FDNY Ladder 53 article

[DWC295 70]

I came across this article the other day. I was surprised to see a non-Seagrave truck etc.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/nyregion/city-island-fire-company-threatened-again-by-budget-cuts.html?_r=2&hpw&pagewanted=all

[210 91]

Have family ties to City Island. Thanks for posting the article.

[sfrd18 360]

Good find. For those who don't know, Ladder 53 is a 2001 Spartan Gladiator/Marion/Aerialscope, donated by South Carolina after 9/11. It first served as Ladder 105 out of Brooklyn I believe. The company itself cannot leave City Island in case there is a fire on it, hence the lowest number of runs for a Ladder. Engine 70, on the other hand can leave the Island, but because of it's location, also holds near if not the lowest number of runs for an Engine. Both companies, in the 20th Battalion and 7th Division are quartered in the only FDNY Firehouse on the small, somewhat isolated island. City Island Bridge, a small bridge connecting the Island to the mainland of the Bronx.

[spin_the_wheel 460]

An Ex Chief from my Dept and retired City firefighter told me a few stories about a detail He did there years ago.

He got to the station and noticed they were 1 man short for the ladder. He started to ask around and the other guys told him "no we are good, Fred (forgot the name He told me) is working" He then let it go but half way through the shift He asked again who and where was Fred. They told him Fred lived across the street. He then asked how do you know he's working? They then told him look across the street. See the front porch, well look by the stairs...there was his boots and gear. When there was a run he would hear the bells or they would honk the horn and this old timer would come out for the call. He was like the senior guy in the house and never really stayed at the firehouse!

Another story was that years and years ago the bridge operator would ring the firehouse when He would see a Chief come across the bridge, giving them a heads up. Good stuff.

Edited June 1, 2012 by spin_the_wheel

[nycmedic 65]

The citizens of city island are freaking out because they might lose a ladder company. Yet there is not one ambulance assigned to city island. The closest als and bls come from pelham bay or coop city depending on who is available. If they are ok with ems coming from a distance then they should be ok with the ladder company coming from a distance. After all ems does double the calls then fire does and the majority of fire calls are ems runs.

[ny10570 745]

The citizens of city island are freaking out because they might lose a ladder company. Yet there is not one ambulance assigned to city island. The closest als and bls come from pelham bay or coop city depending on who is available. If they are ok with ems coming from a distance then they should be ok with the ladder company coming from a distance. After all ems does double the calls then fire does and the majority of fire calls are ems runs.

Most people see EMS as a luxury rather than necessity. Everyone thinks they can control their own medical emergencies. No one is under the illusion that they can control their own house fire. The best example of the average person's priorities is personal finance. People time and again chose to give up their health insurance before forgoing the annual vacation when money gets tight.

[IzzyEng4 427]

City Island is so remote from the rest of the department. The next closest firehouses are Engine 66 / Ladder 61 on Acsh Loop near Aldrich; Engine 97 at Astor and Fenton; Squad 61 on Wiliamsbridge Road ; and Engine 89 / Ladder 50 on Bruckner Ave.

Also since FDNY does respond as a first responder it is deamed okay that an ambulance can come from a distance. You have medical assistance on scene with the CFRs. This happens in every major city in the country and is not uncommon. Heck, when I was dispatching, I had a EMS call in Lighthouse Park in New Haven and the closest ambulance was a mutual aid rig coming from Branford - 15 minutes away. NY10570 hit it right on the nail with an ambulance being a luxury. Also how many EMS calls are handled on City Island yearly? This could be why an ambulance isn't stationed here, they may be in the same boat as Ladder 53. But also maybe FDNY EMS has units in the park during the summer time so technically they can be "stationed" near City Island during the peak months. I'm only assuming and would like to know the correct information if someone has it.

In regards to Ladder 53, with the other engine and ladder comanies coming from a great distance, its understandable why the residents are fighting to keep them. Regardless what type of rigs they are running, its two fire compaines on the island, 10 to 12 guys on a shift that are ready to respond. If they get a worker, they are covered by the 2-in 2-out rule and have enough manpower to start making an effective fire attack. That is a luxury! With a loss of a company and only having 5 to 6 guys with one rig, well now your really streching it!

Where I work we have 4 guys on shift and our closest mutual aid unit is 10 to 20 minutes down the road. Its not a great feeling pulling up on house fire and not knowing how long its going to be until the next unit arrives!!! Trust me I've been there a couple times in my careeer.

[10512 214]

I think it was back in the '70s, but, IIRC, back then, the City Island Firehouse was staffed as a "Combination Fire Company". They operated with an engine and truck, but operated with a total of 1 officer and 6FF. I do not recall all the details, maybe someone else can fill in with a bit more detail regarding how that operation worked.

Edited June 2, 2012 by 10512

[JBE 328]

It was CFC 121. 2 rigs, full crew, 1 boss. 70 also had a tele squrt.

[dadbo46 50]

It was CFC 121. 2 rigs, full crew, 1 boss. 70 also had a tele squrt.

.....and the "squirt" wound up in Lake Carmel as 17-5-1.

[M' Ave 1,466]

The citizens of city island are freaking out because they might lose a ladder company. Yet there is not one ambulance assigned to city island. The closest als and bls come from pelham bay or coop city depending on who is available. If they are ok with ems coming from a distance then they should be ok with the ladder company coming from a distance. After all ems does double the calls then fire does and the majority of fire calls are ems runs.

You're right and you're wrong. The majority of fire runs are not EMS, not even close. It's not even 1/3. That said, city island should certainly have a bus. At the very least there should be one there at peak tourist times. Let's not play off each other here. We both need every resource we have and more. No one on our jobs is looking to buy into this "do more with less" B.S.

[JBE 328]

I'm with M on this one. At times of peak tourist activity on the island such as Easter, Mothers and Fathers Day, it isn't uncommon for us to put an extra engine and truck on the island because of the traffic. But, I digress. The author of this thread thought it was interesting that 53 had a Spartan. They originally had a 99 or 2000 Seagrave, which was sent to 45 Truck when a Seagrave replacement came in for 105. The belief, IIRR, was that since it was a one off, it was better to put it with a slow company as so not to have it out of service for long periods of time waiting for parts, etc.