Tell Us About Yourself- Experience Roll Call

[x635 4,066]

On this forum, I've noticed several people who talk as if they've seen and done it all, yet some are juniors or haven't been around this much. And some screen names I don't know the experience behind, and I'd like to learn more.

So, I figured we'd do a little experience roll call- where do you come from, how long have you served, etc, like I wrote below. I hope to say "Wow, I didn't know that" about some members of this forum.

Here's my background (sounds like my resume- but I want to set an example):

Born and raised in Hartsdale, NY.

Education:

Ardsley High School, Ardsley NY Graduated 1997

Northeastern University Boston MA (at 22-23 years of age, Northeastern University Paramedic Class 47 alumni) Associates Degree. NU Deans list.

Westchester County Career Chiefs Fire Academy, Class 03-05, Graduated 12/17/05. Instructors award.

Fire Explorer since I was 14 years old, Explorer captain from 15 1/2-18, at 18-22 was a volunteer firefighter and explorer post advisor. Career EMT from 18-22, career dispatcher from 20-22, and a career Paramedic from 22- to now, 27. Career Firefighter from 26 to now, 27. Accepted with Hartsdale FD after deciding between offers from Montgomery County, MD and Los Angeles City FD, CA.

Volunteer experience: Ardsley FD

Career Experience: Empress EMS-EMT-I (Yonkers & Mount Vernon EMS) , Stamford Hospital ED (EMT-I), Westchester County Police Dispatcher, 60 Control Dispatcher, UMass*Worcester ED (Paramedic), Westchester EMS-Paramedic (45 Medics), Hartsdale FD (Firefighter)

Worked (alongside) with: ALL Westchester County FD's, PD's, ESU's and EMS agencies, Stamford Fire, EMS &PD, Norwalk Fire, EMS, and PD, Worcester Fire, EMS and PD, Boston Fire, EMS, and PD, FDNY, Newark NJ EMS, Fire & PD and various other agencies.

Ridden Along With , trained with, or extensively observed operations: FDNY, Los Angeles City Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, UMDNJ Newark EMS, FDNY*EMS, Fort Lauderdale FD, Woburn MA FD, Boston FD & EMS, Greenburgh PD & EMS and various other agencies.

Professional course and certifications: Too lazy to list.

Total time in emergency services: 13 years (never worked another line of work). Seems petty in relation to somes career span, but I am lucky to have had such a wide array of experiences during this time.

Other related experiences: Very amateur photographer (but budding), and creator/founder, adminsitrator and webmaster of The EMTBravoGroup websites. Fire/EMS/PD/DPW, Plane, Train, and truck enthusiast. Internet addict. Diecast collector. Scanner enthusiast. Love to read. Have a ton of hobbies and projects I keep myself busy with.

Engaged. Wedding July 7, 2007. Homeowner. Proud resident of Hartsdale, NY.

So that's me, and thats where I come from. Having seen so many other systems, such as LA, spark many of my ideas and thouhts, and desire to progress Westchester's emergency services to be the best in the country.

[HFD750 6]

Well that's going to be pretty hard to top... I joined the explorer post when I was 13 joined the department in 93. Took just about every class offered(my girlfriend was not too happy about that I was never around) Also an EMT. I am on the county Haz-Mat team.Was 1st LT. for a year 2nd LT. for a year and Capt. for 2 years.2nd asst.chief for 2006 and going to be 2nd asst. chief for 2007 also.Graduated from Harrison High School. I work for the Harrison DPW Parks dept. Been with the town for 10 years now. Was in the Highway dept. for 9 years untill I transfered. I think that's about it.

[Guest]

I come from a firefighting backround. My grandfather was a Fire commissioner in Pelham. He recently handed down his badge to me and I really treasure it and im very honored. This buisness is my blood and im proud of how much I have accomplished so far. Im very serious about this and when it gets down to a serious note I dont play around and I work my @$$ off.

((My other grandfather was a police officer in Pelham and my brother carried that on and now is a PO in Pelham after a year in the Bronx (Precinct 40) and a year in the city of New Rochelle))

So here is where im at so far:

-Buff in lower westchester since I was about 11 years old till the day I die

(First due (lol) BUFF in New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Yonkers, Pelham, Pelham Manor, & Eastchester.

-Currently an Explorer/Jr since age 14 until im 18 in the Town of Mamaroneck.

-Certified Healthcare Providor for BLS (CPR & AED)

-Plan on Becoming a Volunteer in Pelham & Mamaroneck (Town)

-Plan on going to Iona college (In New Rochelle)

-Try to become disbatcher at 60 control

-Looking for Fire Career in the Bronx then over to New Rochelle or Mount Vernon (Originally was going for NR but the longer L-11 is out of service the more I fall in love with MV's TL-1 & 3, lol)

Edited December 18, 2006 by NRFDTL11Buff

[Guest seanc]

hey, im a meber at briarcliff manor hook and ladder, ive been in the department for 6 months, but ive been around the fire department over two years. ive only been to one fire, a basement dryer fire. ive been to car crashes, ive been part of hundreds of drills covering everything down to the basic. i just completed fire 1 at westchester fire traing center and it was a breez. im a member of the briarcliff explorer post and have been for about 2 years, i live in briarcliff but attened school in ossinging, im a junior and hoping to graduate and to college after high school. thats my membership at briarcliff and me in a nutshell

[Ex-2114 7]

I guess I'll throw mine in....

My name is Jeff. I am a Cancer and my favorite color is Lime Yellow.

Seriously.

Well... I grew up in the Worthington area of Greenburgh. Went to Elmsford schools. Spent a year at Mercy for Computer Science. A year at WCC for Electronics. Two years at SUNY Albany. I still have yet to get a degree.

I spent almost 13 years as a member of the Elmsford Fire Company (Ladder Company) and a total of 16 in the Elmsford Fire Department (13 with EFC and 3 as an Explorer).

I left EFC/EFD in July of 2000 as Captain. I also served as 1st and 2nd Lieutenant.

In 1993 I became an EMT-D. Over the next 7 years, I brought defibrilation to Elmsford's Rescue-13 (58-B1) as well as worked with the DOH to get the ambulance certified - a first for the EFD.

As Captain, I served on the truck committee for Quint-2 (now Ladder 55). I was also responsible for the Company's training amongst other things.

I've fought warehouse fires, car fires, truck fires, apartment building fires in Hartsdale (68 East), ran cardiac arrests, cut open cars, held people's brains in their heads, cleaned blood/guts/puke out of the back of the ambulance (and off myself)..... I will never say that I've seen it all, but in 13 years, I've seen a lot.

When I was there, I had a great group of Firefighters and EMTs - the best anyone could ask for!!!

In July of 2000, I moved out of Elmsford up to Wappingers Falls. I decided to spend time with my wife in our new house, etc.... Do I miss FD?? YES I DO!!!!! I doubt I'll ever go back to it though. My job is my life now.

Career wise... I am a Network Engineer for Laerdal Medical in Wappingers Falls.

That's about it for me.

[Oswegowind 17]

Joined Peekskill VAC when I was 14 years old and now work as a dispatcher for Yonkers PD/FD...Guess I don't have too much experience...never really did anything else...btw I am 29 yoa...Outside of that, my mother was an er nurse and my wife is an er nurse...really can't get away!!!!!

[ryefd192 2]

I joined Explorer Post 700 in 2003. I was then the first person to join the Rye Fire Department at 17 through an iniative to get explorers trained in time to be interior on their 18th birthday. I am a member of the Milton point hose company. There is one member of my family is in each company of the department, one brother is in poningoe engine and hose, my other brother(242steve) is in Poningoe hook and ladder, my father is in the fire police patrol and im in Milton. I started attending Auburn university in Auburn, Alabama in fall of 2005 after graduating from Rye High School. I joined the Southwest Lee County Fire Protection Authority(Southwest FD) in spring of 2006 we are a rural department. Two e-one engines for 55 square miles and less than 100 hydrants. We cover 90% medical calls and have less than 50 multiple story houses in our district. I am Firefighter 1 in NY(march 2005), Airbag rescue trained(october 2004), elevator rescue trained(? 2005), i am about to take fire behavior and building construction in NY, and have full in department training in AL(no FF1 necessary for volunteer departments) and hope to pass a CPAT near this area and become a paid firefighter after college as well as taking as many courses here in NY as possible between now and then.

[JohnnyOV 2]

Names Alex and I'm 20 years old.

I was born in Brewster, NY and lived there untill the 4th grade when I moved to Yorktown Heights, NY where I have continued to live.

I graduated from Yorktown High school in 2004

Currently attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univerisity and trying to obtain an BS in Safety Science.

I got involved with emergency services when I was 14 with Yorktown VAC in their youth group. Became a NYS-CFR at 16, moved over to Yorktown Heights Fire Departments Junior Corps at 17. I was the first member of the junior corps to move up to a regular member at age 18.

Down at school I am invloved with the countywide fire deparment Volusia County Fire Services as a probationary Driver/engineer.

I am one of the 3, college aged, founding members of Embry-Riddle Emergency Medical Services, which is a campus based, quick response bike team, designed to arrive to 911 calls prior to the ambulance and FD getting there. The three of us have delt with the college dean, Daytona Beach Fire Department's Cheif, EVAC (which is not really a VAC, its a paid service) ambulances head operators, Voluisa County's EMS corridinator, numerous National Collegate EMS personelle, Risk managers, campus professors, lawyers...the list goes on and on

I am a paid EMT at Daytona International Speedway, and have been on the job with them for exactly 1 year now. Cover all aspects of the tracks grounds from the track itself to the fans in the stands to the people leaning up against the fence. Normal days consist of 1 or 2 ambulances on the track if a race or time trial is going...but durring race week, 200,000-250,000 people show up all drunk and all trying to climb up stairs at a 50 degree incline....so we have many ambulances, golf carts, walk around stand crews in place. And yes, we get everything from bumps to full arrests.

My goal is to be a career firefighter with FDNY, but I'm always open for ideas. Looked into the military for being a FF with them, and it's deffinatly something i'll continue to look into.

lets see...certs...

FF I

FF II

NYS EMT

AVET

EVOC

Pump Ops

ICS - 100

ICS - 200

IS - 700

IRHMI : BC

Fire Police

I think thats it

[grumpyff 1,159]

Ok, i'll bite,

I joined Pleasantville Volunteer Fire Department Junior Corps at 16, in 1988.

At 18, in 1990 joined the Ladder Company(at the time TL-5 and L-39), and transfered to the Fire Patrol Company in 1992 (Patrol 7, later Rescue 47). Associate member status in 2005.

I also joined Pleasantville VAC Youth Corps. in 1989, and later became an EMT-D in 1994,and let it lapse in 1997. I resigned in 1998.

In 1998, I was hired by the NYPD, and graduated the Police Academy in early 1999. Since then I have worked in both uniform Patrol, and plainclothes Anti-Crime units.

Ialso graduated from John Jay College in 1995 with a BS in Fire Science.

Also looking into the local Volunteer Fire Dept where I live, which always seems to get put off by some health concern, such as my wife surviving cancer one year ago, to two surgeries on my back, and one on my sinuses/deviated septum.

Edited December 18, 2006 by grumpyff

[trauma74 111]

Name: Doug

Age: 30

Volunteer Experience: Joined Chester Volunteer Ambulance Corps in 1994 as a Driver. Became an EMT in 1996. Became Captain in 2002 and I am still serving in this position. Also, became member of Chester Fire Department Trout Brook Engine & Hose Company #3 in March of 1991 at age of 16. Served as Treasurer from 2002-2005. Appointed Department Communications Officer in 2003 and still serving in that position. Member of Rockland DMAT Team for past 3 years.

Paid Experience: Worked as an ambulette driver & EMT for the former Elliott's Ambulance Service in Middletown, NY for 6 months. Worked for Empress EMS as an EMT from 1996-1998. I also dispatched for the last 9 months I worked there.

Got hired as a Dispatcher for Village of Monroe PD in 1998 and worked there until 2000. Dispatched Monroe PD, Monroe FD, Monroe EMS and Harriman PD. In 2000 I transferred to Town of New Windsor PD. Still employed by New Windsor. Dispatch for New Windsor PD, New Windsor EMS, New Windsor FD & Vails Gate FD. In 2004 I worked as a Part Time Dispatcher for the Town of Woodbury PD.

Training/Certifications:

NYS EMT

NAEMD

APCO Dispatch

NYSPIN/NCIC/E-Justice

Basic Disaster Life Support

CPR

FireFighting Essentials

NYS Haz/Mat Technician

Auto Extrication

Aircraft Fire/Rescue

[CHIEFPHIL 90]

I'm originally from Port Chester Ny, born at United Hospital. My family has over 100 of service to the Port Chester Fire Dept. My great grandfather was an original charter member of Brooksville E&H, my gradfather, father and two uncles all were/are members of Mellor E&H, both my grandfather and father are past captains, another uncle [deceased] was a captain of FirePolice Patrol as well.

I was a memer of post 700 for a while before moving to connecticut.

Joined the Bethel Fire Dept 8/4/82

Secretary 1988

Lieutenant Engine 6 1989-91

Captain 1992-1995

2nd A/C 1996-1998

Chief of Department 1999-2001

1st A/C 2004-2005

2nd, 1st Vice President Fairfield County Chiefs 1997-1998

President Fairfield County Chiefs 1999-2000

Currenlty serving as a mentor to groom young officers.

Also have 4 years of service with the Dodgingtown VFC in Newtown CT during the same time period.

Certifications:

FF1,2 & 3

Fire Officer 1

Fire Service Instructor 1

Health & Safety Officer

Motor Pump Operator

Truck Operator

EMT [6 yrs then dropped cert]

MRT [6 yrs -current]

Low angle and High angle rescue

Cold water and Ice rescue

awards:

Town of Bethel Firefighter of the Year 1993

Fairfield County Fire Officer of the Year -1994

Fairfield County Fire Officer of the Year - 2002

Have a partime teaching gig , delivering FF1 & 2 TIC as well as pump operator classes in N. Fairfield county and S. Litchfield county.

Manager of manufacturing support for a fortune 500 company in fairfield county.

4 brothers, only one other got into the biz... left to become a PO down South.

[Guest nickcabral]

Started as a junior FF, then full volunteer FF. Was a dispatcher for PD/ Fire/ EMS. Now a career FF and Aux. Ofc. for RPD.

[towerladder2 22]

Might as well........

Started in explorer post 700 in 1985. Explorer captain and president. Joined Harry Howard Hook and Ladder in the Port Chester Fire Department in 1986. Went through officer ranks 1991-1997. Captain 96-97. Again Captain 2000, and 2002.

20 years experience in one of the busiest combo departments in Westchester.

No experience like PC burning in the 80's!!!

Numerous certifications.

Emt in 1986.

D-cert with refresh.

Ran with Abby in the days.

Expired in 1995.

Much more......fingers too tired!!!!!!!

Edited December 18, 2006 by towerladder2

[Guest ksneubec]

Good idea for a post- interesting to read other's backgrounds.

Born and raised in South Salem, NY (1977)

Started in EMS at Lewisboro VAC junior corps at age 16.

EMT in CT at age 17, transferred to NY at age 18.

Junior captain at LVAC, EMT Crew Chief/Driver at LVAC.

Joined South Salem FD at age 20.

Lt. in South Salem for one year before leaving the state.

Took several courses in NY back in the day such as beginner, intermediate and advanced FF, extrication, "Get out Alive," FAST Team, Haz Mat Awareness and Ops, truck and bus heavy rescue, etc.

Worked for A1 Ambulance in Bedford Hills and for a little while when Freedom (I think they were called this) bought them out, then transferred to Transcare. Eventually found my way over the Westchester EMS.

Moved to CT, Joined Ellington FD 3 years ago.

Currently FFI, just tested for and awaiting results of FFII.

EPA HazMat Technician

NREMT-B

NIMS 100,200,700

CISM Beginner Course

Signed up for Rescue Tech-Core Class

Plans for Fire instructor and officer I classes in relatively near future.

Responded to Katrina as part of the FEMA/Firefighter Call up in Sept of '05. Spent ~7 weeks down there, eventually working my way up to Branch I Group 2 Supervisor, which put me in charge of FF operations for 3 counties in Coastal Mississippi.

Undergrad at Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, graduating with a BA in History/Pre-Med in 2000.

Master's in Medical Science/Physician Assistant Certification from Yale University School of Medicine, 2003.

Currently working in Orthopedics/Trauma in Manchester, CT.

Recently Engaged (remember those parade photos? ).