My younger Buff years

[68jk09]

SOME FDNY SQUAD
INFO--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the '60s SQs responded with Step Vans (Bread Wagons).....as times got busier (SQ*3 & 4 hit 10,000 runs a year at one point in the early '70s) they would sometimes be the 1st Unit on the scene so they were then given Pumpers so as to be able to operate as an ENG.....the SQs originally had very large 1st alarm response areas.....on boxes that they were assigned on the 3rd Due ENG was held in "Reserve"....they did not respond at all even on a multiple for the box...the theory was to keep an ENG in service in the area....if you look at an old alarm assignment card where a SQ was on the box you will see an "
R" next to the 3rd Due ENG......in the early '70s when the SQs started acting as the 1st Section of certain ENGs they would do so for the specified period then when back in their own qtrs they would respond to working Fires.... SQ*3 had a stretch limo type Carryall which they kept after the others got Pumpers....SQ*3 got a Pumper when the SQs started acting as the 1st Section of selected busy ENGs every evening from 1800 to Midnight......Some Members were assigned to SQs from Proby School others came from ENGs & TRUCKS....in the listing above in Jimmypipes post the original SQ*1 went from Harlem to the BX w LAD*58 on 176 St then to the new Qtrs on Tremont Av w/ENG*45.....& SQ*5 went from Lower East Side up to the BX w/ENG*41....all the SQs were disbanded during the supposed budget crunch in '76.......SQ*1 was re-opened in their present BKLYN location in DEC. '77......SQ*41 was organized on July 1, 1990 in the their present location the former qtrs of ENG*41/SQ*5 in the BX......in '98 the present compliment of SQs w/additional HazMat capabilities were put in place. ....when some of the SQs were disbanded back in the late '60s/early'70s their budget line & a good porion of the Roster morphed into newly formed E&Ts....SQ*9 became ENG*85....SQ*8 became LAD*174...SQ*7 became ENG*232.....SQ*6 became LAD*59........the others 1 thru 5 were just unceremoniously closed outright in '76 & the Members went to the winds....there had been other SQs back as far as WW2 that also had been disbanded....there is a nice book by Jack Calderone titled "SQ CO Apparatus Of The FDNY".....it has some very nice photos of all the Rigs from the War Years (as well as some of their old FHs) up to the present.....look for info on it at www.fireapparatusjournal.com

Read more: http://fdnyrant.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=recent#ixzz1MNb2xSDB

 

[69 METS]

Great info Chief, thank you for keeping the 'War Years' info coming.

 

[nfd2004]

Great info Chief, thank you for keeping the 'War Years' info coming.

  Thanks Chief, and I agree with "69 Mets', keep the War Years info coming. I sure enjoy reading these post.
  Just recently I was talking with a member who had worked Squad 2 during those busy years. Maybe I mentioned this before but I didn't realize that when he worked there they would spend one night at Eng 73, the next at Eng 82, and the next at Eng 85 (I guess once they moved to the Tin House on Boston Rd). I always just thought they operated out of 73/42s house.

 

 

[*******]

Th FD brass biggest concern during the early 70's was to keep the WRI points down. These points showed how much "work" a company was doing. If they hit a certain level for a specified period of time the Unions had an agreement for a second section to be established to "give relief" to that company.  All different things were tried by the brass to keep WRI points down.. Interchange. Interchange came about due to a visit by then COD O'Hagan in the late 60's. O'Hagan and a Lt. in 31 truck, Bob Farrell, were friends from O'Hagan's time as a BC in the 9th Batt. and Farrell being a ff there in L4 at that ime. Farrell made a great Cl. 1 rescue at a 5th in the Times Square subway, rescuing a trapped worker several levels down. O'Hagan made arrangements to have dinner one 6x9 with Farrell, 31, and 82. He never got to eat. They were in and out the whole tour, O'Hagan finally gave up about 1AM and left. From this, with good intentions, O'Hagan established interchange for companies that had busy nights, to "rest" them on the next tour. A little silly because at least half of the crew on interchange hadn't worked the night before. But interchange was born. Then came the 70's and union pressure for 2nd sections. The squads were used then with interchange to hold the wri down. In 82 engine it would go like this. Monday 6x9 mandatory interchange with E295, Tuesday Sq. 2 would ride first up for 82 from 1900 to 0100 hours, Wednesday 6x9 mandatory interchange with E297, Thursday Sq. 2 again first up to 0100. This would just continue every 6x9 tour. The interchange took many jobs away from 82, but Sq. 2 did not. Usually the Sq. would catch a job early during the night, then 82 was up. But when you see the figures for how much 82 did during these years imagine what it would have been if they were not gone 3 or 4 nights a week.

 

[grumpy grizzly]

I lived in Roxbury. Buffing in Boston we all had our share of opportunies. Back in the late 50's Engine 18 was a quite house. along with E-12 and E-14. By the mid 60's these companies were among the busiest in Boston. Until 1961 I lived in E-12 still district, we were able to move out to Brighton, E-34 still district. Our old hood went to hell, nobody gave a rat's ass'WHY????????????? 8) 8) 8)

 

[nfd2004]

But interchange was born. Then came the 70's and union pressure for 2nd sections. The squads were used then with interchange to hold the wri down. In 82 engine it would go like this. Monday 6x9 mandatory interchange with E295, Tuesday Sq. 2 would ride first up for 82 from 1900 to 0100 hours, Wednesday 6x9 mandatory interchange with E297, Thursday Sq. 2 again first up to 0100. This would just continue every 6x9 tour. The interchange took many jobs away from 82, but Sq. 2 did not. Usually the Sq. would catch a job early during the night, then 82 was up. But when you see the figures for how much 82 did during these years imagine what it would have been if they were not gone 3 or 4 nights a week.

  Thanks Chief for that info. I remember seeing Queens companies parked at the firehouse on Intervale Ave. But I never knew ther was an actual schedule of Interchanged companies. I just thought it was if the company caught a certain number of runs or worked a certain number of hours, then an interchange would occur. Some forty years later, and I'm still learning about those very busy years.
  And I wonder what the numbers would be if Eng 82 did NOT do any interchange. 15 or 20,000 runs for the year ??? If I had that much in dollar bills, I'd sure feel rich.

 

[nfd2004]

I was recently talking to my good long time friend "Bxboro". He is on the job in Connecticut and is now the Senior man on his shift, and I think in the (about 50 man) dept. He's a Great guy and has a brother on the FDNY. Anyway, he started buffing the FDNY in the early 80s. The so called War Years had ended. But the high fire activity was still there. Only it had moved from one neighborhood to the other. Apparently that was recognized by the top FDNY Officials because Ladder 59 had been moved from its quarters on Boston Rd to the quarters with Engine 43. Also Batt 27 had moved from Intervale Ave to the quarters of Engine 79/Ladder 37.
  When "Bxboro" started to buff, Engine 82s area was pretty much burned out. They had fought those historically huge amount of fires for about 15 years earlier. I remember talking to Bxboro and saying that Engine 82 had Dropped down to the number 25 spot for Occupied Structual Work. Their area (82s) was the closet thing to seeing a completely Bombed Out area in the United States that probadly ever existed. All from the everyday fires that were hard to keep track of the numbers.
  But 92/44, 42/56 (at that time), 68/49 were really picking up. Bxboro reminded me of how even in the 80s, two jobs would come in at the same time. We would be headed to one, maybe reported as a "vacant". But the other one was reported as occupied, and we could get there in time to see the FDNY do what they do best. Remove those occupants and quickly extinguish the fire. If we were lucky enough, we would see those first few lines getting stretched, the ladders being raised into place, and hear the action as it happened on the handie talkie channel.
  But one other thing. Even though Bxboro really did NOT get to see the Actual War Years Era, he still Never left the area without seeing a job or two, even in the 80s. To those FDNY Members who fought those fires of the 1980s, Hat's Off and We Salute you for what you did. You also certainly saw your share of fire activity.

 

[*******]

Assigned to 82 9/1/73. Charlotte Street was pretty much gone. Canyons of vacants, about 10% occupied still. I've written about Gasoline Gomez and how he would set two tease fires usually rear room first floor of a vacant or partially vacant, then 3AM have 3 or 4 floors going. Did that one 6x9. Old Irish couple still living in bldg, would not leave because they had 5 or 6 dogs and were afraid no one would take them with the pets. Remember BC Powell (RIP) begging them after the 2nd fire that they had to leave. He arranged for the RED Cross to take them and the dogs. That 3AM we had 4 floors going in their building, they would have been gone.
The best block in the area at the time was the one with the 41st Pct., Fort Apache, on it. When I left 5/76 that block only had 2 or 3 buildings still occupied/standing. As Flood wrote in his book Fires, Soundview in the BX had 947 commercial and residential buildings in 1970, in 1980 9 were left. Shame on those who did it, and especially those who allowed it.

 

[nfd2004]

In those very busy War Years and into the 80s, I did start to take a few pictures. It was mostly of the rigs in those days. I would go out to "The Rock" and spend some time out there getting these rig shots and watching the training going on. I could still very easily get to the South Bronx and Harlem for plenty of fire activity. As that familiar sign said on Rescue 3s rig, "The Best of Both Worlds-Bronx and Harlem". I really enjoyed going out there, and I think that along the way, I was able to pick up a few tips from watching.

  I recently shared many of my photos with "r1smokeeater", who recently has taken the time to post them on Flicker. I'd like to thank "r1..." for posting these for me, and I'd like to share a few of these photos with you. And maybe if you were one of the lucky guys to be around during those times, you'll remember a few of these.
 
        http://www.flickr.com/photos/64984462@N06/


 

 

[R1SmokeEater]

In those very busy War Years and into the 80s, I did start to take a few pictures. It was mostly of the rigs in those days. I would go out to "The Rock" and spend some time out there getting these rig shots and watching the training going on. I could still very easily get to the South Bronx and Harlem for plenty of fire activity. As that familiar sign said on Rescue 3s rig, "The Best of Both Worlds-Bronx and Harlem". I really enjoyed going out there, and I think that along the way, I was able to pick up a few tips from watching.

  I recently shared many of my photos with "r1smokeeater", who recently has taken the time to post them on Flicker. I'd like to thank "r1..." for posting these for me, and I'd like to share a few of these photos with you. And maybe if you were one of the lucky guys to be around during those times, you'll remember a few of these.
 
        http://www.flickr.com/photos/64984462@N06/

**Updated**

 

[mack]

Engine 17, Ladder 18 and Battalion 4 were still responding from a tired firehouse at 185 Broome Street in the early 1970s.

 

They responded with E 28, L 11, Sq 5 and other companies many, many times each tour into the Lower East neighborhood called Alphabet City.  There was a parking area next to quarters protected by layers of wire.  The chief's aide was sure that it only made member's cars easier to break into because they were parked so close to each other.  Runs at 2 AM were like responses at 2 PM into other neighborhoods.  Streets were crowded, kids played on the sidewalks, bonfires, foods being cooked. 

That's Anthony DiMartino lower right who later was a Lt in L 18.
The chief called it Action City.  Crime, drugs, gangs, false alarms and fires.  In 1973, companies moved to a new firehouse on Pitt Street.

 

[mack]

    Mary Celic went to my high school. He was a guy everyone liked and everyone wanted to have as a friend - everyone.  He went to John Jay College and was appointed to the job a few years later.  He loved being a fireman.  He was laid off with the budget crisis of 1975.  He did several jobs while waiting to get recalled including serving as a HS track coach.  He was reappointed Christmas Day 1976 and returned to Ladder 18.

    Marty was working overtime in E 15 on July 2 1977.  They picked up a fire in an abandoned tenament  on E 8th St between Aves C & D.  It was an arson job.  E 15 went to work and stretch a line to the upper floors.  L 18 responded with its bucket.  A few minutes into the job, the bottom floors  of the building were torched.  Members were trapped as the front of the building became lost in heavy smoke.  L 18's tower ladder bucket was raised into the smoke.  E15 and L 18 members who were cut off dove for the bucket.  One member did not make it - Marty. 

    He hit the street at the feet of the chief.  Some members claim that some of the on-lookers actually cheered when he fell.  He tried to recover in the hospital for 8 days and then passed away. Marty is honored along with other LODD firefighters by a Fireman's Memorial Garden on E 8 St.  He was honored by his high school by induction ito its Hall of Fame in 2010 and there is a 4 mile run in his honor for a scholarship fund each year.

http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/M310/highlights/12184
http://www.msgrfarrellhs.org/HallofFame2010/

    Sadly and ironically, his brother Tom lost his life at the WTC. The Celic Run now honors both brothers.

    Lest we forget.

 

[nfd2004]

Thanks very much "mack" for that, and I certainly do remember that very Sad Story of Firefighter Marty Celic when he lost his life on the job. And as I also remember reading about it, when those "Uncivilized Animals" that lived in the area actually laughed when he fell and died. Rest in Peace Marty.

  Thanks for the pictures "mack' and a lot of times, as we discuss those very busy War Years, we often forget about the Lower East Side Area called Alphabet City or as you described "Action City". Those streets were as tough as any of the Worst areas throughout the entire City. Engine 28/Ladder 11 and Engine17/Ladder18 were always at the top of the list for "Runs and Workers". Then with the Budget Cuts of the 1970s came the closing of Engine 17 along with 50 other companies, just when the city was at its peak capacity for number of fires. It was a very diffucult and tough time. But those FDNY Members Never gave up the Battle. They fought the highest number of fires ever recorded in history, from hundreds of rubbish fires, car fires,  to major building fires, sometimes using only two engines and two trucks. And sometimes on a busy hot Friday or Saturday Night, they were lucky to have that.

  Yes my friends; "thats the way it was". Those guys will ALWAYS be TOP SHELF in my book. There was no R & R, No Relief Companies, and No Rac Units. It was Hard, Tough, and Constant Dirty Work. They really are: "The Greatest Generation of Firefighters" that ever lived. No doubt in My Mind on that.

 

[1261Truckie]

A hot Friday night in August of 1970, it was the 15th of the month (check day) and a full moon. I went to the store around 18:30 to buy the meal and already Brownsville was busy. Looking East on St. John's Place you could see smoke in the distance. By the time I got back from the store 132 was being relocated to 120.
As we pulled up in front of 120, one of the guys came running out with a slip of paper and handed to our chauffeur. It was a run to, I think, Amboy Street. Our chauffeur asked directions and the guy pointed to a column of smoke and said "there".
It was an all hands in a 4 story MD. As we were taking up from that one, a kid came over to our Lieutenant and pointed to a top floor job on a nearby street (I think it was Chester Street). Anyway we were available and responded. Another all hands.
After our second job, we returned to 120's quarters and saw someone from Queens relocated there. The 44 Battalion told us to return to our own quarters, clean up and eat and then call the 44 to find out if we should return to 120. By the time we were finished Brownsville had quieted down and we stayed in our own house for the rest of the night.
Another typical night.

 

[nfd2004]

I was recently in contact with one of the members on this site. I hope he doesn't mind but I would like to pass on the words he sent to me. He worked one of the busiest companies in the City during those Busy War Years. He certainly fits the mold and reputation of "The Greatest Generation of Firefighters". Let me tell you what this unnamed firefighter of the Bravest sent me:
  "I was just one of many, we went to work and did what we did, not knowing any better. Driving in from Long Island and counting the columns of smoke was the norm. Got to work and asked "how was the tour" ? The answer was "the Usual".
    "Funny, I never heard the term War Years until a couple of years ago".
    Those few words sums it up from a firefighter who was there during those very busy years. I can remember myself coming into NYC and in my case, being on the Bruckner Expy or the Cross Bronx Expy and seeing those columns of smoke. So whether coming in from Connecticut or Long Island and going into The Bronx or Brooklyn, "it was the same story". "THE USUAL" !!!

 

[Ghetto Gladiator]

NFD... You should write a book,  you truly are a poet.  I read your posts and want to re up.  whether it's a 60 man or 6000 man dept' anyone who has gone down those long hallways @ 3 in the morning thinks the same thoughts and speaks the same language.  Thanks for entertaining and informative reading.  Keep em coming.

 

[69 METS]

NFD... You should write a book,  you truly are a poet.  I read your posts and want to re up.  whether it's a 60 man or 6000 man dept' anyone who has gone down those long hallways @ 3 in the morning thinks the same thoughts and speaks the same language.  Thanks for entertaining and informative reading.  Keep em coming.

Well said 103 ... Amen.

 

[johnd248]

Don't give NFD2004 a swelled head.  His head (and his stomach) are already far too big.  LOL

 

[georged4997]

Don't give NFD2004 a swelled head.  His head (and his stomach) are already far too big.  LOL

      i couldnt agree more. hes read every book thats come out about the job.

 

[nfd2004]

Well look who popped his head out of the ground. My brother "Georged4997" (George D).
  My brother George was first introduced to the FDNY back around the summer of 1968 when at age 13 he spent a night shift with the members of Rescue Co 2 in Brooklyn. I had asked then Lt Richard Hamilton if it would be okay to bring my brother down as he was starting to show an interest in the fire dept.
  Well, it didn't take long and he was hooked. He started listening to the FDNY on the scanner and he would come down to NYC with me to buff. At his very young age, he saw the Busiest Fire Dept in the World doing what they do best....Fight fires. He would often tell me how his favorite thing was to hear that over ride on those Mack Tower Ladders as they would move the bucket, sweeping floor to floor, knocking down the fire.
  My brother and I buffed the fires of NYC for many years. From the days of riding Rescue 2, to chasing those Harlem Companies. From buying sodas at Angies Market opposite Engine 82, to Bushwick, Bed-Sty, and the West Bronx.
  As the years went by, he had his own set of War Years fighting fires in Bridgeport, Ct. Now retired, he has never lost his interest for the FDNY.