Your best buff job ever

[grumpy grizzly]

OK Guys here goes. Post your BEST buff job ever. I know there are a lot of guys who I respected from all over. This your chance to re-write buffing history. My best is BFD/Plant Shoe Factory, details will follow. If anyone knows Bill Noonan, well he has a pix of a Mack rig completely covered in ice from this fire. 

 

[nfd2004]

I remember that Boston fire Grump. I think it was an open cab Mack (I think they were referred to "B" Models). As I remember that fire, the temperature dropped very quickly and everything froze. It went from fairly livable winter conditions, to bitter cold sub zero.
 That was one of those huge factory jobs.

 

[mikeindabronx]

I buffed a few times up there in the early 60's . I have some photos of E-3,21,17,42 & L-3,& 7 at jobs. I also found it interesting that if an engine arrived at a working fire and a car was  on the hydrant they would brake two windows and run the suction hose through the windows to the hydrant.

PS  Bill good seeing you again the other day.

 

[Bigandy]

Labor Day 1993 - Witnessed my Dad make two grabs. Heavy fire in an apartment on the first floor blowing out the window auto-exposing to the second floor. Unfortunately the elderly lady died a short time later. The kid lived.

It was very nice seeing my Grandfather and Dad working side by side that day. He had gotten detailed to my Dad's shift, and it was really cool seeing both of them working that job.

 

[nfd2004]

If you take a look at some of those photos on "mikeindabronx" web site, it's kind of tough to beat those. I know my Best Buff jobs were not necessarily the one's with the most fire.  But they're the ones that you are right there as the rigs are coming in. The lines are being stretched, the ladders go to the roof, the tower ladder puts its bucket to windows to rescue trapped occupants. You hear the saw going on the roof and hear the sounds of glass being broken to vent the fire. Over the handie talkie you hear fire being knocked down. People are rescued and nobody gets hurt. Those are the best buff jobs that I've caught.

 And Mike, of course you know, a few hours after I left, the Bronx had a Second Alarm.

 

[mack]

Brooklyn Box 55-3501 - November 6, 1973 - Coney Island - Fire in a rooming house.  I was still a kid and, to borrow a line from "Backdraft", this was "a chance to see my old man earn his pay" (as well as all the other members who responded to this box). 

November 6 was the day of the FDNY strike.  It was a cold and miserable day (the strike) and Coney Island had already seen a multiple alarm fire during the 5 hour strike. It was a very busy night - a typical "War Years" night tour.  There was a 3rd alarm lumber yard fire in Bay Ridge about 1800 hrs. which we had just returned from. 

All boxes that night were "1 and 1" response (1 engine, 1 truck with a battalion chief).  "Adaptive response" was Chief O'Hagan's solution to the 1970's fire epidemic that was destroying our city's neighborhoods.  It still does not make sense to me - eliminating fire companies and reducing units responding to fire alarms.  Engine 244, Coney Island's 3rd engine, had been disbanded a few years earlier in 1968. 

We picked up Box 3501 while we were 10-8, about 2230 hrs.  For some God-inspired reason, the dispatcher started a second truck and dispatched 1 and 2 along with the battalion.  Maybe he knew the old buildings were very large. Maybe. E 318, L 166, L 161 and BC 43 churned along Surf Avenue.  There were mostly barren lots there - no buildings, no cars, no people.  This was a long run, even for the Coney Island units. This was a Seagate box, as close to the end of Coney Island as you could get.  Any further and you needed a boat for Gravesend Bay. Seagate was a walled community, isolated from the crime, gangs and fires that were destroying Coney Island.  It did not look like the world of Mermaid Avenue with its burned-out tenaments, vacant buildings, junkies and liquor stores.  Entry to Seagate was made through a gate at Surf Avenue and W 37 St. manned by cops.  This isolated neighborhood was protected by the "Seagate Police Department", still an active police department within NYC.  This was also a low fire activity area.  If we had 15 runs a night, none of them were in Seagate.

Responding into the peaceful silence of Seagate meant that our airhorns and sirens which had echoed off the vacant buildings the last 5 minutes were no longer needed.  There was not even a store in Seagate.  We were behind L 166's tiller by now.  We were still several blocks from the box, Surf and Beach 51 St. Then the smell of the night ocean air changed dramatically.  It was distinct - the smoke of a burning wood frame building.  It was a job.  Coats buckled, boots rolled up, gloves put on, everyone searching for a glimpse of what was burning.  The L 166 officer gave an "Urgent - box 3501 10-75" before you could even see the fire building.  I think it was Lt Ted Goldfarb, who later became a Deputy Chief.  We turned the block and you could see a large 3 story, beachfront, stucco framed building, smoke pushing out of almost every window.  People in the windows.  This was occupied.

The battalion aide, another great firefighter, always a cool guy who knew what was going to happen - jumped on the radio and excitedly sent a message - "Urgent - 43 Bn to Brooklyn - 2nd alarm box 3501".  There was heavy fire in the rear of the building, maybe the 2nd or 3rd floor.  People were trapped, really trapped.  No one knew how many people but there were a lot.  Truck members disappeared into the building with the Bn.  Engine 318 stretched a line, fastest I've ever seen, to maintain the stairs.  I don't think anyone slowed down to put on a mask.  Guys were coming out of the building with kids, babies, people - turning around and disappearing back into the building.  A 2nd line was stretched.  Then a third.  All into the fire building.

Maybe a half dozen rescues were made by the first due units.  Maybe a lot more.  No one ever know how many people were in that chopped up rooming house.  Many units operated here.  Rescue 2 requested to come in on the 2nd, even though they were assigned to Coney Island boxes on the 3rd alarm. The closest deputy chief available was the 10th Division responding from Park Slope.  The Superpumper responded.  A fireboat was responded.  This job went to a 5th alarm.  A lot of lives were saved here but it never made the news, never made a newspaper.  This was just another job on a routine night.  Another Brooklyn 3rd alarm came in even while this fire was in progress.

Amazingly, I found the audio to this fire on the Hartford Fire Radio site and the War Years audio series.  On the recording you can hear the out-of-breath aide interrupt his initial progress report by yelling "grab the baby, put him in the chief's car", and continuing - "heavy fire condition", "multiple people trapped", "multiple rescues being made".  You can also hear the Brooklyn Commander wanting to know "who authorized the 3rd alarm?" Funny that chiefs could get their asses chewed by transmitting a multiple alarm.

This was a job, one of the few, that my dad always used to talk to me about.  He was always thankful for the dispatcher starting the 2nd truck and the quick line streched by the only engine - to maintain the stairway.  I was always thankful I was there.   

           

 

[nfd2004]

"mack" that's exactly the kind of jobs I'm talking about in my earlier post. Some great rescues made., and nobody even knows how many. Yes, you're right, "they never even made the news". I remember how busy that Coney Island area was during those busy War Years too. (E245, E318, L161, L166 and the 43 all very busy). Remember the Clown picture on those Coney Island rigs (245/161/B43). I thought they were GREAT. I've never been to Seagate, and probadly couldn't get in there if I tried.
  To see your father work at a job like that cetainly must have been exciting for you as a kid, and a worry that everything will be okay for him.  I can also relate to that as I saw my father, who was on the job in Bridgeport, Ct go to work. (see: "Role Model" in National Section on this site).  And that "Backdraft" movie sure brought back memories of the Old Man to me too. I know I'm off track here, but just wanted to say how proud I was of the Old Man, I called "Smoke". "mack" feels the same way about his father too. Apparently they were both part of that same Great Generation.
  Fires like what "mack" described goes on all the time throughout the city. To see those members making those rescues, while others attack the fire always amazes me. Generally, at least in the FDNY, it's all over within a few minutes and then like nothing ever happened. Life returns to normal. Where as just minutes before many lives were in danger, trapped in apartments, and on fire escapes. Just another good job, with many rescues, and nobody, except the members and the neighborhood knows about it.
  Those are my favorite jobs to Buff. Certainly I don't want to see people loose their homes or apartments, but when fire does hit, those are the best to buff, nobody gets hurt.
 

 

[mikeindabronx]

"mack" that's really a great story from the good old days.
Thanks

 

[DaveReinstein]

FDNY strike audio


Both links should work. The job you sold about is about half way in

 

[mack]

FDNY strike audio


Both links should work. The job you sold about is about half way in

Thank you for posting this great audio and a fire I will always remember. November 7, 1973.

The audio covers a busy night in Brooklyn immediately following the FDNY strike. On this audio, E 248 requests police escort, there is a 3rd alarm lumberyard fire, several 10-30s and 10-75s, SI engine company relocating to Brooklyn, Brooklyn dispatcher searching for available units, Brownsville fires, dispatching assigning a 3&3 to a 10-75, a job covered by the 17th Division, a 2nd alarm at the same time as a Coney Island multiple - and the CI 5th alarm in an illegal rooming house with multiple rescues.

The CI fire near the end of the audio had a 2&1 response. People hanging out every window on arrival. Seagate location - long run for additional units. Heavy fire conditions.

It went to a 4th and then a Dispatcher's 5th quickly. It was covered by the 10 Division - the only available Deputy Chief. Rescue 2 was assigned only on the 3rd alarm back then. It had a request for the Superpumper and a fireboat. The 43 Bn aide interrupts his first progress report to get a baby being carried out of the fire by the BC, and there is another 2nd alarm in progress at the same time.

Amazingly - no lives were lost and no members were injured - even with multiple re-entries in heavy smoke conditions into the maze-like altered building to carry our trapped occupants.

This fire never made it into the papers or the news reports. None of the multiples that night did. There were fires in the other boroughs, too. This was just some of the jobs in the Borough of Brooklyn on a November night.

The Brooklyn dispatcher was great - handling multiple fires and incidents and requests for police smoothly.

 

[nfd2004]

"DaveReinstein" and "mack" - WHAT A STORY from those very busy FDNY War Years.

The members of the FDNY, as well as those FDNY Dispatchers did an Amazing Job, not only the night of THIS JOB, but EVERY NIGHT.

Also as mentioned it wasn't just Brooklyn, but throughout many other large areas throughout large sections of the other Boro's too.

 

[STAjo]

I've several, here's My First -
I was probably 12 or 13, so that would be either '69/70...
Brooklyn: Flatbush Ave. &Ave. L, (actually Hubbard Pl- 1block N. of Ave. L/just S. of E.38 & Flatbush). https://www.google.com/maps/place/H...993ec67c9a3af2!8m2!3d40.6251893!4d-73.9363082
Where the Auto Zone now sits was at the time, an abandoned Lumber Yard. I lived at the time at E.36 St. & Kings Hwy. (4 blocks West).
The massive cloud of billowing smoke made it appear as if all of Flatbush Ave. was ablaze (approx. 4PM on a clear June(?)
afternoon.)
I ran as fast as my legs could go and 'Got In' w/ 1st Arriving Units E.309/Lad159, quickly followed by 255/157,
then E..323 and then Btn.33.
I DNK for certain but believe they had to Transmit a 2nd on Arrival, for Fire fast-consuming a 3-Story L-shaped probably
100 x 50 completely old, dry Wooden Structure.
After arriving Units initially stretched/operated 3-4 Handlines, that Attack was gradually replaced by Monitors & Deck Guns,
lifted & carried by hand into the Yard by FDNY Crews, and eventually supplied by the Super Pumper & Satellite.
It was just fascinating to watch the arrival & deployment of the Super Pumper/Super Tender (from Tillary St,/E,207 at the Downtown Brooklyn end of Flatbush Ave.), https://www.google.com/maps/place/1...057cffc9c11a5d!8m2!3d40.6956498!4d-73.9828162
along w/ the Satellite located at that time w/ E.330 on 65th St. And of course, Rescue2 (at 160 Carlton Ave. & Myrtle then),
Squad (?), Field Com.
I DNK how high the Alarms transmitted for this Job, but I'm certain it went at least 3rd, and maybe to 5th.
Some of the Units I remember there, somewhat in order of Arrival/Assignment: E.309,255,323.276,248,330,321,249,310,257.
L.159,157,156,147,172,174,113,170,120.
At the time I was interested & curious about FDNY, after that Fire, I was completely hooked as a 'buff', which led eventually,
after a series of NYC Security Jobs, (including Stuy-Town/Peter Cooper Village, then NYC World Financial Center). to NY State
EMT in Binghamton, NY (Broome County EMS and Binghamton General Hosp. ER).

 

[1261Truckie]

Mid 1960's an alarm came in for a fire in St. Teresa's Church on Classon Ave and Sterling Place. First due units (280 and 132) were met by a parish priest at the main door who said to "send a second alarm"). Engine officer ordered a stretch into the church, truck officer had the rig positioned right on the exposure 4 side.
The fire was started in two confessionals on the exposure one side and, at the time the first dues arrived, was extending up a stairway to the choir loft (above the confessionals) and beyond.
280 made a very aggressive push up the stairway, 132 did some conservative but very precise ventilation on the exposure 4 side. The fire was held to an All-Hands and the church was saved.
St. Teresa's was my parish and many of the members of 280/132 went there as well. Our pastor praised the men for years after.