FDNY and NYC Firehouses and Fire Companies

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Lineage is a great description for following company histories.  A genealogical analogy might be:

Eng 208 becoming Eng 167 ? descendant, as in father-son or mother-daughter;

TCU 712 to Lad 59 ? descendant, but slightly different, as in father-daughter or mother-son;

BC21 to BC31 ? name change, same person-different identity, as in daughter to wife to mother to grandmother;

BC27 in Brooklyn in the 1910?s, disbanded, and then reorganized in the Bronx in the 1960?s ? reincarnation;

So, following the analogy:

2nd sections ? twins, same family, same house;

82/85, 231/232 ? close neighbors, two family house, eventually get their own house;

BC 44-2 to BC 58 ? this is trickier, twin has son, son moves out and starts own household;

246-2 to 327 ? time for twin?s son to start own household, like above;

Combination fire companies ? married, divorced  (E70 & L53 = CFC 121, then separate again);

Open numbers ? sometimes used, sometimes skipped, sometimes never used (Eng 322, Lad 139, Lad 141, Lad 145) ? still working on that.

Eng 72 ? almost had me stumped on that one ? Eng 72 became 41-2 ? father-son, son adopted as brother in new family;

Eng 72 ? reincarnated son born of 88-2 twin

It?s like a soap opera!

Does anyone out there have an idea what prompted the redesignation of the Fireboat Engines to Marine Units? (and why Marine unit and not Fireboat?) 
 
fdhistorian said:
Lineage is a great description for following company histories.  A genealogical analogy might be:

Eng 208 becoming Eng 167 ? descendant, as in father-son or mother-daughter;

TCU 712 to Lad 59 ? descendant, but slightly different, as in father-daughter or mother-son;

BC21 to BC31 ? name change, same person-different identity, as in daughter to wife to mother to grandmother;

BC27 in Brooklyn in the 1910?s, disbanded, and then reorganized in the Bronx in the 1960?s ? reincarnation;

So, following the analogy:

2nd sections ? twins, same family, same house;

82/85, 231/232 ? close neighbors, two family house, eventually get their own house;

BC 44-2 to BC 58 ? this is trickier, twin has son, son moves out and starts own household;

246-2 to 327 ? time for twin?s son to start own household, like above;

Combination fire companies ? married, divorced  (E70 & L53 = CFC 121, then separate again);

Open numbers ? sometimes used, sometimes skipped, sometimes never used (Eng 322, Lad 139, Lad 141, Lad 145) ? still working on that.

Eng 72 ? almost had me stumped on that one ? Eng 72 became 41-2 ? father-son, son adopted as brother in new family;

Eng 72 ? reincarnated son born of 88-2 twin

It?s like a soap opera!

Does anyone out there have an idea what prompted the redesignation of the Fireboat Engines to Marine Units? (and why Marine unit and not Fireboat?)
Click to expand...


October 1959  FDNY organization chart:


 
guitarman314 said:
Interesting note: 1959 chart shows both Div. 6 and Batt. 3 at E.82 ???
Click to expand...

It looks like a Divison 6 has been in Brooklyn, SI, the Bronx and Manhattan.
 
Brooklyn Central Office, Bureau of Fire Communications  35 Empire Blvd, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn 
    Built 1913
    Closed 2008 (operations moved to Metro-Tech

Brooklyn Central Office 1920s:


History and design:
http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2011/06/building-of-the-day-35-empire-boulevard/

2001:
http://capecodfd.com/PAGES%20Special/FDNY9.htm



Current 35 Empire Blvd:






Recent FDNY Dispatcher job announcement:
https://www.nyc.gov/html/dcas/downloads/pdf/noes/201404076000.pdf

Frank Raffa's Web Site:
http://www.fdnewyork.com/terms.asp


Brooklyn FDNY radio link:
http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/8586/web



 
The original Brooklyn divisions were 6,7,8 and 9.  SI was 10.  In January 1906, 10 renumbered as 6, placing a 6 on SI.  In November 1906, Bronx Division 5 renumbered as 6, so 6 was in Da Bronx. In 1907, 6 went to 80?s house in Manhattan.

The 6 reappeared in Da Bronx in 1956 and has remained there except between 1995 and 1997 when it was renumbered 3, while the 11 was renumbered 6 in Brooklyn.

Try following that lineage a hundred years from now!

The original 10 was 6 and now is 8.
The original 5 is now 6.
The original 6 became 10 which then reorganized present 8.  The 1995-1997 renumbering was technically inaccurate because 11 was originally 7, not 6.

Confused?  Let?s try it this way.

Original Manhattan 1 ? became 2, then new 1 reorganized same day, further south
Original Manhattan 2 ? became 3
Original Manhattan 3 ? closed in Harlem and 1 reorganized same day, different area
Original Bronx 4 ? became 5 *
Original Bronx 5 ? became 6 *
Original Brooklyn 6 ? became 10
Original Brooklyn 7 ? became 11 *
Original Brooklyn 8 ? became 12 *
Original Brooklyn 9 ? became 13 *
Original Staten Island 10 ? became 6 but eventually 8

*Briefly renumbered and renumbered back in 1995-1997

The original Manhattan Division 1,2,3 renumbering is very confusing to follow because only one division actually moved and it renumbered in the process (original DC3 actually became new DC1 by closing and reorganizing on the same day, just like 208 to 167, while 1 and 2 renumbered without moving).

This happened in 1906.  Division 14 ? 17 formed years later.  It appears that the Marine Division was not  numbered.

It is interesting that the number of divisions is almost the same as 100 years ago.
 
April 1945 FDNY organization chart:

Reserve engine and truck locations indicated on chart; 2 section companies; water towers.


October 1959  FDNY organization chart:

[/quote]

 
Odd to see E 310 in the 44 Battalion on the 1959 chart; when I worked in E 248 in the 60s and occasionally rode with Batt. 41 E 310 was in the 41 Battalion.  That changed when Batt 58 was set up in their quarters.
 
Can anyone identify this firehouse?  Looks like a single engine house.  Brooklyn?  No front door except for apparatus.



This is from a 1930s FDNY video (about 2 minutes into video).

FDNY 1920's
 
Another unknown former firehouse - Queens? - Rockaway? - a volunteer company firehouse which also served as initial quarters for newly formed FDNY units?



Update - original firehouse for FDNY Engine 172 (later 272) in Flushing.
 
I didn't realize that steamers lasted into the 1930's.  Does anyone know when the last one was taken out of service?  Was it E31?
 
Top picture might be E 248 at their old house at 2261 Church Avenue, near Bedford Avenue.
 
Engine 81/Ladder 46  firehouse  3025 Bailey Avenue, Kingsbridge, Bronx

    Engine 81 organized 3045 Albany Crescent          1905
    Engine 81 new firehouse 3025 Bailey Avenue      1913

    Ladder 46 organized 3045 bailey Avenue at Engine 81  1913

3025 Bailey Avenue firehouse: 





Engine 81 horses to motorized apparatus:






Engine 81:






Ladder 46:




Engine 81/Ladder 46 responding:
Fdny Engine 81 and Ladder 46

Fdny Engine 81 and Ladder 46

FDNY Engine 81

Engine 81/Ladder 46 centennial:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/events/2013/092613a.shtml

Kingsbridge:
http://thebx.net/info/_neighborhoods_bronx_kingsbridge.php

http://forgotten-ny.com/2009/09/kingsbridge-hts-van-cortlandt-village-bronx/

Old NYPD 50th Pct:


Kingsbridge armory:


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

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/nyregion/kingsbridge-armory-in-bronx-gets-new-development-push.html?_r=0






 
 
raybrag said:
I didn't realize that steamers lasted into the 1930's.  Does anyone know when the last one was taken out of service?  Was it E31?
Click to expand...

Answered my own question, courtesy of the NYC Fire Museum's web site.  The last steam pumping engine to see service in FDNY was retired in 1933 after service with E93, E5, E268 and finally on Welfare Island.  It was a 1912 American LaFrance Second Size steam pumping engine, registration #3384.  It was originally horse drawn, then powered with a Christie tractor, and then with a Van Blerck tractor.  It originally entered service on March 20, 1913.  It resides in the museum today.  Here's a link to it:

http://nycfiremuseum.pastperfect-online.com/32553cgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=40F622F8-D8A0-4B68-AA9D-707929209694;type=101

As an aside, the last horse drawn FDNY pumper went out of service in December, 1922.
 
turk132 said:
WNYF 3/58
Click to expand...

Great story, Turk.  Otto was promoted off the 1921 steamer engineer list.  That's great.  Some things never change in the department - civil service tests and promotion lists.

He was born in the 1880s and served 45 years in FDNY. 
 
Otto Kutzke was awarded the Albert S. Johnston Medal by Mayor LaGuardia for heroic actions at a Jersey City ammunitions ship fire, April 24th, 1943.  Engine 57 and Engine 86, fireboats, were at tremendous risk fighting the fire aboard a ship loaded with munitions for the war.

Otto Kutzke:

Thanks Turk132

The El Estero ship fire was considered one of the greatest nautical disasters which did not happen, due to the heroic action of crews who knew the explosive danger involved:

El Estero after fire extinguished:


Fireboat Firefighter:

Fireboat John Harvey also operated at great risk.

http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2012/06/the-el-estero-fire-the-greatest-nautical-disaster-that-didnt-happen/

http://www.nww2m.com/2013/04/remembering-the-day-new-york-harbor-almost-blew-up/


Paul Hashagen:


 
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