My younger Buff years

JOR176 · Jan 15, 2011

johnd248 said:
I knew an auxiliary at Ladder 132 way back and he became a dispatcher and served in the Brooklyn CO for many years.

John, I believe your thinking about Brendan O'Connor. He was an Aux in the Eng E280. The Aux in the truck at the time was Jerry Grady and Jim Boyle later on. I will post more on my story shortly as I'm putting it together so it makes sense LOL BTW I remember you at 248. I probably start my story in the first week of Feb after I get back from a cruise.I started at 10 yrs old and still love it ,I'm 69 now LOL once it gets in your blood your done LOL

1261Truckie · Jan 15, 2011

John,
Sorry I missed your post first time around or I would have added my 2 cents then. JOR is correct. Brendan O'Connor is the guy you're thinking about. He was an Aux in 280 and a Dispatcher in the Brooklyn C.O.
I'm looking forward to Jack's story. Great area (280/132 and 248), great people and really good times.
Jim (1261truckie)

69 METS · Jan 15, 2011

nfd2004 said:
Once Again, our good friend "Mikeindabronx" has added another page to his EXCELLENT PHOTO COLLECTION. This time he has added Page # 13 to his Famous Historic Collection. I am very Thankful that these photos have preserved the very busy days of the 1980s.
So take a look back into History and see what it was like. These represent mostly the Bronx and Harlem. The photos tell similiar stories of several other neighborhoods throughout the City. And maybe some will recognize the FDNY Members that were a part of it.
Thanks very much Mike.
www.fdnysbravest.com
There is also a seperate section where Mike has some of the more recent jobs he has photographed.

GREAT photo memories Mike ... Keep 'em coming!

memory master · Jan 15, 2011

anesti said:
there is probaly a better chance of me hitting the lottery then what i am going to ask. Is their any video anywhere on earth of these 2 in there heyday with the fdny responding to a job??? I can just imagine both engines of these thing roaring at the same time must have been deafening. Or an eyewitness account from someone here who has witnessed it responding. Still cant envision these 2 monsters rolling through some of these streets with the gridlock traffic and idiot drivers.

Saw them operate at a drill in the Flushing river with Marine 4 which was the "John Glenn". They along with units from the 52 Bn. namely, E272, 273 and 274 along with ladder 129 were present. The noise was also. This was in 1965. Still have a picture from there somewhere.

68jk09 · Jan 15, 2011

Mike...thanks for posting the latest page...in the SQ*41 group photo.... the unknown FF 2nd from left is Kevin Donovan.......&.....the unknown FF on the extreme right is Niel Halpin......photo was from 1990 & rig is a spare Mack.

mikeindabronx · Jan 15, 2011

Chief....Thanks for the names. December 1990

mikeindabronx · Jan 15, 2011

Thanks to all for the kind words.

diablo_fire · Jan 20, 2011

Hey guys first of all I want to thank all of you for sharing some very interesting stories about the war years of the FDNY. I can only imagine what you saw and what it was really like back then.

I am trying to find out all the information about the Great Knickerbocker fire, I remember reading about it years ago along with numerous older fires. The Fire Storm 1976 in St. Louis, etc.

I have seen some pictures of the fire but i have not read in recent time any information about it. Trying to find out about the run down of the fire, stuff like like that. Thanks

Diablo

diablo_fire · Jan 20, 2011

raybrag said:
Yeah, I understand. Seems like the mayor's office has been wearing bloomers for far too long. Saw in the paper the other day he's joining Bill Gates & Warren Buffett and giving away half of his billions. I've got a suggestion for some of those billions . . . why not fund those FDNY companies he insists should be closed?

lol but isn't that the truth, what does he have against the fire department anyway. The fire department seems like it is his favorite target.

diablo_fire · Jan 20, 2011

nfd2004 said:
I probadly started buffing the FDNY right after my first ride with Rescue 2. That was back in 1968 with the late Lt Hamilton. And when they shared quarters with Engine 210 on Carlton Ave. That's a long time ago. And around that time the first Tower ladders were just coming into service.
During all of those years, and up to this day, I can only remember seeing a ladder pipe used Once. That was at a Fourth or Fifth Alarm in Brooklyn, on I believe Waverly Place (?), I think near Atlantic Ave. As I remember it, it was Ladder Co 108 who operated an American LaFrance tiller ladder at the time. I remember seeing the ropes being used to guide the nozzle. And that was new to me. Most of the fires I had seen in Connecticut would put a guy at the tip of the ladder operating that ladder pipe nozzle. For me, watching the FDNY use that ladder pipe with the ropes was another learning experience.
But over those 40 Plus years of chasing fires in the City of New York, I can only remember seeing the FDNY operating a Ladder Pipe that One Time.

When did Lt Hamilton pass away?

68jk09 · Jan 21, 2011

Lt. Richard Hamilton passed away in April 2010.....RIP.

diablo_fire · Jan 21, 2011

68jk09 said:
Lt. Richard Hamilton passed away in April 2010.....RIP.

I am very sorry to hear that, 20,000 Alarms along with Report From Engine Co 82 were two books that touched me when I was in high school. I remember the first time I read 20,000 Alarms, and I have since read it at least fifty times, I was so moved by what Lt Hamilton did and the he did it. Since reading the book I have followed his advise both as a Volunteer and as a Maint Tech. I always keep a notebook handy and when ever I see something a different way, an easier way, I write it down. Both Lt Hamilton and Denise Smith helped cement my desire to be a firefighter. Although I never made it to the big time my years of service as a Volunteer were the best ever.

Rest in Piece Lt Hamilton.

If I remember correctly the USS Constitution is one fire that almost killed him, and I remember reading where he got in trouble rescuing two other firefighters in the Tire Store fire where they could not get him through the access hole in the floor.

My hat goes off to all that fought fires in the times of no bunker gear and limited use of the masks.

diablo_fire · Jan 21, 2011

Hey all I have read several places in this thread about the FDNYRant forum and have applied to be a member but nobody has responded yet any clue what is going on there.

diablo_fire · Jan 22, 2011

found this on youtube today it has some great footage from the war years. some may not like the song but it is a good collection, even includes a few things from recent time.

FDNY "BACK IN THE DAY"

nfd2004 · Jan 23, 2011

Regarding the Late Lt Richard Hamilton, there is an earlier post on this site regarding his passing. Click on:

http://nycfire.net/forums/index.php/topic,5577.msg19641.html#msg19641

nfd2004 · Feb 1, 2011

Another Story from the Rant that is certainly worth posting here. As "Hydrogen"" stated; "I know of a Retired B.C. that told me on the morning of December 25, 1970 he was Captain of Squad 4 when they caught run number 10,000.

Also, from "Andytay" who say's; "I remember a story told to me a few years ago about the 44 Battalion". The radio dispatcher stated: "Congradulations, you have reached the 10,000 run mark". "Now take in run number 10,001".

Just a few simple words that describe what it was like for that very busy Squad 4 and Battalion 44 that protected the busy Brownsville area of Brooklyn, also known as "The Boro of Fire".

Thanks to "Hydrogen" and "Andytay" of the FDNYRANT for those two quick stories.

1261Truckie · Feb 1, 2011

Back in those days there was an incredible amount of running and working out in the 44's area. In addition to the 44 and Squad 4's numbers, it has been speculated that 120 also did over 10,000 runs in 1970 (I think the official tally is around 8800).
When I rode with 132, we relocated out to 120 a lot and never had a quiet time while out there.
Great times, busy times and many great people. Not much has been written about Brownsville, East New York or Bed-Stuy, but they certainly were the leaders in activity back in the day.

blzdp · Feb 1, 2011

That video was good except for those two jerkoffs who tried to blow them selves up and then try and burn themselves to death. They give us a bad name and not they're not FDNY.

diablo_fire · Feb 1, 2011

blzdp said:
That video was good except for those two jerkoffs who tried to blow them selves up and then try and burn themselves to death. They give us a bad name and not they're not FDNY.

I agree with you a hundred percent, that was the only part of the video I did not like.

nfd2004 · Feb 1, 2011

1261Truckie said:
Back in those days there was an incredible amount of running and working out in the 44's area. In addition to the 44 and Squad 4's numbers, it has been speculated that 120 also did over 10,000 runs in 1970 (I think the official tally is around 8800).
When I rode with 132, we relocated out to 120 a lot and never had a quiet time while out there.
Great times, busy times and many great people. Not much has been written about Brownsville, East New York or Bed-Stuy, but they certainly were the leaders in activity back in the day.

Jim (1261 Truckie), I agree. I certainly remember the tremondous amount of runs and work those companies caught. Between Bed-Sty, Brownsville, and East N.Y., job after job. When I did go out there to buff, it was like once you got there, there was No running Away. Just miles and miles of activity and work. Bushwick and Williamsburg were other hot areas. Hard to believe that the Millionaires on Wall St were only a few short miles away from such a different world. There would be more activity in just one of those neighborhoods for a month, than some Major U.S. Cities would see in an entire year. But that's the way it was. Same for the Lower East Side, Harlem, Washington Heights, and the South Bronx.
Being there just watching as a Buff was an Experience that I'll NEVER FORGET. And for those that fought those fires, "you just got to buy it when I say they Really Were, the Greatest Generation of Firefighters that ever lived".