My younger Buff years
- Thread starter nfd2004
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I have a bunch of 6000 series Little Neck & Douglaston cards from the 1930's to 40's. All show E298 relocating to E304 on the 2nd, E275 on the 3rd and E299 on the 4th. Both E275 and E299 got covered by E270 & E294 respectively. 
My good friend, "Mikeindabronx" has advised me that he has posted more photos on his site. He now has added page 10. These are some of the very Best Photos of the FDNY in action during those very busy times. To view them go to www.fdnysbravest.com .
Thanks very much Mike. They're Great, and that's really putting it mildly. Your photos have preserved a very important part of the FDNY History.
During those busy years, and while Mike was busy taking those pictures, I buffed the Bronx and Harlem with my good friend "Bxboro" (AKA Scott). That was some 30 years ago. I understand that his son has shown an interest in this Buffing Hobby. So he plans to introduce his son to the busy FDNY. Like Scott told me awhile back when we were talking about my father being on the job in Bridgeport, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree". So too, Scott and his son.
Scott is on the job in Connecticut and has a brother on a busy FDNY company.
Looks to me like we are looking at three generations of FDNY buffing. Maybe soon his son will be writing "his" stories on "My Younger Buff Years".
Thanks very much Mike. They're Great, and that's really putting it mildly. Your photos have preserved a very important part of the FDNY History.
During those busy years, and while Mike was busy taking those pictures, I buffed the Bronx and Harlem with my good friend "Bxboro" (AKA Scott). That was some 30 years ago. I understand that his son has shown an interest in this Buffing Hobby. So he plans to introduce his son to the busy FDNY. Like Scott told me awhile back when we were talking about my father being on the job in Bridgeport, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree". So too, Scott and his son.
Scott is on the job in Connecticut and has a brother on a busy FDNY company.
Looks to me like we are looking at three generations of FDNY buffing. Maybe soon his son will be writing "his" stories on "My Younger Buff Years".
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Went to the Bravest site and saw not only page 10 but page 11 of new "MikeindaBronx" photos. GREAT SHOTS !!!! Thanks, Mike
1261Truckie said:
Yes my friends it's true. Mike has posted page 11 (www.fdnysbravest.com) of his Great photo Series. And to me, they are Priceless. Great job Mike and THANK YOU.
From the early days of hanging out at Angie's Market across the street from 82/31, to the Cross Bronx at 46/27, to Clairmont Park, and the Webster Ave McDonalds, many of my friends who buffed the area became firefighters. Some have now retired. My brother George, Bill Bernhard, and Jim Sank spent several years on the job in Bridgeport, all have now retired. My buddy Zack H. is still on the job there.
On the job in New London, Ct is my friend Jeff R. In Groton, Ct is Scott L., who also has a brother on a busy company in the Bronx. They all buffed the FDNY.
Some in this group started buffing the busy 70s and 80s when they were young teenagers.
They all buffed the FDNY and all learned from the very best out there. Some have been promoted to as high as a chiefs rank. There just wasn't any school out there where you could learn so much just by watching. Everything from the little tricks of the trade, to dealing with some of the worst ghetto conditions the world has seen. It was a total "across the board education". And those FDNY members were always willing to take the time to explain the job to us.
Things we learned years ago, have recently started to show up. It was the FDNY that started painting squares on vacant buildings, with a "slash" or an "X" for fire damage. That was way back in the 70s. Today, that is common practice in many cities. But it was the FDNY that started that four decades ago.
I am very Thankful that I was able to see and learn from what is "The Greatest Generation of Firefighters" the world has ever seen.
On the job in New London, Ct is my friend Jeff R. In Groton, Ct is Scott L., who also has a brother on a busy company in the Bronx. They all buffed the FDNY.
Some in this group started buffing the busy 70s and 80s when they were young teenagers.
They all buffed the FDNY and all learned from the very best out there. Some have been promoted to as high as a chiefs rank. There just wasn't any school out there where you could learn so much just by watching. Everything from the little tricks of the trade, to dealing with some of the worst ghetto conditions the world has seen. It was a total "across the board education". And those FDNY members were always willing to take the time to explain the job to us.
Things we learned years ago, have recently started to show up. It was the FDNY that started painting squares on vacant buildings, with a "slash" or an "X" for fire damage. That was way back in the 70s. Today, that is common practice in many cities. But it was the FDNY that started that four decades ago.
I am very Thankful that I was able to see and learn from what is "The Greatest Generation of Firefighters" the world has ever seen.
I had a good friend who became an Auxiliary Firefighter with Engine 83/Ladder 29. In those days, Ladder 29 was a tiller. Also Satalite 2 was stationed there before going to its new home w/72. Later Ladder 29 got a Tower Ladder and that area was really burning. Streets like St Anns, Brook Ave, Cypress Ave and those 130's and 140's streets saw work all the time. I'm sure G-man can relate to what I'm talking about.
I sure used to enjoy those two neighborhood Tower ladders, TL 17 and TL 29, giving those five brick vacants a dual attack. They'd knock down some heavy fire on five floors in no time. Maybe the response would be "two and two" and the battalion would go with a 10-30 signal. That ment 2 + 2, nothing else. For a five story brick building "fully involved". And there were a few times when they could only get 1 + 1 for that same kind of fire. Impossible to believe today, but TRUE.
And as we all know, Ladder 29 is now a Rearmount. Several years ago Ladder 29s rearmount went to Ladder 50. I believe somebody covered that on another thread or earlier on this. Had something to do with the weight of a tower ladder crossing one of the bridges in 29s area.
But that TL 17 and TL 29 sure caught their share in those days. Right G-man !!!!
I sure used to enjoy those two neighborhood Tower ladders, TL 17 and TL 29, giving those five brick vacants a dual attack. They'd knock down some heavy fire on five floors in no time. Maybe the response would be "two and two" and the battalion would go with a 10-30 signal. That ment 2 + 2, nothing else. For a five story brick building "fully involved". And there were a few times when they could only get 1 + 1 for that same kind of fire. Impossible to believe today, but TRUE.
And as we all know, Ladder 29 is now a Rearmount. Several years ago Ladder 29s rearmount went to Ladder 50. I believe somebody covered that on another thread or earlier on this. Had something to do with the weight of a tower ladder crossing one of the bridges in 29s area.
But that TL 17 and TL 29 sure caught their share in those days. Right G-man !!!!
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Chief.....great photos, thanks. Below is a link to the photos.
http://fdnyrant.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=history&action=display&thread=8424
http://fdnyrant.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=history&action=display&thread=8424
Thanks very much Chief for advising us of those Great Pictures. I got home from my P/T job last night and was advised by my friend "mikeindabronx" of the pictures on the Rant. At that time there was maybe a dozen or so. I got up this morning, and see that Santa Clause had arrived early, and there were a total of "53 Photos" posted.
Thanks very much Chief. And Thanks Mike for advising me, and helping us out to find those Great Photos on site.
Thanks very much Chief. And Thanks Mike for advising me, and helping us out to find those Great Photos on site.
It was around 1975 and a few of my buddies were Boston Buffs. They are referred to as "Sparks" up there in Bean Town. And like most places then, Boston was catching its share of work. I had gone up there a few times with the guys, but I would ask my friends to make a trip and buff the FDNY with me. I told them its busy and we are sure to catch a few jobs. But for some reason, they would just Never want to go. It was almost the same distance from Norwich (our area), to Boston or NYC.
Finally, after much talk, I finally got two of them to go. At the time I was spending most of my NYC buffing time in Brooklyn. We would take the Williamsburg Bridge to Broadway and follow that out to Koskeosko St (spelling ????) where we would hang out at a McDonalds. As soon as we got there a job came in for Evergreen and Gates (?) in a row of attached frames. These were very common in Bushwick. The fire quickly spread across the entire cockloft. But in those days, an entire city block of row frames with heavy fire in the cockloft, might only get a second alarm assignment. And that's exactly what they got. That was about 10 AM. As the day went on, the radio traffic got busier. I remember telling my buddy; "just write down the box numbers". It would get so busy, you couldn't write down the address of the fire. I think we caught about seven jobs that day. Of course there were more throughout Brooklyn, but thats what we took in. In addition, on the way home we caught a job in Bridgeport. "After that, they were sold". I don't think they went back to Boston too many times after that. Although Boston was certainly catching it, I think my friends had found a new hangout in Bushwick/Bed Sty.
Finally, after much talk, I finally got two of them to go. At the time I was spending most of my NYC buffing time in Brooklyn. We would take the Williamsburg Bridge to Broadway and follow that out to Koskeosko St (spelling ????) where we would hang out at a McDonalds. As soon as we got there a job came in for Evergreen and Gates (?) in a row of attached frames. These were very common in Bushwick. The fire quickly spread across the entire cockloft. But in those days, an entire city block of row frames with heavy fire in the cockloft, might only get a second alarm assignment. And that's exactly what they got. That was about 10 AM. As the day went on, the radio traffic got busier. I remember telling my buddy; "just write down the box numbers". It would get so busy, you couldn't write down the address of the fire. I think we caught about seven jobs that day. Of course there were more throughout Brooklyn, but thats what we took in. In addition, on the way home we caught a job in Bridgeport. "After that, they were sold". I don't think they went back to Boston too many times after that. Although Boston was certainly catching it, I think my friends had found a new hangout in Bushwick/Bed Sty.
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nfd2004 aka "Willy D" - this thread is now 49 pages, and eveywhere you go you eat McDonald's!!!! If I had know about this earlier, I would have bought stock in Mickey D's and I'd be rich.
;D
;D kfd274 said:nfd2004 aka "Willy D" - this thread is now 49 pages, and eveywhere you go you eat McDonald's!!!! If I had know about this earlier, I would have bought stock in Mickey D's and I'd be rich.
Well Kevin, it's Never too late to invest some money. 49 pages is a lot of McDonalds. Here's another Hot Tip, invest in Dunkin Donuts too. I spend a lot of time there also. (And sorry to say, it shows).
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You forgot White Castle? ??? ;D ;D ;D
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I don't know Bill but the last time we met in DaBronx it was Wendy's.
I think we're supposed to be talking about "Our Younger Buffing Years", not about food. So if we could get back to talking about those Tower ladders, The Jobs, etc, instead of those Big Macs, White Castle Burgers, and Wendy's Chocolate Shakes etc, I'm sure those Moderators would be very happy.
68jk09 said:
Thanks Chief for the "Heads Up on those Photos". And Thanks to "811" for posting them. They sure are Great. I hope the guys on here check them out.
I sure enjoy reading the RANT. Espically the "Iron Lungs Section". Some of you guys have some Great Stories to tell. Everytime I think about some of them, I sit here laughing to myself. There's been a few. I know one thread was on Firehouse Pets (I think). Laughed my A$$ off. Real Classics !!! Also plenty of History of some of FDNYs Busiet Days.
I certainly don't want to take anything away from this site. Of course, you can probadly tell, "its my favorite". I don't really write much on the Rant because I feel it belongs more to the FDNY Members. Of course my good friend, "Mikeindabronx" writes on it once in a while, but I think he really kind of deserves that right. He spent a lot of time with those Bronx and Harlem Members. He sure knows them all.
So thanks for passing that onto us, and I enjoy reading the many stories of the guys that were there as it happened.
Those 30 or 40 years ago, during the Busy War Years, and even into the 80s, things were just so different then. Its hard to believe for maybe anybody that wasn't around to see it. There were no computers in the rigs or in the firehouse. Pull boxes and ERS Boxes were throughout the city. No bunker gear, just rubber coats and 3/4 rubber boots. Riding the back step was the everyday scene. And the FDNY was one of the first to actually use 1 3/4 hose, replacing the more common 1 1/2 hose.
Riding with a company was a pretty normal thing for a buff. As long as you were a decent guy, they welcomed you into the firehouse and asked you to ride. Just a Great time to be around and plenty of action to follow. Sometimes so much that it was tough to keep up with it. At times it was so busy that we would only listen to one boro and one of us would have to write down the boxes. If it was a job, we just looked up the location in the Box Location Book. I think there was a group called "The Third Alarm Asso", and thats where I got my first Box Book from.
At the time I guess you could say I was "young and stupid". Sometimes watching the job from the street wasn't always what I did. I sometimes went to the roof of an exposure to watch those truckies make the cuts with those saws and watch the others pull up the wooden roof area. Then push the hooks down through the plaster to open it up. Or sometimes I'd be right in the hallway just a few feet from the forcible entry team as they attacked the door locks with halligan and a flathead axe. Then the line would move in and I could hear the water hitting the ceiling. Some occupants would still be coming down the interior stairs.
I guess I was just lucky that I never got hurt or worse. I learned a lot from watching but I certainly wouldn't do it today. The FDNY was always very good to me with my buffing thing. And I have a feeling they kept a close eye on me while I watched them perform. I guess kind of like a "Guardian Angel".
Riding with a company was a pretty normal thing for a buff. As long as you were a decent guy, they welcomed you into the firehouse and asked you to ride. Just a Great time to be around and plenty of action to follow. Sometimes so much that it was tough to keep up with it. At times it was so busy that we would only listen to one boro and one of us would have to write down the boxes. If it was a job, we just looked up the location in the Box Location Book. I think there was a group called "The Third Alarm Asso", and thats where I got my first Box Book from.
At the time I guess you could say I was "young and stupid". Sometimes watching the job from the street wasn't always what I did. I sometimes went to the roof of an exposure to watch those truckies make the cuts with those saws and watch the others pull up the wooden roof area. Then push the hooks down through the plaster to open it up. Or sometimes I'd be right in the hallway just a few feet from the forcible entry team as they attacked the door locks with halligan and a flathead axe. Then the line would move in and I could hear the water hitting the ceiling. Some occupants would still be coming down the interior stairs.
I guess I was just lucky that I never got hurt or worse. I learned a lot from watching but I certainly wouldn't do it today. The FDNY was always very good to me with my buffing thing. And I have a feeling they kept a close eye on me while I watched them perform. I guess kind of like a "Guardian Angel".