FDNY and bordering suburbs

[chicago2008]

Good evening, anyone on here ever work in an area of NYC the borders the suburbs? In those areas do FDNY apparatuses carry hydrant wrenches and fittings for that suburb incase they get there first? Finally in the areas I mentioned how often do FDNY and the suburban FD get dispatched to the same incident? Thanks,

 

[scoobyd]

Several north Bronx engine companies carry tools and fittings for hydrants in Yonkers, Mt. Vernon and Pelham.

 

[Bulldog]

This thread brings up something I've been wondering for a long time. Why isn't there a national standard for fire hydrants? There are so many different thread configurations in different parts of the country it's ridiculous! I understand in certain areas have hydrants with different size outlets based on feeder sites etc. but it certainly seems like the threads should be standard!

 

[mack]

This thread brings up something I've been wondering for a long time. Why isn't there a national standard for fire hydrants? There are so many different thread configurations in different parts of the country it's ridiculous! I understand in certain areas have hydrants with different size outlets based on feeder sites etc. but it certainly seems like the threads should be standard?

A good thought, makes a lot of sense, but probably will never happen. Cost to standardize hydrant systems would be incredibly expensive because infrastructures have already been built - some well over 100 years old. It would also probably 10 or 20 years - at least - to convert city, town and county hydrant systems - if agreements could be reached regarding a "national standard". Issues like population density and climate would be a challenge. There is also the issue of state, city, county and town sovereignty. Every jurisdiction wants the power and ability to make their own decisions and determine how to run their departments and spend their money.

 

[chicago2008]

How common is it for FDNY and a bordering suburb to respond to the same incident? In the Chicago area for example CFD and Oak Park FD have responded together to fires on Austin, same with CFD and Evanston FD on Howard.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

How common is it for FDNY and a bordering suburb to respond to the same incident? In the Chicago area for example CFD and Oak Park FD have responded together to fires on Austin, same with CFD and Evanston FD on Howard.

Another one is Chicago and Cicero to incidents on Roosevelt Rd. There are some sections where one side is Cicero and across the street is Chicago. I remember a 3-11 at the casket factory at Central and Roosevelt on the Chicago side.

 

[FDNYSTATENISLAND]

I’m sure it happens more often on the other borders but most commonly I’d say is when Rockaway units work with Nassau units along Far Rockaway border. Either in those house fires on the border or in water rescues in the Rockaway inlet.

 

[raybrag]

I’m sure it happens more often on the other borders but most commonly I’d say is when Rockaway units work with Nassau units along Far Rockaway border. Either in those house fires on the border or in water rescues in the Rockaway inlet.

I agree, SI, but also happens on Union Turnpike, Hillside Avenue, Jericho Turnpike and Merrick Blvd/Road, where it's tough to figure out where the city limits are. Also, some parts of Floral Park, Bellrose and New Hyde Park are in Queens, while most of those villages are in Nassau.

 

[EdMc]

I worked in an Engine a few times that interchanged with a north Bronx company, you can figure the time, and on more then a few occasions we got to borderline boxes that had something going in the other jurisdiction. We started putting it out, cause with people looking at you you gotta do something, and when the other company showed we took up and the officer took a mark for outside rubbish.

 

[Atlas]

Over the years there have been times when outside the city units have helped FDNY put out a fire, and FDNY has helped to extinguish fires outside the city limits. It would be too costly to change all the fire hydrants to a standard thread. Buy all companies, both in & outside the city should be issued a box containing the proper fittings. I do not know if Westchester County fittings are the same as Nassau County.

 

[EdMc]

Over the years there have been times when outside the city units have helped FDNY put out a fire, and FDNY has helped to extinguish fires outside the city limits. It would be too costly to change all the fire hydrants to a standard thread. Buy all companies, both in & outside the city should be issued a box containing the proper fittings. I do not know if Westchester County fittings are the same as Nassau County.

Its a whole lot cheaper and easier to buy a bunch of fittings then to try to change all the threads on NY hydrants

 

[Signal73]

Willy D asked me to post these

 

[Red dragon]

Willy D asked me to post these


View attachment 23294View attachment 23295

Nassau county does an exercise annually with the fdny. It’s called a mobex drill usually 5 engines and 5 trucks respond to a multi unit drill site in nyc (usually close to the Nassau queens border) and operate together on some level. Also Nassau fire Marshall’s office has city boxes of adaptors wrenches etc that is provided for a fdny response. Some of the boarder companies in Nassau have city equipment due to having to use a city hydrant. There are response areas where one side of the road is fdny and one side is Nassau.

 

[nfd2004]

THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN BRAD "signal73", for HELPING ME WITH YOUR EXPERTISE.

I have been following this topic since it's beginning.
Of course there IS the concern over various sized hydrant threads, etc.

Well my friends, I don't know if this is "A BLAST FROM THE PAST or NOT", but this was a headline story from a local newspaper here about One small city that has Six individual, all separately run fire departments, covering about 30 square miles with a total population of about 40,000 people.

This article appeared on July 3, 2016.
It followed after a fatal fire that occurred, separated by only One Driveway in one response area, while the closest manned fire department NEVER responded.

It took roughly SIX Years, but I am now HAPPY TO REPORT that things have GREATLY IMPROVED since that time.
As I understand it, most of these departments now train together as well.
I think it took new leadership within some of those separate departments to make it work.

 

[raybrag]

There's another element to city borders. To quote the G-man from Oct 2009:

"That's not so unusual as SE Queens units often go through Nassau County when responding. Jamaica Ave. turns into Jericho Tpke. Also units respond into the Rockaways via Rockaway Blvd proceeding through Woodmere, Cedarhurst/Lawrence and Inwood. L134 does the same in reverse since it's the 2nd due truck into a couple of Rosedale/Brookville boxes."

 

[mack]

When SI, then officially called "Richmond" within FDNY, experienced "Black Friday in 1963. I believe it was the first time FDNY requested mutual aid - from Jersey City Fire Department. They sent 6 pumpers to SI and could not work at any of the SI multiples without an FDNY company because of fittings.

Black Saturday: One of the largest fires in Staten Island history in photos

On April 20, 1963, three brush fires devastated multiple Staten Island neighborhoods, burning down more than 100 houses.

www.silive.com

 

[mack]

There's another element to city borders. To quote the G-man from Oct 2009:

"That's not so unusual as SE Queens units often go through Nassau County when responding. Jamaica Ave. turns into Jericho Tpke. Also units respond into the Rockaways via Rockaway Blvd proceeding through Woodmere, Cedarhurst/Lawrence and Inwood. L134 does the same in reverse since it's the 2nd due truck into a couple of Rosedale/Brookville boxes."

Much of the NYC border is clearly defined by rivers and obvious water boundaries. Queens and Bronx do have city lines which border surrounding counties and cities - as discussed in several responses. But there are also many responses for bridge and tunnel fires and emergencies which usually get FDNY and neighboring department responses. It usually makes sense for both departments to respond regardless of the actual location (whether in NYC or NJ) because traffic back up may prevent reaching the incident from one side of the river.

 

[mack]

You also have the independent Port Authority NY/NJ and FDNY response to bridge incidents.

 

[OMalley]

Much of the NYC border is clearly defined by rivers and obvious water boundaries. Queens and Bronx do have city lines which border surrounding counties and cities - as discussed in several responses. But there are also many responses for bridge and tunnel fires and emergencies which usually get FDNY and neighboring department responses. It usually makes sense for both departments to respond regardless of the actual location (whether in NYC or NJ) because traffic back up may prevent reaching the incident from one side of the river.

Callers often provide inadequate or incorrect information. If a company commits to the GWB for example before the initial report from PAPD, they may have to loop around in Jersey.

 

[Lebby]

You also have the independent Port Authority NY/NJ and FDNY response to bridge incidents.

Also the PAPD engines have one side's connections in NST (NJ) treads and the other in NYCORP (NYC).