North Brother Island, Manhattan

grumpy grizzly

grumpy grizzly

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Jun 27, 2007
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I just finished watching a series entitled "Life after people" on the History channel. One of the segements involved North Brother island and what has happened since it was abandoned. I beleive they mentioned Riverside Hospital. I am curious as to what kind of fire suppression comapnies, if any, were stationed on the island? :)
 
A little off topic, perhaps, but the one thing that I noticed about the "Life After People" series was that it made no mention, other than oil facility fires in Texas (?), of fire as a destructive force.  My thought is that catastrophic fires would develop almost immediately from the everyday range of events in New York or any other city such as gas leaks in hundreds of stoves around the city, fires in Con Ed vaults, frayed wiring and so forth.  With no one to extinguish these fires, they would, in very short time, spread from the many fire buildings to the exposures and then structure to structure, block-by-block causing catastrophic failure and collapse which would rupture gas and other sub-surface utility lines and lead to explosions and additional blazes.  While the show was good, it really seemed to skip over the most obvious agent of total destruction.
 
manhattan said:
A little off topic, perhaps, but the one thing that I noticed about the "Life After People" series was that it made no mention, other than oil facility fires in Texas (?), of fire as a destructive force.  My thought is that catastrophic fires would develop almost immediately from the everyday range of events in New York or any other city such as gas leaks in hundreds of stoves around the city, fires in Con Ed vaults, frayed wiring and so forth.  With no one to extinguish these fires, they would, in very short time, spread from the many fire buildings to the exposures and then structure to structure, block-by-block causing catastrophic failure and collapse which would rupture gas and other sub-surface utility lines and lead to explosions and additional blazes.  While the show was good, it really seemed to skip over the most obvious agent of total destruction.
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if you watch the los angeles episode they do mention a catastrophic wild fire which burns uncontrollably for was it months or years.  im to lazy to look for the book they also served i think north brother island had old fdny equipment manned by the hospital. or maybe not i dont see it in the book lol.
 
My original question was of fire suppresion to North Brothers Island. To answer another post on this question according to the latest episode the Houston Canal would be a major confligaration. In one  :) :) :) hour after the cessation of human life (reason unknown and not pertinent) Vapors would start to rise and explosions would be inevitable. Total duration of this incident would be 3-4 months before the fuel supply would be exhausted. Remember no humans, no incoming supplies. Again just a question of suppression at NB Island
 
I do not know if the hospital itself ever ran any fire protection, but I do not see any FDNY presence ever being on that island.  There was however ferry service that ran to E132 or E134 st which was used to transport firefighters during the General Slocum disaster.  My guess is the island nowadays is primarily the responsibility of Marines 4 and 6.
 
catry said:
I do not know if the hospital itself ever ran any fire protection, but I do not see any FDNY presence ever being on that island.  There was however ferry service that ran to E132 or E134 st which was used to transport firefighters during the General Slocum disaster.  My guess is the island nowadays is primarily the responsibility of Marines 4 and 6.
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I remember from my early buff years at E60/L17 that there was a large box location chart on the wall just behind the housewatch desk. I distinctly remember E60 and BC14 responded via ferry to North Brother as well as Riker's Island [before the Hazen St. bridge was built]. I'm sure E83 (1st due), E73, L29 (1st due) & L42 were also assigned.
 
I remember those large box location charts - my recollection was that that at E274 they were color coded so that they immediately knew if they were first, second or third due - for example there home box 4472 the first four was a different color than the rest of the numbers

Maybe kfd274 remembers!!
 
Box location charts: at Engine 248, if the box number and address were all red, we were first due; if two box numbers were red and the other two were black, we were second  due; if everything was black, we were third due. 
 
 Before 1968 Engine 41 had one of the most interesting box location charts. They had two boxes on Staten Island that they responded to on "Mutual Aid". Also, Engine 41 relocated to E36, 58, 68, 82, 91, 92, 94 & 96 but was never covered by another company. Engines 6, 14, 21, 24, 26, 27, 28, 32, 34, 35, 40, 42, 43, 44, 47, 48, 50, 53, 55, 56, 59, 67, 80, 81, 83, 89 & 90 relocated but were not relocated to just like E41. In Brooklyn some relocators were E203, 205, 208, 209, 213, 238, 240, 242, 243, 252, 256, 269, 278, 321 & 323.  
 
efd: I believe 274 still has that map up. I was there for lunch one day in March and I remember that map with all the box #'s and locations. Can't remember if they were color coded or not.
 
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/YOU'D%20NEVER%20BELIEVE/brothers/brothers.html  I was soprised to see that one of NYC Fireboats are just sinking and rotting away in the SI Graveyard.
 
  When the Gen. Slocum disaster occurred on June 15, 1904 there were only a few fire companies in the Bronx. In fact E83/L29 were not organized until 1906 so E60, E73, E41 & L17 were the nearest units to the ferry at the foot of E. 132nd St. 
 
G-man, I assume you are referring to just 1968. Prior to the War Years, E71 would relocate to E48 on most third alarms north of Fordham Rd. E42 went into E79 on the second to cover Bedford Park, today's Norwood, and Williamsbridge. On the third, 71 covered Fordham, University Heights (E75) and Belmont (E88). The War Yars turned the old repsonse and relocation pattern on it's ear.
 
3511 said:
G-man, I assume you are referring to just 1968. Prior to the War Years, E71 would relocate to E48 on most third alarms north of Fordham Rd. E42 went into E79 on the second to cover Bedford Park, today's Norwood, and Williamsbridge. On the third, 71 covered Fordham, University Heights (E75) and Belmont (E88). The War Yars turned the old repsonse and relocation pattern on it's ear.
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  Yes, after the War Years everything changed and then came CADS
 
The islands aren't large at all, just the hospital complex was built there. The hospital served as a looney bin, but mostly was where they sent people that had contagious diseases that weren't curable or treatable at the time. Diseases such as thyphoid, tuberculosis, hepatitis and other diseases pretty much got you a life sentence there.  

There was no roads on the islands and no fire department assests there. Maybe some hose that the hospital staff would use, but that was it.
 
Here's a good entry about the Brothers:

http://www.forgotten-ny.com/YOU'D%20NEVER%20BELIEVE/brothers/brothers.html

 
My father would get detailed to North Brothers from 83 engine once in awhile.

If there was a fire the piece of apparatus on the island was moved to the scene and the company would come over by boat.

The hospital was used at that time for drug addicts.

The year 1960 no roof on that 83 engine than just a windshield.

My father was there till 1968 .
 
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