Firefighting distress call: Broome needs more volunteers

[Guest]

National advertising campaigns aimed at recruiting volunteer firefighters often ask this question: What would you do if you reported your house was on fire and nobody responded?

The Broome County Office of Emergency Services doesn't quite have that fear for its 33 departments, according to Director and Fire Coordinator Brett Chellis, but many of the smaller, rural departments in the county may not have enough volunteers at any given time to respond properly, fire officials admit.

http://pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...1077/MULTIMEDIA

Video

http://pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...1077/MULTIMEDIA

Slideshow

http://pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...1077/MULTIMEDIA

Video and slide show r from the FF1 class, U'll knotice most r in Vestal

Im not in the class,

[50-65 205]

Hi Dave, I read that story also. Do you remember several years ago when the Press ran a series of articles called "911- The State of Fire Services" (orsomething like that)?

Binghamton is my hometown. Well, actually West Colesville. I believe one of my older brothers vollied in Vestal for a while and my little brother is Car 2/Captain at Port Dickinson.

(Side bar -- Do you still all sound the siren at 11am on 11/11? His daughters were responsible for that getting started again).

Anyway, it'll be interesting to hear if the county wide open house is a sucess.

Good to meet someone from "home".

[Guest]

Howdy, Thats cool, Nope i dont remember that series of articles, I remember the sound the siren at 11am on 11/11

[50-65 205]

Apparently, the county-wide open house wasn't too successful.

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll.../801200343/1001

That's too bad, it sounded like a good idea.

[JM15 386]

why is the siren sounded at 11Am on 11/11?

[50-65 205]

why is the siren sounded at 11Am on 11/11?

In honor of Veteran's Day. Originally named Armistice Day, November 11, was the day that the agreement ending WWI was signed. It was signed at 11am. Apparently, for many years, fire sirens and church bells were rung at 11 am on 11/11. This practice eventually went away and Veteran's Day became just another day off of school/work and another excuse for stores to have a "sale".

A few years ago, my nieces wrote to their elected officials about this. The county legislature picked it up and adopted a resolution that fire sirens in the county would sound at 11 am, on November 11th.

[50-65 205]

Back to the OP. I guess the initial reporting was somewhat premature. Todays paper had another follow up that is a little more encouraging.

http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll.../801220334/1001

[Guest]

Thanks for updating 50-65