TCUs

F

fdhistorian

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Sep 25, 2013
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859
kfd274 said:
68jk09 said:
To have more Units available during peak running hours.
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How is TCU staffed?      What is the main purpose ?
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This post from fdny1075k in 2012 quotes a 1970 WNYF article by Chief O'Hagan explaining the Tactical Control Units.

http://nycfire.net/forums/index.php/topic,17013.msg62428.html#msg62428
 
8

811

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Mar 12, 2009
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288
Was the UFA pissed because TCU firemen worked other than the chart?
 
68jk09

68jk09

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15,654
No it was considered sort of a victory to get additional Units even though it was shortlived.
 
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fdhistorian

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FDNY tried many things to handle the tremendous increase of alarms and fires during the 1960s-1970s "War Years".  Some of these innovations were:  second sections in very busy engines, ladders, battalions; squads issued pumpers in place of vans; TCUs; Adaptive Response system reduced responses to 2 & 1; ERS boxes replaced regular fire alarm boxes with reduced response; DRBs to reduce battalion responses; temporary firehouses (Tin Houses); new divisions and battalions; and then new companies.  Nothing solved the skyrocketing volume of fires. NYC then faced a fiscal crisis in the 1970s. Fire companies were eliminated, firefighters laid off and neighborhoods in the city disappeared.   
? Last Edit: Today at 07:37:11 AM by mack ?
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The traditional approach to increased activity was to create new, additional, full time companies.  These companies were organized between 1965 through 1971.

Engine  85 1967 to 1986 from Squad 9
Engine 232 1966 to 1988 from Squad 7
Engine 331 1966
Engine 332 1970
Ladder  54 1966
Ladder  55 1968 from Engine 244
Ladder  56 1968
Ladder 173 1966
Ladder 174 1966 from Squad 8
Ladder 175 1970
Battalion 55 1969 to 1988
Battalion 57 1969
Battalion 59 1970 to 1989
Battalion 60 1970 to 1975
Division  9 1968 to 1989
Division 16 1965 to 1975
Division 17 1969 to 1975

Some of the companies were going into new areas and would have been created anyway.  Some of the new Engines and Ladders were re-purposed Squads and an Engine.

Also, without building new firehouses, second sections were added to Engines and Ladders in busy areas.  Second section companies were an established concept from the early days of the department.

Engine  41-2 1968 to 1974 became Engine 66
Engine  46-2 1968 to 1969 became Engine 88-2
Engine  50-2 1970 to 1974 became Ladder 61
Engine  88-2 1969 to 1972 from Engine 46-2, became Engine 72
Engine  91-2 1968 to 1974
Engine 217-2 1968 to 1972
Engine 225-2 1968 to 1969 became TCU 531
Engine 233-2 1968 to 1972 became Ladder 176
Ladder  17-2 1970 to 1974
Ladder  26-2 1968 to 1974
Ladder  27-2 1970 to 1972 became Ladder 58
Ladder 103-2 1968 to 1974
Battalion  3-2 1968 to 1969 became Battalion 27
Battalion 12-2 1968 to 1969 became Battalion 25
Battalion 14-2 1968 to 1969 became Battalion 26
Battalion 18-2 1965 to 1967 became Battalion 56
Battalion 44-2 1965 to 1969 became Battalion 58
Battalion 37-2 1968 to 1969 became Battalion 28
Battalion 39-2 1968 to 1969 became Battalion 29

Second sections increased resources where needed most.

Part time units, known as adaptive response or peak demand units today, were pioneered by FDNY with the Tactical Control Units.

TCU 512 1969 to 1971
TCU 513 1969 to 1971
TCU 531 1969 to 1971 from Engine 225-2
TCU 712 1969 to 1972 became Ladder 59
TCU 731 1969 to 1971
TCU 732 1970 to 1972

The TCU concept was relatively short lived.  Peak demand staffing is still used by the fire service in Western US cities and is commonly used by Police and EMS.

Also in the mix were Engine 70-2, a weekend unit for isolated City Island, and Ladder 193, a regular interchange company with Manhattan units.

As activity levels remained high, many second section companies were converted into permanently established companies.  Most remaining second sections that were not converted were discontinued by 1975.

Engine  66 1974 from Engine 41-2
Engine  72 1972 from Engine 88-2
Engine 167 1972 from Engine 208
Ladder  58 1972 from Ladder 27-2
Ladder  59 1972 from TCU 712 & Squad 6
Ladder  61 1972 from Engine 50-2
Ladder 176 1972 from Engine 233-2
Battalion 25 1969 to 1989 from Battalion 12-2
Battalion 26 1969 from Battalion 14-2
Battalion 27 1969 from Battalion  3-2
Battalion 28 1969 from Battalion 37-2
Battalion 29 1969 to 1975 from Battalion 39-2
Battalion 56 1967 to 1989 from Battalion 18-2
Battalion 58 1969 from Battalion 44-2

Within about 20 years, as the activity levels returned to a new normal, some of the new permanent companies were closed.  The financial crisis also caused additional permanent companies to be closed (not included here).

Engine  85 1967 to 1986 from Squad 9  (Tin House)
Engine 232 1966 to 1988 from Squad 7  (Tin House)
Battalion 25 1969 to 1989 from Battalion 12-2
Battalion 29 1969 to 1975 from Battalion 39-2
Battalion 55 1969 to 1988
Battalion 56 1967 to 1989 from Battalion 18-2
Battalion 59 1970 to 1989
Battalion 60 1970 to 1975
Division  9 1968 to 1989
Division 16 1965 to 1975
Division 17 1969 to 1975



 
E

EdMc

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Feb 22, 2017
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I believe that when they closed the Tin House 85 Engine became 53 Truck in City Island.  I'm not sure when City Island went down to a single company but I remember the residents out there pushed to get better coverage.
 
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fdhistorian

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Messages
859
EdMc said:
I believe that when they closed the Tin House 85 Engine became 53 Truck in City Island.  I'm not sure when City Island went down to a single company but I remember the residents out there pushed to get better coverage.
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Ladder 53 became part of Combination Fire Company 121 from 1974 to 1975.  They were out of service until reorganized in 1986 when Engine 85 was disbanded.
 
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fdhistorian

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scoobyd said:
  I guess SQ 5 in the Bronx gets no love?
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Squad 5 - War Years in Manhattan AND the Bronx.

Manhattan
1959-1966 with Engine 5
1966-1969 with Engine 17
1969-1970 with Engine 15
1970-1974 former Engine 9 quarters

Bronx
1974-1976 with Engine 41       

Squads 1 (w/E45), 2 (w/E73), 3 (w/E230), 4 (w/E283), 5 (w/E41) all disbanded 5-1-1976

 
A

AuxWarYearsCapt

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Batt 59 was originally placed into since from
???? TOO ???? at E 275

Batt 59 was re-originized in 1984 at E 319
and was disbanded in 1989
 
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