nfd2004

Lt. Murray, I Thank You, and the people of Yonkers Thank You. Get well soon there Brother. Bill Dennis Retired IAFF 892

I am familiar with a dept that had been dispatched to a building fire with all the signs of a "Working Fire". At time of "dispatch", the dispatchers knew it, the buffs knew it, and of course the firefighters knew it. On arrival, as everybody expected, "the working fire was given". No FAST Co was ever sent, although it is the policy of that dept. During the fire, two firefighters got trapped on an upper floor. With no FAST Co on the scene, other members had to be taken away from this fast spreading fire, to rescue these firefighters who were now in some "serious trouble" In this case, the "dispatcher dropped the ball". Two Firefighters had to be transported to the hospital and almost didn't make it out of that fire building. In defense of the dispatcher, (who I have no idea who it was), it is a "911 Center" that answers all the 911 calls, must transfer calls for EMS and dispatch F.D., handle all police calls, and other routine calls, and dispatch all fire calls. One minute they are dispatching a "fire call", next minute it's a "domestic dispute with the Ex breaking in the apt". I think in this case, two firefighters almost died because a dispatcher forgot to send the Fast Co. But people are human and how much can we push onto our dispatchers. In this case, there are two dispatchers on duty to handle police, fire, and Ems for about a 40 - 50,000 population. Maybe sending a FAST Co on the inital call of a workng fire is not a bad idea. Just give the dispatchers enough help to handle it when the S*** hits the Fan. And don't expect them to be a "Jack of all Trades".

Newark started going back to Red about two years ago. Before that it was the White with Blue stripes. I think those are the ice cream trucks you are talking about. (I think Fort Worth, Texas has the same color scheme, and I do know that New Haven, Ct has all White Apparatus). I'm sure there's more out there too. But those White Trucks in those cities do get their share of work. And prior to Newarks White/Blue color, they had Lime Green with a Red Stripe. The Lime Green was often referred to as "SLIME" Green. And if anybody is old enough to remember, before that they were all Red. Nice photo there too Guy. Thank you for posting it.

A Reminder of that TERRIBLE DAY. I Pray that we NEVER have to deal with something like that again. Bless the families and friends of the victims.

Many are still paying a terrible price for that day. I just hope the rest of us don't forget it.

So True, Nobody does it Better. And you are right there 'efdcapt115" the room going into a screaming nightmare if another attack comes. And what if it comes to "THAT" room or "THAT" building. Then, Who dispatches EMS, Fire, Police and answers the "911 calls" ?

It's always GREAT to hear from the guys that worked these rigs during those times. They can tell it Exactly as it was and what rig served where and when. Thanks 'chiefhac'.

Aren't you glad you got on the Fire Dept instead. No offense to my P.D. friends, or those "high Income" NBA members, Music stars, or Wall St Executives. For me it was become President or a Fireman. Glad I became a Fireman. Besides "The Firehouse" has better cooks than "The White House".

I truely Thank Everybody for those kind words. Yes, "Smoke" was my Hero. Like Many, he grew up during "The Great Depression", Fought WWII, then came back to build America to become the Greatest Country in the World. I told the story of a guy I looked up to, who just happened to be My Father and a Fireman. He was just doing his job and trying to support a wife and four kids. He is just one of many who have similar stories to tell, but nobody to tell them. Yes "efdcapt115" you are exactly right. Being retired gives us time to remember how lucky we really are. We had the Greatest Job in the World. But the years went by just so fast. As you mentioned about NYCFIRE.NEt, I got to see the busiest time in the history of the FDNY. The busiest Fire Dept in the World. That was certainly an experience. I look back now and wish that I could do it all over again. but now thanks to web sites like this, we are able to share our stories. Thanks Guys, I greatly appreciate all of your kind words.

Thanks to all for your nice comments. I greatly appreciate that. Yes, my father, Smoke was a Role Model to me. But there's alot more Role Models out there. I hope we can hear about "Them" too.

Thanks very much guys for your help. I think the one I was referring to is the one put out by Steve Spak. I remember it was advertised but I just never got around to get it. But I will check it out and I think that"s the one, r1smokeeater. Also, I wasn"t aware of Eng 83 and Ladder 29 having their own video of it. I expect to be in the Bronx next week and maybe I"ll stop by 83s to ask about it. ( I hope they don"t think I"m just another one of those 138th St drunks looking for a place to flop. Maybe I"ll even shave and dress up a little). I also am aware of TMS Videos as mentioned earlier, but I do think its Steve Spak video. I appreciate it.

Somewhere out there was a DVD of that huge Con Ed explosion. Anybody know who it was that offerred it for sale. It was one in a series of FDNY DVDs that are sold.

TXMedic, Before you make a move, just make sure you check out the cost of living in the NYC area. Apartments run from about $1200 to $1500 a month and thats nothing fancy. Parking near your apt could be diffucult. Tolls to go from one Boro to the next are not cheap. If you live in NYC, subways are the way to go. It certainly could be a Great Place to work, espically if your looking for action. But check with a few employees who work in NYC and let them tell you themselves. Its not cheap.

JBE, this is kind of a shock to me. I had heard the Manhatten C.O. was closing at some point, but not this fast. I"m also under the impression that The Bronx C.O. is operating at its former Office after the renovations were done. And there was talk that maybe Manhatten would move there. My brother and I were just talking about our visit there back in the early 80s or so. we were treated Great. I remember guys from Ladder 26 had stopped by. So you (Manhatten) will operate out of 11 Metrotech, along with P.D. and EMS. Brooklyn now operates with Queens in their C.O. I"m guessing the Bronx C.O. is still on 180 St ? ? It is very sad to hear that. All I can say is, "I"m glad he"s not my Mayor".

Thanks for the info. As I understand it, the opening will be in November (2009). I wondered where exactly it would be.

Wow ! ! ! Somewhere along here I got lost. Sometime between 1975 and 2004, we put out a few fires. Come to think of it now, I"m not sure if we used a booster line or a 1 3/4 line. How did we really get down those stairs. They were usually covered with debris and hose lines. I might have even slid down or fell down them a few times. Sometimes we needed to get out in a hurry. And it wasn"t "One" flight of stairs, maybe it was two or three. Of course we couldn"t see anything, and I remember somebody telling me never to loose touch of that hoseline. I don"t think it was OSHA that taught me that. But somehow, most of the time we all got out. I seemed to learn a lot from Senior Firefighters, and some Great Old School Officers. When I attended several of the State Fire Dept Courses, they would have me memorize things like what fire hose was made of, the expansion rate of steam, and even Maslows Needs. I became what the State of Ct calls certified in Fire Fighter l, ll, and lll. Also Fire Officer l, and Fire Instructor l. NOTHING that I learned in those classes helped me with doing my job as a Firefighter and later Officer. If I learned anything in my job, it was mostly from the experience of others and some hands on drills. I was also a buff, and I spent a lot of time watching and observing some of the busiest depts that fought fires. Those guys were a big help too. Well, back to the starting point. As I said, "Somewhere along here I got lost"

Love those stories guys. And by the way, You guys do a Great Job out there. You very seldom get the Credit you deserve. Thanks ! !

Fighting fires in a City like Yonkers is a lot different then fighting fires in a City like Phoenix. I"ve never been to Europe but from what I understand a lot of the construction is stucco, stone or brick. Lets just compare City"s like Yonkers, and Jersey City to a City like Phoenix or even L.A. City. The amount of fire potentional is dramicically different. Yonkers or Jersey City, or pretty much any fair size Northeast city has many 2 1/2 or 3 story wood frames. Four, five and six brick apartment buildings of wood joist and lath boards. And few fire stops. Very serious exposure problems, and many old factories, some of which are 100 years old, and some completely vacant. Fighting fires in these types of buildings must be made using a quick aggressive attack. Otherwise the entire block could be lost. On the other hand, a City like Phoenix is a fairly newer city. They basically don"t have the old balloon construction. There is a lot less of the old Mill type construction. And they certainly don"t have the serious exposure problem facing these older cities. I travelled to L.A. City in 1984 to buff. I hung out in one of their worst areas at the time. Watt"s. The busy companies were Eng 46 and Eng 33 and Truck 33. Most of that neighborhood was all one and a half story, single family, wood frames. A far cry from the huge 3 1/2 story wood frame Queen Anne"s of some of our Old Northeast Cities. So I think its fair to say that there probadly is adifferent style of fighting fires in various parts of the country, and perhaps the world. Yes, fighting fires is a dangerous business whether your firehouse in in L.A. or N.Y. Yes, the smoke and heat is the same. But based on what I"ve seen, all cities are "NOT" created equal. I don"t know Chief Flynn, but anybody who"s fought fires in some of these Old, Tough Cities, has got my vote.

I remember the old brick firehouse I worked in. I think it was built in 1896. It even had an old Hayloft that used to store the hay for the horses. In the basement were maybe 12" x 12" solid oak beams. No drive through bays. No central air conditioning and we had to make sure there was always water in the huge steam boiler. Sometimes we"d get a loud "Bang" from the old steam raditors. The old wooden single pain windows would rattle all night long on those cold nights. In the morning the frost would be on the outside AND the "Inside" of those windows. The kitchen was on the apparatus floor behind the rigs. If one rig went out, you got a bit of a "feed from the engine smoke" while eating your pork and beans. We had an Engine, a Ladder and a Rescue in that firehouse. They closed the Rescue Co., and shortly after the Ladder moved to the new firehouse. I was assigned to the Engine and we were the last to go. We ended up staying there for about a year. Then in 1995, I was working the night shift and the chief gave me the keys and said; "Lock the place up at 1800 hrs and go to your new home". None of us wanted to leave. When we got to the new firehouse we pulled the rig in through the drive through bay. The cement floor was all newly painted. It didn"t even smell like a fire house. Inside the walls in the various rooms were covered with white sheetrock. It reminded me of being in a Doctors office rather than a Firehouse. It just wasn"t the same.

Any word on Bridgeport, Cts new Dispatch Center. Last I heard its new 911 Center on North Washington Ave (?) was supposed to open sometime in August "09. Also I"ve heard talk that some different F.D. frequencies will be added and P.D. will be encrepted. Any talk of Digital ?

Thanks for the pictures "Anesti". Its changed quite a bit since I was last by there a few weeks ago.

August 2, 2009 will be the 31st Anniversary of the Fatal Walbaums Fire that occurred on August 2, 1978. The fire claimed the lives of Six FDNY members. The store was located at Ave "Y" and Ocean Ave. in Brooklyn. I believe it was a truss roof that collapsed sending these Firefighters to their death. Lets not forget them and may they rest in peace. They are: Lt James Cutillo Batt. 33 FF George Rice Lad 153 FF James McManus Lad 153 FF Harold Hastings Batt. 42 FF Charles Bouton Lad 156 FF William O"Conner Lad 156

Do we remember "31 Years ago today", in 1978, we lost Six FDNY Firefighters at a fire in a Waldbaums Store in Brooklyn. They weren"t famous. They were just your everyday fathers, brothers, husbands, and firemen doing their job. "No Hall of Fame for them". How many lives did they save, or help in their careers. How many kids lost their fathers that day. Not many people remember them. Only their families and friends.

I was by there about a month ago (6/09). It is on Washington Ave near 172 St. It is next to EMS Station 18. About 4 blocks south of Cross Bronx Expressway and Eng 46/Lad 27s Quarters. When I was there it still looked like a lot of work was needed. They only had the steel framing up.

If the City of New York can use the 10 Codes with no problem for the past 4 to 5 decades that I know of, I see NO reason why they or anybody else would have to change because some "SO-CALLED AUTHORITY" says its the right thing to do. I know in my area, plain English is used because these Higher Authorities said to change. Its interesting to hear some of the very Un-Professional Radio traffic. Let me tell you, I have no trouble understanding Exactly what the FDNY or Yonkers is talking about. But I invite any buff up to my area and listen to the chaos that goes on with even the simpliest of routine calls. Back to the orginial thread, of Signal 10-30 in SW Yonkers. The City of Yonkers has been pretty busy lately for both the FD and PD. A few fires, stabbings, and shootings. "Ah, the Heartbeat of a City".