FDNY and NYC Firehouses and Fire Companies - 2nd Section

mack

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February 8, 1904 - The Great Baltimore Fire - FDNY Responded

Responding units were Engines 5, 7, 12 15, 16, 26, 27, 31, 33 and H&L 3

The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 used to be considered FDNY's "longest run" before this era of flying FDNY help to disasters where needed.  In February 1904, FDNY dispatched 10 companies, 85 men, 35 horses under the command of BC John B. Howe to assist Baltimore.  According to the Fire Museum of Baltimore, 1,231 firefighters and 1,200 National Guardsmen were needed as part of the effort. In about 30 hours, 140 acres of downtown Baltimore burned, taking down 1,526 buildings and 2,500 businesses.


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Baltimore_Fire


    http://darkroom.baltimoresun.com/2014/02/great-baltimore-fire-of-1904-110-years-later/#1


FDNY apparatus being loaded on train flatbed:

   


FDNY LODD - FDNY members operated for 48 hours straight in cold winter weather - FDNY member, Engineer Mark Kelly - Engine 16 - contracted pneumonia and died February 25, 1904 - RIP Never forget.


WNYF summary:

   

   

   
 
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Thanks Mack for the 16/7 story. My dad was assigned to 16 for his 21 year career from Jan. 1937 until April of 1958. I recall the last rig he drove was the pictured '54 Mack but at the time of his retirement it did not have the "Mars" light affixed to it. I remember, as a kid, Jack O'Keefe,R.I.P., stopping by our home in Queens several times to visit. In later years I met and worked with one of his daughters, a now retired R.N., who worked with my wife in the E.R. at the now defunct St. John's Queens Hospital on Queens Blvd. Thanks again for the trip down memory lane Mack.
 

mack

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Engine 237 firehouse 43 Morgan Avenue  East Williamsburg/Bushwick, Brooklyn

    Engine 37 BFD organized 43 Morgan Avenue                                1895
    Engine 37 BFD became Engine 37 FDNY                                        1898
    Engine 37 became Engine 137                                                      1899
    Engine 137 became Engine 237                                                    1913

    District Engineer 7 BFD organized 112 Siegel St at Engine 18 BFD    1885
    District Engineer moved to 43 Morgan Avenue at Engine 37            1896
    District Engineer 7 became Battalion 7 FDNY                                  1898
    Battalion 7 moved to 650 Hart St at Engine 18                              1898
    Battalion 7 became Battalion 27                                                    1898
    Battalion 27 disbanded                                                                1906
    Battalion 27 reorganized 1213 Intervale Avenue at Engine 82          1969
    Battalion 27 moved to 2828 Briggs Ave at Engine 79                      1978
    Battalion 27 moved to 2025 Bailey Ave at Engine 81                      2008
    Battalion 27 returned to 2828 Briggs Avenue at Engine 79              2010

    Squad 7 organized 136 Wythe Avenue at Engine 212                      1959
    Squad 7 moved 43 Morgan Avenue at Engine 237                          1964
    Squad 7 disbanded                                                                      1966


Pre-Brooklyn Fire Department - volunteer Williamsburg Fire Department:

      The Williamsburg Fire Department provided fire protection with volunteer fire companies prior to the establishment of the paid Brooklyn Fire Department and later, FDNY.  There were 13 engine companies, 10 hose companies and 4 hook and ladder companies, many serving up to 1869 when the paid Brooklyn Fire Department was established.


BFD Fire Commissioner announces new companies - Engine 37 and Engine 38:

   


43 Morgan Avenue:

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   


Engine 237:

   

   

   

   

   


Engine 237 1969:

   


Engine 237:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRMIicgpOPQ


Engine 237 medal:

    FRANK V. LA GRASSA FF. ENG. 237 MAY 7, 1975 1976 WAGNER

         


Engine 237 LODDs:

    FIREFIGHTER JOHN CANNON ENGINE 237 May 15, 1962

         

    LIEUTENANT RICHARD A. NAPPI ENGINE 237 April 16, 2012

         

         


          If you only met Lt. Rich Nappi once? you would never forget him. His leadership? firematic ability? and quick wit left an everlasting impression on everyone. Every firefighter who ever had the good fortune to spend time with Rich quickly understood the true meaning of a ?Brother Firefighter.?

          Like most firefighters? Rich loved ?The Job? and perished while leading the members of FDNY?S Engine 237 in a smoky and stubborn 3rd alarm warehouse fire on April 16? 2012. The only thing Rich loved more than ?The Job? was his family. He was a devoted husband to Mary Anne and father to Catherine and Nicholas. He loved to attend the kids? sporting events and would battle rush hour in New York to ensure he would catch the last few innings of a softball or baseball game.

          His introduction to the fire service began as a volunteer firefighter with the Farmingville Fire Department in Suffolk County. In 1995 and 1996 he was awarded the ?Merit of Valor? by the department for his dedication and skills. Rich was chosen by his fellow firefighters to lead as a lieutenant? and the community elected him to serve as a commissioner.

          The two most important days in most lives are when you get married and the day your children are born. The third most remembered day for a firefighter is when they swear the oath to save lives and property. Rich took that oath for the Fire Department of New York in October 1994? and for the next 17 years he devoted his life to the fire service. After graduating from the rigorous Probationary Fire School? he was assigned to Engine 7 in Manhattan and later transferred to Engine 302 in Queens. With just over 10 years of experience? Rich was promoted to lieutenant and was assigned to Engine 237 in Brooklyn.

          On September 11? 2001? Rich responded from home to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. In the months after? Rich spent a considerable amount of time at Ground Zero and received the Survivors Medal.
Lt. Nappi understood the need for training and brought his enthusiasm for teaching to the Suffolk County Fire Academy. He was appointed as a deputy chief instructor and was recognized as Instructor of the Year in 2012. Rich was the president and founding member of the Suffolk FOOLS. As the leader of this organization? he laid a foundation that was dedicated to training and the brotherhood.

          Lt. Nappi was a true role model. He was a man with a big heart who inspired with devotion and led with courage.    (from National Fallen Firefighters Foundation)

          http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/fallen-firefighter-lt-richard-nappi-firefighters-family-article-1.1063334

         


    RIP.  Never forget.


East Williamsburg:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Williamsburg,_Brooklyn

    http://forgotten-ny.com/2017/01/engine-237-east-williamsburg/

   









 

mack

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Engine 222/Battalion 37 firehouse 32 Ralph Avenue  Bedford Stuyvesant/Bushwick, Brooklyn Division 15, Battalion 37    ?Triple Deuce?       

    Engine 22 BFD organized 836 Quincy Street                                        1885
    Engine 22 BFD became Engine 22 FDNY                                              1898
    Engine 22 became Engine 122                                                            1899
    Engine 122 moved to 650 Hart Street at Engine 118 (later Engine 218)  1904
    Engine 122 returned to 836 Quincy Street                                            1905
    Engine 122 became Engine 222                                                          1913
    Engine 222 new firehouse 32 Ralph Avenue w/Battalion 37                    1973
    Engine 222 moved to 25 Rockaway Avenue at Engine 233                    2001
    Engine 222 moved to 32 Ralph Avenue w/Battalion 37                          2002

    Battalion 37 organized 650 Hart Street at Engine 118 (later Engine 218) 1906
    Battalion 37 moved to 836 Quincy Street at Engine 222                        1949
    Battalion 37 new firehouse 32 Ralph Avenue w/Engine 222                    1973
    Battalion 37 moved to 25 Rockaway Avenue at Engine 233                    2001
    Battalion 37 moved to 32 Ralph Avenue w/Engine 222                          2002

    Battalion 37-2 organized 836 Quincy Street at Engine 222                    1968
    Battalion 37-2 disbanded to form Battalion 28                                      1969

    Battalion 28 organized 836 Quincy Street at Engine 222                        1969
    Battalion 28 moved to 392 Himrod Street at Engine 271                        1971

    RAC 2 organized 32 Ralph Avenue at Engine 222                                  1996
    RAC 2 moved to 165 Bradford Street at Engine 332                              2001


Engine 22 Brooklyn Fire Department:

    OUR FIREMEN : THE OFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE BROOKLYN  FIRE  DEPARTMENT

    - ENGINE COMPANY NO. 22- PROTECTORS OF BROWNSTONE FRONTS

    ENGINE COMPANY NO. 22. Located in one of the most aristocratic portions of the city of Brooklyn, the house occupied by Engine Company No. 22 on Quincy Street, near Patchen Avenue, in the Twenty-fifth Ward, is surrounded on all sides by handsome brownstone and frame private residences and first-class apartment houses. The company was organized on June 16, 1885, by Fire Commissioner Richard H. POILLON.  In the district covered by it on a first-alarm there are 64 boxes, which are distributed about in the territory lying between the city line on the north. Myrtle Avenue and Broadway on the east, Atlantic Avenue on the south and Stuyvesant Avenue on the west, in all about three miles square.  In this territory besides the hundreds of elegant private residences arc the House of the Good Shepherd, Lutheran Home for Aged Women, Warner Institute, Public Schools Nos. 26, 74 and 75, Bohannan's immense lock factory. Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, of which Rev. Father Mahoney is pastor, the Reid Avenue Methodist Episcopal church, and any number of smaller churches, DeKaIb Avenue car stables, Green and Gates Avenue car stables, Ebert's brewery and Eppigs brewery.  It is in this district that County Clerk COTTIER, School Trustee Ferns and George GLENDENNING, the leader of the Twenty-fifth Ward, reside.

    The majority of the men in the company have been in the service for many years and notwithstanding this fact they have fortunately escaped serious bodily harm and with but one exception have not been called upon to rescue afellow being cut off by flame and smoke.
                 
    Foreman JOHN A. KEVENY was born in the County Roscommon, Ireland, on May 6, 1847, and came with his parents to Brooklyn when he was six years of age, and settled in the Fifteenth Ward.  He attended Public School No. 18 and completed his education at the Parochial School attached to Father Malone's parish.  After being three years in the Custom House as a broker's clerk, he engaged in a more lucrative business, which he pursued up to the time of his appointment to the Fire Department on Dec. 31, 1869. He was assigned to duty with Engine Company No. 11, then transferred to Engine No. 9 and subsequently back to Engine No. 11, from which company he was detailed to the Kerosene Bureau for three years as an Inspector.  He gave up his position in the Kerosene Bureau on March 1, 1887, to become Assistant Foreman of Engine Company No. 11, and while holding that rank he was, on July 1, 1889, promoted to the rank of Foreman and sent to take command of this company.  When the Civil War broke out he went out with the 56th Regiment New York State Militia, and received an honorable discharge when the regiment was mustered out of service.  As a volunteer fireman he as ran for two years with Victory Engine No. 13.  During his long period of service in the Department he has escaped injury.

    Assistant Foreman JAMES L. HAVILAND was born in Brooklyn on Jan. 28, 1848, and became a fireman on Feb. 8, 1876.  He was assigned as a private to Engine Company No. 17.  On Jan. 15, 1882, he was promoted to the grade of engineer, and on March 1, 1887, he was made Assistant Foreman, which position he held up to June 1, 1891, when he was transferred to No. 22. While a private in No. 17 he was accidentally knocked off a wagon and had his head so badly cut that he was unable to do duty for over two months.

    Engineer TIMOTHY J. DOLAN was born in the County Roscommon, Ireland, on Washington s Birthday, 1840.  For five years, 1862-67, he was actively engaged in the United States Revenue Marine Service in looking for smugglers.  He was appointed a fireman on July 9, 1872, and assigned as engineer to No. 13.  At the organization of Engine Company No. 19, he was transferred there and later sent back to Engine No. 13 where he remained until the organization of this company.

    EDWARD BOERUM, the stoker, was born in the city of Brooklyn, on April 25, 1842.  He fought in the Civil War, with the 47th New York Volunteers, from 1861 to 1864, and at the battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia, was wounded in the right shoulder. On Feb. 15, 1879, he was appointed a fireman and assigned to duty with Engine Company No. 9, where he remained up to the time of the organization of this company. While a member of Engine No. 9 one of the horses kicked him on the left knee joint and seriously injured him.  A year later, on the way to a fire, a DeKalb Avenue car ran into the tender and upset it, and Mr. BOERUM received severe injuries to his spine.

    THOMAS J. McCUE, the driver of the engine, was born in the Fourteenth Ward of Brooklyn, on Nov. 19, 1863.  He became a member of the uniformed force, on Sept. 7, 1887, and has served continuously since that time with Engines Nos. 11, 21 and 22.  At the fire in Bartlett's stores, in July, 1890, Mr. McCUE was so badly overcome by the heat and smoke that his life, for a time, was despaired of.

    JOHN MACKIN is one of the old-timers of the new Department.  He was a volunteer fireman as well, and in the dark days of the Rebellion for twenty months shouldered his musket with his comrades of the 12 5th New York Volunteers and marched with them into the thickest of the fight.  For another year he served his country well and faithfully on board the transport steamer " Corwin."  When peace was restored he returned to his home and joined with his friends and neighbors in the grand work of saving the lives and property of Brooklyn's citizens.  When the Legislature of the State of New York did away with the old system, John MACKIN was among the number of '' old vamps" who made application to the first Board of Fire Commissioners for appointment in the Paid Department.  He was a successful candidate and on Aug.18, 1870, he donned the uniform and began his new career with Hook and Ladder Company No. 3, and remained in that company until Engine No. 22 was organized.  At a fire on Doughty Street, when he was a member of Truck No. 3, Mr. MACKIN found an unconscious woman on the top floor of the burning dwelling and carried her down the ladder to the street.  He afterward assisted in rescuing three other members of the same family who had been overpowered by the heat and smoke.

    WILLIAM FOLEY was born in the Thirteenth Ward of Brooklyn, on June 23, 1853, and became a fireman on Jan. 24, 1887.  Since that time he has done duty with Engine No. 21 and Hook and Ladder No. 4 and was transferred from the latter to Engine No. 22, in May, 1890.

    BRYAN DUHIGG was born in County Limerick. Ireland, on Dec. 18, 1841.  He was made a fireman on April 22, 1878, and when Engine Company No. 22 was organized he was transferred from Engine Company No. 18, of which company he had been a member from the time of his appointment.

    CLATUS BURKE was born in the old Ninth Ward of Brooklyn, and is one of the late appointees to the Department.  He first donned the uniform on July 17 1891 and was assigned to this company.
                 
    BENJAMIN F DELAMATER was born in the city of New York, on Oct. 28, 1841, and prior to becoming a fireman, on April 20, 1878, he served in the United States Navy.  He was a member of Engine Company No. 13 when his transfer to this company took place.

    DANIEL R. KETCHAM was born in New York City on Sept. 9, 1833.  He was appointed a member of the new Department when it was organized and did duty with Engine Company No. 11, up to the time of his transfer to this company. He is now detailed to the Kerosene Bureau as an Inspector.

    FRANK PYBUS HART was born in New York City on Jan. 20, 1857, and he has been connected with the uniformed force since Aug. 11, 1891.
             
    MICHAEL LANGAN was born in Ireland on March 11, 1844.  He was appointed bell-ringer Dec. 2, 1879.  When that branch of the Department was abolished he was assigned to duty with this company, where he remained in active service up  to June 12, 1892, when he was transferred to Engine Company No. 18.

    ANDREW TENNANT was born in Boston, Mass., on Oct. 26, 1847.  He became a fireman on the date of the organization of the present Department, and is detailed from this company to the Repair-shop.

The men who compose this company are intelligent, active and fearless, and are in ever, way a credit to the Department.  They are equipped with a second-class Amoskeag engine, a two wheel hose-cart and three well-trained horses.  Since the company has been organized they have had several fires which have been both wearisome and perilous.  Among them were those at Pratt's oil works' Adelphi Academy, Bartlett's stores, Remsen's carriage factory, Stover's dry goods' house' the Warner Institute,  the Commercial Street sugar house, and in Smith, Gray & Company's building at junction of Flatbush Avenue, Fulton and Nevins Streets.


Engine 22 Brooklyn Fire Department:

   

   


836 Quincy Street original quarters:

   

   

   

   

   


32 Ralph Avenue:

   

   

   

   

   

   


Engine 222:

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   


Battalion 37:

   

   

   


RAC 2:

   

   


Engine 222/Battalion 37:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIr3xGtsC7k

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaHR54IRwwA

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFcv0ma4K8E

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08fi4hzPEw


Engine 222/Battalion 37 Medals:

    FRANCIS MC MAHON FF. ENG. 222 MAY 9, 1939 1940 DEPARTMENT

          Assisted in the apprehension of robbery suspects.

    JOHN J. O'CONNELL FF. ENG. 222 DEC. 25, 1951 1952 HUGH BONNER

         

         

      JOSEPH J. HANLY LT. ENG. 222 MAR. 21, 1965 1966 CONRAN

         

      KEVIN DONNELLY FF. ENG. 222 MAY 21, 1981 1982 CONRAN

         

    WILLIAM D. KING FF. ENG. 222 DEC. 17, 1988 1989 BROOKLYN CITIZENS

    JOHN J. TIMULTY FF. BAT. 37 DEC. 30, 1966 1967 WAGNER

    ROBERT O. KELLER BAT. CHIEF BAT. 37 DEC. 30, 1966 1967 PULASKI


Battalion 37 LODDs:

    BATTALION CHIEF EDWARD P. SCULLY BATTALION 37 July 24, 1955

         

          Battalion Chief Edward P. Scully of Battalion 37 suffered smoke inhalation at Brooklyn Box 874 on February 16, 1954. He never fully recovered from his injury and on July 24, 1955 died in Forest Hills Hospital. He was appointed to the Department in 1942. He lived at 80-39 88th Street in the Woodhaven section of Queens with his wife and two daughters. He was forty-six years old. (From "The Last Alarm")

    FIREFIGHTER THOMAS J. WALTERS BATTALION 37 July 26, 1957

    RIP. Never forget.


Bedford Stuyvesant/Bushwick:

   

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedford%E2%80%93Stuyvesant,_Brooklyn

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushwick,_Brooklyn


http://www.brooklynpix.com/catalog27.php?locality_no=10301











 

mack

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Engine 122 (222) horses - 1912:

   

   


Engine 222 troley collision - 1923:

   
 

mack

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Engine 222/Battalion 37 firehouse built with NYPD 81st Precinct:

   
 
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mack said:
Engine 222/Battalion 37 firehouse built with NYPD 81st Precinct:

   
When the FH was designed it was built for 222/37 & also 112 but at that time in the mid '70s "Wood City" (North of Broadway) was really burning & the then 17*DV Commander DC Al Schaefner insisted they wanted 112 to stay up North....also at that time the then CPT G. of R*2 attempted to get R*2 moved in with 222 but the Job did not go along with that....thru the years a few Units have been temporarily quartered there.....of course 227 this year but in the past 112 while their new FH was being built also for a short period in the early '90s R*2 while their floor was being rebuilt. 
 
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mack said:
    Battalion 37 organized 650 Hart Street at Engine 118 (later Engine 218) 1906
    Battalion 37 moved to 836 Quincy Street at Engine 222                        1949
    Battalion 37 new firehouse 32 Ralph Avenue w/Engine 222                    1973
    Battalion 37 moved to 25 Rockaway Avenue at Engine 233                    2001
    Battalion 37 moved to 32 Ralph Avenue w/Engine 222                          2002

    Battalion 28 organized 836 Quincy Street at Engine 222                        1969
    Battalion 28 moved to 392 Himrod Street at Engine 271                        1971

    Battalion 37 organized 650 Hart Street at Engine 118 (later Engine 218) in 1906 from Battalion 27 which was renumbered.
    Original Battalion 37 at 88-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Queens was renumbered Battalion 47 at the same time in 1906.

    Original Battalion 28 organized 231 Herkimer Street at Engine 114 in 1898 from Brooklyn Battalion 8 and renumbered Battalion 38 in 1906.
    Original Battalion 38 at 395 3th Avenue, Brooklyn was renumbered Battalion 48 at the same time in 1906.
    Battalion 28 re-organized 836 Quincy Street at Engine 222 in 1969
 
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68jk09 said:
mack said:
Engine 222/Battalion 37 firehouse built with NYPD 81st Precinct:

   
When the FH was designed it was built for 222/37 & also 112 but at that time in the mid '70s "Wood City" (North of Broadway) was really burning & the then 17*DV Commander DC Al Schaefner insisted they wanted 112 to stay up North....also at that time the then CPT G. of R*2 attempted to get R*2 moved in with 222 but the Job did not go along with that....thru the years a few Units have been temporarily quartered there.....of course 227 this year but in the past 112 while their new FH was being built also for a short period in the early '90s R*2 while their floor was being rebuilt.

During my buffing years of 76/77 etc in Brooklyn, my favorite buff site was not far from Eng 222/37 Qtrs. Broadway/Koskosko (spelling - ?) was that buff site and 222 wasn't far from there.

The reason I picked that location is because it was pretty easy to reach all the surrounding neighborhoods that were burning. Bushwick, Bed Sty, Williamsburg, and Brownsville/East NY.

I think Rescue 2 being quartered there with Eng 222 would have been a perfect central location for some of the busiest areas of fire activity.
 

mack

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Engine 263/Ladder 117 42-08 Astoria Boulevard firehouse:

    1909 approx:

         

    Current:

         
 

mack

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Engine 33/Ladder 9 firehouse 42 Great Jones Street:

1901:

   


Current:

   
 

mack

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Manhattan Sideways - FDNY Great Jones Engine Company 33 Ladder 9

    http://sideways.nyc/2012/06/fdny-great-jones-engine-co-33-and-ladder-9/

    While strolling along Great Jones Street one day during the summer of 2016, I noticed the fire trucks pulling up to their house, getting ready to enter. I immediately quickened my pace and stood there, gazing inside. One of the firemen approached me and began chatting about the architecture and the history of Engine Company 33 and Ladder Company 9.

    I learned from this kind man, who has been with the department since 1983, that the building was designed by renowned architect Ernest Flagg. Pointing to the top of the firehouse, the fireman insisted that I go to my computer and have a look at old photos of the Beaux Arts Singer Building that once stood in lower Manhattan and compare the three-story arch and windows to his firehouse. He assured me that I would see the similarities, for Flagg chose to reuse these concepts when designing his skyscraper. For a short period in 1908, it was considered to be the tallest structure in the world. Sadly, it was knocked down in 1968.

    In 1899, the firehouse was originally conceived as a place where the chief of the department could work on a daily basis. Their main headquarters were uptown on 67th Street, but my friendly fireman proudly shared that this was where the highest uniformed person and his staff were housed. At the time, firemen were continuously on duty ? ?they only had an hour or two off a day until 1917 or 1918 and then it got a little bit better for them.? Thus, it was in this same building that the men ate their meals and slept whenever they could.

    I have not met a fireman while walking on the side streets who has not mentioned those who perished on September 11. Tragically, this firehouse lost ten of their fourteen heroic firefighters when the World Trade Center collapsed. At the conclusion of our conversation, this wonderful man told me that he would be ?put out to pasture? in less than two years, as there is mandatory retirement at the young age of sixty-five in the fire department. There is no doubt that he will leave having had a full and meaningful career with his peers and that New York City is a better place because of him.

FDNY

Engine Company 33 Ladder 9
42 Great Jones Street
New York, NY 10012
 

mack

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Manhattan Sideways - Engine 69/Ladder 28/Battalion 16

    http://sideways.nyc/2017/07/fdny-engine-69ladder-28battalion-16/

    Our visit to Engine 69/Ladder 28 only confirmed what I have known since I began walking the side streets of Manhattan: Firemen are some of the friendliest people in the city. When we knocked on the door to the station, we were immediately welcomed in and invited to join the firemen in their air-conditioned break room. We were happy to escape the heat outside and enjoyed the chance to learn about what makes their station unique.

    The station was nicknamed the ?Harlem Hilton,? we were told, shortly after the gas crisis that hit the city in the 1970s. To avoid wasting extra gas by making too many trips between their houses and the station, many men chose to sleep over, hence earning the firehouse its name and their reputation as ?a hospitable bunch.? The men were kind enough to let us visit their kitchen and dining room, where they proudly showed off the long table where they eat. It is made out of the floor of an old bowling alley. No one was sure about the origins of the table or the reasons behind its placement in their kitchen, but we all agreed that it added another quirky, albeit mysterious, element in the firehouse?s hundred-year history.

FDNY Engine 69/Ladder 28/Battalion 16
248 West 143rd Street
New York, NY 10030
 

mack

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Manhattan Sideways - Engine 28/Ladder 11

    http://sideways.nyc/2012/06/fdny-engine-co-28-ladder-co-11/

    We met the friendliest firemen one day when we were on 2nd Street. The doors were up and the guys were just hanging out chatting. They knew so much about the history of the neighborhood and were so proud to be a part of it. We learned that across the street at #223 there was a bathhouse in the 1800?s. And at this same address, in the 1990?s, downstairs was the ?lower east side needle exchange?as in heroin?they had a sign on the door and people came in limos and would come with dirty needles and replace them for new ones.? The stories that people will tell us if we simply ask never cease to amaze us. They also shared that ?this was the busiest fire department in the world in 1979.? We thank them for sharing a bit of 2nd Street history with us, and, of course, for all that they do for New York City.

FDNY Engine Company 28 Ladder 11
222 East 2nd Street
New York, NY 10009
 

mack

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Manhattan Sideways -Engine 39/Ladder 16

    http://sideways.nyc/2015/07/fdny-engine-39ladder-16/

The 67th Street firehouse has endured a lot since its construction in 1887. Initially, the building housed the Manhattan headquarters of the New York Fire department, but in 1914 they moved to Centre Street, leaving behind Engine 39 and Ladder 16. In the 1970s, a proposed expansion of Hunter College included designs to demolish the firehouse altogether. Fortunately, in 1982, the facade was landmarked and its premise was restored and renovated in 1992 for better usability. Today, the building is shared with the police department?s 19th Precinct.

Dylan, the fireman that I spoke with, expressed pride in the traditions of this firehouse with both its architectural roots and circulated stories, immortalizing honorable men. ?There was a man I worked with who had been here for forty-three years,? he explained, ?It is great working under men with so much history.? Dylan directed me to a CBS documentary, Lasting Image of 9/11: An Inspiration to Engine 39 and Ladder 16 in Manhattan, which details how one photograph captures the heroism on the devastating day.

This department has also managed to have a lot of fun over the years, Dylan said. Founded on bravery and dedicated to saving lives, they are an example of ?a living, breathing energy of guys always coming in and out.? Dylan smiled as he continued, ?We have a lot of other stories, but many of them are not the ones I can tell.?

FDNY Engine 39/Ladder 16
157 East 67th Street
New York, NY 10065
 

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Manhattan Sideways - Engine 26

http://sideways.nyc/2013/12/fdny-engine-26/

Nicknamed ?The Batcave? for the emblem painted on the floor on the walkway inside, this particular fire station has been an active part of the FDNY?s network since 1865. Previously, it had been a Metropolitan Fire station starting in 1861, and before that it was run by volunteer firefighters. Firefighter Alex Laird was kind enough to give the Manhattan Sideways team a full tour of the historic building. The establishment is so old that it used to house horse drawn engines. Some of the original architecture still remains, most notably the spiral staircase that now sits alongside the modern fireman?s pole. Sadly, this firehouse lost five members in the attacks on 9/11. The station still has the original flag and radio from that day and has them on display out of respect for their fallen brothers.


FDNY Engine 26
220 West 37th Street
New York, NY 10018
 

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Manhattan Sideways - Engine 74

http://sideways.nyc/2016/02/fdny-engine-company-74/

When I knocked on the door to Engine Company 74, two firemen sprinted to the door and opened it with big grins on their faces. It was quite a welcome, and another example of how New York?s firemen are consistently friendly and kind. The disposition of the two men clashed with the ominous dinosaur skull that marks their doors, but I soon learned the reason for the design: the doors to the firehouse used to be painted black, and so other firemen would often accidentally miss the building while looking for it, earning the company the nickname ?The Lost World.? It also helps that the Museum of Natural History, home to a vast collection of dinosaur bones, is a few blocks away.
The company started on 77th Street, with Hook and Ladder 25. Engine Company 56 occupied the 83rd Street building, which had been donated to the FDNY by Harry M. Archer, doctor and Deputy Chief of the fire department. His donation, however, came with a special stipulation: the building had to always house a fire truck, or else the property would revert back to his family. Because of this, when Company 56 moved out in 1954, Company 74 moved in.
In addition to its interesting origin story, Engine Company 74 has another element that makes it stand out from other companies: A Dalmatian. We met Yogi, the twelve year old dog who is the firehouse?s mascot. He has also become a neighborhood icon, to the extent that when Yogi got sick, the community raised $7,000 for his medical bills. I learned that Dalmatians are associated with fire departments because back when there were horses and buggies, rather than fire trucks, Dalmatians were discovered to be the best at keeping the horses on course. Sadly, not many firehouses still have Dalmatians, which is all the more reason why Engine Company 74 shows Yogi so much love. They raised him from a pup, and the fireman admitted that the canine has spent more time in the house on 83rd Street than any of men.

As I said my goodbyes to the firemen, I mentioned that firemen were consistently the friendliest, most optimistic people on the side streets. One of the firemen nodded, ?Of course ? it?s the best job in the world. You get to help people.?

FDNY Engine Company 74
120 West 83rd Street
New York, NY 10024
 

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Manhattan Sideways - Fire Patrol 2

http://sideways.nyc/2012/06/fire-patrol-house-no-2/

Before it was renovated in 2011 to become the private residence of TV personality Anderson Cooper, this firehouse was fully operational from 1907 until the Fire Patrol was disbanded in 2006. One of the men from House No 2 was a responder who passed away on 9/11. Built in 1906, this is a landmark building.

Fire Patrol House No 2
84 West 3rd Street
New York, NY 10012
 

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Manhattan Sideways - New York's Bravest

http://sideways.nyc/2016/11/new-yorks-bravest/

Over the past several years, we have knocked on doors or simply stepped inside open garages and were never disappointed by the warm and genuine greeting that every firefighter gave to us. Inevitably, the conversations that we had with these fine men and women always turned to their experience during 9/11 and to those friends and fellow firefighters that their house had lost. Throughout our journey walking on the side streets of Manhattan, however, we also learned the fascinating history behind the stations, became acutely aware of the camaraderie that these people share with one another, and experienced the devotion and passion that each and every one of them has for their job.
The history of the New York Fire Department extends back to 1648, when the city was still known as ?New Amsterdam.? ?Fire Ordinances? made it so that residents were fined for dirty chimneys, which then provided funds for buckets, hooks, and ladders. At the beginning, all male residents were required to serve on the fire watch.

Fire fighting remained a community affair until 1731, when the first ?fire brigades? were formed. London provided New York with two hand-drawn pumpers, known as Engine Company 1 and Engine Company 2. In 1737, the Fire Department of the City of New York was established by the General Assembly. The department was made up of volunteers until 1865 when the paid Metropolitan Fire Department took over the responsibilities.

The Department continued to grow and change. Today, the FDNY covers 320 square miles and is responsible for some eight and a half million residents. After visiting so many firehouses these past few years, we can confidently say that New York firefighters are some of the kindest and cheeriest people that we have encountered. While most people see them as anonymous heroes whose arrival upon a distressing scene is announced by sirens, we have had the enormous pleasure of spending time with them in between calls.

Whether they are taking care of firehouse Dalmatians, playing pranks on each other, or letting neighborhood children sit in their trucks, each firefighter that we have met has shown an infectious love of life. At first we found this surprising, considering the danger inherent in their line of work and what they must confront on a regular basis. After speaking to the firemen, however, we came away with a more positive perspective. As a member of Company 74 summed it up, ?It?s the best job in the world. You get to help people.?
 

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Manhattan Sideways - Squad 18

http://sideways.nyc/2012/10/squad-co-18-nyfd/

Housed in a building constructed in 1892, Squad Co 18 NYFD is one of only seven fire houses in the city employed for special operations. Servicing anywhere from Lower Manhattan to the streets in the 90s, this squad sent a rope to secure window washers trapped during the 9/11 tragedy. Abdell, a fireman I met while stopping by the station one day, said it was these triumphs of courage that led him to join the force. ?I wanted to help somebody,? he explained. On the day I visited, he was showing his mother around and taking photos of some of the more prominent features, including the signature bright red truck. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Abdell is proud to service the city he grew up in and to share his passion for his job with others.

Squad Co 18 NYFD
132 West 10th Street
New York, NY 10014
 
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