Sometimes the good guys are wearing the black hats.

Hometown:

Hamburg, NY

I Live: (City, State)

Hamburg, NY

Years in Fire/EMS:

18

Why I Joined the Fire/EMS:

Jonny and Roy of course! Joined the fire company for experience in dealing with people in emergency situations. I joinded as EMS only, thought "you'll never get me in a burning building". On top of it I hate ladders, roofs, anyplace that is unsecured and high. Boy did that change fast.

Relationship Status:

Married

Primary Fire/EMS Department:

Armor Volunteer Fire Company

Department Type:

Fire/Rescue Department - Volunteer

Rank/Role There:

Assistant or Deputy Chief, Firefighter / EMT-Basic, Driver / Engineer

Years With This Department/Agency

18

Dept. Web Site:

http://departments.firehouse.com/dept/ArmorNY

Second Department (if appl.)

Erie County Sheriff's Office

2nd Department Type:

Law Enforcement

Rank/Role at Second Department:

911 Operator/Dispatcher

Years With Second Department/Agency

9

Web Site:

http://www.erie.gov/sheriff

My Training:

FIRE TRAINING
Essentials of Firemanship 1991
Accident Victim Extrication 1992
Emergency Vehicle Operation Course 1993
Incident Command 1995
Confined Space Awarness 1995
Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Utility Fire Training 1996
Firefighter Safety and Survival 1996
Preparing for Command 1997
Hazardous Materials First Responder Operations 1998
Commanding the Initial Response 2001
Live Fire Training Safety 2002
Conducting Live Fire Evolutions 2002
Firefighter Survival 2002
Fire Behavior and Arson Awareness 2003
Fire Police 2003
Officer Orientation 2004
SEMO ICS 100 2004
SEMO ICS 200 2005
FEMA IS 700 2005
WMD Radiological/Nuclear Awareness 2005
National WMD Standardized Awareness 2005
Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings Performance Level 2005
Intermediate Firefighter 2006
Fire Mutual Aid Resource Management and Tracking 2007
National Fire Academy: Training Officer for Small Departments 2008
FEMA IS800 2008
Alternative Fueled Vehicles/New Vehicle Technologies 2009
SEMO ICS 300 2009
Water Rescue Awareness 2009
Nattional Fire Academy: Leadership Skills III- Statagies for Supervisory Success 2009
ICS 400 2009

EMS TRAINING
NYS First Responder 1991
NYS EMT 1992, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2005
Vital Signs NYS Dept of Health EMS Confrence 2000-2008

LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING
Associates in Applied Science in Criminal Justice 1992
Bacholors if Science in Criminal Justice 1994
NAEMD Emergency Medical Dispatcher 1999
APCO Basic Telecommunicator Training 2003
Law Enforcement Response to WMD Incidents: Performence Level 2005
Many more and still training

About Me:

Service History:
Corresponding Secretary 1992-1995
Engine Room Officer 1993-1996, 2000-2002, 2009
Recording Secretary 1996
Senior Lieutenant 1997-1998
Senior Captain 1999, 2003-2004
EMS Captain
Second Assistant Chief 2006-2007
First Assistant Chief 2008
Assistant Treasurer 2009

Committees I have served on:
Bingo 1993-1996
50th Anniversary 1994
Pull-Tab 1996
Ambulance Replacement 2008

Awards and Commendations:
Rookie of the Year 1991
Top Ten Responder 1991-1995, 1997-1999, 2001, 2006, 2008
American Legion Post 537 Service Award 1992
Top Responder 1993
Letter of Commendation from Sheriff 2000, 2001, 2005
NYS Assembly 2001
Town of Hamburg 2001

Day Job:

I work 1545-0000 so my day job is firefighting and watching my daughter.

Side Jobs or Other Organizations:

Town of Hamburg Fire Chief's Association
FASNY
Armor Volunteer Fire Company Exempt Association

Top Issues Facing Responders:

AS VOLUNTEERS:
Inadiquate training: We train too much on the wrong things. Training is often planned for maximum attendenence which in turn results minnimum participation. Training s that are the most benificial are those most lightly attended. More experienced members feel it it repetitive and unnecessary which leads to complacency, then inadiqacy.
Compitition between agencies: "Keeping up with the Jones'" Company A buys an 100 ft aerial, Company B buys a 103 ft aerial and Company C buys an 107 ft aerial. Gotta be bigger, brighter and badder that the last. Cooperate dont compete. Work together. Isn't the goal is the same?
Compitition withn the agency: Since joined in 1991, I have been refered to a one of the "kids". Eighteen years later, I am still a "kid" but now there are members I refer to as "kids". Besides the generational gap is the training gap. The "kids" are getting their initial training in more advanced format, following the Firefighter I concept. The older generations had to take multiple classes to get the same content. The jury is still out on which way is better.
AS FIREFIGHTERS PAID OR VOLUNTEER:
We are killing ourselves, we making stupid decisions, not training right, not eating right, speeding, you name it we do it and it is killing us.