12-1-21....BKLYN THIRD ALARM BOX 1988.. MAJOR TECH RESPONSE ..EXPL. & FIRE.

I just listened to the WABC news report posted up #11. I just don’t get why when someone smells gas, they don’t call the Gas Company, or for that matter, the Fire Department. I was an Investigator for Keyspan and covered many explosions similar to this one. It’s always the same, I smelled gas but in reality, I did nothing. Its a miracle no one was killed. It’s going to be a busy day for National Grid too.
 
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Rich M said:
I just listened to the WABC news report posted up #11. I just don’t get why when someone smells gas, they don’t call the Gas Company, or for that matter, the Fire Department. I was an Investigator for Keyspan and covered many explosions similar to this one. It’s always the same, I smelled gas but in reality, I did nothing. Its a miracle no one was killed. It’s going to be a busy day for National Grid too.
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We've had many of those down here in Pittsburgh area too, my thing is when you smell gas call Cuz you never know
 
This reminds me of the apartment bldg that exploded on State St. years ago right near E226. I believe the residents smelled gas no one called and the apt. house was leveled. I think a man and his wife were killed.
 
jtsjc1 said:
This reminds me of the apartment bldg that exploded on State St. years ago right near E226. I believe the residents smelled gas no one called and the apt. house was leveled. I think a man and his wife were killed.
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That’s correct. Three people were killed in that explosion. (7/2000) Instead of calling the Gas Co. the two men went to look for the source of the leak. As a side note, my uncle, who was a D11 aide and the Chief were in E226’s quarters at the time of the explosion. He told me later he was glad they didn’t go to the firehouse (which was across and slightly down the street) to report the leak. Had they done that, E226, Chief Burns and my uncle might have all been caught in the explosion. We at the Gas Company spent days at that job.
 
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Rich M said:
That’s correct. Three people were killed in that explosion. (7/2000) Instead of calling the Gas Co. the two men went to look for the source of the leak. As a side note, my uncle, who was a D11 aide and the Chief were in E226’s quarters at the time of the explosion. He told me later he was glad they didn’t go to the firehouse (which was across and slightly down the street) to report the leak. Had they done that, E226, Chief Burns and my uncle might have all been caught in the explosion. We at the Gas Company spent days at that job.
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I remember it well. I was repairing a phone line down the block a couple days before. Fortunately neither you or your uncle were there at the time. After so many years of working in different buildings you take for granted nothings gonna happen. Sad to say a few people died there.
 
jtsjc1 said:
I remember it well. I was repairing a phone line down the block a couple days before. Fortunately neither you or your uncle were there at the time. After so many years of working in different buildings you take for granted nothings gonna happen. Sad to say a few people died there.
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You are so right about taking things for granted.

Maybe I didn’t make it clear in my last post. My uncle was there. He and the Chief were in the quarters of E226 when the explosion took place. After the explosion, they ran out of the FH, through the smoke and dust in the street towards the building along with the members of E226 and their rig.

When I said he (my uncle) was glad they didn’t go to the firehouse to report the leak, I was referring to the homeowner. Instead of the homeowner knocking on the firehouse door to report the leak, he went to get a friend/neighbor to help him look for the leak. Had the homeowner went to the FH instead, things might have turned out different for my uncle, the Chief and the members of E226. The homeowner, his wife and the neighbor were the 3DOA’s. My uncle always felt he dodged a bullet that night. He went on to retire in Jan of 2001 after 39 years on the job.

I didn’t arrive there until the following morning. Sorry for the confusion and I hope that makes it a little clearer.
 
We were called to Riverdale and Osborn St for a gas leak in the project. As we pulled up I noticed several Brooklyn gas co. trucks parked at the building. We proceeded to the basement were the boiler was. Upon entering the boiler room it kicked on and made a roar so loud it was deafening. You never saw 3 firemen run out of that room so fast. Since the building was a project, 20 some odd stories, the boiler was huge.
 
Rich M said:
You are so right about taking things for granted.

Maybe I didn’t make it clear in my last post. My uncle was there. He and the Chief were in the quarters of E226 when the explosion took place. After the explosion, they ran out of the FH, through the smoke and dust in the street towards the building along with the members of E226 and their rig.

When I said he (my uncle) was glad they didn’t go to the firehouse to report the leak, I was referring to the homeowner. Instead of the homeowner knocking on the firehouse door to report the leak, he went to get a friend/neighbor to help him look for the leak. Had the homeowner went to the FH instead, things might have turned out different for my uncle, the Chief and the members of E226. The homeowner, his wife and the neighbor were the 3DOA’s. My uncle always felt he dodged a bullet that night. He went on to retire in Jan of 2001 after 39 years on the job.

I didn’t arrive there until the following morning. Sorry for the confusion and I hope that makes it a little clearer.
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He probably dodged another bullet by retiring in Jan 2001. God Bless him.
 
In photo 110 (great photos as always by the way) there appears to be 9 members of Rescue 2 on scene taking a photo next the rescue and collapse rigs. My assumption would be the normal 6 members on the rescue and the additional members transporting collapse rig. However, All this time I thought when the rescue transports the collapse rescue two of the six assigned rescue members transports it. Does anybody know the protocol for units transporting 2nd pieces. Do the members on the primary rig transport or are there extra staffed members in quarters to transport.
https://grogan.smugmug.com/Fire-Department/FDNY/Brooklyn-3rd-Alarm-House-Explosion-12121/i-FFpJHsr
 
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