FDNY and NYC Firehouses and Fire Companies

[1261Truckie]

249 and 113 is one of those good houses over in the 38 in Brooklyn. Many of "the Rats" covered for the troops from 280 & 132 when the "Eye of the Storm" celebrated their Centennial last October. 280 set up a display on the apparatus floor which was harvest in tone. The center piece was a huge pumpkin. During the evening, "the Rats" brought the pumpkin into the kitchen and carved a rat face into it.....good laughs and good times. The guys in 280/132 said 249/113 was one of the houses that was very supportive in the aftermath of 9/11.

When originally built, 249/113's house was two stories and a third story was added a couple of years ago durig house renovations. I don't know what ended up in the addition, but it gave the guys extra room.

 

[mack]

Engine 249/Ladder 113 491 Rogers Avenue firehouse:








Ladder 113:

 

[fdny1075k]

Some great stuff on 108 and Camp Rogers! Thanks, mack!

 

[scoobyd]

1261- the pumpkin story- very funny, very creative work by the Rats who filled in the 6X on St. John's. 

 

[68jk09]

Years ago when i covered there they had a wall mural of the Gotham City skyline but instead of the bat signal in the sky they had a "RAT" signal.

 

[scoobyd]

creative bunch, those Rats!

 

[mack]

Engine 205 original firehouse  160 Pierrepont St, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn

    Engine 5 BFD organized 160 Pierrepont St in former firehouse of volunteer Pacific Engine 14  1869
    Engine 5 BFD became Engine 5 FDNY                                                                                1898
    Engine 5 became Engine 105                                                                                            1899
    Engine 105 became Engine 205                                                                                        1913
    Engine 205 moved to 274 Hicks St at Engine 224                                                                1925
    Engine 205 moved to new firehouse 74 Middagh St w/Ladder 118                                        1929

    Volunteer Pacific Engine 14 organized 1846

E 5 BFD at 150 Pierrepont St firehouse:



Former firehouse 160 Pierrepont St in 1958 - used by American Legion:






Joe's restaurant was at corner of Fulton and Pierrepont St:


http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2013/07/walkabout-dine-at-joes-brooklyn-part-1/

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2013/07/walkabout-dine-at-joes-part-2/


Current E 205 firehouse at 74 Middagh St firehouse:

 

[mack]

Engine 237/Battalion 7 (Bn 27)  firehouse 43 Morgan Avenue  Bushwick, Brooklyn

    Engine 37 BFD organized 43 Morgan Avenue                                1895
    Engine 37 BFD became Engine 37 FDNY                                        1898
    Engine 37 became Engine 137                                                      1899
    Engine 137 became Engine 237                                                    1913

    District Engineer 7 BFD organized 112 Siegel St at Engine 18 BFD    1885
    District Engineer moved to 43 Morgan Avenue at Engine 37            1896
    District Engineer 7 became Battalion 7 FDNY                                  1898
    Battalion 7 moved to 650 Hart St at Engine 18                              1898
    Battalion 7 became Battalion 27                                                    1898
    Battalion 27 disbanded                                                                1906
    Battalion 27 reorganized 1213 Intervale Avenue at Engine 82          1969
    Battalion 27 moved to 2828 Briggs Ave at Engine 79                      1978
    Battalion 27 moved to 2025 Bailey Ave at Engine 81                      2008
    Battalion 27 returned to 2828 Briggs Avenue at Engine 79              2010

BFD Fire Commissioner announces new companies - Engine 37 and Engine 38:






Engine 237 1969:


43 Morgan Avenue firehouse 1960s:


E 237 43 Morgan Avenue:








E 237:










Lt Richard Nappi Engine 237 LODD 2012 RIP:





http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/fallen-firefighter-lt-richard-nappi-firefighters-family-article-1.1063334

 

[68jk09]

I remember 237 back in '61 when LT Vinny Carlson my friends Uncle was a LT there.....the kitchen was on the 3rd floor back then.... some great guys ...Tony Ciaccio...Gerry Lombardi...Junius Rahn...& many others....the regular Rig was a '47 ALF which was Out Of Service often & a Civil Defense Rig was In Service often....when the large demolition area of the Lindsay Park Houses site was ongoing every night there was a "Lindsay Park Patrol" that left from 237's Qtrs every 3 hrs & drove through the demo area....a CD Pumper w/2 FFs & many nights  some young Fire hungry Auxiliaries on board.

 

[mack]

Chief - Was Junius Rahn the battalion chief who also started the FDNY motorcycle club?

 

[fdhistorian]

Brooklyn District Engineer/Battalion 7 became Battalion 27 in 1898.

In 1906, Battalion 27 was renumbered as Battalion 37, remaining with Engine 118/218 until 1949.

Battalion 37 was renumbered 47 as part of the Brooklyn and Queens renumbering of Chiefs, which preceded the 1913 renumbering of Engines & Ladders.

 

[mack]

FDNY Historian - Thanks for the help about FDNY battalion transitions. 

There are many changes with names and numbers related to: the FDNY expansion into the Bronx in the 1880s with combination companies; the annexation of Brooklyn, Queens and SI in 1898; the transition of Brooklyn and Long Island City paid departments into FDNY in 1898; the replacement of Queens, Brooklyn and SI volunteer departments and companies; the re-numbering of Brooklyn units in 1898; the re-numbering Brooklyn and SI units in 1913; fireboat re-designation from engine companies (marine) to marine units; double engine and ladder companies; combination companies transitioning to engine and ladder companies;combination engine/ladder companies; suburban ladder companies; chemical engine companies; Tactical Control Units (TCUs); brush fire patrol and brush fire units; foam units and foam powder units; squad manpower units and special operations squads; simple expansion; and movement of companies and battalions between boroughs. It is clear as mud. 

I think you are saying:

    Brooklyn District Engineer 7 BFD organized 112 Siegel St at E 18 BFD                1885
    Brooklyn District Engineer 7 moved to 43 Morgan Ave at E 37 BFD                      1896
    Brooklyn District Engineer 7 became Bn 7 FDNY                                            1896 (Brooklyn annexed by NYC)
    Bn 7 (FDNY Brooklyn) moved to 650 Hart St at E 18 FDNY (Bklyn)                      1898
    Bn 7 (FDNY Brooklyn) became Bn 27                                                                1898
    Bn 27 became Bn 38 at 395 4th Ave at E 139                                                    1906 (Brooklyn units had re-numbered 1899)
    Bn 38 moved to 231 Herkimer St at Engine 114                                                1906         
    Bn 38 moved to 1472 Bergen St at Engine 234                                                  1948 (Brooklyn units had re-numbered in 1913)
    Bn 38 moved to 1352 St Johns Pl at L 123                                                        1977

  or  District Engineer 7 BFD to Bn 7 to Bn 27 to Bn 38


Also it looks like
  Bn 3-2 to Bn 27 Bronx in 1969

  Bn 37 Queens to Bn 47 Queens in 1906



 

 

[mack]

Engine 231/Ladder 120/Bn 44/Squad 4/Bn 44-2/Bn 58  Firehouse  107 Watkins St  Brownsville, Brooklyn 

    Engine 31 BFD organized 1772 Pitkin Ave                                    1892
    Engine 31 BFD became Engine 31 FDNY                                      1898
    Engine 31 became Engine 131                                                    1899
    Engine 131 moved to 107 Watkins St with Bn 34                          1905     
    Engine 131 became Engine 231                                                  1913
    Engine 231 moved to 423 Ralph Ave at Engine 227                      1995
    Engine 231 moved to 107 Watkins St w/Ladder 120/Bn 44            1996

    Ladder 70 organized 107 Watkins St at Engine 131                      1905
    Ladder 70 became Ladder 120                                                    1913
    Ladder 120 moved to 855 Howard St at Engine 283                      1995
    Ladder 120 moved to 107 Watkins St w/E 231/Bn44                    1996

    Battalion 34 organized 107 Watkins St at Engine 131                    1905
    Battalion 34 became Battalion 44                                                1913
    Battalion 44 moved to 855 Howard St at Engine 283                      1995
    Battalion 44 moved to 107 Watkins St w/E 231/L 120                    1996
   
    Squad 4 organized 107 Watkins St at Engine 231                          1955
    Squad 4 moved to 214 Bristol Street at Engine 283                        1956

    Battalion 44-2 organized 107 Watkins St at Engine 231                  1965
    Battalion 44-2 became Battalion 58                                              1969
    Battalion 58 moved to 5105 Snyder Ave at Engine 310                    1971
    Battalion 58 moved to 1361 Rockaway parkway at Engine 257        1995
   
    Engine 232 organized at 107 Watkins St at Engine 231                    1966
    Engine 232 moved to 266 Rockaway Ave "Tinhouse" w/TCU 732      1971

                         
107 Watkins St (early 1900s):


Early Bn 44:


E 231 and L 120 Portraits:


L 120 1920s:


L 120 1924:


1928:


1933:


L 120 1930s:


Watkins St looking towards Pitkin 1945:


L 120 1953:


Housewatch (dates unknown):



L 120 1960s:

1963 Seagrave

1967:


1970s


L 120 1995:


107 Watkins St current:




Homepage:  http://www.watkinsst.com/news/index/layoutfile/home
http://www.capecodfd.com/PAGES%20Special/FDNY4.htm#Top
http://www.nyfd.com/brooklyn_ladders/ladder_120.html

Centennial Celebration 2006:
FDNY L120 Centennial Speeches

Engine 231:
Fdny engine 231 new

Ladder 120 1995:
Beautiful FDNY Mack Tower Ladder L120 back to quarters, 1995.

Bn 44 1995 night response:
FDNY, Ride along with BC 44 at night, Brooklyn, NY, January 27, 1995

FDNY Battalion 44 goes on a run outside of its district

Engine 231 engine driver FF Mortimer A Roberts LODD 1901
FF Roberts was 34 and had a wife and 5 children.  FF Roberts' widow was awarded $10000 due to negligence of construction workers who left debris in street without warnings.  Engine 231 responded over dirt piles left in road and FF Roberts was thrown from apparatus.  RIP:



Brownsville:
http://forgotten-ny.com/2005/06/brownsville-and-east-new-york-brooklyn/

http://www.oldnycphotos.com/brownsville.html

http://lightbox.time.com/2012/01/31/brownsville-brooklyn/#1

 

[fdny1075k]

I like the shot of the Viet Nam banner the guys are holding.

 

[Bxboro]

I used to ride with the 44 in the 80's. As a buff, this was the best place to ride back then in my opinion. In the 8 or so years I rode with the 44, I NEVER spent a night without going to a fire. Great memories and experience !! The 44 Aide (Ratso) was a piece of work too !!! Dinner was always around 11 pm in those days if you were lucky !!

 

[fdhistorian]

Thanks Mack.

The most difficult part when researching a renumbering is to determine what the ultimate change was.  Units might be relocated, replaced, or redesignated, usually a combination of all.  The only thing that does not happen is a unit existing in two locations or with two designations at the same time.

Battalion 25 moving from Eng 58?s quarters to Eng 91?s quarters was a relocation.

Eng 208 closing and Eng 167 opening on the very same day is (probably) a replacement ? (lose one company in Brooklyn, gain one company in SI)

TCU 712 becoming Ladder 59 was a redesignation (part-time Bronx Ladder to full time Bronx Ladder) (also involved a relocation which is why it was a combination event)

A unit remaining in place but changing identity is a renumbering  (Lad 68 renumbered Lad 118)

This one is trickier:
Eng 225 moving from Liberty Ave to Lincoln Ave in 1970 is a relocation (they retained their 225 identity) but then Eng 332 (a new unit) went into 225?s old house.  That would not be a renumbering because 225 still existed.

The brush fire units probably had the most changes in numbers and designations (BFU 1-8, Brush Patrol  (Eng number), BFU (80 series), and BFU (500 series))

The 1906 renumbering affected Brooklyn and Queens battalions and divisions.  The battalions were renumbered +10.  This bumped the Brooklyn battalions into the 30?s and the Queens battalions into the 40?s, while releasing the 20?s for SI.

The Brooklyn District Engineers became FDNY battalions on January 28, 1898 (redesignation,  District Engineer to Battalion);

The Brooklyn Battalions renumbered +20 on April 13, 1898 (renumbering, BC1 became BC21), this resolved the conflict with Manhattan BC numbers;

The Brooklyn and Queens Battalions renumbered +10 on April 15, 1906 (renumbering, BC21 became BC31);

This was more of a ?round-robin? because in order for BC21 to become BC31, BC31 had to become BC41 at the same time.  This was a renumbering rather than a relocation (in my opinion) because no battalion actually, physically moved.

Like you said, clear as mud.  It's challenging to keep it all straight.

Original BC27 became BC37, remaining at 650 Hart St before and after.  (Original BC37 became BC47 in Queens)  It probably would not be correct to say that the Queens 37 moved to Brooklyn. (Again, IMHO)

BC38 was originally BC28 on Herkimer St before and after.  The first BC38 was organized April 1, 1906 and renumbered BC48 just two weeks later on April 15, 1906.  Not sure why they even bothered for two weeks.

Sometimes, numbers get re-used after a period of time.  BC3-2 became BC27 in 1969.  Another confusing technicality!  3-2 was clearly renumbered, but since 27 had previously existed but gone since 1906, you could say that they (27) were reorganized.

Mack, great posts about the companies and houses, especially the vintage photos!

 

[mack]

fdhistorian - Thanks for the explanations. 


A few more questions:

2nd sections: 
    There has been frequent use of forming 2nd sections in busy companies and battalions.  But sometimes the additional company or battalion was designated with a new number (e.g. - E 85 instead of E 82-2; E 232 instead of E 231-2; Bn 58 instead of maintaining Bn 44-2). 

    Sometimes units were formed and operated as 2nd sections for many years.  Then they were changed to new company designations (e.g. - E 246-2 became E 327; E 264-2 became E 328).

Combination fire companies:
    The combination fire companies formed in 1974 had new numbers unlike previous combined engine/truck companies which maintained the original engine number (Combo 131 instead of Combo 151 on SI; Combo 121 in the Bronx instead of Combo 70; Combo 151 in Queens instead of Combo 311).   

Use of open numbers within borough when new companies are formed:  E 232 used the former fireboat designation when formed in 1966 but lower numbers 213 and 223 were available.  Why were the lower available numbers skipped?

Engine 72 was disbanded in Manhattan in 1957 and reorganized as Engine 41-2 in the Bronx, disbanded in 1958, reorganized in 1968 and disbanded in 1974.  But in 1972, a new Engine 72 was organized in the Bronx.

Thanks again.  Just curious about lineage.



 

 

[nfd2004]

I used to ride with the 44 in the 80's. As a buff, this was the best place to ride back then in my opinion. In the 8 or so years I rode with the 44, I NEVER spent a night without going to a fire. Great memories and experience !! The 44 Aide (Ratso) was a piece of work too !!! Dinner was always around 11 pm in those days if you were lucky !!

  I think "Patrickfd", retired East Hartford Firefighter, and his father, a Hartford Firefighter, used to also ride with 231/120 and the 44. I know one thing though, "Bxboro" and "Patrickfd" all got hooked. They were steady visitors to that Watkins St firehouse. And 20 or 30 years later, they still tell me about it.

 

[1261Truckie]

In the late 60's and early 70's, when I rode with L-132, we did a LOT of relocating to 120. We knew we would always get a job (or two) while there. The companies in that house were among the best on the job and in the world.

 

[mack]

Watkins Street - neighborhood changes:

Then:


Now:



Then:


Now:



The neighborhood 1924:


1996:


2012: