FDNY and bordering suburbs

[nap72]

Bronx companies now have "6000" boxes which are a "dual response with Pelham Manor FD" and are announced as such. Very nice area with very very few calls for anything up there.
Also probably still on the books is Box 8999, which was/is a dual response with Yonkers - the Bx River Pkwy @ the CityLine. Never hear it transmitted anymore but the companies do run in together. Originally developed for Bronx units to go N/B from E 233 St. and the Yonkers units to come S/B from their locations.

 

[chicago2008]

I was not aware that the Port Authority had fire engines for the bridges and tunnels. I also know that several Chicago companies that border the suburbs carry wrenches and adapters for those burbs, same with suburban FD's that border the city. The only expectation is Elmwood park which has Chicago style hydrants.

 

[pefroymson]

A bit of history outside of NYC but related to the question. I lived in Missoula Mt and in the late 60s the City paid to have all their hydrants changed to a unique Thread so the Rural Departments could not hook up and it was many years before the city bought adaptors.

Another one: My dad told me stories about Las Vegas and Clark County working on Sahara Ave on the border. There were cases though rare that a House was in the city and Garage was in the county. IF they were at the same house and the County Chiefs caught a crew assisting the City, Your job could be in jeopardy.

We have come a long way from those days, and I for one am glad. Both areas have Auto Aid now and Structure fires, HazMAts etc are a mix of LAs Vegas , N Las Vegas and Clark County.

 

[Lebby]

I was not aware that the Port Authority had fire engines for the bridges and tunnels. I also know that several Chicago companies that border the suburbs carry wrenches and adapters for those burbs, same with suburban FD's that border the city. The only expectation is Elmwood park which has Chicago style hydrants.

Technically only the bridges have engines, the airports have ARFF but no structural apparatus and the tunnels have tow trucks with booster tanks on them.

 

[EdMc]

Technically only the bridges have engines, the airports have ARFF but no structural apparatus and the tunnels have tow trucks with booster tanks on them.

And lets not forget the Fire Brigade for Grand Central Station with there mini rigs

 

[EdMc]

And lets not forget the Fire Brigade for Grand Central Station with there mini rigs

Copied from another publication in an article December 2015

 

[chicago2008]

Technically only the bridges have engines, the airports have ARFF but no structural apparatus and the tunnels have tow trucks with booster tanks on them.

In the tunnels would FDNY or a NJ FD also respond? I would imagine this would depend on direction of travel and location

 

[Skyler Fire]

In the tunnels would FDNY or a NJ FD also respond? I would imagine this would depend on direction of travel and location

Depends who gets the call but they are suppose to both send units.

 

[Captain784]

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!

There is a National Standard Fire Thread. Alot of Fire Department Use it, but FDNY has it's own FDNY Thread, Some units carry adapters including the Fireboats and some units in the North Bronx and Queens Nassau Border.. Capt. Bob Rainey E-26 FDNY Retired.

 

[Captain784]

In the tunnels would FDNY or a NJ FD also respond? I would imagine this would depend on direction of travel and location

FDNY Units respond the wrong way against traffic, for example Westbound in the East Bound tunnel, after the traffic ahead of the fire has exited the tunnel. N.J. Units reverse the Process so that units can reach the fire, without vehicles trapped in the tunnel impeding their response, I worked in 2 FDNY Engine Companies in my 30 years on the who trained in the Port Authority Holland and Lincoln Tunnels. A serious fire in mid 1940s in a truck carrying It think Hydrogen Sulfide, in the Holland Tunnel caused changes in how fires in the tunnels were handled. My 1st FDNY Unit Engine 27 9closed in 1975) had a device called a Loftus Suction Collector that was used to hook up supply lines from multiple outlets in the tunnels standpipe system to the main suction intake of the Engine Co. One of these Loftus Suction Collectors is in the FDNY Museum on Spring St. in Lower Manhattan. At one time Chief Loftus was Chief of Department of the F.D.N.Y. Capt. RRR E-26 FDNY retired

 

[chicago2008]

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.

Interchange is that like "second up" or second engine?

 

[twoteamtease]

Interchange is that like "second up" or second engine?

Interchange hasn’t been around since the 70’s - when the workload was much more segregated. Companies that wouldn’t catch a job for a long time would switch response areas with a company that went to work every tour. There was a predetermined number of total runs or 10-75’s which would initiate the interchange.

In today’s FDNY, the incredibly slow units from back then have numbers that are a lot closer to units in which they would interchange with. In other words, the bell curve is a lot “wider” today as opposed to back then.

ChiefJk could elaborate on the interchange a lot more than I can.

 

[68jk09]

The interchange program in the FDNY started around the same time I came OTJ in 1968.....I was in LAD*108 & we had several (then) slower Companies that we interchanged with between 1968 & 1975 when it was stopped.....108 & 111 were 2 of the last busy Trucks to interchange as I remember.....we started interchanging with 128 for a few years then we were switched to 115.....then 136 & at the end of it we were going to 106 (which by then was actually in our own 35*BN as the the 36 had been disbanded)......you would automatically go every third night tour all night & on the 2 night's in between if you had 20 Runs by midnight you would interchange for the remainder of that tour & if you had 6 hours of work in the tour you would interchange the next night even if it was not the third night ( often many Runs & Workers were conveniently NOT entered ) ....there was also a work number provision to trigger going at Midnight....most busy Units did not want to go & most slow Units did want to switch either.....I did not like it at all ....we would be riding heavy so 1 or 2 FFs would stay back in the busy Unit & work there in other words 108 would have 6 or 7 FFs & the slower Unit would have their 5 so guys always fought to stay back in the busy FH....there were a lot of other drawbacks to the program but they are ancient history now.....funny thing is that during the years the interchange was in effect no one at least from my Company or any of the other Units we went to ever said "hey I like the difference so I'll put in for a transfer to the Unit".

 

[3511]

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

Great video. Thanks for posting Mack. A couple of questions...
1. Both units are using strictly booster Tank supply to the lines?
2. How the h*** did FDNY E46 manage to come in from the Jersey direction, opposite 93/45. Nice piece of navigation by the officer and chauffeur.

 

[mack]

The interchange program in the FDNY started around the same time I came OTJ in 1968.....I was in LAD*108 & we had several (then) slower Companies that we interchanged with between 1968 & 1975 when it was stopped.....108 & 111 were 2 of the last busy Trucks to interchange as I remember.....we started interchanging with 128 for a few years then we were switched to 115.....then 136 & at the end of it we were going to 106 (which by then was actually in our own 35*BN as the the 36 had been disbanded)......you would automatically go every third night tour all night & on the 2 night's in between if you had 20 Runs by midnight you would interchange for the remainder of that tour & if you had 6 hours of work in the tour you would interchange the next night even if it was not the third night ( often many Runs & Workers were conveniently NOT entered ) ....there was also a work number provision to trigger going at Midnight....most busy Units did not want to go & most slow Units did want to switch either.....I did not like it at all ....we would be riding heavy so 1 or 2 FFs would stay back in the busy Unit & work there in other words 108 would have 6 or 7 FFs & the slower Unit would have their 5 so guys always fought to stay back in the busy FH....there were a lot of other drawbacks to the program but they are ancient history now.....funny thing is that during the years the interchange was in effect no one at least from my Company or any of the other Units we went to ever said "hey I like the difference so I'll put in for a transfer to the Unit".

The interchange program was intended to distribute the incredibly high workload that continue to increase. A simple shortcoming was that a busy truck or engine could interchange with a slower company and - still catch jobs. The city in general was becoming busy. How much of a break was it to go to another firehouse and get 10 runs instead of the 20 in your own firehouse? And members who had the 20 runs might not even be working the following interchange night - so who was getting a break? The program worked against familiarity with response district knowledge and overall effectiveness. It also didn't seem to decrease the overall workloads of busy companies.

 

[Captain784]

As a covering Captain I worked in an Engine Company in the extreme North East Bronx. We were sent to a Brush Fire and not knowing the area saw it was a large brush fire and that houses were threatened I transmitted a Signal 10-75 "For a Large Area of Brush with Structures threatened. " The next units on the scene were Mack Pumpers with a different look to them. It tuned out they were from the Pellam FD. The Brush fire was right on the border and we were outside NYC until the Engine Co. Chauffeur I did not know or or really care. So FDNY Units and southern Westchester worked together and controlled the situation. When the FDNY Battalion Chief and later the Deputy Chief Arrived, the only thing they said was next time let the Bronx dispatcher know the situation so proper notifications could be done. The fire did damage the vinyl siding on two houses and burned a backyard shed. Captain Bob Rainey FDNY E-26 retired.

 

[bxengine]

Great video. Thanks for posting Mack. A couple of questions...
1. Both units are using strictly booster Tank supply to the lines?
2. How the h*** did FDNY E46 manage to come in from the Jersey direction, opposite 93/45. Nice piece of navigation by the officer and chauffeur.

Takes 30 seconds (at 2 am on a weekend lol) to spin around at the palisades toll and come in the other way.

 

[Captain784]

In the tunnels would FDNY or a NJ FD also respond? I would imagine this would depend on direction of travel and location

I worked on the west side of Manhattan for many years, in the FDNY. A fire in the Tunnels between NY and NJ. resulted in a response from both ends of the tunnel = NY and NJ. If the fire was in the New Jersey bound Tunnel Tube the traffic beyond the fire would exit to safety, then the Port Authority Police fire suppression/tow units would enter against traffic. If they need assistance a limited number of Jersey City or Hoboken FD Units , depending upon if the Holland or Lincoln Tunnel Tunnels was involved, would also responding in against the normal flow of traffic. Just the opposite happen in the fire was in a tunnel tube NYC bound. The Port Authority Police suppression/tow units would enter against traffic. The FDNY unit standing by the Manhattan end of the tube would enter if requested by the Port Authority Police. I all cases the very huge fan system in the tunnel could be used to isolate the smoke from by setting up positive pressure in areas not affected by actual fire. In the fire area, large installed tunnel fans/blowers could be used if required to exhaust smoke and heat, when requested. This system is used in many long large tunnels all over the world in some form. Clifford Holland was the engineer that devised this system and that is why the Holland Tunnel between lower Manhattan and Hoboken is name the Holland Tunnel after that brilliant man. Capt. Bob Rainey FDNY E-26 retired

 

[3511]

View attachment 23297
Copied from another publication in an article December 2015

And let's not forget what the initial rear mounts were called....L27-2 I believe got the first one...my dear friends, Matty (27-2) and Sammy Preston (E79) invited me down to 27s quarters to see the new... "mini trucks", named as such at the advent of the time of those gorgeous mini skirts.
Boy, has this thread gone off the rails.. But I guess that's what makes this forum so interesting.

 

[jlab]

Now that many fire departments use large diameter hose with Storz connections fire hydrants could be more easily standardized with Storz connections instead of threaded connections. All you would need to do is when replacing current hydrants replace them with a hydrant having Storz connections until all hydrants have only Storz connections. Engine companies would, however, need to carry Storz to treaded connection adapters until the transition was completed.