Rochester Firefighters

Mutual Aid???

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:47:00 +0000

This story ran on the R-News web site this morning about the fire yesterday on North Clinton Ave.

A number of suburban fire departments were called in to help fight the Family Dollar fire Monday as part of a countywide mutual aid plan. Some say it is also a sign the Rochester Fire Department is spread too thin.

It's something you don’t see a lot – firefighters from Webster and other suburbs lending a hand to the Rochester Fire Department.

"Right now we have four or five suburban fire departments helping out for what is essentially a strip mall fire," said Rochester Firefighters Local 1071 President Jim McTiernan.

To read the rest of the story and watch the video click here.

Johnson City to go Volunteer

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:07:00 +0000

This was a suggested topic:

First Canandaigua now Johnson City, who is next? Can this really work?

Canandaigua to cut the FD

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:33:00 +0000

Canandaigua, N.Y. —

The Canandaigua City Fire Department would need to cut its force by more than half under a proposed budget presented to the department today. City Manager Kay James told the force of 14 career firefighters at a meeting it would need to trim eight positions to help the city deal with a budget deficit in 2010.

“We are facing a $1.7 million hole in the budget,” James said this afternoon. Without cutting the eight firefighter positions, as well as an equivalent of seven other city positions in various departments, the city would have to increase taxes by 40 percent, she said.

To read the rest of the story by the Messenger Post Click here.

RFD New Engines

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:14:00 +0000

This is a suggested topic:---------------------------

There has been some questions/comments about the new RFD engines.

Some of the questions are:

- How is it working off the front bumper with the handlines?
- How is it working off the side pump panel?
- How is it working with no front end connection?

The photo above is the first one I have seen of a new engine at a fire.

Some rules:

Do not bash the committee/Chief about the trucks. Keep it civilized and constructive.

If you do not see your post after 24 hrs, it means it was not allowed.

Rochester to Study EMS Services

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:11:00 +0000

Updated 10/22/09 - To view the City of Rochester RFP for the Analysis of EMS Services Provisions please click here.

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Updated 10/19/09 -

Today, the Democrat and Chronicle published an article about how Rochester is going to study its EMS Services. This is the same topic we reported about on October 14th when R-News ran their story.

Some highlights of the article are:

- How they talk about the Firefighters lawsuit about opening fire hydrants and that not being “inherent in the duties of firefighters” and is EMS an essential or non essential part of the fire service.

- Chief Caufield stated “the Fire Department did not request the study.”

- An option of putting paramedics on fire trucks

- The Ambulance contract is set to expire next year.

- A recent report to City Council stated Rural Metro is meeting contract demands.

You can read the full story here,
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The study will look at four options: keeping the status quo, training firefighters to provide more advanced life support, having Rural/Metro provide all medical services, or having the fire department do the same.

"Many of the largest communities in the country, the fire department provides not only first response, EMS in the fire trucks, but they also run the ambulances," says Caufield.

Full Story with video.

Fire District Consolidation

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:46:00 +0000

This was a suggested topic:
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With recent changes to law, voters can request district consolidations (http://www.oag.state.ny.us/bureaus/legislative/government_consolidation/about.html)

Do you think the time has come to get the signatures to hold a town wide vote on the consolidation of the four Greece Fire Depts into one?

Would the Firefighters paid and volunteer support this?

Buffalo Fire Spare Trucks

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:21:00 +0000

They’re red, they have ladders and can carry up to four firefighters, but they sure don’t look anything like fire trucks.

That’s because they’re not.

They’re pickup trucks filling gaps in the Buffalo Fire Department’s aging fleet of vehicles when standard trucks are out of commission.

Read the rest of the story here.

St Patrick's Day Parade

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:08:00 +0000

There will be new rules to follow for the next St Patrick’s Day Parade. Parade officials are going to crack down on the fun factor for the next parade. There will be no drinking, no throwing beads or passing out candy. You will not be allowed to sell any items along the parade like green carnations. You can read the full story here.

Fire District Consolidation Bill

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 31 May 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Volunteer firefighters are barraging lawmakers with complaints about a bill from state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to streamline consolidation of fire districts and other local governments.

Firefighters want fire districts excluded from the measure, which eases the process for petitioning for referendums to abolish governments. Cuomo has said the bill would lower property taxes.

Firefighters Thursday questioned how much would be saved from districts run by volunteers. They also said consolidation could undermine service because volunteers may not want to protect communities outside their own.

Read the rest of the story here

Batavia wants to move to a volunteer FD

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:53:00 +0000

Forget trying to save a few thousand dollars at the fire department, Charlie Mallow says.

He’d rather save millions by shifting the department from all paid to primarily volunteer personnel. The City Council president suggested that during council’s meeting Tuesday evening at City Hall. Although there was no official vote, council agreed to pursue it and no council member argued against the idea.

Read the rest of the story here.

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Watch the comments please....

No Link between Firefighting and Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:32:00 +0000

No Link between Firefighting and Cancer - A study released today titled Assessing State Firefighter Cancer Presumption Laws And Current Firefighter Cancer Research, found there is inadequate scientific research to determine a link between working as a firefighter and an elevated risk of contracting cancer. In the report, researchers from TriData Corporation independently concluded there is a lack of substantive scientific evidence currently available to determine that firefighters face risks greater than the general population. Read the Story here.

Ohio Fire Dept.

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:31:00 +0000

Ohio FD Will be an Exterior Fire Department Due to Lay offs -"We'll cease being an aggressive, interior attack fire department and go to an exterior fire department to protect exposure, so the next house doesn't burn," Harsch said. "It won't be safe for the firefighters to go in the house. "We will not risk personnel for property. I would recommend citizens have a few working smoke detectors if they don't already." Read the Full Story here.

Seatbelt Use

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:44:00 +0000

Off Topic - Time Warnet to Charge for Internet Usage

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:14:00 +0000

I am sure everybody has heard of this by now but in case you have not here it is.

Full Story on the D and C

The company will provide usage data on its customers' bills and on its Web site. Customers can choose from the following five plans: 5 gigabytes for $29.99, 10 gigabytes for $39.99, 20 gigabytes for $49.99, 40 gigabytes for $54.90 or 100 gigabytes for a price yet to be determined. Dudley said all prices are estimates.

Firefighters Charged WIth Arson

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:49:00 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) -- A volunteer firefighter was charged Saturday with setting a fire that ripped through a crowded apartment house, killing a woman and three of her children. Full Story.

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COATESVILLE, Pa. - March 23, 2009 (WPVI) -- The Chester County Arson Task Force announced late Monday that a firefighter of the Coatesville Fire Department has been arrested in the arson spree plaguing Coatesville and surrounding communities.

Police say they've arrested Robert Tracey, 37, of the 600 block of Charles Street in Coatesville.
Tracey is a firefighter for the Coatesville Fire Department.

The criminal complaint lists nine charges against Tracey in relation to the two arsons of March 20, 2009 at 669 Madison Street, Coatesville, Pa., and 107 Hope Street, Coatesville, Pa. Full Story with video.

Manpower Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:41:00 +0000

This was a suggested topic:
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How about a way to show crew status for County Depts. What I am talking about is say your Depts is having a day drill and would have a full crew at the firehouse. If Fire Dept X gets a call for a fire, why not send fire dept Z along if it has a crew in quarters instead of Dept Y who is on the run card but does not have anybody at the station. Couldn't you use the ETIN, an internet based way or just call the Fire Dispatcher and say from 9 am till 12 pm we will have a crew available? Some of the Combination Depts might have a full crew available during the day but never get called. This could be used for drills at night or if some guys just wanted to bunk in for an overnight shift. You might skip over a dept, but if you know you have 4 or 5 guys on the road at dispatch wouldn't that be good?

Another idea would be to have a East and West side squad/rescue company that could respond to serious calls 24/7. Would be staffed with paid and volunteer guys. If all the towns threw in some money couldn't they make it work?

Photos at Emergency Incidents

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:18:00 +0000

Here is a story out of Oaklahoma City where firefighters who took photos of a victim had those photos posted on the internet.

I know there are several Fire Departments in Monroe County who will not let members take photos at incidents and have even tried to stop non firefighters and the meida from taking photos and or video.

Batavia Doing away with its Ambulance

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:52:00 +0000

This was a suggested topic:
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This if from todays R-News web site.

Read the whole story here.

I like the last line of the story best:

"Council members believe future ambulance services in Batavia and Genesee county will be taken over by a private operator."

What if there is no private operator? Then what?

Parade Question

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:50:00 +0000

This was a question I was asked. If somebody knows the answers please respond.

Serious replys only!!

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what exactly is required, allowed, not allowed, and or "forbidden", during the "Passing in Review" at the reviewing/judging stand.

CDL Required to drive a fire truck

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:16:00 +0000

January 30, 2009

In 2005 large sections of law were amended as part of a statewide bond act that had passed in New York State. State officials believed, at that time, that the then full exemption of CDL requirement for the fire service would make New York State non-compliant with federal highway safety standards, and therefore ineligible for millions of dollars in highway funds. Two of the laws changed, therefore, were sections 501 (2)(d)(i) and 501-a (4)(b)(iii) of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. To our knowledge this change went unnoticed by all state fire service organizations.

In the Fall of 2008, at the request of local fire departments the Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services contacted the New York State Department of Motor Vehicle to ask what impact the 2005 law had on CDL requirements for the fire service. The response from DMV to the Commissioner makes it clear; “During non-emergency operation however, the police or fire vehicle will be considered to be a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) if it falls within one or more of the definitions of CMV found in section 501-a(4)(a) and a CDL would be required to operate the vehicle.” Most engines, heavy rescue, and aerial apparatus would qualify as a CMV. Therefore, as of the passage of the law in 2005 CDL’s have been required for any fire apparatus that would meet the requirement of a CMV for parades, drills, building inspections, public education events, returning from calls or any other purpose except driving to an emergency. The problems this creates are too numerous to mention.

The Association of Fire Districts, FASNY and NYSAFC have been working together on this issue. Through the efforts of Senator Charles Schumer’s office and the International Association of Fire Chiefs we have been able to provide clarification from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicle that our previous full CDL exemption will NOT endanger any federal highway funding. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicle has since indicated that they are very interested and willing to assist in changing the law. In fact, there are provisions in Governor Paterson’s budget to change the law, but they would not provide the full CDL exemption, nor do we believe that resolution of this issue can await the passage of the budget.

NYSAFC has been in discussion on this issue with Senator Brian Foley and Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, both of Suffolk County. These legislators have taken the lead on this issue and should be introducing legislation shortly that the organizations have reviewed and believe will return full CDL exemption to all of the fire service of this state. Although every effort is being made to expedite the creation of the legislation and its passage a true time frame is virtually impossible to estimate as only items that legislators consider the highest priority are currently being considered.

We highly encourage everyone to contact their legislator an inform them of your concerns on this general issue. We also suggest that you inform your legislators of Senator Foley’s and Assemblyman Sweeney’s interest and efforts on the creation of this legislation. You can find your State Senator and Assembly Member’s phone numbers in most local phone books or on www.senate.state.ny.us and www.assembly.state.ny.us and we ask that you share this information with others.

NYSAFC is not in a position to give legal counsel to any local department. However we always encourage all departments to be in compliance with all pertinent laws, rules and regulations. Please remember that this CDL requirement for driving apparatus (except to an emergency) is not a suggested law, but is in fact the law in New York State.

More information will be posted soon on the NYSAFC web site.

Please click here for more information about this important topic.

RFD Officer Shot

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 12:39:00 +0000

A Rochester police officer is now out of surgery after he was shot in the line of duty Saturday afternoon.
The shooting happened just before 4:00 p.m. Saturday in the area of 21 Dayton Street, off of Hudson Ave.
Police say the officer and two other officers responded to a complaint about drug activity. They questioned a group of people on the street.
Police say the officers found no reason to arrest them. When they turned and walked away, one of the officers was shot in the back of the head.
The unidentified officer is a rookie, 22 years old, and on the force for less than a year. We're told he just graduated from the police academy last summer.

Read the rest of the story here.

Please watch your language and no racial remarks. If you are looking to vent like that, try Rants and Raves on Craigslist.

Pensions to get Cut??

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:59:00 +0000

Very long article on the D & C web site Sunday 1/25/09. Read the whole article here.

If you have time, read some of the comments by viewers at the end of the article.

Some Highlights:

They do not want to include overtime towards your salary.

In New York City, a plan drafted by Mayor Bloomberg would push that retirement point to 25 years and not award full benefits until age 50, saving New York City an estimated $5 billion-plus over 20 years.

The state retirement plans for police and firefighters' retirement are 100 percent taxpayer supported, and they can retire after 20 years with full benefits. Duffy — who had a 29-year career as a Rochester police officer, including eight years as chief, began drawing a $70,255 pension in April 2005, after retiring to run for mayor. His salary as mayor is $127,694. Duffy said he has refused a cost-of-living adjustment to his salary for the upcoming fiscal year.

Firefighters Banned from Volunteering

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:21:00 +0000

This was a suggested topic:
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Full Story

ALBANY City firefighters have been banned by their union from working as volunteers in communities where they live. The order, effective Feb. 1, is aimed partially at shielding taxpayers from covering costs of a firefighters hurt while volunteering.

The union's president, Sam Fresina, couldn't say Monday exactly how many members of the department the order would affect. But he said it was less than half of 75, the number that has been circulated.

"There are not a lot of people volunteering," he said.

He sent the letter to all 234 members of the union informing them the executive board decided to enforce a bylaw adopted last year by the International Association of Firefighters, the parent organization, prohibiting volunteering.

"We decided to enforce it because the city of Albany is facing some tough financial times right now, and we are looking to do everything that we can to ease the financial stress," Fresina said.

"Why is it fair for an Albany resident to take on the financial burden of someone putting themselves in danger by volunteering for another municipality?" he said.

If a firefighter were to get injured while volunteering, he also would lose time on his paid job.

If they refuse to resign from the volunteer company, they can't be fired, he said. "Whatever happens would be up to the international."

In the two weeks since the letter, not one firefighter has approached Fresina or leaders of the Albany Permanent Professional Firefighter Union, he said.

Pages of discussion on a local emergency responder Internet message board, have firefighters arguing it is an internal union matter and essentially could affect their ability to be in a better position to bargain with the city.

The edict barring volunteering reflects long-standing divisions within the firefighting community between career firefighters, who work full time for paid departments, and volunteers.

As volunteer firefighters have become harder to recruit and retain, firefighters unions have suggested that those positions should be paid. Increasing the number of paid jobs, incidentally, also would expand the unions' influence.

Fresina didn't want to get into that. "It's a different subject," he said, adding, "how many volunteer police officers do you see? How many volunteer DPW workers." What importance do municipalities place on firefighters? he asked.

The tensions are heightened at a time when the faltering economy has spurred small cities with paid departments from Plattsburgh to Lockport to at least consider all or partial volunteer options. Some communities have both paid and volunteers such as city of Rensselaer and the town of Niskayuna.

David Quinn, chief administrative officer for the Firefighters Association of New York, or FASNY, said volunteering is a noble prerogative that dates to Colonial times and should be a personal choice.

"If you do have a paid firefighter living in a suburban community, they should have the choice," said Quinn, who recently stepped down as South Schodack's fire chief. "Are you telling them that they can't protect their own property?"

Mirroring that response is the International Association of Fire Chiefs, a group for career and volunteer officials, which last fall issued a statement supporting "the rights of volunteer, career, or paid-on-call firefighters to serve multiple organizations or communities."

As of now, the Albany department is down 21 positions, and under a hiring freeze by Mayor Jerry Jennings, to help balance the budget, it doesn't appear those jobs will be filled anytime soon.

"We're down 21 positions right now ... we're doing more with less, and our goal is to fill those 21 positions and get back to 260 so that we can more adequately protect the city," Fresina said.

"This is nothing against volunteers," he said. "This is simply us enforcing an international bylaw for the purpose of taking care of our residents. People in city of Albany pay our salaries, and it's incumbent upon us to give them the best possible service that we can."

Fresina said he has spoken to neighboring unions and was told they "don't have an issue because they don't have volunteers."

Shawn Morse, a Cohoes firefighter and past president of that department's union, said if volunteering "caused any problems in our organization, then we would take a stance but we have so few it hasn't caused us any problems."

Cohoes has four volunteers, he said, two of whom live outside the city and two of whom live in Cohoes and volunteer in neighboring communities.

Albany Fire Chief Robert Forezzi declined comment, saying it was a union thing and he hadn't seen the letter.

Several local volunteer fire chiefs declined to take a position Monday, noting they weren't looking to pick fights with their city counterparts.

Carol DeMare can be reached at 454-5431 or by e-mail at cdemare@timesunion.com.

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:09:00 +0000

This was a suggested topic.
Please no volley vs paid or it wont be posted.
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SUGGESTIONS TO ENHANCE FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVICE TO COUNTY RESIDENTS WITHOUT INCURRING COST TO THE INDIVIDUAL AGENCIES

(For the sake of simplicity, the City Fire Department nor EMS is not addressed herein. Both can be incorporated herein at a later date.)

1. All County Fire Stations will be assigned a two digit station number and dispatching will be done by either station or apparatus number. Individual fire department and district names will not be used.

2. There shall be a minimum county assignment per alarm. As an example, a structure fire could receive a minimum County Response of two (2) engines, one (1) aerial device and one (1) heavy rescue per each alarm. Individual political sub-divisions such as Fire Districts or Fire Departments can at their option increase the assignments due to hazards in their districts or at a particular address. As an example, a third engine company, a second aerial device or specialized equipment such as tankers can be added to the assignment.

3. The station whose district the alarm is in has the responsibility to respond one engine. That station can, at it's option, respond with any additional equipment that may be quartered there.
The next closest station will respond with the second engine only; the next closest station housing an aerial will respond with the aerial device only and the fourth closest will respond with a heavy rescue only.

4. When dispatched, a station has three (3) minutes from time of dispatch to answer the alarm and six minutes (6) from time of dispatch to respond the assigned apparatus or the dispatcher was automatically dispatch the next station.

5. There shall be a minimum size crew per apparatus per the existing County Mutual Aid plan.

Good Samaritan Law

noreply@blogger.com (Scott) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Full Story here.

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SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline)-Do not try this on your own. That's the message sent by the California Supreme Court last week in a controversial 4-3 ruling that subjects would-be Good Samaritans to potential civil liability.The court ruled that California law protects only medical professionals who attempt to care for someone in an emergency situation from civil damages, not those lacking such training that attempt to step-in and provide assistance.According to court documents, the case stemmed from a 2004 Halloween night crash in which Lisa Torti pulled a co-worker from a crashed vehicle. Torti's rough handling of the victim, who suffered spinal injury, is believed to have contributed to her paralysis. The co-worker sued Torti for damages.In 1980, the California Legislature enacted a law that states "no person who in good faith, and not for compensation, renders emergency care at the scene of an emergency shall be liable for any civil damages results from any act or omission." But the court's ruling Thursday written by Associate Justice Carlos Moreno clarified the law by writing the lawmakers in 1980 intended to protect "only those persons who in good faith render emergency medical care at the scene of a medical emergency." The medical care, the court ruled, is designed to protect medical personnel with sufficient training to provide such care.The dissenting judges argued that such a distinction places "an arbitrary and unreasonable limitation" on people who try to help in a medical emergency. They furthered argued the intent of the Legislature in 1980 was to encourage compassionate response and help, not discourage it by the threat of civil action.Torti had been in one of two cars who had been out for a night of revelry. The driver of the other car struck a light pole. According to court documents, Torti said she feared a potential explosion when she pulled her injured co-worker from the car.But witnesses said Torti over-reacted to the potential of threat and roughly handled her co-worker, which in the end left her permanently paralyzed. "Obviously this is a tough issue since on the one hand you want to make sure that Good Samaritans are protected while on the other hand you don't want obvious irresponsible behavior to be excused (e.g., I am sure we could find a case where a purely innocent victim was hurt by a drunken fool and thus merits some relief)," wrote Patrick Edaburn, a legal blogger.But a University of Southern California law professor told the Los Angeles Times the majority correctly interpreted the Legislature's intent to shield health care professionals from being sued for injuries they cause when offering "reasonable care."The message, the professor said, was emergency care "should be left to the professionals."