11/23/25 Bronx Mutual Aide Box 6300

Signal73

Signal73

Joined
Jan 20, 2014
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Units were to stage at E63 L39 and the 1-5 Quarters

Due to a 5th Alarm in MT Vernon

The request was for a TL only to the scene, as per FDNY policy a mutual aid request must go through the proper channels before to be approved. The 3rd and final request was approved around 05:15 and a decision was made to send 2E, 2L & 1BC which ultimately got cancelled enroute.

E-97,48
L-51,37
B-15


*Photo From NYCFIREWire

IMG_7595.jpeg
 
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The City and Westchester Co need to come up with a signed Mutual Aid agreement. Hopefully it will take care of an automatic response once underway. They can go 10-8 once on scene. Sets a bad precedent canceling units that are staged and ready.
 
tperez102 said:
The City and Westchester Co need to come up with a signed Mutual Aid agreement. Hopefully it will take care of an automatic response once underway. They can go 10-8 once on scene. Sets a bad precedent canceling units that are staged and ready.
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There is a signed mutual aid agreement in place and always has been.
 
Signal73 said:
Word on the streets is they don’t like calling big brother to assist.
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It's not as simple as everyone thinks it is.
There are many facets to mutual aid. It's not just FDNY shows up and goes to work.

There are financial implications. Insurance issues - FDNY member gets hurt outside city - outside city covers medical expenses.
Westchester FD unions have contracts with members - members must be called in on overtime to man units.
Certain equipment needed - federally funded equipment needs to be made available to outside departments.
Generally, agreements are that you can't just call FDNY for Engines and Trucks - but a specific need at a fire - perhaps a 95' TL that may not be available in Westchester and an FDNY Engine to feed it. Otherwise, the Westchester FDs that all work together will provide Engines & Ladders and manpower.

I can tell you what it's not - it's not big brother, it's not a pissing match, it's not Westchester depts don't want FDNY help - it's none of that.
 
nap72 said:
It's not as simple as everyone thinks it is.
There are many facets to mutual aid. It's not just FDNY shows up and goes to work.

There are financial implications. Insurance issues - FDNY member gets hurt outside city - outside city covers medical expenses.
Westchester FD unions have contracts with members - members must be called in on overtime to man units.
Certain equipment needed - federally funded equipment needs to be made available to outside departments.
Generally, agreements are that you can't just call FDNY for Engines and Trucks - but a specific need at a fire - perhaps a 95' TL that may not be available in Westchester and an FDNY Engine to feed it. Otherwise, the Westchester FDs that all work together will provide Engines & Ladders and manpower.

I can tell you what it's not - it's not big brother, it's not a pissing match, it's not Westchester depts don't want FDNY help - it's none of that.
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Dont forget radio interoperability issues, mismatched hose threads etc.

The reality is there used to be an annual FDNY/Westchester mutual aid drill. They haven’t held it in years because the FDNY decided not to participate.

There’s enough hurdles getting the Westchester departments to be able to work together let alone adding the FDNY to the mix.
 
nap72 said:
It's not as simple as everyone thinks it is.
There are many facets to mutual aid. It's not just FDNY shows up and goes to work.

There are financial implications. Insurance issues - FDNY member gets hurt outside city - outside city covers medical expenses.
Westchester FD unions have contracts with members - members must be called in on overtime to man units.
Certain equipment needed - federally funded equipment needs to be made available to outside departments.
Generally, agreements are that you can't just call FDNY for Engines and Trucks - but a specific need at a fire - perhaps a 95' TL that may not be available in Westchester and an FDNY Engine to feed it. Otherwise, the Westchester FDs that all work together will provide Engines & Ladders and manpower.

I can tell you what it's not - it's not big brother, it's not a pissing match, it's not Westchester depts don't want FDNY help - it's none of that.
Click to expand...
Those are things a written Mutual Aid agreement should address. How is an FDNY member getting hurt at a Mount Vernon job any different then a Yonkers member getting hurt? Or why would the union care if FDNY is called for mutual aid but not care about other Westchester depts? I assume each dept has its own union.

I know there are many factors to calling mutual aid but it is done with no problems in many parts of North America. When the fire is through the roof (literally and/or figuratively) having the closest units responding is important. Things like hydrant or hose connects can be overcome with having adaptors on hand. There is technology to overcome radio issues, or have the chiefs stand beside each other. FD and PD all over the place are on different radios and still work together.

If Boston and Phoenix can do it so can FDNY
 
The job used to set up drill once a year at the rock and we (63/39) used to drill with the Westchester companies but we would never get called to help them. Very frustrating when 3 kids die two blocks over the border and we know they need help. And yes we had fittings for Mt. Vernon and Yonkers.
 
Here in UK, if a brigade asks for assistance from an adjoining fire brigade it's given straight away. I can give an example, my neighbour was burnt to death in her house last year. The predetermined attendance was three engines from Merseyside Fire Brigade. The Fire was spreading to my house and a further three engines were requested. Two came from Merseyside Fire Brigade, the third was from Cheshire Fire Brigade the adjoining brigade.
 
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