FDNY and NYC Firehouses and Fire Companies

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mack

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Edgewater Park Volunteer Fire Department  1 Adee Drive,  Edgewater Park, Bronx "Neighbors Helping Neighbors"
   
    EPVFD is an operational volunteer fire department within New York City.


History:

    Edgewater Park Volunteer Fire Department organized 1 Adee Drive                1922


   

   

   
   
   


EPVFD 1 Adee Drive Firehouse:

   

   

   


EPVFD Apparatus:

   

   


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHmm_nez_Y8


Edgewater Park, Bronx:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgewater_Park_(Bronx)




 

mack

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Additional EVFD information posted  "Re: Volly companies in NYC ? Reply #15 on: March 28, 2012, 06:58:53 PM ?" by Atlas, retired FDNY Chief Dispatcher:

"Edgewater: The fire house is located at Main St with in their community just North-west of the Throggs Neck Bridge toll plaza. It?s another community that had changed over the years from a summer time beach community to an all year residential community. It has one way into the community that is lined with narrow streets making it hard for FDNY apparatus to move off of the main roads & impossible to pass a double parked vehicle.  There is no room for a ladder or even a large sized engine company to make turns. The VFD has smaller rigs so they can navigate local streets.  This community had had their share of multiple alarm fires with one destroying the business area.  Engine 72 is first due, but they were only established in 1972. FDNY was going to also establish Ladder 57 in the same fire house. A rig was there, the number was on the station, but the company was never established. Prior, Engine 72 was Engine 88-2nd second. Today rolling in as the second due engine is 89 & Ladder 50 is still 1 due.  Engine 89 was established at 2924 Bruckner Blvd in 1926, but was closed in 1975 by the city for a few days in July.  Ladder 50 was also organized in 1926. Responding third due is Engine 64 & Ladder 47 who is second due. These two ladder companies have the biggest first alarm areas in the Bronx."
 
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nfd2004 said:
Thanks to all the guys who have contributed here. G-man, 68jk09, fdhistorian, 1261truckie, mack.

I don't know where else you could find all this information about past and present FDNY Firehouses and Fire Companies.

Thanks guys.
Much credit belongs to Mike Boucher, who researched and organized most of the firehouse and company histories.

Also, to Ronald Mattes (RIP), who coordinated, inspired, and encouraged others to continue to research, refine, preserve, and share the unique fire service histories that could so easily be lost and forgotten forever.

And to the many people who save the documents, keep notebooks, and take photos for future generations.
 

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Engine 256  Firehouse  124 DeKalb Avenue  Ft Greene, Brooklyn  10th Division, 31st Battalion    DISBANDED

    Engine 156 organized 125 DeKalb Avenue                      1903
    Engine 156 moved 136 St. Edwards Street                      1910
    Engine 156 became Engine 256                                      1913
    Engine 256 new firehouse                                              1914
    Engine 156 disbanded                                                  1974


124 DeKalb Avenue Firehouse Design:

   

   

   


124 DeKalb Avenue Former Firehouse:

   

   

   

   

    https://www.6sqft.com/turn-of-the-century-firehouse-with-eclectic-past-21st-century-home-with-extraordinary-presence/


Engine 256 1938 Ahrens Fox 1000 GPM Pumper:

   


E 256 History:

    Brooklyn Fire Department had planned to organize Engine 56 BFD for several years but did not find property in Ft Greene area to build a new firehouse.  BFD running cards had notional Engine 56 BFD but company was never organized by BFD.  FDNY organized Engine 156 in old volunteer company, Rescue H&L 5, firehouse vacated by Water Tower 1, then moved the re-numbered Engine 256 to 136 St Edwards Street temporarily, which was a horse hospital, while a new firehouse was built across from Brooklyn Hospital at 124 DeKalb Avenue.  Engine 256 served at 256 DeKalb Avenue for 70 years, 1914-1974, until disbanded during the NYC financial crisis.

       


124 DeKalb Avenue BFD Firehouse History:
 
    Water Tower 1 BFD organized 124 DeKalb Street in former volunteer firehouse    1895
    Water Tower 1 BFD became Water Tower 1 FDNY                                              1898
    Water Tower 1 FDNY disbanded to form Water Tower 6 FDNY                            1903

         

          Water Tower 1 BFD was rearmount water tower (unlike FDNY water towers:

             


Engine 256 1940 Rescue - Brooklyn City Hospital (Across Street From Firehouse):

         


Engine 256 LODD:

    FF Matthews F. Wieners, January 28, 1959

    RIP.  Never forget.


Neighborhood:

   

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

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

         

    http://bths.edu/school_history.jsp

 

mack

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E 256 firehouse original cost was $20,000 in 1914:

   


Current value approximately $4,750,000 as townhouse:

    https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/124-De-Kalb-Ave-Brooklyn-NY-11217/2136234855_zpid/
 

mack

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Picture and story by grandson of LT Bernard Kelly FDNY, Engine 156:

   

    https://mbbaumann.com/tag/fdny/


Engine 256 1938 Ahrens Fox specifications:

    "Model HT 1000-GPM piston pumper and hose car with a two-door enclosed cab. 27? long, weight 18,300 pounds, frame by Parish Pressed Steel Co. Reading, PA. Brown-Lipe 4-speed transmission #T-297496. 50-gallon copper fuel tank under the seat. Timken HX7 front and HX19 worm-drive rear axle, 5.4 to 1 ratio. 4-wheel hydraulic brakes, 16? hand brake. Budd disk wheels, Goodyear 11.25? x 20? 14-ply balloon tires, single front and rear, spare tire on left running board. Ross 760/770204 steering with horn button. Radiator # 539659 with Brewer-Titchener dash-controlled radiator shutters. Painted NY red lacquer. Hose bed with a slatted floor and adjustable rear windshield with 6 Waugh or Lyons hand straps, loop size to fit man?s full sleeve in turnout coat. Compartments including a waterproof box for 1/4 fold 9? Atlas life net. Approved wire mesh basket 6? deep x 24? wide at the top front of the hose bed. Suction basket holder on tail step. Hercules HXE motor #321758, 53/4″ bore x 6″ stroke, 200 brake horsepower, high-compression aluminum heads, 935 cubic inch, compression ratio 5.44 to 1. Triple ignition (18 spark plugs), Bosch ZR6 two-spark magneto, Exide 6X6K-25-3-R battery on right running board, Auto-Lite MR-4108 starter with an IGC-4064 distributor, Delco-Remy 1106629 generator with 5821 regulator. 2? Zenith updraft carburetor with Air-Maze air cleaner and flame arrester.  Ahrens-Fox 6-cylinder high-pressure piston pump, rated 1000 gpm @ 160 psi, 500 @ 320, 400 @ 400, 250 @ 600, at maximum 14? lift and engine speed of 1600 rpm or less. 3? discharge gates. Engine-to-pump gear ratio 14-62 (4.4286 to 1). Pump pistons 31/4? x 6? minor (2.1417 GPR), 41/4? x 6? major (1.2238 GPR). Ross relief valve.12-volt starting, lighting, Sireno type 51 siren on vacuum chamber, 10? chrome-plated Corcoran-Brown 2205 swiveling searchlight at the right of cab atop 12? locomotive bell. Tachometer, revolution counter, speedometer, 1000,000-mile odometer, temperature gauge, fuel gauge, oil-level gauge, ammeter, oil-pressure gauge, and viscometer on the dash. Two 10? chrome-plate Corcoran-Brown 29233 headlights. Two 6? red cowl lights, Guide model 361H. Two red and white chrome-plated Guide 280R tail lights. Two 4? chrome-plated rear hose pickup lights. 6 chrome-plated lights under the hood, with independent switches. Red Mars light atop the center of cab. 2 chrome-plated Dietz King tubular lanterns on sides of body. Homelite model R gasoline-engine driven generator with pilot light and 3 extra outlets. Two 500-watt Crouse-Hinds floodlights, one 250-watt Crouse-Hinds spotlights, with bulbs. Three 100? lengths of #16 two-conductor mine cable. 3 sets twist-lock connectors. Hiland enclosed cab, V windshield, safety glass, metal floor boards, leather upholstery, 2 rear-view mirrors, 2 Bosch QW12/1 semaphore signals with red lights, warning light atop cab, 2 adjustable sun visors, 2 Bosch NY1851 electric windshield wipers, 2 electric defrosters, bell on right of cowl. F.D.N.Y. in 4? block letters on cab doors. Morse 2000-gpm turret pipe atop cab roof, with 3? and 31/2? connections under each side of hose bed. Two 12? scaling ladders. One each Elkhart 21/2 gallon soda-and-acid and Foamcrest 21/2 gallon foam fire extinguishers. 6-foot hook. 8-pound flat head axe. McElligott double-female Elkhart clapper valve with 300-pound pressure gauge and ground support. Crow bar. Two 41/2? suction spanner wrenches.1 Zerk high-pressure grease gun. Set of wrenches. 10-ton hydraulic jack. 8-ounce canvas hood cover, and 8-ounce canvas hose bed cover, with securing straps and strap eyes. Weed skid chains for driving wheels."

   
 
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I have told this story before but .... back after 256 was closed a fellow FF in R*2 said "256s qtrs are being sold lets all chip in & buy it "  everybody laughed at him saying why buy one we are in this one for free...well shortly after that it was sold for 125 Grand (which we easily could have pooled)....Spike Lee the movie guy was the buyer & not too long ago he sold it for over 4 million....granted he made many upgrades to it but if we had bought it back when & did nothing to it what would it be worth now ?.... 1 maybe 2 million ?
 

mack

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68jk09 said:
I have told this story before but .... back after 256 was closed a fellow FF in R*2 said "256s qtrs are being sold lets all chip in & buy it "  everybody laughed at him saying why buy one we are in this one for free...well shortly after that it was sold for 125 Grand (which we easily could have pooled)....Spike Lee the movie guy was the buyer & not too long ago he sold it for over 4 million....granted he made many upgrades to it but if we had bought it back when & did nothing to it what would it be worth now ?.... 1 maybe 2 million ?

    https://therealdeal.com/2011/02/14/former-firehouse-that-housed-spike-lee-s-production-company-hits-the-market-also-available-the-ues-townhouse-belonging-to-bellmarc-co-founder-neil-binder/

    http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/31/15/31_15_its_a_wrap_filmmaker.html
 
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We always thought Spike Lee owned the bldg...never knew he just rented....either way we should have bought it.
 
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68jk09 said:
We always thought Spike Lee owned the bldg...never knew he just rented....either way we should have bought it.

Chief I'm pretty sure I read way back that he owned the building, maybe sold it and rented from the new owner.I remember his offices was on the next block East of the FH, when he owned the building he moved the office into the building.
 
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mack said:
E 256 History:

    Brooklyn Fire Department had planned to organize Engine 56 BFD for several years but did not find property in Ft Greene area to build a new firehouse.  BFD running cards had notional Engine 56 BFD but company was never organized by BFD.  FDNY organized Engine 156 in old volunteer company, Rescue H&L 5, firehouse vacated by Water Tower 1, then moved the re-numbered Engine 256 to 136 St Edwards Street temporarily, which was a horse hospital, while a new firehouse was built across from Brooklyn Hospital at 124 DeKalb Avenue.  Engine 256 served at 256 DeKalb Avenue for 70 years, 1914-1974, until disbanded during the NYC financial crisis.

       

Interesting that the phantom location for Engine 156 (256) at Broadway and Flushing was two and a half miles away from where the firehouse was built.

The plans for Engines 164 (264) and 165 (265), also Ladder 69 (119) changed from what was written in the article.
 
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The history and stories of these firehouses and companies amazes me.

In a somewhat related topic, I believe a group of Retired Bridgeport (Ct) Firefighters bought a closed firehouse, formerly Eng 10/Lad 10, on Putnam St. As I remember the guys wanted to buy it but the city wanted to still owned it. So the city let the guys go in and fix it up with the idea that it would be a meeting place for these guys and also a public museum.

In addition there was a retired 1948 Mack pumper that went with it, which was parked in there and maintained by the guys. They would use that rig for parades and public events. They would also use it for Santa Clause runs to visit kids in the hospital. On the rig was written BARF, for Bridgeport Association of Retired Firefighters.

They wanted to keep it but somewhere along the line, the city decided to take the firehouse and that rig back. Last I knew, that firehouse now sits there vacant and boarded up.

In the City of Boston, a former firehouse is now used by a group of buffs (called Sparks) where it operates as a Fire Museum by a Great Group of guys who call themselves "The Boston Sparks". Inside that firehouse is an old Boston Fire Dept pumper, plus a RAC Unit that the Boston Sparks use to respond to all the serious fires and incidents throughout Boston and ALL of the many busy surrounding towns. If I remember correctly that RAC/Rehab unit was purchased by the wife of a firefighter who lost his life a few years ago fighting a fire in Boston (FF Mike Kennedy - RIP).

Last spring a group of us (myself, mack, fdce54, CFDMarshall) made a visit there. Those guys treated us great. In fact we learned that the President of the organization, Paul B., as well as many other members of this site, are regular visitors here. When we told them who we were, it was like we knew each other for years. Paul also told us that he remembered "68jk09" from when he used to visit Rescue 2.

It's a Great thing that these guys do. They are very well respected by the members of both the fire, police depts, and EMS throughout the City of Boston and many of the surrounding cities and towns.

While we were there a Retired Fire Captain from the City of Phoenix stopped by with his wife while visiting. His wife told me, "he's into this" and I thought, "just like the rest of us here". If there's a firehouse, he got to stop by.

If any of the guys here get up to the Boston area, make that a priority stop. I'm sure they'll treat you great.

Sorry I got a little off track but I wanted to tell a few firehouse stories from these cities. 
 

mack

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nfd2004 said:
The history and stories of these firehouses and companies amazes me.

In a somewhat related topic, I believe a group of Retired Bridgeport (Ct) Firefighters bought a closed firehouse, formerly Eng 10/Lad 10, on Putnam St. As I remember the guys wanted to buy it but the city wanted to still owned it. So the city let the guys go in and fix it up with the idea that it would be a meeting place for these guys and also a public museum.

In addition there was a retired 1948 Mack pumper that went with it, which was parked in there and maintained by the guys. They would use that rig for parades and public events. They would also use it for Santa Clause runs to visit kids in the hospital. On the rig was written BARF, for Bridgeport Association of Retired Firefighters.

They wanted to keep it but somewhere along the line, the city decided to take the firehouse and that rig back. Last I knew, that firehouse now sits there vacant and boarded up.

In the City of Boston, a former firehouse is now used by a group of buffs (called Sparks) where it operates as a Fire Museum by a Great Group of guys who call themselves "The Boston Sparks". Inside that firehouse is an old Boston Fire Dept pumper, plus a RAC Unit that the Boston Sparks use to respond to all the serious fires and incidents throughout Boston and ALL of the many busy surrounding towns. If I remember correctly that RAC/Rehab unit was purchased by the wife of a firefighter who lost his life a few years ago fighting a fire in Boston (FF Mike Kennedy - RIP).

Last spring a group of us (myself, mack, fdce54, CFDMarshall) made a visit there. Those guys treated us great. In fact we learned that the President of the organization, Paul B., as well as many other members of this site, are regular visitors here. When we told them who we were, it was like we knew each other for years. Paul also told us that he remembered "68jk09" from when he used to visit Rescue 2.

It's a Great thing that these guys do. They are very well respected by the members of both the fire, police depts, and EMS throughout the City of Boston and many of the surrounding cities and towns.

While we were there a Retired Fire Captain from the City of Phoenix stopped by with his wife while visiting. His wife told me, "he's into this" and I thought, "just like the rest of us here". If there's a firehouse, he got to stop by.

If any of the guys here get up to the Boston area, make that a priority stop. I'm sure they'll treat you great.

Sorry I got a little off track but I wanted to tell a few firehouse stories from these cities.

Bridgeport Former Engine 10 Putnam Street Firehouse - 2013 Renovation by FFs:

   
   
    http://www.bridgeportct.gov/feed-news/?FeedID=461

    http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Century-old-firehouse-regains-charm-4206580.php


Boston Former Engine 38/Engine 39/Ladder 18 Firehouse - Congress Street - Currently Boston Fire Museum and home of Boston Sparks Association:

    http://www.bostonfiremuseum.com/index.html

       

    Boston Sparks Association:

        https://www.facebook.com/pg/Boston-Sparks-Association-365095281756/photos/?ref=page_internal

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogBHeec92zI
 

mack

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A few of the many former FDNY/NYFP firehouses current use and value:

    Company          Built           Location                             Current Use                                    Market Value
    Engine 256        1914          Ft Greene Brooklyn                Residence/Work Place                      $4,750,000
                  https://www.elliman.com/new-york-city/124-dekalb-avenue-brooklyn-snuvgyy
                     
    Engine 31          1895          Chinatown, Man                    Business                                          $5,185,000
                  https://www.propertyshark.com/mason/Property/1278/87-91-Lafayette-St-New-York-NY-10013/

    Engine 154        1913          Tompkinsville, SI                  Home                                              $891,400
                  https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/60-Hannah-St-Staten-Island-NY-10301/32284253_zpid/

    Fire Patrol 2        1902          Greenwich Village, Man          Home                                              $4,300,000
                  http://gvshp.org/blog/2011/09/01/firehouse-facelift-finally-revealed/

    Ladder 13          1862            Yorkville, Man                      Studio                                              $9,975,000
                  https://www.6sqft.com/firehouse-studio-that-andy-warhol-rented-for-150month-is-now-listed-for-10m/

    Fire Patrol 1      1894            Chelsea, Man                        Office                                                $3,750,000
                  https://ny.curbed.com/2014/3/13/10132718/inside-a-19th-century-firehouse-turned-office-space

    Engine 24          1864          W Village Man                        Office                                                $1,405,413
                http://streeteasy.com/building/78-morton-street-manhattan

    Engine 29          1897          Tribeca                                  Home                                              $4,930,163
                https://www.nytimes.com/real-estate/usa/ny/new-york/tribeca/building/160-chambers-street/1175

    Vol Empire Hose 1851          W Village                              Apartments                                      $1,600,000
                http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2012/06/the-1843-empire-hose-company-no-40-no.html

   
 

mack

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http://forgotten-ny.com/2003/06/manhattans-ancient-firehouses/

https://thespaces.com/2016/12/13/converted-firehouse-andy-warhol/

https://www.6sqft.com/live-in-a-lofty-triplex-apartment-at-a-former-1880s-firehouse-for-4500month/

https://www.facebook.com/nycfirewire/photos/a.492487057495512.1073741828.492465197497698/1415590518518490/?type=3

https://www.nycedc.com/project/caribbean-cultural-center-african-diaspora-institute

https://42floors.com/us/ny/new-york/213-e-121st-st

http://evgrieve.com/2017/03/former-firehouse-on-11th-street-returns.html

https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/13000309.htm

https://therealdeal.com/2010/10/19/for-11m-former-firehouse-can-become-single-family-home/

http://thefirehousespace.org/

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-downtown-community-television-center-former-engine-31-firehouse-new-146820958.html
 
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I used to be a member of the Boston Sparks in the 70's until I moved to Chicago. We had our quarters in South Boston complete with a tapper system to receive box alarms and radios to monitor the surrounding departments. Quarters was destroyed by an arson fire during the time period when Boston almost burned to the ground during an extensive arson cycle. One of the arsonists was refused admittance to the club so he torched the place. The city I believe gave them the old firehouse for their quarters.
 

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grumpy grizzly said:
I used to be a member of the Boston Sparks in the 70's until I moved to Chicago. We had our quarters in South Boston complete with a tapper system to receive box alarms and radios to monitor the surrounding departments. Quarters was destroyed by an arson fire during the time period when Boston almost burned to the ground during an extensive arson cycle. One of the arsonists was refused admittance to the club so he torched the place. The city I believe gave them the old firehouse for their quarters.

Thanks Grump.  The 1980s arson ring set at least 163 fires and countless false alarms and nuisance calls.

UPI story:

"Seven Indicted in Arson Wave

By DAVE WOOD  |  July 25, 1984

BOSTON --  Seven men, including four public safety officers, were indicted by a federal grand jury for setting 163 fires across eastern Massachusetts in 1982, allegedly to protest spending cuts in police and fire protection, the government announced Wednesday.

Authorities said it was believed to be the biggest arson case in U.S. history.

The seven defendants were charged in an 83-count indictment which said the fires in 10 cities and towns caused $22 million in damage and injured 280 firefighters over a 10-month period. No one was killed, but some firefighters were seriously injured or disabled fighting the blazes.

One of the defendants, calling himself 'Mr. Flare,' allegedly wrote a Boston television station during the height of the scare, vowing the arson spree would continue until cuts in fire and police forces were restored, U.S. Attorney William F. Weld said.

'This is the largest arson case in the history of the state and the federal government in terms of the number of fires,' Essex County District Attorney Kevin Burke told a news conference.

Weld said it was believed to be the biggest case of its kind in any state.

He said the primary motive of the alleged conspiracy was to protest the enactment of a state tax-cutting law in 1981, known as Proposition 2 , which put thousands of firefighters and police out of work across Massachusetts.

'The primary motive was to call public attention to the need for more firefighters,' Weld said, but said some of the fires were also set for profit and revenge.

The fires terrorized Boston and other cities across eastern Massachusetts from February to November 1982 -- usually between midnight and 6 a.m.

The blazes occurred in Cambridge, Canton, Chelsea, Concord, Dedham, Fitchburg, Foxboro, Lawrence and Stow, the indictment said.

The buildings, mostly unoccupied at the time, included churches, houses, stores, factories, military barracks and the Massachusetts Fire Academy. But several of the blazes spread to occupied buildings forcing their evacuation.

The worst was the $13 million fire at the Spero Toy Co. in Boston June 3, 1982 which injured 31 firefighters, according to the indictment which was issued Tuesday and unsealed Wednesday.

Five of the seven men were arraigned Wednesday in Boston before U.S. Magistrate Joyce London Alexander.

Gregg M. Bemis, 23, Wayne S. Sanden, 28, both of Boston and Donald F. Stackpole, 28, of suburban Scituate, were all charged with conspiracy, arson and obstruction of justice and ordered held without bail. Bemis and Sanden are both Boston Housing Authority police officers. Bemis was also charged with mailing the threatening letter to a Boston TV station.

Ray J. Norton Jr., 44, a disabled Boston firefighter, and Joseph M. Gorman, 27, of suburban Quincy were charged with conspiracy and aiding and abetting arson. Norton was held on $50,000 bail while Gorman was released on $25,000 bail.

Christopher R. Damon, 27, of Hamilton, Ohio, was charged with conspiracy and ordered held on $15,000 bail by a federal magistrate in Ohio. Leonard A. Kendall Jr., 22, of Acton, Mass., a U.S. Air Force firefighter, was charged with conspiracy, arson and perjury and ordered held on $100,000 bail by a federal magistrate in Georgia.

All of the defendants pleaded not guilty and face prison terms ranging from five to 20 years and fines of up to $20,000."

    - http://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/07/25/Seven-indicted-in-arson-wave/1130459576000/


From Legal Appeal:

I.  "The Arson Ring

2  The arson conspiracy began in late 1981 when a group of "sparkies"1 decided to employ unusual and illegal means to increase public funding for firefighting and police protection in Massachusetts. They began with vandalism and nuisance fires, breaking windows and setting dumpsters on fire. When these acts failed to attract attention, they escalated to two, three and four alarm fires, torching abandoned buildings, factories, and even a lumberyard.

3  To start the fires the group used a time delay incendiary device they called "La Bomba." La Bomba consisted of a ziplock plastic bag filled with Coleman lantern fuel and placed in a paper bag stuffed with tissue. A lit cigarette threaded through a matchbook, set inside the bag, provided the fuse. The cigarette burned down to the matchbook, which flared up and lit the tissue. The burning tissue then melted the plastic bag, releasing the fuel, and started the blaze.

4  Donald Stackpole joined the group at the beginning, but apparently did not share its goal of promoting public funding; he thought firefighters were overpaid and underworked and merely wanted to harass them. He did share, however, the group's fascination with fires. Ray Norton, Jr. came into the group's confidence in June, 1982, after the vandalism and nuisance fire stage. Norton, a ten year veteran of the Boston Fire Department, was angered by the cuts in public funding which had led to layoffs in his department. While he never set a fire, Norton offered the group support and advice. As the government showed at trial, on at least three occasions Norton recommended to the group the burning of specific buildings. Also, as a member of the Fire Department, Norton was able to track the activities of the arson squad and was thus able to protect the group from detection by the authorities.

5  The conspiracy unravelled when one member, Robert Groblewski, appeared on a T.V. news film of a major fire brandishing a revolver. After observing this bizarre behavior, the arson squad tracked him down, and he ultimately confessed. Groblewski then cooperated with the government in return for a light sentence recommendation. His cooperation included the tape recording of plans by Stackpole and others to spirit him out of Massachusetts. Eventually all the members of the conspiracy, except Stackpole and Norton, pled guilty. Four of them testified against Stackpole and two against Norton.

6  After thirteen days of trial, the jury convicted Stackpole of conspiracy to set the fires, eight counts of the making and possession of an unregistered explosive device, five counts of the arson of an interstate facility by means of fire and explosive and, for his involvement in activities to hide the arson conspiracy, two counts of the attempting to obstruct justice and of conspiracy to obstruct justice. The judge sentenced him to 40 years imprisonment. Norton was later convicted, after a 17 day trial, of conspiracy to commit arson and to manufacture unregistered incendiary devices, arson of an interstate facility, and perjury before the grand jury, for which he received a sentence of 6 years imprisonment. Both appealed to this court."

    - https://openjurist.org/811/f2d/689/united-states-v-stackpole

 
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I remember those days of the Arson as well.

In fact, nobody knew it at the time, but some of those arsonist would hang out at a buff site called "Whip City". Later many of us learned why they would always leave just shortly before a serious fire and always be the first guys on the scene.

Just a terrible, tragic, and dangerous time for the citizens and firefighters of the City of Boston and those surrounding towns. Little did the buffs (sparks) know that many of their friends and firefighters themselves would eventually be charged with this Arson Spree.
 
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