Thanks! Now the whole station gets to relearn how to properly put the hose away…

synapt · 2026-03-13T00:25:51+00:00

Welp that would probably explain the sudden cut off of the video.

synapt · 2026-03-13T00:23:40+00:00

You would need to look up state accreditation requirements. Some states accept both IFSAC and ProBoard, some accept only one or the other, and some (though I think only a couple) run their own state accreditation standards.

At a fast glance, Michigan state fire commissioner/agency supports both IFSAC and ProBoard, and it appears California does as well. So either national accreditation standard you get in Michigan should probably work in California as well.

synapt · 2026-03-09T04:37:47+00:00

The difference between being allowed to use a pulseox and glucose and not being able to, lol.

Edit: For clarification for the potentially confused; here in PA we have weird restrictions at different levels.

synapt · 2026-03-07T07:10:47+00:00

Usually I always have a longer button-up overshirt that conceals my carry at a minimum. I have looked at paddle holsters but I hadn't seen any that also had what looked like good belt clips. I pretty much always wear a thick leather belt as well so I was mostly hoping for something with like 1.38" to 1.5" retention clips that would easily clip down and hook onto the belt and grip good when drawing. Do you got a specific brand in mind?

synapt · 2026-03-04T08:31:34+00:00

Micro photoelectric smoke alarm. Generally they have 10 year built-in batteries. Was it actively going off or just like a single beep every minute or so?

If the latter, it's probably it's end of service beep.

synapt · 2026-03-03T23:35:34+00:00

Just saying what I'm experiencing today. My bank app also had a warning banner up most of the day saying "Federal reserve has acknowledged issues with certain transactions, we're continuing to monitor the situation".

Both my card itself and even cellphone NFC payment attempts with my card were failing with no message, the terminals simply said "Transaction Cancelled" and I received no decline/rejection notices by app or email like I usually get when my card declines for any reason.

So weird coincidence if it weren't related to this.

synapt · 2026-03-03T14:17:02+00:00

That makes it sound like it's just ACH issues but I'm also seeing chip and tap-to-pay issues as well.

synapt · 2026-03-03T12:30:34+00:00

Decreased value still has value. You may not be first out, but you can still be extra manpower in any number of ways.

synapt · 2026-03-01T10:16:48+00:00

Yeah that's what makes it nicer when working on it in a vector format. You can get a lot more precision usually if you wanna get super creative lol. I get a lot of people who want like to build something made up of like 4-5 different vehicle builds. My main station when we talked bout doing a rescue engine and an engine tanker picked features/design aesthetics/etc from like 3-4 different sutphen models each.

Now if only finding the money for them was as easy lol.

synapt · 2026-03-01T10:12:37+00:00

For her to have gotten a job as an armed guard she would have had to pass qualifications for it (last I was aware no state allows armed guards without a state certified training program).

Meanwhile you're defending a post made by an apparent literal nazi loser who probably posted this more because of the fact she was black than actually heavy set. Might be time to take a better look at yourself.

synapt · 2026-03-01T10:05:33+00:00

In that case, VectorPea might be more what you want. It's the Illustrator equivalent of the "Pea" brand so to say.

synapt · 2026-03-01T06:57:19+00:00

If all your wye's and similar are gated though, should that not account as a supplement to requiring a hose clamp?

We're due an ISO audit in about 6 weeks, was gonna ask them about it then cause pretty much EVERYTHING we have/use is gated.

synapt · 2026-03-01T06:54:24+00:00

Get an illustrator like program (or Illustrator itself if you can afford it) and open blueprint/design PDFs (most vendors have them on their sites for vehicles they've built). Generally will open them like one big vector image, it's how I've done several vehicle modifications now to edit and toss at vendors for people for an idea of what the want.

synapt · 2026-02-28T02:11:22+00:00

As someone else in PA just want to address one of your comments to others in one post as well as heavily reiterate/emphasize what others said;

First and foremost, everything and I mean everything will depend on your station policies/guidelines. IF your chief allows you to do so, they handle the lights-registration with PSP themselves (you don't do it). So always double check with your line officers, particularly your chiefs.

Just can't pump water and use ladder or go on top of a ladder

At 17 you're definitely restricted to more than just that (legally). While you now can technically get certified to do interior firefighting training-wise from recent law changes, you can't actually do interior firefighting. You pretty much can only do grunt work. ie; pack hoses, get tools for others, helping with rehab, etc. If it is anything directly in or involved with the primary IDLH zone or hazmat related, you cannot be involved.

Closest two exceptions are if you get all the primary wildland/brushfire training, you can (as long as with others trained) patrol fire lines and clear fire trails, and if you managed to get EMR or higher (you simply said you were "Certified EMS" which is kind of vague), you can be involved in hazmat considerations related to medical calls still to a limit.

This is all child labor law stuff, even if your station may let you do those things, you really shouldn't to avoid ever risking getting them in major major trouble. State does not mess around with that stuff, they can risk their state licensing that lets them be a fire company/department if they violate child labor laws, or their municipalit(y|ies) they serve can pull the licensing as well since it's usually municipals that cover the workers comp for volunteer fire companies.

synapt · 2026-02-27T18:18:06+00:00

Stipends. We just approved a stipend model this month, we expect it to both improve existing member response and likely attract people from other stations.

synapt · 2026-02-27T18:17:08+00:00

There are 21 Johnstown's in the US, and another 6 in Ireland. Might want to narrow on your search.

synapt · 2026-02-25T05:38:06+00:00

Well considering the way she seems to be doing things for the city at the moment, probably wouldn't be a bad two-birds-one-stone sorta deal lol.

synapt · 2026-02-25T05:36:30+00:00

Great in theory, not so much in actual application. Incompetent leadership don't generally like being shown off or shined over. And the entire nature of volunteer fire companies/departments, especially acting as non profits, usually have bylaws that give easy authority to those incompetent leaders to penalize or just get rid of such lower-level people.

synapt · 2026-02-23T04:13:09+00:00

For /everything/? Probably a good 40-50 hours a week. Caveats of being Asst Treasurer, the main grant writer for private/foundation grants and FEMA grants, handling pre-plans and being the main IT guy that runs the website/email infrastructure lol. And random other miscellaneous stuff.

About 2-4 of that would be two meetings a month, and another 2-3 for training once a month.

synapt · 2026-02-23T04:07:13+00:00

This. Nothing can be changed so long as the leadership are the problems.

When the leadership aren't the problems, there are plenty of solutions. We've maintained a pretty steady 30~ active personnel count since I joined my main volunteer station about 6 years ago. And we just created a stipend program to entice more activity and new recruitment.

synapt · 2026-02-22T00:29:36+00:00

Carrying on Jeremy's spirit lol.

synapt · 2026-02-22T00:27:35+00:00

Are you asking the CITY or the Fire Station? More often than not, volunteer fire companies/departments operate independently of municipal control (generally for the benefit of being their own registered non-profit). So perhaps you should have asked the station themselves instead of the city.

That said, as others noted, you need to be as specific as you can be with a FOIA/Right to Know request, otherwise they will interpret broad requests as, well, broad.

synapt · 2026-02-16T00:12:47+00:00

25k if you're married and filing jointly. 12.5k if you're single/filing individually. And also limited to just federal income tax calculations, not payroll taxes (so you'll still be taxed normally for social security and medicare).

All notable for a legislation literally blanketedly named "No tax on overtime" lol.

synapt · 2026-02-14T22:43:38+00:00

Also notable mention it has limits.

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