Photo Of Campaign Litter

Here's a photo of the campaign litter I was talking about in a previous entry. This photo was taken on the afternoon of 9-19-07, the day after the primaries these signs were put up for. If anyone else did this, it would be a big deal. But I'm glad that the citizens have greater respect for the visual appeal of this town and don't do this on a regular basis. After all, there is a code concerning this.

Campaign Litter

Driving around my town lately, there are campaign signs EVERYWHERE you look.

These same politicians who are posting these signs are the ones who make the laws about business posting signs, and littering. However, when it comes to themselves, obviously, the laws aren't applicable to them.

In one municipality where these signs are appearing, you're not even allowed to post Garage Sale signs without a permit, and you must take them down immediately after the event. Other signs are regularly taken down, and violations are issued by Codes Enforcement officers. In fact, DPW personel are taking down signs, and the campaigns are right there behind them putting them back up.

It's even gotten so vicous between campaigns that they're even taking each others signs down, or blocking each others signs with their own.

However, the politicans campaigning obviously don't think that the law applies to them. It's sad they can't practice what they preach. The insane amount of campaign signs around my town is ridiculous....the people campaigning are going overboard. Not only is it visually unappealing, the amount of material they are wasting is disgusting. I know they have to get the message out and are trying to rally voters to vote for them, but enough is enough.

Phelps Hospital EMS Training Center

Today, I started my Paramedic Refresher at Phelps Hospital.

I haven't been to Phelps in a while, but when I pulled in, WOW! A whole new building and parking structure had been built.

Inside the brand new building, is a brand new, spacious, amentiy loaded EMS training center. It was really amazing, one of the nicest EMS facilities I've ever seen. Everything is BRAND new, it has several classrooms loaded to the gills with the latest in A/V equipment, several simulation labs, including an ambulance simulator being handcrafted currently by Phelps EMS Training Director Jeff Meade. There's also a cadaver lab! The manequins you can perform a complete interactive ACLS scenario or many other simulated situations utililizing real equipment on.

Now, if only Phelps Hospital started offering their own, daytime Paramedic program. It would be a tremendous asset to those wanting to become Paramedics in the Hudson Valley area.

There's an open house September 29th, I HIGHLY reccomend to all in the EMS Community to go and check it out! You'll never want to get your EMS Education elsehwere.

On Saturday, September 29, 2007 from 1-4 pm, the public is invited to celebrate
the official opening of the new 100,000 square-foot Medical Services Building at
Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow.

Speeches and a ribbon cutting ceremony begin at 1:30 pm, followed by tours of the $10 million building in which several of the hospital's busiest services will be located. Of special interest are the Frank and Lisina Hoch Center for Emergency Education and the Outpatient Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department.

The opening event includes fire engines and ambulances that young visitors can explore and light refreshments for all. Residents of the entire area served by Phelps, as well as emergency medical personnel from the surrounding region, are encouraged to come see how Phelps is growing to better serve the community.

Phelps' Emergency Training Center was originally established two decades ago and has provided nearly 30,000 training sessions to emergency first responders
throughout Westchester County and beyond. In the new 7,000 square-foot Frank and Lisina Hoch Center for Emergency Education, EMTs, firefighters and healthcare
providers will have access to the same type of simulation technologies that
pilots use to build critical emergency experience.For example, one training room
is the actual interior of an ambulance where EMTs treat life-like computerized
mannequins programmed to display physical symptoms such as constricted airways, rise and fall of the chest, and breath sounds. The "patient" responds to the
treatment administered, giving the student immediate feedback as to whether the
treatment was correct. "Just as an airline pilot learns to handle emergencies in
the air by training on a flight simulator," explains Jeff Meade, Director of the
Center, "students and practitioners at our Center can learn how to safely handle
crises they may not see every day. When they do see these situations, they will
know exactly how to respond because they have trained for them on the simulator.
Ultimately this type of training will save lives."

The new Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department offers outpatients physical and occupational therapy in a spacious, state-of-the-art facility. Exercise equipment is surrounded by a carpeted "track," and there are large private treatment rooms
for therapy sessions. Patients recovering from stroke are able to practice
activities of daily living in an "apartment" that includes a true-to-life
kitchen and bathroom with handicapped features. The new facility features the
Kathryn W. Davis Therapeutic Pool and Aquatherapy Center, which adds a new
dimension to the rehab service at Phelps.

Other services that will find a new home in the building include the Wound Healing Institute, IV Infusion Center, Diabetes and Endocrine Center for Children & Young Adults, Phelps Counseling Center and Blood Donor Services.A further cause for celebration is the opening of a new 750-space parking garage. Phelps is able to offer patients and visitors plenty of parking - and it's free!

Keith And Hudson

Today, I had the oppurtunity to visit my longtime friend, Westchester County Police Officer Keith McCartney, who's assigned to the Special Operations Dvision as a Mounted Police Officer. Keith and I worked together at Empress EMS, County Police, and 60 Control. Many know Keith as "624".

I happened to be driving through Ardsley, and saw a lot of activity at Ashford Park, including horses and the WCPD chopper. So, I decided to stop by, hoping that Officer Chris Lieberman was there with the chopper, or Keith with the mounted unit.

Well, Chris decided to enjoy this beauftiful day and fly tonight, and Officer Barry Silverman was giving the public a tour of the helicopter. But, Keith and Hudson were taking full advantage of the beautiful weather. I must say it's awesome to see County Police have a Mounted Unit. It really is a great addition to a Law Enforcement agency such as County Police to have. Their horses are beautiful. And I was very proud to see my longtime friend atop that horse. He earned it.

I would have never believed you if you told me that County Police would have a mounted unit, and Keith would be a part of it 10 years ago. They've certainly come a long way in 10 years! I admire County Police and their staff for being so progressive. What's old is new again, and better then ever!

Seinfeld Moves To 5PM EST On TBS!!

Well, yesterday, I went to watch my two Seinfeld episodes at 6PM, like I do almost every weekday evening (sadly), and I look foward to it.

So, when I turned on the TV, and saw possibly one of my most hated shows on.....I shudder even saying it...."Friends", I was curious and hoping it was just a temporary shuffle for when they have the Atlanta Braves game one.

After a little investigating, it seems TBS has moved the Seinfeld block to 5PM. I liked it where it was. Oh well, thankfully I have Tivo and am able to adjust my TV viewing schedule quite easily.

They call themselves the funny channel. This move isn't funny to me! Thanks Ted Turner! (Grrrr!)

SETH IS VERY MAD HERE!!!!!

"Why Don't You Just Say The Name Of The Movie?"

My First Trip To Phoenix, AZ

This weekend, I took my first trip to Phoenix, AZ. Really nice city, and some very interesting apparatus and concepts.

Scottsdale (Snotsdale) was a really nice area!!!

In the Valley, they even have In-N-Out and plenty of Chipolte Mexican Grill locations to keep me full and satisfied. However, I must say that after LA and this, I'm actually a little In-N-Out/Chipolte burnt out right now.

70 of the photos from my 2 day trip can be seen here:
http://www.emtbravophotos.com/SpecFeat/X635PhoenixSep07.html

Stayed at the Santuary on Camelback Mountain. What an awesome resort!!!! Probaly one of the nicest, most unique hotels I've ever been to.

The Out Of Towners NYPD Welcome To NYC

So, my wife's cousins, ages 7, 14, and 17 came to town from Colorado with their mother to watch NY Baseball as their combined birthday gifts a few weeks ago.

After a nighttime Yankees game, they catch a cab back to their hotel room in Manhattan. During the trip, the cab becomes involved in an accident in a sketchy dark neighborhood in the Bronx.

The cab driver gets into an intense verbal altercation with the other driver, while they remain in the car, and after several minutes a cop shows up.

With the cab being undriveable, the cabbie informs my family that he's unable to get them to their destination. So, here they are, in the middle of some scary South Bronx neighboorhod, and no other cabs are coming by.

So, my aunt asks the cop on scene how she could safely get her and her boys back to their hotel room. The cops has major attitude and sounds annoyed and says "It's not my problem". So she asks where she can get another cab. He points and directs her three blocks in another direction, but cautions her that she'll probaly get mugged on the way and might not get a cab for a while. She asks about a bus or subway, but the cop says he doesn't ride the bus or subway, so he doesn't know. So she asks if the cop can take her to a safer location or to the hotel, which wasn't too far away. He again states that it's not his problem, gets into the car, and leaves. The other driver of the vehicle that hit the cab leaves.

So, finally, the cab driver calls his cousin, who doesn't speak a word of english, and he comes in his own personal, beaten down station wagon and drives them back to the hotel.
I mean, what was wrong with that cop?

I know complaints are often filed against Police Officers because of bogus things, but this guy definetly deserves some discipline and training on what being a police officer is all about. Leaving 3 kids and a woman from out of town alone in the middle of the Bronx. Real nice guy.
Just wondering what others thoughts are on this situation?

Intermunicipal Sharing of Police Services Considered

I'm for this. There's no reason why there needs to be so many small, fragmented departments in one town. It used to be that the Police Officers in these Villages were from the Communties, and knew the residents and village inside and out. Today, not so much. There's no reason, in my opinion, why there needs to be a highly paid command structure for each department, each department needs their own fleet, etc. It's duplication of resources. Money can be saved, and applied to putting more officers and supervisors on the street. The current Police stations can act as precincts. This would also benefit officers, as it would allow them more advancment oppurtunity and being able to change once in a while from patrolling the same small village to a different beat. It would also centralize communications and allow for better allotment of resources.

The same should also be studied to address the multiple, fragmented fire districts in the town for the same reasons.

Duplication of resources costs taxpayers money.

As the Town Board liaison to the Greenburgh Police Department’s Community
Advisory Board, I met several weeks ago with Dobbs Ferry village and police
officials to discuss the possibility of conducting a study on the benefits of
sharing services between police departments. The study would not cost
Greenburgh taxpayers, as New York State has grant money available for this
study. We think it is beneficial to conduct this study while grant money is
available to pay for it. A study previously done that looked at
consolidating the police departments in Dobbs Ferry and in Irvington suggested
the villages could each save over $1 million per year. We are hopeful this same
taxpayer savings could be realized with the sharing of services with the
Greenburgh Police Department. The crime rate in Greenburgh is at its lowest
point in recorded history. If sharing services could provide a cost savings to
the entire town, as well as increase public safety, we need to explore this
possibility. I will continue to update you as we move forward. Please feel
free to call (993-1544) or email with any questions or comments.

Eddie Mae Barnes, Councilwoman Town of Greenburgh

"The Academy" Premieres Tonight At 8PM On My9NY

Heads up, "The Academy" premieres tonight at 8PM on Channel 9 (NY Metro Area). Full review here on x635: The Blog tommorow.


The Academy
Episode 1
"Black Monday"
60 mins.

Day 1 (“Black Monday”) of the L.A. Sheriff's Department 18-week recruit-training regimen is when “hell breaks loose,” says training officer Dwight Miley---as a recruit seen drifting off in class discovers. Later, recruits must do push-ups in business suits and recite the department's core values from memory, and a flustered recruit breaks down. Bad move. “There is no crying in this job,” barks Sgt. Mark Wilkins, the training director.

The Hartsdale Barnes & Noble Pumpkin

Well, yesterday morning I passed by the now-vacant Barnes & Noble on South Central Ave. in Hartsdale. And boy, was I suprised. It was being painted in a very festive orange and black.

Now, since there wasn't any signs posted, and the "for lease" sign is still up, I'm assuming it's going to be a Halloween costume store- although I don't understand why they would invest that much money into paint for a couple of months, although it does make the building really, really stand out as you can see.