NYC Fire Patrol Ceases Operations This Morning

[SFRD49 8]

According to the website, The New York Fire Patrol ceased operations at 0800 hours this morning. See the tribute to the patrol (IAFF Local I-26) and it's members on www.fpny123.net.

Best of luck to all the "Patroleos"!

Be safe,

SFRD49

[JAD622 40]

A real shame to lose the only Patrol left in the country. Best wishes to all it's members in their future. This is a dispicable display of greed by the NYBFU they should be ashamed of themselves. They have more money than anyone can imagine and disbanding the Patrol just proves where their priorities lie. I hope that NYC realizes what was lost here today.

R.I.P. Keith Roma

[IzzyEng4 427]

Sad, Sad day

[res6cue 67]

One more piece of the long, proud and distinguished history and tradition of American firefighting unceremoniously done away with by empty suits. It truly is a sad day indeed. Good luck, brothers, in wherever life takes you now.

[PC_420 28]

Why would they ever do this?

[spin_the_wheel 460]

Maybe the FDNY or FDNY Fire Alarm Dispatchers can give them some bonus points if they take those tests in the future.....

[Guest]

203 years of proud tradition ended too soon. These guys and thier families are in all our thoughts and prayers.

Jim

[cas2383 22]

Good luck and the best to all of them!

[ems-buff 81]

Not to sound like an idot, but i looked at the site and i tryed to see what they did for the city. Can someone explain what the NYC Fire Patrol is and was it paid or volly?

[Guest]

ems-buff, I think Chief Goldfeder said it best:

Another Romantic Tradition...GONE.

............ 

CHIEF BILLY GOLDFEDER

MembersZone Contributor

Firehouse.Com Contributor

While it may not seem like a big deal to some, to me, I hate seeing some of the "old" fire service traditions changing. Some changes are good such as not getting ourselves hurt or killed in the ways we used to. And while we have a ways to go, change in that arena is happening.

Years ago there was a term (and a book by Robert S. Holzman) called "The Romance of Firefighting", and basically to me it means the love we have for the job we do, the firehouse life, the traditions of "us", the enjoyment we have as firefighters. As was said in the movie "Backdraft", "The funny thing about firemen is, night and day, they are always firemen."

Of course, there were a lot of good quotes in that movie like, "You go...We go". And another one is: "Alderman, I have an uncomplicated job; to determine if a fire is arson or not. And if it is, to catch the son of a batch doing it. And if my investigative methods happen to muck up the campaign of certain mayor wannabe's, I gotta tell ya, I'm not gonna go losing any sleep over it."

So there.

Another change I didn't like years ago was when they started putting "ambulance" sirens on the fire apparatus. The shame of it all. Thank goodness we are back to having huge mechanical 5000+ amp draw fire apparatus sirens back on fire apparatus! Even some EMS units now have "real" sirens. To me, if the lights don't dim on the rig when you slam your foot on the siren button, forget it. Back to the future.

A lot of the way we used to operate we may miss. But it was changed because some folks smarter than us knew we were doing things that were dumb. I miss rubber pull up boots, no airpaks, 15 minute airpaks, (there was nothing like knowing you had about 8-10 minutes inside) breathing off the nozzle, beacon rays, bells, plectrons, house sirens, navy nozzles, foam powder, protein foam (ground up animal guts) riding the roof of the cab, riding the hosebed, riding the tailboard and the riding on the sides of the rig.

Relax. I didn't say they were good. I didn't say we should return to it and I didn't say it was smart. I am just telling you there are some good (and bad) memories associated with it.

I love many of our fire traditions, the traditions that don't hurt firefighters. I like traditions that help us remember why we do this job, and traditions that help remind us how good a life we have. Good stuff. Stuff to pass on to the younger hallway crawlers.

So what's the point of this?

Another traditional fire service that is going to be going down the tubes is the New York Fire Patrol. The New York Fire Patrol started back around 1800, when the Mutual Assistance and Bag Corporation was formed by a group of volunteers to protect and preserve the contents of buildings from fire & water damage.

Up until this week, those goals were still their focus by the fulltime, career members of the NY Fire Patrol. The Patrol's job is to preserve and protect everything from museum art to hi-tech electronic and computer equipment in high-rise buildings. The New York Fire Patrol's firehouses (2 in Manhattan, 1 in Brooklyn), respond 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week with these activities being supported by assessments on all property insurance written in the Patrol's territory .The Fire Patrol responds to more than 10,000 alarms annually to protect contents and properties. Many NY Fire Patrol members have been recognized for their many heroic life saving efforts over the years. And Fire Patrolman Keith Roma was murdered while operating at the World Trade Center on 9/11/01.

While not a part of FDNY, they work hand in hand with FDNY on the scene-and have for centuries. With their distinguished red helmets, they are inside, throwing covers and protecting property. And yesterday, a decision was made to shut them down.

The (insurance) organizations entitled to vote at the 2006 Biennial Meeting of the New York Board of Fire Underwriters voted to no longer have a New York Fire Patrol. These organizations adopted a resolution charging the board of directors of the NYBFU to carry out ?in a lawful and orderly manner?, their decision to shut down the New York Fire Patrol....as soon as it can be done.

That's it. All done. And another service and tradition down the chute. The board of directors of the NYBFU is to shut the 3 firehouses down and return any unspent funds that the insurance companies-who fund the patrol-are entitled to.

I wasn't there. I don't know why they did it. I have to assume it wasn't worth it from a fiscal standpoint. Whatever. All I know is that another traditional part of our service will soon be gone, not to mention the members who will be out of work, members of IAFF Local I-26.

So the insurance folks will now save a few bucks for a service that is already gone in every city in the USA and the world, and now will soon to be gone in NYC. The role will probably be picked up by the truck companies like in all other areas. Or the valued properties and contents will get ruined. It doesn't matter. What matters is that around one hundred members of the New York Fire Patrol will be written off and looking for work.

And another romantic tradition is outta here

[AFS1970 504]

It is a very sad day, both for the fire service and for hostory buffs. As I've said on other forums, it is strange how salvage is important enough to be on the FF1 Practical exam, but not important enough to keep the last Patrol units of all time in service.