Recent content by entropychaser

Compared with what was to come, I would describe fire duty in the Bronx in 1947-48 as quiet. During that time, work groups were in three platoons. Shift changes were at 8:00 am, 4:00 pm, and Midnight (I saw one midnight roll call supervised by the 14th Battalion- what prompted that?). The...

It was probably not LBJ, but rather George Abbey (known to some as Dracula- they couldn't get rid of him) who was politically well connected and felt to favor Navy guys for crew assignment. My father worked at NASA Houston from 1964 to 1983 in the Crew Systems Office. The Apollo 1 fire in 1967...

In May of 1947, the war had been over almost two years, the Bronx was beginning a transition from Europeans to Blacks and Puerto Ricans in the South Bronx , and Rescue 3 had been in business for 16 years. https://seeoldnyc.com/bronx-1940s/ Over a year prior, Rescue demonstrated their expertise...

Buzz Aldrin...New Jersey native...USMA Class of 1951....Korean War Veteran... and along with Neil Armstrong became the first two humans to set foot on the surface of the moon on July 21, 1969 turned 96 today. As such, he remains a national treasure: in my eyes even more so after he punched out...

Just one more job in "The Neck"! https://hiddencityphila.org/2013/01/in-the-neck-a-history-of-stiff-resistance-to-change/

I recently reviewed Rescue 3's company journal from 5/7/47 to 4/6/48 similar to the 1944/1945 journal posted previously. As a first installment, it might be useful to look at the historical antecedents and experience of the members on the 1947 company roster. The roster consisted of three...

The Tenement House Act of 1901 ("New Law") significantly changed the economics of tenements. It now mandated courtyards, windows in every room, and improved plumbing. For buildings over five stories, they had to be fireproof. This decreased the ratio of rental square footage to lot size square...

Is this the same issue that has perplexed theoretical physicists over the last century? https://scienceexchange.caltech.edu/topics/quantum-science-explained/uncertainty-principle Or the same problem that we all deal with....particularly as we get older. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GWK3NtK-i8s

So, by definition, we're dealing with a five story MD at Box 2959.

Don't six story MD's mandate an elevator?

Is there an elevator?

It' always something! First it was stealing copper wiring. Then it was stealing catalytic converters for platinum. Now it's stealing grave markers for bronze. Scrap bronze sells for around $3 a pound, and around $8.7 billion were sold last year. Drug users are responsible for most of this...

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/01/15/10-units-destroyed-in-large-apartment-fire-in-north-houston/ This is in Engine 84's still district. After the first alarm, it's gonna be a long wait for help A good friend of mine worked as a paramedic at Station 74 out there years ago. He...

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/01/14/homeless-man-charged-with-arson-in-fire-that-burned-down-abandoned-church-docs-say-man-started-fire-to-keep-warm/ In addition to homeless, they might add crazy. It was 60 degrees and sunny when he torched the place.

https://www.khou.com/video/news/local/beltway-8-back-open-after-hazmat-response-to-tanker-fire-near-beechnut/285-96cfdada-de41-4b43-8599-ab7d84e46c16 https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/memorial-city-mall-evacuated-ammonia-leak/285-d6c8f92b-3877-49ed-94e3-c3abd6c468d5 On Sunday morning...