FDNY and NYC Firehouses and Fire Companies - 2nd Section

[mack]

Is there a Unit Location Chart available or perhaps already posted somewhere that corresponds with the 1971 map of the sixteen divisions?

1973 Unit Location Chart

   


Note - Bn 55 and Bn 56 in Bronx and Bn 59 were assigned administrative boundaries by 1973.  Battalion 60 had no administrative boundary and rotated to different Brooklyn battalions and operated as a 2nd section during tour.

 

[mack]

1971 R&W to correspond to 1971 division/battalion location chart:

   

 

[68jk09]

^^^^Take me back ! ....a great time.

 

[mack]

Engine 216/Ladder 108 - 1960s/1970s:

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

 

[68jk09]

^^^^^^ Thank the Lord that even a few of us in those pictures above still can walk His Earth....Continued Rest In Peace To The Rest.

 

[memory master]

In the 1st photo of the 108 crew, is that Lt. Moe Klang?

 

[JohnnyGage]

Great stuff "mack", your research is outstanding!

 

[nfd2004]

There was a book published by Ronda Beame, at the time I think then NYCs Mayor Beame's daughter.

That book simply named: "Ladder Co 108" is one of my favorites.

A quick check at Amazon shows a price of $399.00.

 

[68jk09]

In the 1st photo of the 108 crew, is that Lt. Moe Klang?

YES ..photo was taken in a studio on Manhattan Ave near Seigel St around 1958 or 1959 ..left to right  FF Dick Bonadio RIP...FF Hank Zuercher also..FF R*2...LT SQ*3...CPT 108...BC BN*58....Hank while a FF in R*2 rescued LT  Dick Hamilton R*2 at the Constellation Fire by carrying him over his shoulder up vertical iron ladders from the burning hold.....Hank was a man of few words but tough as they come...proby was Paul Walsh who early on transferred to LAD*43.....LT Moe Klang.....FF Bill Lagazza who later transferred to 120 ..Bill was at the Constellation Fire w/108.. .....FF Louie Picconi RIP whose Son Greg RET has attended some of our Get Togethers FF 132 ..Charter LT LAD*133.

 

[fdhistorian]

Division 9 had two short lives. 
From 1900 to 1906 it was in Brooklyn until renumbered as Division 13 (which itself became Division 15).
Decades later, from 1968 to 1989, it split the workload of Divisions 6 and 7.

Battalions assigned to Division 9.

Division 9 Brooklyn
  Battalion 27, Brooklyn 1900 - 1906
  Battalion 28, Brooklyn 1900 - 1906
  Battalion 29, Brooklyn 1900 - 1906
  Battalion 34, Brooklyn 1900 - 1906
  Battalion 37, Queens   1905 - 1906

Division 9  Bronx
  Battalion  3, Bronx      1968 - 1989
  Battalion 15, Bronx     1968 - 1989
  Battalion 20, Bronx     1968 - 1989

 

[mack]

Engine Company 90/Ladder Company 41 firehouse 1841 White Plains Road  Van Nest, Bronx Div 7 Batt 20 ?Van Nest Hose Company" and "Morris Park Fire Department"

    Engine 90 organized 1841 White Plains Road w/Ladder 41                          1910

    Ladder 41 organized 1841 White Plains Road w/Engine 90                          1910

    Division 9 organized 617 Central Avenue at Engine 152 (Brooklyn)            1900
    Division 9 disbanded                                                                              1906
    Division 9 reorganized 2504 Webster Avenue at Engine 48                        1968
    Division 9 moved 1841 White Plains Road at Engine 90                              1968
    Division 9 disbanded                                                                              1989


Pre-FDNY:

    Van Nest Hose Company No. 1 was originally located at 1703 Unionport Road and was organized in 1906.

    Van Nest Hose Company. No. 2 was located at East Tremont and Rosedale Avenues.

    Both companies were disbanded in 1910.

   


    Van Nest Hose 1 1703 Unionport Rd:

         


    Van Nest Hose Company 2, E. Tremont and Rosedale Avenue:

         

         


1841 White Plains Road:

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

 

[mack]

Engine Company 90/Ladder Company 41 (continued)


Engine 90:

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   


Ladder Company 41:

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

 

[mack]

Engine Company 90/Ladder Company 41 (continued)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9kaFHtx4_M

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTi9-uLOg3M

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

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

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVHphl1O3DQ

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btwxL7A2aEs

 

[mack]

Engine Company 90/Ladder Company 41 (continued)

Engine 90 Ladder 41 Centennial:

   


    NY Post - Morris Park Firehouse Celebrates Centennial - by Daniel Roberts - May 11, 2010 - 2:23am

          The central firehouse serving Morris Park, which houses the companies of Engine 90 and Ladder 41, celebrated 100 years of service this past Monday, May 3, in a mega centennial blowout.

          Some found it hard to believe the house had been sitting at its location on White Plains Road for an entire century.

          ?100 years goes by very quickly,? said Herb Kramer, who is 77 and said time has flown since he went to junior high at what used to be P.S. 34, on Amethyst Street, but is now a condo complex. ?From ?45-?47, I hung around this firehouse with all my friends,? he said. ?They were a great bunch of guys. Of course, that was back when firemen had no fancy gear, they went to work in jeans and used ladders made of wood.?

          In addition to neighborhood locals like Kramer, the centennial celebration pulled 147 alumni of the house from all over the country, though most came from upstate New York. Meanwhile, the occasion was equally meaningful for the current firemen of the house, even if they had only been there for a few years and were less steeped in the building?s rich history.

          ?All the guys are definitely excited today,? said Captain Michael Gallino. ?I?ve been here almost four years. We went from being a slow engine to one of the busiest in the city. We had a lot of huge saves this year, and we?ve seen heavy action.? Gallino also noted how eager the current firemen were to meet some of the retired guys. ?When you retire from here, you?re never done,? said Gallino, just before greeting an older alum of Engine 90.

          All around Gallino were other former firefighters reuniting. They slapped each other on the back and could be heard saying things like, ?What are you doin? here, you old bag!? and, ?Oh look at you, big guy!?

          Chris Vignali has been a firefighter at Engine 90 for nine years, and took the lead role in organizing Monday?s centennial, with the help of his devoted girlfriend, Stacy Bourne. A large stretch of White Plains Road was shut down to cars for the whole morning, and as Bourne added, ?They got special polo shirts made up that they?ll all wear when they go over to Maestro?s after this.?

          Vignali?s father, Frank, worked at Ladder 41 and had 32 years of history with the FDNY before retiring. ?There?s a lot of tradition here,? said Vignali, standing with his dad. ?We have a plaque up on our wall from 1909, when the house opened its doors, and now, today, a new 100-year plaque will go up next to it for everyone to see, forever.?

          That plaque still had a sheet covering it when all the firemen of Engine 90 and Ladder 41 shuffled inside the garage to watch a special ceremony that began with bagpipes and the singing of our national anthem. Soon enough, FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassano addressed the nearly 300 people present and called the company of Engine 90 and Ladder 41 ?the best the FDNY has to offer.? Cassano said that FDNY firefighters ?have sacrificed more for this city than any other organization.?

          Chief of Department Edward Kilduff, meanwhile, made happy mention of the sun, which was finally coming out and shining into the open garage. ?We?re glad the rain stopped, because you guys deserve to have the best day possible to celebrate your centennial,? he said. Edward Brown, UFA Bronx Trustee, got some laughs when he, like Herb Kramer, compared the old neighborhood to today?s. ?Years ago, around here, guys wore leather jackets and chains,? he said. ?Now, I can go buy a live goat down the street.?

          Finally, the new plaque was revealed. ?100 years of dedicated service,? it reads. Below that: ?This day is dedicated to our members, past and present, who have given so much and who have built a great tradition that will be continued by those that follow.? The plaque then lists the role call of all currently active firefighters and commanding officers.

          ?This really brings back a lot of memories,? said Chris Tutone, who worked at Engine 90 for 12 years and came from Long Island for the centennial. His wife could only look at him admiringly as he took it all in.

          https://nypost.com/2010/05/11/morris-park-firehouse-celebrates-centennial/

 

[mack]

Engine Company 90/Ladder Company 41 (continued)

Engine 90/Ladder 41 medals:

    JAMES J. ELDER FF. LAD. 41 JAN. 22, 1936 1937 DEPARTMENT

    FREDERICK W. GOEBEL FF. LAD. 41 OFF DUTY JUL. 21, 1950 1951 O'DWYER

    SALVATORE C. BARRESI FF. LAD. 41 OCT. 21, 1993 1994 KRIDEL

    KEITH V. LAGAN FF. LAD. 41 MAR. 24, 2006 TREVOR-WARREN

         

         

    FREDERICK M. SCHWARZROCK FF. LAD. 41 MAY 21, 2006 2007 STEUNEN

         

         

    JAMES F. CONGEMA LT. LAD. 41 MAR. 23, 2007 BENNETT

         

         

          The department's top award, the James Gordon Bennett Medal, went to Fire Lieut. James F. Congema, who when assigned to Ladder Company 41 in March 2007 rescued four unconscious family members from a burning apartment in The Bronx, entering and exiting the building several times."Training has always taught us, our books even say, if you find one victim your search isn't complete until finished searching the entire area" he told reporters following the ceremony."With that thought in mind, I knew that I had to finish the primary search. It was zero visibility; I had my mask on. I was on the floor crawling"

          Lieutenant Fire Lieut. James F. Congema Congema, citing the work the EMS responders did in aiding the victims, exuded modesty as the first person honored at the event.

    Firehouse Magazine Heroism Awards: Lt. James F. Congema, FDNY April 18, 2008

          "Everything worked out perfectly. A lot of people had a hand in it."

          FDNY Lt. James F. Congema knows it's a cliche, but there's no other way to describe the events that unfolded in the early morning of March 23, 2007.

          The crew of Ladder 41 didn't have far to go when the alarm sounded at 1:38 a.m. It was right down the street. Firefighters arrived to find security bars on the windows, but went right to work to gain access.

          "We couldn't have asked for a better scenario. I had two guys with me. I just kept finding victims, and handing them out to them," Congema said. "It was unbelievable."

          At one point, the lieutenant was passing fire while continuing his search. The rescues were taking place before a line was in the building.

        "I'd find another, and get 'em out," he said.

          While he was doing the search, he couldn't help but think of another fire, one a few weeks earlier that had claimed the lives of about 10 children.

          "I wondered if this was another thing playing out before me. I wondered how many people were in this apartment."

        Congema, who didn't know he'd been nominated or selected as a hero by Firehouse Magazine, credited his two partners -- Rob Watts and Ron Fuentes -- for their effort in the successful rescue of the five residents.

          Seeing what was transpiring, one of the incident commanders assigned the crew of Engine 88 to handle patient care. Several were in arrest when they were brought out of the house.

          "Everything worked out perfectly. A lot of people had a hand in it."

          The following day Congema was up against another tough challenge, facing the media.

          "I'd rather be on 100 runs on my next shift than get before the cameras," he laughed. "It was nerve-racking."
He called the hospital for the first few days to see how the people were doing. "It was a great feeling when I heard they were all OK."

          Congema said he wanted to visit them at the hospital, but didn't. "I didn't want to overstep. You just never know. I'm just glad things worked out like they did."

 

[mack]

Engine Company 90/Ladder Company 41 (continued)


Engine 90/Ladder 41 LODDs:

    LT MICHAEL TARPEY, LADDER 41 SEPTEMBER 29, 1945

          Lt. Michael Tarpey, Ladder 41, died as a result of injuries.  He fell in quarters.

    FF JAMES GILLIS, ENGINE 90, JUNE 20, 1946

         

         

          FF James Gillis, Engine 90, died as a result of his injuries responding to Bronx Box 3225.

    FF KENNETH W. KERR, ENGINE 90, NOVEMBER 15, 2000

         

          Firefighter Kenneth W. Kerr operated at an All-Hands fire on the sixth floor of an apartment building at Box 3219, 2040 Bronxdale Avenue. The fire began in an elevator and spread to the hallway and was quickly put out. Firefighter Kerr was on the nozzle and during the blaze he said that he was not feeling well and was relieved. The companies returned to quarters and Firefighter Kerr went to take a shower. He was discovered dead in the shower from a heart attack. He was forty-four years old and a fourteen-year veteran of the Department. He was married and the father of four children. (From "The Last Alarm")

    NY Post "HEART ATTACK KILLS FIREMAN, 44, AFTER BRONX STAIR CLIMB - by Murray Weiss - November 16, 2000 - 5:00am

          A Bronx firefighter died of a heart attack yesterday just hours after hauling heavy gear up six flights to put out a fire in an elevator. Kenneth Kerr, 44, a 14-year veteran and a father of four, arrived to put out the fire in an apartment building on Bronxdale Avenue around 9:40 a.m. After carrying a hose up six flights of stairs, he told another firefighter that he was feeling ill and gave up his position at the front of the hose, Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen said. ?He didn?t feel good. He told everybody he didn?t feel right. He asked the guy behind him to take over the line,? Von Essen said.

          The fire ? apparently caused by an electrical line damaged as workers were repairing the elevator ? was put out and Kerr and other members of Engine Co. 90 returned to their firehouse on White Plains Road in the Morris Park section.  Kerr went upstairs to take a shower. Other firefighters found him lying in the shower about 11 a.m. His colleagues frantically tried to revive him but could not detect a pulse, Von Essen said. EMS paramedics rushed Kerr to Jacobi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

          Kerr joined the Fire Department in 1986 and spent his entire career at Engine Co. 90. He worked as a nozzle man, the firefighter who operates the nozzle at the end of the hose, closest to the fire.He was the first firefighter to die on the job this year. He passed a physical exam last year, Von Essen said. Kerr was working a 24-hour shift that began at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Kerr?s wife Lorraine, 36, was ?very, very distraught,? Von Essen said.  The couple had four children, Kenneth Jr., 11, Kelly, 9, Karalyn, 8, and Kevin, 4.

          Neighbors on Kerr?s block in Newburgh, in Orange County, said the firefighter appeared healthy and was often outside, doing yard work or working on a boat he was restoring. ?He was a very nice man. I can?t believe it, he was so young,? said neighbor Barbara Davis. ?You never know what tomorrow brings. All their kids are beautiful kids. I can?t believe he?s gone. I don?t know what they?re going to do,? Davis said. ?I?ll just pray for her,? she said of the widow. ?I?ll let her know that God is with her.?

          At the firehouse, firefighters wept and consoled one another. ?The whole house is upset,? said a union representative who refused to give his name. ?They lost a brother. He was an excellent fireman, very aggressive, very well liked. He was someone they looked up to.?

    NY Times, November 16, 2000 - "Firefighter Collapses and Dies After a Fire

          A 41-year-old firefighter died yesterday about an hour after he returned from a fire in the Bronx, where he helped haul a hose up six flights of steps and directed its flow of water, officials said.  The firefighter, Kenneth Kerr, was found unconscious in the shower at the firehouse of Engine Company 90 on White Plains Road in the Bronx about 11:15 a.m., apparently after suffering a heart attack, said Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen. Mr. Kerr had just returned from a fire at 2040 Bronxdale Avenue, where he had told fellow firefighters that he was not feeling well.

          Commissioner Von Essen said Mr. Kerr had served as the nozzle man, a Fire Department term for the firefighter who directs the spray of the hose, an exhausting task that requires great strength.

          When he returned to the firehouse, Mr. Kerr told colleagues he was going to take a shower. He had collapsed when he was found about 10 minutes later." Firefighters worked to revive Mr. Kerr in the firehouse, the commissioner said, and paramedics continued to work on him while they transported him to Jacobi Medical Center. Mr. Kerr was pronounced dead about 45 minutes later at the hospital. ''It's a horrible loss for us, such a young, healthy guy,'' Commissioner Von Essen said.

          Mr. Kerr, who had been a firefighter for 14 years, was married and had four young children, the commissioner said.

    FF ALEXANDER LOPEZ, LADDER 41, 2011

          Firefighter Alexander Lopez, Ladder 41, 2011, heart attack

         
          (center firefighter)

         

              https://www.bxtimes.com/stories/2012/31/31_fireman_2012_08_02_bx.html

    FF THOMAS J. FARRELL, LADDER 41 MARCH 26, 2016

         

         

         

          FF Thomas J. Farrell, Ladder 41, died from WTC-related illness.

    FF JOSEPH O'TOOLE, LADDER 41, DECEMBER 12, 2016

         

         

         

          FF Joseph O'Toole, Ladder 41, died from WTC-related illness.

              http://firefighterarchive.blogspot.com/2008/10/gunga-din-six-months-at-ground-zero.html

              https://www.firehero.org/fallen-firefighter/joseph-p-otoole/

              https://www.bxtimes.com/stories/2017/51/51-toolededication-2017-12-22-bx.html


    RIP.  Never forget.

 

[mack]

Engine Company 90/Ladder Company 41 (continued)


    Van Nest & Morris Park, Bronx: 

         


          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Nest,_Bronx
             
          https://www.welcome2thebronx.com/2015/12/17/vintage-photos-of-morris-park-before-it-was-developed/
         
          Morris Park Racecourse:

              Morris Park Racecourse was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility from 1889 until 1904. It was located in a part of Westchester County, New York that was annexed into the Bronx in 1895 and later became known as Morris Park. The racecourse was the site of the Belmont Stakes from 1890 through 1904 as well as the Preakness Stakes in 1890.

             

              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Park_Racecourse

 

[mack]

Engine 90 helps Buffalo HS football team:

    The Buffalo News - "St. Francis football shares a heart-warming Bronx tale"

    By Miguel Rodriguez - Published April 25, 2019 - Updated April 25, 2019


      Jerry Smith and members of the St. Francis football team have nothing but love for the Bronx.  And, it turns out Buffalo isn?t the only city with good neighbors in the Empire State.

    The Red Raiders avoided a potential disaster during an extended road trip in which they planned to visit 32 colleges over a period of six days in four states by encountering kind folks who helped get them back on their journey just when it seemed all could have been lost in the Big Apple.

    The school-issued minibus being used by the team experienced a mechanical issue while driving on Interstate 95 in the Bronx. It was on that highway strip during the trip from Rutgers to Yale when the bus started overheating, forcing the driver to pull over in a safe area.

    Initially, Smith and company thought the bus blew a fitting leading to coolant leaking all over the place. Assistant coach Matt Jaworski received an Uber lift to a nearby auto store to get what they thought was necessary to fix the issue.

    However, it turned out the problem was more severe. They had to pull over a half mile after making initial repairs. Smith feared for blowing the engine, making the situation even more problematic.

    This time they stopped at Engine 90, where firefighter Christopher Vignali came to their rescue in more ways than one.

    He found a place for them to get repairs in a spot where there were plenty of restaurant options for Frannies' 12-person traveling party since it was almost lunchtime when the problems started. Once the bus became cool enough to drive, he gave them an escort to a nearby repair shop, Budget Muffler and Brake Center.

    It was there where mechanics determined the severity of the issue.

    ?They took a part that went from the engine block to heater and they had to reinstall a valve that helped keep the engine cool,? Smith said.

    The repairs took about seven hours. Vignali checked in on the Red Raiders to see if they needed anything while they waited.

    The mechanics, who posed for a picture with team members afterward, stayed an extra hour to make sure the Red Raiders could resume their business trip in which 10 sophomores and juniors visited colleges and their respective recruiters to get a sampling of what the campuses were like and hearing what it would take academically to get accepted into the schools.

    Smith has been taking his players on these types of trips since 2011. In fact, that was the last time the crew experienced mechanical issues with the school?s bus during the trip.

    Things could have been worse for St. Francis, being in unfamiliar surroundings. Beginning with the Uber driver who refused payment once he realized the severity of St. Francis? situation (Jaworski still paid him anyway) to Vignali, Smith has nothing but love for the New York City borough whose claims to fame include Yankee Stadium, Van Cortlandt Park and the Bronx Zoo.

    ?Bronx guys are unbelievable, I have nothing but praise,? Smith said when reached by The News. ?Those guys treated us pretty nice for not knowing anything about us.?

    Though the repairs cost St. Francis a chance to see Yale, New Haven and central Connecticut, the team resumed its busy schedule Thursday. One that began in New England with a trip to the College of the Holy Cross and was expected to end with a visit to the University at Albany.

    The Red Raiders will visit several New York State colleges Friday before returning home Saturday.

    According to Bennett coach Steve McDuffie, Boston College has made a scholarship offer to first team All-Western New York running back D'Jae Perry.

    Perry was part of a talented backfield that split carries between four running backs last year. That didn't stop the explosive, big-play threat from averaging 14.2 yards per carry. He finished with 1,175 yards and 10 touchdowns, including a 13-carry, 275-yard effort in a Week 5 win over Lancaster.

    https://buffalonews.com/2019/04/25/st-francis-football-shares-a-heart-warming-bronx-tale/


FF Chris Vignali, Engine 90:

   

 

[mack]

Video - old FDNY pictures:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZodUxRn9WU

 

[memory master]

Does anyone know where the Sealtest  plant shown in the 1st photo was. There was a Sealtest facility on Atlantic avenue just west of the Van Wyck Expwy. but it doesn't look like the area. Just curious.