As the chief of the Farmingdale Fire Department, I would like to introduce to you the voices behind the emergency scene. The Farmingdale Fire Department has three full-time dispatchers who man the fire department 24 hours a day and are ready to serve the community without hesitation or delay.

They are Ryan Tortoso: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift; James McGuire: 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. shift; Keith Ryan Sr.: 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. shift.

Whenever an emergency arises, everyone hears and sees the fire engines and rescue vehicles. You get to meet the firefighters and rescue personnel face to face. The people you don't get to meet are the ones you have your first interaction with; these are the Farmingdale Fire Department dispatchers. They man the firehouse 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year for the purpose of protecting and serving the village.

For those of you who do not know what a dispatcher does, let me quickly explain. As a village resident you have the choice in an emergency of either calling 911 which is FIRECOM (an emergency dispatch run by Nassau County) or you can call the fire department direct. When you dial 911, your first contact is with a police dispatcher who will ask you what your emergency is, depending on the emergency she will then transfer you to the proper agency. Once you get connected you will state your emergency again. Now if it's a fire emergency, FIRECOM will then contact the fire department. If it's a medical emergency, they will dispatch a police ambulance (which could be out of the area) and will then notify the fire departments for an ambulance.

I know it sounds very time consuming and sometimes it is, and in an emergency, response time is very important. When you call the fire department direct, it cuts out the middleman and can save those very important minutes, sometimes life-saving minutes. Now I am not saying that a FIRECOM dispatcher is any better or worse than a fire department dispatcher, but at times the county can become overwhelmed with emergency calls. FIRECOM dispatchers take care of multiple fire departments, sometimes at the same time, which can increase response times. Having a dispatcher in the village fire department whose sole purpose is to provide a service only to the village has huge advantages. This is what makes the Village of Farmingdale a great place to live. People move into a village so they can get that kind of personal service, and knowing there is a 24-hour a day number you can call, makes most people sleep a little easier.

The Farmingdale Fire Department dispatchers not only handle emergencies, they also field calls for the Village Hall (when they are closed); answer questions regarding upcoming events such as parades and fairs; give residents advice on fire safety and local fire codes and sometimes give a listening ear to an elderly resident who just needs to talk and be reassured when they are alone. They are the true heartbeat of the village.

The fire department dispatchers use a system called Red Alert, which provides life-saving information to the responding fire department chiefs and its members. Red Alert is a pre plan/command center system that lets the rescuer know certain hazards within a building so proper precautions can be taken, such as evacuation of nearby residence if necessary. They are trained to talk you through an emergency while medical personnel are on their way, which once again in an emergency every second counts.

So what do these dispatchers do when not providing these life-saving measures? Well, they maintain the fire department and its equipment, fix minor problems within the building, give tours to school groups and make sure that when an emergency does arise the residents of Farmingdale are protected to the fullest. On behalf of the Farmingdale Fire Department I would like to thank these individuals for the service they provide. The Village of Farmingdale is lucky to have such dedicated employees.

Jack Scherer
Chief of Department