FDNY and NYC Firehouses and Fire Companies

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Engine 20  Firehouse  243 Lafayette Street  Lower Manhattan  1st Division, 2nd Battalion    DISBANDED

    Engine 20 organized 47 Marion Street former volunteer firehouse                  1865
    Engine 20 moved Elm Street and Marion Street                                            1880
    Engine 20 moved 47 Marion Street                                                              1881
          Note - 47 Marion Street changed to 243 Lafayette Street                          1905
    Engine 20 moved 87 Lafayette Street at Engine 31                                        1905
    Engine 20 new firehouse 243 Lafayette Street                                              1906
    Engine 20 disbanded to form Squad 22 at 243 Lafayette Street                      1944
    Engine 20 reorganized at 243 Lafayette Street                                              1945
    Engine 20 disbanded                                                                                  1947
 

    Engine 20-2 organized 47 Marion Street at Engine 20                                    1892
    Engine 20-2 disbanded                                                                                1892
    Engine 20-1 re-organized 47 Marion Street at Engine 20                                1893
    Engine 20-2 disbanded                                                                                1893
    Engine 20 re-organized 243 Lafayette Street at Engine 20                              1908
    Engine 20-2 disbanded                                                                                1915
    Engine 20 re-organized 243 Lafayette Street at Engine 20                              1917
    Engine 20-2 disbanded                                                                                1918

    Engine 13 located at 243 Lafayette Street at Engine 20                            1903-1904

    Searchlight Engine 1 located 243 Lafayette Street at Engine 20                      1900
    Searchlight Engine 1 moved 253 Spring Street at Engine 30                            1903
    Searchlight Engine 1 moved 243 Lafayette Street at Engine 20                        1904               
    Searchlight Engine 1 disbanded                                                                    1916

    Division 1 located 243 Lafayette Street at Engine 20                                1938-1941
    Division 1 located 243 Lafayette Street at Rescue 1                                1956-1960
    Division 1 located 243 Lafayette Street at Squad 8                                  1960-1961

    Squad 22 organized 243 Lafayette Street from Engine 20                                1944
    Squad 22 disbanded                                                                                    1945

    Rescue 1 located 243 Lafayette St former quarters of Engine 20              1947-1960

    Squad 8 located 243 Lafayette Street former quarters of Rescue 1          1960-1961

    Note:  Squad 22 (formed from Engine 20) was a World War II manpower quad formed to supplement shortage of staffing onFDNY units during war - 1800 FDNY firefighters performed military service - squads responded in converted hose wagons to alarms in assigned districts


Pre-FDNY volunteer  history ? Engine 9:

    Engine 9 Bolivar organized Leisler Street Swamp                                            1783
    Engine 9 Bolivar located Whitehall Street near Government House                    1796
    Engine 9 Bolivar located Marketfield Street and Broad Street                            1823
    Engine 9 Dolphin located 48th Street and 8th Avenue                                      1843
    Engine 9 United States located 47 Marion St former quarters vol Engine 3        1849
    Engine 9 Marion located 47 Marion Street                                                      1855
    Engine 9 Marion located 52 Marion Street                                                      1861
    Engine 9 Marion new firehouse 47 Marion Street                                            1862     
    Engine 9 Marion disbanded                                                                          1865

       

       


Marion Engine 9 firehouse 47 Marion Street (243 Lafayette Street) 1862:

   

    Notes: testing new steamer - Matthew Brady famous Civil War photographer on far right


Engine 20 243 Lafayette Street:

   

   

   

   

   

   


Engine 20/Searchlight Engine 1 243 Lafayette Street:

   

Searchlight Engine 1:

   

   

   
   
   


Engine 20 FDNY medals:

    Jr Engineer Seneca M Larke, Engine 20, January 9, 1912  James Gordon Bennett Medal

         

          - Equitable Building Fire

             

             

             

        http://www.firehouse.com/article/10472965/the-equitable-building-fire

    All Members, Engine 20, 1915 Fire College Medal


Engine 20 LODD:

    FF Denis Donovan, Engine 20, August 17, 1920

          - Probationary firefighter - died from smoke inhalation - 4th alarm basement fire

         


Squad 8 LODD:

    FF John C. Cosner, Squad 8, November 18, 1960

          - Drowned with Lt. John A. McDermott, Engine 31, and FF Francis J. Sammon, Engine 31, after being trapped in the basement of a burning 5-story loft building after a floor collapse.  FF Cosner had been a member of FDNY for 1 year,


    RIP.  Never forget.


Current neighborhood:

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

    Engine 13/Ladder 20 firehouse 253 Lafayette Street built next to 243 Lafayette Street firehouse location:

           

 
L.20 with the old medical office
memories of sitting in a plastic chair waiting for your name to be called.
 
Here is a little trivia I thought some might like to see.
In the mid Seventies things started to turn around in the Bronx  Fire activities were slowing down in the South Bronx. The Cross Bronx Expressway was the boundary and most of the work ended there. Because of this and 1 3/4? hose, all Eng. Co?s in the 6th Division were to reduce their manpower by 5 members. This was when I was involuntarily transferred from Squad 2 to Engine75. I left one great bunch of guys to work with another bunch equally as great.  The fire duty started to move up as far as Kingsbridge Rd. At this time companies like Eng. 75 and Lad. 33 started to move up in runs and workers. This started a friendly rivalry between E 75 and E 290. We looked forward to January to see who would be number 1 in runs and workers. 
The one member who was the most anxious was Bobby Z . He would run around quarters yelling #1. In the 1St week of Jan. he would call E290 or any co. which had been in the top 10 the year before. One year in the early 80?s he called 290 and found out that they beat us out by 5 runs. At that time we were going to so many ERS false alarms that the officers keep a sheet of loose leaf on the dash board.  At the end of the tour they would enter them on the CD-14 unit activity report.
During Christmas week a transfer order came down. It was transferring Lt McC from E 75 to L 103. Ladder 103 shares the same quarters as E 290. I told Bobby ?Z? that Lt McC knew he was going to 103 and he didn?t want us to beat 290.  Bobby ran right up to office and asked him if he was throwing away runs. Lt. McC. played right along and said he was throwing away some of the sheets.
The next time I came in Bobby was waiting for his relief. When I put my gear on the rig there were chalk marks on the side wall to keeping track of runs on his tour.  At end of the tour he would go up to the office and check the CD-14.
Unfortunately, we lost Bobby who died in his sleep from an unknown cause. Bobby was always fun to work with. As a side note we recently lost Ret. Lt Pete Locastro.  He was a prime factor in giving Bobby a proper send off. Pete was a good friend, great Firemen and all round good person. Rest in peace my friends.
 
jbendick said:
Here is a little trivia I thought some might like to see.
In the mid Seventies things started to turn around in the Bronx  Fire activities were slowing down in the South Bronx. The Cross Bronx Expressway was the boundary and most of the work ended there. Because of this and 1 3/4? hose, all Eng. Co?s in the 6th Division were to reduce their manpower by 5 members. This was when I was involuntarily transferred from Squad 2 to Engine75. I left one great bunch of guys to work with another bunch equally as great.  The fire duty started to move up as far as Kingsbridge Rd. At this time companies like Eng. 75 and Lad. 33 started to move up in runs and workers. This started a friendly rivalry between E 75 and E 290. We looked forward to January to see who would be number 1 in runs and workers. 
The one member who was the most anxious was Bobby Z . He would run around quarters yelling #1. In the 1St week of Jan. he would call E290 or any co. which had been in the top 10 the year before. One year in the early 80?s he called 290 and found out that they beat us out by 5 runs. At that time we were going to so many ERS false alarms that the officers keep a sheet of loose leaf on the dash board.  At the end of the tour they would enter them on the CD-14 unit activity report.
During Christmas week a transfer order came down. It was transferring Lt McC from E 75 to L 103. Ladder 103 shares the same quarters as E 290. I told Bobby ?Z? that Lt McC knew he was going to 103 and he didn?t want us to beat 290.  Bobby ran right up to office and asked him if he was throwing away runs. Lt. McC. played right along and said he was throwing away some of the sheets.
The next time I came in Bobby was waiting for his relief. When I put my gear on the rig there were chalk marks on the side wall to keeping track of runs on his tour.  At end of the tour he would go up to the office and check the CD-14.
Unfortunately, we lost Bobby who died in his sleep from an unknown cause. Bobby was always fun to work with. As a side note we recently lost Ret. Lt Pete Locastro.  He was a prime factor in giving Bobby a proper send off. Pete was a good friend, great Firemen and all round good person. Rest in peace my friends.
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Squad 2  Firehouse 659 Prospect Street, Bronx  6th Division, 14th Battalion   DISBANDED

    Squad 2 organized 659 Prospect Street at Engine 73                                        1955
    Squad 2 disbanded                                                                                        1976


659 Prospect Street firehouse:
   
   

Squad 2 1955 converted 1940 Mack hose wagon:

   


Squad 2 1960 WLF pumper:

   


Squad 2 History:

   

    Squad 2 - Engine 73/Ladder 42 Webpage:  http://www.e73l42.com/255about.php


Runs and Workers:

    1966
   

    1975
   


Squad 2 Medals:

   


Squad 2 LODD:

    FF John Crosthwaite, February 4, 1961

   

    RIP.  Never forget.



 
Looking at the Medal Recipients of Squad 2, I wonder if it is the same guy that "jbendick", aka Capt JB, mentions in his story. Referring to Lt McC of Eng 75 being transferred to Lad 103. 
 
It looks like Lt. McClay came back as an officer.  And FF Grey- the same guy who became Capt of E 82 aka Albergray of book fame?
 
In 20 years, Squad 2 did 85,000 runs.  That's about 4,200 a year - for 20 years. 
 
scoobyd said:
It looks like Lt. McClay came back as an officer.  And FF Grey- the same guy who became Capt of E 82 aka Albergray of book fame?
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Real name of Capt Albergray in "Report From Engine 82" was Al Gray.

The War Years from member *******:

  "The first FDNY firehouse I walked into for a tour was 19 truck on March 30th,1960. Crazy but at that time myself and another 100 proby's did not have one minute of training. The training school on Welfare Island was in session with the previous class and we had to wait until they finished to begin our training. My Lt. told myself and my partner proby (2 were assigned to a 6th Div. house) to get gear off the rack, each carry a can and stay with him. He said that if reached out and could not touch us we were in trouble.19 had a spare wooden aerial for the tour. During the tour a kid walked into qtrs. and said a "cat was in a tree down the street". The Lt. said come on we will take the spare out and test it. We did and that was the only time in my 37 years that I took a cat out of a tree.  Caught a few jobs in the 6 weeks there before school, nothing major. After school I was assigned to 74 engine in Manhattan for 4 years then transferred to 127 truck in Queens for 5 years. My first year in 74 we were 9th in workers with about 1200 runs and 700 or so workers. Hard to say when the war years actually began. I remember hearing that 26 truck did 350 runs one month around 1963 and I couldn't believe that a company could do that much running. A guess would be that the war started around 63 or 64, peaked probably around 76, burned itself out.

I was promoted to Lt. 8/69 out of 127. While 127 was fairly busy for Queens (South Jamaica section) there was no comparison for the busy companies in the actual war zones, S. Bx, Brownsville, Harlem etc. We would hear stories about 120 truck, 31 truck, 82 etc. But hearing and being there is/was a whole different ball game. On promotion 8/69 I was assigned to the 19th Battalion covering. Worked in what would become busy companies years later, 33 truck, 75 engine etc, but they were not busy at that time. Being in the Bx though every tour the circuits would be open due to jobs and all the boxes being transmitted would be heard throughout the boro, never stopped. One day tour I was assigned for the tour in 50 engine. I have to say though it was not an exceptional busy tour maybe 10 runs no real work I fell in love with the guys and the house, just the way they handled themselves. At this time there were only 2 Lts. assigned to 50 with no Captain. They were waiting for Charlie Rivera (later Fire Commissioner) to be promoted out of 76 engine to be given 50. I put in for the company and was assigned 1/7/70. I worked there until 4/73 when I made Captain. I have to say that these were the best years of my time in the FDNY. Just to rub shoulders with those men was an honor and a privilege. Some fires I remember well others not at all. A few. Came in one summer night for a 6x9. Was a busy day in the Bx. 50 was in qtrs. 19 was not. A 2nd alarm was going over by 82. At the first minutes of the tour we were sent to a box a few blocks from the 2nd by ourselves. On arrival we found a rubbish fire going good in an ally  between 3 story row frames. We dropped 2 lines one to knock down the rubbish and the other into the exp. 4 side occupied frame that had fire on all 3 floors. We knocked the fire down couple of rooms on the1st and 2nd floors but when we got up to the 3rd we were short hose. Fire was in 2 rooms and the cockloft. I sent one of the guys down for a roll-up. As we were waiting a BC came up and ordered us out of the building. We left the line and came down into the street. We went across the street and sat on a stoop. No masks our eyes were bothering us beside other things. A 3rd had been transmitted for the box. A BC was coming down the street and when he saw us he asked "if we wanted to go to the hospital and have our eyes washed out?" I said sure so 5 of us went in the BC car to the hospital (Bx Leb). I found out later that when the chief returned to the car the aide told him that they were at the wrong 3rd they should have been at the 82 3rd. So they responded to the other 3rd. As we are at the hospital the frame we were in collapses. All that can be seen is the collapse on top of our line going into the frame. An Assistant Chief comes in and does a roll call. No 50. He is about to transmit a 4th with additional rescues, chaplains etc. for a company in a collapse when a ff from 19 tells him that "50 got in a chief's car and left." I'm at the hospital and a nurse asks me my name. I tell her and she says "you have a phone call." It is the Bx dispatcher and he says by order of A.C. Snyder I was to immediately return to the scene, a car was being sent for me. I think he wants to give me a well done for all the fire we knocked down, didn't know about the collapse. But it was not so. As he was chewing me out I told him that the BC had put it over the radio that he was removing ff's to the hospital, he hadn't. This stopped the A.C. and that was it. We were all granted "remainder of tour off" by the medical officer. Was a great tour, had a good fire and was back home by 2100 hours.
Another 6x9 around 0600 hours we go in 3rd due to a box. Fire is in an occupied 5 story tenement. Arson. Someone had thrown gasoline throughout a 1st floor apartment and on the stairs 5th floor down. The 1st engine 71 takes their line into the 1st floor apartment. 50-2 is ordered to stretch into the exposure to prevent extension. We are ordered to knock down the stairs. The apartments have dumbwaiters in the kitchens. Two apartments per floor. We knock down the stairs 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th and hit the kitchens where the fire in the dumbwaiter has spread to them. As we are making the hall on the 4th floor we find a badly burned dead body. It takes us a few seconds to "get around him." As we make the turn the stairs from the 5th floor to the roof collapses. We can't get by as the stairs are completely blocked with a ton or more of debris, close call. The body was a father who went back up the stairs to try and save his family, but they were already out. I always have thought that he saved us, another second or two and we would have been on the stairs.

I was promoted to Captain 4/73. During my years in 50 my wife would be after me to transfer to a slower house so that I wasn't always so tired after tours. I would put her off by saying that when I made Captain I would be assigned to a slow Division as department policy. On promotion I was assigned to the 15th Division, the second busiest division in the FDNY at the time. My first tour was in103 truck and we had 27 runs. I came home tired and my wife just said "you don't look any different." There was 6 of us promoted to Captain. One of the news guys was mad out of the 16th Division, probably the slowest Division in the job, east end of Queens. He stays in the 16th covering. I call up the transfer Lt. and ask him if I have ghetto next to my name. He says why and I say I go from the 6th to the 15th and another new Captain stays in the 16th? Like him I want to see my grandchildren grow up. He says O.K. send me your paper. I do and a few weeks later am transferred to the 13th Division in Queens. Am there a week when the Division Commander of the 6th, DC Kelsey, calls me and says that Captain Grey (Albergrey in Smith's book) is being promoted and do I want 82. I say sure and send in my paper. The Lt. in the transfer unit calls me and tells me I am a wise ass.

Assigned to 82 9/1/73. 50 was very busy, 82 even more so. 50 would run heavy until 0200 or 0300, 82 would never stop, go all night. But like 50/19 the guys in 82/31 were great. As above in 1960 74 did 1200 runs 700 workers, 9th busiest engine that year out of 212 engines. July of 1975 82 (the number) did 210 structural fires with 205 structural hours for the one month. And this was as 82 was slowing down. Busy box of course was 2743, Charlotte and 170. Good times and some not so. We had the strike 11/73, with ordered lifts, the lay-offs, some tough times.

There were thousands of FDNY guys doing heavy work during those years. I'll be 78 next August don't know how much longer I'll be here so I hope other brothers add to this thread as to their experiences during this FDNY period. Best of times, working with the greatest firefighters in the world and the worst of times seeing so many people lose their lives and homes, why was it allowed?"  

    - From thread "The War Years"  http://nycfire.net/forums/index.php?topic=36846.0
 
Firehouse construction - Engine 73/Ladder 42 - 659 Prospect Avenue  South Bronx  1913:

   
 
"Tin House"  Engine 85/TCU 712/Ladder 59  1264 Boston Road  South Bronx    1971-1986


   

   


Engine 85:    DISBANDED   

   

TCU 712:    DISBANDED

   


   


EMS Station 26  1264 Boston Road: 


   

   

    LODD:

          EMT Yadira Arroyo, March 17, 2016

         
         
          https://www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/news/article.page?id=fa2017&permalinkName=bunting-draped-bronx-ems-station-emt-yadira-arroyo#/0

          RIP.  Never forget.

 
Thanks for posting about 85/59 Joe.  I have always found this to be an interesting part of FDNY history, the quick construction of metal (Butler) buildings as Firehouses.  Isn't this just a few blocks from 82/31?  So different than what many of us are use to, having companies so close together.  But then again, none us "young guys" experienced or witnessed the "WAR YEARS"!
 
fltpara16 said:
Thanks for posting about 85/59 Joe.  I have always found this to be an interesting part of FDNY history, the quick construction of metal (Butler) buildings as Firehouses.  Isn't this just a few blocks from 82/31?  So different than what many of us are use to, having companies so close together.  But then again, none us "young guys" experienced or witnessed the "WAR YEARS"!
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About 1/2 block North on Boston Rd. & 4 1/2 blocks East on 169th St to Intervale Ave.
 
It is difficult to locate all the units that were located in the South Bronx during the War Years.  There were second sections, TCUs and new battalions and units moved.  This is a general map that has many South Bronx firehouses.  Mike has good location of E 85/TCU 712/L 59 on Boston Road - close to E 82/L 31 - and other companies.  All these companies saw a lot of work: 

   
 
mikeindabronx said:
fltpara16 said:
Thanks for posting about 85/59 Joe.  I have always found this to be an interesting part of FDNY history, the quick construction of metal (Butler) buildings as Firehouses.  Isn't this just a few blocks from 82/31?  So different than what many of us are use to, having companies so close together.  But then again, none us "young guys" experienced or witnessed the "WAR YEARS"!
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About 1/2 block North on Boston Rd. & 4 1/2 blocks East on 169th St to Intervale Ave.
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85 was approximately 2200 ft from 82/31 and approx 2200 ft from 50/19. 

But that's nothing compared to Hudson, NY (Columbia County) which had 5 active firehouses on the same street within 4800 ft of each other into the 2000's.

Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow (N Tarrytown) (Westchester County) have seven firehouses within 1900 ft of each other in an area of 1/10 sq mile.

Still, technically, the closest firehouses are in NYC, with two firehouses,  built at different times, side by side, touching, so the distance between them is 0 ft!  (eg 73/42 and others)
 
The best part of the Tin House was the barber chair in the kitchen.  A great place for Dad to stick a kid with a bowl of ice cream when he went to pick up his check.
 
lucky said:
Does E 220 & L 122 tie for that honor?
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Engine 220/Ladder 122  530/532 11th Street  Park Slope, Brooklyn - Built 1883 and 1907:

   

   

   

   
 
 
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