- Joined
- Apr 23, 2018
- Messages
- 1,093
NO FRILLS; P 8
?PROTEST AND PROPOSAL?
Today a bunch of us from L 112 and E 277 took the subway to FDNY Headquarters on Livingston Street in downtown Brooklyn to protest the planned and deceitful closing of Brooklyn?s ?Tin House? E 232. There are over six thousand off duty firefighters assembling in front of Headquarters, we are wearing our turnout coats and helmets, some members have a red arm band with white 232 numerals worn on their left arm and some with pithy signs.
The firehouse was abruptly closed by Mayor Ed Koch and Fire Commissioner Joe Bruno during the 1988 Superbowl Game by a cleverly thought out scheme by sending a company relocation response message via teleprinter in the middle of the game.
When E 232 arrived at the re-location, their fire apparatus was taken away from them on the spot. Meanwhile back at their quarters as soon as the fire apparatus was out of sight, Fire Marshals descended and padlocked the firehouse doors and stood guard forbidding anyone to enter.
Today the outraged members are upset with the dishonest tactics pulled by Mayor Koch and Fire Commissioner Bruno, there are uproarious rants and sarcastic harangues coming from the crowd attacking them both. ?PULL THE RUG ON BRUNO? is popular and heard over and over taunting the meek Commissioner Bruno who wears a hideous hair piece.
Culprit with bad hair
The large group gets larger by the moment, Union leaders decide to march over the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall and pay homage to Mayor Koch giving him a piece of our minds, especially with the crooked manner in which the disbandment was done. I?m toward the front of the assembled troops with my Brothers of L 112, when I reached the bridge midspan I took a glance backwards and saw thousands of firefighters behind, an amazing sight of solidarity in black and yellow. This was the very first time the Brooklyn Bridge was used for a protest march by any organization.
We protested en masse for several hours venting our displeasure while working up an appetite and thirst. With no particular place in mind we came upon an Irish Joint opened for business not far from City Hall where we were able to put some tables together and plop down exhausted.
A quick round of cold beer was requested and forthcoming. ECC Mike Schuman was the first to order while others reviewed the menu, Mike ordered a liverwurst on rye with mustard, crispy bacon and slice of raw onion. All hands looked up from their menu and followed suit with the same order. The cold beer and exceptional sandwich was a delicious finish to a memorable day. However; E 232 never re-opened.
News clipping of protest, JK in forefront. I did not meet JK until recently, but we must have passed each other on numerous occasions, "six degrees of separation"? (Proof positive, JohnnyGage four heads away under pink arrow with other L 112 members).
************
The rig has just backed into quarters, today we have the meal, easy peasy cheese burgers and fries for lunch. LCC Jimmy ?Pop? Thornton cooks them on the stove top griddle like he does back in the deli where he works part time on his days off. His secret is salting the top of the griddle, this way the burger patty sears and does not stick to the hot griddle pulling the meat apart, when it is time to flip a nice char envelopes the patty keeping it moist inside. His burgers are the best.
Today the Boss is Captain Ray Downey from R 2 who is working overtime on this day tour with us. He catches me by the housewatch as I prepare my gear by the rig and asks if ?I got a sec?.
I last saw the Captain a few years ago operating at the Bushwick Avenue building collapse while cutting the roof, we only had time to exchange simple pleasantries. But, the last time I spoke with him directly was when I was with L 38 and I called him to say that I successfully completed a ?Open Water Diver? course as he suggested. The dive program for the FDNY and Rescue Companies was rapidly expanding and the ?hot? aspect at the time. By completing the course and Open Water Dive my position on the Captains list for obtaining a spot in R 2 would be upgraded, I remember him saying.
I registered and took a night NAUI ?Open Water Dive? class at Farmingdale. There was a series of classroom and pool diving activities, learning about dive equipment and diving practices. To complete the course you had to perform three open water dives with the instructor.
After completing the course, I decided that I could do without diving, I did not care for it. But I advised the Captain anyway. However a lot has happened since my telephone call to him.
?Sure, Cap, what can I do for you?? I reply. He then proceeds to tell me that a few of ?his guys? will be promoted soon and would like to know if ?I?m ready? to come over to R 2.
Although It has been over four years since I spoke to the Captain updating him with my dive class, I was surprised he remembered me, especially with so many other guys he must have interviewed during that time. But, once I got to L 112, my desire for R 2 waned and I did not ?keep in touch? with him.
I?m flabbergasted by the request. ?Thanks Cap, I?m honored for the invite, but I think I?ve found a home here and will have to pass?. The Captain understands and nods his head ?ok?.
I had simple reasons; first and foremost I did not want any part of diving, I just preferred going to fires, and that's exactly what I was doing. I enjoyed the first due truck work that I longed for and L 112 was doing an extraordinary amount of first due truck work, my desire fulfilled. Secondly, I loved the makeup of the guys and officers and finally, I loved the vitality of the unique gritty firehouse and surrounding neighborhood.
I offer to the Boss; ?But Georgie Kowlsch, who you interviewed a few years ago is a big dive fanatic, especially ice diving. He is sitting in the back kitchen mapping out ice dives right now?. The Captain looked interested so I continued, ?George is a heads-up guy, you may want to check with him?. Georgie was transferred to R 2 a few months later.
Ironically, at a job about a year later, R 2 and L 112 were operating together removing a young male who had his knee impaled onto a spiked fence from jumping off a porch. George was passing to me the oxy-acetylene torch assembly over a high fence for one of the R 2 members to use, in doing so he blew out his shoulder and ultimately required surgery. He never returned to full duty.
Pulling 'TIN' ceilings stink.
Getting a face full of sloppy mush really stinks.
Thanks for reading, stay safe, be well. Hope you enjoyed! KMG-365
?PROTEST AND PROPOSAL?
Today a bunch of us from L 112 and E 277 took the subway to FDNY Headquarters on Livingston Street in downtown Brooklyn to protest the planned and deceitful closing of Brooklyn?s ?Tin House? E 232. There are over six thousand off duty firefighters assembling in front of Headquarters, we are wearing our turnout coats and helmets, some members have a red arm band with white 232 numerals worn on their left arm and some with pithy signs.
The firehouse was abruptly closed by Mayor Ed Koch and Fire Commissioner Joe Bruno during the 1988 Superbowl Game by a cleverly thought out scheme by sending a company relocation response message via teleprinter in the middle of the game.
When E 232 arrived at the re-location, their fire apparatus was taken away from them on the spot. Meanwhile back at their quarters as soon as the fire apparatus was out of sight, Fire Marshals descended and padlocked the firehouse doors and stood guard forbidding anyone to enter.
Today the outraged members are upset with the dishonest tactics pulled by Mayor Koch and Fire Commissioner Bruno, there are uproarious rants and sarcastic harangues coming from the crowd attacking them both. ?PULL THE RUG ON BRUNO? is popular and heard over and over taunting the meek Commissioner Bruno who wears a hideous hair piece.
Culprit with bad hair
The large group gets larger by the moment, Union leaders decide to march over the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall and pay homage to Mayor Koch giving him a piece of our minds, especially with the crooked manner in which the disbandment was done. I?m toward the front of the assembled troops with my Brothers of L 112, when I reached the bridge midspan I took a glance backwards and saw thousands of firefighters behind, an amazing sight of solidarity in black and yellow. This was the very first time the Brooklyn Bridge was used for a protest march by any organization.
We protested en masse for several hours venting our displeasure while working up an appetite and thirst. With no particular place in mind we came upon an Irish Joint opened for business not far from City Hall where we were able to put some tables together and plop down exhausted.
A quick round of cold beer was requested and forthcoming. ECC Mike Schuman was the first to order while others reviewed the menu, Mike ordered a liverwurst on rye with mustard, crispy bacon and slice of raw onion. All hands looked up from their menu and followed suit with the same order. The cold beer and exceptional sandwich was a delicious finish to a memorable day. However; E 232 never re-opened.
News clipping of protest, JK in forefront. I did not meet JK until recently, but we must have passed each other on numerous occasions, "six degrees of separation"? (Proof positive, JohnnyGage four heads away under pink arrow with other L 112 members).
************
The rig has just backed into quarters, today we have the meal, easy peasy cheese burgers and fries for lunch. LCC Jimmy ?Pop? Thornton cooks them on the stove top griddle like he does back in the deli where he works part time on his days off. His secret is salting the top of the griddle, this way the burger patty sears and does not stick to the hot griddle pulling the meat apart, when it is time to flip a nice char envelopes the patty keeping it moist inside. His burgers are the best.
Today the Boss is Captain Ray Downey from R 2 who is working overtime on this day tour with us. He catches me by the housewatch as I prepare my gear by the rig and asks if ?I got a sec?.
I last saw the Captain a few years ago operating at the Bushwick Avenue building collapse while cutting the roof, we only had time to exchange simple pleasantries. But, the last time I spoke with him directly was when I was with L 38 and I called him to say that I successfully completed a ?Open Water Diver? course as he suggested. The dive program for the FDNY and Rescue Companies was rapidly expanding and the ?hot? aspect at the time. By completing the course and Open Water Dive my position on the Captains list for obtaining a spot in R 2 would be upgraded, I remember him saying.
I registered and took a night NAUI ?Open Water Dive? class at Farmingdale. There was a series of classroom and pool diving activities, learning about dive equipment and diving practices. To complete the course you had to perform three open water dives with the instructor.
After completing the course, I decided that I could do without diving, I did not care for it. But I advised the Captain anyway. However a lot has happened since my telephone call to him.
?Sure, Cap, what can I do for you?? I reply. He then proceeds to tell me that a few of ?his guys? will be promoted soon and would like to know if ?I?m ready? to come over to R 2.
Although It has been over four years since I spoke to the Captain updating him with my dive class, I was surprised he remembered me, especially with so many other guys he must have interviewed during that time. But, once I got to L 112, my desire for R 2 waned and I did not ?keep in touch? with him.
I?m flabbergasted by the request. ?Thanks Cap, I?m honored for the invite, but I think I?ve found a home here and will have to pass?. The Captain understands and nods his head ?ok?.
I had simple reasons; first and foremost I did not want any part of diving, I just preferred going to fires, and that's exactly what I was doing. I enjoyed the first due truck work that I longed for and L 112 was doing an extraordinary amount of first due truck work, my desire fulfilled. Secondly, I loved the makeup of the guys and officers and finally, I loved the vitality of the unique gritty firehouse and surrounding neighborhood.
I offer to the Boss; ?But Georgie Kowlsch, who you interviewed a few years ago is a big dive fanatic, especially ice diving. He is sitting in the back kitchen mapping out ice dives right now?. The Captain looked interested so I continued, ?George is a heads-up guy, you may want to check with him?. Georgie was transferred to R 2 a few months later.
Ironically, at a job about a year later, R 2 and L 112 were operating together removing a young male who had his knee impaled onto a spiked fence from jumping off a porch. George was passing to me the oxy-acetylene torch assembly over a high fence for one of the R 2 members to use, in doing so he blew out his shoulder and ultimately required surgery. He never returned to full duty.
Pulling 'TIN' ceilings stink.
Getting a face full of sloppy mush really stinks.
Thanks for reading, stay safe, be well. Hope you enjoyed! KMG-365
