1st Responder Long Island August Edition

This section is exclusively dedicated to coverage of Long Island emergency services PUBLISHING SINCE 1993

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NEWS

AUGUST, 2016

4TH OF JULY WORKING HOUSE FIRE

V SCADUTO PIO

On Sunday, July 3rd the Bellmore Fire Department received a report of a garage fire on Judith Drive in Bellmore. A nearby member reported a working house fire at scene, with a large volume of fire. Chief of Department Vincent Montera directed first-due Bellmore Engine-601 to hit a hydrant and lay-in.

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August, 2016

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Working house fire on eve of 4th of July On Sunday, July 3rd the Bellmore Fire Department received a report of a garage fire on Judith Drive in Bellmore. A nearby member reported a working house fire at scene, with a large volume of fire.

Chief of Depart- JUMP TO FILE# ment Vincent Mon- 070516112 tera directed first-due Bellmore Engine601 to hit a hydrant and lay-in. Wantagh Fire Department's Ladder-6911 responded as the FAST team. Firefighters from North Bellmore, Merrick, North Merrick and Seaford Fire Departments assisted at the scene Bellmore Ambulances 6011 and 6012 set up the Medical Command Post. Ambulances from North Bellmore,Wantagh and Seaford stood-by at the scene. An Engine from the Wantagh Fire Department and a Ladder from the East Meadow Fire Department stood-by at Bellmore Fire Headquarters.

It took a 100 firefighters approximately 45-minutes to bring the blaze under control. The origin of the fire is under routine investigation from the Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office and the Nassau County Police Arson Squad.

Three Firefighters were transported with minor injuries to Nassau University Medical Center, where they were treated and released.

- VINCENT SCADUTO

V SCADUTO PIO

BELLMORE-MERRICK EMS “Your Volunteer Ambulance Company�

Since 1971

You see our history. Become our future.

Membership Drive in Progress.

Call 785-7700 or Email:

membership@bmems.org TODAY! V SCADUTO PIO

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August, 2016

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August, 2016

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ADVERTISER

INDEX

A guide to finding great companies

Company

Page

Bellmore-Merrick EMS Firematic

2 12

Grant Guys

6

Island Wide Palm Trees

10

Safety & Environmental

7

Task Force Tips

3

CORPORATE INFORMATION 1st Responder News (ISSN 1525-1683) - New York edition - Vol. 17 No. 8 - is published monthly, 12 times a year for $36 per year by Belsito Communications, Inc., 1 Ardmore Street, New Windsor, NY 12553. Periodicals Postage Paid at Newburgh, NY and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to 1st Responder News, 1 Ardmore Street, New Windsor, NY 12553. No financial responsibility is assumed by this newspaper to publish a display, classified, or legal ad or for t y p o graphical errors except of reprinting that part of the ad which was omitted or in error. Omissions or errors must be brought to the attention of the newspaper during the same month of publication.

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Additional news from Long Island can be found on our website at www.1rbn.com

Connie Kraft, RN, MSN, MS, CEN.

JEANNE NEVILLE

Stony Brook nurse honored with State and County Award of Excellence Connie Kraft, RN, MSN, MS, CEN, who recently received the Registered Professional Nurse of Excellence award from the Suffolk Regional Emergency Medical Services Council (REMSCO), has just been rewarded with the New York State Emergency Medical Services Council Nurse of Excellence award.

Kraft was honored for her dedication to the advancement of emergency patient care at both the pre-hospital and hospital levels in Suffolk County. Throughout her career, Kraft has sought to continually strengthen the relationship and collaboration between Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the nursing profession.

“This is a well-deserved honor for Connie, and we congratulate her,” said Reuven Pasternak, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Stony Brook University Hospital, and Vice President for Health Systems, Stony Brook Medicine. “The community has greatly benefited from Connie’s expertise and reputation in her chosen field, and we are lucky to have her on our team.”

“I’m so grateful for all the opportunities for growth I've experienced while at Stony Brook,” Kraft said when she learned of the recognition.

As a multi-term officer and President of the Suffolk County Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), Kraft has worked to ensure that EMS is included in many ENA educational programs. She has a unique perspective on both pre-hospital and hospital emergency patient care, which helps the Emergency Department staff have a close working relationship with EMS providers.

SOUTHAMPTON FD

JUMP TO FILE #062716107 Currently, Kraft is a sitting member of the Suffolk County REMSCO for Suffolk ENA. She is also a respected member of Stony Brook University Hospital’s Emergency Management team, with responsibility for developing and conducting one of the County’s largest full-scale emergency preparedness exercises.

Kraft has been a registered nurse for approximately 30-years. She is certified to teach numerous pre-hospital EMS provider courses, such as CPR, ACLS, Basic and Advanced Disaster Life Support, TNCC and disaster triage classes. She spent the majority of her career as an emergency and transport nurse, and serves as a preceptor for all levels of New York State pre-hospital EMS certification. She also volunteers as a member of the Suffolk County Medical Reserve Corps.

Her expertise is continually sought as an integral part of the County’s Emergency Support Function (ESF 8) group, which is responsible for coordinating the county’s medical disaster response.

She also coordinates the MARO Regional Training Center, which makes emergency preparedness training available to the downstate healthcare community.

Kraft will be presented with the New York State award on October 15, 2016 at the Vital Signs Conference of NYS Emergency Medical Services in Syracuse, NY.

- SARAH BREMEN/STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

SOUTHAMPTON FD

MVA for Southampton

On Monday, June 20th at 8:12 A.M., the Southampton Fire Department was called to an MVA on Montauk Hwy., in Watermill. Units arrived and found a small flatbed truck belonging to a mosquito/tick spray company on an embankment and in jeopardy of rolling on its side. Crews quickly stabilized the truck and with the help of EMS from Southampton Volunteer Ambulance, they were able to free and transport the driver to an awaiting ambulance. Crews were on scene for approximately 45-minutes. Traffic was diverted by Southampton Fire Police during the rescue. No serious injuries were reported and 1st Asst. Chief Chris Brenner was in charge of the scene.

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Flying Dutchmen win 2016 Firematic Competition Season Opener at Lindenhurst The West Sayville Fire Department’s Flying Dutchmen Drill Team kicked off the 2016 firematic competition season vying among fifteen volunteer fire departments from Nassau and Suffolk Counties, for top honors in the annual Long Island Invitational Drill, hosted by the Lin- JUMP TO FILE# denhurst Fire De- 062916112 partment on June 4, 2016.

Their efforts were well rewarded at the day’s end, when a combination of five firstplace and three second-place finishes in the eight-event drill gave the Flying Dutchmen an impressive thirty-seven total points for first-place overall, thirteen points ahead of the second-place Central Islip Ho-boes and eighteen ahead of the third-place Piston Knockers of North Lindenhurst. The Islip Wolves and Copiague Yellowbirds finished fourth and fifth overall, with eleven and one-half and eight and one-half points respectively.

The near perfect performance

by West Sayville resulted from first-place contest runs in B Ladder (5.13 seconds), C Ladder (8.82 seconds), C Hose (12.86 seconds), Motor Pump (5.64 seconds) and Buckets (21.07 seconds), and second-place efforts in the Three Man Ladder (6.38 seconds), B Hose (8.12 seconds), and Efficiency (9.40 seconds) contests. Particularly impressive out of this array of first and seconds was the first-place in B Ladder, the eighteenth consecutive year the Flying Dutchmen won that contest.

The Lindenhurst drill win is the nineteenth time the team has emerged as victors since the competition was first run in 1961. The Flying Dutchmen are the winningest team of this particular tournament and presently boast a better than one-in-three win ratio at Lindenhurst.

The 2016 Long Island Invitational Drill Champion Flying Dutchmen drill team is coached

by Frank R. Miller, Sr., Robert Marra and G. Scott Schrader; led

by Captain Mi-chael Marra and Lieutenant Chad Leigh-Manuell; and, comprised of Kristy Banks, Kevin Candido, Louis Christensen, Patrick Garrett, William Hothan, Ryan Huguenin, Casey Johnson, Frank R. Miller, Jr., Robert Noonan, Richard Quenzer, Joseph Quenzer, Gary A. Schaum, Daniel Tenney and Ryan Tenney.

WEST SAYVILLE FD

- WEST SAYVILLE FD

WEST SAYVILLE FD

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August, 2016

1ST Responder Newspaper - LI

STEVE WHITE

Ex-chief John Piteris on the left, was presented with the John Cardinale Award, while ex-chief Walter Wagner on the right, was presented with the Peter Morley Award.

PROVIDED

Bay Shore Brightwaters Rescue Ambulance named NYS Agency of the Year

STEVE WHITE

STEVE WHITE

Bay Shore, NY– June 26th, 2016– The Bay Shore Brightwaters Rescue Ambulance, Inc. (BSBRA) of Bay Shore, NY has been recognized as the 2015 New York State Emergency Medical Service of the Year. This award is sponsored by the New York State Department of Health and will be presented during the opening ceremonies of the NYS Vital Signs Conference on October 15th, 2016 in Syracuse, New York.

The criteria for this award recognizes outstanding performance by an EMS service and considers many criteria, including contributions to EMS, department demographics and call volume, advances in education, innovation in pre-hospital care, protocol development, wellness programs and public education projects, among

JUMP TO FILE #062816105 other elements. For the 2015 calendar year, BSBRA was recognized for its commitment to excellence despite hardship and for both their in-house training programs as well as community outreach programs. In addition to being awarded Suffolk County EMS Agency of the Year, BSBRA was awarded "Excellence in EMS Quality and Safety;" a testament to the agency’s comprehensive training programs for both new and old providers.

“As an organization, we are extremely proud and humbled to be accepting these awards," states Chief of Department Felix Rodriguez. “Our membership works

hard to provide quality EMS care to our community. Every day they sacrifice time away from their families to assist someone in need.

These awards truly are an honor and offer some recognition for the continued hard work of our organization," said Rodriguez.

Bay Shore Brightwaters Rescue Ambulance, Inc. has been providing primary 911 response to the residents of Bay Shore, West Bay Shore and Brightwaters for the past 58-years. In 2015, they responded to over 4,500 calls for medical assistance. In addition to providing 911 response, they offer many outreach education programs, including free community CPR. - LAURIE HUGHES

Vehicle News

Swearing-in Ceremony for Syosset FD The Syosset Fire Department had a swearing-in ceremony of its officers on May 21st.

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BOB VACCARO

The Mineola FD took delivery of a Seagrave Marauder II, 75' Aerialscope II. The vehicle replaces an older Bronto Skylift Aerial.

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The Human Factors, A Contributing Factor In firefighter Injury and Death, Part II STAYING SAFE

Chief Henry Campbell

This article first appeared when I first started writing this column, Staying Safe, 15 years ago. I repeated it 6 years ago with slight modification, and feel it still holds true today as a leading cause of firefighter injury and death. It can serve as a refresher for senior firefighters and as a safety lesson for newer firefighters Lack of concentration is when the mind wanders and we stop paying attention to the tasks at hand and this is usually when unsafe acts and resulting injury can occur. If injury should occur the individual generally doesn’t have a plausible explanation due to the lack of concentration. Many of us respond to motor vehicle crashes where one or more of the drivers have no idea as to what may have caused the crash.

Why not? Because they were not concentrating on their driving, they were busy talking or texting on their cell phone, eating, applying makeup, shaving, or whatever. Unfortunately the most important task, that of driving is getting the least attention. The same holds true in emergency services, lose your concentration with the task at hand and you increase your risk of injury or death. Be aware of your surroundings and what is going on and remain alert and focused to the task at hand, prepared for all consequences. When you have been operating under difficult circumstances, extreme weather conditions, or any other reason that might impair your concentration for a long period of time notify your officer and obtain relief. There are 2 types of fatigue, physical and mental; both can lead to injury and death if there is no intervention and rest.

Poor judgment is like guessing, and there is no room for guessing at the emergency scene. Evaluate the task that has to be performed and if you are not sure as to what to do in order to handle or mitigate a situation, or how to perform a specific task, stop and seek help. Do not look at emergency incidents or individual tasks through “rose colored classes”, the situation may not be as simple or safe as it appears. Expect the unexpected by being prepared for all eventualities! Whether the incident commander or individual firefighter, always ask yourself “what will happen when I do this?”

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction and you must be prepared for it. Be truthful; think what the worse possible scenario is.

Can the ladder fall? Will the rope break? Is the roof unsafe? Has the floor burned through?, Can we make an offensive attack? Will the car roll? What will happen when I

force this door or break this window? What risks are involved? Can I achieve my desired goal? When we ask our self “what will happen when I do this?” we must evaluate the end result and the risks involved. If the risks are too great for the task to be completed safely then we must eliminate or reduce the risks as much as possible in order to increase the margin of safety. This may require changing the strategy or task being deployed and, if so, go ahead and do it. Remember, there is more than one way to skin a cat. I am fully aware that risk is a constant companion in our business, but risks can be reduced, if not eliminated, to make for a safer work environment. Risk a lot to save a lot, risk little to save little!

Contributing to the Human Factor as a cause for unsafe acts with the increased potential for injury and death is lack of training or insufficient training. All personnel at the emergency scene may not have the same level of training and experience, and therefore should not be expected to perform at the same level. Company officers and IC’s should be aware of individual FF/EMT’s experience and training and assign tasks accordingly. The emergency scene can be good learning ground for inexperienced personnel where they can observe and assist in performing tasks and assignments under direct supervision.

If direct supervision cannot be provided, they should not be assigned any task beyond their level of training. In today’s real world where staffing levels or daytime response may not provide sufficient on scene personnel the tendency may be to use the inexperienced FF/EMT to perform unsupervised tasks beyond their level of training. Avoid doing this. You may have to reassign individual tasks, or wait until a more experienced FF/EMT becomes available. Additional skills required to operate specialized pieces of equipment should be learned on the training grounds or back in the station, not at the emergency scene.

Untrained FF/EMT’s operating power equipment they have not been certified to use could prove disastrous in more ways than one.

Training and experience are the backbone of any safe operation, and it is equally important for each FF/EMT to be aware of their qualifications and experience. The FF/EMT should also know their limitations, recognizing what is beyond their training and experience and not be embarrassed or ashamed to inform their officer when those circumstances arise. Remember, in the beginning you don’t have to be able to do everything! Learning and gaining experience takes time and if you maintain a proper attitude toward safety, you will have a lifetime of learning.

To be continued next month.

Till next time, stay safe and God Bless!

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August, 2016

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DAVID RAGUSA

Elmont FD responds to car versus pole On June 23rd at 6:45 A.M., the Elmont Fire Department responded to Elmont Road, south of Dutch Broadway, for a car that struck a utility pole. Upon arrival Engine-4 members found that the impact from the car caused the pole to snap in half. There was a small engine fire in the vehicle, which was quickly extinguished by EFD using a dry chemical extinguisher. According to Nassau County Police, the driver of the vehicle fled the scene prior to their arrival.

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August, 2016

1ST Responder Newspaper - LI

Second super Long Island Apparatus Photo Shoot a success Great River, N.Y.---For the second year in a row, apparatus enthusiasts gathered at a remote section of Hecksher State Park for a well organized photo shoot of area firefighting apparatus, on June 12th. Avid photographer Tom Rinelle, of Lake Grove, organized the shoot under a JUMP TO FILE # strict incident com- 070816120 mand system. Assistance was provided by many, including local fire police organizations, vendors, EMS, and friends, to name a few.

Last year's theme was antique apparatus. This year, there was a mix of firefighting units from hand-drawn veterans of the fire service to the most modern vehicles. Rinelli said the event drew over 120 pieces of firefighting equipment. They were both privately owned and municipal vehicles. As word of the photo session got out, some units that had not received an invitation showed up and were welcomed to participate. They came from as far as Maryland and Maine.

It took nine months to plan this year's event. Goals included setting a Guinness World Record for the most antique fire apparatus photographed in a group.

As was the case in 2015, photographers had to apply in advance to participate and be placed on a list that was on-hand at the command post. After checking in, the photographers received a wrist band to allow them to enter the area set aside for individual apparatus photography. Rinelli estimated 1,000 spectators were present and 60 fire apparatus photographers.

Fire apparatus also reported in at the command post and were sent down one of three aisles set up, and maintained by fire-police personnel. A section of the park that provided the proper sun angel was set up for individual photos of the rigs. Three rigs at a time were called into the photo area by the “photo staging” official, who was wearing a vest indicating same. Those three were then set up for photos by three to four other persons that were selected for the project. Photographers moved from rig-to-rig to photograph them as expeditious as possible, to keep the line moving.

With the exception of a few passing clouds, the sky was blue, making for another day of excellent photography. Apparatus photographers came from several states for the event, after hearing how successful the 2015 event was.

Rinelli's group also sent down bottled water in the middle of the shoot, as the sun beat down on the park. In addition, there were refreshments set up under tents, for a donation, and there were some vendors present. This was all done in cooperation with Rinelli's business, Fire & Rescue Equipment Sales.

RON JEFFERS

Ocean Bay Park NY. Fire Is. 5-29-1. 51 Jeep Willes 500 gpm

Southampton. Ford

North Sea FWD

Vendors also supplied equipment for the shoot. This included four new four-seat Gator vehicles, on loan from a local John Deere dealer. In addition, ten fire-police units were on-hand, 11 members of RACES amateur radio club and members of two junior fire departments.

After the individual photos, the apparatus were moved to the opposite end of this portion of the park for a group shot that was taken by Rinelli from a tower ladder bucket. It should be noted that the individual apparatus photo session of 120-plus rigs occurred between 9 A.M. and noon, right on schedule.

Besides the common apparatus names that were present, fire vehicles bearing nameplates from the past like Pirsch, Approved, American Fire Apparatus, Nott Steamer, Ward LaFrance, Day Elder and many others showed up.

Another hit of the day was a replica of the Dodge rescue squad

RON JEFFERS

Lost Angels Sq. 51. 71 Dod. 83 Phoenix Enterprises. Pvt owned.

Ron Morin. ME.

RON JEFFERS

Amagansett NY 4. 59 Studebaker

RON JEFFERS

Carlisle Pa. Goodwill FC. 37 Seagrave

RON JEFFERS

Halesite. Maxim

RON JEFFERS

RON JEFFERS

truck that was used in the 1970's TV series “Emergency!” Ron Morin, of Sugarloaf Ambulance/Rescue Vehicles in Wilton, Maine, had the vehicle assembled using a 1971 Dodge chassis from a fire unit that saw duty in Alna, Maine. He located a paramedic rescue box on eBay and traveled to California to bring it back to Maine for the project.

Four tower ladders were put into operation, including two to hold up a giant American flag, one for aerial views, and one for the aerial photo.

Appreciation is extended to all fire companies and private apparatus owners for their time participating on a great day of apparatus photography. Kudos to Tom Rinelli, the Long Island Antique Fire Apparatus Photo Shoot committee members, local fire-police, vendors, families, and friends who made the day worthwhile.

- RON JEFFERS

1ST Responder Newspaper - LI

Elmont FD goes to work at garage fire On June 16th at about 6:20 A.M., the Elmont Fire Department was alerted by Nassau County Fire Comm. to respond to a report of a garage fire, located to the rear of 98 Hill Ave. Arriving units found the actual fire in a garage located around the block, at 91 Do- JUMP TO FILE# herty Avenue. En- 061516102 gine-3 and Truck-2 were first on scene.

Firefighters were met with a large body of fire and in addition to battling that fire, they also had to work to protect another garage immediately to the rear of the fire. Early reports stating that a victim may be in the garage turned out to be erroneous.

Assistant Chief Ronald Conti was in charge of the scene. Franklin Sq. and Munson FD Ladder-713 rendered assistance at the scene.

There were no reported injuries and the Nassau County Fire Marshal's office was requested to respond by Asst. Chief Conti in order to investigate the cause and origin of the blaze. EFD units cleared the scene at approximately 8:30 A.M. - DAVID RAGUSA

August, 2016

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ON THE LITER SIDE

If your department has photos you would like to see in our On The Liter Side feature, please upload them on our website, www.1stResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@1stResponderNews.com

PORT WASHINGTON FD

Firefighters encountered a large body of fire upon arrival.

EFD

Congratulations to the Port Washington FD's softball team on their 4th consecutive 5th-Battalion Softball Championship!

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August, 2016

1ST Responder Newspaper - LI

BUDDY SHOTS

MEMORIES

If your department has photos you would like to see in our Memories feature, please upload them on our website, www.1stResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@1stResponderNews.com

West Sayville Fire Department in 1910.

PROVIDED

If your department has photos you would like to see in our Buddy Shots feature, please upload them on our website, www.1stResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@1stResponderNews.com

Members of the Oceanside Fire Department EMS Squad standing-by at the St. Anthony's Feast, held in June.

KEITH LANE/OFD

PROVIDED

West Sayville Fire Department in 1910.

Read

PROVIDED

Members of Freeport Hose 4 and Engine Company No. 1 took “Jumbo” out to Heckscher State Park for the antique fire apparatus photo shoot on June 12th.

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ACTION SHOTS FROM AROUND THE ISLAND 1ST Responder Newspaper - LI

August, 2016

PAGE 11

To see your action shots in the newspaper upload them on our website www.1stResponderNews.com or email them to Lindsey@1stResponderNews.com.

Bellmore Chief of Department Vincent Montera working a recent garage fire.

V SCADUTO PIO

OCEANSIDE FD

Units from OFD working a brush and rubbish fire along the LIRR tracks.

KEITH LANE/OFD

Inside the store, members of Salamander Truck Co.1 check the damage and structural stability of a building struck by a car.

KEITH LANE/OFD

2nd Assistant Chief Daniel Holl directing firefighters from Bellmore Engine-601 at a structure fire.

V SCADUTO PIO

The crew from Columbia Engine Co.1 securing a car and a small fluid spill at a car vs. building incident.

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August, 2016

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