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Does anyone know if 70/53 ever leave City Island, other than for training, for any responses ever?
Engine 70/Ladder 53
- Thread starter baileyjeff
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HCO said:
Ladder 53 had boxes over the bridge for a long time and due to a fatal accident over the summer at the Orchard Beach Rd. traffic circle Engine 70 now responds off the island also.
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For the uninformed, why such a restriction on the engine and truck?
They are restricted because they are isolated. A box goes out on the island and they are waiting a good 5 to 6 minutes before 66/61 get in there. The truck has BI off the island. But as stated, after the accident this summer, both companies now respond to boxes first due off the island.
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Do they ever respond for releif at major incidents?
For years both companies responded as far away from the island to Orchard Beach, box 4517. They also covered the boxes in between City Island & the beach.
When Lad 53 was disbanded the assignments off island were taken away because there were a few officials residing on the island & had the needed policial pull.
If I can remember correctly, there was only about 4 or 5 boxes that they were assigned to off the island.
I do know that the units respond to calls off the island besides these few selected boxes that they had been assigned to. A few times the star fire computer selected the companies to respond to a few normal calls calls on a very busy day noting that all the companies from the 1st through the 5th alarms were busy.
Yes, Eng 70 did respond for relief at a major incident in Manhattan many years ago, back in the 70's or 80's, at the direction of the on duty staff chief. A relocated company was on th island first before 70 left.
When Lad 53 was disbanded the assignments off island were taken away because there were a few officials residing on the island & had the needed policial pull.
If I can remember correctly, there was only about 4 or 5 boxes that they were assigned to off the island.
I do know that the units respond to calls off the island besides these few selected boxes that they had been assigned to. A few times the star fire computer selected the companies to respond to a few normal calls calls on a very busy day noting that all the companies from the 1st through the 5th alarms were busy.
Yes, Eng 70 did respond for relief at a major incident in Manhattan many years ago, back in the 70's or 80's, at the direction of the on duty staff chief. A relocated company was on th island first before 70 left.
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Is city island residental or is something else located there?
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FDNY150 said:
If the bridge opens while there on the way who knows how long it would take.
City Island is an isolated community that requires the response of all companies, except 70 & TL 53, to cross one or two bridges to reach the 1 1/2 mile long by 1/2 wide community. It looks like an old New England fishing community made up of residential buildings, marina's, & restaurants. Most of the older buildings are frame (wood) constructed & can range up to 4 or 5 stories high. I think that an apartment house on the bay side of the island is the highest on the island. Its either 6 or 7 stories high brick & located on Pilot St. This was the site of a line of duty death for an officer of Engine 70.
Years back, before 66 & L61 were established the units responding units to City Island would take different routes. Eng 97 would use the Hutchinson River Pkwy while 89 & L50 responded along the Bruckner Service Rd. Since these companies had to cross two different draw bridges, there was an agreement that only one bridge could open at a time. This way help could always reach the island. Companies like 38 & TL51 can respond into lower Westchester Co. cross over to Shore Rd & head south toward City Island.
The last response problem was crossing a swing bridge that leads you onto the island. In recent years that bridge no longer can open & there is talk of it being replaced in the near future.
City Is. has seen its share of multiple alarm fires over the year. When the Superpumper was in service, the system was assigned to respond on the second alarm. Today Sat # 2 is assigned on either the 10-75 (working fire) or 7-5 (All Hands) so that a good water supply can be established. There was a story that they used the superpumper at a fire there once, but it damaged alot of the local plumbing. After that FDNY would announce hookup sites for the system to use so that a water supply could be maintained.
Years back, before 66 & L61 were established the units responding units to City Island would take different routes. Eng 97 would use the Hutchinson River Pkwy while 89 & L50 responded along the Bruckner Service Rd. Since these companies had to cross two different draw bridges, there was an agreement that only one bridge could open at a time. This way help could always reach the island. Companies like 38 & TL51 can respond into lower Westchester Co. cross over to Shore Rd & head south toward City Island.
The last response problem was crossing a swing bridge that leads you onto the island. In recent years that bridge no longer can open & there is talk of it being replaced in the near future.
City Is. has seen its share of multiple alarm fires over the year. When the Superpumper was in service, the system was assigned to respond on the second alarm. Today Sat # 2 is assigned on either the 10-75 (working fire) or 7-5 (All Hands) so that a good water supply can be established. There was a story that they used the superpumper at a fire there once, but it damaged alot of the local plumbing. After that FDNY would announce hookup sites for the system to use so that a water supply could be maintained.
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Atlas, great rundown regarding City Is., thanks
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The 52's were "sacred cows" back in the day. 
Back in the days when I was growing up there were certain campanies that did most of the relocating in Manhattan and the Bronx, there were others that were always covered and there were a few that never relocated. T Today it's close to "equal opportunity" for all and most companies appear to be "created equal"
Back in the days when I was growing up there were certain campanies that did most of the relocating in Manhattan and the Bronx, there were others that were always covered and there were a few that never relocated. T Today it's close to "equal opportunity" for all and most companies appear to be "created equal"
Capt, I don't know if this has changed or not but there used to be two radio station transmitters and antennas on High Island. One was for WCBS AM radio in New York, the other might have been WNBC AM radio. There was also a house were a caretaker lived. I don't know if anything else was on the small island.
