Eastchester FD Issues

[FF402 133]

[spike2231 38]

my only question is what ever happened to the volunteers in eastchester i know they are still listed as a combination dept .

[WCFCX613 6]

When Will The Westchester 2000 Plan Be Implemented To Form A Westchester County Fire Department And Avoid Duplication Of Services, Too Many Officer Positions And Outrageous Fire Department Budgets ????

[61MACKBR1 222]

Like every City, Town and Village in the surrounding area of Eastchester, EFD has over the past 20+ years has cut apparatus. Engine 28 used to run full time out of Station 2 in Tuckahoe (Engine 28 is now a Spare Engine) and Rescue 5 used to run full time out of Station 3 in Bronxville, but has been gone for a number of years now. You had a building falling apart up at the North End, which took a very long time to repair. Tower Ladder 17 has, like the flyer said, been out of service, more than it has been in service. They (EFD) are running on a Spare Ladder (Ladder 15) which has issues of its own. And yes, Eastchester FD still runs as a "Combination Department" (Professional and Volunteer).

Should be an interesting meeting

[capt2102 64]

When Will The Westchester 2000 Plan Be Implemented To Form A Westchester County Fire Department And Avoid Duplication Of Services, Too Many Officer Positions And Outrageous Fire Department Budgets ????

I would not agree that there are "too many Officer" positions in Eastchester. There is one Captain and two Lts. working on any given shift. As far as Eastchester being a combination Dept., we have not had an effective volunteer element for over 20 years. In fact I think it's been about 8 years since volunteers were terminated from all fire response. Like many areas in lower Westchester the numbers are not there. Local 916 thinks that residents should know that just because they see a Ladder truck parked in the firehouse, it is not staffed and is out of service.

[velcroMedic1987 330]

When Will The Westchester 2000 Plan Be Implemented To Form A Westchester County Fire Department And Avoid Duplication Of Services, Too Many Officer Positions And Outrageous Fire Department Budgets ????

Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!

Implement a plan that would consolidate school districts, fire districts, and other feifdoms? Never happen!

[spike2231 38]

you say the volunteers have been taken out of the response for a few years now what is there job then in eastchester fire dept they used to be one of the biggest volunteer organizations in lower westchester along with mt vernon which also eliminated volunteers back in the 80s i think. now look they cant afford to pay people to do the job or even fix thier stations so the politicains say , do the volunteers in eastchester even have any say what goes on i do believe that the people need to get to the district meetings and see what is being done with your tax money and why they donot have better protection and equipment.

[61MACKBR1 222]

When Will The Westchester 2000 Plan Be Implemented To Form A Westchester County Fire Department And Avoid Duplication Of Services, Too Many Officer Positions And Outrageous Fire Department Budgets ????

Current New York State Law prohibits the establishment of a County Run Fire Department. However, this is not to say that eventually, if there is enough political pressure coming from the tax payers into their Assemblyman/Women, State Senator, Mayors, Adminstrators, etc,etc, that the current law prohibiting this could be over-turned and changed to allow a County Run Department. Many other areas in the country are doing this, to improve upon resources and manpower and to improve response times.(The biggest hurdle that would have to be overcome is the pressure from the Fire Officers Unions, who no doubt will not be in favor of this, While I would not foresee a reduction in firefighters, you could see a reduction in Officers, if the Westchester 2000 Plan be put into place and you have a Countywide Fire Department (which if implemented should be across the entire county and not just sections of the county).

[Bnechis 3,961]

you say the volunteers have been taken out of the response for a few years now what is there job then in eastchester fire dept they used to be one of the biggest volunteer organizations in lower westchester along with mt vernon which also eliminated volunteers back in the 80s i think. now look they cant afford to pay people to do the job or even fix thier stations so the politicains say , do the volunteers in eastchester even have any say what goes on i do believe that the people need to get to the district meetings and see what is being done with your tax money and why they donot have better protection and equipment.

Like many other volunteer fire around the region, state and nation, they are gone.

The volunteers in many combo depts. have no say because they refused to meet the most minimum of standards as set by law. I know of at least 5 depts. where the volunteers refused to have medicals and refused to meet the OSHA minimum training standards. So the depts. changed their status from volunteer to civilian.

[x635 4,066]

Isn't Eastchester already sort of a regional department? They cover one town (Eastchester) and two villages (Bronxville and Tuckahoe).

[Bnechis 3,961]

Isn't Eastchester already sort of a regional department? They cover one town (Eastchester) and two villages (Bronxville and Tuckahoe).

No. Eastchester covers 1 town. the town is 350+ years old.

The Eastchester FD was founded in 1897 (I think that's the year, if anyone has a better date, please post)

The village of Bronxville was incorporated in 1898 so they had additional say in local issues.

The village of Tuckahoe was incorporated in 1902 so they had additional say in local issues.

Since the Eastchester FD was covering the whole town of Eastchester before the two villages existed its not a regional dept, just a town one.

[kinkchaser 352]

Sad to see Eastchester having these trouble, Eastchester did what every area should be doing about 125 years ago, that is joining Bronxville, Tuckahoe and Eastchester into one regional fire department, Could you imagine a place like Bronxville with a stand alone Fire department. Now there are stand alone Police Departments in Bronxville, Tuckahoe and Eastchester each duplicating each others services and no one seems to have a problem with that concept. As far as I am aware the same holds true for DPW and other various municipal services in the three communities.

Why pick on the Fire Department, who has saved the citizens many millions of dollars over the 125 years or so since consolidation, think of the protection and services received by these three communities that they could never duplicate if they remained solo. .

[capt2102 64]

Barry... I think what he means is that we have ONE FD for all 3 municipalities. We cover just under 5 square miles, just under 40K residents; everything from 1 1/2 single family frames to old law 7 story brick to hi-rise OMD. There are 3 separate Town Halls; 3 separate Police Depts; 3 separate DPW; 3 separate Courts; and 3 separate School Districts.

[Bnechis 3,961]

Barry... I think what he means is that we have ONE FD for all 3 municipalities. We cover just under 5 square miles, just under 40K residents; everything from 1 1/2 single family frames to old law 7 story brick to hi-rise OMD. There are 3 separate Town Halls; 3 separate Police Depts; 3 separate DPW; 3 separate Courts; and 3 separate School Districts.

I understood that, but my point was that since the EFD is older than the villages, its not that the FD merged, its the villages separated and the FD remained constant. a 5 sq mile town is not a region.

[capt2102 64]

Agreed.

[LTNRFD 266]

Like many other volunteer fire around the region, state and nation, they are gone.

The volunteers in many combo depts. have no say because they refused to meet the most minimum of standards as set by law. I know of at least 5 depts. where the volunteers refused to have medicals and refused to meet the OSHA minimum training standards. So the depts. changed their status from volunteer to civilian.

I know of career firefighters that refused to take any sort of medical and did not have to because of the interpretation of how the medical standard was written. They were only required to do a pulmonary function and fit test.

[Viper 139]

According to this letter to the editor from this Bronxville resident, Eastchester FD doesn't want to comply with FOIL

Eastchester Fire District is a source of never-ending logical impossibilities. Recently, I followed up on a request to determine who had been appointed EFD's FOIL Access Officer. My recent FOIL request was ignored (denied).

http://www.myhometownbronxville.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3663:letter-to-the-editor-mary-neagle-smith-on-the-eastchester-fire-department-and-incompliance-of-foil-request&catid=79:letters-to-the-editor&Itemid=27

[Bnechis 3,961]

I know of career firefighters that refused to take any sort of medical and did not have to because of the interpretation of how the medical standard was written. They were only required to do a pulmonary function and fit test.

Can you tell me where it says they only have to do a pulmonary function test?

Nowhere in the law does the term "pulmonary function test" come up.

29CFR 1910.134 Medical evaluation. Using a respirator may place a physiological burden on employees that varies with the type of respirator worn, the job and workplace conditions in which the respirator is used, and the medical status of the employee. Accordingly, this paragraph specifies the minimum requirements for medical evaluation that employers must implement to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator.

What it goes on to say is that a medical professional must make the determination if the employee may where a respirator. The pulmonary function test maybe a component of that.

[NorthEndExpress 54]

Ladder 17 spend more time in the shops then it does on the road anyway. It had to be sent back to ALF/LTI for several months while they repaired the damage caused by sitting outside for over a year in the temporary station in which Ladder 17 did not fit into. The temporary station that they leased for 2 years for several thousand dollars a month while the floor was repaired at the North End firehouse, which itself turned into a nightmare that gyped the taxpayers. And when it's actually in service, it's only staffed by 2 guys. To top it off, the spare Ladder 15 failed it's aerial test, and is very limited on how it can be used. I feel bad for the residents of the multi story buildings on Garth Road.

[sympathomedic 383]

Hey! Don't forget a single EMS/ALS providor for the three municipalities! If some credit on gonna be given for one agency covering more than one municipality, give some to EVAC. (And Cortlandt medics, and Mamaroneck ALS district, and WEMS' 45 medics {that one is like, 8 towns and villages!}

[JM15 386]

Side note: I believe last time I checked that the IAFF's stance on the pulmonary function test is that it should not be used to determine if a worker is healthy for work but just an added result to monitor long term.. OSHA standards do not specify that a spirometer test be done but that it can be used as a tool....

http://www.iaff.org/hs/Resi/pulmonary%20function%20tests.htm

[Bottom of Da Hill 76]

Current New York State Law prohibits the establishment of a County Run Fire Department. However, this is not to say that eventually, if there is enough political pressure coming from the tax payers into their Assemblyman/Women, State Senator, Mayors, Adminstrators, etc,etc, that the current law prohibiting this could be over-turned and changed to allow a County Run Department. Many other areas in the country are doing this, to improve upon resources and manpower and to improve response times.(The biggest hurdle that would have to be overcome is the pressure from the Fire Officers Unions, who no doubt will not be in favor of this, While I would not foresee a reduction in firefighters, you could see a reduction in Officers, if the Westchester 2000 Plan be put into place and you have a Countywide Fire Department (which if implemented should be across the entire county and not just sections of the county).

the way its going now the county police will be doing it all,

[Bottom of Da Hill 76]

When Will The Westchester 2000 Plan Be Implemented To Form A Westchester County Fire Department And Avoid Duplication Of Services, Too Many Officer Positions And Outrageous Fire Department Budgets ????

duplication of services is being done rite now with the fire service and county PD SOD team.what a waste of tax payers money.what about the PD budgets?

[Bnechis 3,961]

duplication of services is being done rite now with the fire service and county PD SOD team.what a waste of tax payers money.what about the PD budgets?

Is it really a duplication or smoke & mirrors? Thursdays Trench rescue in Rye had 2 WCPD SOD responders with no equipment freelancing while NRFD & WPFD had about 20 and the county TRT another doz or so.

[LTNRFD 266]

I never said that the pulmonary function was required. I said that they refused to do anything but that (Pulmonary function and fit test). It was agreed upon by all the labor lawyers on "their" interpretation of the standard. The Career firefighters involved refused other components that seemed to be the standard when I was on the job (EKG, blood work, X-ray, pulmonary function, med Hx, etc).

Can you tell me where it says they only have to do a pulmonary function test?

Nowhere in the law does the term "pulmonary function test" come up.

29CFR 1910.134 Medical evaluation. Using a respirator may place a physiological burden on employees that varies with the type of respirator worn, the job and workplace conditions in which the respirator is used, and the medical status of the employee. Accordingly, this paragraph specifies the minimum requirements for medical evaluation that employers must implement to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator.

What it goes on to say is that a medical professional must make the determination if the employee may where a respirator. The pulmonary function test maybe a component of that.

[TimesUp 148]

Which mutual aid truck is closest to the north end fire house. L-13 or Scarsdale's truck? Eastchester has always been there when their neighbors have needed help its time to reciprocate. Most important though is the members stay safe.

[Bnechis 3,961]

I never said that the pulmonary function was required. I said that they refused to do anything but that (Pulmonary function and fit test). It was agreed upon by all the labor lawyers on "their" interpretation of the standard. The Career firefighters involved refused other components that seemed to be the standard when I was on the job (EKG, blood work, X-ray, pulmonary function, med Hx, etc).

The labor lawyers can interpret it how ever they want to, since the only interpretation that really counts is DOL's administrative law judge.

Having this "agreement" on the books only serves to protect the fire dept. and will make it impossible for the firefighters to claim disability in the future or for their next of kin to ever file suit.

[Bnechis 3,961]

Which mutual aid truck is closest to the north end fire house. L-13 or Scarsdale's truck? Eastchester has always been there when their neighbors have needed help its time to reciprocate. Most important though is the members stay safe.

L-13 is not a mutual aid truck, L-12 is.

We do reciprocate, (actually we go there much more than they come to us). but this is not about the neighbors needing help this is about a district that has decided to cut back on services to its community. The taxpayers of adjacent communities should not have to cover the cost. Particularly since the fiscal management of the district has been very questionable in its dealings with the North End Station and this ladder.

[TimesUp 148]

Couldn't L-13 Become the mutual aid truck? It's just a change on paper isn't it? NRFD has always been a good neighbor to EFD. Theres no doubt about that. E24 and E22 go on mutual aid based on location. Couldn't the same thing be done with the trucks too?

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Edited August 2, 2014 by ltrob

[Bottom of Da Hill 76]

Is it really a duplication or smoke & mirrors? Thursdays Trench rescue in Rye had 2 WCPD SOD responders with no equipment freelancing while NRFD & WPFD had about 20 and the county TRT another doz or so.

im with you brother new NRFD and WPFD had it under control 100%.the freelancing has to stop!