My younger Buff years

[mikeindabronx]

Thanks for the great feedback.

 

[1261Truckie]

mikeindabronx,

Gotta add my 2 cents....those are great pictures !!!!

Since I started with 132 in Brooklyn, I wish you had crossed the river and shot some Brooklyn stuff.

 

[nfd2004]

  The other "PM" I recieved was from a "friend" of Lt Richard Hamiltons, "Younger Son". I talked about Lt Hamilton on page one at the very beginning of My Younger Buff Years. I had been trying to find out about him for a very long time. This member said that Lt Hamilton now lives in California, but is not in good health. He is fighting his health problems as he fought the fires he fought. During his years of Rescue 2, he had a HUGE Impact on both myself and my brother "georged4997". Way back in 1968 is when Lt Hamilton introduced us first to the Greatest Fire Dept in the World. "The FDNY". We both followed it ever since.
 

I have heard from Lt Hamiltons daughter. She says his health has been a struggle, but he's sharp as a tack. He is now 86 years old and his two sons are 57 and 45. She reports her father never talked about the job because he didn't want the family to worry. She is really quite surprised to hear that her father made such an impact. It has been this web site and one other that allowed my brother and I to contact the family and friends of Lt Richard Hamilton, a Role Model we still look up to 40 or more years later.

 

[Rigglord]

Hello all.  My name is Ricky Flores and I'm the photographer whose work you guys are talking about during what you call the War Years.  I just wanted to back up those men who worked the South Bronx during the late 70's and 80's and say that it was exactly like they described it.  It was a time where the city systematically cut back services to our community with the sole exception, if I have this right, FDNY.  Landlords were either abandoning the buildings or burning them for insurance money.  We couldn't depend on cops or ambulances to show up but you called the Fire department and THEY ALWAYS CAME.   That dedication to our community is a bond that I took with me through out the rest of my life.  

One of my best stories about the FDNY came during the early 80's.  I was asleep at home when my phone rang and it was Bronx FDNY dispatch wanting to know how big the fire was across the street from my house.  I lived at 788 Fox Street, one of the H design buildings and my windows face Fox Street from inside the H.  I look out the window and I can see fire reflecting out from the windows across the street.  I tell the guy it looks big and it looks like its on Longwood Avenue.  He then 'encourages" me to go downstairs and take a look at exactly where the fire is at.  I'm wondering if this guy is for real and then dutifully run downstairs and run back up.  "It's pretty big,"  I tell the guy and the top floor is fully envolved and I heard him audibly sigh like a "oh shit" kind of noise and then he ask if that building is abandoned, 800 Fox Street. I told him that a family still lives there, probably one of the last families to live there and they lived on the top floor where the fire started. I told him that he better send out several alarms out too because it was a big fire.  Strange I got really good at the time in figuring out what you guys needed at the scene whether it was a trash fire or something more serious and those dispatchers got really good at using that information.  On hindsight, they had to, those men were getting hammered on a daily basis.

Here are several sets from Flickr that I wanted to share with you all;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickyflores/sets/72157604579178383/  (FDNY on the scene. Mostly in the Bronx, several from Manhattan)

The following set documents the wasteland that came as a results of all those fires.  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickyflores/sets/72157604615255164/  (The Decline of the South Bronx )

A small video incorporating the two above sets on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgFOvIARlDc

And lastly;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickyflores/2847724470/  ( The attack on the World Trade Center. )

For those men who work my community during that time, my profound thanks.  You guys gave and kept giving and I felt that I needed to let you know it from someone whose life you directly affected.

 

[mikeindabronx]

Really nice work,thanks for the links.

Mike
www.fdnysbravest.com

 

[Bxboro]

Nice work !!! Those are some priceless photos !!! I noticed one of the jobs early in the video was on Tinton Ave. 163/165 St. (row frames) I happened to be at that fire. Hot and humid Bronx summer day close to 100 degrees....unreal !! 

 

[nfd2004]

"Rigglord". I'm the guy that posted those Great Pictures you had taken. I was searching to try and find any pictures of what things looked like after much of that area was destroyed by fire. Your pictures sure told the story. I remember walking through some of that rubble. That was probadly over 30 years ago. I knew things were bad, but at that time, just didn't realize how bad things really were. When I first saw your pictures, I also showed them to my wife. I let her know, "those were the streets where I chased the fires and walked those streets". She could not believe it. Looking at your pictures today, its hard for "me" to even believe it, and "I was there".

  I am truly grateful that you had preserved that time in history. Each picture is a story in itself. I hope you didn't mind me posting them. Your pictures showed the younger generation on here how fires destroyed entire neighborhoods.

  And we all greatly appreciate your story that you told. You lived there and saw it first handed.

  Thank you for Your Great pictures and Great Story.

 

[Rigglord]

I think I did the Tinton Avenue fire as part of a ride along but I'm not sure.  It was the typical job you guys use to hit during that period of time.  It is a pleasure sharing them with you guys and I don't have a problem with you folks sharing them with one another.  I am curious if anyone reading this blog responded to any of the fires at 800 Fox Street.  The majority of my photos were of that building taken over a period of time.  That the damn thing is still there is a source of amazement to me considering all the stuff I saw going down in that building.  I was wondering how many calls did that building received during that time or where I could find out something like that.


Ricky

 

[*******]

Viewed your pictures Ricky, brought back some memories. Your time period (years) is a little off though. The so called war years started around 1964, peaked in 1975 and was pretty much over, or even ended by 1980. Was in the Bx from 1/70 (E50) to 4/73, and then with 82 engine 9/73 to 5/76. Had many jobs on Fox street. 82 did around 1800 structural fires a year with about 1600 hrs. of structural work a year during this period. Busy boxes were 2323 Cauldwell and 160 with 50 and 2743 Charlotte and 170 with 82. Never knew why the city allowed neighborhoods to be burned out like they did. They never would have allowed Park Ave. and 60th street to be burned out in Manhattan, or 70th and 3rd Ave. Thanks for the pictures, so many of the guys are no longer with us, the war did take its toll.

 

[3511]

*******, you are absolutely correct in your time frame. The use of the term "War Years" has been creeping forward in time. I remember the summer of 1969, on leave from the service, driving down Southern Blvd on the way to DMV office in Hunt's Point. Block after block of burned out shells of buildings from Tremont Avenue on south. People said it looked like bombed out Berlin after the war. It was true, and I had been in Berlin the previous summer, where one could still see the remnants over the Wall in East Berlin.

One major reason (there were others) for the fall off after 1978 was the City's change to the Welfare laws that year. Recipients were no longer entitled to reimbursement as a result of fire, nor were they given priority for public housing, among other things. The number of arson and structural fires nose dived. Amazing.

Howard Cosell was ten years too late in his lofty comment during the Word Series that "the Bronx is burning".

 

[nfd2004]

I have to agree about the timing of the War Years. As I remember the book "Report From Engine 82" had already come out around 1970/72. Dennis Smith had been writing that book before that time frame explaining how busy Engine 82 was. So adding the publication time etc, we could go back way before the book actually came out. In my own experience, I remember reading in a magazine at the library about the book coming out. It wasn't released until at least six months later. As a buff, I didn't start hanging out at Angie's Market across from Eng 82 until sometime in 1970. By then there were already several burned out buildings in the area.
  Prior to that I was spending time in Harlem, and those companies were really busy too, and they already had their share of burnouts. That was around 1968/69. Prior to that my first introduction to the FDNY was riding with Rescue 2. The night tour was catching about 18-25 runs, and maybe three jobs. I don't think Rescue 2 covered Brownsville jobs though. That was 1968.
  I also have to agree with the War Years peaking out around 1975. As I remember then, the fires were also starting to spread farther north in the Bronx, and also to the west. E42,48,88,and 92, were all starting to pick up. Also as E45,50,60,71,73,82, and 94 were still doing battle.(in DaBronx). In 1976/77 Bushwick became a Hot Spot. And then the Blackout came in 1977 making that a very busy year.
  I noticed a big drop in fires starting around 1978. Extra Fire Marshalls were sworn in and thats also around the time the rules changed for new housing. The 1980s still saw alot of activity but the War Years were pretty much over. Thats when you could ride through some neighborhoods of the South Bronx and see areas like Rigglord has pictures of in the Decline of The South Bronx.

 

[guitarman314]

Here's a short timeline of new companies that were organized during the start (1965 to 1970) of the "War Years": Nov. 1965= BC44(2); 7/08/66= E232; 2/23/67= BC18(2); 7/01/67= E85; 7/23/68= L55 & L103(2); August 10, 1968= L56, Div9, and second sections for: E41, E46, E91, E217,  E233, L26, BC12, BC14, BC37, & BC 39. Oct 1, 1968= E225(2); July 26, 1969= BC3(2), BC12(2), BC14(2), BC37(2), BC39(2) are renumbered to  BC25, BC26, BC27, BC28, BC29; Oct. 15, 1969= E46(2) disb. to form E88(2); Oct 18, 1969= BC55, BC56 & Div17; Nov. 15, 1969= TCU512(@E45), TCU513(@E94), TCU712(@E82); Nov. 29, 1969= TCU531 replaces E225(2), TCU731(@L102) & BC57; Dec 27, 1969= BC58; Feb 7, 1970= L27(2); May 30, 1970= E50(2); Oct. 3, 1970= L17(2).   

 

[mack]

Firehouse memories as a kid buff (visiting dad) in the late 50's early 60's before the "war years":  all red apparatus; bells on all rigs; two or three sets of rolled down rubber boots lined up behind the back step; last names were printed by hand on every boot; black rubber turnout coats without yellow stripes were placed near riding positions; warped leather helmets with red or black solid color front pieces; no plastic vision shields on helmets; older (1940's) 2nd piece engines for hose wagons; engines with World War II whistles instead of sirens; all nozzles/fittings mounted on the outside of rigs; trucks with wooden aeriels; scaling ladders; life nets; deck pipes; wooden extension ladders; open cabs; no seat belts; chief cars (sedans) with single lights on top; open house watch desks with a fan and a filled ash tray; 1st/2nd/3rd due boxes listed on the wall; telegraph alarm bells ringing twice for every box (RTA entered in journals); the box with assignment cards which were pulled every time a "bad box" or an all hands came in; hose drying on wall racks on the apparatus floor; cigar smoke coming from the kitchen; card games like hearts played in the kitchen; fans; dimly lit basements with barber chairs and old pool tables; stacks of musty civil defense provisions to be used as a fallout shelter; mascots; lockers with pictures I wasn't allowed to look at; company matrons (usually widows of members) who made beds and did house work; handball courts; fire alarm box keys carried to rewind boxes; shouts of "engine only", "turnout" or "everyone goes" yelled back to the kitchen; doors left open when companies were on a run; ten pairs of black shoes with laces undone spread around the empty floor.  There were more single company houses.  There were also houses with two engine companies (not TCUs).  I think there was a firehouse in Queens that even had three engine companies and a truck.  A lot changed very quickly in the years that followed.    

 

[guitarman314]

Firehouse memories as a kid buff (visiting dad) in the late 50's early 60's before the "war years":  all red apparatus; bells on all rigs; two or three sets of rolled down rubber boots lined up behind the back step; last names were printed by hand on every boot; black rubber turnout coats without yellow stripes were placed near riding positions; warped leather helmets with red or black solid color front pieces; no plastic vision shields on helmets; older (1940's) 2nd piece engines for hose wagons; engines with World War II whistles instead of sirens; all nozzles/fittings mounted on the outside of rigs; trucks with wooden aeriels; scaling ladders; life nets; deck pipes; wooden extension ladders; open cabs; no seat belts; chief cars (sedans) with single lights on top; open house watch desks with a fan and a filled ash tray; 1st/2nd/3rd due boxes listed on the wall; telegraph alarm bells ringing twice for every box (RTA entered in journals); the box with assignment cards which were pulled every time a "bad box" or an all hands came in; hose drying on wall racks on the apparatus floor; cigar smoke coming from the kitchen; card games like hearts played in the kitchen; fans; dimly lit basements with barber chairs and old pool tables; stacks of musty civil defense provisions to be used as a fallout shelter; mascots; lockers with pictures I wasn't allowed to look at; company matrons (usually widows of members) who made beds and did house work; handball courts; fire alarm box keys carried to rewind boxes; shouts of "engine only", "turnout" or "everyone goes" yelled back to the kitchen; doors left open when companies were on a run; ten pairs of black shoes with laces undone spread around the empty floor.  There were more single company houses.  There were also houses with two engine companies (not TCUs).  I think there was a firehouse in Queens that even had three engine companies and a truck.  A lot changed very quickly in the years that followed.    

  You just about summed it all up, Mack. That three engine, one truck firehouse was known as the Jamaica "Big House" located on 162nd St. It housed E275, E298, E299, L127 and BC50 and at least one of those engine companies also had a hosewagon. They had an individual housewatch desk for each engine and the truck.

 

[AuxWarYearsCapt]

mack.....you bring back very fond memories of the old days..........dont forget the blue and red ink wells with the old pointed pen, the white blotter used after the entry was made and back then with the bells, on busy nights the dispatchers would not use the zone system. Every signal recieved via the bell system had to be recorded in the co. journal.............The busiest I think was on New Years Eve into New Years day, there were 2 RTA entries per line, it had to be atleast to full journal pages.

 

[mack]

I pulled out one of my dad's 1956 WNYFs.  There is a unit location chart.  It looks like Brooklyn had 43 single engine company houses and 7 single truck houses (50 total) compared with about 24 single houses today.  Manhattan had about 34 single engine houses out of 53 engines and 13 single trucks of 32 listed for a total of 47 single houses.  There are about 17 single company Manhattan houses today, not including chiefs and special units.  This was not an exact count because some of the old WNYF locations are not precise.  But there were about twice as many single company firehouses before the war years arrived compared to today.  I remember the stories from old timers who seemed to really enjoyed serving in single unit houses.  They would claim single house members were closer. Many of those old single company houses were probably built by volunteer companies or by the Brooklyn Fire Department and were small.  They were built for horse pulled apparatus.  I guess since there were so many single houses, there was an ability to expand rapidly when the war years began.

 

[mmattyphoto]

Guitarman do you have date for E50-2? I think they were formed before E46-2.

 

[811]

One major reason (there were others) for the fall off after 1978 was the City's change to the Welfare laws that year. Recipients were no longer entitled to reimbursement as a result of fire, nor were they given priority for public housing, among other things. The number of arson and structural fires nose dived. Amazing.

And the insurance industry stopped paying for all the taxpayer jobs and "jewish lightning."

 

[nfd2004]

"G-man", "Lonewolf", and "Mack". That is such Great info and memories. I gotta tell ya, "I really do appreciate your posts". it is so "Great" to read all the thoughts you have put on here. This has become a complete history on the War Years. It is a Book in Itself, thanks to all of you.

  I just want to mention, but on another web site called www.ctfire-ems.com , I wrote about "The Fire Service-Past and Present". I was probadly starting it while you guys were writing about the older FDNY days on here. Anyway, some good stories about the Fire Service of the past. I think you'd be amazed at some of the stories that have been written. But they are all the way it used to be. If you do want to check it out, go on that site under "Ct Forums". Also, the "Bridgeports War Years" has been a pretty big hit. A city that certainly saw its share of work in the mid 70s to late 80s. I must say though, lately there has been problems getting onto the site due to some Tech problems.

  But again, back on track. Thank you so much guys for telling the stories. "Us Old Farts", got to let these "Young Kids" know what its really all about. (No offense if you're an "Old Fart" or a "Young Kid"---But you know who you are !!!! )

 

[johnd248]

Another oldie: having to shovel ashes out of the coal furnace at Engine 248.  Their quarters were heated by coal up until 1972 when they moved from Church Avenue to Snyder Avenue.  The chauffeur was in charge of the furnace and had to "bank it" before going to bed.  We had to haul metal cans full of ashes up out of the basement using ropes and put them on the sidewalk for pickup by Sanitation.