Juggling College and Protecting the Community

Since the legal age to become a firefighter in most states is 18, many teenagers have to wait until after college to volunteer with a fire department of ambulance service.  These departments rely on young people to do the work since they are best fit for the jobs we do.  Now, college students are volunteering with fire and EMS departments close to their college to volunteer in their spare time.

Many colleges nowadays have on-campus EMS of FD service where students can volunteer when they don’t have class.  Becoming a firefighter or EMT has its perks for many majors and minors.  If you ever thought of going pre-med, becoming an EMT or Firefighter is an excellent opportunity to gain insight to the industry and get real life experience.  Many Pre-Med students across the county continue to volunteer because they feel it the least they can do for a community while gaining experience, it’s truly a win-win.

The following videos are of college-based Fire Department or EMS units.  These students are always proud of what they do and are always recognized as leaders of the community.   If you are a college student and are interested in becoming a firefighter or EMT during college, you should first contact a local FD or EMS agency to see if they are recruiting volunteers.  Also check with your college/university to see if they host an on-campus agency, many do.  The only advice I have for college students wishing to volunteers is to make sure you have the time commitment and want to volunteer and help other.  If you do, I highly recommend it.  We need you! 

The Gift of Life: NYC Style

I wanted to share this remarkable video of New York City Firefighters and Paramedics delivering a baby in the back of a livery cab.  While many outside the city may believe this is a rare occurrence, you might be surprised that this happens fairly often in the big apple.  Of course, mom and child are doing great after the effort of many emergency services personal, including NYPD officers and FDNY Firefighters and Paramedics.

Learning how to deliver a baby is part of the basic information that is given to firefighters and paramedics while they are in initial training.  In New York State, delivering a baby is covered in the Emergency Medical Technician – Basic course.  With all this new medical technology, we are able to deliver babies is safer and more efficient ways.  We are able to hook the baby up to a life-pack and watch the baby’s heart rhythms.  If anything is abnormal, we can deliver care in the back of an ambulance and call the doctors at the hospital to give them information so they can be ready when we arrive.  Many fire departments and ambulance services have had the grateful opportunity to deliver a baby.  Most remember these deliveries for the rest of their life; it’s always a big accomplishment.

If you ever walk through a fire department or ambulance service, you may find several baby pictures on the walls.  Those baby pictures, with note attached, are not from the department’s members, they are of the baby they have delivered.  Every crew takes pride when they deliver a baby in the “Outside World” (off a hospital).   We, the emergency services world, are always prepared to help you.  So please don’t hesitate to call us.         

How GPS is Used in Dispatching

This video shows how GPS technology is used by dispatchers to find the closest available resource to help with your next emergency.  Just remember that not all agencies use this technology. 

Anatomy of a Response: Volunteers Responding

Going along with the theme of modern technology in the fire service, volunteer fire departments across the county are using a system, called “IamResponding”.  The system is used by volunteers to alert the crew if they are responding to a call, or not.  It’s easy, let me explain.

Once a dispatch is received, volunteers dial a preprogramed number into their phone.  They dial it and it goes straight to a computer system based at the fire house.  This makes sure the correct number of human resources is at a call.  For reference, to fight a fire, you need a minimum of 15 firefighters.  So if less sign on to respond, a crew member can request a re-dispatch or retone to alert all members that additional firefighters are needed.   

While not all departments use this system, it is very popular with volunteer fire departments and will see an increased use across the county.   It is a reliable system that gives a huge benefit to those who use it.   

The above video is the official advertisement for the "IamResponding" product, and gives many examples of how it's used. 

Dry Weather = Wildfires!

View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.

My last blog post was about how fire departments used social media to connect with citizens.  Now, let me give you an excellent example of how social media is properly used to warn citizens about potential danger. 

Due to severely dry weather, there has been increased brush fire danger.  So, in advance of any fires, local fire, police, EMS and governments used social media outlets to warn people about the increased risk.  Unfortunately, not enough people got the message.   Last week, over 2,000 acres burned, destroying 4 homes and 1 business, in the largest wildland fire Long Island has ever seen.

When evacuations were deemed necessary, government agencies used the same social media we all use to give advanced warning of probable evacuations.  People were also asking questions about the fire and getting answers.  Even the media was using social media to share stories and pictures from those who were affected by the fire.  It took over 2 days to control the flames. 

The video above is from the local NBC station. 

Social Media in the Fire Service

Well, like everyone else, Fire Departments are joining the trend.  The trend, of being on facebook.   Departments have started to sign on to facebook and make public accounts.  But why?  It’s simple.  Let me explain why departments use facebook and other social media outlets.

·         Facebook saves the department money by replacing a usually website with a free facebook account or page.  Personal websites can cost over $500 to design and a monthly fee to maintain it.  It adds up to precious funds that could be diverted to other accounts. 

·         Facebook allows fire departments the ability to recruit new members more easily and more cost effective.  Many volunteer departments post recruitment information on their page.  Facebook gives them easier accesses to the younger population, ones who they are trying to attract. 

·         Facebook is an awesome tool for sharing public service announcements (PSA).  By posting PSAs, the department will be able to easily share important information that the public would want to read. 

·         Facebook allows non-for-profit agencies, such as volunteer fire departments the ability to fundraise with donations.  With the installation of apps, one can easily donate to the agency in record time.

There is much more, but these are some main reasons.   While all I have written is positive, there are no cons.  .  You can have a picture of medical patient or of a crime scene floating around the internet.  So, department have had to draft new laws and procedures for member.  Check to see if your local fire or police department has a facebook page.  You won’t regret giving them the like! 

Fire Hydrants

They date back over 200 years.  They come in all different shapes and sizes and are an important part of fighting a fire.  What are they? 


Of course I’m taking about fire hydrants.  Check out this clip on some very important history and tips about fire hydrants. 

Butt Dials on the Rise!

Aren’t smart phones great?  They really do it all.  But every now and then your rear end decides to make calls of its own.  But dialing, as it’s known, has become much more of a nuisance for newer phones than compared to older style flip and bulky phones.  You might be saying, how is this related to firefighting?   Before I answer that question, have you seen how easy it is to make an emergency call, even when you phone is locked?  Don’t type in the right password, or just by hitting the “emergency call” button, will bring you to a screen where an emergency call can be placed.

Having the ease of making an emergency call is great when you’re in a real emergency.  But then you butt decides to make that emergency call without you knowing, causes serious issues to our 911 call system.  And it’s not just you butt but let’s say you leave you phone in a book bag of pocket book and another object pushed the touchpad to dial that emergency number.  Without the phone owner knowing, a police officer or firefighter will be responding to your location.  But why?

When a 911 call is placed, either it being a real emergency or not, a dispatcher will pick up the line and ask if everything is ok.  When no one answers, the dispatchers have to assume that there is an emergency and will do the perform the necessary steps to make sure everything is ok.  The dispatcher will first attempt a call back in which he will dial the phone number and try to verify if there is a real emergency.   If no one answers the call, the line is busy, or it doesn’t go through, a police officer will be dispatched to the location where the call was placed.  Even with cell phones, an approx location is shown when you call 911.  A fire truck might be dispatched if the dispatcher feels the call needs a fire department response.  Before you know it, a police officer will be at your location asking if everything is alright.    

 It’s great that we have this program on our phone, but just be careful to not call 9-1-1 when it’s not an emergency.  Every time someone butt dials 9-1-1, the dispatcher need to take time to call back and then dispatch a police officer.  In that time, he could be answering real emergency calls.  If you do accidentally butt dial 9-1-1, pick up your phone and tell the dispatcher that everything is alight and it was just an accident.   No harm, no foul! 

So, if you don't what the SWAT team showing up at you house, make sure you

lock you phone and protect it from "butt dialing" *

*All photos on this blog were taken by me and are copyrighted. You may not under any circumstances use any of my photos without permission.

  

    

Fire Trucks Aren’t Always Red

When you think of a fire truck, you think of red truck for firefighting.  Well, what if it’s not red?  Is it still a fire truck?  Of, course!  Fire trucks come in all different shapes, varieties and colors.  They still do what they need to do, carry our tools for firefighting… but they just look different.  Have a look:

 Rye Fire Department (Rye, NY) Yellow Engine



Villge of Mamaroneck Fire Department (Mamaroneck, NY) Green Engine 

     Harrison Fire Department (Harrison, NY) Maroon Engine

Volunteer Today!

It doesn’t take an economist to tell you we are in a recession.  But a firefighter can tell you!  It’s been proven that there’s direct relation between a recession and the amount of money and time people give to others.   Considering that volunteers make up approximately 70% of our nation’s firefighters, fire protection has taken a hit.   So like the title suggests, we need volunteers.  We need you!     

If you think firefighting is all about fighting fires and rescuing cats from trees, you are sadly mistaken, we do a lot more.   Have a problem with you refrigerator?  Smell gas?  Alarm ringing and you don’t why?  These are some of calls we are sent to.  In addition, we also respond to car accidents, rubbish fires and any call where the public needs us.   It’s not uncommon for us to get called to someone house and help someone get into bed, it’s called a lift assist. 

Both career and volunteer firefighters receive numerous hours of training, both in the classroom and on the fire scene.  The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), a non-governmental oversight agency, suggests that all firefighter receive and minimum of 86 hours of training before they are allowed to fight fires.  This is usually completed with 1 year of joining a fire department.   Most firefighters don’t stop there; they receive multiple other certifications in Hazardous Materials, driving apparatus, forcible entry and auto extrication.  Some even reach the Emergency Medical Technician level and are able to provide medical treatment along with their firefighting duties.   

Hopefully by know you have the urge to volunteer and are probably wondering how you can get involved.   The best place to start would be to contact your local volunteer fire department.   Most departments have a website with volunteer information.  If your municipality doesn’t have a volunteer department, look around.  Most departments need manpower and won’t turn anyone down even if you don’t live in their district.  Most states also have volunteer firefighter associations that are good sources of information.  In New York State, The Firemen's' Association of The State of New York (FASNY), was very helpful in providing me information when I joined.  They hold annual events that encourage volunteering.  I’ll write another post when one comes around.   Please consider volunteering, neighbors helping neighbors.       

Blue Courtesy Lights

Imagine you’re driving on the road, and out of the corner of your eye, you see a blue flashing light in your rear view mirror.  What would you do?  Pullover?  Speed ahead of it? Continue driving?  Well in New York State, a blue flashing light signifies a volunteer firefighter responding to an emergency.  New York State suggests drivers move to the right and let the volunteer pass.   While it’s not the law, volunteer firefighters request the right away.  When the lights are activated, they are responding to an actual emergency.  You never know, it may be your house we are responding too. 

When we are dispatched to a fire, we have to respond to the fire station and pick up a fire truck before we can actually go to the scene of the fire.  The flashing blue lights are our way of requesting the right of way.  We can lose our job if we use them inappropriately, so we do take it seriously.   Every year, we try to educate the public on what to do, and what not to do.  The New York State laws  involving blue flashing lights can be read in Article 9; Section 375 (41) of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Laws (VTL).    

 This above news segment was produced by WTWO to share the thoughts of volunteer firefighters on the blue courtesy light.  This video was posted on YouTube.   

So, I hope by now you have gained a greater understanding of what flashing blue lights mean. We risk our lives to save yours so please give us the courtesy and let us pass.  I do want to warn my non-new York readers, laws differentiate by state.  To see what your local laws dictate, contact your state’s department of motor vehicles or local law enforcement agency. 

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!  My name is Kyle and I’m here to entertain you, my audience.  This blog will be mostly about firefighting and firefighters, of which I am.  Hopefully, you'll learn something after reading my posts.  I’ll try my best to post weekly.  So sit back, relax, and enjoy. 

Photo: 4 alarm fire in Port Chester, NY last March.  (C) Kyle Wagman