Located in upstate NY near Albany, Schenectady is a city with a population of about 50,000. Our department has 120 firefighters in it with 4 stations, 4 engines, 2 trucks, 1 (sometimes 2) rescue or paramedic cars and 1 riding deputy chief per shift. Call volume is close to 12,000 per year with a good portion of them being medical and auto accidents.

I work out of Station 4/Engine 4 where I am now the driver/pump operator. Well I used to be anyway, now I am going for a disability retirement after 19 yrs of service. Each engine or truck has 4 men assigned to it...an officer and 3 firefighters but most of the time we run with just 2 firefighters.