TACTICAL CONTROL UNITS

F

Fireinfo101

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What are the Tactical Control Units? What was their purpose? What are there equivalent's today in the FDNY?

Thanks.
 
TCU's were organized to augment the regular companies during the War Years (i.e. a period of tremendous running and fire duty). They were engine companies and truck companies which operated during high incidence times (3:30 PM to 12:30 AM) and were meant to get more manpower into areas that needed additional companies. They also provided some relief for the existing companies.. The apparatus used by TCU's were stored in outlying areas and driven to their assigned houses for duty. At the end of their shift, the men and apparatus would return to the firehouse where the rig was stored and then do it over the next day.
I do not believe there is an equivalent in today's FDNY 
 
There was a book that came out called: "The Fires - how a computer formula, big ideas, and best intentions burned down New York City" by Joe Flood. I believe in that book there is some mention of the TCUs.

I think Amazon still has it.
 
And, of course, many mentions of Ladder 712 in Dennis Smith's classic Report from Engine Co. 82.
 
In the 4 photos in reply # 2 above .....photos 1 & 2 show TCU*712  in front of their operating Qtrs with 82/85/31 & BN*27.. their non operational storage Qtrs was ENG*43..........photo 3 shows TCU*731 in front of their storage Qtrs ENG*288 ..during operational hours they were at 209/102/BN*34......photo 4 shows TCU*732 the only ALF RM (which originally was Maroon until the Shops repainted it Red a few years later) on Myrtle Ave by their storage Qtrs of 286/135..their operational Qtrs was ENG*277......The storage Qtrs were in a slow area & where the TCU Rig was stored during their Non operational hours & were the TCU Men would report to & park their cars & change clothes then take the Rig to the Operational Qtrs & respond almost non stop during the Adaptive Response hours .....the TCUs were in service to relieve the workload of busy Units & add availability during the busy hours however i was in 108 then & we were bracketed by 731 & 732 & it was so busy then that they really did little to reduce our running but did add an additional Truck to the area. 
 
Informative, and comprehensive stuff, men.

Great work, Many Thanks to  turk132, Chief 'jk', mack, ray & all the rest of da' Gang !  8)
 
While the TCUs are no longer used, the concept lives on within EMS operations. There are two station/battalion level commands (the Bronx Tactical Response Group and and the Queens Tactical Response Group) which exclusively operate tactical or ‘enhancement’ units.

These stations do not run overnight units; all units are Tour 2 only. Instead of being designated by the battalion in which they are located, the call signs for these ambulances are designated with a number 8, followed by the number of the EMS Division in which they are located. Like other units, the call sign is completed with a letter. For example, 84B would be a QTRG BLS unit and 82F would be a BxTRG BLS unit. (Note: the TRGs do not run ALS units.)

The Bronx TRG is located at EMS Station 18, next door to the quarters of Rescue Co. 3. The Queens TRG is located on the grounds of Queens General Hospital, around the corner from the new EMS Station 50. The units log on at their respective stations and are deployed throughout the city as needed. These units are sent to areas of high call volume or to backfill units that are OOS during peak hours (tour 2).
 
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mack said:
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In reply # 12, notice in the photo of TCU 731, the axes are removed from their holders outside the cab.
They were carried "inside the cab".

As I remember, this was NOT unique just to this piece of fire apparatus, but to ALL of the apparatus during this time frame.

Reason being, equipment would be stolen right off of the rig by some of the civilian population then.
Actually in this photo, "I'm guessing the can remains outside because the rider is there to watch, and he grabs it when they go on a run".

By the way Thank You, some EXCELLENT Photos presented here and credit due to those who took them.
 
The Jan/Feb 2022 issue of FAJ has information on the TCU's in the New York City 50 year update, pages 25-26
 
OMalley said:
While the TCUs are no longer used, the concept lives on within EMS operations. There are two station/battalion level commands (the Bronx Tactical Response Group and and the Queens Tactical Response Group) which exclusively operate tactical or ‘enhancement’ units.

These stations do not run overnight units; all units are Tour 2 only. Instead of being designated by the battalion in which they are located, the call signs for these ambulances are designated with a number 8, followed by the number of the EMS Division in which they are located. Like other units, the call sign is completed with a letter. For example, 84B would be a QTRG BLS unit and 82F would be a BxTRG BLS unit. (Note: the TRGs do not run ALS units.)

The Bronx TRG is located at EMS Station 18, next door to the quarters of Rescue Co. 3. The Queens TRG is located on the grounds of Queens General Hospital, around the corner from the new EMS Station 50. The units log on at their respective stations and are deployed throughout the city as needed. These units are sent to areas of high call volume or to backfill units that are OOS during peak hours (tour 2).
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I'm surprised Brooklyn hasn't been given some TRG units
 
Lebby said:
Why, only QTRG is left.
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I guess someone in a leadership role lacks vision.

I happen to think they were/are a valuable asset. Not handcuffed to any particular community board so the political part of unit deployment was non existent. Turning them out at a specific time of the day helped manage the daily uptick in workload that was derived from and driven by historical call volume data. They even had their own supervisors. They could be sent anywhere in the city you needed them.

Fleet services was instrumental in getting them new vehicles. Buildings services was instrumental in renovations needed to make room or upgrade existing locations to establish the actual ambulance station.

We had similar units in the 80’s that worked out of the stations co located with the Borough Command. In the Bronx it was 20Adam, 20Boy, 20Charlie, 20Zebra (ALS) & for a short while 20David. The concept worked as designed when the Borough ran all their regular line units.

Unfortunately the pre merger (80’s) Tactical Units were frequently used as back fill for line units that didn’t run for the tour. This just demoralized the members and caused many to transfer. At some point the vision of the EMS leadership changed and the units were disbanded and reorganized as regular line units. Something that I personally thought was a mistake.
 
Elmerj said:
Unfortunately the pre merger (80’s) Tactical Units were frequently used as back fill for line units that didn’t run for the tour. This just demoralized the members and caused many to transfer. At some point the vision of the EMS leadership changed and the units were disbanded and reorganized as regular line units. Something that I personally thought was a mistake.
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Which is what happened with BTRG and now with QTRG. How do you justify to a community sending ambulances out when their local buses are ran down? Accordingly, nowadays most of the QTRG buses stay in Queens backfilling.

Obviously, this is a symptom of a larger issue and not the issue itself. I like the idea, I just don't think our system is able to handle or justify it at the moment.
 
Lebby said:
Which is what happened with BTRG and now with QTRG. How do you justify to a community sending ambulances out when their local buses are ran down? Accordingly, nowadays most of the QTRG buses stay in Queens backfilling.

Obviously, this is a symptom of a larger issue and not the issue itself. I like the idea, I just don't think our system is able to handle or justify it at the moment.
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You being active and me being retired would certainly make you a better judge of the current state of affairs. Either way I like that you like the concept so all is not lost.
 
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