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Date Posted: Friday, October27, 01:41:pm
Author: unbought and unbossed
Subject: ....but that dispatch recording dont lie.

From the Mid Hudson News:

Letter to the Editor: Horns, Sirens, and Bad Decisions

October 15, 2023

5:01 am




Dear Editor,

For quite some time, there has been a considerable and acrimonious chasm between the City Council of Newburgh and the Newburgh Fire Department. In a recent City Council meeting, Mayor Torrance Harvey suggested emphatically, “When they go low, we’ll go high,” concerning the City Council’s dealings with the Fire department. As a city firefighter, I was pleased that the Mayor pledged to take the high road and set the example of goodwill and diplomacy. My enthusiasm, however, was to be short-lived.

I watched with interest the City Council Budget Workshop held on September 18, 2023. During this meeting, while speaking, the Mayor was interrupted by the horns and sirens of the fire department. The Mayor paused the meeting and then inexplicably uttered: “Yeah, they watch it live, and they see who’s talking, and then they start running the trucks. It’s simple, simple. Anyway, that was intentional. Ha, Ha, Ha. They say Hi to the Mayor. Hi, Fire Department! Like they do on social media with their warrior keyboards. But anyway, um, so, yeah, everybody’s a warrior behind the computer. Anyway, but, um, keyboard warriors. Ok, let me get back on track….”

I took this accusation seriously. Either members of the fire department were guilty of harassing the Mayor and disrupting the meeting by “running the trucks” and using their sirens and horns illegally, which are crimes, or this elected official was falsely accusing the fire department of such. I questioned the firefighters involved. I listened to the radio transmissions for the period concerned. I scoured the log book where narratives of each call are recorded. I viewed the computer program/app Spotted Dog, which provides city firefighters with all aspects of every fire call in real time. My research revealed the truth: the firefighters were just doing their job. The fire department was notified by Orange County 911 for a motor vehicle accident with injuries. The Assistant Chief (Car 4) and Truck 1 were dispatched from Fire H.Q. to this call at approximately 6:15 p.m. Both vehicles passed nearby City Hall with their lights, sirens, and horns in operation. Car 4 and Truck 1 passed City Hall as this elected official spoke, prompting him to make these disturbing accusations. The firefighters did not watch the budget meeting and “run the trucks” to harass or interrupt this individual. They simply responded to an emergency call.

I want Newburgh to “win.” But all of us, even top elected officials, must be held accountable for our words and actions. False accusations such as these erode trust between the community and the Fire Department. They needlessly damage the Fire Department’s and, by extension, the City’s reputation. I request the City Council as a whole review with the Mayor the damaging effects these false accusations have on the Fire Department, the City Council, and most importantly, the people of Newburgh. I also request that this individual publicly apologize to the Fire Department for his false accusations. Thank you.

F.F. Africa Pickens
Town of Newburgh
Newburgh Fire Department Engine 3 dispatch log
Newburgh Fire Department Engine 3 record book
Record for Newburgh fire call

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