FDNY and NYC Firehouses and Fire Companies

[nfd2004]

I won't soon forget my visit to the Brooklyn Tin House on a hot summer night in the mid 70s. Myself and my buddy (now retired Bridgeport, Ct FF) wanted to stop in and see what it is like inside that portable metal firehouse. So we walked in and got a great tour. Not only that, the guys invited us to stay for the meal and I ended up riding Ladder 176, and my buddy rode Engine 232 for the night tour. What a night it was ! I have no idea how many runs we made with them or how many fires there were. All I know is that we spent most of that night on the road and when we did get back to the firehouse with the Ladder, the Engine was usually out.

  I rode in the front of the cab and I remember the short piece of rope hanging from the end of that ladder. When we were leaving that firehouse in the morning, I was able to get A CLASSIC Picture of the guys in front of that Metal firehouse. I say "Classic" because only in New York during those very busy War Years would anybody ever be able to get a picture like that. I wish I still had it. "It was Priceless".

  Thank you Brooklyns Tin House Gang for a night we both will never forget.

 

[Bxboro]

I remember seeing a guy at a job with a large metal funnel over the top of his helmet..........I asked him what that was all about. He said "Tin man" from the "Tin House"........priceless !!!

 

[mack]

Chemical Engine 2/L 18/E 50/E 50-2/L19/L 32/Bn 17 - former quarters - 491 E 166 St Bronx    1882-1976

Original Morrisania volunteer companies on 491 E 166th St were:
    Engine 1  organized  1874
    Hope Hose 2  organized  1874
    Ladder 4 organized E 167th St  1874
   
    Chemical Engine 2 organized w/L 18  491 E 166th St (original vol firehouse) 1874 
    Chemical Engine 2 disbanded 1877

    L 18 organized 491 E 166th St w/Chem Eng 2  (orig vol firehouse)  1874
    L 18 relocated Old Post Office E 167th St  1881
    L 18 new firehouse 491 E 166th St   1882
    L 18 disbanded to form CEC 50  1882
    L 18 reorganized in Manhattan 1887

Original firehouse Chem Eng 2/L 18 491 E 166th St (former volunteer firehouse):


    CEC (Combined Engine Company) 50 organized 1882 at 491 E 166th St
    CEC 50 disbanded to form E 50 1898
    CEC 50 reorganized 1899
    CEC 50 (ladder) relocated 3134 Park Ave (E 71) 1904
    CEC 50 (engine) relocated 1192 Fulton Ave (E42) 1904
    CEC 50 returned 491 E 166 St 1905
    CEC 50 disbanded to form E 50 1907
     
    E 50 organized 491 E 166th St 1898
    E 50 disbanded to form CEC 50 1899
    E 50 reorganized 491 E 166th St 1907
    E 50 moved to new firehouse 1155 Washington Ave 1976

    E 50-2 organized 491 E 166th St 1970
    E 50-2 disbanded 1974

    L 32 organized 491 E 166th St   1907
    L 32 moved to 3433 White Plains Ave w/E 62  1928

    L 19 organized 1187 Ogden Ave  1880
    L 19 disbanded to form CEC 68  1898
    L 19 reorganized 886 Forest Ave  1898
    L 19 moved to new firehouse 1684 Bruckner Blvd (w/E 96)  1929
    L 19 relocated to 491 E 166th St (w/E 50)  1935
    L 19 moved to new firehouse w/ L 19 at 1155 Washington Ave 1976

    Bn 17 located at 491 E 166th St   1905-1956

    Bn 26 moved to 1155 Washington Ave 1993



   
491 E 166th St former firehouse (built 1882):

Quarters to CEC 50/E 50/E 50-2/L 18/L 19/L 32/Bn 17

Current home to electrician GSH Electric


E 50/L 19/Bn 26 current firehouse 1155 Washington Ave:


Ladder 19:
FDNY Ladder 19 Responding



Thanks Gman.

 

[Bxboro]

Anyone have shots of the old house / rigs on 166 st when it was open ??? There was a gentleman who lived nearby me in CT who was a firefighter and officer in 50 and a Chief in 6th Div.(same house) His name was Bob Curly. I spent countless hours listening to his stories about those busy companies. RIP

 

[guitarman314]

Chemical Engine 2/L 18/E 50/E 50-2/L19/Bn 17 - former quarters - 491 E 166 St Bronx    1882-1976
There are a few omissions and errors here:
Original Morrisania volunteer companies on 491 E 166th St were:
    Engine 1  organized  1874
    Hope Hose 2  organized  1874
    Ladder 4 organized E 167th St  1874
   
    Chemical Engine 2 organized w/L 18  491 E 166th St (original vol firehouse) 1874 
    Chemical Engine 2 disbanded 1877

    L 18 organized 491 w/Chem Eng 2  E 166th St (orig vol firehouse)  1874
    L 18 relocated Old Post Office e. 167th St  1881
    L 18 new firehouse 491 E 166th St  1882
    L 18 disbanded to form CEC 50  1882
    L 18 reorganized in Manhattan 1887

Original firehouse Chem Eng 2/L 18 491 E 166th St (former volunteer firehouse):


    CEC (Combined Engine Company) 50 organized 1882 at 491 E 166th St
    CEC 50 disbanded to form E 50 1898
    CEC 50 reorganized 1899
    CEC 50 (engine) relocated 3134 (E 71) 1904
    CEC 50 (ladder) relocated 1192 Fulton Ave (E42) 1904
    CEC 50 returned 491 E 166 St 1905
    CEC 50 disbanded to form E 50 1907 May-15-1907 to organize L 32 at 491 E. 166th until Dec. 20, 1928 when L32 moved to E 62 @3433 White Plains Rd.
    E 50-2 operated E 166th St firehouse from 1970-1974
    E 50 moved to new firehouse w/ L 19 at 1155 Washington Ave 1976
    Bn 26 moved to 1155 at Washington Ave 1993

    L 19 organized 1187 Ogden Ave  1880
    L 19 disbanded to form CEC 68  1898
    L 19 reorganized 886 Forest Ave  1898
    L 19 moved to new firehouse 1684 Bruckner Blvd (w/E 96)  1929
    L 19 relocated to 491 E 166th St (w/E 50)  1950 CORRECTION: May 1, 1935
    L 19 moved to new firehouse w/ L 19 at 1155 Washington Ave 1976

    Bn 17 located at 491 E 166th St  1905-1956
     
491 E 166th St former firehouse (built 1882):

Quarters to CEC 50/E 50/E 50-2/L 18/L 19/Bn 17

Current home to electrician GSH Electric


E 50/L 19/Bn 26 current firehouse 1155 Washington Ave:


Ladder 19:
FDNY Ladder 19 Responding

 

[mack]

Anyone have shots of the old house / rigs on 166 st when it was open ??? There was a gentleman who lived nearby me in CT who was a firefighter and officer in 50 and a Chief in 6th Div.(same house) His name was Bob Curly. I spent countless hours listening to his stories about those busy companies. RIP

Trying to find some.

 

[Atlas]

Mack,

Bob Curley was also a Batt Chief in the 3rd Batt. He was some thing else. I enjoyed working with him!!!!

 

[68jk09]

Although certainly not when the FH was active but this is a photo that i took in 1989 of the old 50/19 FH when we were surveying the BX for a possible location for a R*6 (which actually became SQ*41 the following year).........  http://fdnyrant.proboards.com/attachment/download/58

 

[mack]

Engine 50 - 1917:

 

[mack]

Engine 260 - former firehouse - 36-33 (692) Vernon Blvd

    E 6 Long Island City FD (paid) - organized 685 Vernon Blvd (former firehouse L 3 LICFD) 1895
    E 6 becomes E 3 FDNY  1898
    E 3 moves to new firehouse 36-33 (692) Vernon Ave 1899
    E 3 becomes E 160  1899
    E 160 becomes E 260  2013
    E 260 moves new firehouse 11-15 37th Ave  1939

E 160 (260) at 692 Vernon Avenue firehouse:


Former 692 Vernon Avenue firehouse:


11-15 37th Ave firehouse:

Firehouse for E 260/Bridge Chemical Unit 61/Emergency Unit 1/WT 5/SL 1 (21)/Foam Unit Queens/Foam 81/Foam 260

E 260:






Bridge Chemical Unit 61 located at 11-15 37th Ave w/E260 1939-1944


Emergency Unit 1 located at 11-15 37th Ave w/E 160  1941



Water Tower 5 located at 11-15 37th Ave w/E 260 1947-1957


Searchlight 1 (21) Queens located at 11-15 37th Ave w/E 260  1972-1990:


Foam Unit Queens located at 11-15 37th Ave w/E 260 1972-1988
Foam 81 located at 11-15 37th Ave w/E 260 1988-1998
Foam 260 located at 11-15 37th Ave w/E 260  1998-2000


Brooklyn Eagle newspaper stories:

Long Island City firemen badly burned varnish factory fire 1897:


LICFD firemen salaries increased to $800/yr 1896:

Members have not been paid in months

E 160 fire horse record:

 

[memory master]

Mack, 260 also had one of those "good looking" 1960 Ward LaFrance "Firebrand" pumpers.

 

[mack]

Thanks Memory Master - I don't have a picture but will try to find one.

 

[raybrag]

Not exactly in fresh-from-the-dealer shape, and who knows what company, but here's a Firebrand (photo by Chris Sissick):

http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/sissick/2013/02-20/img901.html

 

[mack]

Thanks Raybrag. FDNY purchased 16 Ward LaFrance engines in 1960.

Squad 2's Firebrand when located at 659 Prospect Ave w/E 73/L 42/Bn 55:


Note - Squad 2 had 7918 runs in 1969 not counting the runs they made as E 73 during Adaptive response.


FDNY Firebrand:


E 159 had a Firebrand in the 1960s.

 

[svd385]

These look a lot like the rig that 94 engine had when they had that fire in their quarters.  I believe it was totaled at that time.

 

[memory master]

I think they were the only rigs the city purchased that had a full bench seat across the width of the unit. Commonly referred to back then as "the old mans seat."

 

[lucky]

I thought that I recall a water tower in with Engine 260 at one time.

 

[mack]

I thought that I recall a water tower in with Engine 260 at one time.

Lucky - You are right - Water Tower 5.  Thanks.

 

[guitarman314]

These look a lot like the rig that 94 engine had when they had that fire in their quarters.  I believe it was totaled at that time.

  Engine 94 had a 1962 International that was burned up. Engine 294 also had a '62 Int. that burned during refueling severely injuring a firefighter. One of the E. Harlem engine co's. (not sure 35, 58 or 91) had an International that got caught under a building collapse in 1965 or '66 that totalled Ladder 40's 1963 Seagrave tiller. L-40 wound up getting L-119's 1960 Mack/Maxim and L119 got one of the 1961 Mack C 146 ft. High Ladder rearmounts.

 

[raybrag]

1962 International (from this site):