My younger Buff years

[nfd2004]

That would be E 269.  E 256 wasn't too far away at DeKalb Ave and Ft. Greene Pl. across the street from Bklyn Tech High School

  Thanks "lucky". That's right Eng 269. And just as a side note, way back around 1968 when I first got introduced to the FDNY and rode with Rescue 2, they were with Engine 210 on Carlton Ave. I remember going to calls, espically street pull boxes and seeing Engine 256 all the time as they were in the same neighborhood. That's when the guys hung on the back of the rig, holding onto those subway handles and wearing 3/4 boots, and a black fire coat. I think a pull box got three and two then. It had to change as the companies were getting really busy. They went down to two and two, with a third engine response on reciept of a second phone call.
  With that, things really started picking up and what we know now as "the War Years" were getting into full swing. At that point it almost became impossible to get 2 + 2 to respond to a street pull box. They were just to busy and the dispatcher would say "you're getting 1 + 1. Or sometimes they'd say, "you're going in on the box by yourself". It just got so busy as time went on. The fire dept was almost at the breaking point. It was the beginning of "My Younger Buff Years". Just a Historic Time to be a buff, or on the job.
  And Thanks "Mack" and "150", I just caught your post as I was finishing this.

 

[mack]

I could not find a squad unit formed in the 1940s on the historical list of all FDNY units.  WNYF reported in an article on Squads in 1970 that the first "squads" were three manpower units formed during World War II to address the manpower shortage due to the large number of firefighters in military service.  A unit was at Ladder 24.  E 20 and E 204 were converted to the other two manpower units.  They responded on assigned first alarm boxes in high hazard areas of Manhattan and Brooklyn.  They were disbanded in 1945.  

Major working schedule changes in the 1950s required additional manpower and Squads 1, 2, 3 and 4 were formed using 1938 Mack hose tenders.  Nine Squads were eventually formed and they used International vans or Chevy station wagons.  Apparatus later changed to 1960 Mack Pumpers for the 6 Squads operating at that time.

 

[68jk09]

You are posting faster than i can answer since i am on 3 sites at once....ok , here goes.....ENG*269 was disbanded in '75.. those members unfortunately went to the 4 winds....in '77 Ray Downey RIP 9-11 organized the BKLYN SQ*1 as the CPT....all the members were hand picked from applicants thruout the City...they only had 1st due boxes ...several BNs on the 10-75 & no bldg insp or hyd insp...also no haz mat till after 9-11.....they lost 11 members on 9-11.............ENG*41 in the BRONX was disbanded in '89.......I was one of the original Officers who organized SQ*41 on 7-1-90....there was a lot of political bullshit involved...koch was the mayor who closed ENG*41 & dinkins was the mayor who in his campaign said he would open it....when the time came they wanted more bang for their buck since the immediate area had slowed down from years past....the plan was to make it a SQUAD since R*3 was still in Manhattan.....when we interviewed the applicants from some of the busiest Co s in the JOB we told them 1st due boxes only 9 BNs on the 10-75 ...no bldg insp & no hydrant insp.....we got some great FFs w/time on the JOB.....however the community powers were not happy since most previous SQUADS were disbanded....they only wanted the ENGINE back.......the FD caved somewhat & did not call it a SQUAD but rather an ENHANCED ENGINE.....we had all the special equipt. but the term SQUAD was not allowed to be used on the Dept radio only on the Handie-Talkie.....some real political bullshit.....also we got 1 st 2nd & 3rd due boxes as an ENG contrary to what was originally said (if you were 2nd or 3rd due standing fast at some bullshit then you were missing jobs)....then we were given bldg insp & hyd insp (taking away from important drill time)...around '98 the FDNY was mandated to have a specific amount of HAZMAT backup units & more SQUAD were organized & SQUAD*41 was allowed to use their proper title .....on 9-11 all 5 FFs & the Officer were killed RIP.

 

[68jk09]

OK now you are asking the questions faster than i can set up another Bud & Jamoe....between reply 696 & my 702  i have a few more to answer.....maybe not in order asked but here goes....SQUAD*5 did operate as a SQUAD on 150 ST......ENG*212 was the peoples FH they held the rig & the FH hostage not the FFs it had nothing to do w/SQ*1.... there was a recent video post i am not sure what site ,of a rubbish fire extending to a scaffold next to 212 s former qtrs w/only LAD*104 on the scene w/no ENG....when ENG*41 was closed a local activist handcuffed himself to the suspension under the front of the rig...ESU cut the chain in the middle of the handcuffs.....the one end remained on the Green Mack when we had it....(thats another story..the community originally forced the FD to give us the Green '86 back instead of a newer '89..like i said another story for another time)...ENG*256 was mentioned...when i was a FF in R*2 256 was closed & a guy in the company said "lets buy the bldg it s only $125 grand"..we alll laughed at him...today spike lee owns it & its valued at 4 million.....on "FDNYforgotten" .."Blast from the Past".. forum i spoke about the gm stretch carryall (like connecticut limo used to run) that SQ*3 & the old community relations out of pier A used to run.....i havent gotten anyone to post any pictures yet...the comm rel rig was in an old whats new in WNYF....anybody ?...hope i answered everybodys questions..take care.

 

[nfd2004]

...hope i answered everybodys questions..take care.

Chief K., I can't speak for anybody else, but you sure filled in a lot of the blanks for me. Thank you. I was around when those things you mentioned took place. But I certainly didn't know about a lot of the details that went on behind the scene. Somehow I missed the story of the person hand cuffing himself to "41". But I do remember seeing "41" using that Green Mack, and it sure was overdue for replacement.
  And Thank you for the information on Eng 269 later becoming Squad 1. I'll have to check out the story on "FDNYforgotten", "Blast from the Past" regarding the old 256 qtrs. I've been on that site before. A lot of good info on FDNY, similiar to The Rant.
  Thanks to all who have helped supply this info. My memory was a little fuzzy with these details. And "Thanks Again for this Great Web Site".

 

[guitarman314]

Did Dick Vizzini being a member of E41 have anything to do with why they were offered up for disbandment? ??? : ???

 

[turk132]

I think moving E71 from Park Ave to Melrose Ave & 156 had more to do with it. I think Vizzini had been out for a while when they closed E41. My mind is fuzzy but I think when the house on Melrose was bulit it was originally lettered with Engine 41 and Ladder 55.

 

[guitarman314]

I think moving E71 from Park Ave to Melrose Ave & 156 had more to do with it. I think Vizzini had been out for a while when they closed E41. My mind is fuzzy but I think when the house on Melrose was bulit it was originally lettered with Engine 41 and Ladder 55.

Yes it was lettered for E41, L55, BC26 and E41 was actually closer to it than E71 was.

 

[anesti]

Did Dick Vizzini being a member of E41 have anything to do with why they were offered up for disbandment? ??? : ???

who is dick vizzini nd why would they close engine 41 for him??

 

[guitarman314]

He was a "Big" guy with the FF's Union

 

[mikeindabronx]

Did Dick Vizzini being a member of E41 have anything to do with why they were offered up for disbandment? ??? : ???

who is dick vizzini nd why would they close engine 41 for him??

This info might be of some help:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/02/nyregion/city-lore-the-day-the-firemen-went-on-strike.html?pagewanted=all

 

[anesti]

ahh ok i see ,very intresting.

 

[johnd248]

Willy D- leave Brooklyn to the people who know the Borough of Fire.  List of closed engine companies in Brooklyn: 203, 204, 208, 209, 212, 213, 215, 232, 244, 256, 269.  There were a couple in the 300 range that were double companies that were also closed; I believe one was in with 246 in their old house.  There might be more; please chime in.  Willy D's getting pretty old so all he can remember is history.  LOL!!    ;D

 

[guitarman314]

  Yes, there was E326 at E245 that was formerly E245's 2nd section and E327 at E246 that was formerly E246's 2nd section. E326 was disbanded in 1952 to form a new E251 in Glen Oaks Queens and E327 was disbanded on July 16, 1960 which was the same day E246 & L169 moved from their old house on E. 23rd St. to their present home on E. 11th St.

 

[68jk09]

Vizzini was retired way before ENG*41 was closed.....i feel it had to do with the immediate area slowing down from what it had been & the proximity to ENG*71 s new qtrs as well as being close to ENG*60.......had this happened in a time period closer to the strike & had he still been an active member of the unit then i could possibly have seen that as a vindictive move......but that was not the case here........Certain other ENG s that were closed may have been a different story though.

 

[rdm258]

What units were in the Big House back in the day, in Jamaica?

 

[lucky]

E275,E298,E299,L127,and BC50. There were very few, if any, boxes that all three engines responded together. E 275, who wound up in South Jamaicato the South, only responded to boxes North of the firehouse. E 299, who wound up in Fresh Meadows to the North, only responded to boxes South of the firehouse. E 298 responded both North and South.

 

[guitarman314]

Talk about a crowded house? E275 and the chief came out of one bay E298, E299  & E299 wagon came out the middle bay, L127 had their own bay with a wall separating them from the hose haulers.

 

[vbcapt]

SQUAD 1 MANHATTAN
ORG. 180 W. 137th St. At E-59 (Apr. 16, 1955)
NQTRS. 111 W. 133rd St. W/ E-59 (Nov. 1, 1962)

SQUAD 1 BRONX
RELOC. 451 E. 176th St. At L-58 (Nov. 22, 1972)
RELOC. 925 E. Tremont St. At E-45 (Oct. 31, 1975)
DISB. (May 1, 1976)

SQUAD 1 BROOKLYN
REORG. 786 Union St. FQ E-269 (Dec. 1, 1977)
RELOC. 395 4th Ave. At E-239 (Aug. 26, 2003)
RQTRS. 786 Union St. W/ TRV (Dec. 26, 2004)

SQUAD 2 BRONX
ORG. 659 Prospect St. At E-73 (Aug. 1, 1955)
DISB. (May 1, 1976)

SQUAD 3 BROOKLYN
ORG. 206 Monroe St. At E-235 (Nov. 16, 1955)
RELOC. 701 Park Ave. At E-230 (Jul. 8, 1966)
DISB. (Jul. 2, 1975)
REORG. 701 Park Ave. At E-230 (Jul. 19, 1975)
DISB. (May 1, 1976)

SQUAD 4 BROOKLYN
ORG. 107 Watkins St. At E-231 (Nov. 16, 1955)
RELOC. 214 Bristol St. At E-283 (Jan. 1, 1956)
NQTRS. 885 Howard Ave. W/ E-283 (Nov. 19, 1973)
DISB. (Jul. 2, 1975)
REORG. 885 Howard Ave. At E-283 (Jul. 4, 1975)
DISB. (May 1, 1976)

SQUAD 5 MANHATTAN
ORG. 340 E. 14th St. At E-5 (Apr. 1, 1959)
RELOC. 185 Broome St. At E-17 (Apr. 22, 1966)
RELOC. 269 Henry St. At E-15 (May 15, 1969)
RELOC. 55 East Broadway FQ E-9 (Jan. 10, 1970)

SQUAD 5 BRONX
RELOC. 330 E. 150th St. At E-41 (Jan. 19, 1974)
DISB. (Jul. 2, 1975)
REORG. 330 E. 150th St. At E-41 (Jul. 4, 1975)
DISB. (May 1, 1976)

SQUAD 6 MANHATTAN
ORG. 205 W. 77th St. At E-74 (Nov. 1, 1959)
RELOC. 120 W. 83rd St. FQ E-56 (May 1, 1960)
DISB. To Org. Ladder 59 (Nov. 24, 1972)

SQUAD 7 BROOKLYN
ORG. 136 Wythe Ave. At E-212 (Dec. 19, 1959)
RELOC. 43 Morgan Ave. At E-237 (Jul. 15, 1964)
DISB. To Org. Engine 232 (Jul. 8, 1966)

SQUAD 8 MANHATTAN
ORG. 243 Lafayette St. FQ R-1 (May 1, 1960)
RELOC. 87 Lafayette St. At E-31 (Nov. 1, 1961)
RELOC. 363 Broome St. At E-55 (Feb. 1965)
RQTRS. 87 Lafayette St. W/ E-31 (Apr. 1965)
DISB. (Apr. 22, 1966)

SQUAD 9 MANHATTAN
ORG. 159 E. 85th St. At E-22 (Jun. 17, 1961)
DISB. To Reorg. Engine 85 (Jul. 1, 1967)

 

[68jk09]

rdm....check out "1st Due Response Area" thread ..my reply #4 for more info on the "Big House".........& Lucky you are correct about the North & South responses.....it is odd how they flipped them when they moved.........Box 9876  Jamaica Av & 162 St. was the home box i dont think all 3 of the ENGs went to that either just 2.......anyone have an old card  ?