The Old Basketball Hoop

[x635 4,066]

Being in Westchester for the first time in a long time last week, I was able to make some comparisons to where I live now.

One simple comparison, it seems like many stations down here have basketball hoops, and many stations I saw didn't. I know we had one when I worked in Hartsdale behind Station 2, but I don't know if it's still there. We never used it.

Basketball is a great way to get some PT in, especially on a 24 hour shift. The PT is not the only benefit....I believe it breeds a healthy competitive spirit and builds camraderie. One simple hoop.

As for the image of firefighters playing basketball while on duty, they are making productive use of their time.

[calhobs 110]

Basketball is a great PT, but infront of the public it is not a good idea. Its bad enough they complain about civil servents salaries, to see firefighters, police officers or EMS playing basketball during a shift will not go over to well. Can you picture the news report on that one.

[FFD941 20]

I'll be the first to admit that we have a hoop at our station and I have a ball in my locker. Honestly, I could care less how it looks in the publics eyes. I don't walk into your place of employment no matter what that may be and tell you how to spend your lunch break or down time so don't do it to me.

[16fire5 693]

Heart attacks and strokes are the leading cause of firefighter deaths. Getting some cardio is good.

[x635 4,066]

The hoop is in the back of most stations, I notice. Firefighters have a reputation for being physically fit. Some people could argue they should excercise on their own time, but when you're working a 24, you don't have anything but PT time to excercise.

And I'm sorry, but I feel fitness machines in a workout room can only do so much.

[markmets415 524]

We had a hoop out behind the station and it was on the edge of the blacktop/grass area. Several years ago as a result of plowing snow over the winter an area of grass/dirt was torn away from the blacktop. One spring day one of our members was out playing with his son and came down on the lip of the blacktop, rolled his ankle and completely shattered his ankle. I took him down to Westchester Medical Center a week later and the trauma surgeon said it was the worst injury to an ankle he had seen in 20 years of sport injuries. They did what they could do but he never worked again as a result of the injury and still to this day suffers daily with the injury. Needless to say the hoop is no longer there, sad to say, we played alot of games of ______H-E-A-D over the years.

[foreman1923 22]

We also had a basketball hoop in our parking lot of mfvfd station 1 but due to lack of respect from local kids we took a partner saw to it and cut it down

[sfrd18 360]

There was once a basketball hoop in back of our station I think. I don't see them around too much anymore, or if they are around, they usually aren't being used, or haven't been used in a while.

Edited August 3, 2011 by sfrd18