every department in the county. The recent Trailer Training Program classes were held at the county FTC, and from what I could tell nearly all the participants (at least in the sessions I attended) were from the Sound Shore. Both the trailers provided by NYS and Westchester Co. are actually quite amazing as far as equipment goes, but everyone needs to be trained and become familiar with the equipment ASAP. In house decon training alone will not be sufficient to use these trailers effectively. Setting up the decon corridor, and other trailer equipment, needs to be practiced and drills will have to span multiple jurisdictions. There is also a plan to establish detection teams to further augment the career depts. level A trailers as well as the volunteer and combo decon trailers.

[mstrang1 213]

Rumor is Ardsley is supposedly trying to get one, because no one else in Batt. 14 will take it.

[HFD23 37]

honeslty i don;t think that ardsley would need a trailer, squad 6 is hartsdale greenville and fairview, with men with countless hours of training in that area, how many guys in AFD are trained to the level they feel comfortablle operating in those suits with that kind of equipment.. as a volunteer my self, i feel that the Firefighters under me could us alot more fire service training with more typical firefighting duties then spend the hours and money on completely training guys in these fields, with squad 6 and other trialers so close, along with yonkers and county hazmatt i would rather see those duties left to them... Not to down play the roles those fire depaartments like arsdley play, but i thinkmany departments in this day in age are spreading them selves way to thin... we need to worrie about hazmatt, and we need to worrie about technical rescue and buiding collapse's, but lets face it all of us as firefighters need to master basic fire fighting operations and extrication 1st, and just a few years on the job or volunteering doesn;t cut it... eveyr one i know wants to focuse on hazmatt or hazmatt tech training, or technical rescue training, but facts are we go to more fires and fire related calls, and while the speciallized training is great to have, the bottom line is you can sporead ur selft of department to thin, yo need to master one or 2 area's rather then try to focuse on prefoming in mnay area's with just a basic knowledge.... this post is not ment to be geared at ardsley, but its geared at all departments in this change time period of the fire service, i haev many great friends in many departments through the county including ardsley, but this is my opinion and suggestion to all departments lets make sure we master the basics then begine to expand, we can't do everythin, were not super humans.....

[x635 4,066]

In response to HFD211, some great points made. Still, you've got to consider the there are less fires nowadays and more of other types of emergencies, so FF's, in a sense, must be able to be a "multi-tool" of sorts. Of course we should focus and maintain our core skills, however we must look at our expanded scope as well. I think every department in this county should have a specialty, and learn to share and work those specialties into the mutual aid plan.

As far as I have learned,these trailers are decontamination trailers, meant for the decontamination of victims. Basically, a mobile people wash. These are totally seperate from the roles of the Squads. Ardsley is also a recieiving center for Indian Point evacuation, so that's why I think they are getting one. Personally, IMO, I think Decon should be an EMS role.

I'm still curious as to what will tow these trailers.

[HFD23 37]

i completley agree with the ems serving a decon role, and ya, a trailer with decon equipment in ardsley would be good to supplement the squads,,, but i think any more squad trailers should go up north we currently have 6 squads below I-287 and its time to spread out the equipment, and your totall rite, the ideal is every department to specialize in one area beyond fire fighing.... mabe for example if Fairview specialized in tech rescue, and hartsdale had hazmatt... and ardsley had decon. and greenvile had confied space and dobbs ferry had a dive team, this would add a great number of resources thus also increasing the working relationships of all departments while allowing each to specialize and become experts in their fields.. my main point is that we in the fire serive are spreading our selfs to thin...

[mikerabbit 2]

HFD that is a great idea by having individual departments specially trained in certain functions. If I was in need of assistance Id rather have to wait an extra five minutes to have a Proficiently trained unit respond then have a department arrive and not be familiar with technical equipment because they dont practice often enough.

Mike

[mstrang1 213]

I was wondering if the county would provide a vehicle to tow the trailers myself. The chief of Ardsley FD said that both chiefs vehicles have tow hitches and that they would be used. Not a perfect plan, but I guess that suffices for Ardsleys needs.

[x635 4,066]

I was wondering if the county would provide a vehicle to tow the trailers myself.  The chief of Ardsley FD said that both chiefs vehicles have tow hitches and that they would be used.  Not a perfect plan, but I guess that suffices for Ardsleys needs.

But then according to that plan, one of the chiefs MUST be in town with a functioning vehicles at all times.

[firemn23 8]

I think we should also remember that I believe Ardsley has the most amount of members on the Westchester Hazmat team and also has about half of its 40 members as Haz Mat Techs. I also believe one of the reasons that the trailers are being deployed is in case of an attack in NYC that the county and the city have set up a plan to send all the wounded to area hospitals in Westchester and I believe Ardsley is right next door To Dobbs Ferry Hospital!

[TRUCK6018 50]

I was wondering if the county would provide a vehicle to tow the trailers myself.  The chief of Ardsley FD said that both chiefs vehicles have tow hitches and that they would be used.  Not a perfect plan, but I guess that suffices for Ardsleys needs.

My take on these trailers is that a "standard" command (chief's) vehicle would not likely be able to tow them. By standard I would say a 1/2 ton Chevy Tahoe or Ford Explorer.

Based on the size and weight of the trailers, I wouldn't try to tow one with anything under a 1 ton, provided it has an adequate hitch and receiver.

It is a requirement to submit a plan to the county, in writing, on how the trailer will be towed. The county does stipulate that the vehicle in question must be available 24/7 to tow it. So again, a "standard" command vehicle would most likely be out of the question.