Oh Those Busy Fourth of Julys

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Bigandy said:
Is it true that they save these busy Fourth of July's for Dispatcher #102 himself?

The first two jobs I caught this year back in January he was dispatching. Heavy fire on the second floor in Flatbush, and fire on the second floor of a row-frame in the 39. He's my favorite as of yet.

  Bigandy, I certainly can NOT confirm that, BUT I've heard that myself. Must be some truth to it. I've heard him every Fourth of July that I know of.
  I just hope he gets these messages. Nice work #102.
  Lets not forget the other people too, behind the scene on those Busy Fourth of July Nights. (the shops, the call takers, repair crews etc, that help keep NYC safe not only on the Busy Fourth, but Everyday)
 
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Now that the 4th of July is over, maybe nfd2004 will take a break and eat a meal.  He will probably start reporting on the history of fires on August 8th.  LOL!!
 
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John, haven't had time to eat. Was down the City and caught those TWO Fifths in Queens. That for as long as I can remember, other than special times like the Blackout etc., Never had Two Fifths, the same day, in the same Boro. Also took in the job in White Plains too. Saw a lot of work. "Anesti" from this site joined me for one of the Fifths and the W.Ps job.
  Since the Fourth its been really busy. And the heat and huidity is taking its toll. Been other jobs too.
 
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I have an audio CD with George # 102 (at that time he was # 247) from July 4th, 1988. That radio was simply insane that night. Not a single 10-20. A bunch of 10-75's, outside rubbish, even a verbal from RS02 for a 10-75 while returning from a job!!
 
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e203BCVFD said:
I have an audio CD with George # 102 (at that time he was # 247) from July 4th, 1988. That radio was simply insane that night. Not a single 10-20. A bunch of 10-75's, outside rubbish, even a verbal from RS02 for a 10-75 while returning from a job!!

Yes, the CD is Great. I think it can still be purchased from www.fire-police-ems.com. About $12.00.
 
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68jk09 said:
In Queens I would suggest being at Liberty Ave. & the Van Wyck Expressway.

  I remember last year very well. (2010). There was a job right at that very location, in a church on July 4th, 2010. I remember riding by a few days later and saw the black scortch marks on a few of the window locations.
  And as I remember it was a pretty busy night. Certainly not like the Fourth of Julys in the 70s, 80s and even 90s, but overall pretty busy.
  We will see where the activity is tonight. Can't make it to buff tonight, BUT I will Tune the FDNY in.
  Happy and SAFE Fourth to all,  especially those out there protecting us from harm. (Firefighters, police officers and Our Military....Thanks Guys).
 

mack

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July 4, 1991 - Rescue 3:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoODMNefL6A


July 4th 1991 - Brooklyn:


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g1QiMq93Zw&t=41s



July 4th, 1994 - Bronx:


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxWYuiEDSx0
 

mack

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July 4th, 1990:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rppMV8vSpWQ


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdmK_r3xWoE


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXLsOzGb70M
 
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Those were some great tours to work, it was not unusual to hear, Bronx to any unit in the Boro available for fire duty, with no replies, LOL!
 
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JOR176 said:
The Dispatcher on Brooklyn Radio you hear was George Munch.

Yes Jack, "JOR176", and what an unbelievable job he did. Never missed a beat. I hope he's enjoying his retirement. He sure earned it.
 
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NO FRILLS MEMORY: I recall on 7/4 night tour early 90's, L 112 I got the "Roof"... we ate early...and a van full of buffs from NH has joined us and is now following us to each alarm. We rapped up a job in E 237 area and on the way back to Knickerbocker Av. we cruise by another job in the area with L 124 "Tonka Truck" operating...they're working at a vacant 6 brick... we faintly hear a "Mayday" given over the handi-talkie. There is no response from command, we stop the rig and listen, again very faintly...almost a whisper, "Mayday" ...we can hardly make out "fireman down in the rear". Now we stop, hop off the rig as the Boss advises command (remember, this is before FAT, FAST and RIT days)...we are put to work but cannot access the rear. It is between two vacants, the first is the fire building and exposure 3 is a similar vacant, but there is a solid cinder block between the two buildings about 8-10 feet high. We throw a portable up and scan the darken backyards that are filled with high weeds and rubbish. Hard to see anything, but there is a portable ladder to the second floor that is leaning off to the left of the window. Shining our flashlights over the wall we finally make out a reflective stripe of a turnout coat laying along the exposure 3 wall about 30 feet away from the fire building. Over the fence I go, followed by another Brother and we locate Firefighter Tommy O'B...a great guy, heads up firefighter. He has been knocked semi unconscious from the heavy plywood that was blocking the windows from above. Found out later he was trying to gain entry from the rear when inside team removed the plywood from third floor, Tom was on a portable ladder and the plywood smacked him from above knocking him off the portable.

As we packaged Tom up, the other Brothers breached a wall in the cement blocks and Tommy's Fourth of July was a blurred memory in the ER. We went back in service...pretty sure the lads from NH got some cool pics and a story for back home.

SIDENOTE: Small world. About 5-6 years after the incident I ran into Tommy at Hershey Park, PA, we were both on vacation. We were glad to see each other, I asked him if he remembers anything from that night, he told me his only recollection was "seeing my face" bent over him.


 
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Thanks Dan for that story. Ladder 112 crew being at the right place, at the right time.

July 4th nights were completely out of control during those busy years. How you guys did it is way beyond me. 

As soon as it got dark, it started. Within a very short period of time, smoke covered just about the entire NYC. Fireworks, sky rockets, were going off all over the place. Sometimes it sounded like they were using dynamite.

 
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