lt411

Here is a letter written to a local newspaper by the daughter of a firefighter. She tells how these firefighters, "Don't take Brotherhood lightly".
 
http://www.silive.com/opinion/letters/index.ssf/2017/02/firefighters_dont_take_brother.html#incart_river_index 

My Co. has had a KME engine for a little over 2 years.  With 25k miles and almost 4k hours, I can say it's held up well.  I typically believe the builder has less to do with the quality of the apparatus and the Spec is key...However, the Truck in my quarters is a Ferrara, and it's junk.  Assembly and fit/finish is far superior in the KME product.  More care was taken in running wires and assembling compartments.
 
All in all....The KME rig is a good one and the company has been quick to address issues and then taken preventative steps on the rest of the fleet.  We must have about 100 of these engines by now and I haven't heard much grumbling from the shops.

THANK YOU x635.
 
To the family and friends of Detective Steven McDonald my sincere condolences.
 
Your loss is shared by the entire country as this story is told. Detective McDonald as I see it is a Saint. His story of forgiveness and his suffering goes beyond what most of us would consider a Hero.
 
I can NOT imagine what it was like to be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of my life, and not be able to move my arms or hands ever again.
 
From the time he woke up in the morning, until the time he went to bed at night, he was at the mercy of someone being there to do it for him. Doing the simplest routine things he could NOT do. Like getting dressed in the morning, brushing his teeth, feeding himself, changing the channel on the television, scratching an itch, or holding his wifes hand. But despite that, Detective McDonald FORGAVE THE YOUTH THAT SHOT HIM.
 
 Detective McDonald needs to be remembered for this. While here on earth Detective McDonald did his job well. From his days as a New York City Police Officer, to his final days of confinement in his wheel chair. With no ability to fend for himself.
 
 I never met Detective McDonald. I sure wish I did though. He will be one individual that I will NEVER FORGET. I will remember him for the HERO he was. I will remember him for the suffering he went through and for the kind of man he was.
 
 THANK YOU Detective McDonald for the job you have done. May you now Rest in Peace.
 
 Here is his story.
 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ6a3miemqs

When you get hired on FDNY (or other NY city civil service public safety positions) you have to reside in the 5 boros of NYC or in the following counties: Putnam;Westchester;Rockland ;Orange; Nassau;Suffolk. As far as the NYC income tax- you  pay it whether you live in the city or not. The PD and FD unions took this point to court, saying that it was unfair (taxation without representation). The city then changed the "income tax" label to a "condition of employment fee". Basically, if you want the job, you pay the city income tax whether you live in the city or not. As far as working as a firefighter in NYC, and living in the suburbs (Putnam, in my case) it was worth the payment of this "fee", even though it wasn't right.

Great guy, great video.
 

This is a difficult situation that doesn't seem to have a clear-cut answer. Obviously the best answer would be to hire 24 additional firefighters to make-up the six 4-man engine companies. But apparently that can't be afforded. I do not know the financial situation of Greenwich, but if Greenwich can't staff 4-man engine companies, I'm surprised any similar size town/city can staff 3-man companies!! It is one of the richest towns in the country. Be that as it may, here are some points to consider:
 
1) The town is approximately 50 square miles with a population of 63,000 plus people.
 
2) How many volunteers are active, and how many are on the scene of a fire within 2 to 3 minutes of the first due engine? I would think you'd need an 90% rate of at least one certified volunteer showing up within 2 to 3 minutes of the engine on "reported structure fires."  It's not perfect, but it's something that should be tracked. Automatic Fire Alarms shouldn't be counted in this number, as many, many departments across the country send 2 or 3 firefighters to check on an AFA in a residential structure and maybe a second engine and a ladder for a high-life occupancy. Still, that's only 8 to 10 firefighters showing up for what is 95% of the time a false alarm, minor cooking incident, or an oil burner back-fire. Of course any 2nd source reporting anything like smoke or even an odor should be upgraded to a structural response.  With that being said, what do the numbers show? If a 4th certified volunteer shows up only 33% of the time within 2 to 3 minutes then you've got a problem. Bottom Line: Nothing can be perfect and the word reasonable should fit into the equation. In other words, you could have two houses struck by lightning just 3 blocks away, but you don't staff two 4-man engines in each station to cover that.
 
3) As for the current situation, I agree that six 3-man engine companies make more sense than having 2 and 4 man engines. I would think this would be easier to set-up SOP's for the department. Otherwise you could have different sets of procedures to train on - if a 2-man company shows up and fire is showing then A,B,C. If a 4-man engine shows up and fire is showing then D,E,F.  Consistency is the key and the less confusing the better. I wonder if the GFD training department has to train on two sets of fire attack depending on the manning? In addition, a 3 man crew can get a lot set up waiting for the 4th firefighter to arrive or the 2nd due engine to arrive. Stretching the line to the door, doing a 360 of the building, throwing a ladder for a secondary means of escape, ordering additional equipment, forcing the lock, darken down the fire from the outside to "reset" it (see SLICERS fire attack on You Tube). A lot can be done in those first 2 to 4 minutes.
 
4) If it is determined that a 4th firefighter (rather volunteer or the 2nd due engine) doesn't show up within 5 minutes more than 50% of the time, then a 4th person could be added to all 6 engines by hiring a total of 16 firefighters. How? The 16 additional would be spread out among the 4 groups (4 per group). This would cover 4 of the engines. Then take the 2 firefighters off the ladder to cover the other 2 engines; in essence, leaving the ladder company with a driver only. You would end up with 4 firefighters in 5 of the 6 manned stations and the new Headquarters (when finished) would have 6 on-duty (4 on Engine 1, 1 on Tower 1, the shift deputy).  What about the ladder? The ladder isn't going to be on the scene the majority of the time within the first 8 to 10 minutes town-wide, considering it covers everywhere. Send 4 engines and the ladder to reported structure fires. First engine is rescue/fire attack, second engine is water supply/back-up line, third engine is assigned to the ladder company (you now have a 5-man ladder company with an officer!) and the 4th engine would stand-by a block away and await for assignment by the shift commander.
 
Now, I will admit that none of my proposals are perfect, but I will restate there has to be some point of "reasonableness" and agreement when trying to come up with a solution. Accurate data must be gathered and then a proper plan could be put into effect, with the Training Department being able to teach and spread the program with the same information, town-wide.  Total minimum shift staffing would go from 22 to 26. I hope that wouldn't break the bank and the increase in better service would be unmeasurable.

Had many "Collyer's mansion " apt. fires over the years. I remember one in particular in an illegal basement apt. in the Bronx. The Deputy Chief assigned my  squad company the task of doing a "secondary search" in that basement apartment. The bedroom was particularly stacked with debris/junk everywhere, and the queen size bed had 3-4 ft of clothes/junk piled on it. Ironically we had drilled earlier in the night tour on the proper way to do a thorough secondary search. As my guys moved the debris off the bed, we found a body - a rather obese male in his 30's with his throat slit open from ear to ear. The murdered victim was on the wrong end of a drug deal gone bad. Needless to say the Battalion chief and the Deputy chief were very happy that we had done a "good secondary". Nothing worse that the fire marshals or the detectives finding a DOA after the fire units have left the scene. If you are going to do a job, "do it right".  

Had many "Collyer's mansion " apt. fires over the years. I remember one in particular in an illegal basement apt. in the Bronx. The Deputy Chief assigned my  squad company the task of doing a "secondary search" in that basement apartment. The bedroom was particularly stacked with debris/junk everywhere, and the queen size bed had 3-4 ft of clothes/junk piled on it. Ironically we had drilled earlier in the night tour on the proper way to do a thorough secondary search. As my guys moved the debris off the bed, we found a body - a rather obese male in his 30's with his throat slit open from ear to ear. The murdered victim was on the wrong end of a drug deal gone bad. Needless to say the Battalion chief and the Deputy chief were very happy that we had done a "good secondary". Nothing worse that the fire marshals or the detectives finding a DOA after the fire units have left the scene. If you are going to do a job, "do it right".  

The hose reel apparatus has not seen much use, as all the engines carry a fair amount of 5" LDH, and when a working fire is encountered, the responding mutual aid companies utilize their LDH as well. So the calls that require very long lays of LDH are few and far between. The last time I remember the hose reel unit used was at the "Uncle Bob's storage facility" fire on Rt.22 several years ago. There are hydrants in the village area, and in the Home Depot shopping center area; and several other isolated areas, but no- there is no new addition of hydrants into the district boundaries.

 
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/fdny-mechanic-saves-department-700g-engineering-feats-article-1.2893712

The Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services (BOES) should purchase this vehicle from the Brewster-Southeast Fire District, and make it a regional asset. Maybe one of the county special team members could respond to the TOPS bldg and deliver it to the scene of an active emergency. S1720G is right about that idea. BOES had an idea for a county-wide foam unit, but it never happened, as far as I know. A trailer with lumber for a bldg collapse in the county would be another idea, as would a technical rescue team. Don't know if they will ever happen, as getting enough members to get trained and kept excited is hard to do (and money needed always rears its ugly head).

The hose reel apparatus has not seen much use, as all the engines carry a fair amount of 5" LDH, and when a working fire is encountered, the responding mutual aid companies utilize their LDH as well. So the calls that require very long lays of LDH are few and far between. The last time I remember the hose reel unit used was at the "Uncle Bob's storage facility" fire on Rt.22 several years ago. There are hydrants in the village area, and in the Home Depot shopping center area; and several other isolated areas, but no- there is no new addition of hydrants into the district boundaries.

The hose reel apparatus has not seen much use, as all the engines carry a fair amount of 5" LDH, and when a working fire is encountered, the responding mutual aid companies utilize their LDH as well. So the calls that require very long lays of LDH are few and far between. The last time I remember the hose reel unit used was at the "Uncle Bob's storage facility" fire on Rt.22 several years ago. There are hydrants in the village area, and in the Home Depot shopping center area; and several other isolated areas, but no- there is no new addition of hydrants into the district boundaries.

The hose reel apparatus has not seen much use, as all the engines carry a fair amount of 5" LDH, and when a working fire is encountered, the responding mutual aid companies utilize their LDH as well. So the calls that require very long lays of LDH are few and far between. The last time I remember the hose reel unit used was at the "Uncle Bob's storage facility" fire on Rt.22 several years ago. There are hydrants in the village area, and in the Home Depot shopping center area; and several other isolated areas, but no- there is no new addition of hydrants into the district boundaries.

The Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services (BOES) should purchase this vehicle from the Brewster-Southeast Fire District, and make it a regional asset. Maybe one of the county special team members could respond to the TOPS bldg and deliver it to the scene of an active emergency. S1720G is right about that idea. BOES had an idea for a county-wide foam unit, but it never happened, as far as I know. A trailer with lumber for a bldg collapse in the county would be another idea, as would a technical rescue team. Don't know if they will ever happen, as getting enough members to get trained and kept excited is hard to do (and money needed always rears its ugly head).

The Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services (BOES) should purchase this vehicle from the Brewster-Southeast Fire District, and make it a regional asset. Maybe one of the county special team members could respond to the TOPS bldg and deliver it to the scene of an active emergency. S1720G is right about that idea. BOES had an idea for a county-wide foam unit, but it never happened, as far as I know. A trailer with lumber for a bldg collapse in the county would be another idea, as would a technical rescue team. Don't know if they will ever happen, as getting enough members to get trained and kept excited is hard to do (and money needed always rears its ugly head).

The Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services (BOES) should purchase this vehicle from the Brewster-Southeast Fire District, and make it a regional asset. Maybe one of the county special team members could respond to the TOPS bldg and deliver it to the scene of an active emergency. S1720G is right about that idea. BOES had an idea for a county-wide foam unit, but it never happened, as far as I know. A trailer with lumber for a bldg collapse in the county would be another idea, as would a technical rescue team. Don't know if they will ever happen, as getting enough members to get trained and kept excited is hard to do (and money needed always rears its ugly head).

The Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services (BOES) should purchase this vehicle from the Brewster-Southeast Fire District, and make it a regional asset. Maybe one of the county special team members could respond to the TOPS bldg and deliver it to the scene of an active emergency. S1720G is right about that idea. BOES had an idea for a county-wide foam unit, but it never happened, as far as I know. A trailer with lumber for a bldg collapse in the county would be another idea, as would a technical rescue team. Don't know if they will ever happen, as getting enough members to get trained and kept excited is hard to do (and money needed always rears its ugly head).

The Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services (BOES) should purchase this vehicle from the Brewster-Southeast Fire District, and make it a regional asset. Maybe one of the county special team members could respond to the TOPS bldg and deliver it to the scene of an active emergency. S1720G is right about that idea. BOES had an idea for a county-wide foam unit, but it never happened, as far as I know. A trailer with lumber for a bldg collapse in the county would be another idea, as would a technical rescue team. Don't know if they will ever happen, as getting enough members to get trained and kept excited is hard to do (and money needed always rears its ugly head).

The Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services (BOES) should purchase this vehicle from the Brewster-Southeast Fire District, and make it a regional asset. Maybe one of the county special team members could respond to the TOPS bldg and deliver it to the scene of an active emergency. S1720G is right about that idea. BOES had an idea for a county-wide foam unit, but it never happened, as far as I know. A trailer with lumber for a bldg collapse in the county would be another idea, as would a technical rescue team. Don't know if they will ever happen, as getting enough members to get trained and kept excited is hard to do (and money needed always rears its ugly head).

The fallen of 09/11/2001.......
 
FDNY Firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics killed on 9/11
Company Fatalities:
FDNY Chief Peter J. Ganci, Jr., 54
FDNY Commissioner William M. Feehan, 72
FDNY Marshal Ronald Paul Bucca, 47
FDNY Chaplain Mychal Judge, 68
Battalion 1:
Chief Matthew Lancelot Ryan, 54
Lt. Paul Thomas Mitchell, 46
Battalion 2:
Chief William McGovern, 49
Chief Richard Prunty, 57
Faustino Apostol, Jr., 55
Battalion 4:
Lt. Thomas O'Hagan, 43
Battalion 6:
Chief John P. Williamson, 46
Battalion 7:
Chief Orio Palmer, 45
Lt. Stephen G. Harrell, 44
Lt. Philip Scott Petti, 43
Battalion 8:
Chief Thomas Patrick DeAngelis, 51
Thomas McCann, 45
Battalion 9:
Chief Dennis Lawrence Devlin, 51
Chief Edward F. Geraghty, 45
Lt. Charles William Garbarini, 44
Carl Asaro, 39
Alan D. Feinberg, 48
Battalion 11:
Chief John M. Paolillo, 51
Battalion 12:
Chief Frederick Claude Scheffold, Jr., 57
Battalion 22:
Lt. Charles Joseph Margiotta, 44
Battalion 43:
Lt. Geoffrey E. Guja, 49
Battalion 47:
Lt. Anthony Jovic, 39
Battalion 48:
Chief Joseph Grzelak, 52
Michael Leopoldo Bocchino, 45
Battalion 49:
Chief John Moran, 42
Battalion 50:
Chief Lawrence T. Stack, 58
Battalion 57:
Chief Dennis Cross, 60
Chief Joseph Ross Marchbanks, Jr, 47
Division 1:
Capt. Joseph D. Farrelly, 47
Capt. Thomas Moody, 45
Division 11:
Capt. Timothy M. Stackpole, 42
Division 15:
Chief Thomas Theodore Haskell, Jr., 37
Capt. Martin J. Egan, Jr., 36
Capt. William O'Keefe, 48
Engine 1:
Lt. Andrew Desperito, 43
Michael T. Weinberg, 34
Engine 4:
Calixto Anaya, Jr, 35
James C. Riches, 29
Thomas G. Schoales, 27
Paul A. Tegtmeier, 41
Engine 5:
Manuel Del Valle, Jr, 32
Engine 6:
Paul Beyer, 37
Thomas Holohan, 36
William R. Johnston, 31
Engine 8:
Robert Parro, 35
Engine 10:
Lt. Gregg Arthur Atlas, 44
Jeffrey James Olsen, 31
Engine 21:
Capt. William Francis Burke, Jr., 46
Engine 22:
Thomas Anthony Casoria, 29
Michael J. Elferis, 27
Vincent D. Kane, 37
Martin E. McWilliams, 35
Engine 23:
Robert McPadden, 30
James Nicholas Pappageorge, 29
Hector Luis Tirado, Jr., 30
Mark P. Whitford, 31
Engine 26:
Capt. Thomas Farino, 37
Dana R Hannon, 29
Engine 29:
Michael Ragusa, 29
Engine 33:
Lt. Kevin Pfeifer, 42
David Arce, 36
Michael Boyle, 37
Robert Evans, 36
Keithroy Marcellus Maynard, 30
Engine 37:
John Giordano, 47
Engine 40:
Lt. John F. Ginley, 37
Kevin Bracken, 37
Michael D. D'Auria, 25
Bruce Gary, 51
Steven Mercado, 38
Engine 50:
Robert W. Spear, Jr., 30
Engine 54:
Paul John Gill, 34
Jose Guadalupe, 37
Christopher Santora, 23
Engine 55 
Lt. Peter L. Freund, 45
Robert Lane, 28
Christopher Mozzillo, 27
Stephen P. Russell, 40
Engine 58 
Lt. Robert B. Nagel, 55
Engine 74 
Ruben D. Correa, 44
Engine 201 
Lt. Paul Richard Martini, 37
Gregory Joseph Buck, 37
Christopher Pickford, 32
John Albert Schardt, 34
Engine 205 
Lt. Robert Francis Wallace, 43
Engine 207 
Karl Henry Joseph, 25
Shawn Edward Powell, 32
Kevin O. Reilly, 28
Engine 214 
Lt. Carl John Bedigian, 35
John Joseph Florio, 33
Michael Edward Roberts, 31
Kenneth Thomas Watson, 39
Engine 216 
Daniel Suhr, 37
Engine 217 
Lt. Kenneth Phelan, 41
Steven Coakley, 36
Philip T. Hayes, 67
Neil Joseph Leavy, 34
Engine 219 
John Chipura, 39
Engine 226 
Brian McAleese, 36
David Paul De Rubbio, 38
Stanley S. Smagala, Jr., 36
Engine 230 
Lt. Brian G. Ahearn, 43
Frank Bonomo, 42
Michael Scott Carlo, 34
Jeffrey Stark, 30
Eugene Whelan, 31
Edward James White III, 30
Engine 235 
Lt. Steven Bates, 42
Nicholas Paul Chiofalo, 39
Francis Esposito, 32
Lee S. Fehling, 28
Lawrence G. Veling, 44
Engine 238 
Lt. Glenn E. Wilkinson, 46
Engine 279 
Ronnie Lee Henderson, 52
Anthony Rodriguez, 36
Engine 285 
Raymond R. York, 45
Engine 320 
Capt. James J. Corrigan, 60
Haz-Mat 1 
Lt. John A. Crisci, 48
Dennis M. Carey, 51
Martin N. DeMeo, 47
Thomas Gardner, 39
Jonathan R. Hohmann, 48
Dennis Scauso, 46
Kevin Joseph Smith, 47
Ladder 2 
Capt. Frederick Ill, Jr, 49
Michael J. Clarke, 27
George DiPasquale, 33
Denis P. Germain, 33
Daniel Edward Harlin, 41
Carl Molinaro, 32
Dennis Michael Mulligan, 32
Ladder 3 
Capt. Patrick J. Brown, 48
Lt. Kevin W. Donnelly, 43
Michael Carroll, 39
James Raymond Coyle, 26
Gerard Dewan, 35
Jeffrey John Giordano, 45
Joseph Maloney, 45
John Kevin McAvoy, 47
Timothy Patrick McSweeney, 37
Joseph J. Ogren, 30
Steven John Olson, 38
Ladder 4 
Capt. David Terence Wooley, 54
Lt. Daniel O'Callaghan, 42
Joseph Angelini, Jr, 38
Peter Brennan, 30
Michael E. Brennan, 27
Michael Haub, 34
Michael F. Lynch, 33
Samuel Oitice, 45
John James Tipping II, 33
Ladder 5 
Lt. Vincent Francis Giammona, 40
Lt. Michael Warchola, 51
Louis Arena, 32
Andrew Brunn, 28
Thomas Hannafin, 36
Paul Hanlon Keating, 38
John A. Santore, 49
Gregory Thomas Saucedo, 31
Ladder 7 
Capt. Vernon Allan Richard, 53
George Cain, 35
Robert Joseph Foti, 42
Richard Muldowney Jr, 40
Charles Mendez, 38
Vincent Princiotta, 39
Ladder 8 
Lt. Vincent Gerard Halloran, 43
Ladder 9 
Gerard Baptiste, 35
John P. Tierney, 27
Jeffrey P. Walz, 37
Ladder 10 
Sean Patrick Tallon, 26
Ladder 11 
Lt. Michael Quilty, 42
Michael F. Cammarata, 22
Edward James Day, 45
John F. Heffernan, 37
Richard John Kelly, Jr, 50
Robert King, Jr, 36
Matthew Rogan, 37
Ladder 12 
Angel L. Juarbe, Jr, 35
Michael D. Mullan, 34
Ladder 13 
Capt. Walter G. Hynes, 46
Thomas Hetzel, 33
Dennis McHugh, 34
Thomas E. Sabella, 44
Gregory Stajk, 46
Ladder 15 
Lt. Joseph Gerard Leavey, 45
Richard Lanard Allen, 30
Arthur Thaddeus Barry, 35
Thomas W. Kelly, 50
Scott Kopytko, 32
Scott Larsen, 35
Douglas E. Oelschlager, 36
Eric T. Olsen, 41
Ladder 16 
Lt. Raymond E. Murphy, 46
Robert Curatolo, 31
Ladder 20 
Capt. John R. Fischer, 46
John Patrick Burnside, 36
James Michael Gray, 34
Sean S. Hanley, 35
David Laforge, 50
Robert Thomas Linnane, 33
Robert D. McMahon, 35
Ladder 21 
Gerald T. Atwood, 38
Gerard Duffy, 53
Keith Glascoe, 38
Joseph Henry, 25
William E. Krukowski, 36
Benjamin Suarez, 34
Ladder 24 
Capt. Daniel J. Brethel, 43
Stephen Elliot Belson, 51
Ladder 25 
Lt. Glenn C. Perry, 41
Matthew Barnes, 37
John Michael Collins, 42
Kenneth Kumpel, 42
Robert Minara, 54
Joseph Rivelli, 43
Paul G. Ruback, 50
Ladder 27 
John Marshall, 35
Ladder 35 
Capt. Frank Callahan, 51
James Andrew Giberson, 43
Vincent S. Morello, 34
Michael Otten, 42
Michael Roberts, 30
Ladder 38 
Joseph Spor, Jr., 35
Ladder 42 
Peter Alexander Bielfeld, 44
Ladder 101 
Lt. Joseph Gullickson, 37
Patrick Byrne, 39
Salvatore B. Calabro, 38
Brian Cannizzaro, 30
Thomas J. Kennedy, 36
Joseph Maffeo, 31
Terence A. McShane, 37
Ladder 105 
Capt. Vincent Brunton, 43
Thomas Richard Kelly, 39
Henry Alfred Miller, Jr, 51
Dennis O'Berg, 28
Frank Anthony Palombo, 46
Ladder 111 
Lt. Christopher P. Sullivan, 39
Ladder 118 
Lt. Robert M. Regan, 48
Joseph Agnello, 35
Vernon Paul Cherry, 49
Scott Matthew Davidson, 33
Leon Smith, Jr., 48
Peter Anthony Vega, 36
Ladder 131 
Christian Michael Otto Regenhard, 28
Ladder 132 
Andrew Jordan, 36
Michael Kiefer, 25
Thomas Mingione, 34
John T. Vigiano II, 36
Sergio Villanueva, 33
Ladder 136 
Michael Joseph Cawley, 32
Ladder 166 
William X. Wren, 61
Rescue 1 
Capt. Terence S. Hatton, 41
Lt. Dennis Mojica, 50
Joseph Angelini, Sr., 63
Gary Geidel, 44
William Henry, 49
Kenneth Joseph Marino, 40
Michael Montesi, 39
Gerard Terence Nevins, 46
Patrick J. O'Keefe, 44
Brian Edward Sweeney, 29
David M. Weiss, 41
Rescue 2 
Lt. Peter C. Martin, 43
William David Lake, 44
Daniel F. Libretti, 43
John Napolitano, 32
Kevin O'Rourke, 44
Lincoln Quappe, 38
Edward Rall, 44
Rescue 3 
Christopher Joseph Blackwell, 42
Thomas Foley, 32
Thomas Gambino, Jr., 48
Raymond Meisenheimer, 46
Donald J. Regan, 47
Gerard Patrick Schrang, 45
Rescue 4 
Capt. Brian Hickey, 47
Lt. Kevin Dowdell, 46
Terrence Patrick Farrell, 45
William J. Mahoney, 37
Peter Allen Nelson, 42
Durrell V. Pearsall, 34
Rescue 5 
Capt. Louis Joseph Modafferi, 45
Lt. Harvey Harrell, 49
John P. Bergin, 39
Carl Vincent Bini, 44
Michael Curtis Fiore, 46
Andre G. Fletcher, 37
Douglas Charles Miller, 34
Jeffrey Matthew Palazzo, 33
Nicholas P. Rossomando, 35
Allan Tarasiewicz, 45
Special Operations 
Chief Raymond Mathew Downey, 63
Capt. Patrick J. Waters, 44
Lt. Timothy Higgins, 43
Lt. Michael Thomas Russo, Sr, 44
Squad 1 
Capt. James M. Amato, 43
Lt. Edward A. D'Atri, 38
Lt. Michael Esposito, 41
Lt. Michael N. Fodor, 53
Brian Bilcher, 37
Gary Box, 37
Thomas M. Butler, 37
Peter Carroll, 42
Robert Cordice, 28
David J. Fontana, 37
Matthew David Garvey, 37
Stephen Gerard Siller, 34
Squad 18 
Lt. William E. McGinn, 43
Eric Allen, 44
Andrew Fredricks, 40
David Halderman, 40
Timothy Haskell, 34
Manuel Mojica, 37
Lawrence Virgilio, 38
Squad 41 
Lt. Michael K. Healey, 42
Thomas Patrick Cullen III, 31
Robert Hamilton, 43
Michael J. Lyons, 32
Gregory Sikorsky, 34
R. Bruce Van Hine, 48
Squad 252 
Tarel Coleman, 32
Thomas Kuveikis, 48
Peter J. Langone, 41
Patrick Lyons, 34
Kevin Prior, 28
Squad 288 
Lt. Ronald T. Kerwin, 42
Ronnie E. Gies, 43
Joseph Hunter, 31
Jonathan Lee Ielpi, 29
Adam David Rand, 30
Timothy Matthew Welty, 34
EMS Battalion 49 
Paramedic Carlos R. Lillo, 37
EMS Battalion 57 
Paramedic Ricardo J. Quinn, 40

The Day of Terror, September 11, 2001, when America was attacked.
 
This year marks the 15th Anniversary and we should NEVER FORGET. So many innocent lives were taken away. Including:
 
  343 - New York City Firefighters (FDNY)
  37 - Police Officers of the Port Authority of NY/NJ (PAPD)
  24 - New York City Police Officers (NYPD)
  8 - EMTs/Medics
 
It was the "Deadliest Attack on American soil".
 
 2,606 - killed from the World Trade Center, plus 6,000 injured.
  265 - killed from the Four planes that crashed (Two into the WTC, One in a field in Shanksville, Pa., and One into the Pentagon)
  125 - killed at the U.S. Pentagon
 
2,996 - Totally innocent Americans murdered that day. Each one not just a number, but a human being with families and friends who still miss them today. Today that count continues to rise as more people are dying from the effects of that dust cloud when those Two - 110 story buildings collapsed. For many of us we watched this all live on our televisions. WE MUST NEVER FORGET.
 
  All flights in America were forced to land. For the first and only time in America there were no planes flying. The only planes in the air were U.S. Fighter Jets.
 
  Many of the injured were expected to be transported by train to some of our hospitals in Connecticut. For my sister in law, an RN at Bridgeport (CT) Hospital, a Code D was activated. Meaning all off duty nurses were to report back to work. As they waited, nobody arrived.
 
  Retired FDNY Captain John Vigiano lost two of his sons on September 11, 2001. One a FDNY Firefighter (John) and the other a NYPD Detective (Joe). Ironically his two sons were often referred to as "The Twin Towers", named after the two World Trade Center Buildings.
 www.americanpolicenews.com/vigiano.html  
 
  Sometimes there were five or six funerals a day for those FDNY Firefighters. It was sometimes impossible for these firefighters to go to all of these funerals. There was a request made for firefighters from anywhere, just to show up in uniform to try and give each member the full fire department honor they deserved.
 
  Not only was it necessary to fill those 343 firefighter positions to give the city adequate coverage, but there was also a required amount of firefighters needed to continue searching through the huge pile from the collapse of these two buildings. In addition there was a commitment by the members of the FDNY to cover each and every firehouse in which a funeral was occurring. Just so that those who worked with them could attend the funeral of those they shared the same firehouse with. There were times when those guys did not get home to see their own families for weeks. And this went on for almost a year.
 
  Today, many Ground Zero Firefighters, EMTs, Police Officers, and other nearby Ground Zero workers have come down with 9/11 linked cancer. Others have severe breathing problems. PLUS, the other, over 5,400 people who have suffered from the 9/11 linked cancer. They were also exposed to that dust.
 
  There were many hero's that day. Each one with a story to be told.
 
  A country singer named Alan Jackson decided to write a song about it. He called it; "Where were you when the World Stopped Turning". For those of us who watched these events play out, it is a day we will Never Forget. To this day, 15 years later, it is still hard to believe. Our condolences to those who lost so many of your friends and family members. We thank all of the first responders and other workers involved for the job you did. A job that no one else in our civilized society, has ever had to do.
 
  As we listen to this song, these are some of the memories we saw. Live on TV as it happened, from The Day of Terror, September 11, 2001.
 
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ittG66J8_hQ

This is a 9/11 Story of TRUE Brotherhood within the fire service after the Tragic events of September 11, 2001. A story about an FDNY Rescue Company that lost all of it's members when they responded to the World Trade Center. A story about a FDNY Firefighter who dedicated himself to the children of those lost members, FDNY Firefighter Jo Jo Esposito.
 
There's hundreds of stories of people helping people after the Worst Attack in the history of America.
 
Here is that story of Jo Jo.
http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/nyer-of-the-week/2016/09/3/nyer-of-the-week--jo-jo-esposito-stays-loyal-to-the-families-of-his-fallen-brothers.html 

Speaking for myself, as a young career firefighter and a guy who wanted to learn, the FDNY was the place to be. The timing was perfect. It was the busiest time in the history of the fire service and it wasn't necessary for me to take an airline flight into the city. Less than a tank of gas and I was set for the entire day.
 
No place offered so much when it came to learning the job. Every time I made the trip, I always came back with a new experience. I would make that trip just about every week. At one point I was so "hooked", I was visiting the place twice a week making my 120 mile trip. Just hang around a bit and before long there was some action to see.
 
The action was across the board. A brush fire with helicopter water drops, some serious MVAs, and fires of every kind. From row frames to 2 1/2 frames, high rises to car fires, and everything in between.
 
I would attend classes given every three months at the FDNY Fire Academy by speakers from the FDNY. Put on for a $25.00 donation they collected which went to the NYC Burn Center. That was run by the late Lt Jim Curran, a highly decorated member of FDNYs Rescue 1. Among the GREAT speakers were Chief Ray Downy and Lt Andy Fredricks who we lost on 9/11. Chief Salka was a regular from Batt 18. I also got their Training Manuals and publications, reading them, cover to cover.
 
 I am here to say that my days/nights following the FDNY taught me much more than any book or class room that I attended. I attended many, but no offense, "it just wasn't the same".
 
Today, at age 67, and after following the FDNY for almost 50 years, I am here to tell you that there is no place in the world like it if you want to learn. The guys treated me great too, and I thank them for that.
 
 My only regret I have is the time I brought down a young firefighter from a small dept. He started telling them "how much work "he" is catching and how to fight fires".  We had been talking outside of a very busy Bronx firehouse with a few of the members. I could see things were not going good. They then asked him if, "you have buildings like that across from your firehouse" (as they pointed to almost an entire block of burned out buildings). It was a quick good bye, then the guys went in and the doors came down. And I never brought him down again.

Back in the early 70's, the ghetto area companies (Harlem;south Bronx; Bed-Sty;Brownsville,etc) had manning as follows: the engine companies had 6 firefighters and an officer- but the city tried an experiment with "Rapid water engines", which had a slurry tank on top of the booster tank that added a "friction-reducing additive" to water being pumped out the 1-3/4" line. If the RW system was in-service, the manning was reduced to 5 firefighters (money-saving idea). But the only way to know if the system was operational was the "green light" on the pump panel. The brothers would (at times) unscrew the light bulb so it didn't show green. Hence the Battalion chief would hire the 6th firefighter back until the "shops" checked out the system. We really did need that 6th man, as we would routinely have "fire out the windows" at least once every tour, and the SCBA's were not readily available. The ladder companies ("trucks" had the standard 5 firefighters and an officer, EXCEPT- in certain high activity areas we had "adaptive response trucks". From 1500 hrs- 2400 hrs the dispatchers would send one truck instead of the standard two trucks (on a pulled street box ), but the AR truck would have 7 firefighters. The 2 "extra firefighters would act as the 2nd due truck, searching the floor above. On a phone alarm the dispatchers would send 2 trucks anyway, so the idea was not kept for long. In 1975 when thousands of us were laid-off in the NYC fiscal crisis, all these "ideas" and pilot programs went away. There were also "TCU " trucks that were operational from afternoon to after midnight, and also second section engines . Crazy times, but it was the greatest time to be a firefighter in the greatest city and the greatest dept in the world. I remember many tours where the Bronx dispatcher would plead for any available company to "free up for a working fire". There were several times where the deputy chief would order us on the dept radio to leave our hose in the street as we were "taking up" and respond to another job. Sometimes I feel that I know how Lou Gehrig of the NY Yankees felt, when he said how blessed he was to be able to "be on the team".