engine x acting engine y

vbcapt said:
Have Squads ever been relocated to cover another Squad's run area ? Ex: if Squad 18 & Squad 41 were tied up for quite some time would maybe Squad 1 be relocated to Squad 18 ?
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I don't remember it ever being done. It can be done. Most of the time, we will just take a Squad and assign them to the home box of another firehouse to keep track of them. Like during the Greenwich Village Halloween parade, it's not uncommon to see 18 or 1 assigned to 20 Truck's house. If 18 and 41 were not available, Squad 1, 61, and 288 would pick up the slack in Manhattan.
 
Hmm.... I like Frank's explanation best... "robbing Peter to pay Paul"

How often do units volunteer for relocation? i.e. TL 159 volunteers to relocate to a busier area, i.e. TL 120?
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woah woah, who said L159 is no busy lol. They have one of the largest response areas in the city.
 
Yes Squads have been relocated, but it not a common relocations. FDNY just came out with a policy on that. The Chief Dispatcher will handle the relocation of both Squads & Rescues as following.
If only one unit is in service  / the unit covered is:    SQ 1                                    Res  4
If two units are in Service /      Cover                        SQ 1 & 18                            Res  4 & 1
If three units are in service /    Cover                        SQ  1, 18, & 41                    Res  4, 1, 2
If four SQUADS are in service / Cover                        SQ  1, 18, 41, & 252

During the War Years, Squads use to relocate into & act as regular engine companies for a while until that police was changed.   
 
A minor footnote here about the squads again.  When the War Years started (approx 1965), the squads were strictly manpower units which responded in vans.  They were organized during the original war years (World War II that is) with converted hose tenders to cover for the lack of manpower (1800 FDNY members were in the military).  The squads were assigned to respond to boxes within their respective divisions.  No need to relocate since they were manpower units anyway. 

When responses skyrockered in the mid to late 60s, squads were doing 8000 or 9000-plus runs but might have only 1500-2000 workers.  They were reorganized in the late 60s or early 70s and assigned pumpers to enable them to respond and work as engine companies. 

A lot of changes and reorganizations since then but the original squads were very different than today's specially trained and equipped squad companies.

 
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