Duty Chief's Cars

[stephen morea 1]

I notice that their is a big push or craze for duty chiefs cars in orange county, where i live . i see that a number of departments have kept the old chiefs car and i think the OIC gets it for a number of days or hours and hands it to the next OIC. i want to know if their are any departments down around westchesters region that does this because i see that somers has a ''2444'' and want to know if this is a duty chiefs car or an officers personal car. I hope that this is an interesting topic and any info would be greatly apprieciated, thanx.

[cas2383 22]

In PC, i am pretty sure we have 2391-3 all cheifs, 2394 is the incoming cheif in an election year and 2395 usually is a deputy (past) cheif covering if other cheifs are out of town.

[stephen morea 1]

so are they actual cars, or just positions as certain officers in the fire department?

[hudson144 150]

TOO MANY CHIEFS AND NO INDIANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TRUCK6018 50]

I notice that their is a big push or craze for duty chiefs cars in orange county, where i live  . i see that a number of departments have kept the old chiefs car and i think the OIC gets it for a number of days or hours and hands it to the next OIC. i want to know if their are any departments down around westchesters region that does this because i see that somers has a ''2444'' and want to know if this is a duty chiefs car or an officers personal car. I hope that this is an interesting topic and any info would be greatly apprieciated, thanx.

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In Somers case "2444" is not a chief's vehicle. It's a radio designation for senior captain.

In most of the Northern Westchester County Departments Car 2xx1 is chief. 2xx2 and 2xx3 are assistants and if the captains have issued radios, they will use 2xx4, 2xx5, etc. In Mohegan, the lieutenants are given radio designators too (2265-2267).

One exception to the rule is Mount Kisco where there are a total of 4 chief officers. They utilize 2281-2284.

[danb 10]

Steve, I havent been hearing really much about the duty officer vehicles in Orange county except in i think 1 department. The reason Monroe 4/5 alternate with their "car 3" is because their car 3 had surgury a month or so ago and cant respond.

I think some Depts up here should worry about getting usefull things ( i.e. tools, apparatus maintinance, more than 1 chiefs vehicle)....I know quiet often you hear the same rig out of serivce for quiet a while for a stupid reason....there are also quiet a few departments that only have 1 chiefs car ( harriman is one of the few left and we just got a new one earlyer this year )

just my 2 cents

[stephen morea 1]

i do know that goshen has one coldenham has one also harriman has that ford pick-up. i'm sure that their are others but i don't know of them at this time

[GoshenFD 0]

Goshen does have a duty chief vehicle which is rotated through the 3 of the 4 duty chiefs in the department. Goshen DC-3 is also Orange Car 19 and responds in his own vehicle.

The current Goshen DC car is the former Car 3, a 1999 Tahoe which was replaced when a new Car 1, a 2005 Tahoe was put in service. The Duty Chief car also acts as a utility and can be used to pull the ATV trailer housed at station 2.

The presence of so many command vehicles can be seen as excessive but the DC car comes in handy since during the day the duty chiefs are usually in command as the current Cars 1,2, and 3 work during daylight hours. Those are the limitations of a volunteer department.

Edited October 26, 2005 by GoshenFD

[cas2383 22]

In PC they 2391-3 are actual cars; chevy tahoes, others are designations.

[RadnorCo15 0]

Here's a novel idea from suburban Philly...

We have 4 chiefs in our dept., but only chief vehicle. The highest ranking chief on duty gets the car, while the other chiefs respond to the firehouse and ride the rigs unless the call is in close vicinity to their location and would respond direct to the scene. As a former Westchester volly, I think this system works very well. In my NY company, you had up to 3 chiefs responding to the scene and in most cases would mitigate a situation before the apparatus even hit the street. With that said 1) how are your "Indians" going to learn anything and be able to handle a situation when the Chiefs are no where to be found if they don't have the expereince? 2) Although I wouldn't argue against that time is of the essence in a life threatening emergency, doesn't a truck full of guys & equipment under the direction of a chief, captain or Lt. make a lot more sense than one or two chiefs at any scene? 3) Trucks that never hit the street certainly isn't boosting moral for an already dwindling population of volunteers.

[JohnnyOV 2]

Here's a novel idea from suburban Philly... 

We have 4 chiefs in our dept., but only chief vehicle.  The highest ranking chief on duty gets the car, while the other chiefs respond to the firehouse and ride the rigs unless the call is in close vicinity to their location and would respond direct to the scene.  As a former Westchester volly, I think this system works very well.  In my NY company, you had up to 3 chiefs responding to the scene and in most cases would mitigate a situation before the apparatus even hit the street.  With that said 1) how are your "Indians" going to learn anything and be able to handle a situation when the Chiefs are no where to be found if they don't have the expereince? 2) Although I wouldn't argue against that time is of the essence in a life threatening emergency, doesn't a truck full of guys & equipment under the direction of a chief, captain or Lt. make a lot more sense than one or two chiefs at any scene?  3) Trucks that never hit the street certainly isn't boosting moral for an already dwindling population of volunteers.

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This might sound bad on my dept part, and I dont want to start a "if you dont have the man power go paid" feud, but there has been one or two times that I have handled a minor call on my own. No apparatus hit the street, and no chiefs were at the scene. It was just me and one other firefighter and we did fine. Got on the phone with 60-Control and let them know what the deal was. I think if it came down to it with a major incident, the exact same would have happened and the appropriate steps would be taken to get the required manpower out to the scene.

[Guest]

Just one more car to block the front of the building. Some towns in NJ have the 2nd and 3rd chief ride with the company on the rig and not in a chiefs wagon.

[TRUCK6018 50]

Just one more car to block the front of the building. Some towns in NJ have the 2nd and 3rd chief ride with the company on the rig and not in a chiefs wagon.

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If the chief is blocking the front the building with his car, he shouldn't be chief!

[RZ502 12]

If the chief is blocking the front the building with his car, he shouldn't be chief!

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Yea around my neck of the woods thats the cops job!! That and blocking the hydrants.

[HFD750 6]

Harrison has 2161,2162,2163 are the chiefs. Then the Captain gets a car which is 2164. It works out pretty well.

[nwpfdjr27 39]

in North White Plains, the chief gets 2321 and the asst. gets 2322. Other officers such as capt. and Lts ride on the rig. Besides, our firehouse is small enough, thats all we need is 5 different cars taking up the parking lot.

[stephen morea 1]

what kind of fire trucks do you guys got at the big ''N.W.P.''?

[Remember585 815]

what kind of fire trucks do you guys got at the big ''N.W.P.''?

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Please stick to the subject at hand......thanks.

[IzzyEng4 427]

My departmetn has one chiefs truck for the chief of department. The four assistants run their own vehicles and are equiped with lights, sirens and radios by the department. They usually run thier own vehicles to the scenes and wait for apparatus to be in position prior to them placeing the vehicle near the scene for the command post (including the chief's truck) The chiefs are permitted to ride the trucks in town or drive them if there is another chief is responding or if a driver is needed. I has worked great for us. I think we would have a duty "truck" but due to fiscal constraints we cannot afford one at this time.

[ONLOCATION 24]

This yet agian depends on how your department is structured. 3 Chiefs and a Captain and multiple Lt's. somebody should be around. Mohegan has 3 chiefs w/trucks provided by the district and 1 Capt. and 3 Lt's. that use personal Vehicles and or roll-out on the Rig if in the station at the time of the alarm, and I don't think they have problems with not having a Duty Officers Vehicle. Alot of departments in the County that I know of keep Old Chiefs Vehicle's and designate them as Utility's like Mohegan, and Yorktown, Or just keep them as spare's. If there is a time when either 3 chief's will not be able to respond I don't see the reason for another duty Deputy chief or Officer to recieve either one of the Chiefs Trucks or the Utility or Spare Car. To actually have a Duty Officers Vehicle is just another headace to some. Also Chappaqua does something similar they have a Deputy Chiefs Vehicle which is Operated by whichever Deputy is appointed for the 2 year term. Pleasentville used to do this aswell I believe but it was the Outgoing Chief of Department who youst to get the car and the Title.

[VistaFD126 0]

our department has 1 chiefs car like mohegan all of our offcers have assigned Car numbers Chiefs: 2561-2563, Captains: 2564-2565, and Lieutenants: 2566-2569, unfortunatley our commishoners do not want to put another vehicle under the insurance policy so we only have 1 chiefs car

[x648eng119 2]

In Croton, the chiefs,2081-83 are each issued cars, and 84-20811 are deputy chiefs that use their personal vehicles and are authorized red lights and sirens. The deputies are their to act in a chiefs absence. The only problem sometimes, is many of the deputies were chiefs many moons ago, and may not be as up to speed on some of the training as everyone else. As someone else said earlier - too many chiefs, not enough indians.

[201/65 94]

Here in Walden, OC, we have 1 chief, car-1, and 3 Assts. cars 2-4. We only operate 1 district owned chiefs vehicle, car-1 gets it unless hes not available, where he can pass it on to car-2, 3, or 4 who all run private vehicles w/ lights n sirens.

Also i kno Coldenham has 4 chiefs vehicles, cars 1-3, and DC-1. DC-1 is also OC-12 and uses the vehicle for all his deputy coordinator duties as well. Their Saftey-1's official name is Asst. Chief of Saftey and also has red lights and sirens on his vehicle. He's gunna most likely end up with a district vehicle next time they buy one.

[stephen morea 1]

i thought vista had two chiefs cars, the tahoe, car 1 and the blazer, car 2.