Was a Battalion Chiefs job more dangerous back in the day then it is today?

Darrell

Darrell

Joined
Mar 30, 2023
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I'm asking this cause I noticed something when I was looking through the list of LODD thread I made, both Battalion 4 and 6 lost Chiefs in a span of 11 years,
William H. NashBattalion ChiefBattalion 4September 14, 1875
Francis MahedyBattalion ChiefBattalion 4March 12, 1886

For Battalion 6

John J. BresnanBattalion ChiefBattalion 6December 29, 1894
William ShawBattalion ChiefBattalion 6May 9, 1896

So we're those areas just busy or did BC's just have a harder job back in the day? There was another BC from Battalion 6 that died in 1903 but there was a Chief from the 33rd Battalion that died a year before so I didn't add it to the list.
 
I wasn’t on the job around that time, but that area of Manhattan had a lot of people living in a small area, in tenements. The rest of the city wasn’t as active as the lower east side. I’m saying this when looking as pictures from that era. I worked in that area in the 60’s and 70’s and still had work for a small portion of Manhattan.
 
Darrell said:
I'm asking this cause I noticed something when I was looking through the list of LODD thread I made, both Battalion 4 and 6 lost Chiefs in a span of 11 years,
William H. NashBattalion ChiefBattalion 4September 14, 1875
Francis MahedyBattalion ChiefBattalion 4March 12, 1886

For Battalion 6

John J. BresnanBattalion ChiefBattalion 6December 29, 1894
William ShawBattalion ChiefBattalion 6May 9, 1896

So we're those areas just busy or did BC's just have a harder job back in the day? There was another BC from Battalion 6 that died in 1903 but there was a Chief from the 33rd Battalion that died a year before so I didn't add it to the list.
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When I came o FDNY in mid 1970, some BC’s would go into the building to see, I guess how things were progressing.
I checked out two of the above names & they were killed in the building, so back then it might have been SOP. Manpower might have something to do with it too, not sure.
An interesting read is about BC William H. Nash, a Bennett medal winner & his unfortunate death after a stellar military & firefighting career.
 
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I agree. In the old days the chief would be at the point of attack, or at least at the front door with a foot on the line to gauge progress. Now, it seems to be the same view the buffs have or looking through the windshield monitoring the electronics.

In the book "Mask of Command" author John Keegan notes a similar situation in the military. In the third century B.C,, Alexander the Great ran things from within the battle line. By the time of the American Civil War, a lot of tactical command decisions were made at the end of a telegraph wire.
 
den114 said:
When I came o FDNY in mid 1970, some BC’s would go into the building to see, I guess how things were progressing.
I checked out two of the above names & they were killed in the building, so back then it might have been SOP. Manpower might have something to do with it too, not sure.
An interesting read is about BC William H. Nash, a Bennett medal winner & his unfortunate death after a stellar military & firefighting career.
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Radios now keep the BC's up to date on conditions inside.
 
entropychaser said:
I agree. In the old days the chief would be at the point of attack, or at least at the front door with a foot on the line to gauge progress. Now, it seems to be the same view the buffs have or looking through the windshield monitoring the electronics.

In the book "Mask of Command" author John Keegan notes a similar situation in the military. In the third century B.C,, Alexander the Great ran things from within the battle line. By the time of the American Civil War, a lot of tactical command decisions were made at the end of a telegraph wire.
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General Robert Lee was always cautioning his best Corps commander James Longstreet about his being close to the action. His reply was can't lead from behind.
 
From the great Jack Parr (the Tonight Show host between Steve Allen and Johnny Carson)-" When I joined the Army I was issued a helmet with a rearview mirror..... So I could see my officers."
 
In my day of riding with B 41 as "the aide to the aide", the Chiefs there always went into buildings on normal responses. The aide stayed ootside near a rig with a radio. That was 1964 to 1973.
 
grumpy grizzly said:
General Robert Lee was always cautioning his best Corps commander James Longstreet about his being close to the action. His reply was can't lead from behind.
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Oh yeah, thats how Stonewall Jackson ended up getting shot by his own men. Man rided back to base in the middle of the night
 
Aren’t we talking about the 1st due battalion? He stays at the command post. Doesn’t the 2nd due battalion go to the fire floor? What am I missing?
 
Extra One & One said:
Aren’t we talking about the 1st due battalion? He stays at the command post. Doesn’t the 2nd due battalion go to the fire floor? What am I missing?
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Check the LODD dates, this literally has nothing to do with First and Second Due battalions. But good question. And I don't got a clue. Irvington just sends the Deputy Chief to all initial Alarms.
 
To my way of thinking, a battalion is a battalion. If the 5th Alarm battalion is killed, it’s still a chief 🤔.

All chiefs don’t get a buffs view or look through a windshield. From reading about the chiefs’ jobs and seeing videos from fires, I see a lot of battalions in full turnout gear with air packs on. 🔥🔥🔥
 
Extra One & One said:
To my way of thinking, a battalion is a battalion. If the 5th Alarm battalion is killed, it’s still a chief 🤔.

All chiefs don’t get a buffs view or look through a windshield. From reading about the chiefs’ jobs and seeing videos from fires, I see a lot of battalions in full turnout gear with air packs on. 🔥🔥🔥
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Yeah, some Chief's care about there Firefighters alot. TO the point they'll go in if there Men are in trouble and get them out thereselves. Even though thats the FAST companies job. Chief Boden from Chicago Fire is a perfect example of this.
 
Darrell said:
Yeah, some Chief's care about their Firefighters alot. TO the point they'll go in if there Men are in trouble and get them out thereselves. Even though thats the FAST companies job. Chief Boden from Chicago Fire is a perfect example of this.
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Wow! I guess I have a lot to learn. Silly me thought the 10-75 battalion went to the fire floor and/or floor above to help coordinate and evaluate the fire attack. I wonder where they go in and “hide”. Silly they even wear air packs! And the floors above chief on a 10-77 maybe runs things from the forward staging area below the fire. Darn, just when I thought I had a clue!!!
 
Extra One & One said:
Wow! I guess I have a lot to learn. Silly me thought the 10-75 battalion went to the fire floor and/or floor above to help coordinate and evaluate the fire attack. I wonder where they go in and “hide”. Silly they even wear air packs! And the floors above chief on a 10-77 maybe runs things from the forward staging area below the fire. Darn, just when I thought I had a clue!!!
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If its a 10-76 or 10-77, yeah a Chief will set up the Command Post in the building. Maybe in the lobby or under the fire floor.
 
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