61MACKBR1

Thanks for the information. After checking with another source of mine in the department, your statements are correct. Ladder 72 (Using Spare 76) had its ladder OOS. TL77 had low wire issues and functioned on the roof. TL75, L70, L73, & L74 were all pouring in water, as did TL71 when it was brought back into service. Mechanical Issue with TL71 (ALF) was within the engine and not with the Ladder Operation. Thus, although not able to be in service as a front line rig (Thus the reason that TL77 was being used as primary in lieu of TL71 at Station 1), it was used at this fire scene to provide additional water onto facade of Building. Understand that Repair Shop has Reservce L76 (Seagrave) now being repaired, with L72 (Smeal) back in service as well has they also have TL71 (ALF) to work on as well (With TL 77 [Mack Baker] being used at Station 1 until their rigs is returned). Boy o Boy - These YFD Rigs have surely been taken to the task over this past year!!!!!!!!!! Thanks again for the information.

It could have been that TL 71 (ALF T/L) could raise its bucket "slightly" and could pump from its Monitor, but, the Rig (TL71) was indeed "Out of Service" because of Mechanical Difficulties and the Men of TL 71 were using and responded to the fire on Reserve TL 77. From what my sources have told me, the only YFD Ladder Companies that were operating with Ladder Extensions were TL 75, L70 and L73. L72, as noted was using spare L76 rig to which its Aerial Ladder was inoperable. I do not know if L 74 was extened or not.

Interesting points during yesterday's 5 Alarm Fire in Yonkers. Ladder 72 (2002 Smeal Rear Mount) was using Spare Ladder 76 (Seagrave Rear Mount), to which YFD found out that Spare Ladder 76 Aerial was "inoperable" at the time that L72 (using Spare L76) arrived at fire scene. [2002 Smeal Ladder was in DPW Garage for repairs]. TL71 (ALF TL) was using Reserve TL 77 (Refurbed Mack Baker), because TL71 was awaiting repairs. Oddly, went fire went to 5th Alarm, Chief Pagano called TL71 back into service to respond to scene, just to have access to tools on Truck (Bucket was inoperable). I also agree that it was nice to see that they brought the New Fairview TL down to cover Yonkers at Station 12 on Fortfield Avenue. However, it was highly unlikely that YFD would have called in the Fairview TL to the Fire Scene. YFD would have used New Rochelle and/or Mount Vernon Ladder to assist first. You can now see what a "Beating" the YFD Rigs have been taking with all of these recent Fires, even with New Rigs in Service. Any thoughts on the matter?

Here is the information that I have, pertaining to the Rigs that are used by YFD for Spares/Reserves, in case of Front Line Apparatus Breakdown or in the case of City Wide Fire Alarm, where "Off Duty" personnel are called in to support Mutual Aid to cover the City of Yonkers. Here are the units: 1) Engine 301 is the "Old E 309" (1990 Mack CF - [serial # 903] 3rd Mack CF Pumper Purchased in 1990, and was replaced at E 309 with New 2001 ALF Eagle Pumper). It is housed at Station 12 on Fortfield Avenue, and is behind Engine 312. 2) Engine 302 is the "Old E 313" (1992 Mack CF - [serial # 921] 1st Mack CF Pumper Purchased in 1992). It is housed at Station 14 on Central Park Avenue North, and is behind Engine 314. 3) Engine 305 is the "Old E 304" (1988 Mack CF - [serial # 883] 3rd Mack CF Pumper Purchased in 1988, and was replaced at E 304 with 1998 HME/Smeal Pumper. It is housed at Station 4 on Radford Street, and is behind Engine 304. 4) Engine 315 & 316, are "Extra Spare Units" (Old Engine 310 and Engine 312 respectfully - Serial # 882 & 884) and are housed at the City of Yonkers Department of Public Works Maintenence Garage on Nepprahan Avenue 5) Engine 317, is a fully loaded spare pumper and is the "Old E 303", 1994 Sutphen, when Engine 303 decided it "Did Not Want" the Sutphen Rig and went back to their Old Mack CF Pumper. It is housed at Fire Headquarters on School Street and is in Bay # 1 (Reserve Squad/Rescue 1 also in Bay 1, ALF Rescue 1 in Bay # 2, TL 71 in Bay 3, and Mask Services Unit is Bay 4). 6) Ladder 76 is the "Old Ladder 70" (1991 Seagrave Rear Mount Stick). It is housed at Station 3 on Vark Street, and is behind Batallion 1. 7) Ladder 77 is the "Old Tower Ladder 75" (2001 Refurbed 1990 Mack Baker). It is housed at Station 7 on Central Avenue, across from the Race Track and is behind the Arson Squad Car. 8) The Collapse Unit is a "Functioning Unit" manned by the members of E 311, and is a "Completely Refurbed" OLD FDNY Mack Pumper. It is housed at Station 11 on Bronxville Road. 9) Foam Unit # 1 is a "Functioning Unit" manned by the members of E 313, and is the "Old Engine 308" (1988 Mack CF - Serial # 902) and was completely refurbished into a Functioning FOAM UNIT. It is housed at Station 13 on Kimball Avenue, behind Engine 313. FOR EVERYONE INTEREST AND ENJOYMENT, SOME OF THE PHOTOS OF THESE YFD RIGS CAN BE FOUND AT: http://www.fdnytrucks.com/files/html/other...ate/Yonkers.htm I hope that this information helps and maybe TRUCK 4 can add or correct some of this information. BE SAFE !!!!!

Date:12-18-03 Time: 0320hrs Location: 54 Caryl Ave Frequency:46.500/484.7125 Units: Description: Fire in a 5 story brick OMD Writer:Truck4/YonkersR3 0322hrs- B-1 Rpts. 10-29 for heavy smoke condition on 2nd floor of a 5-story OMD. Co's still trying to locate fire. 0347hrs- 2nd Alarm fire in boiler room with extension to 2nd floor via a shaft. 0427hrs- 3 L/S/O, fire contained mostly to shaft and boiler room with slight extension to 2nd floor. Main body K/D 0500hrs- Car 4 reports fire is out. Companies starting to pick up. It has been a very difficult few weeks for our Bravest in the City Of Yonkers. God Speed With All Of Them. A fire broke out around 4 a.m. Thursday on Caryl Avenue, making it the second blaze Yonkers firefighters had to battle within 12 hours. Everyone in the five-story apartment building was forced to evacuate and firefighters have reported their were no injures. Yonkers Deputy Fire Chief Chris Kiernan said the fire started in the boiler room and spread into the ceiling. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Residents in the building have been allowed to return to their apartments. Another fire broke out shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday at 149 North Broadway, there was one fatality.

A 9-year-old girl was killed last night in a four-alarm, wind-swept fire that raced through the top floor of her North Broadway apartment building, Yonkers Fire Department Officials said. Yonkers Firefighters frantically searched for Maria Alejandro, who had been missing for almost three hours after the fire began about 7:30 p.m. The blaze left at least 100 people homeless. Her parents, Angel and Sandra, managed to evacuate, but they grew increasingly desperate as their daughter could not be found. At first, firefighters thought the girl may have gotten lost in the smoky pandemonium. But as time passed with no sign of Maria, residents began fearing the worst. Sandra Alejandro pleaded for firefighters to find her daughter. "My baby! My baby! Please save my baby!" she was heard yelling earlier in the evening. She later went into Community Baptist Church to pray as her husband stood vigil in front of the building, waiting for news. Yonkers Mayor-elect Phil Amicone and Yonkers Fire Commissioner Anthony Pagano broke the news to the father about 10:30 p.m., shortly after Maria's body was found. Two Yonkers Firefighters, from YFD Rescus Company 1, who rushed into the building to search for the girl suffered second-degree burns to their hands and heads, and they were taken to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Yonkers, Amicone said. About 75 firefighters went to the five-story building, where the fire erupted in the rear of the top floor and was swept to the front by high winds, Pagano said. It was brought under control about 8:30 p.m., but the roof collapsed, and firefighters had to sift through feet of debris before locating Maria's body under a bed. The fire was contained to the fifth floor, but the other floors and many of the 60 apartments sustained heavy smoke and water damage. Residents at 153 N. Broadway, a four-story building separated from 149 N. Broadway by a narrow alleyway, were also evacuated. "Considering how close the buildings are to each other and the high winds, the Fire Department did an excellent job containing the fire," Amicone said. The American Red Cross set up an emergency command center at the Commerce Middle School on Palisade Avenue, spokeswoman Linda Martin said. It was unclear late last night if the families would be taken to a hotel or a shelter, Martin said. Earlier, Erica Jimenez, 19, a fourth-floor resident who was at work, rushed home when she heard about the fire. Her 2-year-old daughter and her sister, who was baby-sitting, managed to escape. "It's not a good thing that this happens near Christmas," she said. "I was hoping to spend Christmas in my home, but now it looks like it won't happen." Greenville, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon and Eastchester Fire Departments were called in for Mutual Aid to cover various section of Yonkers, to which all 4 departments did professionally. Greenville and Eastchester were assigned to Fire Headquarters/Station 1 on School Street, covering the West Side of the City. New Rochelle had a Ladder and Engine Company covering the Middle of the City up at Station 12 on Fortfield Avenue. Mount Vernon had an Engine and Ladder Company over at Station 13 on Kimball Avenue covering the East Side of the City. Yonkers Fire Department had Engine Companies 303, 304, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313 & 314, along with Tower Ladders 71 & 75, along with Ladder Companies 70, 72, 73, & 74. Also Yonkers Rescue Company # 1 (R10) as well as the Building Collaspe Unit from Station 11, The Arson Squad, The Mask Services Unit, Battalions 1 & 2, and All YFD Executives at the scene. The last fatal fire in the city was on April 2, when a 71-year-old woman was killed in her Riverdale Avenue apartment. A March 14 fire on Nodine Hill claimed five lives. Husband and wife Pedro and Julia Elena Velez of 96 Oak St. were killed immediately. Their two sons, Brian and Peter, and Peter's wife, Enid Vanessa Lugo, were severely burned trying to escape the flames and died in the ensuing weeks. Two men are charged with manslaughter in those deaths, accused of starting a fire for warmth in a vacant building and leaving it to spread to the surrounding buildings. The 10-alarm fire, one of the worst in Yonkers' history, consumed 15 buildings, left 200 people homeless and injured several firefighters. Some 300 people were left homeless two days later after fire raced through a six-story apartment building on Bronx River Road on the city's east side. The seven-alarm blaze ravaged the 102-unit Wakefield Towers cooperative apartment building, but caused no serious injuries among residents. Several firefighters were hurt.

Open the following "Link" at "Expand" the picture. Look closely at the Old YFD Engine Company # 1 (Located in the background in one of the bays at Fire Headquarters - It is behind the Old YFD Rescue 1 in the foreground.) Can anyone name the Make, Model and Year of Manufacturer of this Old Engine 1 Rig? For a BONUS, can anyone tell me where this old rig ended up? http://www.yfd.org/images/RetOldR1mackboxside.jpg

I have 2 questions for anyone out there in the know. Rumor down hear out of the area, as it, that the Yonkers Fire Department is considering building 2 New Fire Stations. One would be to build a new, 4 bay, Fire Headquarters, somewhere near the Old Otis Elevator Plant, to replace the Old Building, that might be torn down as part of the New Minor League Baseball Complex. Does anyone know anything about this, and what kind of New Headquarters will be built (Glass Bay Doors, etc. etc. etc.), in order to house Tower Ladder 71, Rescue 1, Battalion 1, Mask Services Unit, and Others. ALSO, rumor has it that a New Fire Station is being planned up at the New Ridge Hill Development, off of the New York State Thruway (possibly Station # 5), with a Ladder Company (Ladder 77) or Engine Company (305) being stationed there to help with the increase in population in and around that new development and location. If it is a Ladder Company, would Yonkers FD ever consider purchasing a New American LaFrance "QUINT" 100 Ft Ladder Quint with a 500 Gallon Tank able to produce 1250 GPM, to be kind of a Ladder/Engine Company Combination? Does anyone know anything about this as well. ANY AND ALL INFORMATION IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have 2 questions for anyone out there in the know. Rumor down hear out of the area, as it, that the Yonkers Fire Department is considering building 2 New Fire Stations. One would be to build a new, 4 bay, Fire Headquarters, somewhere near the Old Otis Elevator Plant, to replace the Old Building, that might be torn down as part of the New Minor League Baseball Complex. Does anyone know anything about this, and what kind of New Headquarters will be built (Glass Bay Doors, etc. etc. etc.). ALSO, rumor has it that a New Fire Station is being planned up at the New Ridge Hill Development, off of the New York State Thruway (possibly Station # 5), with a Ladder Company (Ladder 77) or Engine Company (305) being stationed there to help with the increase in population in and around that new development and location. If it is a Ladder Company, would Yonkers FD ever consider purchasing a New American LaFrance "QUINT" 100 Ft Ladder Quint with a 500 Gallon Tank able to produce 1250 GPM, to be kind of a Ladder/Engine Company Combination? Does anyone know anything about this as well. ANY AND ALL INFORMATION IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For Part 1 you were exactly right! Great Memory! For Part 2 - Before A-A and YVAC, there was NO Paramedic Program supplied by the YPD (The YPD E-Rigs went into service during the A-A Days). During those days, when an ambulance was requested, usually from YPD Dispatch, YPD Dispatch would contact: FOR THE NORTHEAST SECTION OF THE CITY - Lawrence Hospital for its Ambulance (Green/Blue Cadillac Metor); FOR THE NORTHWEST SECTION OF THE CITY: St. John's Riverside for its Ambulance (Black and Red Oldsmobile Unit); FOR THE SOUTHEAST SECTION OF THE CITY: Yonkers General for its Ambulance (White & Gold Cadillac Metor); and FOR THE SOUTHWEST SECTION OF THE CITY: St. Joseph for its Ambulance (Green & White Cadillac Metor). For Major Automobile Accidents and in case No Ambulances were available, in the city, YFD Rescue 1 would respond from Fire Headquarters on School Street. Interesting side note: When A-A was contracted by the City of Yonkers, they supplied 2 Ambulances "Full Time", one for the West Side of Yonkers, quartered out of St. Joseph's Hospital, and one for the East Side of Yonkers, quartered out of YFD Station 11 on Bronxville Road.

There are a few. The Fire House in White Plains in Mamaroneck Avenue is a "Classic". Scarsdale's Fire Headquarters in also a very nice facilitiy.

Great Knowledge (since you were not born yet, you obviously have a great deal of knowledge!!!! - How were you able to obtain this information???). Let me see if I can help you out on that additional question. I believe it was an Open Cab Mack Pumper and it might have been from Moehegan Lakes, but I am not sure (memory is fading after all of these years). I do remember the White Cab/Red Body ALF Ladder. It had "Many Lives" and I believe that it was a Station 4 as Ladder 4 after it was moved from Ladder 71 at Hdqrs. It was in a "slight" accident, if my memory is correct, and the front end was slightly smashed in. When I was with R1 back in '71, I remember Ladder 1 receiving the first "Closed Red Cab" ALF Ladder and thought that the guys were going to love it as they could now stay somewhat warm on runs. (The Rescue Guys always were teased because we could stay nice and warm in the old Mack Box Rescue Truck). The 71 ALF Closed Cab Engine 1, that was moved to Engine 2, was considered by all of us in YFD as a Great Piece of Apparatus at that time. It, of course was Closed Cabbed and it had a "Fin" over the back runner board, which was great. It was around that time that YFD decided to place "Wood" Tops to all of the Open Cabbed Trucks and Engines. Do you remember when Yonkers received its "First" Mack/Baker Tower Ladder? It was originally given to Ladder 1, but YFD realized that this unit would cave in the floor at Hdqrs, so it was housed at Station 3 on Vark Street, but eventually went "out of service" for a long time. This Tower Ladder rig was the biggest mechanical problem piece of apparatus that Yonkers every had (outside of the Continential/Compac units that were purchased later on [PS - That '71 ALF Engine (2) was refurbed by Continential/Compac]). The First Tower Ladder then "Sat" for about a year and a half, until it resurfaced as Ladder 70, stationed at Station 11 in 1976, when during the Fiscal Crisis of Yonkers, Engine 11 and Truck 3 were removed from service. Keep the information coming and let me know if I was correct on your question about the rig that was purchased from another Westchester County Fire Company?

Well, before the New Station 3 on Vark Street Opened in 1971, Engine 3 was quartered at Fire Headquarters on School Street. However, Engine 3 did have its own station on Riverdale Avenue in the Early 1900's. Since you mentioned 1971, let's see how good your memory is (Since I was working with YFD back then). Let's see if you remember the "Type/Manufacturer" of Apparatus for each back in 1971 (And I will help you out with "Some" of the answers - You can fill in the rest): Engine 1 = 1971 ALF 1000 GPM Pumper Engine 2 = Engine 3 = Engine 4 = 1968 Mack 1000 GPM Pumper Engine 6 = Engine 7 = 1961 Ward LaFrance 1000 GPM Pumper Engine 8 = Engine 9 = Engine 10 = 1958 Ward LaFrance 1000 GPM Pumper Engine 11 = 1956 Ward LaFrance 1000 GPM Pumper Engine 12 = 1959 ALF 1000 GPM Pumper Engine 13 = 1956 Ward LaFrance 1000 GPM Pumper Engine 14 = Truck 1 = 1970 ALF 100ft Ladder Truck Truck 2 = Truck 3 = 1959 ALF 100ft Ladder Truck Truck 4 = Truck 5 = 1959 ALF 100ft Ladder Truck Truck 6 = Truck 7 = Rescue 1 = 1957 Mack Box Style Rescue Unit (State of the Art Back Then) GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!!!!

Ok, let's see how good your trivia is: It has been previously mentioned that before EMPRESS in Yonkers, EMS was previously provided by A-A Ambulance during the day and YVAC during the evening. Here is a 2 Part EMS Trivia Question: 1) For Yonkers Volunteer Ambulance Corp, what 2 locations (yes, there was 2) was YVAC Quartered out of? 2) BONUS - "Before" A-A and YVAC, Yonkers did NOT use either a Private/Contractor Ambulance Service like A-A and Empress, nor did they have a Volunteer Service like the now defunct YVAC. How did Yonkers get their Ambulance Service From? (There was 4 ambulances available to Yonkers at that time. WHO WERE THE 4 AMBULANCES and WHERE DID THEY COME FROM) [And it was not from the Eastchester Volunteer Ambulance Corp and mentioning Yonkers FD Rescue 1 does NOT count). TRY REAL HARD. If answered correctly, you are definately KING OF THE WESTCHESTER EMS TRIVIA !!!!!!!!!!

I happen to agree (and I am in the "minority" within my district), because the County has already established a listing of Westchester County designated Fire Apparatus Numbers "all accross the County" The advantage would be one "unified" dispatch, able to control the entire county, which would be helpful for Mutual Aid. HOWEVER, "as everyone knows" there are "certain" mutual aid conflicts between certain "Cities" that has "Politics" crossing the lines of having a Centralized FD Dispatch for All of Westchester County a "Fantasy" and not a reality. For those who are NOT in the know, Yonkers FD has refused to provide mutual aid to Mount Vernon FD (caused by the City of Mount Vernon's inability to properly fund and support Mount Vernon FD's fire department, back during Mount Vernon's Financial Problems a few years ago). Why would Greenville come to Mount Vernon for Mutual Aid when you have a "neighboring" city, in Yonkers, who has one of the (If not the) best Fire Departments in the County, who is best equiped to provide a city, like Mount Vernon, with Mutual Aid. SO! with that, the MAJOR CITIES in Westchester County, will want and CONTINUE to maintain control of their OWN FD Dispatching (Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon and White Plains)

Here is a tough one for all of you. For Yonkers FD, back in the Late 1960's and into the Early To Mid Seventies, match up the Engine Company with the Respective "Truck" (Now Ladder) company that it was housed/quartered with (If the Engine Company was housed alone - mark housed alone): Engine 2 (302) - Off Ashburton Ave - Engine 3 (303) - Vark Street - Engine 4 (304) - Radford Street - Engine 5 (305) - School Street - Engine 6 (306) - Oak Street - Engine 7 (307) - So. Central Ave - Engine 8 (308) - Off Warburton Ave - Engine 9 (309) - Shonnard Place - Engine 10 (310) - Saw Mill River Road - Engine 11 (311) - Bronxville Road - Engine 12 (312) - Fortfield Avenue - Engine 13 (313) - Kimball Avenue - Engine 14 (314) - No. Central Ave - Truck 1 (Now TL71) Truck 2 (Now L72) Truck 3 (Was Then L76) Truck 4 (Now Ladder 74) Truck 5 (Now TL75) Truck 6 (Now L73) Truck 7 (Now L70) Bonus - Where was the Old Rescue One Quartered?

Do you know a way that people can monitor the YFD Dispatch live over the Internet?