Engine company closures

Joined
Aug 16, 2008
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I have been hearing recently that NYC once again wants to close Engine companies. Can anyone confirm if this is true.
 
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Mar 29, 2012
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If anything they might be looking to close ladders. Most don't run as much as the engines and they don't do EMS.
 
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
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Here's a suggestion for the illustrious, so called, Mayor of Fun City...stop handing out all these freebies and specifically aimed programs of different nature and the City will not have to close any essential services. Nah, that would not be politically correct in the scheme of things in todays world.
 
Joined
Jun 22, 2007
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soda-acid said:
If anything they might be looking to close ladders. Most don't run as much as the engines and they don't do EMS.

I'm just a FDNY buff on the "outside looking in". I'm certainly in no position to tell the FDNY how to run the fire department. But here's something that really does help the city, the citizens, and probably the members of the FDNY Ladder companies. It probably isn't something that the guys on the Ladder Cos might want to hear. But Brothers, "DO NOT FEAR", my vote really doesn't count and I hope you know that "I really DO love you".  :)

In many cities through out the country, both Engine Companies AS WELL AS Ladder Companies, respond on medical calls. Generally if the first due Engine is out, the Ladder Co will take the next EMS run in.

The guy whose having trouble breathing, or chest pains, or is bleeding, or fell, or whatever, he or she doesn't really care what type of fire truck pulls up. All they know is that trained help has arrived. In many cases, those guys on the ladder trucks can save lives just like their brothers and sisters on the Engine companies do. Those needing help don't care if you're the nozzleman or the roofman, at least not in this case.

Now just suppose that the city DOES say, "let's close that ladder company that you are a part of". I do think that all those people you helped to breathe better or stopped them from bleeding to death just might be willing to back you up when that city tries to tell them, "WE DON"T NEED THEM ANYMORE".

Going back several years before the days of sending firefighters to medical calls, the thought by most then was; "We're no doctors, why should we take a fire truck to some guy who just needs an ambulance and be brought to the hospital".

Yes, I was a part of that. I was one of those guys. Not hired by the FDNY but a young probie in another department who they told "responding to a medical calls is now part of your job". For a young guy who just wanted to fight fires, doing this medical stuff wasn't really my thing. I remember one very smart officer who I now realize was way ahead of his time. He said to me "Willy, you don't want to go to a person who you can help breathe or save their life, but you don't mind going to a trash can on fire". It certainly gave me something to think about.

At first no ladder truck went on any medical calls either. But that changed too and when the engine was out on another run, the guys on the ladder truck would help save those lives instead. 

Looking back on it now, I'm glad that I was able to go on those medical calls. I hope that in some way, we had some kind of impact in helping people who needed us most. Of course there were those who we referred to as simply "the frequent flyers". They didn't need any medical care, just somebody they could complain to about having a bad day.

I've seen the members of the FDNY perform thousands of times. They are the BEST. In my own mind, I have confidence in the fact that if those ladder companies responded on medical calls, they would also be GREAT at that too.

Once again, my vote doesn't count. But yours does.

 
Joined
Jul 9, 2013
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I don't know where this post is coming from or where you are getting your info from , but today's NY Post has the acting COD as stating thay they are seriously condidering opening E-261 again ,with the coming of Amazon in the area. Also the lack of fire company in the area of the Hudson yards is a big concern to many. So , closing company's , don't really see that happening.
 
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Jul 28, 2014
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memory master said:
Here's a suggestion for the illustrious, so called, Mayor of Fun City...stop handing out all these freebies and specifically aimed programs of different nature and the City will not have to close any essential services. Nah, that would not be politically correct in the scheme of things in todays world.


Amen !
 
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