My younger Buff years

[bklyndisp54]

Happy Land was just over 20 years ago in early 1990,  The club was on an upper floor above some stores, with a single staircase going up.

Some retard had argued with his GF, who was a ticket-taker at the door, and came back with a can of gasoline.  The rest is history.  80+ dead.  25-to-life for the arsonist.

 

[turk132]

8/21/88 El Hoyo 6 killed in basement of social club. Jerome Ave and E 175 St. WNYF 2/89 has article on fire and task force created after the fire

 

[nfd2004]

8/21/88 El Hoyo 6 killed in basement of social club. Jerome Ave and E 175 St. WNYF 2/89 has article on fire and task force created after the fire

  Thanks Garrett. That's the one, The El Hoyo Club is the one I was referring to about the Fire Marshalls and NYPD forming a Task Force in 1988. As I remember it was an Illegal Social Club and as Turk reported, six people died there. That's the job that I was referring to. How about that Mack, does that sound right ? I think thats when that Joint FDNY/NYPD Task Force was formed.

  "bklyndisp54", The Happy Land Social Club, although a terrible loss of life caused by arson, really wasn't the job I was referring too. But for anybody around that time, the Happy Land Social Club fire is one we will never forget. I believe 87 people lost their lives in that small second floor Social club called "Happy Land" on Southern Blvd.

 

[Bigandy]

I have an old VHS tape that has a part about the Happy Land Fire. Very ironically named that. Mayor Dinkins gave a great speech on FDNY Medal Day, regarding that fire.

I'll see if I can post the clip on youtube.

 

[nfd2004]

I have an old VHS tape that has a part about the Happy Land Fire. Very ironically named that. Mayor Dinkins gave a great speech on FDNY Medal Day, regarding that fire.

I'll see if I can post the clip on youtube.

"Bigandy" sounds like you're referring to the Video called "Brothers in Battle". Another Great One.

 

[Bigandy]

Yep that's it. I was going for "The Bravest" in my head, but that sounded a little too recent. Brother's in Battle is great. Great overview of the entire department (Bronx to Staten Island) , and it was put together professionally which makes it even better.

 

[vbcapt]

An example of great FDNY hospitality & brotherhood: It was around 1990  and I was driving around lower Manhattan with a fellow Virginia firefighter around midnight. We drove past Duane Street and suprisingly saw a firehouse. We turned around and headed over to see this grand old firehouse which was impressive. We noticed the center bay door open which at the the time was occupied by the Battalion. We peeked in and saw a member on housewatch, he saw us and motioned us to come in. After we entered the housewatch booth, he said hello and asked if we needed any help. We said no, we told him we were firefighters from Virginia and I was showing my buddy around and that he had never been to NYC. He invited us to pull up some chairs and stay awhile. We traded stories about each others Dept. and enjoyed some casual conversation for about an hour or so. Soon after, a run came in over the teleprinter.....everybody goes!! After the firefighter quickly acknowledged via the teleprinter he looked at me and said "get in the cab of the Tower Ladder" and told my friend "you get in the Engine". We said, "are you sure that's ok?" He replied, "go ahead, it's alright". I climbed in the cab of Ladder 1 which was a Mack at the time and it had a wide Officer's seat. I was crammed up to and holding the SCBA so the Lieutenant could get in comfortably. We then sped out in route to a automatic fire alarm activation. During all this the chauffeur and Lieutenant operated as they normally would and didn't say a word to me. When we arrived the Lieutenant said "hey man, hand me my tank", I complied quickly. I stayed in the cab observing what I could and I saw the Battalion Chief standing in the street checking things out. At this point I said to myself "oh crap someone's gonna be in trouble when this guy sees me". I avoided eye contact at all costs and then  heard the Chief say "hey ! you look familiar, who are you?" I looked at him and wanted to say the same thing as he looked very familiar. Come to find out his name was BC Quatrone (i think the spelling is right), he was formerly the Captain of Tower Ladder 18 where I used to ride once in awhile, a friend of mine (former Va. Beach member) was a firefighter at Ladder 18. We chatted for a bit and then it was time to leave, we shook hands and he headed back to Duane St. By now I resumed my crammed position, the Lieutenant handed me his tank to put back and we headed back. Once we backed in to the firehouse and got off the rig the Lieutenant said "good night" and went upstairs. When my friend and I hooked back up at the housewatch I looked at him and said "what the hell just happened" we both laughed at each other as he was thinking the same thing, the firefighter on housewatch quietly chuckled. He asked us if we wanted to stay longer but, we felt it was time to go as it was getting around 2 am. We thanked him tremendously and we asked him to pass on our thanks to everyone else in the morning.

You just can't beat that kind of hospitality & brotherhood !!     

 

[nfd2004]

Deano, how right you are. I can completely relate to similiar stories. Of course since 9/11 things have changed. But from my very first story on here of how two young, somewhat intoxicated guys, just happened to walk in on Engine 82/Ladder 31/Batt 27 so many years ago. We were treated to the evening meal at around 3 AM (they apparently were running all night before that). Then took in a Fourth Alarm riding with the rigs. I just couldn't believe it myself. Before that, the only ride I got on a fire truck was when my father was backing a rig into the firehouse in Bridgeport, Ct. I'd sit up front, and I would get to pull the rope that rang the bell. As a kid I sure loved that. But the real ride came with FDNY Rescue 2 (with the late, and most decorated Firefighter, Lt Hamilton). And the night my buddy and I walked in on Eng 82/Lad 31. Those incidents changed my entire life. I made areas like the South Bronx my second home. And later on I tried to learn as much as I could just from watching those War Years Guys work. For me, this has been one of the Greatest Experiences in my life. I'm very Thankful that I was around to see it.
  And thanks Deano (vbcapt), for that Great Story.

 

[nfd2004]

From "Mikeindabronx", he would like to give us all an early Christmas Present. He has come out with Page 9 of his Photo Series covering The Bronx and Harlem. To view them go to:
                      http://fdnysbravest.com .
  Thanks Mike, They're GREAT !

 

[69 METS]

More excellent photos from 'the old days'. Great memories and familiar faces. Thanks again Mike!

 

[Bigandy]

The two extremes photo is classic.

Thanks Mike!

 

[dillondotcom]

Excellent!  Shows me what I missed while I was just a boy. 

 

[mikeindabronx]

THANKS

 

[ladder197]

When I joined the Navy in 1997 I had to go to MEPS in Brooklyn for processing and my physical. It was a two day process and we all had to stay at the Staten Island Hotel across from E-166/L-86 when the first day was complete, so I ventured across the street to the firehouse, the guys were great and invited me for dinner and to hang out till around 10pm, and gave me a patch and a shirt. So about a week later when it was time to leave for bootcamp I had to return to Brooklyn for final in- processing, which was another two day process and another stay in Staten Island. this time a brought a patchfrom my dept in Jersey and ventured back to the firehouse, once I told the guys that I had joined the Navy and was leaving the next day for boot they invited me in for dinner again. What a great time Iwill never forget it. The Lt. allowed me to ride the engine to the supermarket to pick up the meal, there was a spare seat open and he said if there were any runs I could go with them. They made zupe de pesce( not sure if I spelled it right) and I got to hang out all night, they invited me to stay the night but I had muster in the lobby of the hotel at 4am and thought it best to go back. I still have that RAF patch and its hanging up in my sons room. I will never forget their hospitality and friendship, they really helped to make leaving for bootcamp alot easier! 

 

[nfd2004]

Thank you Lad197 for your story. On September 11, 2001 America changed, and so did the FDNY. Prior to that, if you happened to stop into one of New York City's firehouses, and you were a buff, or just somebody decent with an interest in the fire service, that story was fairly common. They'd feed you and invite you to ride. I rode several times myself, as I walked into a firehouse where they didn't even know me.
  Sometimes, I really didn't want to stop in because I didn't want to get tied up with one company. If there was a good job, and that company didn't go, I'd be kinda disappointed. And you couldn't just pack up and leave, it just wasn't right.
  But I have nothing but Great memories of my visits to various FDNY Firehouses. Over the years, I was invited to stay and ride with Eng 37/Lad 40, Eng 68/Lad 49, Eng 82/Lad 31, Eng 92/Lad 44, Eng 232/Lad 176 (Tin House), Eng 271/Lad 124, Eng 290/Lad 103, and of course Rescue 2 with the late Lt Richard Hamilton. Those guys were the BEST. They treated me Great. My thanks to all of them. What a Great Group of Guys they were.
  In addition, I stopped into several other firehouses over the years. I've always been treated with respect, and of course they have always had my highest respect. I remember talking to a member of Ladder 33 in the firehouse about what I thought was a very high tech rescue that my brother had faced while working Bridgeport (Ct) Squad 5 (Rescue 5 now). The guy from Ladder 33 just rattled off things to do next time, just as a matter of routine business. I gotta tell ya, they sure know their stuff. Just a routine job for them. I've been involved with the FDNY for two thirds of my life (40 years). I guess you could say; "Just One Lucky Guy".

 

[rdm258]

Thank you for the update. GREAT PHOTOS. Miss those old Mack's.

 

[nfd2004]

Many of us would find this hard to believe today, but back in the 70s when the FDNY War Years were really rolling, a lot of depts really didn't want to break windows for ventilation. The FDNY was the exception to that rule. I would buff a fire and the outside vent man would break the windows to the fire apartment and then the heavy fire would blow out. It actually looked like it was getting worse and these guys were loosing it. Of course within 30 seconds or so came the shots of water from inside the apartment. Then the flame was gone, and then came the white colored smoke. All within a few minutes, and the fire was out. If you weren't right on top of this, you didn't see any fire at all.
  I remember going home and telling my father about these tactics, and how quickly these fires were put out. My father was a career firefighter, but just couldn't understand really what I was talking about. In his dept, you just didn't break windows. Even when I went on the job in 1975, it was a "no no" to break windows in a fire. But that's just how it was in those days in most places. We now of course know, the FDNY did it the right way.
  Size ups and Progress reports were the same thing. To hear a building height and size, location of the fire, and exposures was a new concept to us. And I remember how impressed my father was with hearing that on the scanner.
  These were just a few of the first lessons I learned from watching and listening to the FDNY. Over the years, there were many more to come. I remember my father (R.I.P. "Smoke") telling me; "if you want to learn the job, that's the place to be".

 

[3511]

The War Years were "really rolling" in the late 60's. Have people forgotten that or do they just not know?

Howard Cosell's famous statement, "The Bronx is burning", during the World series of 1978, was ten years too late.

 

[CFDMarshal]

The only way I can describe it is a blessing. Gave my step daughter a trip to NYC July 4th, 2001 and thought I would make an offical visit to the FDNY. Headquaters set me up with Ten House, E10, T10 on Liberty St. We were staying at the Embassy Suites nearby. I marched over at 9:00 am on the bright Saturday morning. Introduced to Lieutenant Tom McNamara and the Engine promptly caught a run. Procedure was I had to leave. Engine turned out and I met a member that was off shift. He asked why I missed the run and I explained how I set up the visity. He said hang out for a bit. The engine returned and he spoke with the LT and another box came in and the Lt said get on the rig. We ran 4 calls that Saturday morning and I had to return to the wife and kid. Lt. McNamara asked if I would like to go up in the towers and the wife declined. If my memory is correct it was Lt. McNamara, Tony Koczinski, MPO, Bobby Constant and Johnny Schroeder. We all know what happened two months later! RIP 343, I am indebetted to the courtesy extended to this redneck chief from TN.

 

[nfd2004]

Thank You "CFDMarshall" for that story. Many of us lost friends and fellow Brothers on that Terrible Day. For me, it's still hard to believe. Most of them I knew from taking classes with the New York Firefighters Burn Center Seminar's. They were the GREATEST... R.I.P. there my friends. You have NOT been forgotten.
  Prior to that day, meeting the Brothers, having a coffee, and riding the rig was usually a part of a visit to a NYC Firehouse. They always treated me with full respect. I am so Thankful for all they did for me. Yes, that's the way it was then.
  And I have to agree with "3511". The War Years did actually start in the late 60s. When I had my first night visit to Rescue 2 back in 1968, they made 18 runs that night. They caught two All Hands, and a Second Alarm. I remember the radio in the rig was non-stop with activity. When it was time for me to leave, I was "Exhausted" from being out there ALL NIGHT. Interestingly, the members apoligized to me as it actually was a pretty quiet Saturday Night for them. They said, they would sometimes do "25" runs on a Saturday Night.
  I am now reading the book called "The Usual". A Great book by Lt John Finucane. He is a retired member who spent time on E18, E231, L120, E85, and E46. He got on the job in 1967 and talks about getting on the job as the War Years started. As a new guy on the job, he talks of fighting many fires with E231/L120 in those Busy Days. (By the way, I do recommend the book).