Found this site with what appears to be "War years" pictures. http://spotphotography.smugmug.com/FDNY-Older-Images/FDNY-Early-Images/12060694_2P3ux#856318015_kwRGt
My younger Buff years
- Thread starter nfd2004
- Start date
Another look back at those very busy War Years. And word has it that you may see our own "68jk09" in the photos around 2:08 and 2:28 .
These are some of the guys that I refer to as "The Greatest Generation of Firefighters". I guess you could say, "They are a pretty Tough Act to Follow". What you'll see was an Everyday Routine.
FDNY 1970-1980's.mpg
These are some of the guys that I refer to as "The Greatest Generation of Firefighters". I guess you could say, "They are a pretty Tough Act to Follow". What you'll see was an Everyday Routine.
FDNY 1970-1980's.mpg
Great pics, Willy D. Lots of memories of "The Borough of Fire"; I worked at a couple of those jobs. Riding the back step is also a great memory. I remember rolling down Flatbush Avenue when the brother on the left side of the step leaned around to see down the avenue. When he leaned back, he said: "Boys, time to pull up your boots."
johnd248 said:
Johnny "D", It sure is Great memories when we see those Brooklyn guys riding the back step of those "Mack War Wagons". A few weeks ago, I was talking with our friend, retired Capt John Bendick. Actually, he was telling me the same thing how he would ride the back step, drivers side. If it was a job, he'd let the other back step riders know too. Probadly said about the same thing too. "Pull'em up".
Brian "kidfrmqns", I myself don't really know how busy 279 and 131 was. The Brooklyn guys would know alot better than I would. BUT during those years, really NOBODY was able to rest. If it wasn't actually in their own response area, there was plenty of fire throughout the city to keep them busy elsewhere.
Kdfrmqns - From Frank Raffa's excellent site:
L 131:
Year Ladder Runs EMS Workers OSW
1975 131 4958 0 2329
1976 131 5058 0 2610
1977 131 4848 0 2345
1978 131 3789 0 1861
1979 131 3501 0 1834
1980 131 4038 0 2161
1981 131 3723 0 1961
1982 131 3337 0 1752
1983 131 2850 0 1581
1984 131 2653 0 1447
1985 131 2437 0 1438
E 279:
Year Engine Runs EMS Workers
1975 279 3043 0 1670
1976 279 3121 0 1887
1977 279 2915 0 1702
1978 279 3262 0 2312
1979 279 2695 0 1668
1980 279 3156 0 2003
1981 279 2776 0 1725
1982 279 2302 0 1448
1983 279 2141 0 1244
1984 279 1898 0 1137
1985 279 1757 0 1100
L 131:
Year Ladder Runs EMS Workers OSW
1975 131 4958 0 2329
1976 131 5058 0 2610
1977 131 4848 0 2345
1978 131 3789 0 1861
1979 131 3501 0 1834
1980 131 4038 0 2161
1981 131 3723 0 1961
1982 131 3337 0 1752
1983 131 2850 0 1581
1984 131 2653 0 1447
1985 131 2437 0 1438
E 279:
Year Engine Runs EMS Workers
1975 279 3043 0 1670
1976 279 3121 0 1887
1977 279 2915 0 1702
1978 279 3262 0 2312
1979 279 2695 0 1668
1980 279 3156 0 2003
1981 279 2776 0 1725
1982 279 2302 0 1448
1983 279 2141 0 1244
1984 279 1898 0 1137
1985 279 1757 0 1100
Thanks very much "MacK". You always seem to come through. And "Thank you" for reminding us of Frank Raffa's (fd247) Excellent site. It has plenty of FDNY info.
www.fdnewyork.com (Excellent Site)
Sorry Frank, I guess we forgot you were here. Frank has been a Great help to me in the past.
www.fdnewyork.com (Excellent Site)
Sorry Frank, I guess we forgot you were here. Frank has been a Great help to me in the past.
I think the FDNY "War Years" would begin in the mid 60s (1964 NYC Race Riots) and mayber continue with high fire totals through the 1980s. Once again, using Frank Raffa's site, the NYC number of total fires in the early 1960s was about 60K-70K a year. 1965 jumped to 85K. The total fires peaked in 1978 at almost 211K and did not drop below 80K until 1995.
The War Years are generally considered those years when you had block by block mass destruction by fire, primarily in four sections of the City: parts of Brooklyn, the South Bronx, Harlem, and the Lower East Side of Manhattan. These areas were rubble by the mid 70's.
By then it dawned on people that they were only destroying their own habitat, without replacement. (DUH!) The 1977 change in the City welfare laws, by which people no longer received compensation (in the form of money and a new apartment) brought the incessant arson to a screeching halt. That's why the numbers drop sharply after that.
One carryover from the '64-'77 time frame was a culture change in the perception of the fire department. Prior to that time, the FD was for fighting fires, but it evolved into the service to be called for anything (how about a ride to the doctor's office?). So the number of calls (runs) persisted above historical levels. The workload, however, became vastly different. Good jobs, to be sure, but not the constant burning down of building after building. Those were the in War Years, 64-77.
Notice the 25% drop in runs and 28% in workers for or L131 from 1976 to 1978 and the continued decline thereafter. Happened all over the FDNY. E279's peak of 3156/2003 R/W's would not have put them anywhere near being considered a busy company during the War Years.
I am sure these are two great outfits and got knocked around plenty, and I have enjoyed the postings about them on this thread. But let's not rewrite history.
By then it dawned on people that they were only destroying their own habitat, without replacement. (DUH!) The 1977 change in the City welfare laws, by which people no longer received compensation (in the form of money and a new apartment) brought the incessant arson to a screeching halt. That's why the numbers drop sharply after that.
One carryover from the '64-'77 time frame was a culture change in the perception of the fire department. Prior to that time, the FD was for fighting fires, but it evolved into the service to be called for anything (how about a ride to the doctor's office?). So the number of calls (runs) persisted above historical levels. The workload, however, became vastly different. Good jobs, to be sure, but not the constant burning down of building after building. Those were the in War Years, 64-77.
Notice the 25% drop in runs and 28% in workers for or L131 from 1976 to 1978 and the continued decline thereafter. Happened all over the FDNY. E279's peak of 3156/2003 R/W's would not have put them anywhere near being considered a busy company during the War Years.
I am sure these are two great outfits and got knocked around plenty, and I have enjoyed the postings about them on this thread. But let's not rewrite history.
There have been different descriptions of the FDNY War Years. 3511 offers one and limits it to a shorter period of time and to limited areas. No arguement about the devastation in the S Bronx, Harlem, Bushwick, Brownsville and Alphabet City from the mid 60s to the mid 70s. A lot of other units and neighborhoods, however, experienced their "War Years" years after those original neighborhoods became blocks of rubble. Call it what you will, but there was no dramatic drop off of fires in NYC in the years following 1977. In fact, the greatest amount of fires in NYC history was in 1978 with 210, 792 fires. 122K fires in 1981. More than the 79K fires in 1964. 105k fires in 1988. 100K fires in 1990. The fact is that other parts of the city were burning and other companies became busy. In 1990, 51 companies still had over 4K runs. 1964 had a very limited number of companies responding that many times. And that was still very busy. I just want to acknowledge the full scope of the fireload faced by many units. Also, many other cities were also facing their war years in the 60s and 70s and the 80s..