7/25/2010 Bronx 4th Alarm Box 4795

[Atlas]

To answer some questions - 3511 - the distance was right to the address - 2315 Gr Con. from each fire house.

EFD274 - When you were studying Manhattan College Pkwy did you see something odd about the addresses?
If I remember correctly, the addresses run backward on that street. It might be the only one in the Bronx to do that.

Now here is a good example of what is wrong with using air miles vs street miles. From each of the unit's
firehouses to Lafayette Ave & White Plains Rd

Unit      air miles      street miles
E-96      0.68            0.8
E-64      0.77            1.1
Sq 61      1.66            2.2
E-94      1.66            2.2
E-89      1.72            2.2
E-90      1.75            1.8
E-45      1.96            2.5
E-72      2.01            2.7
E-82      2.08            2.7
E-73      2.53            3.0

Now try to figure out the assignment!

 

[FDNY150]

I guessed off the top for my head before I went and looked, I transposed the last 2 Engines on the first alarm assignment, but got the first 2 correct.
PS, knowing that area, I know certain companies can blow the doors off others.

 

[3511]

Atlas' mileage calculations ARE from an official source (not necessarily FDNY). And we agree that using air miles is crazy when dealing with City streets. Can anyone confirm that air miles is the way STARFIRE determines distance? With so many other programs that can compute street distance, it would be more accurate to use one of them instead.

There are instances, however, that the assigned companies are NOT the closest using air miles . (Not that they are the closest street distances either .) What other factors does STARFIRE consider to eventually screw up the assignments?

 

[efd274]

Atlas - sorry but I don't remember the street addresses - we were essentially doing bench level runs between several intersections and weren't doing any property type work etc.  It was many, many years ago and it was very elementary surveying. They had just done away with the survey camp requirement (2 weeks in the summer) that use to be part of the surveying curriculum.

 

[FDNY150]

3511 could you please clarify?? Please understand that Starfire is close to 40 years old and is based on technology from that era. Like I said, the system is not perfect, but it works pretty well for us.

 

[Atlas]

What the Starfire computer system does for FDNY dispatching & has done for its many years of service, I do not know of any other department who system could match it. Yes, some have newer equipment, but to handle the workload, suggest relocations, associate CIDS info, & so on, NYC has gotten its money out of that computer system.

Its far from being perfect, it can be better for its users, but it does do a first class job. Other computer systems could not keep up with the work load years back that Starfire had handled. Just think about those former July 4th nights!  The pounding that this system had to take. As New Yorkers, we fail at times to remember that FDNY covers five state counties. What other department does?  What other department had five communication offices feeding information into the system at one time?  I think the answer would be NONE!  I say no more!