WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:04.839 Disclaimer. We'd like to know before the start of this 2 00:00:04.919 --> 00:00:07.440 interview that the opinions about to be expressed by the 3 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:10.599 guest of tonight's Getting Salty Experience Podcast are that of 4 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:13.599 the guest and do not directly or necessarily reflect the 5 00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:30.160 views of the host of the Getting Salty Experience Podcast. 6 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:35.280 We're listening to the Getting Salty Experience podcast. 7 00:00:38.479 --> 00:00:46.320 Hello, I am not as loud. I'm let's go. Hello, 8 00:00:47.960 --> 00:00:49.799 my pipes cannot reach the same volume. 9 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:54.439 But little sweets welcome, No, Welcome to. 10 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:56.240 The episode two hundred and thirty nine of the Getting 11 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:59.119 Salty Experience. Unfortunately, Kevin is not feeling too well today. 12 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:01.280 His voice gave out it on him, so he tapped 13 00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:03.920 me to substitute to host tonight. And I'm know Kevin Coobler, 14 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:05.719 but I'll do my best. We got a great show 15 00:01:05.719 --> 00:01:07.359 on tap and it's always along for the ride. Luba, 16 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:09.920 Ferando and Gonzo on the ones and too even gentlemen, 17 00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:10.400 how are you? 18 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:12.920 It's a Mikey kid. You're ready to go? You get 19 00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:16.439 the suit on. I like it, yeah, always like. We 20 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:19.280 actually had uh, we had our show in Long Island, 21 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:24.000 Long Island Expo and uh, it's three days We've met 22 00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:25.480 a lot of a lot of good people out there. 23 00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:27.519 But you know, you're doing a lot of talking and 24 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:30.439 a lot of pictures and a lot of smooth Maybe 25 00:01:30.519 --> 00:01:32.359 Coob's signed a lot of stuff, you know what I mean. 26 00:01:32.359 --> 00:01:36.280 He likes that stuff. But uh, yesterday he could barely talk, 27 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:39.480 like legitly he could not talk. And then uh, this 28 00:01:39.560 --> 00:01:42.480 morning he I talked to him this this afternoon and 29 00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:45.079 he's like, I don't I don't think, you know, like 30 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:48.439 he's horrible. So I'm like, yeah, we've talked to Mike, 31 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:51.760 Michael zip right in there. It's better looking anyway. It's 32 00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:53.640 better to look at him right guns. It's like we've 33 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:55.480 got to look at that crooked nosed all time and 34 00:01:55.519 --> 00:01:56.760 everything on Coobler. 35 00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:58.480 It's not good because he's not He's like right up 36 00:01:58.480 --> 00:01:58.959 in the camera. 37 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:04.920 You know, he's always got like the medium shirt on, 38 00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:08.520 Like I want to see it, you know, I want 39 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:09.439 to see it. It's nice. 40 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:11.560 He's probably was right now. 41 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:14.639 Surprise it's coming in. There's no doubt he's watching. 42 00:02:14.759 --> 00:02:16.479 You know, he's got to pop up in the chat. 43 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:19.520 You know, show his face on the show. 44 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:22.479 He might he might, but feel better, my friend. 45 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:27.840 Yeah, don't feel better. We're good. I'm just kidding. I 46 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:28.080 love you. 47 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:30.759 See inside voice again. Gun, it's nice. 48 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:35.680 Stay away from the light, little buddy. We just give 49 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:36.319 it to him now. 50 00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:38.919 Where we're at. 51 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:39.919 So what we got? All right? 52 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:40.199 Well? 53 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:44.240 Anything else exciting the show this weekend? 54 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:47.479 Oh? Yeah, who was there? I mean everybody was there. 55 00:02:47.960 --> 00:02:51.599 Ron Zo he was there. It was true, Daddy Ray 56 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:55.039 was there. I mean everybody was there was Mikey Milana 57 00:02:55.159 --> 00:02:57.439 was there. It was a lot of fun guys hanging out, 58 00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:03.120 partaking as they might say, perhaps could happened. So yeah, 59 00:03:03.159 --> 00:03:05.599 it's a good time. It was good. Good a lot 60 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:06.000 of people. 61 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:10.560 Yeah, huh, I was this close. I wanted to make 62 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:12.840 it up there, but maybe not, maybe next time. 63 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:16.199 Maybe I saw some guys from a lot of f 64 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:19.840 d y guys just uh our volunteers on Long Island 65 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:21.520 and stuff like that, so they don't make their way 66 00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:23.759 to the shows. There's some classes going on if you 67 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:25.960 guys are teaching. So it was good. 68 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:28.879 M m, well, she goes. We had a good time. 69 00:03:28.919 --> 00:03:29.719 You guys had a good time. 70 00:03:29.719 --> 00:03:31.000 Really had it worked out like you did? 71 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:34.800 Yeah? Well, we went to dinner with Vince from Arbor Tough. 72 00:03:35.319 --> 00:03:39.479 Oh did did he come off yeah, all right, you 73 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:40.919 like the new commercials? Are you happy with it? 74 00:03:41.560 --> 00:03:42.919 I told we got to cut it down in half. 75 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:44.879 I'm like, how did you send it a minute? Commercially? 76 00:03:44.919 --> 00:03:47.360 Like the price is going up, That's what I told him. 77 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:49.759 Oh, Breck is going up. 78 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:52.840 To tell the tariff. 79 00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:58.120 I say another thing on the tariff. 80 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:03.360 My god, please Christ that it's changed. But anyway, yeah, yeah, change, 81 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:07.960 come on man, So whatever anyway, Sorry, So you want 82 00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:12.479 to martials, we got, Well, we have FOC and we 83 00:04:12.520 --> 00:04:14.280 have Armor Tough. Which one do you want to do first? 84 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:17.000 A Tough first, and then well we'll do the UH 85 00:04:17.480 --> 00:04:18.040 one after that. 86 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:20.120 All right, Well, let's speaking events here we go. 87 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:23.800 Need a new floor for your fire station? Choose an 88 00:04:23.959 --> 00:04:27.600 Armor Tough interlocking flooring system to cover your aging, stained, crack, 89 00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:31.240 concrete or POxy floor around for nearly twenty years and 90 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:34.000 proven to be the best choice in renovating your station floors, 91 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:37.160 covering nearly six hundred floors across the country. 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The Armour Tough 112 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:42.319 flooring system is half the price of epoxy and will 113 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:46.639 last a lifetime without issue. More importantly, join the hundreds 114 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:49.800 of career and volunteer departments nationwide who have chosen an 115 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:53.240 armor tough interlacking tile floor. Call Vince today for a 116 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:56.160 no obligation quote at nine oh eight nine one seven 117 00:05:56.399 --> 00:05:57.920 seventy six ninety seven. 118 00:06:01.720 --> 00:06:06.720 I forgot to mention missus Procaccini's husband, was that too, Hi. 119 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:10.160 Rob, he's hitting me up. I'm trying it, but I'm 120 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:12.360 trying to keep it tight. I almost went, no, jail, 121 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:15.720 I almost changed everything. But that white head ahead, I 122 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:20.839 mean that's really white. It's changing. Yeah. So anyway, uh, 123 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:23.399 all right, here we go, you guys ready for the 124 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:25.160 new next one? Ye? All right, here we go. 125 00:06:26.360 --> 00:06:28.720 The First Responder Center for Excellence is a not for 126 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:32.360 profit organization dedicated to protecting their lives and livelihoods of 127 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:36.040 first responders. Their education and research initiatives aim to bring 128 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:40.279 greater awareness and understanding the challenges to the health, safety, 129 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:43.560 and well being of firefighters, EMS personnel, and other first 130 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:46.720 responders too. They are an affiliate of the National Fallen 131 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:51.240 Firefighter Foundations. Okay, I have been tasked with the health 132 00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:53.959 and safety tip tonight. Obviously not a firefighter, so not 133 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:55.959 my place to give that sort of advice. That it's 134 00:06:55.959 --> 00:06:57.560 a little bit different. If we can pull up the photo, 135 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:02.240 please absolutely, this is something that it's not necessarily exclusively 136 00:07:02.279 --> 00:07:04.399 related to firefighting when it applies to us all, no 137 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:09.639 matter what profession you're involved in. So yep, this is firefighter. 138 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:12.279 Thomas Dunn retired. He worked an engine two thirty four, 139 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:15.319 and I have the following sad information from Chief Fincent Dunn, 140 00:07:15.319 --> 00:07:18.240 of whom was Thomas Dunn's uncle. That quote, My nephew, 141 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:21.639 Thomas Dunn, Engine two thirty four survived both tower collapses 142 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:23.480 on nine to eleven, spent months down in the pile 143 00:07:23.560 --> 00:07:26.319 searching for victims. Since then suffered years with asp but 144 00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:29.399 breathing problems and recurring scalp infections caused by fumes and 145 00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:32.720 soot of the smoldering pile rubble. He took his own 146 00:07:32.759 --> 00:07:35.360 life yesterday at three pm, a gunshot to his head. 147 00:07:35.480 --> 00:07:38.560 Never forget end quote from Chief done. First of all, 148 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:41.360 our condolence is the Dune family on this terrible loss. 149 00:07:41.480 --> 00:07:45.240 And secondly, mental health, mental health, and yes, mental health. 150 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:47.639 We all have our struggles, we all have our burdens, 151 00:07:47.680 --> 00:07:50.319 and sometimes it's easier said than done to share them. 152 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:52.079 But in today's day and age, where there's more of 153 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:54.160 a spotlight on this sort of a thing, it's important 154 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:57.199 to share it. We can't shoulder our load alone. We 155 00:07:57.279 --> 00:07:58.120 all need one another. 156 00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:04.319 Well done, Michael, Well done, Michael. So when I saw that, 157 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:07.720 I saw that today somebody had posted it up early, 158 00:08:08.720 --> 00:08:11.279 and my first thought was, Holy Michael, that guy's really 159 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:14.600 young to have, you know, sticking cancer or something, because 160 00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:17.519 it said nine to eleven. Then when Chief Done posted 161 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:22.319 on the fan page that you know, he had committed suicide, 162 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:24.279 then it was just like, holy Michael. And you know, 163 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:27.720 we talk about that pretty much almost every show, when 164 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:29.920 you know, whenever we do that commercial, uh, I mean, 165 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:32.919 Coops is really that's his thing, you know what I mean, 166 00:08:32.919 --> 00:08:37.000 he talks about that all the time. And yeah, unfortunately, 167 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:43.320 I guess you know, he felt like he was. 168 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:46.440 At the end of the rope, the taugh job to 169 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:49.879 keep the conversation going and letting everybody know that it's 170 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:52.360 okay to uh to. I mean, I hate it's almos 171 00:08:52.360 --> 00:08:56.639 sounds getting very uh common. Yeah, to be okay, but 172 00:08:57.519 --> 00:09:01.360 you know, it's the outreach that we have and I 173 00:09:01.399 --> 00:09:03.600 was just going to get closer to home for for 174 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:06.480 some of us. But don't be afraid. You out to 175 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:09.840 have the conversation, even if it's a work colleague, my friend, 176 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:12.080 it helps me and I did the same thing, so 177 00:09:12.679 --> 00:09:13.200 it helped me. 178 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:15.320 We all suffer. What we don't want to do is 179 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:16.159 suffer in silence. 180 00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:22.440 That's right. So all right, let's got har all right, 181 00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:26.360 So already guns, I am one hundred percent, I think, 182 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:27.879 And he's ready sitting there patiently waiting. 183 00:09:27.960 --> 00:09:29.240 He's like he sleeping. 184 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:33.600 Now he's get ready and come on, I can see 185 00:09:34.120 --> 00:09:34.600 all right. 186 00:09:34.679 --> 00:09:39.320 All right, coming to the stage author and f d 187 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:50.600 n Y Captain Andy Sarah. Guys, say that, fella, thanks 188 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:52.799 for having me. You weren't sleeping back there. Maybe you 189 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:54.480 were reading a couple of them books you got back there. 190 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:59.759 Hold, he's not a confirmed and I dozing off now, 191 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:04.960 yeah we got here for a second, I was yeah, yeah, 192 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:08.399 I got you. It was terrible news. You know, I 193 00:10:08.440 --> 00:10:10.720 agree with you. When I saw I'd say it was 194 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:11.919 very shocking and sad. 195 00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:14.279 Yeah, for sure. 196 00:10:15.559 --> 00:10:19.240 I mean it's almost every day there's some type of funeral. 197 00:10:19.399 --> 00:10:21.519 I mean, you know, and you get the messages, right, 198 00:10:21.559 --> 00:10:24.120 you get the ufo A sends emails every day. There's 199 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:28.639 one or two related to nine to eleven or something else. 200 00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:31.559 Never a week goes by without one, right, Yeah. 201 00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:33.679 Oh no, it seems like it's all the time. 202 00:10:34.279 --> 00:10:38.279 That's the sad fact, as everywhere you turned becoming very customer. 203 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:41.080 Unfortunately, gons I got ship to do. Man. 204 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:46.399 Yeah, I mean I think we all Oh yeah, you 205 00:10:46.440 --> 00:10:49.840 mean lying not to make a joke out of it. 206 00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:53.759 Yeah, no, listen, absolutely absolutely, So before we get into 207 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:56.559 your career, cap and of course we'll go, oh. 208 00:10:56.559 --> 00:11:01.159 Let's get patriotic, Coobs. 209 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:11.879 Yes, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United 210 00:11:11.879 --> 00:11:16.360 States of America and to the Republic, for which it 211 00:11:16.440 --> 00:11:24.360 stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice 212 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:36.039 for all. 213 00:11:35.879 --> 00:11:40.759 I'll just forgetting about that now, Coops Colone tonight. Before 214 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:42.919 we get into anything involving your career, first take me 215 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:45.200 through and this is a two pronged question. A where 216 00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:47.120 you grew up and B did you have any inclinations 217 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:48.960 early on? You wanted to go into simplicervice. 218 00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:52.559 Well, I grew up on Stein Island, and you know, 219 00:11:53.399 --> 00:11:55.440 my dad was a truck drivers. You know, I grew 220 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:59.200 up going on the truck with him. You know, it's 221 00:11:59.240 --> 00:12:01.080 all I wanted to do, is kid, I think being 222 00:12:01.159 --> 00:12:03.799 the truck with my dad, you know, But my mom's 223 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:08.080 father was a firefighter. He retired when I was very young, 224 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:11.519 when we retired, but my mom always talked finally of 225 00:12:12.440 --> 00:12:14.840 you know, her dad being a fireman and with the 226 00:12:14.840 --> 00:12:18.320 fire department, and it was really her keeping on top 227 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:22.080 of me and my brothers. You know. She was very 228 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:25.440 use accepting whatever we wanted to do in life, she 229 00:12:25.480 --> 00:12:27.639 would have supported. But she had one rule. You have 230 00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:30.440 to take the tests. You know, yeah, you kind of 231 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:32.279 turn seventeen eighteen whatever, whatever. 232 00:12:32.120 --> 00:12:35.039 Test, the same thing must be the Talian. 233 00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:36.240 Thing, Theiing thing. 234 00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:39.240 Maybe that era that my mom was Irish, So you know, 235 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:43.240 she had a hard and fast rule. You know, you're 236 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:45.080 taking the test. You could say no wing they call you. 237 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:47.240 But that's it exactly. You could always turn. 238 00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:52.240 It down, you know, a physical class action lawsuit a 239 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:54.200 few you know, six years later I got the call, 240 00:12:54.279 --> 00:12:54.440 you know. 241 00:12:56.320 --> 00:12:59.840 So getting on in August of nineteen ninety eight, interesting time. 242 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:01.720 Of course, the FD and WI is changing. This is 243 00:13:01.799 --> 00:13:04.480 right after the squads went into effects. Special Operations Command 244 00:13:04.519 --> 00:13:06.879 has has been revamped. City is in a good spot. 245 00:13:06.919 --> 00:13:09.240 It's in the middle of a renaissance. So getting down 246 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:11.080 the Proby School, I. 247 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.159 Just want to sit there like I've never heard coops 248 00:13:15.240 --> 00:13:18.480 use the word renaissance. In my life forty years, I've 249 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.080 never heard them say that smart. It's smart. Mikey, go ahead, Mikey, 250 00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:22.559 I love. 251 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:25.240 You getting down to the rock. Tell me about well, A, 252 00:13:25.399 --> 00:13:27.600 the first day and b what sticks out from those 253 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:30.360 three months. 254 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:32.200 You know, it's It's probably one of those things that 255 00:13:32.279 --> 00:13:34.039 you know you hated doing it at the time, but 256 00:13:34.120 --> 00:13:35.799 now you look back and love it. You know. It's 257 00:13:36.840 --> 00:13:38.720 the call pool in the morning, meeting first thing in 258 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:41.720 the morning. We all met by on the stan Islands 259 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:44.159 side of the Arizona Bridge. There's a big giant monument there. 260 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:45.759 We used to drive there, meet and all getting each 261 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:48.200 other's cars and call pool up to the rock and 262 00:13:48.600 --> 00:13:50.000 just a lot of laughs in the car with a 263 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:52.000 bunch of guys that you know, all on the same boat. 264 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:55.240 I think that test in particular because there was a 265 00:13:55.960 --> 00:13:59.480 lawsuit and hiring freeze and stuff by the time they 266 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:02.159 got to it. I did the math. I think when 267 00:14:02.200 --> 00:14:04.840 I was there it was one hundred and fifty guys 268 00:14:04.840 --> 00:14:06.759 in the proby class. It was me and one other 269 00:14:06.759 --> 00:14:08.519 guy were the only two in the whole class that 270 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:11.200 were under thirty years old. You know, I was twenty five. 271 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:12.879 At the time, I was like the youngest you could 272 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:14.799 be because I had just been old enough to take 273 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:17.440 the test. So it was an older class. You know, 274 00:14:17.559 --> 00:14:21.360 a lot of guys who you know, blue collar, you know, 275 00:14:21.480 --> 00:14:23.879 swung hammers their whole lives waited, you know, whatever they 276 00:14:23.960 --> 00:14:25.879 were doing, even if the stockbroke or whatever they were doing. 277 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:28.159 They waited for this job for a long time, you know, 278 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:31.720 so everyone was pretty motivated. I think we started on 279 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:33.639 day one with one hundred and fifty two when we 280 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:36.840 graduated one hundred and fifty one, and that was because 281 00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:39.879 con One guy left on day two because he had 282 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:41.679 been in conned and they got a race and he 283 00:14:41.720 --> 00:14:44.759 went back to Conned. But nobody quit during probey school, 284 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:46.720 you know. So it was it was a good class. 285 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:49.679 It was I think we had you know, we had fun. 286 00:14:49.720 --> 00:14:52.480 Now looking back, you know absolutely. 287 00:14:52.120 --> 00:14:53.960 Cap Did you have any family on the job. I 288 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:55.000 don't know if we covered it or not. 289 00:14:55.480 --> 00:14:59.679 Prior to, like I said, my grandfather retired, you know, 290 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:02.200 when I was quite young, but uh, down the road, 291 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:04.440 my brother got on the job a couple of years 292 00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:06.080 after I did you know, the three of us were 293 00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:09.120 three boys. We all took the test me and my 294 00:15:09.159 --> 00:15:10.679 youngest brother Rob got on the job. 295 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:13.200 Did your grandfather ever talk about it? Do you remember 296 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:14.240 talking to me about. 297 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:16.080 He was pretty reserved about it, you know, here and 298 00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:19.279 there a few stories, you know. He had a pretty 299 00:15:19.320 --> 00:15:22.840 interesting career. Was different back then. Obviously, he he graduated. 300 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:25.799 They didn't really have an academy, whatever the training they 301 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:27.799 had at the time, he said, a welfare island. They 302 00:15:27.799 --> 00:15:30.279 did some training, then they assigned them to a division 303 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:32.919 and they floated, and then the orders came out and 304 00:15:32.919 --> 00:15:40.480 he got assigned to a fireboat on the Marine Companies 305 00:15:40.519 --> 00:15:42.360 back then whatever they were called, you know. But uh, 306 00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:46.000 he got to sign to a fireboat down and they 307 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:47.720 were part of Battalion flour he said, on the Lower 308 00:15:47.720 --> 00:15:50.720 East Side. They docked in Low Manhattan, and uh, they 309 00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:53.480 knew the guard that it was like in a docking thing, 310 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:55.720 and they knew the guard at the front gate. So 311 00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:58.200 if the battalion chief came by for an inspection, the 312 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:00.480 guard would telephone them and say the chiefs and it 313 00:16:00.519 --> 00:16:03.039 would take the chief like five minutes to drive, and 314 00:16:03.080 --> 00:16:05.039 so the had heads up when the chief was coming. 315 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:07.039 You know. He did that for like a year or two, 316 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:08.720 he said, And then he said no, I want to. 317 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:08.919 You know. 318 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:10.840 Oh he did get out of there, all right, I mean. 319 00:16:10.759 --> 00:16:12.440 He chancewered he chanced it out of there he went 320 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:14.960 to It was before the version A bridge, so I 321 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:16.639 guess getting on the stan Ouen saw it was a 322 00:16:16.639 --> 00:16:19.559 big deal and he ended up he went to eighty 323 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:21.240 one truck on steann Ou And he did that right 324 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:23.200 about twenty twenty years there. 325 00:16:24.039 --> 00:16:24.320 Nice. 326 00:16:24.919 --> 00:16:27.480 So that fast forward to November of nineteen ninety eight. 327 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:29.360 You come out of Proby School, your first assignment the 328 00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:32.559 Happy Hookers W one thirty one truck and a family 329 00:16:33.320 --> 00:16:36.600 made the company going to a Brooklyn company off the Rip, 330 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:39.080 one of the busier burrows of the five of course 331 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:41.440 in New York City, especially at that time. Tell me 332 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:43.039 about I don't know how long you were there. I 333 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:44.720 know you were on a rotation a little while after that, 334 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:46.480 But tell me how much time you spent there and 335 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:49.000 the key lessons you learned early on from your senior guys. 336 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:51.000 Well, I went there out of Proby School. I did 337 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:52.519 my first year on the job there and got a 338 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:54.600 probation before we went out. 339 00:16:54.440 --> 00:16:59.440 On the Holy mackerel fifteen. It was a paper or something. 340 00:16:59.480 --> 00:17:02.039 Look at you, Holy shit, you're a bait. 341 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:05.319 Your newsday, just kidding. 342 00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:08.839 It was uh, yeah, you know, it was a very 343 00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:12.519 senior house. You know. I didn't think anything of it 344 00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:14.519 because I didn't know any better, you know. But uh, 345 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:18.039 Jimmy Perkins in the in the engine had I think 346 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:20.279 forty two years on the job. Wow, he was a 347 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:22.359 senior man on the job. He got on the job. 348 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:25.640 He was the proby class before my grandfather's proby class. 349 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:25.880 You know. 350 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:29.839 Wowking crazy, you know. 351 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:32.880 He Uh, he saw the neighborhood come full circle. He 352 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:35.599 got there and they had two rigs, a hose wagon 353 00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:38.480 and a pumper and they were doing about five hundred 354 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:40.440 runs a year, he said when he got there, because 355 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:42.079 it was before the war years, you know. And then 356 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:43.759 he got he was there through the war years, and 357 00:17:44.200 --> 00:17:46.119 they were doing five or six thousand runs a year 358 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:46.480 by then. 359 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:49.119 And then by the time we wouldn't even have been there. 360 00:17:49.240 --> 00:17:52.880 Probably at that time, right, the Big qu probably wasn't 361 00:17:52.920 --> 00:17:54.599 even there because they're right under the pigway. 362 00:17:54.680 --> 00:17:56.640 Yeah, they were probably building it at the time, you know. 363 00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:59.960 And uh, the warriors, you know, and then the neighborhood, 364 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:02.720 you know, down by Columbia Street, all the uh, the 365 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:04.720 tenements and all that they burned, you know, and then 366 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:06.839 the neighborhood slowed down a little bit afterwards, you know, 367 00:18:06.920 --> 00:18:10.400 but uh so it's about probably a middle of the roadhouse. 368 00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:12.640 You know, runs and workers wise when I when I 369 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:14.319 got there, but you know, so the old time was 370 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:16.160 like that sore of go full circle. You know, there 371 00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:19.079 was a good number of guys in the truck that 372 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:20.759 had over twenty years when I got there. 373 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:24.039 Truck work in a place like Brooklyn is a sweet 374 00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:26.319 spot few can never achieve in their careers, let alone 375 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:27.960 of course the department like the ft and wiy. So 376 00:18:28.039 --> 00:18:30.240 what I'll ask you is as far as boxes going again, 377 00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:32.000 I don't know how long you were there, tell me 378 00:18:32.039 --> 00:18:33.920 about the fires that stick out and even just the 379 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:36.640 emergencies where you found yourself saying afterwards, holy crap, that 380 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:37.359 was really something. 381 00:18:38.440 --> 00:18:42.200 Yeah. You know, when you're young and brand new, you 382 00:18:43.240 --> 00:18:46.640 never think you're busy enough. You know, I look back now, 383 00:18:46.680 --> 00:18:49.039 and especially you know when I was a probe even 384 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:50.960 I caught a good amount of work. That's you know, 385 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:55.000 that neighborhood has a little bit of everything. There's other 386 00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:57.640 than private dwellings that has everything else. It has projects, 387 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:01.279 has brownstones and road frames, it has tens, it has 388 00:19:01.720 --> 00:19:05.359 factories and warehouses, and uh, I really caught a little 389 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:07.160 bit of everything that that whole time there. You know, 390 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:11.160 I remember, you know my first fire was in a 391 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:14.400 brownstone building up in Park Slope right by two twenty two, 392 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:17.640 Lou you were telling that story before U we second 393 00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:19.400 do to them. You know, I'd been there like a month, 394 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:22.519 hadn't caught anything. Then you think, oh, it's never gonna happen, 395 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:24.799 you know, you get the jitters, and then uh, the 396 00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:27.359 senior guy in the truck, Gary Kakey, he said, go 397 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:29.279 lay down. You know, it's like one in the morning. 398 00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:31.200 He says, go lay down. It'll happen when it happens. 399 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:34.559 And next thing you know, it's like six am. The 400 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:36.960 the tones are going off and you know, fire is 401 00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:39.079