Governors Island

[bklyndisp54]

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On a recent (closely) guided tour of the south end of Governors Island the tram passed by, parked outside a 1-story fire station, a relatively late model FDNY-marked pumper with no unit designator on its side.  Didn't notice the make, but it didn't appear to be Mack or Seagrave.   A quick glance inside the fire station revealed a full rack of turnout gear, which leads me to believe this is a fully staffed engine company.   Later, on the north end of the island (where visitors are allowed to go on foot) we saw a smaller "fast attack" pumper, also painted up as FDNY but also with no unit designator.  The only person on board was the chauffeur.

Couldn't find any reference to these units on any on-line unit roster/locater.

Looking for any further info on these units and how they are dispatched.

Tony L

[tbendick]

The Island is staffed by FDNY Members, however it is not a full company.  It's something like 1 officer and 2 or 3 ff's who man the units.
There are also 2 Engine and 2 trucks in storage for use by land units if needed.

here are some photos
http://nycfire.net/gallery/album50

[bklyndisp54]

Those rigs, while marked up as FDNY, don't look much like anything purchased by the City of NY!  Wonder if they are Federal equipment being staffed by FDNY.  I'm also curious to know the administrative alignment of those units (e.g. Unit #, Batt., Div., ) as well as who dispatches them and how. 

I've heard more FD radio traffic off of Hart Island (!) than I've ever heard from Governors Island! 

[bklyndisp54]

In partial answer to my own question, I found the following blurb on an undated NYC Council webpage, although the info seems to be about 4 years old.........

"Governor’s Island New Need.  In keeping with the agreement with the federal government to assume responsibility for Governor’s Island, the Department will place on the island a brushfire team with one officer and two fire fighters to deal with any fire emergencies.  In order to staff this unit for all shifts, the Department will need fifteen fire fighters.  For Fiscal 2004, the Governor’s Island team will generate PS costs of $396,000 and OTPS costs of $19,000.  In Fiscal 2005 and the outyears, the PS costs will be $960,000 and OTPS costs will be $46,000."

[tbendick]

Last check they were part of Engine 4 in some way.  It was not formed as a new company, at the time there were in the process of closing the 6 companies down. 

[HalliganHook]

Governor's Island has a 2002 American LaFrance FDNY pumper that was donated to the FDNY after September 11th, as well as a brush truck.  Both units respond on any fire alarm that the "Island" receives.  The crew consists of an Officer and three firefighters.  Governor's Island falls under Engine 4's response district and is considered part of Engine 4, however, the members of the Governor's Island FPU are not on E-4's roster.

I looked at tbendick's photos and I can tell you that the red Quint Ladder Tower and lime green pumper are pieces of apparatus that were left on the Island after the Federal Government sold the Island to NYC for $1.  The federal apparatus units are not stored in the firehouse on the Island; they are kept in a large garage which is probably 1/2 mile away from the firehouse.  If there is ever a fire on the Island, units would take the Governor's Island ferry to the Island and either use their apparatus or the spare federal apparatus kept on the Island.

Every year E-4, TL-15, E-6, E-10 and L-10 particpate in drills on Governor's Island.

[tbendick]

The is also two Reserve Engines and two Reserve Ladders stored on the Island for use by landing units.