12/13/22 Brooklyn 3rd Alarm Box 3810

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Jul 25, 2018
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That is the ‘Long Dock’ when described in Red Hook. When I worked in L131 we had many runs there when the docks were busy before container ships took over the shipping business.
Just as described it’s a LONG DOCK! One road in and out, scary at night with water on both sides. Perfect place for Marine Units to operate, not sure Super Pumper it would have to draft or work of Marine Units for water supply.
Looking at the video of this fire reminds of a story on that pier. I side story not about this incident but bare with me as a recollect an incident there.
If you look past the fire building, down the pier where all the impound cars are parked, there used to be two other buildings similar to the fire building. In them and around them were either bags of coffee beans or bales of hemp. The bales were left out side during loading and unloading which made them susceptible to spontaneous combustion in the summer.
After responding to a few of these smoky fires which required us to tear apart these 5 x 5 x5 ft bales on hot summer days nobody was happy to be there. Plus the long shore man we’re in no hurry to help since this was hazardous duty pay for them$
L101 had a great Firefighter Buddy Switzer, who took no crap from anyone and after waiting for the long shore man to operate a high low Buddy told the Chief he could do it. Without waiting for a decision he hopped in the high low and proceeded to ‘move’ the bales apart by dropping them in the canal.
After a few went in burning or not with yelling and screaming from the dock manager and others Buddy was relieved of his high low duties and we were told to take up.
Surprisingly we had no more fires on the pier that summer 🤔. Good memories from a long time ago.
 
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Jul 20, 2022
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Once again, a major fire that appears to have been caused by or made more complex due to E-bike Lithium batterers.
Underwriters Lab. = U.L. is doing testing on Lithium Batterers, in their facility just south of Philadelphia and both Philadelphia and FDNY as well as other FDs are involved and sending top level Chief's as representatives. A family member is helping with U.L. testing.
Captain Bob Rainey Eng. 26 FDNY Retired
 
Joined
Jul 20, 2022
Messages
414
Looking at the video of this fire reminds of a story on that pier. I side story not about this incident but bare with me as a recollect an incident there.
If you look past the fire building, down the pier where all the impound cars are parked, there used to be two other buildings similar to the fire building. In them and around them were either bags of coffee beans or bales of hemp. The bales were left out side during loading and unloading which made them susceptible to spontaneous combustion in the summer.
After responding to a few of these smoky fires which required us to tear apart these 5 x 5 x5 ft bales on hot summer days nobody was happy to be there. Plus the long shore man we’re in no hurry to help since this was hazardous duty pay for them$
L101 had a great Firefighter Buddy Switzer, who took no crap from anyone and after waiting for the long shore man to operate a high low Buddy told the Chief he could do it. Without waiting for a decision he hopped in the high low and proceeded to ‘move’ the bales apart by dropping them in the canal.
After a few went in burning or not with yelling and screaming from the dock manager and others Buddy was relieved of his high low duties and we were told to take up.
Surprisingly we had no more fires on the pier that summer 🤔. Good memories from a long time ago.
The old Mack Super Pumper had 12" fiberglass pipe to draft if needed, but most often supplying via fireboat was done at major bay and river front firesFDNY Super Pumper at Drafting Op..jpg Here are photos of the Super Pumper Drafting at a drill and the Super Pumper Pump End.jpg 12-inch Suction Inlet in the Middle of the rear intake of the Super Pumper. Capt. Bob Rainey Engine 26 FDNY retired
 
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Jan 12, 2013
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The old Mack Super Pumper had 12" fiberglass pipe to draft if needed, but most often supplying via fireboat was done at major bay and river front firesView attachment 27439 Here are photos of the Super Pumper Drafting at a drill and the View attachment 27440 12-inch Suction Inlet in the Middle of the rear intake of the Super Pumper. Capt. Bob Rainey Engine 26 FDNY retired
They should have brought the new Super Pump to this fire
 
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Jun 27, 2007
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The monitors on the Marine Units, especially the two larger units, are they remotely controlled from the pilot house?
 

RCL

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Jul 11, 2022
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399
The monitors on the Marine Units, especially the two larger units, are they remotely controlled from the pilot house?
I believe they are. There used to be a video online from the previous Marine 6, fighting a fire across the East River on 1 of the piers, and you could see all of the controls in the cabin/pilot house.

Found the video. Thought it was taken down.
 

RCL

Joined
Jul 11, 2022
Messages
399
Who/what is the 4th boat flowing water? Does NYPD have marine units capable of that?
From watching FDNY Response Videos, and the video Raybrag posted, it appears to be a NYPD boat flowing water. At 14 seconds on the FDNY Drone video, you can see in order from left to right, M9 and M1 side by side, with M6 to the far right, all flowing. In between M1 and M6 is a barge with 2 NYPD boats, 1 of which is flowing water. The give away is the blue hulls with a gold/yellow stripe on the bow. In FDNY Respsonse video, at 2:58, you can see that same boat with a monitor clearly visible, over the bridge, at some point, moving over to the port side of M9, then turning around flowing water at the water, and rafting up with several other NYPD boats, after the barges got moved. There was another set of barges early on, tied up to the pier to the port side of M9, that what looks like a 3rd NYPD boat was up against.
 
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May 11, 2021
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Isn't this the first time that the "new" Marines 1,6, and 9 have all been 84 and operating at the same fire?? (Funny to call them new . . . they're more than 10 years old.)
RCL is probably referring to this fire:

A couple of days later there was a fire in the same building as today's fire:

I saw where Raybrag was questioning if this was the first time the 3 Marine Units ever operated together. Then UnitWithTheUrgent posted about the 7th Alarm fire in Brooklyn on 1/31/15. I took a look at that post and WOW, that was some fire that lasted days.

It doesn’t appear that the 3 boats worked at the same time (M6 & M9 did. M1 came in for relief). But what I also found interesting was that after the 4th alarm, there were 3 satellites in operation (SAT 6, 1, 3) and eventually all 6 Satellites operated at the scene being rotated in for relief. I never saw that before! They also had MCC1 and Planning Vehicle262 both at the scene!

Quite an operation!!! 🔥🔥🔥
 
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May 6, 2010
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Thinking back I seem to remember a Box location for Erie Basin & Long Dock .....anybody else ?
 
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Jun 22, 2007
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This 3 Alarm Fire heavily damaged the NYPD Evidence Storage Warehouse, located in Brooklyn's Erie Basin, in the Red Hook Section.
Note should be made of the following:

1) Two of the four local Engine Companies have been c
closed over the years.
Engine Co 203 was located at 533 Hicks St
Engine Co 204 was located at 299 Degraw St

2) All Three Fireboats that had protected this part of the waterfront are NO Longer in service in the fire area.
Two have been closed and the third has been moved further away from the fire scene.
Marine 7 and 8 have been closed and Marine 1 has been relocated from the Battery to the foot of Bloomfield St, which is further up the Hudson River from the old berth.

Always remember that over the years the FDNY has suffered severe cutbacks.
Over 60 FDNY Units have been closed including;
Engine Companies, Ladder Companies, Squad Companies, Marine Companies, and Battalions and Divisions.

Herb Eysser, UFA Staff
 
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