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Ossining Rescue 14

Mt. Vernon C model Mack

Pretty fitting here I think......

Do you recognize this man? Do you know his name?

Lots of people know he’s an actor, and that his name is Steve Buscemi.

What very few people realize is that he was once one of New York’s Bravest.

In 1976 Steve Buscemi took the FDNY civil service test when he was just 18 years old. In 1980 Steve Buscemi became a New York City Firefighter.

For four years, Buscemi served on one of FDNY's busiest, Engine Co. 55 in Manhattan's Little Italy. He later left the fire service to become a successful actor, writer and director.

After 9/11/2001... Brother Buscemi returned to FDNY Engine 55.

On September 12, 2001 and for several days following Brother Steve worked 12-hour shifts alongside other firefighters digging and sifting through the rubble from the World Trade Center looking for survivors.

Very few photographs and no interviews exist because he declined them. He wasn't there for the publicity.

In 2003 he also gave a speech at a union rally supporting higher wages for firefighters and to stop fire houses from closing. He got arrested along with other firefighters.

Also not very well known is that in 2012 Brother Buscemi showed up in Breezy Point, NY and quietly assisted in the clean-up efforts of the damage and mass destruction left by Super Storm Sandy.

Once a brother, always a brother!

Just so we're clear… this guy is a Badass !!!

Tip of the helmet Brother Steve!

Jonathan Lusk
Publisher ~ Brotherhood of Fire
Captain ~ Fresno Fire, CA ~ E18C

“Brotherhood Strong”

I got my white shirt dirty and lost my tie when supper was macaroni.

When the Deputies white shirt gets dirty and he loses his tie.

Good examples, Bob. Again, firefighting is an art, not necessarily a science. Analyzing what I used to say on arrival may help to define things. My Chief usually had a good idea of what I had, just by the wording of my arrival report. (Except as a new officer when I said I had a "little worker." On that one, he left his office, drove to the scene, told me he "had never heard of a "little worker," so he thought he would come see one." He just got in his car and left. I never used that term again)
ANYWAY
Ventilating smoke= "using all companies for ventilation"
Big puffback= "all hands operating for a puffback, heavy smoke throughout with high CO readings"

The newest addition...the 2013 Ford Police Interceptor. The first marked units have arrived and entered service within the last month. Here is a cell phone pics of one assigned to Highway 1 in the Bronx. The size of it surprised me at first, almost the size of the outgoing Ford CVPI. The inside looks well set up (no photos at this time)

I fear Brotherhood has lost out to technology. The ability to have one's personal life literally at ones fingertips 24/7/365 ensures that is the priority 24/7/365. The camaraderie , Brotherhood and sense of family I found as a proby is lost since gone, taken one small step at a time, though in pretty short order.
When I started at my career position we had two computers used for entering basic NFIRs reports and typing official letters. We arrived at work at least a half an hour before the shift to ensure the off going guys didn't get stuck on a BS run that would mess up their plans. We all gathered at the dayroom table to discuss any pertinent FD issues that arose in the past 48 hours, and then typically drifted to anything of interest we'd done, heard or seen in the same time period. We knew each other on a personal level. We were allowed one phone call home in the evening not to exceed 10 minutes (we had but 1 business line). You'd call home say good night and unless it was an emergency, hope that you didn't get a call from outside. We all gathered at every "scheduled" break and ate meals together. Strangely 15-18 years ago we rarely shared a meal as one, we merely ate our own things at the same table at the same time. That changed almost as a reaction to the loss of time together a few ears after I started. Nonetheless we all, had nothing better to do than keep each other entertained. We constantly played practical jokes on each other, frequently gather to smoke on the bay floor (designated area at that time, when we not as health conscious). We'd practically beg our Chief to regale us with stories of jobs and his war experiences (best story teller ever!). We'd watch the same TV at night and for the morning news. We were tight. Every shift was tight and due to stricter staffing rules we had to swap more often so we had reason to be tight with other guys too. When we came to work, we left everything else at home, very little from home affected us unless it was a personal issue that had an affect on a guys' focus (impending divorce, financial crisis, death in the family) the day to day stuff had to wait until the next day, period.
Of the past 15 years we first started to get better computers, which at first only allowed games, so we started to lose a few people to video games once in a while, but for the most part it was unnoticeable. Then came the internet, and that's when we started to lose guys for hours, sometimes whole tours we'd only share time on calls or community work. Maybe here's where we started to do the communal evening meal that at least brought all shift members to the same table for an hour or so. Then we seemed to find the end of the internet and people grew bored with it. It became a nice tool, but less exciting unless looking for something specific.
Somewhere along the way, cellphones became smaller and mainstream and suddenly guys were hiding on the floor at night arguing with the wife or other people. Our home lives came to the station. Suddenly, all the day to day issues, were confronting guys while they were at work. We struggled to keep up with the changing technology with rules that tried to at least ensure actual work was unaffected, but alas, that didn't work, changes were far too rapid. Requests for emergency time off for this and that increased, personnel were often scattered to the far ends of the building quietly dealing with their home/life issues instead of watching TV, sharing stories or otherwise congregating together.
And today all the technologies collide to nearly obliterate anyone's sense that they can come to work to get away from everything else. Facebook has inserted people back into to each other lives, but on a far less personal level. People know things about each other but given they can read this and get the info indirectly they have ample opportunity to express their true views without the person being able to explain or defend themselves. Now we see far more snickering and back stabbing amongst "brothers". Many Facebook users see the guys/girls spouses opinions and actions and suddenly have their opinion on that, something that used to be somewhat off limits. Smartphones ensure all of this takes place wherever/whenever the member is. Our crews still meet at the dayroom table in the morning and share information, as soon as FD interests are gone, it generally devolves to "did you see what, so and so posted?" or "if I was married to that .....I'd ....". Most mornings there's 8-12 people sitting around, but only 2 or 3 are talking and the rest have their faces buried in the smartphones. Firefighters are far less likely to come in early for another, instead coming in at literally the last minute, still chatting away to whomever was more important at 0658 in the morning.
We still eat the evening meal together but typically it's pretty quiet as one or two people text their way through dinner. We had to make a rule that talking on personal phones was done outside the dayroom otherwise you could watch TV or remotely converse. Yep, a rule that addresses common courtesy. Still in the evening those who have gravitated back to the dayroom to watch TV, now do so with an Ipad on their lap and constantly are convinced the rest of us need to see whatever stupid thing was sent to them or posted on a Facebook page, totally oblivious that others might actually not care.
Sorry, Moose, this wasn't a positive story of Brotherhood. Maybe I'm "old" or just don't find myself interesting enough to Tweet or be on Facebook, and while I think we the Brothers and Sisters allowed this to happen, it's technology that killed Brotherhood. While this is what I see from the career side, I imagine that on the volunteer/call side, the technology has become a time drain that hurts volunteerism, as people spend far more time using the web media to stay up on all things that used to be none of their business. The hardest part is that I now realize how much I miss the more personal interaction with those I work with and the job is becoming much more of a job. I used to want to go to work, now I'm ambivalent, I'd likely take far more time off if other duties wouldn't just pile up on my desk. I find myself looking for projects to reinvigorate my attitude, and this is a common feeling among many of members with 10-12 year or more on the job.

Got some photos of a couple different rigs after they completed a benefit ride for firefighters in Charleston, SC. Held at Charleston Tea Plantation.
Enjoy, these photos were taken from an IPhone.

White Plains had 2 mid mounts back in the day. One was a 100' that ran out of headquarters.
The other was a 85' that ran out of old station 2 on Hamilton Ave. When the tiller was purchased around 1956 (57) the 85' was reassigned to Sta. 7 on North St. I think they both eventually found their way to Hartsdale.

WP Drill School ERA 59

Training with ropes , Over the Top.

As it sits today !

Hey it's alright he can call me a jackass if he wants to. I've been called worse and don't take it personally.

I'll say again my point is that this isn't a dig at anyone involved in the response to Hawthorne this week. It was a critical analysis of our failure to develop the "fire service" in Westchester and as others have pointed out around the region too.
A lot of excellent FF are in the departments that responded to Hawthorne's job. The departments that responded have a lot of apparatus that didn't respond though because they don't have enough people to staff them. So we went wider and wider to cover a job while idle apparatus sat in stations. THIS is a problem and THIS is the kind of thing we need to address.
It was never personal. And it still isn't.

A friend of mine passed away a few months ago and his family gave me his collection of photos. There are boxes filled with photos, negatives, slides and manufacturer delivery photos. Going through it and scanning the good stuff I see there is some Westchester stuff. I'm going to put the good quality stuff up in this thread. He did a lot of photo buying/ trading so if there is a photographers name on the slide I will post it along with the image. First up is a 1964 ALF tiller from Hasting on Hudson.....Ron Bogardus photo.

training on new ladder


Both deck guns flowing

Deck gun inlet: both side can feed the left or the right deck gun, or both. Or 2 lines can be used. This is independant of the ladder pipe. all 3 can flow 1,000gpm (total 3,000 gpm) if properly supplied.

Double rescue roller (removable)

using rescue roller and windless

Windless

You're right. For those involved in the WTC, nothing will ever compare to that. In fact nothing will ever compare to that day. The plane crash in Shanksville, Pa. The Pentagon. All air traffic shut down. People fleeing Manhattan. People helping people. Hospitals as far away as New Haven, Ct preparing for injuried to be brought in on trains.
That beautiful day became Americas darkest cloud. September 11, 2001 will never be forgotten. Over 3,000 innocent people were murdered that day in a few short hours. Many have passed on from the effects of that day. Many are still suffering with breathing and sinus problems.
How can anything else compare ?

If I can go off-topic...
This thread has brought back A LOT of memories.
One is about the way White Plains began to change in the late 1960s and 1970s. Today it's almost unrecognizable compared to the White Plains I knew from about 1955-1966.
When I was a youngster, in the early 1960s, we were always going 'downtown': to Macy's or Woolworth's or the Library, to the RKO or Loew's. That was a big deal to us then. In the mid-1960s I lived near Lake Street. The 'Valley.' Like many Lake Street kids I seldom left the neighborhood. Except to go to WPHS and that was way out on North Street.
Then I started working full-time. I had a small apartment on Barker Avenue. I remember in late 1968 or early 1969, one morning I got up early, around 8:30 AM -- I was working nights -- and walked over to Main Street to get the morning papers at the White Swan Stationary store. And I hadn't been around that part of Main Street much for several years. I walked over to Hamilton Avenue and cut through Conway Drive by the new Sears parking deck. Back then Conway Drive didn't have a name. I don't think the parking deck was even completely finished.
When I walked down Conway Drive and turned the corner onto Main what a shock! At 8:30 AM the sidewalks were wall-to-wall people. Office workers. They had opened the office towers along North Broadway above Sears. I couldn't believe my eyes. I turned the corner and I felt like I had stepped into Manhattan.
Just a few years earlier, Main St at 8:30 in the morning would've been mostly deserted. Why would anyone have been there that early? Macy's wasn't open that early. There would just be some delivery trucks, at the Daitch-Shopwell, maybe a couple more at Joe's White Swan deli near Broadway.
Back then the Sears site was still an AT&T parking lot. (A 'lot' not a 'deck.') One North Broadway was a small Con Ed office. There was a little insurance company further north on Broadway, a two- or three-story red brick building. (I think that's still there.) Then, closer to Hamilton Avenue, there was an old Victorian house converted to office's. I used to deliver the Reporter-Dispatch on that side of B'way. There was a prominent White Plains lawyer with an office in the converted house, I think. Basil Filardi. I used to deliver his paper. (Or was he on Church Street? I used to deliver the papers on Church Street, too.)
Then it all changed. And kept changing. In fact, White Plains is still changing!

Three tillers @ the same time interesting question.
Truck 2 Station two was a tiller, 1957 LaFrance, It was replaced by a Maxim tiller and was sent to Sta. 7 so that accounts for two @ the same time. Truck 1 at Hq was replaced with a Maxim tiller also in the early '70s so I guess there was a time that WP ran all tillers.

Just wondering how many of our members have a classic vehicle or a unique vehicle, I have three so I'll start off the topic with a few photos of them. 1954 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Coupe with 70k original miles, total numbers matching vehicle with a 324 motor and hydramatic tranny that was built in New Jersey and sold to a couple in the Bronx, I am the third owner. 1965 Chrysler Newport with a 383 4 barrell and dual exhaust, also numbers matching and 50k original miles, car came from Alabama and a 1972 Oldsmobile 442 convertible with 33k original miles and numbers matching that had a total frame off restoration completed in 2011, these are my retirement projects, I love old cars, on the look out for an old truck to work on as well

"I'm gonna go get the papers get the papers"

Its $100K for the bus
Its $224k (back in 2008) for the Star of Life and other decals required

Hey Everyone,
Was down in Sarasota the last week visiting some family and managed to grab some shots while out and about. I only had my phone to take them with, so I hope they came out alright (just dont mind that guy in the door reflection...)

One of my vivid childhood memories was rushing in to WPFD Station 3 late one night in 1964 (about 1 00 AM) to report a working fire a couple blocks away. The watchman was on duty and I told him there was a bad fire down the street. I showed him out the window and he could see the glow a couple blocks away. He hurried over to the radio to report it to Fire Headquarters and he sounded the alarm within the firehouse. The two other firefighters on-duty were asleep upstairs and as I watched they both came down the pole to the bay.
Something I'll never forget. The way they did it, smooth and effortless, I could tell they had done it many times.
It was a bad fire. An old carriage house converted to a storage facility for a greeting card company, located on Eastview Avenue near Lake Street (now the site is an apartment building). On my way to school the next morning I discovered Engine 3 was still there!

I am a yfd dispatcher. go to www.fultonhistory.com (its an old newspaper web site) Type in central lanes and you will be able to look at the old Herald Statesman. (Yonkers newpaper). The Fire took place on Tuesbday July 2, 1968 at 3PM There was an arrest for arson. Those articles will be there.