FDNY Chief Officer Cars and Vehicles

[raybrag]

Mack keeps coming up with gems.  Here's a 1948(ish) Ford Chief's car from his 1952 Greenpoint fire series (thanx, Joe):

 

[STAjo]

Mack keeps coming up with gems.  Here's a 1948(ish) Ford Chief's car from his 1952 Greenpoint fire series (thanx, Joe):

It Doesn't look like That Car will be In-Service much Longer !
Collapse-Zone Anyone ? 

 

[mack]

38th Battalion

   

 

[mack]

27th Battalion:

   

 

[mack]

1953:

 

[68jk09]

27th Battalion:

   

27 responding from Intervale Ave 82/31.

 

[nfd2004]

Looking at some of those pictures today, "YES, those were the days".

I can remember when the first two tower ladders had come out. Chicago FD had been the first to put the Snorkel truck in service. That was a bucket with a two piece articulating boom. Many cities followed.

But the FDNY came out with a new type of ladder with a bucket at the end that could extend out. I think there was a cartoon in WNYF Magazine showing a couple of guys in the bucket calling it a new amusement park ride. But those new Tower Ladders sure proved themselves over many years as the FDNY War Years really took off. Eventually I guess about one third of all ladder trucks in the city became Tower Ladders. Tower Ladders then became the choice of operations whenever a elevated master stream was required as well. They could also remove several occupants at a time without them climbing down ladders.

Several years had passed and the use of an aerial ladder using a master stream seemed to be history. That is until one day I buffed a Fifth alarm on Waverly Place (?) in Brooklyn in a large warehouse. Ladder 108, a tiller ladder truck had their ladder pipe master stream in operation. I think "68jk09" was assigned to that unit at the time. Seeing that for the first time in several years to me, was one of the highlights of buffing that job. Something that only a few years earlier was a routine operation.

Same thing with Rear Mount Ladder Trucks with the turntable on the back of the truck rather than mid mount. As far as I know, it was also the first that the FDNY put a ladder truck in service without a tillerman. Again that was during the same time period, the FDNY War Years, as I remember.

Any piece of fire apparatus that had passed the test during those very busy War Years, had proven itself without a doubt.

The picture of Battalion 27s rig on those cobble stone streets of Intervale Ave and 169th St in the Bronx. The very famous firehouse used by the busiest fire company in the world at the time, Eng 82/Lad 31. In addition at the time there was Engine 85, and every third night Squad 2 would come over from its assigned quarters with Engine 73. Also a TCU would be manned I believe between the hours of 3 pm and 1 am. Maybe it was TCU 712 (?).

Seeing those pictures here, can certainly be appreciated by the many guys who made the FDNY a part of their lives. Whether it was the Greatest Generation of Firefighters or the many buffs that watched these guys do what they did best - fight fires.

Thanks to all who contributed. It's a long time ago but many of us will always remember seeing some of these rigs performing their act.

 

[69 METS]

38th Battalion

   

I drove this a few times when I was assigned to E 234.

 

[68jk09]

I think the 38*BN rig above ^^^ was a Gasoline Rig ...i had a similar later year same body Black 1985 GMC 6.2 Lire Diesel Engined Suburban for 19 years until the body rotted out ...near the end the AC was done & the dual mufflers were blown out so an 1 1/2 hour trip to & back from the east end of LI  was windows open & no talking  because you could not hear anyone. 

 

[69 METS]

I think the 38*BN rig above ^^^ was a Gasoline Rig ...i had a similar later year same body Black 1985 GMC 6.2 Lire Diesel Engined Suburban for 19 years until the body rotted out ...near the end the AC was done & the dual mufflers were blown out so an 1 1/2 hour trip to & back from the east end of LI  was windows open & no talking  because you could not hear anyone.

It was a gasoline engine, Chief. Also, for some reason, the shops mounted the siren speaker in the engine compartment which muffled the sound significantly. 

 

[nfd2004]

Looking at some of those pictures today, "YES, those were the days".

I can remember when the first two tower ladders had come out. Chicago FD had been the first to put the Snorkel truck in service. That was a bucket with a two piece articulating boom. Many cities followed.

But the FDNY came out with a new type of ladder with a bucket at the end that could extend out. I think there was a cartoon in WNYF Magazine showing a couple of guys in the bucket calling it a new amusement park ride. But those new Tower Ladders sure proved themselves over many years as the FDNY War Years really took off. Eventually I guess about one third of all ladder trucks in the city became Tower Ladders. Tower Ladders then became the choice of operations whenever a elevated master stream was required as well. They could also remove several occupants at a time without them climbing down ladders.

Several years had passed and the use of an aerial ladder using a master stream seemed to be history. That is until one day I buffed a Fifth alarm on Waverly Place (?) in Brooklyn in a large warehouse. Ladder 108, a tiller ladder truck had their ladder pipe master stream in operation. I think "68jk09" was assigned to that unit at the time. Seeing that for the first time in several years to me, was one of the highlights of buffing that job. Something that only a few years earlier was a routine operation.

Same thing with Rear Mount Ladder Trucks with the turntable on the back of the truck rather than mid mount. As far as I know, it was also the first that the FDNY put a ladder truck in service without a tillerman. Again that was during the same time period, the FDNY War Years, as I remember.

Any piece of fire apparatus that had passed the test during those very busy War Years, had proven itself without a doubt.

The picture of Battalion 27s rig on those cobble stone streets of Intervale Ave and 169th St in the Bronx. The very famous firehouse used by the busiest fire company in the world at the time, Eng 82/Lad 31. In addition at the time there was Engine 85, and every third night Squad 2 would come over from its assigned quarters with Engine 73. Also a TCU would be manned I believe between the hours of 3 pm and 1 am. Maybe it was TCU 712 (?).

Seeing those pictures here, can certainly be appreciated by the many guys who made the FDNY a part of their lives. Whether it was the Greatest Generation of Firefighters or the many buffs that watched these guys do what they did best - fight fires.

Thanks to all who contributed. It's a long time ago but many of us will always remember seeing some of these rigs performing their act.

"69 METS", good to hear from you. I hope things are okay after being hit with that Hurricane. If we can help, and you, or the other Brothers down there need anything, let us know. I can tell you that when I was down there, "you guys were good to me'.

I would also like to pass on a story that I learned about that fire I mentioned on Waverly Place in Brooklyn.
If you were to look closely at one of the last pages of Al Donchins book, you will see a firefighter at the end of a ladder. That is Ladder 132 and the firefighter at that end is Retired B.C. Jack K, aka "68jk09". At the time he was assigned to Rescue 2, not Ladder 108 as I thought. He was working to free a trapped worker from behind a steel casement window.

But in addition to that, later he had to testify in court regarding that incident and the owner of that building. I guess a little lesson learned for all firefighters. At some point while performing your duties you may someday be required to also testify on what you did and saw. So not only is it important for firefighters to do the job, but it might be possible that you may have to explain in court on how you did it, and why you did it. I think that certainly holds very true today. 

 

[mack]

Picture of Bn 27 in quarters:

   

 

[raybrag]

Picture of Bn 27 in quarters:

   

1970 Ford Country Sedan  (yup, Country in the city)

 

[69 METS]

[/quote]

"69 METS", good to hear from you. I hope things are okay after being hit with that Hurricane. If we can help, and you, or the other Brothers down there need anything, let us know. I can tell you that when I was down there, "you guys were good to me'.

I would also like to pass on a story that I learned about that fire I mentioned on Waverly Place in Brooklyn.
If you were to look closely at one of the last pages of Al Donchins book, you will see a firefighter at the end of a ladder. That is Ladder 132 and the firefighter at that end is Retired B.C. Jack K, aka "68jk09". At the time he was assigned to Rescue 2, not Ladder 108 as I thought. He was working to free a trapped worker from behind a steel casement window.

But in addition to that, later he had to testify in court regarding that incident and the owner of that building. I guess a little lesson learned for all firefighters. At some point while performing your duties you may someday be required to also testify on what you did and saw. So not only is it important for firefighters to do the job, but it might be possible that you may have to explain in court on how you did it, and why you did it. I think that certainly holds very true today.
[/quote]

Hey Willy 'D', Thanks for reaching out. We fared well with Hurricane Irma. I'm told that Naples and Charlotte County as well as The Keys were hit hard. The FD's in my county sent strike teams down the first week after the storm to cover stations and respond to calls. The IAFF local here has been sending off duty guys down to assist firefighters whose homes were damaged as well as to deliver clothing, etc. They have set up a GO Fund Me Page to assist IAFF Members in need: https://www.gofundme.com/ManateeCountyFirefightersDisasterRelief?viewupdates=1&rcid=r01-150566130294-faaf0ef7cd764e04&utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=body_photo&utm_campaign=upd_n

 

[mack]

 

[mack]

 

[raybrag]

Well, the 2nd pic is a 1953 Ford, with a 700 series ALF TDL and a Ward LaFrance pumper bringing up the rear. Tom Eve can probably tell us where the picture was taken.  But I'm stumped on the first picture (a great find Joe, by the way).  A Cadillac?  Pierce Arrow? Something else?

 

[memory master]

My guess as to the second photo is Queens Blvd. in Elmhurst. Now, did the officer use the telegraph key in the box to tap in the 9-2 or were the radios in use at that time? The box location looked like Grand Avenue up near Manilla street.

 

[raybrag]

Still don't know for sure about the location, but it's the officer from E287 that rewinds the box (7075, unless my eyes deceive me).  That puts it at 54th Ave & Van Horn St. in Flushing . . . or about 3 blocks from the 287/136/46 house, and which shouldn't require travel on Queens Blvd.  Left out of the house onto Grand Ave for one long block, then left on Van Horn 3 blocks to 54th.  Of course there's no telling that the scene at the box and the scene with the units rolling were shot anywhere close to the same time, or with any relation to the box.

 

[memory master]

The shots with the rigs rolling were done at a time separate from the "box" arrival scene. If you notice you see the units going west on QB from Grand then the next shot there coming east on QB and turning into Grand. At least that's the way these old eyes deciphered it.