Technical Rescue Teams?

[mllax14 18]

I was just curious to see whether or not Westchester County has a Technical Rescue Team? I know that some PD’s and FD’s have ESU or special Squad companies that can perform these duties, but for as far as I know most of these departments are in the southern part of the county, I don’t know of any in the northern half. During the incident on the Tappan Zee Bridge I heard that Rockland County’s Technical Rescue Team was called to respond which got me thinking. Does anybody have any info on this? Or Technical Rescue at all for that matter? :-k

[ja3kfd 34]

There has been a Westchester Tech Rescue Team, Training every month for 3 or more years,they do not have funding and are not recognized by the County as of yet if you want info PM me and I can get you more

[Tanker 10eng 140]

or just as Howie or Carmine... maybe one day they, the county, will let us drill again.... and finally get up and running

[mfc2257 464]

Isn't it funny, that in one of the wealthiest counties in the USA with all the centers of influence that reside within the county, that there is no county sponsored technical rescue team.... Unbelievable... We've provided more govenment funded park projects, concerts, underwater basket weaving classes, etc yet there is now technical rescue team in a county that has water on both sides, several major interstates, two huge bridges, mountainous terrain, three major railway lines (not including freight) a nuclear power plant (which is safer than a con-ed sub station I might add) several chemical producing companies, an airport, resavior system, major high tension powerline right of ways coming to NYC from Canada... Need I go on.

There is definately a need for a technical rescue team.

[Guest]

There is one reason why there isn't a Westchester County Technical Rescue team. POLITICS [-X

Many questions arise when someone speaks about Tech Teams.

Training, Manpower,Money, Etc.. Where does it belong, who is in charge? Etc.. :roll:

[LCFD994 8]

Westchester already has a:

Cause and Origin Team

Hazmat Team

Why cant they do something along those lines for a Technical Rescue Team.. Seems like a simple solution.

[Guest JQP442]

I beleave that Greenburg PD has a tech rescue team. Not sure if you can call them for mutual aide or not, and to what level they are trained but they are out there. Always thaught it kinda strange that a PD has a team, but no county team.

[Tanker 10eng 140]

we have no one to blame but our county legislatures for not approving then tech team we have tried to get started... there were close to 200 people ( ff, pd, EMS and other valuable resources) coming to the meetings and drills, willing to get this up.... but without the needed legal matters and funding, our county will go with out...

[JReed 0]

YFD has a tech rescue team

[Guest]

What do you guys call the team put together involving NRFD,MVFD,YFD,EFD,GFD,WPFD...With funding and equipment. Hazmat training recently completed, confined space in the process, trench and high angle already incorporated.

Someone mentioned the hazmat team, I don't know if its still the case but I know from previous first hand experience that the response time on that unit was measured in hours. This could not be the case for a tech team if it ever hoped to be relied on.

[JReed 0]

The "Westchester Special Operations Task Force"

[bmfd231 3]

The Tech Rescue team that has been training for 3 years have not gotten approval solely due to politics. Everytime they go before the county legislature, Pagano stands up and says no, and they say ok! The only way we are going to get a Tech Rescue Team is after the next disaster, then the board can ignore the union and give the people of this county what they should have been given 2 years ago.

The only way that the County Board of Legislature will ever take the volunteer service seriously is when we have become a unified organization that they fear more than the unions

It is really unfortunate that we cannot work together.

[ajsbear 11]

The Tech Rescue team that has been training for 3 years have not gotten approval solely due to politics.  Everytime they go before the county legislature, Pagano stands up and says no, and they say ok!  The only way we are going to get a Tech Rescue Team is after the next disaster, then the board can ignore the union and give the people of this county what they should have been given 2 years ago.  

The only way that the County Board of Legislature will ever take the volunteer service seriously is when we have become a unified organization that they fear more than the unions

It is really unfortunate that we cannot work together.

I agree with bmfd231. Unless the Vol. service in Westchester bands together and approches the County Legislature as one voice they won't listen to us. As a block we make up a greater number fo voters than Pagano has. Many of our members are members of the Teamsters, craft unions etc. Put it all together and its a much greater block of voters. Thats how the elected officials need to see it.

[x635 4,066]

My issue with technical rescue teams is equipment and response time.

A volunteer unit is great,better than nothing, but how well equipped and how fast can these units respond? In addition, how fast can the equipment be mobilized to a scene, anywhere in the county. The same goes for the career departments, but not really a problem.....many who have the capabilties have the manpower on duty already, with equipment, trailers, or trucks ready to go within minutes, such as the Yonkers Collapse Unit.

Technical rescue in my experience is not a game nor is it a hobby.....it is a critical, last resort option where somebody's live hangs in the balance, and time from the scene to the trauma center needs to be as short as possible. TR is also an extremly complicated, ever changing discipline that requires numerous hours of intense, focused training. Unlike Hazmat and Cause and Origin, every Tech Rescue incident has a human being directly involved and affected!

If I am a Medic with somebody entrapped in a trench or other situation (and I've been there before), and the patient needed to be out 5 minutes ago, I don't want to be waiting for a team to be paged out,who is going to respond, and have to assemble, and worry about who's going to get the truck, etc etc. I want to know that truck is on the way ASAP.

Maybe if people put some egos aside, something better could be intiated.Maybe having a dedicated, 24/7 staffed technical rescue and hazmat unit or company that responds from a central location, and then have a volunteer auxillary.

Sometimes people in this business forget, ITS NOT ABOUT YOU!!!!!!! It's about the people we serve! Sometimes comprimise is a word many fail to understand. Aren't you and your families living in this county?

And about the union comments. First off, sometimes we may not like to accept it, but maybe what the unions are doing is what they are supposed to do.....looking out for their members, and looking out for the public. As hard as it is to tolerate for some, and despite how harsh it is at times, why are some people so threatened by the union? Yeah, there is a lot of BS politics, yeah they may be a little harsh and unfriendly at times, but they seem to be able to get things done. And BTW, Pagano isn't doing this , there are many, many other people involved in developing the career technical rescue services teams. Why do people view them as the enemy, instead of as partners and allys??? Has anybody tried to bring themselves to the same level as them, IC, cert or otherwise? Has anybody considered their viewpoints, or has anybody tried to legitametly counteract or debate their options..or put together a better option??...AND THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO PAYCHECK VS VOLUNTEER....the preceeding comment applies to how effeiciently and quickly our services our delivered! Hasn't anyone considered we may need career FF's in this county more and more in the future due to the economy and changing going on in the WC, why can't we find a way for positive relations now?? Don't just oppose something without knowing the facts or because of past bad blood...theres no time or place for that in this job!!! Support whatever will be best for your people and your customers, because this isn't about you or what you will do with your time, end of story!!

The main hurdle in the TR team is egos.....many of the younger guys like myself and those who I know really don't care about who does what, we just want to get the job done as best as possible, however it may be. It seems to me like many of our "elders" refuse to put aside their differences or comprimise to get things done., or refuse to let go of the past. To some of the elders...grow up! It sickens me to go to countys comprable to Westchester and see all the progressive things that goes on, and we have NOTHING in the WC to even compare too, and it all comes down to egos and petty, BS politics......again, why are we in this business? For us, or for the people we serve?

Rant off.

[ajsbear 11]

As for x635's comments, ego's aside, since Westchester is so large, regional TR teams, with both career and vol. members. The thing about career, they work their shift anf go home. the vol's ar enot available 24x7. There are many dept's that have members young and old with huge egos. It won't be in your lifetime that this county goes even to 50% career. The money is just not there. We need to all get along you're right about that. There is nothing wrong with regional TR teams with egos aside run by a chief in each area.

[x635 4,066]

As for x635's comments, ego's aside, since  Westchester is so large, regional TR teams, with both career and vol. members. The thing about career, they work their shift anf go home. the vol's ar enot available 24x7. There are many dept's that have members young and old with huge egos. It won't be in your lifetime that this county goes even to 50% career. The money is just not there. We need to all get along you're right about that. There is nothing wrong with regional TR teams with egos aside run by a chief in each area.

I disagree.

Career departments are there 24/7, when one shift goes off another comes on. As far as volunteers, they are supposed to be available 24/7 most of the time, but how many will you get, what training level, etc. Then there is the equipment issue.

A large percentage of the young volunteers aspire to be career, or at least that is my impression. If more career spots open up, then why would young people be opposed to career? But that's a whole seperate issue...my point is the younger guys tend to support the better option when not influnced by the decade old thoughts of their elders.

As far as 50% career goes, I betcha it will happen within the next 20 years. Though there are still several more remote areas in Westchester that may never see a career deparment , there are some that are heading in that direction. And when FD's can't get out the door, municpalities will have no choice but to pay FF's, and taxes will rise even more. The money is there now. Westchester can pay for all these luxuries, they sure as heck can pay for FF's!! I remember a time when municiplaities didn't want to pay for medics...in fact, they still don't want too!!! How many volly FF's has Westchester lost already because nobody can afford or wants to live around here anymore?? How many FD's are generational? That trend will continue into the future. But that's not the issue I am trying to bring to light....I'm trying to point out RESPONSE TIMES ARE CRITICAL!!! Ego's, tradition, and the term volunteer or career should not come into play, especially with something as essential as tech rescue.

The question should be, how can we get the best trained people with the best and most equipment there the fastest way possible? It is a large county, there should be a north and south TR region, but how to we assure the above for both??? And again, do you really want to wait for a tech rescue or hazmat team to "assemble", or do you want them right away???

AND I'D LIKE TO ADD ONE MORE THING:

If people continue putting band-aids and temporary fixes/distractions on things, then nothing is ever going to get resolved properly. If you have a problem, admit it so you can get help. It's nothing to be embarrased or ashamed of, especially when you are being proactive and not reactive.

[ajsbear 11]

x635, I agree with a lot of what you say. As for career being there 24x7, yes but the knowledge and professionalism changes with shift. I've seen several Career FF's whose attitude changes after a few years and then it's just a job. Also as far as becoming more career than Vol. I'm originally from Mt Vernon. FDMV went from a comb dept. to all career. The difference? Same number for carrer members today as in 1975. Just did away with the Vol's. There are several departments with both in the county. Will they go the same route?

[Guest]

X635 =D> =D> =D>

You are 100% correct on your take on this Technical Rescue Team- There are Many issue's regarding this type of team.

# 1 Training, A member needs 100's and 100's of hours of training, someone can not expect to be on top of his/her game training once a week or a few hrs at night. This takes a big committment from each member.

For some people to blame Pagano or the Unions have no idea what they are talking about [-X [-X

This type of team needs to be taken out of all the BS politics, leave it to the Experts- what the hell does the County Board of Legislatives know about Tech Teams. ](*,)

[Truck4 48]

All-Volunteer Technical Rescue Team

http://www.rocklandcofire.org/fire/tech_tms.htm

[firebuff860 54]

X635  =D>  =D>  =D>  [-X  

You are 100% correct on your take on this Technical Rescue Team- There are Many issue's regarding this type of team.

# 1  Training,  A member needs 100's and 100's of hours of training, someone can not expect to be on top of his/her game training once a week or a few hrs at night. This takes a big committment from each member.

For some people to blame Pagano or the Unions have no idea what they are talking about [-X  [-X  

This type of team needs to be taken out of all the BS politics, leave it to the Experts- what the hell does the County Board of Legislatives know about Tech Teams. ](*,)

Let's say that the sound shore TRT trains for their job that has been funded through County and Federal taxes ( everyone pays and NR gets a new rig out of it- not a bad deal) When are the FDNR boys training to do their #1 job which is to protect the residents of the Queen City of the Sound? Who is paying for the 100's and 100's of hours of training?? In my department (combo) I have not seen a career member do hands on training in years. Any time a chief asks/orders them to he gets a grievance. I would suggest that instead of worrying about TRT and HAZMAT that departments start training on what they can handle, FIRES, mostly with the help of M/A. Regardless of the TRT or HM call, other than Yonkers you will be calling for help. It is almost laughable that departments in this County argue over TRT's and HAZMAT teams when the majority of them can not put out a room and contents fire without mutula aid.

Can we please get back to BASICS.

[Guest WolfEMT]

We're getting a little off topic, here, especially with the comments about who can and cannot put out a room and contents fire without calling for mutual aid.