My younger Buff years
- Thread starter nfd2004
- Start date
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- Apr 25, 2013
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- 156
HCO = I can only say that is what I remember seeing way back then. I only wish I had taken a picture of it but so be it.
So let us close this chapter and soldier on. I most likely am the only one still alive from that time and place.
So let us close this chapter and soldier on. I most likely am the only one still alive from that time and place.
Back in my time at E 248, I used to help out the B 41 aide with paper work in the office and as a trade off would ride with the battalion. In winter, warm back seat of the battalion wagon sure beat the freezing back step of the engine. I was referred to as the aide to the aide until one day, due to my yellow helmet, I was forever after known as the "Lemon Aide".
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"auxlteng225", for many of us, we remember the Green FDNY pumpers but at least for me, NO- battleship grey pumpers. A classic green mack I remember was Engine 45. It had a design of "Kermit the Frog" on the front grill. With that it said; "It's not easy being green".
[/quote]
Once again, "mikeindabronx" comes through for us. Here is that classic Engine 45 picture with our friend "Kermit the Frog" on it.
Yes folks, these were Great Years.
www.fdnysbravest.com/fp101.htm
"auxlteng225", for many of us, we remember the Green FDNY pumpers but at least for me, NO- battleship grey pumpers. A classic green mack I remember was Engine 45. It had a design of "Kermit the Frog" on the front grill. With that it said; "It's not easy being green".
[/quote]
Once again, "mikeindabronx" comes through for us. Here is that classic Engine 45 picture with our friend "Kermit the Frog" on it.
Yes folks, these were Great Years.
www.fdnysbravest.com/fp101.htm
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2013
- Messages
- 156
nfd2004 et all - If any body on this site can say that they were buffing in East New Yorik back in 1945-1949 then maybe just maybe I can find a friend that also remembers that rig. If not then let us put it to rest and move on. Yes, that yellow Mack E45 with Kermit the Frog is a winner. Now please let an old man off the hook.
auxlteng225 said:
"auxlteng225", a little off track here but just a quick review of the "News of Members" thread, Reply # 82 on June 19,2014 tells a little bit about you. At age 83 back in June, 2014, I guess that makes you "85" now. You are the SENIOR MAN here and that means something to a lot of us.
At 85 years old we need to put you at the top of the list. Stay healthy Walter and enjoy those years of a hard earned retirement. You should start a new thread here. Maybe call it; "BEFORE his younger buffing years". I bet East New York looked a lot different then. No Micky Ds to hang out in.
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2013
- Messages
- 156
nfd2004 = Thanks for the kind words my friend.
It's been a long time since the days of "My younger Buff years" took place. But the other day, a friend from Connecticut happened to be driving on the Cross Bronx Expressway and we talked about how bad things used to look as people traveled along that busy I-95 route. The blocks of burned out buildings along the way. Sometimes a fire taking place as those drivers passed by.
My buddy would make trips down to the Bronx and Harlem as well, sometimes alone. Even before he became a firefighter in Connecticut.
He is now a Retired Battalion Chief, but like so many of us, he credits so much of what he learned by watching these FDNY War Years Firefighters do what they did best. That of course was "Fighting Fires".
Whether any of us knew it or not then, it was a place for us to learn the Best Tricks of the Trade. Just by watching those guys work. But as we all look back now, it taught us all a lot more than just that.
Indirectly, it taught us how to function in a society that wasn't always friendly. There were street gangs who commanded their city blocks. It was a place of violence and crime. We saw poverty at it's worst. We saw the old and frail trying to struggle everyday in these environments. We saw the effects of drug use. We saw dogs looking for food, showing their ribs from starvation. We would see dozens of rats climbing out of the overfilled dumpsters.
As buffs, we saw some of the worst conditions in any city in the country. Parts of NYC once looked like a War Torn City or a Third World Country. And these FDNY Firefighters were caught up right in the middle of it.
For me, growing up in a pretty tough neighborhood in Bridgeport, Ct., still did NOT prepare me for some of the conditions that existed in some places of New York City. Not only did this NYC buffing thing teach many of us a lot about the fire department and fighting fires, but it also taught many of us a lot about life as well. We learned to appreciate what we had. We saw and sometimes talked to "good people", who through no fault of their own, were also caught up right in the middle of it.
Now, 20 or 30 years later, many of us that saw this for ourselves, appreciate the education about life we got. But for me, I was only there on a part time basis. We have members of this site who were firefighters and lived it over many years as a part of their life.
We also have many members of this site, who were a part of this day to day lifestyle because of where they grew up or worked for a living. Yet despite all the odds against them, they survived and actually did very well for themselves. Many are retired today from respectable positions. They didn't allow themselves to get caught up in the cruel world that surrounded them in their neighborhood or right outside their front door.
Today, I'm happy to consider them my friends. I respect them as well, for PROVING to many that despite all odds, "It Can Be Done".
My buddy would make trips down to the Bronx and Harlem as well, sometimes alone. Even before he became a firefighter in Connecticut.
He is now a Retired Battalion Chief, but like so many of us, he credits so much of what he learned by watching these FDNY War Years Firefighters do what they did best. That of course was "Fighting Fires".
Whether any of us knew it or not then, it was a place for us to learn the Best Tricks of the Trade. Just by watching those guys work. But as we all look back now, it taught us all a lot more than just that.
Indirectly, it taught us how to function in a society that wasn't always friendly. There were street gangs who commanded their city blocks. It was a place of violence and crime. We saw poverty at it's worst. We saw the old and frail trying to struggle everyday in these environments. We saw the effects of drug use. We saw dogs looking for food, showing their ribs from starvation. We would see dozens of rats climbing out of the overfilled dumpsters.
As buffs, we saw some of the worst conditions in any city in the country. Parts of NYC once looked like a War Torn City or a Third World Country. And these FDNY Firefighters were caught up right in the middle of it.
For me, growing up in a pretty tough neighborhood in Bridgeport, Ct., still did NOT prepare me for some of the conditions that existed in some places of New York City. Not only did this NYC buffing thing teach many of us a lot about the fire department and fighting fires, but it also taught many of us a lot about life as well. We learned to appreciate what we had. We saw and sometimes talked to "good people", who through no fault of their own, were also caught up right in the middle of it.
Now, 20 or 30 years later, many of us that saw this for ourselves, appreciate the education about life we got. But for me, I was only there on a part time basis. We have members of this site who were firefighters and lived it over many years as a part of their life.
We also have many members of this site, who were a part of this day to day lifestyle because of where they grew up or worked for a living. Yet despite all the odds against them, they survived and actually did very well for themselves. Many are retired today from respectable positions. They didn't allow themselves to get caught up in the cruel world that surrounded them in their neighborhood or right outside their front door.
Today, I'm happy to consider them my friends. I respect them as well, for PROVING to many that despite all odds, "It Can Be Done".
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2007
- Messages
- 1,446
Well said, Willy. A lot of life's lessons were learned in those neighborhoods where the running was high and the workload overwhelming. I am glad I had the opportunity to be a part of it, for as you said, the lessons learned during those years have stayed with me into my sixties.
Bravo to Willy D and 1261 Truckie. I often say to younger firefighters that I work with that the 1960s and 1970s were a period that will never exist again. I try to explain to them what we tried to do with limited manpower and equipment, no masks, no EMS, etc.
I would not want to diminish the EMS and HAZMAT responsibilities that today's firefighters face - in addition to fire duty and emergencies. It is tough to turn out at 3:00 AM and 3 minutes later make a medical assessment and treat someone in a life threatening condition - which is commonplace today. I commend those on the job today.
But the firefighters in NYC and other busy cities who served during the War Years were heroes during a time no one recognized heroism or devotion to duty or even care for humanity. Many were WWII, Korea, Vietnam vets. Many were members of the Greatest Generation. Some grew up in the Great Depression. But they all took and passed a very competitive civil service test for a modest salary - and worked tour after tour protecting people and neighborhoods that ignored them, took them for granted, and often attacked them. War Years firefighters faced non-comprehensible alarm rates with rubber turn-out gear, old apparatus, limited mask use, lack of radios and a lack of power tools and equipment. Working fires were often fought by 2 engines and truck. And there were a lot of them. No FAST truck. No 4 engine/2 truck/rescue/squad responses. 10-92s were accepted as part of the job. ADVs car fires were seen every night. Vacant building fires. Arson. Adaptive response. Interchange. Civil disturbances. Attacks on firefighters. Many, many companies with 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000 runs a year - for countless fires, emergencies and false alarms.
As many have said, "the best of times and the worst of times". Never forget those who served.
But the firefighters in NYC and other busy cities who served during the War Years were heroes during a time no one recognized heroism or devotion to duty or even care for humanity. Many were WWII, Korea, Vietnam vets. Many were members of the Greatest Generation. Some grew up in the Great Depression. But they all took and passed a very competitive civil service test for a modest salary - and worked tour after tour protecting people and neighborhoods that ignored them, took them for granted, and often attacked them. War Years firefighters faced non-comprehensible alarm rates with rubber turn-out gear, old apparatus, limited mask use, lack of radios and a lack of power tools and equipment. Working fires were often fought by 2 engines and truck. And there were a lot of them. No FAST truck. No 4 engine/2 truck/rescue/squad responses. 10-92s were accepted as part of the job. ADVs car fires were seen every night. Vacant building fires. Arson. Adaptive response. Interchange. Civil disturbances. Attacks on firefighters. Many, many companies with 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000 runs a year - for countless fires, emergencies and false alarms.
As many have said, "the best of times and the worst of times". Never forget those who served.
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2010
- Messages
- 133
Yeah but dont forget, we had 6 man trucks and Rapid water
Interesting times, probably will never be seen again with the FDNY, hopefully. We won some, we lost some e.g. When I was in 50 engine 1972 we had a first due box, 50-1,50-2,73 19,42. That summer every night around 0300 a box on the corner was pulled, a 9-2. This happened every night for about 2 weeks. Finally one night as we all pulled up one of the units hit its siren, the other units joined in with their sirens and air horns for about a minute or so. I am sure that we woke up the entire block. That was the last night for the 0300 9-2, won that one. Day tour in 82, 1975 coming back from a box we see kids with an open hydrant spraying cars as they go by. We stop and shut the hydrant down. I see 4 or 5 men sitting on a stoop watching. About 30 minutes later we get the box for that block. We had a vacant 3 story frame going good, went to all-hands. Wasn't an easy fire, had a member injured. So we lost that one. A lot of stories from back then.
On this very cold day in March (3/13/2017), with reports of a Blizzard headed to NYC and the surrounding areas, what better time to tell a little story about "My Younger Buff Years". Let's take a trip back in time to maybe 20, 30 or even 40 years ago.
Scanners had entered our time frame similar to what cell phones have done today. A time when Bronx/Manhattan had shared the same radio frequency of 154.25 mhz.
Many people have asked; "Uncle Wilfred, where did you hang out during those Younger Buff Years" ?
Harlem was the first place because it seemed the streets were easy to figure out and pretty easy to get around. Just by driving around I found Eng 58/Lad 26. It was a good start because they were busy. Also, one of the first tower ladders went to nearby Lad 14. So I got to see a new kind of fire truck operate.
I think in 1972 the book "Report from Engine Co 82" came out and said it was the busiest fire house in the world. If I remember correctly, a friend of mine, "BFD151" knew how to get there. He told me other buffs were hanging out there too. He was right and one guy we got to be pretty good friends with was the late Harvey Eynser.
For the next six years or so, the FDNY was doing an historical amount of heavy fire duty. Sometimes there were three separate building fires going on at the same time. All within a few blocks of each other. With portable scanners we were now also able to hear the handie talkie radios. For a couple of young buffs, everything was about as good as it gets. We saw plenty of rescues being done. Unfortunately a few times not everybody made it.
Until I started buffing the FDNY, I had never really seen how well a vented fire could be extinguished from the inside out. It would seem like the fire was getting worse, then in a matter of minutes, these guys were knocking the fire down.
After a few years things happened that caused many of us to relocate to another area. Most of the area around Eng 82/Lad 31 was burned out with nothing left. Many companies more to the West Bronx were starting to get very busy. So we started to move and found Eng 46/Lad 27 a great place to be. 46/27 was very busy as well and we could still get over to 82/31s area pretty quick. Plus getting to the west side of Webster Ave was pretty easy too. Companies like Eng 42, 92/44, 68/49, 48/56, 75/33 were all getting much busier. Of course all of the other Harlem and South Bronx companies were busy too.
Then only a few blocks away came the construction of a new McDonalds, home to the Big Mac. A perfect place to hang out. Shelter from the weather, plenty to eat and of course "the potty if we needed it". Of course there were times we moved around a bit too.
The work in Bushwick was really picking up. So we found a McDonalds at Broadway and Kosciscko (spelling - ?) to hang out. It was a good location as it was pretty much in the middle of some busy spots - Bushwick, Brownsville, Bed Sty, Williamsburg. Farther away were the very busy Coney Island companies too. Sometimes we would go to Brooklyn and other times stay in the Bronx/Manhattan.
The McDonalds on Webster Ave in the Bronx however remained a long time hangout for a lot of us.
Maybe in the 1990s, I asked retired FDNY Brooklyn Disp 120, aka Warren F, where is a good place to hang out. He told me 275 in Queens and there is talk of a new ladder co being put into service there. Shortly after Lad 133 did join 275. But I needed a place to go to keep warm in the winter. I found a Dunkin Donuts at Atlantic Ave and 87th St that seemed like a good place. Plus it was right on the border of Brownsville as well.
Later with the fire activity picking up in the North Bronx, a good place we hung out a few times was the Micky Ds at Fordham Rd and Southern Blvd. A few guys from this site have had some mini Get Together's there as well.
I spent a little time in Staten Island too. But traveling there was a pretty long trip for me. And those tolls can sure add up. They have many of the same types of frames I saw in the Bronx or Queens. I was particularly interested in how they handle the area of brush fires as well. Just as a point of interest, if Staten Island were a separate city in Connecticut, it would be Connecticut's Largest City.
I am NOT the only guy that watched the members of the FDNY perform their duties and take a few lessons learned home with us. There are so many others as well. We haven't forgotten the guys who taught us so much about the job. We still talk about it too. We learned it without opening a book. It also taught us about life's Greatest Moments and it's Worst.
Scanners had entered our time frame similar to what cell phones have done today. A time when Bronx/Manhattan had shared the same radio frequency of 154.25 mhz.
Many people have asked; "Uncle Wilfred, where did you hang out during those Younger Buff Years" ?
Harlem was the first place because it seemed the streets were easy to figure out and pretty easy to get around. Just by driving around I found Eng 58/Lad 26. It was a good start because they were busy. Also, one of the first tower ladders went to nearby Lad 14. So I got to see a new kind of fire truck operate.
I think in 1972 the book "Report from Engine Co 82" came out and said it was the busiest fire house in the world. If I remember correctly, a friend of mine, "BFD151" knew how to get there. He told me other buffs were hanging out there too. He was right and one guy we got to be pretty good friends with was the late Harvey Eynser.
For the next six years or so, the FDNY was doing an historical amount of heavy fire duty. Sometimes there were three separate building fires going on at the same time. All within a few blocks of each other. With portable scanners we were now also able to hear the handie talkie radios. For a couple of young buffs, everything was about as good as it gets. We saw plenty of rescues being done. Unfortunately a few times not everybody made it.
Until I started buffing the FDNY, I had never really seen how well a vented fire could be extinguished from the inside out. It would seem like the fire was getting worse, then in a matter of minutes, these guys were knocking the fire down.
After a few years things happened that caused many of us to relocate to another area. Most of the area around Eng 82/Lad 31 was burned out with nothing left. Many companies more to the West Bronx were starting to get very busy. So we started to move and found Eng 46/Lad 27 a great place to be. 46/27 was very busy as well and we could still get over to 82/31s area pretty quick. Plus getting to the west side of Webster Ave was pretty easy too. Companies like Eng 42, 92/44, 68/49, 48/56, 75/33 were all getting much busier. Of course all of the other Harlem and South Bronx companies were busy too.
Then only a few blocks away came the construction of a new McDonalds, home to the Big Mac. A perfect place to hang out. Shelter from the weather, plenty to eat and of course "the potty if we needed it". Of course there were times we moved around a bit too.
The work in Bushwick was really picking up. So we found a McDonalds at Broadway and Kosciscko (spelling - ?) to hang out. It was a good location as it was pretty much in the middle of some busy spots - Bushwick, Brownsville, Bed Sty, Williamsburg. Farther away were the very busy Coney Island companies too. Sometimes we would go to Brooklyn and other times stay in the Bronx/Manhattan.
The McDonalds on Webster Ave in the Bronx however remained a long time hangout for a lot of us.
Maybe in the 1990s, I asked retired FDNY Brooklyn Disp 120, aka Warren F, where is a good place to hang out. He told me 275 in Queens and there is talk of a new ladder co being put into service there. Shortly after Lad 133 did join 275. But I needed a place to go to keep warm in the winter. I found a Dunkin Donuts at Atlantic Ave and 87th St that seemed like a good place. Plus it was right on the border of Brownsville as well.
Later with the fire activity picking up in the North Bronx, a good place we hung out a few times was the Micky Ds at Fordham Rd and Southern Blvd. A few guys from this site have had some mini Get Together's there as well.
I spent a little time in Staten Island too. But traveling there was a pretty long trip for me. And those tolls can sure add up. They have many of the same types of frames I saw in the Bronx or Queens. I was particularly interested in how they handle the area of brush fires as well. Just as a point of interest, if Staten Island were a separate city in Connecticut, it would be Connecticut's Largest City.
I am NOT the only guy that watched the members of the FDNY perform their duties and take a few lessons learned home with us. There are so many others as well. We haven't forgotten the guys who taught us so much about the job. We still talk about it too. We learned it without opening a book. It also taught us about life's Greatest Moments and it's Worst.
Bill - I think the first McDonalds in NYC were opened about 1970. I remember Wetsons a local hamburger chain. And White Castle were around much earlier. A&W Rootbeer had some drive up restaurants which delivered trays to your car window. Lots of pizza places, 5 & 10's, local places. Deli's. Hotdog places. Automats. No McD's or BK's until after other places outside NYC.
