FDNY and NYC Firehouses and Fire Companies

[69 METS]

Coney Island still had Engine 244 located at 2929 West 15th Street.  Engine 244 was disbanded in 1968 leaving Coney Island with 2 engine companies during the War Years.

I believe this pumper was swapped with E-248's newer model Mack. E-248 got their Mack pumper back when E-244 was disbanded.

 

[guitarman314]

YES

 

[mack]

Coney Island still had Engine 244 located at 2929 West 15th Street.  Engine 244 was disbanded in 1968 leaving Coney Island with 2 engine companies during the War Years.

I believe this pumper was swapped with E-248's newer model Mack. E-248 got their Mack pumper back when E-244 was disbanded.

69Mets - You are right. Pumper was a 1951 WLF 750 GPM, shop #2592 assigned to E 244.  It was sent to E 248 in exchange for their 1959 Mack C 1000 GPM pumper Shop #1032.  The 1959 Mack went back to Engine 248 in 1968 when E 244 was disbanded.

 

[mack]

Engine 248's 1959 Mack:

 

[mack]

Engine 248's 1959 Mack:

This is Church Avenue Flatbush firehouse of Engine 248 and Battalion 41 in Flatbush, until they moved to Snyder Avenue in 1972:

 

[69 METS]

Thanks Mack, really interesting information. Lot's of memories here.

 

[JOR176]

Looking at the last picture the building to the left on the street level was Costello's Bar & Restaurant.   

 

[IRISH]

The house of 248 Engine and the 41. 310 Engine was in there at the time photo was taken

 

[mack]

The house of 248 Engine and the 41. 310 Engine was in there at the time photo was taken

Thanks Dec.  Great pictures. 

 

[johnd248]

I rode both the Mack and E 244's Ward LaFrance back in the day.  The bar to the left of E 248's quarters was owned by a retired member of the company, but not named Costello.  Great pix of the old quarters and the new one.  I was with Irish when he took the pix of the new quarters.

 

[fdhistorian]

The house of 248 Engine and the 41. 310 Engine was in there at the time photo was taken

310 moved in temporarily in April 2012.  When did they return to their own quarters?

 

[johnd248]

I believe they were there close to one year.  L 113 had previously moved in while their house was being renovated.  I believe E 249 moved in with E 280.  That was several years ago.

 

[mack]

I rode both the Mack and E 244's Ward LaFrance back in the day.  The bar to the left of E 248's quarters was owned by a retired member of the company, but not named Costello.  Great pix of the old quarters and the new one.  I was with Irish when he took the pix of the new quarters.

Why did Engine 248 and Engine 244 exchange pumpers and for how long?  Seems both had their rigs for a while and then swapped.

Do you remember the name of the bar to the left of quarters?

 

[68jk09]

Not only did the City renovate 249/113 s qtrs they added a third floor.

 

[mack]

Not only did the City renovate 249/113 s qtrs they added a third floor.

Engine 249/Ladder 113 quarters - renovated 1996:



http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2011/06/building-of-the-day-491-rogers-avenue/


Original quarters w/o 3rd floor:

 

[3511]

As a pure Bronx/ Manhattan guy, (three digits?...must be another country) always loved those old classic Brooklyn firehouses.  Great architects.

 

[guitarman314]

I rode both the Mack and E 244's Ward LaFrance back in the day.  The bar to the left of E 248's quarters was owned by a retired member of the company, but not named Costello.  Great pix of the old quarters and the new one.  I was with Irish when he took the pix of the new quarters.

Why did Engine 248 and Engine 244 exchange pumpers and for how long?  Seems both had their rigs for a while and then swapped.

Do you remember the name of the bar to the left of quarters?

  I'm almost sure it was because E244 was in Coney Island where the locals might decide to toss "things" at fire apparatus so a pumper with a canopy cab would be better than an open cab and Flatbush did not have any "civil unrest" during that time.

 

[JOR176]

I rode both the Mack and E 244's Ward LaFrance back in the day.  The bar to the left of E 248's quarters was owned by a retired member of the company, but not named Costello.  Great pix of the old quarters and the new one.  I was with Irish when he took the pix of the new quarters.

John I went to summer school at Erasmus for Trigonometry in 57 and would check 248 before I got on the bus at Rogers Ave. I could swear the place was Costellos but was sold towards Christmas and they moved to Coney Island Ave.  I could be wrong though John as I have been in the past    LOL

 

[johnd248]

Tom is absolutely correct.  The feeling was that E 244 needed a covered cab more than E 248, thus the change.  That WLF was a strong, solid engine.  When six men were working a tour, plus officer, plus me, two of us had to ride on the hose bed.

I think the name Costello's stuck even after it was sold.  There were two brothers from the company: one bought the bar and the other drove Chief Fire Marshal Scott and kept his car in E 248's quarters.

 

[mack]

Engine 248/Battalion 41  firehouses 2261 Church Avenue and 2900 Snyder Avenue  Flatbush, Brooklyn

    Engine 48 BFD organized 2261 Church Avenue w/Ladder 22 BFD                                      1896
    Engine 48 BFD became Engine 48 FDNY                                                                          1898
    Engine 48 became Combine Engine Company 48                                                              1898
    Combined Engine Company 48 became Combined Engine Company 148                            1899
    Combined Engine Company 148 became Combined Engine Company 248                          1913
    Combined Engine Company 248 became Engine 248                                                        1914
    Engine 248 new firehouse 2900 Snyder Avenue                                                                1972

    Ladder 22 BFD organized 2261 Church Avenue w/Engine 48 BFD                                        1896
    Ladder 22 BFD became Ladder 22 FDNY                                                                          1898
    Ladder 22 disbanded                                                                                                      1898

    District Engineer 11 BFD organized 2261 Church Avenue w/Engine 48 BFD                          1896
    District Engineer 11 BFD became Battalion 11 FDNY                                                          1898
    Battalion 11 became Battalion 31                                                                                    1898
    Battalion 31 moved 245 Pearl Street at Engine 107 (207)                                                  1906
    Battalion 31 moved 365 Jay Street w/Engine 207                                                              1946
    Battalion 31 new firehouse 172 Tillery Street w/Engine 207                                              1972

    Battalion 41 organized 2261 Church Avenue at Combined Engine Company 148                  1906
    Battalion 41 new firehouse 2900 Snyder Avenue w/Engine 248                                          1972

    Searchlight 2 organized 2261 Church Avenue at Engine 248                                              1921
    Searchlight 2 moved 365 Jay Street at Engine 207                                                          1922

    Thawing Unit 4 located at 2261 Church Avenue at Engine 248                                  1957-1964

Notes:
    - Original Brooklyn Fire Department companies
    - Organized as BFD engine, ladder and district engineer in new firehouse
    - Became FDNY units within 2 years
    - FDNY made Combined Engine Companies of many original BFD engine and ladder companies
    - Battalion 31 originally organized in Flatbush and moved to Brooklyn Heights
    - FDNY organized Battalion 41 to replace Battalion 31
    - New firehouse 2900 Snyder Avenue built as combined FDNY/NYPD building


Original Engine 248 firehouse 2261 Church Avenue:









2900 Snyder Avenue firehouse:













Engine 248:


Engine 248's 1959 Mack 1000 GPM pumper:


1951 WLF 750 GPM pumper - Engine 248-Engine 244 swap:


Engine 248 1983 ALF 1000 GPM:


Engine 248 Seagrave pumper:









Flatbush Fire Department - pre-Brooklyn Fire Department - volunteer companies:

    ? Washington Engine Company 1, 1821-1896 - leadership and original engine:
   
   
    ? Windsor Terrace Hose 3, 1887-1896

    ? Melrose Hose Company 2, 1886-1896
   

    ? Washington Ladder 1, 1865-1896

    ? Malbone Hose Company 5, 1889-1896

    ? Farmers Hook & Ladder Company 2, 1888-1896

    ? Woodbine Hose 4, 1887-1896

    ? Prospect Ladder 3, 1893-1896


Flatbush fire protection history - volunteers to BFD - Brooklyn Eagle 1895:

    http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/50413467/?terms=engine+48


Map of Brooklyn - late 1800s:
   


Flatbush:
    - Flatbush was originally chartered as the Dutch town of ?Midway? in 1651
    - Surrendered to the English in 1664
    - Original county seat for Kings County and center of life for what we now call Brooklyn
    - Played a key role in the American Revolution - significant skirmishes and Battle of Long Island
    - By 1900s, had sizable population of Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans and Jews.
    - Always considered a working-class neighborhood
    - Considered home of the Brooklyn Dodgers until 1958
    - In 1970s/1980s, Flatbush experienced a shift in demographics to a mostly Black, West Indian community
    - By mid-1980s, however, there were a number of abandoned or semi-abandoned buildings
    - Flatbush and Church Avenue stores were looted during the 1977 blackout
    - Crime, drugs, gangs and shootouts ravaged Flatbush during the 1980s and early 1990s
    - Patrolled by the NYPD's 67th and 70th Precincts

        Source - Wikipedia