WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.879 --> 00:00:02.480 Disclaimer. 2 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:04.559 We'd like to know before the start of this interview 3 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:07.120 that the opinions about to be expressed by the guest 4 00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:10.039 of tonight's Getting Salty Experience Podcast are that of the 5 00:00:10.080 --> 00:00:13.320 guest and do not directly or necessarily reflect the views 6 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:30.239 of the host of the Getting Salty Experience Podcast. 7 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:34.560 You're listening to the Getting Salty Experience Podcast. 8 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:50.240 All okay, Oh. 9 00:00:57.240 --> 00:00:59.320 Those are rookie numbers. 10 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:05.719 Welcome back to it again, serious podcast. It's deal and 11 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:12.319 that brings to you the kitchen table, the firehouse kitchen table, 12 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:14.879 you know, the one rough right, the whole of the 13 00:01:15.079 --> 00:01:17.680 thousand stories, thousand and one. 14 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:20.079 Maybe it's eighty nine year old chiefs to come out 15 00:01:20.120 --> 00:01:20.840 and tell their story. 16 00:01:21.239 --> 00:01:24.040 We gotta I gotta really wind that way back machine 17 00:01:24.120 --> 00:01:26.400 up really tight, tonight, bro, I gotta get the crank going. 18 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:34.159 We're going we fifties. Just this us pretty shabby. I 19 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:35.840 gotta tell you, this guy's. 20 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:37.040 We're gonna stop working on. 21 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:39.200 Yeah. 22 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:41.959 I only got a they saw a fire or two. 23 00:01:42.040 --> 00:01:44.359 This guy. I got a couple of stories to tell too, 24 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:47.359 and a nice guy, very calm. 25 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:48.280 Very calm, cool collective. 26 00:01:48.359 --> 00:01:50.519 Back there, Louis was losing his ship a little bit 27 00:01:50.680 --> 00:01:56.200 where the chief is. You're talking to the gods. Yeah, 28 00:01:56.879 --> 00:01:58.239 just like slow your role. 29 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:01.239 Cool. 30 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:04.879 I did text him, take it, don't worry about it, 31 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:06.319 take your time, just hurry up. 32 00:02:06.280 --> 00:02:08.000 All right. That's not what you do with a fire, 33 00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:08.400 is it. 34 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:12.800 That's not how it was. Take it easy, don't. 35 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:13.479 Stay growing out. 36 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:14.919 Hey, you know who's in the chat? 37 00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:16.639 Who do we having? 38 00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:19.039 Will Wolfgang is in the chat? You know what I 39 00:02:19.159 --> 00:02:22.280 say to him? W W You know what I say 40 00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:30.800 to him? He's a big Phillies fan. Suck it, baby around, baby. 41 00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:30.680 I no light note. I need another shield, so I 42 00:02:30.759 --> 00:02:31.520 gotta hit that guy up. 43 00:02:34.039 --> 00:02:38.719 You hit him up, baby, my mess. He's ounced to 44 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:39.479 him yesterday. 45 00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:40.439 What a game? 46 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:42.080 Don't let the door hit you the ass on the 47 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:43.840 way out. All right, Phillies fans. 48 00:02:44.919 --> 00:02:45.800 Those guys could do it. 49 00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:51.840 I think they could do it. 50 00:02:51.879 --> 00:02:53.960 Don't don't give me in maloica, don't mylloy? 51 00:02:55.240 --> 00:02:57.520 Who would you out playing? You can do it. 52 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:00.560 You can do it, man, Come on, I'm you can 53 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:05.719 do it. Would rather I'd rather play the Uh yeah, 54 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:08.719 I'd rather play the Dodgers. I think I'm not really 55 00:03:08.759 --> 00:03:09.560 afraid of that picture. 56 00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:09.960 Staff. 57 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:13.599 But here we go, Oh, City City News support he's 58 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:16.199 he's at a California year. He probably likes to either 59 00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:20.240 the Padres or the Dodgers. I bet I don't know 60 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:23.080 I'm going to win, right, Look at Profaccini, he's got 61 00:03:23.159 --> 00:03:27.560 to throw in ranges. Look good for this home opener ready, 62 00:03:27.759 --> 00:03:29.199 I like, we gotta start it already. 63 00:03:29.560 --> 00:03:32.439 I think what Tom's saying looks like the hockey just yet. 64 00:03:32.439 --> 00:03:34.000 We got to finish baseball, all right. 65 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:35.639 But you know I played the song just once for 66 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:36.879 Procuccini bringing it up. 67 00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:39.120 Oh okay, give me get to it because it's on 68 00:03:39.159 --> 00:03:39.560 the back end. 69 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:45.840 Nobody cares about hockey there, you. 70 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:52.199 See, Thank you, Kevin Malone. Nobody cares about hockey. Let's 71 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:55.039 get to our commercial, our only commercial in the evening, Yes, 72 00:03:55.719 --> 00:03:57.080 and then we'll get the chief And here I don't 73 00:03:57.080 --> 00:03:58.000 want to keep in the back too. 74 00:03:58.080 --> 00:03:58.199 Well. 75 00:03:58.680 --> 00:04:01.759 Yeah, he's looking his patiently awaiting all He. 76 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:03.479 Had a cohort in there that said something about a 77 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:04.759 can flying down all land. 78 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:07.280 You know, we relived a pretty full funny moment there. 79 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:10.800 He lobbed that out of nowhere guy off the side. 80 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:17.480 Right before we went live. Yeah, all right, here we go. 81 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:19.959 Let's listen to mister Vince. 82 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:22.560 Need a new floor for your fire station. Choose an 83 00:04:22.600 --> 00:04:25.920 Armor Tough interlocking flooring system to cover your aging, stained 84 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:29.240 crack concrete or a POxy floor. Armour Touff has been 85 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:31.519 around for nearly twenty years and has proven to be 86 00:04:31.560 --> 00:04:35.160 the best choice and renovating your station's floors, covering nearly 87 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:38.879 six hundred floors across the country. Proudly made in America, 88 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:42.279 Armour Touff comes with a lifetime warranty and are usually 89 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:44.720 installed in one or two days, depending on the size 90 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:48.240 of your station, with virtually no disruption in your station's operation. 91 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:53.120 Our system is guaranteed from chipping, cracking, peeling, braking, or staining. 92 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:56.600 The tiles are stained resistant and impervious to chemicals or 93 00:04:56.680 --> 00:04:59.920 volatiers that are used in the fire service. Damage one tie, 94 00:05:00.360 --> 00:05:03.759 lift and replace without anyone knowing, and once installed, your 95 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:06.199 floor would be easy to clean with just soap and water. 96 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:10.839 Is your current floor slippery? Eliminate the slip with Armor Tough. 97 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:23.319 You asked me what the friction coefficient? Well, here it is, puppy. 98 00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:28.439 I had to leave the pup. 99 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:33.639 Fat that's going I just something caught my eye forgot 100 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:35.959 what it is. Really see, I'm getting old, bro through. 101 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:37.560 I can't remember what it was. 102 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:39.800 It was a free free uh. 103 00:05:39.879 --> 00:05:43.759 I was to give Mike a little heads out tonight, 104 00:05:43.879 --> 00:05:46.720 give Mike love. He passed his seat, Pat, What is it? 105 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:50.839 Got a seat? Pap seat? Pat? God? Is that what 106 00:05:50.839 --> 00:05:51.199 it is? 107 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:51.680 Sea? 108 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:51.959 Pat? 109 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:53.360 CP eight T. 110 00:05:53.839 --> 00:05:58.800 Says that so soon enough's gonna be on the job. Right, 111 00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:01.720 But we we dragged him, We did the form right. 112 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:04.040 He's going to be a physician. 113 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:05.720 Now we're gonna be worried every day. 114 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:07.839 You better, you gotta worry about the kid every day. 115 00:06:08.040 --> 00:06:09.199 You're serious about that? 116 00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:10.240 How old we were said? 117 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:10.560 How old? 118 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:13.120 Before? He's on a dating page like, Hey, my name 119 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:15.319 is Mike and I am I just found him. 120 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:17.240 He's right on, he's already on it. Let's just see it. 121 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:19.240 Here are going to. 122 00:06:21.879 --> 00:06:24.800 A chief in here all chief, you're ready and we 123 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:26.639 can see it. I know we hear us getting. 124 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:27.920 Very very anxious. 125 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:30.959 He's coming to the stage. 126 00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:34.759 Eighty nine year old f d N Y Battalion Chief 127 00:06:34.839 --> 00:06:35.959 John McElroy. 128 00:06:40.120 --> 00:06:41.079 Welcome, Welcome. 129 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:47.040 We couldn't get his name right, McIlroy. What we calling it? 130 00:06:47.160 --> 00:06:48.720 But I don't know what the hell you were calling him? 131 00:06:50.279 --> 00:06:50.399 Roy? 132 00:06:54.680 --> 00:06:56.399 I butchered the name. I'm sorry. 133 00:06:57.319 --> 00:07:00.759 Welcome, Chief, Welcome to yourselves. Thanks so much of getting 134 00:07:00.759 --> 00:07:01.319 me on here. 135 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:09.319 Folks that talk about should be good patriotic first, Yes, 136 00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:11.600 a duty, a civil duty. 137 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:12.600 All right, here we go. 138 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:19.439 I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States 139 00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:24.000 of America and to the Republic, for which it stands, 140 00:07:24.839 --> 00:07:32.120 One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. 141 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:44.279 Well, what's what the hacks night? You have no dipity do? 142 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:48.879 No, no, no, that's uh a hurricane come through. 143 00:07:48.920 --> 00:07:49.759 For God's sake. 144 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:56.360 It we gotta get We got to crank back the 145 00:07:56.360 --> 00:08:00.199 way back machine, chief, So we're going back way to 146 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:06.519 crank this bid boy up, way back to nineteen fifty nine. 147 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:12.000 Okay, today is the sixty fifth anniversary of my appointment date, 148 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:17.360 which is today's date. Oh my god, holy yeah. We 149 00:08:17.480 --> 00:08:21.360 got sixty five years there. My first assignment was engine 150 00:08:21.399 --> 00:08:25.240 sixty five. So if you're looking for numbers, there you go. 151 00:08:25.800 --> 00:08:29.319 Wow, that's a good one. 152 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:33.960 Let's go before that, where'd you grow up, chief? Tell 153 00:08:34.039 --> 00:08:36.440 us a little about the earlier life before you got 154 00:08:36.440 --> 00:08:36.919 on the job. 155 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:40.360 Okay, I grew up in Staten Island, went to all 156 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:45.159 the Catholic schools, of course, and then my father was 157 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:48.240 on the job and he never talked about it at home. 158 00:08:49.080 --> 00:08:52.120 But as kids, my brother and I used to go 159 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:56.200 to his firehouse, which was Engine fifty six on Broadway, 160 00:08:56.639 --> 00:08:58.159 and if they were out on a run, they used 161 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:00.519 to be out on brushfires all the time. We slide 162 00:09:00.519 --> 00:09:03.159 the pole and go in the backyard and play handball 163 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:04.919 and then disappear. 164 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:08.919 So how farll was the files from your house walking distance? 165 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:11.480 I guess about two miles? I guess, all right. 166 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:12.200 On the bikes. 167 00:09:12.600 --> 00:09:15.919 No, yeah, bikes, for sure, that's true. Forgot about the bikes. 168 00:09:15.960 --> 00:09:19.399 Yeah, before I guess this is before the Versato too, right. 169 00:09:19.559 --> 00:09:22.600 Oh yeah, I think there was a Arizona was sixty seven. 170 00:09:22.679 --> 00:09:26.639 So before that time you took the bus, the boat 171 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:29.360 and then the train to wherever we were assigned, whether 172 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:34.039 I was in mid Midtown or Brooklyn. And when I 173 00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:36.519 was in rescue too, we had Joe Keller was there. 174 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:39.600 He lived about six miles from the ferry and he 175 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:44.639 would run there every day, so it was in bro right, Yeah. 176 00:09:44.840 --> 00:09:47.759 Yeah, So I guess we know how why you wanted 177 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:49.600 to become a fire and your dad was a fireman. 178 00:09:50.360 --> 00:09:53.240 Well, actually I was in the telephone company in Jersey 179 00:09:53.559 --> 00:09:56.000 and I got married, and so when I did, I 180 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:58.600 had to get a job, so I'd gotten a telephone company, 181 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:02.279 and then about five years later I decided to come 182 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:05.559 on the fire department. My father never pushed my brother 183 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:08.879 or I for it, oddly enough, even though we knew 184 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:11.559 a lot of guys he worked with, for sure, But 185 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:15.000 I don't know where I actually got the motivation from. 186 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:18.960 Maybe I don't know, but I was so happy I did, 187 00:10:19.600 --> 00:10:23.080 and like most of us, that one lucky Saturday when 188 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:25.519 we took the test, that did it pass? 189 00:10:25.879 --> 00:10:27.600 Was your wife right? Is that that correct? 190 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:29.919 He got on? He got out of fifty nine? What 191 00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:32.559 you had you take the test like fifty eight fifty seven? 192 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:38.360 I would say the earlish would have been late fifty 193 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:42.559 eight because it was very quick, and I was on 194 00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:46.159 the in the first batch. And who I come on 195 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:50.919 with was Bill Fihan and tomb and they were all 196 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:54.200 on the top of the list. So lucky for me too, 197 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:56.440 since I'm not a big guy or anything, I got 198 00:10:56.759 --> 00:11:01.360 that one particular test was the physical was only qualifying, 199 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:05.679 so it went by your written mark, which most of 200 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:08.480 us could write a good today you'd probably write a hundred, 201 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:12.240 But I didn't write a hundred, but right, yeah, yeah. 202 00:11:12.759 --> 00:11:15.120 I wanted to say before chief that We've had a 203 00:11:15.799 --> 00:11:18.679 lot of other guys that came on that had their 204 00:11:18.759 --> 00:11:22.919 dads or in this, you know, on the job, and 205 00:11:23.159 --> 00:11:24.879 a lot of them say the same thing that you said, 206 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:27.639 that they never really were pressured or the guy their 207 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:29.960 father's never talked about the job really that much. That 208 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:31.960 was like a strange thing to me. I didn't think 209 00:11:31.960 --> 00:11:33.639 that that would be the case most of the time, you. 210 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:36.919 Know, looking back, I would say, particularly today, we have 211 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:41.919 so many pops and kids on the job and every firehouse, 212 00:11:42.360 --> 00:11:45.919 so somehow they brought it up. I'm trying to think 213 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:48.600 back then. I don't think we had like company picnics 214 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:50.799 or Christmas parties or anything like that. 215 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:54.720 Did How long did your father do the on the job? 216 00:11:55.639 --> 00:11:58.919 My father was on the job thirty six years. 217 00:11:58.960 --> 00:11:59.399 Wow. 218 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:03.759 He wound up as a deputy chief in the Tent Division, 219 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:07.120 and he was a fireman and a battalion chief on 220 00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:10.440 Staten Isle and a company officer, and he loved Brooklyn 221 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:13.720 when he went there. And one time he got in 222 00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:16.960 trouble I don't remember what because he never would talk 223 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:21.679 about and headquarters transferred him back to Staten Island and 224 00:12:21.720 --> 00:12:24.679 then somehow or other in those days, whether it was 225 00:12:24.679 --> 00:12:27.519 with the Holy Name or whoever, the union. He was 226 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:31.200 one of the organizers of the UFOA. He got a 227 00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:34.480 conference with the mayor no less, and they transferred him 228 00:12:34.519 --> 00:12:37.679 back to the tent division. That was I don't know 229 00:12:37.720 --> 00:12:38.840 how the hell he ever pulled down. 230 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:40.240 He called the. 231 00:12:42.360 --> 00:12:43.000 You know what I mean? 232 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:47.039 What year did your dad get on chief? 233 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:49.360 Nineteen thirty three? 234 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:50.480 Wow? 235 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:54.840 That was right after the depression, and at that time 236 00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:57.320 he had worked for the conetison. Then he come on 237 00:12:57.360 --> 00:13:02.440 the job and he was very smart himself too. At 238 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:05.159 one time as a fireman, they had a contest and 239 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:10.039 him and five other guys one going through the fight department. 240 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:15.240 They won a scholarship to ccn Y because the Fight 241 00:13:15.320 --> 00:13:19.080 Department at that time wanted their own engineers. And then 242 00:13:19.639 --> 00:13:22.879 while he was going to c cn why he a 243 00:13:22.919 --> 00:13:25.000 lieutenants test come up and he said, I have to 244 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:27.440 take the lieutenants test to make more money rather than 245 00:13:27.480 --> 00:13:28.519 going to CCNY. 246 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:33.799 So he dropped out of that and took him a deputy. 247 00:13:34.039 --> 00:13:35.039 I want to be a deputy. 248 00:13:35.080 --> 00:13:39.000 I did your brother get out of the job, Not 249 00:13:39.159 --> 00:13:39.519 at all. 250 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:43.440 No, he was also it's almost nepotism there too. And 251 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:47.279 we were in the New Jersey Bell and our cousin 252 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:50.559 was there and my brother and then my brother transferred 253 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:55.080 to the telephone company down to Florida. But no pressure 254 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:56.279 at all at home with that. 255 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:00.159 No, Oddly when you're working for the phone company, have 256 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:00.399 to do it. 257 00:14:00.440 --> 00:14:00.919 At least. 258 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:02.919 It was. 259 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:09.440 Benc and Hurst seven to seven seven. 260 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:15.000 Actually when I went to work there in nineteen fifty five. 261 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:18.919 We had the manual phones with the party lines too, 262 00:14:19.679 --> 00:14:23.120 and all the party remember the party line in fact 263 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:26.519 on Staten Alam growing up, I still remember the telephone number, 264 00:14:26.559 --> 00:14:29.279 and I think we used to get three rings when 265 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:32.480 it was ours. And then I'd find my sister. We 266 00:14:32.519 --> 00:14:34.000 only had the one phone in the house. She'd be 267 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:37.159 sitting on the stairs and she'd pick up the receiver 268 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:38.679 and listen in to whoever. 269 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:39.919 You could listen, right. 270 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:43.360 That was like, uh, it's a wonderful life when the 271 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:46.679 mother was listening in on the on the extension. 272 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:49.080 Right, yeah, very good, yeah, very good number please. 273 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:53.440 That was like me and you listen to everybody's conversation 274 00:14:53.559 --> 00:14:55.159 sitting in your room. We had that what was that 275 00:14:55.159 --> 00:15:01.120 that radio that could hear people's phones, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, 276 00:15:01.159 --> 00:15:03.039 so where'd you have to go to Proby School? That 277 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:04.000 was at Ward's Island. 278 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:09.000 Then no, we got assigned and we were assigned to 279 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:14.600 divisions and I was in the fourth fourth platoon, I 280 00:15:14.600 --> 00:15:17.159 guess it was. And we were the last ones to 281 00:15:17.159 --> 00:15:21.120 go to Proby School, which lasted for six weeks. First 282 00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:24.559 two weeks you went to the shops and got first 283 00:15:24.679 --> 00:15:28.440 daid and lectures and stuff like that. Then the next 284 00:15:28.440 --> 00:15:31.600 two weeks you went to sixty eighth Street for the 285 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:38.000 latter school, right, yeah, right, and then the last two 286 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:42.440 weeks actually was Welfer Island. Yeah, and we'd have to there. 287 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:44.720 I'd have to take the bus to boat the train 288 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:48.039 and then get a train to take us from Queens 289 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:51.120 onto the Rock and then you better not be late. 290 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:54.159 And the beauty of that too was you went to 291 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:56.840 school five days a week, but you still had a 292 00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:59.519 base company that you were assigned to before you went 293 00:15:59.559 --> 00:16:03.240 to school, So Saturday nights you spent the night in 294 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:06.320 that firehouse as well, so you were in the fire 295 00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:08.320 department seven days a week. 296 00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:11.360 For were you in Staten Island, then at least they put. 297 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:13.519 You always from Staten Island, yes. 298 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:16.679 Right, so they put you in a firehouse at Staten Island, 299 00:16:17.080 --> 00:16:18.480 a home as a home fire house. 300 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:21.840 Oh no, no, it was in Brooklyn. In fact, my 301 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:26.559 base company was one O five truck, yeah, which was 302 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:28.320 good then. And they were in the old house on 303 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:31.799 Pacific Street by themselves, right, was it themselves? 304 00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:32.080 Yeah. 305 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:37.120 George Kelly was the captain. John O'Rourke was there, Jim Duffley. 306 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:40.720 They they had guys that you looked up to immediately, 307 00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:43.799 you know. And of course we had no gear, so 308 00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:46.399 whenever you went in you had a gearb whatever they 309 00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:49.240 had and probably was soaking wet to begin with from 310 00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:53.759 because they were busy for sure, so you gather up 311 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:54.600 whatever you could. 312 00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:56.799 Did they allow you to go in the buildings, They 313 00:16:57.440 --> 00:17:00.879 really kept you outside as really you know, ab outside. 314 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:05.920 They had a brand new fifty eight Mac and that 315 00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:08.400 was like the real first a lot of company truck 316 00:17:08.440 --> 00:17:13.680 I ever was on. But I'm trying to think. I 317 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:17.119 guess we went in the building later, not right away, 318 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:20.839 not right away. And actually there there were three of 319 00:17:20.920 --> 00:17:23.799 us assigned, so that was a lot of people who 320 00:17:23.799 --> 00:17:27.960 put on a fifty eight Mac the engine in the middle. 321 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:31.759 But every run we came back, we had to wash 322 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:34.880 the wheels, and they told me that was their tradition 323 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:38.319 here from the old days with the horses and all 324 00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:41.839 the dog horsecrap, they had to wash the wheels to 325 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:44.160 get rid of it, and that's what they did. 326 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:45.960 Kept it going. 327 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:49.880 Oh yeah, I kept you go home, for sure, but good, 328 00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:53.599 good experiences and guys to look up to. Stuff like that. 329 00:17:54.359 --> 00:17:57.039 And while you were waiting to go to Proby School, 330 00:17:57.680 --> 00:18:02.799 every week you would be assigned to different company away 331 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:06.119 from your home company. I one, why be a week 332 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:10.920 on Marine seven of Fulham Street. I guess two or 333 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:13.599 one engine one fourteen truck each for a week, and 334 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:17.240 each to gain knowledge. And the same time, of course, 335 00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:19.880 you had no gear, so you'd always be barring everything anyway, 336 00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:23.640 So when you wound up in a truck company, that 337 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:25.440 stuff was kind of big, for sure. 338 00:18:25.799 --> 00:18:28.640 But chief do you remember even like back then, do 339 00:18:28.680 --> 00:18:31.480 you remember like saying to yourself, I wanted to go 340 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:34.799 to a busy place, or like like since your dad 341 00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:37.400 was on Staten Island, like, I'm sure it was slower 342 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:38.759 there than it was in other areas. 343 00:18:39.079 --> 00:18:40.359 What was your feeling then, do you remember? 344 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:43.839 Well, my feeling there was since one hundred and five 345 00:18:43.880 --> 00:18:47.640 truck was my home company. My father was actually in 346 00:18:47.720 --> 00:18:50.599 the division then at that time, and I said to him, 347 00:18:50.680 --> 00:18:54.720 because he really wasn't much for doing favors, I said, 348 00:18:54.759 --> 00:18:56.640 you know, I'll take it out of private school. What 349 00:18:56.680 --> 00:18:58.400 do you think can I get assigned one hundred and 350 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:01.480 five truck? And he said, no, you can't. He said, 351 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:06.000 that's one of my favorite companies. You can't go there. 352 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:13.920 And I wound up in Midtown. Thanks a lot, pal, 353 00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:19.480 that's good you didn't ask twice. 354 00:19:23.480 --> 00:19:26.759 But then you get assigned to Engine sixty five. That 355 00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:30.000 was your first assignment in January of nineteen sixty. Then 356 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:31.440 by the Times Square, right. 357 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:34.039 That's right, forty third Street. We were first to a 358 00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:39.400 Times Square and on New Year's Eve you had to 359 00:19:39.400 --> 00:19:42.359 be in full uniform and get down and stand me 360 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:45.000 and other guys from another Every company had a detailed 361 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:48.680 guy to guard the alarm box in full uniform. So 362 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:53.359 you went in Times Square from eleven PM to one am. 363 00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:56.880 Then you all got like back then, was it crazy? 364 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:00.640 Not as much as no. Actually, you could walk around 365 00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:02.720 all over the place, tell you truth. Yeah, that's a 366 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:07.119 good one, Yeah you could. The best story is when 367 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:10.200 I went to sixty five the battalion was still there, 368 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:13.680 Battalion eight, because they were still building eight engine and 369 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:16.599 two truck on fifty first Street. And then after a 370 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:19.279 couple of months the house was done. They moved out 371 00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:23.559 and Rescue one moved up. So they come in and 372 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:27.680 John Maloney was the captain of sixty five and Joe 373 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:30.680 Rooney was the captain of Rescue won. And he got 374 00:20:30.759 --> 00:20:35.359 Rooney he said, Joey said, you're never first, du we are. 375 00:20:36.039 --> 00:20:39.039 We'll be in front all the time and every time, 376 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:41.680 and they outran us by the way because they were 377 00:20:41.799 --> 00:20:44.880 covering all the boxes downtown still and up to Allum. 378 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:47.799 But anyway, he said, every time you get a run, 379 00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:50.839 my shouff will move our rig out and when you 380 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:53.960 come back, we'll move it again. And we always were 381 00:20:53.960 --> 00:21:06.680 in front, and that was it. And Rooney said, okay. 382 00:21:02.359 --> 00:21:04.759 That might have been the original house of paying their codes. 383 00:21:04.839 --> 00:21:08.559 Oh yeahs to nuts. 384 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:11.599 They were the guys, they had their senior guys. They 385 00:21:11.640 --> 00:21:13.559 were just everyone you could look up to. You know, 386 00:21:13.640 --> 00:21:16.079 it's like WHOA look at these guys. The fires they 387 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:19.319 go to and stories. They'd come back and I'd make 388 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:21.839 coffee for them and toast. You never had much to 389 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:26.039 eat because uh, the Commissary supplied almost nothing. 390 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:26.279 Then. 391 00:21:26.759 --> 00:21:29.000 I think the only thing we had was evaporated milk 392 00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:32.720 for the coffees and that was it, with a little 393 00:21:32.759 --> 00:21:35.240 container to put on top of it and all. But 394 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:37.400 it worked out good that the rescue got along good 395 00:21:37.400 --> 00:21:39.720 with us and stuff like that. And like I said, 396 00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:43.839 some of the guys there, you just looked up to 397 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:47.079 all of them, for Grande. The one guy that Philly 398 00:21:47.160 --> 00:21:49.960 prior was a fire in there too, and another guy 399 00:21:50.279 --> 00:21:54.279 I think it was John, an Irish name. Any rate, 400 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:57.279 they had a fire and the woolwarts and then he's 401 00:21:57.319 --> 00:21:59.119 in there and he's searching around and one of the 402 00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:02.240 other guys told me story and his flashlight went out. 403 00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:05.160 They all they had them with the regular de cell batteries, 404 00:22:05.640 --> 00:22:07.759 and he reached up and he got some batteries out 405 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:10.200 of that one of the shelves and bulworth and put 406 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:13.680 a dollar up for them and then left. These guys 407 00:22:13.720 --> 00:22:20.000 were incredible. And at night, everybody going to bed, they'd 408 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:22.359 have their boots up there with them as we did, 409 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:25.559 and then they'd be nailing kneeling next to the bed 410 00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:28.920 saying their prayers. Really, yeah, every one of them. 411 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:32.480 Yeah, everyone, Yeah, Wow, I never heard that before, and. 412 00:22:32.279 --> 00:22:33.559 The engine did it the same. 413 00:22:33.799 --> 00:22:34.000 You know. 414 00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:38.400 Wow, I guess most of them were Irish or Italian Catholics. 415 00:22:40.279 --> 00:22:42.680 That's you had a lot of World War Two vets 416 00:22:42.680 --> 00:22:46.000 at that time, Yes, yes, lots of them. And you 417 00:22:46.039 --> 00:22:48.119 know who was there with me too was Jimmy Elson, 418 00:22:48.200 --> 00:22:52.400 which you probably all. And he grew up and he 419 00:22:52.519 --> 00:22:56.119 was a buff and three engine and that's where John Maloney, 420 00:22:56.160 --> 00:23:00.160 the captain of sixty five, was a lieutenant there and 421 00:23:00.200 --> 00:23:02.759 they sort of adopted him. So when Jimmy got out. 422 00:23:02.599 --> 00:23:05.640 Of Proby school, he came to sixty five, and then 423 00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:08.279 later on the year or two we were there, he 424 00:23:08.359 --> 00:23:10.960 was a couple months behind me. We'd put in our 425 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:14.240 transfers to go to the Ladder Company, and on the 426 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:17.000 CD thirty and those years, there was a line for 427 00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:20.599 your heithe so I'd make out a thing one hundred 428 00:23:20.599 --> 00:23:22.279 and eight, truck, one hundred and two, one hundred and 429 00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:26.119 eleven whatever, because I Brooklyn. I figured that's where I 430 00:23:26.119 --> 00:23:28.559 should go. But anyway, every month I would come back 431 00:23:28.599 --> 00:23:32.880 with a red circle around my height disapproved. And then 432 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:37.200 Jimmy put his in for Brooklyn too, and his would 433 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:40.880 just come back disapproved. So it took us three took 434 00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:43.480 us three years to get out of there. So he 435 00:23:43.559 --> 00:23:45.079 went to one hundred and two. And I want to 436 00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:49.400 rescue too. And I always say I spent my three 437 00:23:49.480 --> 00:23:52.319 years under the bright life of Broadway and then the 438 00:23:52.359 --> 00:23:53.799 next thirty five in the ghetto. 439 00:23:56.359 --> 00:23:58.680 Does you have your first job that you caught sixty five? 440 00:23:59.559 --> 00:24:04.279 Yes, I remember we had some, you know, but they 441 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:07.799 had a lot there, relatively a lot with buildings under construction, 442 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:11.680 high rises, and I remember them in the winter a 443 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:14.920 couple of times, like third alarms in these things, and 444 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:17.480 the wind would be blowing and blowing all the two 445 00:24:17.559 --> 00:24:20.960 white fours around, stuff like that. And we didn't have 446 00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:23.759 that many fires. And they used to always kid that 447 00:24:24.119 --> 00:24:26.400 every big fire they had in Midtown had a name 448 00:24:26.519 --> 00:24:28.680 for it, like to want to make a fire or 449 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:32.440 the Times Tower fire some and would just be kidding 450 00:24:32.440 --> 00:24:35.359 around and all. But I do remember getting a nozzle 451 00:24:35.559 --> 00:24:38.279 for the first time, and that was something else, and 452 00:24:38.680 --> 00:24:41.039 I did put it out, you know. It was probably 453 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:45.680 an office something like that, But that was quite the thrill, 454 00:24:45.799 --> 00:24:48.640 for sure. But you didn't get the nozzle too much. 455 00:24:48.759 --> 00:24:52.680 But and the guys were good, a lot of senior guys, 456 00:24:53.240 --> 00:24:57.880 and I remember one guy, h Patti O'Connell. He said, Jack, 457 00:24:57.960 --> 00:25:01.920 you're here, don't listen to these other guys. Start studying. 458 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:06.480 And I remember later on and it worked, of course. 459 00:25:06.839 --> 00:25:08.720 He said, you have plenty of time on your hands, 460 00:25:08.759 --> 00:25:11.920 your own watch and stuff like that, so start studying. 461 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:16.160 And if you remember, well you might not. We used 462 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:17.880 to when the boxes come in, you have to write 463 00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:22.440 right along the talk board. And when I first started 464 00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:25.279 in sixty five, Lieutenant gave me a piece of chalk. 465 00:25:25.480 --> 00:25:28.519 He said, here's your chalk, and wherever you walked around 466 00:25:28.920 --> 00:25:31.680 when about bells come in, whether there are or anybody's, 467 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:33.799 you got to write them down on the wall so 468 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:37.200 you wouldn't forget them. So and then when you're doing 469 00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:40.440 the coal furnace in the basement and you get the 470 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:44.039 three rings, you run like hell because that was a 471 00:25:44.119 --> 00:25:46.720 phone alarm. So it's like we didn't get that many 472 00:25:46.759 --> 00:25:50.119 phone alarms. But yeah, but just things they did, you know, 473 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:51.880 just traditions, stuff like that. 474 00:25:52.680 --> 00:25:54.160 You know what I wanted to ask your chief. So 475 00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:55.160 now you're on the job. 476 00:25:56.119 --> 00:26:00.799 Is your father talking to you now about want to fires? 477 00:26:00.920 --> 00:26:03.359 Is he talking about like where you should go after this? 478 00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:11.200 Like a couple of years, the zero nothing nothing, no, no. 479 00:26:12.599 --> 00:26:17.920 When I went to rescue too, he said later on, 480 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:20.160 he said, what did you do that for? I said, well, 481 00:26:20.200 --> 00:26:22.359 I wanted to go to a ladder company and I couldn't, 482 00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:26.079 but I was able to get an interview with Captain 483 00:26:26.160 --> 00:26:29.720 Lawla and he had been an enginem in himself part 484 00:26:29.720 --> 00:26:32.240 of his career and all he was looking for, Yeah, 485 00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:36.359 that's him there with the cake. Uh. He looked for attitude. 486 00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:40.480 I was. I was like like an electrician. I could 487 00:26:40.519 --> 00:26:45.640 do telephone, I could do welding, some construction, carpentry, stuff 488 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:49.720 like that, but his main thing was attitude. And I 489 00:26:49.839 --> 00:26:53.640 went over and got an interview with him. He said, okay, Jack. 490 00:26:53.720 --> 00:26:55.759 Of course he knew my father, but he never brought 491 00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:58.839 that up either. But he said, okay, you're going to 492 00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:01.119 be number five on the list, and when five guys 493 00:27:01.160 --> 00:27:04.960 get transferred out or promoted, you'll be on the order. 494 00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:07.920 And sure enough, the fifth guy was P. D. Easton. 495 00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:10.640 His name was on the order and mine was two. 496 00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:13.240 He got lieutenant and I got to rescue too. It 497 00:27:13.359 --> 00:27:18.839 was how they did things in those days without the computers. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 498 00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:19.519 everything was. 499 00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:21.240 For two years on the. 500 00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:23.759 Job, I was just gonna say, what was that like 501 00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:27.440 walking into that place after sixty five? Not taking anything 502 00:27:27.480 --> 00:27:29.279 away from sixty five, but I mean, now you go 503 00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:31.359 from midtown, you're going into Rescue two. They had to 504 00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:34.200 be in nineteen sixty two sixty three. They were just 505 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:36.440 probably just picking up a lot of work, right, I. 506 00:27:36.440 --> 00:27:39.440 Mean they were starting to pick up work. Yes, And 507 00:27:40.599 --> 00:27:44.680 we had I bet we had two hundred alarm boxes 508 00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:50.799 assigned on which Rescue one didn't. But we had every box. 509 00:27:51.039 --> 00:27:54.359 There were four hundreds in downtown Brooklyn, so as soon 510 00:27:54.359 --> 00:27:56.920 as you heard a four come in, you got up 511 00:27:57.039 --> 00:27:59.119 or wherever you were and get ready. They go out, 512 00:27:59.640 --> 00:28:03.200 and they had boxes for like the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, 513 00:28:03.559 --> 00:28:06.240 things like that. But getting back to what you said, 514 00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:10.240 I'm there now, I'm looking at these guys, and I 515 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:13.000 had no truck experience. I accept a couple of details 516 00:28:13.160 --> 00:28:16.759 to tow truck things like that, But and I was 517 00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:22.720 busy listening and watching and do my best making up 518 00:28:22.920 --> 00:28:24.720 with committee work. I guess stuff like that. 519 00:28:26.759 --> 00:28:28.319 You were on Calton Avenue, then. 520 00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:32.480 With Carlton Avenue, the thing there would surprise the hell 521 00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:37.359 out of me. But their kitchen table was behind the 522 00:28:37.400 --> 00:28:41.440 backstep of two ten engine originally in the house. It 523 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:44.559 probably was on the third floor, which we also had 524 00:28:44.680 --> 00:28:48.799 like a sitting room up there with a barber's chair 525 00:28:48.920 --> 00:28:52.279 and stuff like that. And one of the guys running 526 00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:55.799 foot and interested, he cast a statue up there of 527 00:28:55.839 --> 00:28:59.200 an Indian. He made it in clay and then he 528 00:28:59.279 --> 00:29:03.119 cast it and talk about talents. But to get back 529 00:29:03.160 --> 00:29:07.039 to the other the kitchen table was behind the briarstep. 530 00:29:07.400 --> 00:29:09.920 On one side was the hose tower. The other side 531 00:29:10.039 --> 00:29:13.680 was a bathroom at least luckily, and then the small 532 00:29:13.799 --> 00:29:17.519 storage room in the back behind say like going out 533 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:20.400 the back door of the firehouse, that was the kitchen 534 00:29:20.440 --> 00:29:26.359 with the refrigerator, a gas stove and supplies. It's and 535 00:29:26.839 --> 00:29:30.400 nobody complained, that's all. You just did it, and you 536 00:29:30.440 --> 00:29:34.079 figure what to talk about the environment and the smoke 537 00:29:34.200 --> 00:29:34.920 and whatever. 538 00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:37.799 So so you were doing it up in sixty five 539 00:29:37.880 --> 00:29:40.440 with rescue one back to bath and then you went 540 00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:43.240 to two ten, and you do it too ten, that's true. 541 00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:46.000 But with two ten we were in the front toe. 542 00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:52.079 That was for sure, like I just said before, they 543 00:29:52.119 --> 00:29:54.759 were really starting to pick up the running there. But 544 00:29:54.920 --> 00:29:58.160 I'll say one thing in Brooklyn, a lot of times 545 00:29:58.200 --> 00:30:00.200 at night. It would slow down when I'm we want 546 00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:03.480 the Low east side. We ran all night, probably rubbish 547 00:30:03.559 --> 00:30:08.119 and cars and crap like that, and then Rescue two. 548 00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:13.519 That was my original animal house. They built the guys 549 00:30:13.559 --> 00:30:16.039 that tore the talent to these guys. They built the 550 00:30:16.119 --> 00:30:19.079 salt water fish tank in the basement. It must have 551 00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:21.759 been four by four at least, and we used to 552 00:30:21.799 --> 00:30:24.880 take fifty five gallon drums to Coney Island to fill 553 00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:28.279 them with relatively clean salt water and bring it back 554 00:30:28.279 --> 00:30:31.519 and dumping in there. And we had a shark and 555 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:34.839 various fish and things like that, and certain guys would 556 00:30:34.839 --> 00:30:37.000 take care of it. They just that was their thing. 557 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:42.400 But the beauty there too was we had a monkey. 558 00:30:42.559 --> 00:30:44.519 The monkey was like, I don't know who the hell 559 00:30:44.559 --> 00:30:47.759 ever brought him in there, but the typical of a monkey. 560 00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:49.119 He'd be throwing his crap. 561 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:54.920 All over. 562 00:30:53.759 --> 00:30:56.039 Guy how much. One day a kid comes up and 563 00:30:56.039 --> 00:30:58.559 he said, your monkey is down the street in the projects. 564 00:30:58.599 --> 00:31:00.839 He's climbing up the wall there and I think he 565 00:31:01.039 --> 00:31:04.599 just bit a girl and luckily the guy and watched it. No, no, 566 00:31:04.640 --> 00:31:07.559 that's not hard monkey. We're just always trying to catch him, 567 00:31:07.960 --> 00:31:14.880 given to find the owner. Of this, luckily for me, 568 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:16.799 since I used to do the committee. Who are though? 569 00:31:18.039 --> 00:31:20.839 He wrote, he ripped up a twenty dollar bill that 570 00:31:20.920 --> 00:31:24.519 Captain Lawla had out for the House tax and the 571 00:31:24.599 --> 00:31:27.119 week the next very next week, the monkey was gone. 572 00:31:27.160 --> 00:31:28.400 It was gone. Yeah. 573 00:31:28.480 --> 00:31:30.960 Yeah, they had. 574 00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:34.160 They had the tremendous guys in the rescue. There would like, 575 00:31:34.640 --> 00:31:39.000 uh three of them deputies later and all the time. 576 00:31:39.079 --> 00:31:44.039 One guy worked with a certain gas special gas lines 577 00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:46.039 and stuff like that. But you'd look up to all 578 00:31:46.079 --> 00:31:49.359 these guys and all these talents that you say, holy shit, 579 00:31:49.480 --> 00:31:52.359 you know. Plus we had probably three guys from one 580 00:31:52.400 --> 00:31:56.240 hundred and eight truck, all the busy two hundred and 581 00:31:56.240 --> 00:31:59.680 two stuff like that. Right, And luckily for me when 582 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:02.440 I went there, I worked almost all the time with 583 00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:06.759 the Hamilton and he was Joe Rooney was probably the 584 00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:13.400 toughest rescue fire officer I ever saw. And Hamilton knew everything. 585 00:32:13.640 --> 00:32:17.240 He was a frogman in World War two. He built houses. 586 00:32:17.279 --> 00:32:21.359 He could do anything. And we'd go to like cellar fires, 587 00:32:21.960 --> 00:32:24.119 and I remember a couple of them. He wouldn't put 588 00:32:24.119 --> 00:32:26.480 his mask on. He had it on, and the rest 589 00:32:26.480 --> 00:32:28.319 of us would be die and they put their scots 590 00:32:28.359 --> 00:32:30.440 on and I asked him one time, I said, lou, 591 00:32:30.519 --> 00:32:32.759 what you know you didn't even put your mask on. 592 00:32:32.920 --> 00:32:35.400 He said, well, if we got in trouble, then I'd 593 00:32:35.400 --> 00:32:38.680 put it on and I'd get you out of There's 594 00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:41.319 the way it was. And he knew all kinds of guys. 595 00:32:41.799 --> 00:32:43.440 One time we went over the one hundred and eight 596 00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:46.440 were when I was still on Siegal Street, because he 597 00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:48.200 had a couple of friends. They just wanted to talk 598 00:32:48.279 --> 00:32:50.119 and chat. And I went in the back and in 599 00:32:50.119 --> 00:32:52.880 the kitchen there's a motorcycle hung up on the wall 600 00:32:53.680 --> 00:32:56.440 that they took off one of the civilians that gave 601 00:32:56.480 --> 00:32:59.799 him a hard time, and the guy never claimed the motorcycle. 602 00:33:00.880 --> 00:33:03.759 That was That was with the thirty fifth Battalion before 603 00:33:03.799 --> 00:33:07.319 the before they ever moved, and another tough ladder company. 604 00:33:07.359 --> 00:33:10.359 Woo these guys, these guys were good for sure. 605 00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:13.319 Yeah, I guess you learned a lot of fire duty 606 00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:14.319 over there too, right. 607 00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:18.039 Yes, yeah, And other thing I was saying before, we 608 00:33:18.119 --> 00:33:20.160 used to get in trouble. Sometimes I don't know how 609 00:33:20.200 --> 00:33:23.839 to rescue got into trouble. But we'd go to multiples 610 00:33:23.880 --> 00:33:27.359 out in the eleventh Division or fifteenth Division, and when 611 00:33:27.359 --> 00:33:29.839 we're ready to take up The deputy would say, oh, 612 00:33:29.880 --> 00:33:32.640 go help Squad three take up their line, and we 613 00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:36.079 got that done. He just did it, and he said, go, hurd, 614 00:33:36.400 --> 00:33:38.680 go help two thirty five take up their line. We 615 00:33:38.759 --> 00:33:40.839 must have taken on four or five lines before we 616 00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:44.160 get out of these places. And and then that disappeared. 617 00:33:44.160 --> 00:33:47.079 Somebody was on them for some reason. I don't even 618 00:33:47.079 --> 00:33:50.720 know who really, but U trying to think that too. 619 00:33:50.839 --> 00:33:53.240 Did you ever do that as a chief tell the 620 00:33:53.240 --> 00:33:54.480 rescue to pick up line? 621 00:33:55.039 --> 00:33:58.279 No? No, In fact, i'll tell you later. When I 622 00:33:58.319 --> 00:34:00.440 went back when I was a chief and went to 623 00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:04.319 the Bronx rescue three were still in Manhattan, but when 624 00:34:04.519 --> 00:34:07.799 before they even moved over, I used to love to 625 00:34:07.839 --> 00:34:11.280 see them because I was building up because with a 626 00:34:11.280 --> 00:34:14.840 rescue company, whatever I'm doing with the fire, in comes 627 00:34:14.840 --> 00:34:18.880 the rescue with five senior guys and a senior lieutenant 628 00:34:18.960 --> 00:34:21.519 or captain and would just come up to me and 629 00:34:21.559 --> 00:34:26.199 say what do you want and they do it. So 630 00:34:26.320 --> 00:34:28.280 I'll tell you some of that story a little bit later. 631 00:34:28.880 --> 00:34:33.199 But lots of experiences. We had no partner saw by 632 00:34:33.239 --> 00:34:36.159 the way, we had a chainsaw and rescue too. We 633 00:34:36.199 --> 00:34:43.119 had a saws all. We had a different. No air bags, 634 00:34:43.519 --> 00:34:45.440 but we did have plenty of wedges, and we had 635 00:34:45.480 --> 00:34:49.559 a settling stuff like that, and every once in the 636 00:34:49.559 --> 00:34:52.039 blue moon you'd get a spare. They had no real 637 00:34:52.159 --> 00:34:56.039 rescue expaars. We'd get an old hose wagon and we 638 00:34:56.159 --> 00:34:58.239 pible all the stuff when there with a big canvas 639 00:34:58.239 --> 00:35:00.280 on it and we'd sit in the back and I 640 00:35:00.360 --> 00:35:07.280 was it, you know, you do that's all the typically 641 00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:09.440 all of us. It's you did what you had to do, 642 00:35:09.559 --> 00:35:12.880 that's for sure. And there were some great guys there 643 00:35:12.920 --> 00:35:15.760 for sure. And the engine to the engine, even though 644 00:35:15.760 --> 00:35:19.480 they were slower than us, of course, they were just wonderful, 645 00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:23.199 you know, good stretch, steady guys. Two ten was a 646 00:35:23.199 --> 00:35:28.159 good engine. So but they weren't that busy then. I guess, 647 00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:32.559 well they got busier later, of course. But I can 648 00:35:32.599 --> 00:35:36.320 remember being on watch there in the summer and you 649 00:35:36.400 --> 00:35:39.079 had to write down every box and the whole box 650 00:35:39.079 --> 00:35:42.079 will before with the engine only engine not too ten, 651 00:35:42.280 --> 00:35:45.440 but every you got everybody's signals then, you know, and 652 00:35:45.800 --> 00:35:49.480 everybody there again was with the chalks writing it all down, 653 00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:52.400 stuff like that. But it was a good house too, 654 00:35:52.599 --> 00:35:56.079 and easy to get to. They were right up the street, 655 00:35:56.119 --> 00:36:01.760 from the Navy Yard, and that was probably the first 656 00:36:02.039 --> 00:36:03.599 we used to go down, like I said, all the 657 00:36:03.639 --> 00:36:06.480 four hundred boxes, and that was the projects down below 658 00:36:06.519 --> 00:36:10.239 two past the east of the Navy Yard. So I 659 00:36:10.360 --> 00:36:13.679 learned started to learn about projects there too, and when 660 00:36:13.719 --> 00:36:16.280 we would get in, no matter what floor was on, 661 00:36:16.760 --> 00:36:20.280 the rescue always ran up the stairs. It was incredible. 662 00:36:20.320 --> 00:36:24.400 That's just what they did. You know, So you joined 663 00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:24.920 in on that. 664 00:36:25.039 --> 00:36:28.639 Yes, why do you only spend two years? Did sheef? 665 00:36:28.679 --> 00:36:31.000 It seemed like an ideal spot to be in. 666 00:36:31.559 --> 00:36:33.800 Okay, it was tough to get there. I got told 667 00:36:33.840 --> 00:36:36.159 you before at the height. But while I was there, 668 00:36:36.199 --> 00:36:40.400 I had took the lieutenant's last test and I did 669 00:36:40.480 --> 00:36:43.360 very well on that as well. And then I figured, 670 00:36:43.400 --> 00:36:45.519 well I never was in a ladder company, so I 671 00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:49.599 better get to one to get real experience of a 672 00:36:49.679 --> 00:36:56.440 ladder company. And they approved that, and luckily, luckiest thing 673 00:36:56.480 --> 00:36:58.880 in the world. I put it in for eleven truck 674 00:36:59.039 --> 00:37:02.679 and probably eighteen truck different ones too, and I got 675 00:37:02.719 --> 00:37:09.079 eleven and that was wonderful. That a lot of work. 676 00:37:09.159 --> 00:37:09.880 Back then in. 677 00:37:09.760 --> 00:37:12.800 Those days, we were in the top ten every year 678 00:37:13.400 --> 00:37:17.119 runs in workers. It was the trucks district we probably 679 00:37:17.119 --> 00:37:20.480 did seventy five percent of hard working for some whatever 680 00:37:20.599 --> 00:37:23.840 reason for sure. And they were in a relatively new 681 00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:26.719 house on Second Street, and when they built it, it 682 00:37:26.800 --> 00:37:28.920 was I got the plans that were in the basement 683 00:37:28.960 --> 00:37:31.000 one time and in the front of the house that's 684 00:37:31.039 --> 00:37:33.280 had engine eleven ladder eleven up. 685 00:37:33.199 --> 00:37:33.719 On the wall. 686 00:37:34.480 --> 00:37:38.159 And they had done away with eleven engine which was 687 00:37:38.199 --> 00:37:41.320 on Houston Street. They moved it to Harlem and made 688 00:37:41.599 --> 00:37:44.719 ninety second section of ninety one engine and then they 689 00:37:44.760 --> 00:37:47.719 disbanded them. So twenty eight was a camp up on 690 00:37:47.800 --> 00:37:51.840 eleven Street and they moved to Second Street. It was like, whoah, 691 00:37:52.039 --> 00:37:54.039 time of real time is to leave. 692 00:37:54.920 --> 00:37:56.639 I was just gonna say, I said, what a lot 693 00:37:56.639 --> 00:37:57.920 of guys running right. 694 00:37:58.679 --> 00:38:01.800 Yeah, we've had a lot of guys from eleven truck. 695 00:38:01.840 --> 00:38:03.440 I can't think, I know. There was a bunch of 696 00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:05.280 guys that came through there. That was a busy place. 697 00:38:05.920 --> 00:38:09.480 They to me, it was like, wow, this is one here. 698 00:38:09.559 --> 00:38:14.119 I'm a kid from Staten Island. First day drive up 699 00:38:14.760 --> 00:38:16.440 drove them. We had to take the ferry to get 700 00:38:16.480 --> 00:38:19.760 the car across to bring my stuff there. And looking 701 00:38:19.800 --> 00:38:23.320 these all these old lord tenements with the fire escapes 702 00:38:23.360 --> 00:38:27.880 were old. Then it was a Jewish neighborhood, of course, 703 00:38:28.239 --> 00:38:31.880 but they were. This was the say sixty four something 704 00:38:31.960 --> 00:38:33.599 like that. I think that's when I went there, something 705 00:38:33.639 --> 00:38:38.760 like that. That's when the Jewish people were moving out 706 00:38:39.039 --> 00:38:42.679 to co Op City going north. And then the Puerto 707 00:38:42.760 --> 00:38:46.119 Ricans were coming from Puerto Rico as of waves then 708 00:38:46.719 --> 00:38:49.559 and just families, you know, and they took over the 709 00:38:49.599 --> 00:38:52.679 neighborhood that way too. And I used to always regret 710 00:38:52.760 --> 00:38:56.440 I never learned Spanish because whenever we went out, the 711 00:38:56.519 --> 00:38:58.840 kids would talk to us and they tell us what 712 00:38:58.920 --> 00:39:01.440 was going on whatever we needed to know, things like that, 713 00:39:01.480 --> 00:39:05.559 And I said to myself, no sense learning this, next grump. 714 00:39:06.239 --> 00:39:09.159 Everybody was speaking English, and of course I didn't know 715 00:39:09.239 --> 00:39:13.840 that at the time, and never change. You would want 716 00:39:13.960 --> 00:39:15.360 what they were yelling at us, you know. 717 00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:23.679 But did you uh, with the work that you did 718 00:39:23.679 --> 00:39:28.280 and rescue two, you think you were You were set 719 00:39:28.320 --> 00:39:31.119 to work and you were good. You knew enough about 720 00:39:31.119 --> 00:39:33.280 truck work to go to a busy truck like that. 721 00:39:34.119 --> 00:39:36.239 No, not at all, No, I have to tell you. 722 00:39:36.280 --> 00:39:39.159 Also when I was in rescue too, also in my 723 00:39:39.239 --> 00:39:43.000 provaate class was Jimmy Johnston he went to three ten 724 00:39:43.079 --> 00:39:47.239 engine and we had a multiple out. They were first 725 00:39:47.320 --> 00:39:51.119 due and Joe Keller and I had to go search 726 00:39:51.199 --> 00:39:53.599 for him and we found them dead up on the 727 00:39:53.719 --> 00:39:58.639 upper floor with an MSA mask also, that's all. And 728 00:39:58.719 --> 00:40:01.559 I gave him out the mouth, but he didn't come back, 729 00:40:01.599 --> 00:40:05.440 and that was that was the first time personally I 730 00:40:05.480 --> 00:40:09.199 had a dead fireman. So that was that was a 731 00:40:09.199 --> 00:40:11.800 tough one for sure. There. Then, of course much later 732 00:40:11.880 --> 00:40:14.800 on they put one seventy four in there. But uh, 733 00:40:14.840 --> 00:40:19.159 this guy was good as gold, you know. But that's 734 00:40:19.199 --> 00:40:22.760 part of our history for sure. But no, I didn't know. 735 00:40:23.159 --> 00:40:25.719 In fact, when I went to eleven, Uh, there were 736 00:40:25.719 --> 00:40:27.039 Bill Dunn was there too. 737 00:40:27.440 --> 00:40:27.719 He was. 738 00:40:28.039 --> 00:40:31.519 We had Bill done and another guy, Ray Nybro. They 739 00:40:31.519 --> 00:40:33.480 were the tallest firemen I ever saw in my life, 740 00:40:33.519 --> 00:40:36.840 these guys. And when we go on drill, I say, 741 00:40:37.000 --> 00:40:40.039 this is true, he said. I said, let's tell the captain. 742 00:40:40.119 --> 00:40:41.800 We'll go up on the roof and cut the roof. 743 00:40:41.920 --> 00:40:44.079 Because we had the vacant buildings, you know, start and 744 00:40:44.119 --> 00:40:48.519 starting a lot of them, and we didn't cut roofs open. 745 00:40:48.599 --> 00:40:51.360 Then we had you had two inches of the top 746 00:40:51.400 --> 00:40:54.320 paper and you're gonna cut this thing with an axe. 747 00:40:54.639 --> 00:40:57.000 I don't think so. So we used to do a 748 00:40:57.000 --> 00:40:59.960 lot of polling ceilings. But I said, anyway, I said, 749 00:41:00.119 --> 00:41:01.639 you know, show me how you do this stuff, because 750 00:41:01.639 --> 00:41:03.639 we didn't do it the rescue either, you know, we 751 00:41:03.679 --> 00:41:07.159 didn't have a sore or anything. A lot of it 752 00:41:07.199 --> 00:41:10.280 was pulling ceilings, particularly in row frames and stuff like that. 753 00:41:10.320 --> 00:41:13.360 You'd just go from building the building, pulling ceilings and 754 00:41:13.679 --> 00:41:17.119 having an engine follow you. But we did some of 755 00:41:17.159 --> 00:41:20.719 that there. And I remember, like I said, we had 756 00:41:20.719 --> 00:41:23.679 the fifty eight Mac there and I never went to 757 00:41:23.719 --> 00:41:25.840 show for school because I was on a lieutenant's list 758 00:41:25.920 --> 00:41:28.800 by that time and they wouldn't send me. But I 759 00:41:28.920 --> 00:41:31.639 was a tileman there in eleven trucks. That that was good. 760 00:41:32.360 --> 00:41:35.719 And we had one show for Joe Carber. If I 761 00:41:35.800 --> 00:41:38.360 held the wheel straight, he would back the whole rig 762 00:41:38.440 --> 00:41:41.480 in on Second Street. He'd do all the turns and 763 00:41:41.519 --> 00:41:43.960 everything like that. I said, the hell did you do this? 764 00:41:44.360 --> 00:41:45.400 But he did it, you know, I. 765 00:41:45.400 --> 00:41:48.079 Said, killd skill let man. 766 00:41:48.519 --> 00:41:48.880 Yeah. 767 00:41:48.880 --> 00:41:50.679 And then once in a while you'd get the wooden 768 00:41:50.719 --> 00:41:53.840 aerials for a spare. That was always a challenge with 769 00:41:53.880 --> 00:41:57.440 the overhang of the ladders in the back and we 770 00:41:57.519 --> 00:42:01.000 had an old show for there at George Highes and 771 00:42:01.119 --> 00:42:03.440 he said, I said, George, take it these going around 772 00:42:03.480 --> 00:42:06.360 his corners. He said, I got the front through that 773 00:42:06.880 --> 00:42:11.519 you back there, you fellow, no sympathy at all, but 774 00:42:12.880 --> 00:42:16.159 you learned. Uh, truck worked pretty quick there. Then of 775 00:42:16.159 --> 00:42:19.239 course we did have the fires, there's no doubt about it. 776 00:42:19.719 --> 00:42:22.079 And on average, how many jobs would you go to? 777 00:42:22.320 --> 00:42:23.880 I mean, we work at twenty fours? Then are you 778 00:42:23.920 --> 00:42:27.960 working straight tours? 779 00:42:28.760 --> 00:42:32.119 I'm we were working straight tours. You could of course 780 00:42:32.159 --> 00:42:36.719 get mutuals and then uh rescue, we're straight tours too. 781 00:42:37.119 --> 00:42:39.639 Very it wasn't a big thing to get mutuals for 782 00:42:39.679 --> 00:42:44.639 some reason. It came later, thank god. But straight tours 783 00:42:44.840 --> 00:42:47.760 and uh, that's so true. I'm trying to think of 784 00:42:48.079 --> 00:42:53.000 the runs. It wasn't overwhelming, but we were first do 785 00:42:53.159 --> 00:42:54.840 a lot. That was That was the big thing. 786 00:42:55.440 --> 00:42:57.920 And have you ever been down there? 787 00:42:58.679 --> 00:42:58.920 Yeah? 788 00:42:59.360 --> 00:43:03.400 That city, right, I mean yes, tight with like whatever. 789 00:43:03.400 --> 00:43:07.159 They were four five sixty, just big buildings attached the 790 00:43:07.199 --> 00:43:08.800 hallway like everywhere. 791 00:43:08.880 --> 00:43:09.880 Right, It's incredible. 792 00:43:10.199 --> 00:43:12.199 It was an education too. You go in the old 793 00:43:12.239 --> 00:43:16.800 lord tenement and each floor a lot of them there 794 00:43:16.559 --> 00:43:19.000 were they weren't broken up into four on a floor. 795 00:43:19.039 --> 00:43:23.239 There were still the railroad flats and between the doors, say, 796 00:43:23.280 --> 00:43:26.519 the kitchen door in the rear for the each apartmente 797 00:43:26.519 --> 00:43:28.760 the side of the hallway, that's where the bathroom was 798 00:43:29.440 --> 00:43:32.920 and one door, and both those families used that, is 799 00:43:32.960 --> 00:43:37.840 that right, Yeah, And before that it was outhouses in 800 00:43:37.880 --> 00:43:41.519 the backyards, so that was a verse improvement. And then 801 00:43:41.599 --> 00:43:46.159 other tenements they'd have the bathroom was in between the 802 00:43:46.280 --> 00:43:50.000 kitchens inside the apartment and each door would have a 803 00:43:50.039 --> 00:43:52.480 lock on it, and god knows how many kids and 804 00:43:52.480 --> 00:43:56.119 stuff like that there too, But that's what you lived, and. 805 00:43:56.280 --> 00:43:58.000 It just heavily occupied. 806 00:43:58.000 --> 00:44:02.559 Then very heavily occupied. Yeah, i'd say so. The vacants 807 00:44:02.559 --> 00:44:07.360 were getting more and more for sure. And they found out, 808 00:44:07.360 --> 00:44:11.840 of course later that the landlords, they people weren't taking 809 00:44:11.880 --> 00:44:13.920 care of the apartments and stuff like that, and the 810 00:44:14.000 --> 00:44:16.440 land ward the land ward would have the fire up 811 00:44:16.599 --> 00:44:19.639 for insurance, right. And then sometimes you go into a 812 00:44:19.679 --> 00:44:23.719 flat and they'd have a drop cord from the whole 813 00:44:23.920 --> 00:44:28.360 way light into the apartment for their electricity to the 814 00:44:28.400 --> 00:44:33.559 refrigerator if you want that, but for electricity, you know, ye, 815 00:44:34.000 --> 00:44:34.760 stuff like that. 816 00:44:35.880 --> 00:44:38.039 We've had a few guys come back in that time, 817 00:44:38.159 --> 00:44:40.159 chief from eighteen truck as well. 818 00:44:40.159 --> 00:44:40.440 I frige. 819 00:44:40.519 --> 00:44:43.119 I can't think of names right now, but I didn't 820 00:44:43.119 --> 00:44:46.159 realize how the eighteen well, you know, was that four 821 00:44:46.199 --> 00:44:47.159 pit coves, right. 822 00:44:49.000 --> 00:44:50.519 They were on Broom Street then with. 823 00:44:50.639 --> 00:44:53.239 Separate the guys. You're really busy too, right. 824 00:44:53.199 --> 00:44:56.719 Oh yes, oh, definitely, definitely, And the battalion was with them, 825 00:44:57.320 --> 00:45:00.159 and they had the separate doors. The chief had his 826 00:45:00.199 --> 00:45:03.719 own door. And when I was on I was on 827 00:45:03.719 --> 00:45:07.159 a lieutenants list, and before I got promoted, I used 828 00:45:07.159 --> 00:45:10.400 to fill in driving down there to learn the paperwork 829 00:45:10.440 --> 00:45:13.199 and stuff like that. So I got to see and 830 00:45:13.239 --> 00:45:17.719 they were very busy. I won't say his name, but 831 00:45:17.760 --> 00:45:19.920 when we used to go the guys used to go sick. 832 00:45:20.599 --> 00:45:23.440 They the doctor would come to quarters to check you 833 00:45:23.519 --> 00:45:25.400 before you didn't go to the hospital. He came to 834 00:45:25.480 --> 00:45:27.920 quarters and one of the guy, the guys ever in 835 00:45:28.039 --> 00:45:30.960 eighteen Truck and seventeen lined up waiting to see the doctor. 836 00:45:31.360 --> 00:45:33.079 And one of the guys who won't say his name, 837 00:45:33.360 --> 00:45:36.280 he gets up to doctor Ginsburg and he had been 838 00:45:36.519 --> 00:45:39.440 had a mouthful of oatmeal and he threw up on 839 00:45:39.519 --> 00:45:40.360 the doctor's coat. 840 00:45:43.440 --> 00:45:49.639 Story story was my father was in seventeen engine from 841 00:45:49.679 --> 00:45:50.840 sixty to sixty four. 842 00:45:51.199 --> 00:45:57.519 Oh oh, okay, that was a good engine for sure. Yeah, 843 00:45:57.599 --> 00:46:00.000 and again it was on Broome Street before they moved, 844 00:46:02.440 --> 00:46:04.519 of course there was they were second, du we were 845 00:46:04.559 --> 00:46:06.920 first and second due back and forth. Almost all the 846 00:46:06.960 --> 00:46:10.840 boxes we had, really, and that's crazy. They were very 847 00:46:10.840 --> 00:46:14.719 good Bill Bill Dietrich was there, Joe Sanson was there 848 00:46:14.760 --> 00:46:19.280 as fireman, any number of guys. It was just a 849 00:46:19.320 --> 00:46:23.960 good house also, and the battalion was good. Gus Beekman 850 00:46:24.119 --> 00:46:26.719 was a chief there when I was in the eleven truck, 851 00:46:27.440 --> 00:46:30.840 and then he quickly became a deputy, so he kept 852 00:46:30.880 --> 00:46:31.480 going up too. 853 00:46:32.320 --> 00:46:33.400 How do you remember all the names? 854 00:46:33.480 --> 00:46:37.559 Chief? Still I'm still pretty good with the names, but 855 00:46:37.719 --> 00:46:42.239 not all the time. Now. I'm old enough now, so 856 00:46:44.039 --> 00:46:46.119 when I meet somebody now, if I don't remember the name, 857 00:46:46.159 --> 00:46:50.000 I just say, sorry, what's your name? I'm go I 858 00:46:50.079 --> 00:46:51.199 know you, but what's your name? 859 00:46:51.679 --> 00:46:53.360 Yeah? Yeah, yeah, I just. 860 00:46:53.320 --> 00:46:54.760 Want to see if I have a note here of 861 00:46:54.840 --> 00:47:01.320 anything with eleven. But that was amazing experience in in 862 00:47:01.360 --> 00:47:02.840 the Lower East Side, for sure. 863 00:47:04.280 --> 00:47:06.639 You said Gus Beakman came from over there. 864 00:47:07.000 --> 00:47:08.920 Yeah, he was the chief in the fourth Battalion. 865 00:47:09.039 --> 00:47:12.440 I was wonderful just when when my father was on light. Dude, 866 00:47:12.480 --> 00:47:17.840 he drove Gus Beakman when he became the commissioner. 867 00:47:18.760 --> 00:47:19.360 Hot stuff. 868 00:47:19.519 --> 00:47:21.000 That's probably where they met each other. 869 00:47:21.079 --> 00:47:24.440 Over there, I would say that you met him right there, yes, yeah, 870 00:47:24.480 --> 00:47:28.199 and he was well alive, crazy, Yeah, he was always 871 00:47:28.199 --> 00:47:33.599 in busy. I think Beakman started in fifty eight engine. Yes, 872 00:47:34.159 --> 00:47:41.280 all and well lined, uh capable, you know, just just remarkable, 873 00:47:41.880 --> 00:47:47.159 just going to see uh, let's see. Then I'll go 874 00:47:47.199 --> 00:47:53.800 into getting into twenty eighth. But another thing with eleven 875 00:47:53.840 --> 00:47:57.280 and and twenty we had lots of a fair amount 876 00:47:57.280 --> 00:48:00.119 of reattenements and what the hell are you going the 877 00:48:00.159 --> 00:48:02.480 rear tenement in the backyard of an old lawer tenement. 878 00:48:03.119 --> 00:48:07.679 But they told me I'd listened that the rear tendement 879 00:48:07.800 --> 00:48:10.760 was built first with the front yard, and then later 880 00:48:10.920 --> 00:48:13.639 they built a new tenement in front of it. Right. 881 00:48:13.760 --> 00:48:16.000 We had them on Avenue C. We had them on 882 00:48:16.800 --> 00:48:21.119 Tenth Street above Tompkins Square Park. Stuff like that experience, 883 00:48:21.159 --> 00:48:23.840 because anything you did you had a carrier and the 884 00:48:24.039 --> 00:48:27.440 waterable ladders back there, which tell you truth, we never 885 00:48:27.480 --> 00:48:30.119 had to do too much of that. So that was fortunate. 886 00:48:30.239 --> 00:48:33.719 I mean, didn't need it that often. The engine would 887 00:48:33.719 --> 00:48:36.960 put it out, that's all. You better get busy and 888 00:48:37.000 --> 00:48:37.199 put it. 889 00:48:37.280 --> 00:48:39.440 We were usually smaller buildings, right than. 890 00:48:39.960 --> 00:48:42.679 Yeah, there were probably three or four story. 891 00:48:42.760 --> 00:48:46.519 Yes, we had them by us, ruffy and a couple 892 00:48:46.599 --> 00:48:46.920 of them. 893 00:48:47.000 --> 00:48:49.000 Yeah, just to put them on the sidge chief so 894 00:48:49.079 --> 00:48:52.320 that uh, you know obviously. 895 00:48:51.840 --> 00:48:56.920 Of course, yeah, of course, that's right. Yeah. Yeah. There 896 00:48:56.960 --> 00:48:58.880 was so much to learn there and to listen to 897 00:48:58.960 --> 00:49:05.320 these guys with it just different, you know. They the 898 00:49:05.400 --> 00:49:08.159 old timers were there for years and they watched that 899 00:49:08.199 --> 00:49:14.480 whole neighborhood change completely from just nice. Oh. Also in 900 00:49:14.519 --> 00:49:18.199 the fifties, the whole east side there from Avenue Deer 901 00:49:18.639 --> 00:49:22.599 to the river was commercial, and with their urban renewal, 902 00:49:23.079 --> 00:49:27.920 they ripped all those commercials down, commercial building and built 903 00:49:27.960 --> 00:49:31.880 the projects. Talk about getting experience in projects, whoa boy, 904 00:49:32.559 --> 00:49:34.880 And they had them all up Avenue D and across 905 00:49:35.000 --> 00:49:39.159 the other side Columbia Street and Sheriff And in fact, 906 00:49:39.199 --> 00:49:42.119 when I was in sixty five engine, many afternoons you'd 907 00:49:42.159 --> 00:49:44.719 be on watch and we had one of those little 908 00:49:44.719 --> 00:49:49.760 halcraft the radios and you hear that, I forget the 909 00:49:49.880 --> 00:49:51.639 term they use. I don't think they use the term 910 00:49:51.840 --> 00:49:54.960 using all hands, but whatever. It was almost every afternoon 911 00:49:55.159 --> 00:49:57.360 that I'd be on watch to hear this stuff. They 912 00:49:57.440 --> 00:50:00.800 have a fire at box two ninety two Sheriff Brington Street. 913 00:50:01.239 --> 00:50:03.840 I said, where the hell is this? And it was 914 00:50:03.960 --> 00:50:06.719 vacants and there were so many of them. They used 915 00:50:06.760 --> 00:50:10.039 to have an engine patrol that would drive around and 916 00:50:10.079 --> 00:50:14.159 you hear nothing. And then by the time the engine 917 00:50:14.239 --> 00:50:17.360 driving around looking for things, they'd go back to quarters 918 00:50:17.639 --> 00:50:20.079 the box had come in. Somebody sought the fire after 919 00:50:20.199 --> 00:50:25.000 they went by. But just interesting, just that's pretty crazy. Yeah, 920 00:50:25.440 --> 00:50:26.719 great crazy stuff there. 921 00:50:26.760 --> 00:50:30.760 But in those sixties, when did the riots take place? 922 00:50:30.800 --> 00:50:32.760 What was the middle sixties? 923 00:50:32.920 --> 00:50:36.719 They I'll tell you, I didn't rescue two in sixty 924 00:50:36.800 --> 00:50:40.559 four in the summer, and we're responding to a box 925 00:50:40.599 --> 00:50:43.920 in Brownsville, multiple and we got out to Fulton Street, 926 00:50:44.760 --> 00:50:46.719 say two in the morning, it doesn't matter when. But 927 00:50:47.079 --> 00:50:48.840 and all of a sudden there was wall to wall 928 00:50:48.920 --> 00:50:52.559 people and I think that Hamilton was working. He called 929 00:50:52.599 --> 00:50:56.559 dispatcher and he said, we're stuck here. There's what's going on. 930 00:50:57.360 --> 00:51:00.719 And the dispatcher had no idea of all these people 931 00:51:01.119 --> 00:51:05.480 all over Brooklyn in Bedstein and stuff like that in Brownsville, 932 00:51:05.960 --> 00:51:09.440 not really causing trouble trouble, but block on every street. 933 00:51:09.639 --> 00:51:13.400 It was incredible. And that one he Aspatters said, they 934 00:51:13.440 --> 00:51:15.679 go back to quarters. He said, I'll have to find 935 00:51:15.679 --> 00:51:18.960 out what's going on, and then he called the police 936 00:51:18.960 --> 00:51:21.559 department to say. I said, oh, yeah, we'll have people 937 00:51:21.880 --> 00:51:24.400 gathering all over the place. And I don't know whether 938 00:51:24.800 --> 00:51:28.880 what started it to kind of early for the Vietnam War. 939 00:51:30.880 --> 00:51:34.719 I don't know, maybe just a social condition, maybe, don't know, 940 00:51:35.480 --> 00:51:37.679 but that was I would say sixty four was my 941 00:51:37.840 --> 00:51:42.239 first experience with that. Yeah, when I got to eleven Truck, 942 00:51:42.800 --> 00:51:46.719 we didn't have that, but we had gangs there that 943 00:51:46.880 --> 00:51:50.480 generally like the Lord something, the Lords was one of 944 00:51:50.519 --> 00:51:53.400 them their names. But they didn't give us trouble there. 945 00:51:54.000 --> 00:51:56.760 They'd go to other areas, then they come back to 946 00:51:56.800 --> 00:51:58.559 where they lived on the Lower East Side. 947 00:51:59.079 --> 00:52:00.559 The warriors did coops. 948 00:52:00.840 --> 00:52:02.360 Warriors come out. 949 00:52:02.239 --> 00:52:06.639 And play well in pacifically. When when I went to 950 00:52:06.679 --> 00:52:10.320 eleven Truck, there were no pharmacies, there were no banks, 951 00:52:10.760 --> 00:52:15.239 there were no supermarkets and not something else. Then all 952 00:52:15.320 --> 00:52:18.519 were shut down or burned down. It was like, what 953 00:52:18.559 --> 00:52:22.000 the hell happened? Here, so if you wanted anything, you 954 00:52:22.039 --> 00:52:24.199 had to go over to like Avenue A or first 955 00:52:24.400 --> 00:52:26.440 avenue for shopping and all. 956 00:52:26.559 --> 00:52:30.599 It was just like somebody dropped the bob over there. 957 00:52:30.639 --> 00:52:33.559 Probably nothing very interesting for sure. 958 00:52:33.920 --> 00:52:37.519 But what was the firehouse like back then? Like was 959 00:52:37.519 --> 00:52:39.719 there a TV in the kitchen? Did you guys? 960 00:52:40.280 --> 00:52:42.920 It was very good, very good. We had we must 961 00:52:42.960 --> 00:52:45.719 have had. We had a kitchen in the back on 962 00:52:45.760 --> 00:52:48.239 the right with the house was built in like nineteen sixty, 963 00:52:48.599 --> 00:52:53.400 just like one eleven and two fourteen almost thing, And 964 00:52:53.440 --> 00:52:55.800 we had a sitting room with the kitchen. We had 965 00:52:55.800 --> 00:53:03.400 a household, guest stove, house, whole refrigerator, two tables and 966 00:53:03.559 --> 00:53:06.480 chairs and that was about it. And had an oil burner, 967 00:53:06.519 --> 00:53:08.079 so that was a break. We didn't have any coal 968 00:53:08.159 --> 00:53:13.000 to do. We had a backyard and a side alley 969 00:53:13.440 --> 00:53:16.679 and on the second floor next to the engine officer. 970 00:53:17.239 --> 00:53:20.519 They had a patio on the second floor, and of 971 00:53:20.559 --> 00:53:23.559 course they had a palm tree grown there. But well 972 00:53:24.079 --> 00:53:27.000 why they ever put a thing something like that there, 973 00:53:27.039 --> 00:53:30.800 I don't know. But and another thing too, in the truck, 974 00:53:30.800 --> 00:53:33.760 I had a guy Charlie O'Brien came from eighteen truck 975 00:53:34.280 --> 00:53:40.000 every Christmas he painted the outside apparatus doors with Christmas 976 00:53:40.000 --> 00:53:45.760 scenes and fyless n nabadad stuff like that, and joined 977 00:53:45.840 --> 00:53:48.039 them with the neighborhood and stuff like that, and they'd 978 00:53:48.039 --> 00:53:51.599 give the kids candy at Christmas time. But he was 979 00:53:51.639 --> 00:53:54.719 a beautiful artist, this guy. I couldn't believe the stuff 980 00:53:54.719 --> 00:53:59.199 he did there. But otherwise inside it was just tile walls. 981 00:53:59.280 --> 00:54:01.679 And uh, that's a lost thing, right coops. 982 00:54:02.440 --> 00:54:04.480 Painting of the apparatus door that was always like a 983 00:54:04.480 --> 00:54:06.239 pretty cool thing to each firehouse. 984 00:54:06.320 --> 00:54:08.400 Different firehouses had it done different ways. 985 00:54:08.440 --> 00:54:08.639 You know. 986 00:54:09.159 --> 00:54:13.079 Yes, it's just the tradition they did and and I 987 00:54:13.119 --> 00:54:14.599 don't know what the rest of the year he had 988 00:54:14.639 --> 00:54:16.679 to take it off. He must have repainted it read 989 00:54:16.760 --> 00:54:17.239 that's all. 990 00:54:17.719 --> 00:54:20.159 Yeah, right, I got to show you a picture, roof. I 991 00:54:20.159 --> 00:54:22.840 got the opposite here two blocks for me. The guy's 992 00:54:22.880 --> 00:54:27.400 painted his garage front garage door to look like Snyder Island. 993 00:54:27.440 --> 00:54:29.400 He must have been for one seventy four truck. It's 994 00:54:29.400 --> 00:54:31.760 a Snyder Island. It has their logo and it looks 995 00:54:31.840 --> 00:54:39.480 like a firehouse door all really yeah, his house, crazy picture. 996 00:54:39.519 --> 00:54:41.000 Yeah you got to take a picture of that man. 997 00:54:41.039 --> 00:54:42.079 Yeah, for sure. 998 00:54:42.679 --> 00:54:42.920 Yeap. 999 00:54:44.199 --> 00:54:47.199 When I was in eleven and I studied and I 1000 00:54:47.400 --> 00:54:51.519 I got to be Lieutenant left one, covering and stuff 1001 00:54:51.559 --> 00:54:56.599 like that. And then the department didn't have a captain's list, 1002 00:54:57.000 --> 00:55:00.800 so they wanted to make provisional captains. And the best 1003 00:55:00.840 --> 00:55:04.360 whoeutendant in twenty eight John Gillen, he was a senior 1004 00:55:04.400 --> 00:55:08.119 guy and probably the best officer there, just attitude and 1005 00:55:08.119 --> 00:55:11.000 stuff like that. He took it and he went to 1006 00:55:11.159 --> 00:55:14.599 be a provisional captain of six truck And like I said, 1007 00:55:14.599 --> 00:55:17.320 in those days, when his name was on the order, 1008 00:55:18.400 --> 00:55:21.039 the guy replacing him would be on that order. So 1009 00:55:21.960 --> 00:55:27.719 I was covering in Brooklyn, covering in Brooklyn, and I 1010 00:55:27.800 --> 00:55:30.840 called Ardie Laufer, who was a deputy in the first Division. 1011 00:55:30.880 --> 00:55:33.440 I don't know whether I don't even know where I 1012 00:55:33.480 --> 00:55:37.079 knew him from, but he was very influential too, and 1013 00:55:37.119 --> 00:55:39.760 I asked him, I said, any possibility I could go 1014 00:55:39.840 --> 00:55:42.239 back to twenty eight And he said, what do you 1015 00:55:42.280 --> 00:55:44.320 want to go back there for? I said, oh, I 1016 00:55:44.440 --> 00:55:48.480 like it there, just whatever. He said, okay. So when 1017 00:55:48.599 --> 00:55:52.239 John Gillen got promoted, he was on the same order 1018 00:55:52.239 --> 00:55:56.519 to twenty eight, and I inherited a senior group of 1019 00:55:56.559 --> 00:55:59.639 his guys because the senior guys work with him, and 1020 00:55:59.679 --> 00:56:05.679 the tru used to call them the professionals. Now now 1021 00:56:05.760 --> 00:56:10.119 I'm the lieutenant of the professionals. But of course I 1022 00:56:10.199 --> 00:56:13.000 knew all them anyway, because they were right, right, right right. 1023 00:56:13.519 --> 00:56:18.559 But and I inherited the best chow oldest chauffeur, Hank Burlock. 1024 00:56:19.119 --> 00:56:24.360 He knew every address, every hydrant, conditioned to the hydrant. 1025 00:56:25.079 --> 00:56:28.280 It was just wonderful there too. And we're talking about 1026 00:56:28.559 --> 00:56:30.760 if you want me to keep on talking about twenty. 1027 00:56:30.440 --> 00:56:32.079 Eight, yeah, of course. 1028 00:56:33.280 --> 00:56:36.679 We're talking about Rescue two being the animal house. Well, 1029 00:56:36.880 --> 00:56:40.800 twenty eight and eleven, there were three different incidents I 1030 00:56:40.880 --> 00:56:44.920 had there myself. We're stretching and crawling into one apartment 1031 00:56:45.360 --> 00:56:47.880 and an iguana crawled out past me. 1032 00:56:50.480 --> 00:56:54.960 Another time like Gonzo, they're all over downhill. 1033 00:56:56.639 --> 00:57:00.400 Another time with a similar situation we were. He then 1034 00:57:00.480 --> 00:57:03.199 that was for sure, we got a job or tour 1035 00:57:03.280 --> 00:57:06.920 whatever every day. But in fact, Jay Jonas, when he 1036 00:57:07.000 --> 00:57:10.119 was covering down there as a lieutenant, he uh, I 1037 00:57:10.159 --> 00:57:12.960 think I told you he was covered in twenty eight 1038 00:57:13.000 --> 00:57:15.719 one day his first day, and he told me later on, 1039 00:57:15.760 --> 00:57:18.360 I said, that was the busiest day I ever had 1040 00:57:18.400 --> 00:57:19.639 in my love and. 1041 00:57:19.559 --> 00:57:22.920 He told us that, yeah, but I told us that. 1042 00:57:23.199 --> 00:57:26.880 Yeah he would. But as we're calling into this other place, 1043 00:57:26.920 --> 00:57:30.559 a bowl constrictor slid past me. One of those, just 1044 00:57:30.639 --> 00:57:32.199 little probably only a couple. 1045 00:57:32.039 --> 00:57:34.280 Of feet long, Yeah, only a couple of feet. 1046 00:57:34.800 --> 00:57:38.239 But the best one was this. We got a box 1047 00:57:38.280 --> 00:57:40.800 to go up Avenue D in Ninth Street, and was 1048 00:57:40.920 --> 00:57:43.440 going up Avenue D. You could see smoke coming out 1049 00:57:43.480 --> 00:57:46.280 of this tenement, and uh, you can see somebody on 1050 00:57:46.320 --> 00:57:49.119 the fire escape. And every time my show for Hank 1051 00:57:49.159 --> 00:57:52.800 Burlock saw smoke, it was pedal to the medal and 1052 00:57:53.079 --> 00:57:55.039 up we go and stuff. And we get up there 1053 00:57:55.559 --> 00:57:59.719 there's a nude woman on the third floor with at 1054 00:58:00.119 --> 00:58:03.519 where the cat is bigger than a bobcat and. 1055 00:58:05.559 --> 00:58:10.639 Which we talking about here where we go here, it. 1056 00:58:13.400 --> 00:58:15.519 Was like, do you give it ten seventy five or 1057 00:58:15.519 --> 00:58:20.559 do you call for the ASPCA at any rate? I 1058 00:58:20.559 --> 00:58:22.719 don't We put the fire out. It was I think 1059 00:58:22.719 --> 00:58:24.719 it was below her or something like that. The truck 1060 00:58:24.719 --> 00:58:28.199 will never get inside, coached back into the apartment, shut 1061 00:58:28.199 --> 00:58:30.920 the door and left the cat out on the fire escape. 1062 00:58:31.800 --> 00:58:35.360 And what a sp A s p c A did 1063 00:58:35.360 --> 00:58:37.559 show up and took it, took over the cat, so 1064 00:58:37.760 --> 00:58:42.559 I figured that the rescue too anyway, But there were 1065 00:58:42.639 --> 00:58:48.440 so many different things there. 1066 00:58:46.239 --> 00:58:47.039 A lot of time there. 1067 00:58:47.119 --> 00:58:50.000 Chief like you're back, so you did almost ten years 1068 00:58:50.039 --> 00:58:50.840 there from fire. 1069 00:58:52.559 --> 00:58:56.599 Yeah, talk about fun times. Huh. Oh, you have the 1070 00:58:57.280 --> 00:59:00.760 busiest night I had there with just a night we 1071 00:59:00.800 --> 00:59:03.639 had thirty five runs. I was going to Florida. The 1072 00:59:03.639 --> 00:59:06.599 next day, we had thirty five runs. We had three 1073 00:59:06.760 --> 00:59:10.039 real wall hands. Two were first due and then the 1074 00:59:10.079 --> 00:59:14.199 second alarm. And that was it. It was like, holy 1075 00:59:14.599 --> 00:59:16.039 was it? That was it? For sure? 1076 00:59:18.280 --> 00:59:20.360 And then you went home and your wife said, all right, 1077 00:59:20.480 --> 00:59:21.719 packed the car, driving. 1078 00:59:21.960 --> 00:59:22.960 Driving down to Florida. 1079 00:59:23.639 --> 00:59:25.920 You got all the way to rockby Mount, Florida the 1080 00:59:25.960 --> 00:59:27.360 next day. 1081 00:59:27.599 --> 00:59:28.320 Holy shit. 1082 00:59:28.480 --> 00:59:31.440 But of course I wasn't eighty nine and either for sure. 1083 00:59:32.360 --> 00:59:37.599 But the drugs started being a real prop down there, right, Yes, 1084 00:59:37.840 --> 00:59:40.320 what year was that? Was that? 1085 00:59:40.400 --> 00:59:44.920 The really the heroine got to be up upper seventies 1086 00:59:44.960 --> 00:59:48.599 into the eighties. And the first one I remember down 1087 00:59:48.639 --> 00:59:51.840 there were overhauling in the apartment and I found these 1088 00:59:51.840 --> 00:59:54.760 two bags look like straw and stuff like that. It 1089 00:59:54.800 --> 00:59:56.880 was marijuana. Of course, what the hell did I know 1090 00:59:57.000 --> 00:59:59.480 at that time? And I gave him to the cops. 1091 01:00:00.039 --> 01:00:02.440 Guy said later the fimers, what don't you give the 1092 01:00:02.480 --> 01:00:07.199 cops the marijuana for? I don't know what this stuff was, 1093 01:00:08.159 --> 01:00:12.239 but I don't know. Oh, in the eight I was 1094 01:00:12.280 --> 01:00:15.599 out of there by this time, but Vinnie Romeo was 1095 01:00:15.639 --> 01:00:18.559 a lieutenant. He was fireing one to eleven. Then came 1096 01:00:18.679 --> 01:00:21.960 back and he was a lieutenant eleven truck and then 1097 01:00:22.000 --> 01:00:24.840 the captain of twenty eight and him and the captain 1098 01:00:24.880 --> 01:00:28.039 of the truck painted a double yellow line across the 1099 01:00:28.079 --> 01:00:31.119 street from the firehouse to tene minutes across the street, 1100 01:00:31.519 --> 01:00:34.119 and that's where the heroin addicts used to line up, 1101 01:00:34.760 --> 01:00:37.000 and they'd be wandering over there and stuff like that, 1102 01:00:37.360 --> 01:00:40.719 and when the dealer came to sell it, the deal 1103 01:00:40.760 --> 01:00:44.679 would blow a whistle and they'd all line up by. 1104 01:00:44.800 --> 01:00:47.119 And the police knew it, but they knew where the 1105 01:00:47.199 --> 01:00:51.199 heroine was, so they figured they had to control. And 1106 01:00:51.519 --> 01:00:53.880 it got so bad in front of the firehouse the 1107 01:00:54.960 --> 01:00:58.159 truck over to the engine put an easy chair, and 1108 01:00:58.239 --> 01:01:02.039 one year they had two hundred and eighty seven overdoses 1109 01:01:02.079 --> 01:01:05.199 in that chair oly ship. And that was before we 1110 01:01:05.280 --> 01:01:08.599 had the ambulances. So that the other ambulances would give 1111 01:01:08.639 --> 01:01:12.280 the fireman some kind of shot to give these guys, 1112 01:01:12.599 --> 01:01:15.320 and the fireman would give them a shot and revive them. 1113 01:01:17.519 --> 01:01:21.480 One day there was a relocating truck company there and 1114 01:01:21.559 --> 01:01:23.960 they had one of these incidents take place and they 1115 01:01:24.000 --> 01:01:26.800 gave the guy the treatment and ship like that, and 1116 01:01:27.079 --> 01:01:29.840 when eleven came back, they said to him, Yeah, we 1117 01:01:30.000 --> 01:01:31.960 just had this guy overdose here and then we did 1118 01:01:32.000 --> 01:01:34.000 this and we're going to the Lieuten's gonna put him 1119 01:01:34.000 --> 01:01:50.280 for a unicitation the hell out of yesterday. The other 1120 01:01:50.320 --> 01:01:56.239 part was, of course the engine had what the hell 1121 01:01:56.280 --> 01:02:01.639 did we record? Were used to switch companies change interchange truck. 1122 01:02:02.079 --> 01:02:05.039 The truck didn't have it, but eighteen truck had it. 1123 01:02:06.159 --> 01:02:08.679 A little side store. I'm getting on too, uh. They 1124 01:02:08.800 --> 01:02:12.559 used to interchange Hunt eighteen interchange with eight truck, so 1125 01:02:12.719 --> 01:02:16.239 eight truck would come over invariably they'd hit cars there 1126 01:02:16.280 --> 01:02:19.760 with the things, and the people always figured it was 1127 01:02:19.960 --> 01:02:22.920 eighteen truck. They said, no, the eight was on it, 1128 01:02:23.039 --> 01:02:27.119 you know, naturally. But anyway, our interchange company was thirty 1129 01:02:27.199 --> 01:02:30.559 two engine and the first night we went down there, 1130 01:02:31.039 --> 01:02:34.800 the refrigerator had a lock on it, so chauffeur went 1131 01:02:34.800 --> 01:02:36.880 out got the boat cutters. I was ended that one, 1132 01:02:37.920 --> 01:02:41.519 but it was also if you had twenty runs before midnight, 1133 01:02:42.079 --> 01:02:44.480 I had to call the deputy and tell them and 1134 01:02:44.639 --> 01:02:47.880 we went interchange then. So the trick there was I 1135 01:02:47.960 --> 01:02:51.199 had all the slips of the runs under my tide 1136 01:02:51.280 --> 01:02:53.400 pin and I just didn't put them in a book 1137 01:02:53.519 --> 01:02:55.960 till three in the morning, so we didn't have to go, 1138 01:02:56.320 --> 01:02:58.400 so that was good. But every other night you did 1139 01:02:58.480 --> 01:03:00.880 have to go, and that was there's always a tussle 1140 01:03:01.280 --> 01:03:04.960 who wanted to stay back and oh my god, and 1141 01:03:05.639 --> 01:03:08.159 when we were interchanging with them, we used to have 1142 01:03:08.280 --> 01:03:11.559 to go. The World Trade Center was being built, so 1143 01:03:11.880 --> 01:03:14.719 on multi unit drill. Since we were an interchange company 1144 01:03:14.760 --> 01:03:16.960 for thirty two engine we had to get down and 1145 01:03:17.039 --> 01:03:20.599 do the drill, which was very interesting of course, and 1146 01:03:20.920 --> 01:03:23.280 they would put us in the basement and we'd get 1147 01:03:23.280 --> 01:03:27.599 down a huge earth ramp and the brakes squeal and 1148 01:03:27.679 --> 01:03:30.280 the whole time getting down there. One time down there 1149 01:03:30.320 --> 01:03:32.159 we found the leak in the settling tank, so that 1150 01:03:32.440 --> 01:03:35.760 was something but interesting. We'd get down there, there were 1151 01:03:36.199 --> 01:03:40.199 cement trucks down there were just the barrel and then 1152 01:03:40.239 --> 01:03:43.400 they'd make the cement and then as the taller they got, 1153 01:03:43.440 --> 01:03:48.840 they'd hoist the cement truck up. Also, just the crazy 1154 01:03:48.880 --> 01:03:52.320 stuff you got to see was just good, you know, 1155 01:03:53.440 --> 01:03:59.480 very very interesting for sure. But they also the Lower 1156 01:03:59.480 --> 01:04:02.440 east Side, as busy as we were, we never got 1157 01:04:02.679 --> 01:04:08.480 the trucks, never got adaptive response either. And the the 1158 01:04:08.639 --> 01:04:11.159 one the confinement they used to get the one tour 1159 01:04:11.199 --> 01:04:13.679 of overtime, our guys would have to go to the 1160 01:04:13.760 --> 01:04:17.039 Bronx for it. We didn't couldn't fill our own companies 1161 01:04:17.119 --> 01:04:19.920 or how to go elsewhere. Just an odd paperwork thing, 1162 01:04:20.159 --> 01:04:23.800 that type of thing, and we also didn't get. At 1163 01:04:23.840 --> 01:04:26.199 one time they set up a thing for the busy 1164 01:04:26.239 --> 01:04:30.280 companies to give him an administrative aid, which we didn't get. 1165 01:04:30.880 --> 01:04:33.679 So what I did. We had a guy had a 1166 01:04:33.760 --> 01:04:35.719 lot of trouble at home with his wife and stuff 1167 01:04:35.760 --> 01:04:39.639 like that. So I called the battalion. I said, Chief, 1168 01:04:39.719 --> 01:04:44.039 I'm following the orders on't that's paid circle here, So 1169 01:04:44.199 --> 01:04:46.679 I want to let you know what administrative aid we have. 1170 01:04:47.519 --> 01:04:49.360 So I gave him the guy's name and Chief said, okay, 1171 01:04:49.840 --> 01:04:53.880 okay with us. So the guy worked administrative aid until 1172 01:04:53.960 --> 01:04:57.599 his wife got better and heat come in sometimes. But 1173 01:04:57.719 --> 01:05:00.239 then make a long story short, you just how to 1174 01:05:00.480 --> 01:05:02.960 deal with the situation and it worked. 1175 01:05:03.039 --> 01:05:04.800 You know, the guy one of the brothers. 1176 01:05:05.199 --> 01:05:07.480 Yeah, that's all taking care of him in this case. 1177 01:05:07.599 --> 01:05:11.920 What a perfect solution. But somehow the Lower East Side 1178 01:05:12.280 --> 01:05:15.039 well as busy as we were. Of course we were 1179 01:05:15.079 --> 01:05:18.159 the business and the whole division just the way it was. 1180 01:05:18.800 --> 01:05:22.280 But we'd been on all the BI programs and tips 1181 01:05:22.360 --> 01:05:25.360 programs and stuff like that, and you had to do 1182 01:05:25.480 --> 01:05:26.119 the paperwork. 1183 01:05:26.320 --> 01:05:28.800 So Chief, how did you I wanted to ask you 1184 01:05:28.880 --> 01:05:29.320 this before. 1185 01:05:30.119 --> 01:05:33.119 How was it coming back as a boss to the 1186 01:05:33.199 --> 01:05:35.920 company that you just came out of as a fire fireman? 1187 01:05:36.079 --> 01:05:37.280 Was it a little weird initially? 1188 01:05:37.519 --> 01:05:37.679 Was it? 1189 01:05:38.039 --> 01:05:40.119 Did you take some time to get you. 1190 01:05:40.159 --> 01:05:43.199 Know, that's a good question. It was a very good question. 1191 01:05:43.480 --> 01:05:45.960 If I one come back. One of the guys in 1192 01:05:46.039 --> 01:05:49.280 the truck, Bob said what he said, Jack, what the 1193 01:05:49.280 --> 01:05:52.000 hell are you coming back here for? He said, I said, Bob, 1194 01:05:52.079 --> 01:05:54.119 I like it here, you know, I like all you 1195 01:05:54.239 --> 01:05:58.679 guys it. I was straight as an arrow, as a 1196 01:05:58.760 --> 01:06:01.519 fireman and stuff like that. I would do the committee work, 1197 01:06:01.559 --> 01:06:03.599 I do this, and you know, stuff like that. And 1198 01:06:04.079 --> 01:06:08.880 I was accepted better that way, no particular problem. And 1199 01:06:10.920 --> 01:06:14.199 it was I guess I was lucky because I took 1200 01:06:14.239 --> 01:06:16.559 over this senior group of guys that I had worked 1201 01:06:16.599 --> 01:06:21.199 with as firemen, and it was okay, But actually everything 1202 01:06:21.320 --> 01:06:23.440 was loo. It was never jack. 1203 01:06:23.599 --> 01:06:25.880 It just yeah. They never put you in a position 1204 01:06:26.119 --> 01:06:27.480 to make it feel like that. 1205 01:06:28.000 --> 01:06:30.519 Like I say, with most things in the fire department, 1206 01:06:30.559 --> 01:06:34.239 I always believe that too. Everything works out of mutual respect. 1207 01:06:34.679 --> 01:06:39.519 It just works no matter what. So yes, go ahead. 1208 01:06:40.280 --> 01:06:42.639 Had you been studying this whole time for captain while 1209 01:06:42.679 --> 01:06:43.159 you were there? 1210 01:06:43.840 --> 01:06:50.360 Or yes? I did. And I'm trying to think how 1211 01:06:50.480 --> 01:06:53.159 that took place. I didn't come out on top of 1212 01:06:53.239 --> 01:06:55.800 that list whatever. I guess it didn't study enough, but 1213 01:06:55.880 --> 01:06:57.400 it finally it come out more. 1214 01:06:57.320 --> 01:06:58.880 Than three jobs at night. How the hell are you 1215 01:06:58.920 --> 01:06:59.440 going to study? 1216 01:06:59.559 --> 01:07:01.639 Yeah didn't you didn't? Oh? 1217 01:07:01.880 --> 01:07:05.360 And I used to go route a quick look at this? 1218 01:07:07.000 --> 01:07:11.159 Yeah, all right, four to carry them all. 1219 01:07:11.280 --> 01:07:14.840 And I was a smoker there too, so when I 1220 01:07:14.920 --> 01:07:17.840 was working, i'd smoke two packs a day. All we 1221 01:07:18.000 --> 01:07:22.400 run you a little cigarette, right, that's all salam and 1222 01:07:22.480 --> 01:07:23.320 you come back. Yeah. 1223 01:07:24.280 --> 01:07:24.400 Uh. 1224 01:07:25.039 --> 01:07:28.960 Anyway, I did that, got on the list, got promoted, 1225 01:07:29.440 --> 01:07:32.639 and I got assigned to In fact, when I got 1226 01:07:32.719 --> 01:07:35.079 a sign promote to lieutenant was the first time I 1227 01:07:35.159 --> 01:07:38.920 worked on Staten Island. I became a covering relief lieutenant 1228 01:07:39.039 --> 01:07:41.559 on Staten Island in my old neighborhood where I grew up. 1229 01:07:41.840 --> 01:07:44.280 Was two of the houses or tow of the companies. 1230 01:07:44.480 --> 01:07:46.719 But that was the only time I worked on Staten Island. 1231 01:07:47.360 --> 01:07:49.519 But when I got promoted the captain, I was a 1232 01:07:49.559 --> 01:07:53.400 relief captain in Coney Island, forty third Battalion, and I 1233 01:07:53.480 --> 01:07:56.800 had six of the companies and I loved them there. 1234 01:07:58.559 --> 01:08:01.400 That was a funny place. One house was superb, the 1235 01:08:01.480 --> 01:08:04.400 next one was real good, and the other one was okay. 1236 01:08:05.840 --> 01:08:08.079 But it worked. And that one. 1237 01:08:08.239 --> 01:08:08.360 Oh. 1238 01:08:08.440 --> 01:08:11.360 By that time they had the Arizano Bridge, so. 1239 01:08:12.280 --> 01:08:13.280 That makes life easy. 1240 01:08:13.519 --> 01:08:16.680 Yeah, And depending what company I was working then, with 1241 01:08:16.840 --> 01:08:19.199 the guys, I could even get in the car pool 1242 01:08:19.319 --> 01:08:22.159 or drive them back and forth. So Coney Island was 1243 01:08:22.199 --> 01:08:25.079 pretty close from Staten Island, so that worked out good. 1244 01:08:25.640 --> 01:08:29.119 And I was covering there and I moved up. That 1245 01:08:29.239 --> 01:08:31.000 was the when I moved out of Staten Island, moved 1246 01:08:31.079 --> 01:08:35.960 up to Bloomingberg in New York seventy two and the 1247 01:08:36.079 --> 01:08:40.000 last tour I worked was as a relief captain in 1248 01:08:40.359 --> 01:08:44.319 Coney Island. The next Saturday, I got assigned to the 1249 01:08:44.359 --> 01:08:48.239 fifth division covering So what a lucky break that was too. 1250 01:08:48.600 --> 01:08:51.239 Staten Island was over one hundred miles to go from Bloomingburg. 1251 01:08:53.640 --> 01:08:55.439 Saying that too when I was a little ten. 1252 01:08:58.760 --> 01:09:05.640 Lucky my little Volkswagen, right, yeah, yeah, you kept a 1253 01:09:05.680 --> 01:09:10.359 few and who were doing straight tours then too, So yeah, 1254 01:09:10.479 --> 01:09:12.640 that was that was that was tough. 1255 01:09:13.079 --> 01:09:17.760 But at any rate, Let's see I got assigned to 1256 01:09:17.800 --> 01:09:21.600 the fifth Division. I'm covering up there, and Chief Fogy 1257 01:09:21.680 --> 01:09:24.680 called me, uh, Jack Fogary he was a captain of 1258 01:09:24.760 --> 01:09:28.680 twenty eight years before I was there, and uh and 1259 01:09:28.800 --> 01:09:32.439 then oh yeah, the connect well, he was a deputy 1260 01:09:32.520 --> 01:09:34.680 then in the first and he'd come over for his 1261 01:09:34.880 --> 01:09:39.920 visits and he treated the engine like the super guys 1262 01:09:40.119 --> 01:09:41.199 and he'd pick on the truck. 1263 01:09:41.640 --> 01:09:43.000 There were professionals. That's why. 1264 01:09:43.239 --> 01:09:48.319 Yeah, that's he said, Jack, I want you to come 1265 01:09:48.359 --> 01:09:51.840 down at the headquarters. He was in the assistant to 1266 01:09:51.960 --> 01:09:55.319 John o'hagen in the Chief Department's office, and they had 1267 01:09:55.359 --> 01:09:59.920 an office in there they called Pandora Planning in Operations Research, 1268 01:10:00.560 --> 01:10:02.359 And he said, why don't you come down here and 1269 01:10:02.439 --> 01:10:05.880 work here for six months and you know, do something. 1270 01:10:06.079 --> 01:10:09.199 And what we were doing there were rewriting bulletins. They 1271 01:10:09.319 --> 01:10:13.439 rewrote the bulletin on tower ladders, which I never worked 1272 01:10:13.479 --> 01:10:16.640 in the tower ladder, so I wasn't going to continue 1273 01:10:16.680 --> 01:10:19.279 too much. Except we used to call up the tower 1274 01:10:19.359 --> 01:10:21.720 ladders and ask him what should we put in this thing? 1275 01:10:22.479 --> 01:10:25.920 And we did all you init circulars stuff like that, 1276 01:10:26.720 --> 01:10:29.800 and then luckily he said, I was there for six months. 1277 01:10:31.239 --> 01:10:34.000 Thirty truck was well. I used to have to take 1278 01:10:34.039 --> 01:10:38.000 the train from Middletown to headquarters and I leave the 1279 01:10:38.079 --> 01:10:40.479 house at five thirty in the morning, get home seven 1280 01:10:40.560 --> 01:10:43.840 thirty at night, and my wife had all the kids 1281 01:10:43.920 --> 01:10:44.640 waiting for dinner. 1282 01:10:45.239 --> 01:10:48.439 So he wrote some of those books, chief, Yes, yeah. 1283 01:10:48.640 --> 01:10:50.920 I wrote one a little bit later. I'll tell you too. 1284 01:10:52.279 --> 01:10:52.520 With that. 1285 01:10:53.039 --> 01:10:57.279 What happened there? The captain of thirty truck, Joe Pettitt, 1286 01:10:57.720 --> 01:11:00.760 was getting promoted, and yeah. 1287 01:11:00.920 --> 01:11:02.119 There you go, a. 1288 01:11:05.039 --> 01:11:08.680 What chief Fog, I said, I've been here six months now, jeep, 1289 01:11:08.720 --> 01:11:11.479 He said, the thirty truck is opening up, and I 1290 01:11:11.640 --> 01:11:13.880 checked up on it and he said nobody put in 1291 01:11:14.039 --> 01:11:18.359 for it. So Fog he called a transfer desk and 1292 01:11:18.720 --> 01:11:22.119 Maddy Hennessy was over there, who also retired from a 1293 01:11:22.520 --> 01:11:26.680 was a fireman hunting five truck also, But anyway, by 1294 01:11:26.720 --> 01:11:28.960 the way, one hundred and five truck, as you know, 1295 01:11:29.560 --> 01:11:33.720 that's the west point of Brooklyn, right and eleven truck, 1296 01:11:33.840 --> 01:11:36.560 which I didn't know at the time because things were different. 1297 01:11:37.119 --> 01:11:39.840 Now their name they're twenty eight and eleven is House 1298 01:11:39.920 --> 01:11:44.199 of Rules and the senior guys run the house from 1299 01:11:44.239 --> 01:11:48.960 the kitchen, and the offices run everything upstairs. And it 1300 01:11:49.079 --> 01:11:52.520 works like a charm. Isn't that amazing? House of rules 1301 01:11:52.560 --> 01:11:55.640 in all this and everybody had to contend to it. 1302 01:11:55.720 --> 01:11:59.479 But anyway, he said, okay, I'll let you go, and 1303 01:11:59.680 --> 01:12:03.680 I got the thirty truck. When I was there, Bill 1304 01:12:03.760 --> 01:12:07.279 Fien was the captain of fifty nine engine and we 1305 01:12:07.399 --> 01:12:11.239 were ProBiS together too, and personal friends. So that worked 1306 01:12:11.279 --> 01:12:14.640 out good. Except one day Fogarty came up. I don't 1307 01:12:14.640 --> 01:12:16.239 know what I think it was, coming up just to 1308 01:12:16.279 --> 01:12:19.279 see him and I and whatever was going on. He 1309 01:12:19.359 --> 01:12:22.159 didn't like, so he got the tools and he said, 1310 01:12:22.439 --> 01:12:24.159 next time I come back up here for a visit. 1311 01:12:24.479 --> 01:12:28.640 If things aren't better, you two are gone. But what 1312 01:12:28.840 --> 01:12:29.439 the what the hell? 1313 01:12:29.960 --> 01:12:31.840 Oh cool? Could you imagine? 1314 01:12:31.960 --> 01:12:34.359 Let me let let's turn back the clock going to 1315 01:12:34.560 --> 01:12:41.199 thirty truck in nineteen seventy three. No, could you even 1316 01:12:41.399 --> 01:12:44.039 comprehend what the hell was going on. 1317 01:12:45.960 --> 01:12:49.479 In nineteen seventy three, could you do? I can't even 1318 01:12:49.720 --> 01:12:51.079 imagine something. 1319 01:12:51.199 --> 01:12:55.279 Yes, the buildings started getting built bigger. They had a 1320 01:12:55.319 --> 01:13:00.199 lot of MDA's there. They were, I would say, even 1321 01:13:00.199 --> 01:13:02.920 in the Lower east Side had plenty of chefs and 1322 01:13:03.199 --> 01:13:05.279 tenements and stuff like that. In fact, we had one 1323 01:13:05.399 --> 01:13:07.840 chef the guy was growing chickens on the Lower east Side, 1324 01:13:08.279 --> 01:13:11.680 but off of his fourth floor window he put a platform. 1325 01:13:12.000 --> 01:13:14.760 But in Harlem, I have to say they had more 1326 01:13:14.880 --> 01:13:18.039 chefts than anything holy with old lord teneants, four story 1327 01:13:18.079 --> 01:13:22.359 buildings with chaffs. I had one fifth alarm there. It 1328 01:13:22.520 --> 01:13:26.800 in bulowed three old law tenements because the middle old 1329 01:13:26.840 --> 01:13:29.800 Lord tenement had the fire and went out the windows 1330 01:13:29.880 --> 01:13:32.439 and then across the shafts, and then it burned across 1331 01:13:32.479 --> 01:13:35.239 the hallways to the other one. And that those chefts, 1332 01:13:35.680 --> 01:13:38.720 it was like holy shit. And while I was there, 1333 01:13:38.760 --> 01:13:40.880 they had two of them, two fifth alarms, and those 1334 01:13:42.920 --> 01:13:46.520 guys were good. We ran with twenty eight and sixty 1335 01:13:46.640 --> 01:13:48.479 nine most of the time. 1336 01:13:48.640 --> 01:13:50.199 And who was that. 1337 01:13:53.680 --> 01:14:03.840 Hlton Harlem Hill, Yes, I know, thirty was the Harlem 1338 01:14:04.000 --> 01:14:08.880 zoo and I tried to get a change. Different guys there. 1339 01:14:09.119 --> 01:14:12.800 We're talking about twenty six truck was the fire factory, 1340 01:14:13.359 --> 01:14:15.399 so we're thinking about this and shit like that. And 1341 01:14:15.479 --> 01:14:18.880 I said, somebody come up with we'll be the fire machine. 1342 01:14:19.520 --> 01:14:25.079 But it didn't work. They still kept for sure, but 1343 01:14:25.479 --> 01:14:27.359 it's in the sidewalk out in front of the when 1344 01:14:27.399 --> 01:14:29.279 I put in new doors. We put it in his 1345 01:14:29.399 --> 01:14:34.039 cement to fire machine. But it never worked. But tough 1346 01:14:34.119 --> 01:14:35.399 engines up there, I'll say that. 1347 01:14:35.479 --> 01:14:35.880 I mean. 1348 01:14:37.479 --> 01:14:40.680 You might know Marty Coin. He was one of my lieutenants, 1349 01:14:42.199 --> 01:14:45.600 Dick Gilroy, Bob Conrad. I can't give you all these 1350 01:14:45.640 --> 01:14:49.920 different names of Maddy Baker and the engine and Tom Farady, 1351 01:14:50.399 --> 01:14:52.840 but you have to say we were second do a lot. 1352 01:14:53.119 --> 01:14:56.720 So we'd go up and sixty nine would have the 1353 01:14:56.760 --> 01:14:58.880 hallway saying a new law tenement and something like that. 1354 01:14:59.520 --> 01:15:03.159 You always he felt confident going above. They weren't going 1355 01:15:03.199 --> 01:15:06.960 to back out until we came down. Never got stuck, 1356 01:15:07.159 --> 01:15:10.359 never got stuck that way, got stuck other times where 1357 01:15:10.399 --> 01:15:13.880 you'd come out the front windows onto the aerial, but 1358 01:15:14.039 --> 01:15:15.439 the chauffeur would have the area lop. 1359 01:15:16.600 --> 01:15:18.920 It just it just worked, you know, it's they were 1360 01:15:19.000 --> 01:15:20.640 going to burn up. They were not. They were never 1361 01:15:20.720 --> 01:15:21.479 backing out of there. 1362 01:15:22.399 --> 01:15:25.199 Yeah, I was working there one day when they had 1363 01:15:25.640 --> 01:15:30.560 the fire with Fitzpatrick and Frisbee died and we were 1364 01:15:30.600 --> 01:15:33.199 a special call. I guess after the second something like that. 1365 01:15:33.840 --> 01:15:35.359 I got up and we got up on the roof 1366 01:15:35.920 --> 01:15:40.199 just after the rope broke, and there was nothing to do, 1367 01:15:40.399 --> 01:15:43.520 of course, But what a tragedy like that, you know 1368 01:15:44.279 --> 01:15:47.039 it was? I think it was. I'm not mistaken. There 1369 01:15:47.079 --> 01:15:51.439 were seven law seven story New Law tenements, good buildings, 1370 01:15:51.600 --> 01:15:55.199 but just too much fire and they got stuck. And 1371 01:15:56.239 --> 01:15:58.119 when I work, when I used to do a lot 1372 01:15:58.159 --> 01:16:00.239 of overtime in twenty six truck, I worked a lot 1373 01:16:00.319 --> 01:16:03.279 with Fitzpatrick. He was another tough guy, was like a 1374 01:16:03.560 --> 01:16:07.399 built like a fire plug and tough as nails, and 1375 01:16:07.720 --> 01:16:11.039 he was the guy going over and it just broke. 1376 01:16:11.760 --> 01:16:14.359 Never come up with an answer to that, and in fact, 1377 01:16:14.439 --> 01:16:18.239 Beakman was I'm trying to think that Beatman was commissioner 1378 01:16:18.359 --> 01:16:21.960 then or chief of department or something like that, because 1379 01:16:22.039 --> 01:16:25.439 him and senior Brouthers took the blame for that rope too, 1380 01:16:26.199 --> 01:16:28.000 and had nothing to do with it. 1381 01:16:28.079 --> 01:16:28.359 Really. 1382 01:16:28.479 --> 01:16:30.800 But in retrospect. 1383 01:16:31.439 --> 01:16:32.760 I mean, what are you going to do at that point? 1384 01:16:32.920 --> 01:16:34.640 The fire a huge tragedy. 1385 01:16:34.760 --> 01:16:35.560 Yes, yeah, that's it. 1386 01:16:36.239 --> 01:16:39.760 How was the fire, dude? If they compared to twenty 1387 01:16:39.800 --> 01:16:41.600 eight eleven, are you're doing more or less? 1388 01:16:42.239 --> 01:16:45.199 There was? It was less, but there was a lot 1389 01:16:45.319 --> 01:16:50.079 of it and serious fires with because in the tenements 1390 01:16:50.119 --> 01:16:52.640 on the lower east side, each floor was like a 1391 01:16:52.720 --> 01:16:55.159 platform if you could get in there, which the guys 1392 01:16:55.239 --> 01:16:56.600 did my professionals. 1393 01:17:01.880 --> 01:17:03.199 Oh h h. 1394 01:17:06.039 --> 01:17:10.560 Let me tell him how did that happens? 1395 01:17:10.800 --> 01:17:11.159 I don't know. 1396 01:17:11.319 --> 01:17:13.920 That's uh something. I have him go out and come 1397 01:17:13.960 --> 01:17:14.199 back in. 1398 01:17:14.720 --> 01:17:16.439 Yeah, let me see you just checked his No, he's 1399 01:17:16.479 --> 01:17:20.479 not muted, jack, can you hear us? Your your volumes out? 1400 01:17:20.920 --> 01:17:25.079 Maybe go out and come back real quick, right, I'd 1401 01:17:25.119 --> 01:17:26.399 try to warn him ahead of time if we had 1402 01:17:26.439 --> 01:17:27.680 a problem to go right to his phone. 1403 01:17:28.359 --> 01:17:32.159 So it's got his technical advisor there. 1404 01:17:32.560 --> 01:17:34.000 Yes, that guy is on point. 1405 01:17:35.039 --> 01:17:38.239 Wow, this guy is something. Huh us. 1406 01:17:40.439 --> 01:17:41.680 She's still got a nice out of hair. 1407 01:17:41.720 --> 01:17:46.560 Look, yeah, come back, come back so anyway. 1408 01:17:46.960 --> 01:17:47.920 Wow, I'm been trying this. 1409 01:17:48.600 --> 01:17:49.399 Yeah, he's good. 1410 01:17:50.680 --> 01:17:56.159 Remember I can't even remember anything. I don't remember. He's 1411 01:17:56.239 --> 01:17:59.279 like Bob Bob bill Bags. 1412 01:18:00.119 --> 01:18:02.760 The headquarter. Is this guy was there? 1413 01:18:02.880 --> 01:18:03.279 That guy? 1414 01:18:03.359 --> 01:18:07.199 And I can't remember what I did yesterday? Oh my god, 1415 01:18:07.640 --> 01:18:08.199 it's crazy. 1416 01:18:08.279 --> 01:18:11.960 The probably not much because that's like every day, right. 1417 01:18:12.560 --> 01:18:14.720 It's amazing what they remember. I mean, it's like it 1418 01:18:14.840 --> 01:18:16.800 just happened yesterday for them. Crazy. 1419 01:18:17.159 --> 01:18:20.600 Oh that you could tell he's that's there, and it's 1420 01:18:20.640 --> 01:18:22.359 branding and what else you can tell. 1421 01:18:22.439 --> 01:18:26.319 He's very calm, very calm, must have been what they said. 1422 01:18:26.399 --> 01:18:27.840 Let me see what they said about listen. 1423 01:18:28.199 --> 01:18:30.479 Chief Daily said he was one of the most influential 1424 01:18:30.520 --> 01:18:35.079 guys in his career. And uh, Keith Dickolo I'm going 1425 01:18:35.119 --> 01:18:38.920 to bring up now when he comes back on. He 1426 01:18:39.000 --> 01:18:41.439 said he was one of his favorite guys. Really calm 1427 01:18:41.520 --> 01:18:42.079 under pressure. 1428 01:18:43.239 --> 01:18:43.720 He's back. 1429 01:18:45.800 --> 01:18:51.279 Oh we are kind of I'm on the telephone, all right, gotcha? 1430 01:18:51.680 --> 01:18:53.199 What do you get a chance to turn the sideways? 1431 01:18:55.680 --> 01:18:57.560 Ah, that's much better. 1432 01:18:58.119 --> 01:18:59.640 There we go and then we can hear you. 1433 01:19:00.159 --> 01:19:01.960 Yeah, if your nose, but that's good. 1434 01:19:04.119 --> 01:19:05.239 All right, you look good there. 1435 01:19:08.000 --> 01:19:13.039 Remember I was a professional at one time. Try don't 1436 01:19:13.079 --> 01:19:13.520 forget that. 1437 01:19:14.119 --> 01:19:15.279 You didn't lose too much of your touch. 1438 01:19:15.319 --> 01:19:19.000 I'll tell you that was uh was a chief was 1439 01:19:19.319 --> 01:19:21.439 Keith nicolelo was he your proby. 1440 01:19:22.720 --> 01:19:26.159 Nicole was a proby there, Yes, just as I was 1441 01:19:26.560 --> 01:19:29.079 getting from. I only worked with him a very very 1442 01:19:29.199 --> 01:19:32.119 short time. He come up from thirty nine Engine or 1443 01:19:32.159 --> 01:19:36.800 some place. He came three engine, thank you, and yes 1444 01:19:37.079 --> 01:19:40.279 he was good as goal to of course, and talk 1445 01:19:40.359 --> 01:19:44.279 about mister personality with everyone. He got off and he 1446 01:19:44.359 --> 01:19:45.399 talked to everybody, and. 1447 01:19:47.119 --> 01:19:47.479 I used to. 1448 01:19:47.680 --> 01:19:50.720 I used to meet him up here at at Chinese restaurant. 1449 01:19:50.800 --> 01:19:53.880 He's come with his daughter and my wife and with 1450 01:19:54.039 --> 01:19:56.560 Chad away the whole time. Yeah, what a what a 1451 01:19:56.640 --> 01:19:57.560 great personality. 1452 01:19:58.439 --> 01:20:01.039 Yeah, he's up there with I. There's only a few 1453 01:20:01.079 --> 01:20:04.359 guys who loved the job, like everybody loves the job. Yeah, 1454 01:20:04.399 --> 01:20:07.600 actually loves the job, right, he really loves the job. 1455 01:20:08.840 --> 01:20:12.399 He can't stop talking about it or doing it. Even now. 1456 01:20:12.960 --> 01:20:14.960 He's still running around all over the country doing stuff 1457 01:20:15.159 --> 01:20:15.520 I forget. 1458 01:20:15.640 --> 01:20:19.199 Yes, the Jersey show, you know it looked great too. 1459 01:20:19.239 --> 01:20:21.279 He's in great shape, he's all tanned up, he's got 1460 01:20:21.319 --> 01:20:22.920 the hang on, he's got the girlfriend. 1461 01:20:24.000 --> 01:20:28.039 We're talking before too again with the chief foguny. When 1462 01:20:28.079 --> 01:20:30.600 I was a captain of thirty he had me, boy, 1463 01:20:30.600 --> 01:20:32.640 he didn't have me. He asked me he detailed me 1464 01:20:32.800 --> 01:20:38.039 to the rock to help write firefighting Procedures multiple Dwellings, 1465 01:20:38.720 --> 01:20:42.399 and that was an experience in itself. Wow. We used 1466 01:20:42.399 --> 01:20:45.800 to go into the Bronx to watch the vacant buildings 1467 01:20:45.840 --> 01:20:49.199 that burnt down. We'd leave the rock, the rock and 1468 01:20:49.359 --> 01:20:51.079 goes look at him to see what we could put 1469 01:20:51.119 --> 01:20:54.960 in his bulletin. But the section in there on fireproof 1470 01:20:55.079 --> 01:20:58.520 multiple dwellings, which are the projects that considered like that. 1471 01:20:59.119 --> 01:21:03.319 I wrote that whole action myself on every experience that 1472 01:21:03.479 --> 01:21:08.479 we did on Lower east Side. So that right and there, 1473 01:21:08.680 --> 01:21:09.600 that's where I got it from. 1474 01:21:09.800 --> 01:21:10.279 I learned it. 1475 01:21:10.439 --> 01:21:12.640 I'd learned it there, you know what. I and the 1476 01:21:12.720 --> 01:21:16.720 other guys were on it, Joe short and trying to 1477 01:21:16.760 --> 01:21:19.600 think of the assistant chief's name. But anyway, we wrote 1478 01:21:19.640 --> 01:21:22.640 it there and I forgured. 1479 01:21:22.399 --> 01:21:25.119 I'm still going today, Chief, Yeah, I guess we're still 1480 01:21:25.159 --> 01:21:26.000 studying that today. 1481 01:21:26.039 --> 01:21:26.239 Yeah. 1482 01:21:27.640 --> 01:21:30.359 In fact, there was only one change made when we 1483 01:21:30.479 --> 01:21:34.560 wrote it, and that came from Joe Callen because inadvertently 1484 01:21:34.680 --> 01:21:38.039 we put in a wrong picture and Joe knew everything. 1485 01:21:38.239 --> 01:21:40.880 And one day he finally I was a chief already 1486 01:21:40.920 --> 01:21:43.640 by this time, and he said, he said, Jack, you 1487 01:21:43.680 --> 01:21:45.760 know there's something wrong with that one picture. And I 1488 01:21:45.840 --> 01:21:50.159 knew it myself, but I said, yeah, so he sending her. 1489 01:21:50.239 --> 01:21:52.199 He changed that. That was the only change he made 1490 01:21:52.199 --> 01:21:55.439 out of that whole bulletins and all. That was just 1491 01:21:55.840 --> 01:21:58.279 practical fire duty and stuff. 1492 01:21:58.319 --> 01:21:58.439 You know. 1493 01:21:58.560 --> 01:22:01.680 It's the guys you listen to and taught you this, 1494 01:22:01.880 --> 01:22:04.439 and uh, you practice it yourself and. 1495 01:22:04.520 --> 01:22:04.920 You did it. 1496 01:22:05.119 --> 01:22:07.920 Yeah, gotta be proud of that. That that's I mean, 1497 01:22:07.960 --> 01:22:09.000 that's a pretty good legacy. 1498 01:22:09.600 --> 01:22:11.439 That was a good one, Yes, I have to say that. 1499 01:22:12.000 --> 01:22:15.199 And also another nice thing up there in thirty when 1500 01:22:15.239 --> 01:22:17.800 I got promoted the chief. Oh, I'm back on together. 1501 01:22:18.119 --> 01:22:18.640 Good thanks. 1502 01:22:19.119 --> 01:22:20.359 Let me turn this off to him. 1503 01:22:20.399 --> 01:22:24.119 Nice to have a technical adviser. Yeah, right, us. 1504 01:22:24.159 --> 01:22:29.560 Did we get rid of this guy? All right? Are 1505 01:22:29.600 --> 01:22:33.359 you there? Oh? We have to go back to the phone. 1506 01:22:33.600 --> 01:22:34.159 I heard him. 1507 01:22:35.479 --> 01:22:37.239 Yeah, we don't got him. 1508 01:22:37.479 --> 01:22:38.640 No, I don't get him. 1509 01:22:38.920 --> 01:22:40.439 But you still have the phone hooked up. 1510 01:22:48.479 --> 01:22:50.039 You know it was here in the phone. 1511 01:22:51.119 --> 01:22:52.520 That's what were his. 1512 01:22:52.600 --> 01:22:57.199 Computer, Mike must because I don't on my end. 1513 01:22:57.600 --> 01:23:03.399 He's uh, Mike, everything is uh is there automatically reducing 1514 01:23:03.960 --> 01:23:08.520 can check this echo there pack If not, go back 1515 01:23:08.520 --> 01:23:11.600 to your cell phone. Okay, we'll just keep you on 1516 01:23:11.680 --> 01:23:12.239 the cell phone. 1517 01:23:12.319 --> 01:23:13.800 It's all okay, wow. 1518 01:23:15.279 --> 01:23:21.640 This okay, there we go. All right, we'll try what 1519 01:23:21.720 --> 01:23:25.319 I have to do, all. 1520 01:23:25.279 --> 01:23:28.600 Right, Just one day, I wanted to note the last 1521 01:23:28.680 --> 01:23:31.159 night I worked as a captain in thirty and the 1522 01:23:31.239 --> 01:23:33.319 next day I was gonna work my first tour in 1523 01:23:33.359 --> 01:23:37.000 the fifty fifth Battalion. Bill Moore got everybody up in 1524 01:23:37.039 --> 01:23:41.560 the morning out for fireman's roll calls to wish me well. 1525 01:23:42.520 --> 01:23:44.600 I thought that was pretty damn nice. 1526 01:23:44.840 --> 01:23:46.800 So yeah they did. 1527 01:23:46.920 --> 01:23:49.399 They did all kinds of good things up there. And 1528 01:23:49.600 --> 01:23:52.520 Mother's Day they give flowers to all the women on 1529 01:23:52.640 --> 01:23:56.920 the street. And I think I said to the numbers 1530 01:23:56.960 --> 01:24:00.600 guy who lived up the street, and his name, oddly enough, 1531 01:24:00.800 --> 01:24:04.880 was Sonny Chance. So and one one of the firemen 1532 01:24:05.000 --> 01:24:08.239 hit one time and we had a tremendous dinner that night, 1533 01:24:08.720 --> 01:24:11.319 and then the week his all his money was gone. 1534 01:24:11.640 --> 01:24:15.880 So but but he enjoyed himself. But getting back, there's 1535 01:24:15.920 --> 01:24:18.199 plenty of plenty of fire duty we had up there, 1536 01:24:18.239 --> 01:24:19.760 and serious fire duty. 1537 01:24:20.079 --> 01:24:24.640 Sure, But to learn chief, I want to ask you, 1538 01:24:26.159 --> 01:24:28.239 I could have my years off here. I'm not sure. 1539 01:24:28.359 --> 01:24:32.199 But when you were in eleven truck, I don't know 1540 01:24:32.279 --> 01:24:34.439 what years that? Yeah, they wrote lattice three, But the 1541 01:24:34.479 --> 01:24:37.279 guy from twenty six truck wrote lattice three right. 1542 01:24:37.600 --> 01:24:40.760 Yeah, that was John O'Rourke and O Rock. Here's a 1543 01:24:40.840 --> 01:24:43.359 good one too. I'll interrupt you for a minute. The 1544 01:24:43.439 --> 01:24:48.680 original Multiple Dwelling Fires bulletin was written by Mike de 1545 01:24:48.840 --> 01:24:52.199 Late who was the captain then of Ladder thirty and 1546 01:24:52.359 --> 01:24:56.720 one of his firemen was John. Was it o'rock that 1547 01:24:56.840 --> 01:25:01.680 wrote the lattest three? General? He was his fireman there, 1548 01:25:01.800 --> 01:25:04.199 and then later on when he became the captain of 1549 01:25:05.079 --> 01:25:07.680 twenty six truck, he wrote latters three? 1550 01:25:08.319 --> 01:25:08.479 Right? 1551 01:25:08.600 --> 01:25:09.640 What year is that about? 1552 01:25:10.279 --> 01:25:10.319 What? 1553 01:25:11.720 --> 01:25:13.920 Before you were in eleven truck? 1554 01:25:14.000 --> 01:25:14.159 Was it? 1555 01:25:15.039 --> 01:25:15.319 There was? 1556 01:25:15.399 --> 01:25:17.079 No, it was after I was in eleven truck. 1557 01:25:17.399 --> 01:25:19.840 So how would you guys operate when you were eleven truck? 1558 01:25:19.920 --> 01:25:21.520 Did you have your own way of operating? 1559 01:25:22.680 --> 01:25:25.760 Yeah? Pretty much that They all all the trucks worked 1560 01:25:25.800 --> 01:25:30.079 pretty much the same with we had five guys. Getting 1561 01:25:30.159 --> 01:25:34.079 back to twenty eight engine that sometimes there with my professionals, 1562 01:25:34.399 --> 01:25:38.399 we had six guys and we're first due. I'd get 1563 01:25:38.439 --> 01:25:41.039 off the ridge that no, mask, I didn't have to 1564 01:25:41.479 --> 01:25:44.640 ran up the stairs and the sixth man when they 1565 01:25:44.720 --> 01:25:48.239 finished or almost finished, were stretching the line. We had 1566 01:25:48.279 --> 01:25:50.840 two of the big scots. He'd put his gut on 1567 01:25:51.000 --> 01:25:51.880 and bring one up for me. 1568 01:25:53.000 --> 01:25:54.000 That's service bro. 1569 01:25:54.279 --> 01:25:56.680 Yeah, and he he was a professional, the one guy 1570 01:25:56.720 --> 01:26:01.000 that we made a terrific rescue up there. Of course 1571 01:26:01.039 --> 01:26:03.079 we beat We beat the truck in all the time, 1572 01:26:03.680 --> 01:26:03.880 you know. 1573 01:26:04.359 --> 01:26:04.960 Of course you did. 1574 01:26:06.680 --> 01:26:07.239 Just want just. 1575 01:26:08.720 --> 01:26:09.239 Want to say that. 1576 01:26:09.319 --> 01:26:11.199 I just want to say what professionals do. 1577 01:26:11.760 --> 01:26:15.119 That's what professionals do. Nothing like being a lieutenant in 1578 01:26:15.199 --> 01:26:18.920 the first do, having being first do so often. I'm 1579 01:26:18.960 --> 01:26:21.800 telling you what a what a great position that was. 1580 01:26:21.920 --> 01:26:24.439 I'll tell you, wow, you're there were all the time 1581 01:26:24.640 --> 01:26:25.039 right up. 1582 01:26:25.039 --> 01:26:31.039 There, because the truck has to close the door. I 1583 01:26:31.199 --> 01:26:33.199 used to love that take it off until I was 1584 01:26:33.279 --> 01:26:34.479 in the truck. I did the same thing. 1585 01:26:34.520 --> 01:26:35.920 I went to the truck in the same house and 1586 01:26:35.920 --> 01:26:38.279 then I had to wait that and would take off 1587 01:26:38.319 --> 01:26:40.479 and they'd be two blocks away before I we got there. 1588 01:26:41.960 --> 01:26:45.239 We owed another thing we had there too. Herbie Geiser 1589 01:26:45.439 --> 01:26:48.319 was a dispatcher, a real super guy. And he had 1590 01:26:48.319 --> 01:26:50.760 a brother, George Isser was a chief and the three 1591 01:26:50.920 --> 01:26:55.640 five later. But anyway, all of a sudden, one day 1592 01:26:56.239 --> 01:26:58.199 we don't we all with the engine, always be going 1593 01:26:58.239 --> 01:27:01.479 out the engine only i'll sure crap whatever like that. 1594 01:27:02.199 --> 01:27:04.600 One day it turned out to be a five to 1595 01:27:04.680 --> 01:27:07.920 seventh signal. The truck had to go, and I called 1596 01:27:08.039 --> 01:27:11.039 up dispatched. I said, is that something new we're gonna have? 1597 01:27:11.239 --> 01:27:14.640 I said, I didn't hear anything about this. I don't 1598 01:27:14.680 --> 01:27:18.560 know who started it, but I don't know how extensive 1599 01:27:18.600 --> 01:27:21.760 it was. But every run the engine had no matter 1600 01:27:21.840 --> 01:27:24.800 what it was, the truck went with us, whether they 1601 01:27:24.920 --> 01:27:26.840 whether they liked it or not, they were they were 1602 01:27:26.960 --> 01:27:30.920 signed to go. Yeah, And twice we got them that 1603 01:27:31.560 --> 01:27:34.479 we got in first, of course, and uh, I'd give 1604 01:27:34.520 --> 01:27:37.640 it ten seventy five and the truck would say, ah shit. 1605 01:27:39.760 --> 01:27:45.359 But just it just so many different things down there too, 1606 01:27:45.880 --> 01:27:49.600 And like Herbie iSER too. We were going up to 1607 01:27:49.880 --> 01:27:53.960 seeing fifth one time, or seeing seventh, and they called 1608 01:27:54.000 --> 01:27:56.000 me on the radio and he said that twenty eight 1609 01:27:56.159 --> 01:27:58.560 take a look into sixth Street when you go by, 1610 01:27:59.439 --> 01:28:02.159 and see if you see anything. Sure enough, the fire 1611 01:28:02.279 --> 01:28:04.199 was in sixth Street. How the hell Herbie now it? 1612 01:28:04.279 --> 01:28:07.640 I have no idea, but it was out the windows 1613 01:28:07.720 --> 01:28:08.399 on sixth Street. 1614 01:28:08.680 --> 01:28:12.279 So, but of course dispatch worth his weight in gold man. 1615 01:28:12.840 --> 01:28:15.800 Oh, and we had Bill Trainer in the Bronx was 1616 01:28:15.920 --> 01:28:19.319 just as good. These these guys knew where everybody was 1617 01:28:19.880 --> 01:28:23.520 at any time. I remember when I was a chief 1618 01:28:23.600 --> 01:28:26.800 there forty four with Mike Finer and his crew. They 1619 01:28:26.800 --> 01:28:29.560 always were out drilling and there I went to visit 1620 01:28:29.680 --> 01:28:32.279 him just during the week. They would be doing something 1621 01:28:32.680 --> 01:28:34.880 and they had all the crap laid out on Shakespeare 1622 01:28:35.000 --> 01:28:38.600 Avenue and they got a call for a relocation. So 1623 01:28:39.079 --> 01:28:42.479 I just called the dispatcher would radio wharf or speak 1624 01:28:44.239 --> 01:28:48.239 mixer off and said, can you do something here because 1625 01:28:48.840 --> 01:28:51.600 forty four has all this stuff in the street. He said, 1626 01:28:51.760 --> 01:28:52.720 just say no problem. 1627 01:28:53.000 --> 01:28:53.640 That was the end of it. 1628 01:28:53.760 --> 01:28:57.119 They canceled it and they got another guy to relocate. 1629 01:28:57.239 --> 01:29:02.239 That's all. So yes, I'm trying to think of so 1630 01:29:02.359 --> 01:29:06.479 many different things happened in these places. It's just remarkable 1631 01:29:06.600 --> 01:29:11.079 that and everything just worked, that's all. It just worked. 1632 01:29:11.119 --> 01:29:14.079 The guys love to in the engine too. 1633 01:29:14.760 --> 01:29:14.880 Uh. 1634 01:29:15.479 --> 01:29:17.560 The guy with the nozzle would have his helmet on 1635 01:29:17.760 --> 01:29:19.640 and his coat on top of the nozzle because who 1636 01:29:19.640 --> 01:29:22.760 were on the back step still then? And uh, guy 1637 01:29:22.880 --> 01:29:25.199 coming in for the night tour, he just take the 1638 01:29:25.319 --> 01:29:28.199 guy's helmet and coat off, put it on the side 1639 01:29:28.199 --> 01:29:30.359 and put his own on there, and we get to 1640 01:29:30.439 --> 01:29:33.000 run the guy who originally who was there, say, what 1641 01:29:33.079 --> 01:29:36.920 the hell happened to my stuff? Maybe maybe that's why 1642 01:29:37.000 --> 01:29:39.840 we all have those dreams where we can't find our gear. 1643 01:29:42.000 --> 01:29:42.319 Wow. 1644 01:29:42.720 --> 01:29:51.079 Wow, I told you I had them all the time. Yeah, 1645 01:29:51.760 --> 01:29:52.960 where's my health? 1646 01:29:54.119 --> 01:29:54.600 Don't fit? 1647 01:29:55.600 --> 01:29:55.800 Yeah? 1648 01:29:57.680 --> 01:29:59.600 Uh? Anyway, let's see. 1649 01:30:00.119 --> 01:30:03.039 You got to work in three really busy places in 1650 01:30:03.199 --> 01:30:04.319 three different boroughs. 1651 01:30:05.199 --> 01:30:10.600 Yes, yeah, three times in Manhattan, uh, sixty five, twenty 1652 01:30:10.680 --> 01:30:13.800 eight and eleven, and then thirty. And then when I 1653 01:30:13.840 --> 01:30:16.239 went to the Bronx. I used to always kid the 1654 01:30:16.319 --> 01:30:19.600 guys to these professionals. But late later on we were 1655 01:30:19.640 --> 01:30:22.640 out of there. I said, I got my back laureate 1656 01:30:22.840 --> 01:30:26.520 in eleven and the rescue two and sixty five engine, 1657 01:30:26.800 --> 01:30:30.000 I got my masters in twenty eight engine, and I 1658 01:30:30.119 --> 01:30:34.239 got my PhD as a chief in the Bronx. The 1659 01:30:34.399 --> 01:30:39.479 Bronx with those age buildings, that that really opened stuff up. 1660 01:30:39.560 --> 01:30:44.800 And I listened to everybody there. I listened to any 1661 01:30:44.840 --> 01:30:47.720 fireman who was busy there and stuff to tell me 1662 01:30:47.840 --> 01:30:49.800 what the hell goes on with these age buildings here, 1663 01:30:49.880 --> 01:30:52.199 with the vertical voids and stuff. 1664 01:30:52.239 --> 01:30:53.840 And I was up there. 1665 01:30:53.880 --> 01:30:56.920 One time. I was an all hands chief and the 1666 01:30:57.079 --> 01:31:00.600 deputy said, go up and find out where forty two engineers. 1667 01:31:01.319 --> 01:31:03.399 So I had my mask. I always had the mask, 1668 01:31:03.920 --> 01:31:07.399 and I'd go up the stairs and forty two engine 1669 01:31:07.439 --> 01:31:09.720 line went up and I followed. It was smokey, but 1670 01:31:09.840 --> 01:31:12.159 he could with the line. That just followed it through. 1671 01:31:12.199 --> 01:31:13.760 And I saying, what the hell could these guys be. 1672 01:31:13.960 --> 01:31:16.439 I don't know why they weren't answering on the handy talkie, 1673 01:31:16.479 --> 01:31:19.560 but they weren't. But anyway, I'm crawling along. I go 1674 01:31:19.680 --> 01:31:22.800 into a closet and I keep going and I'm coming 1675 01:31:22.880 --> 01:31:25.920 out of another closet in the next apartment, and that's 1676 01:31:25.960 --> 01:31:29.760 where they were. It was two neighbors or relatives lived. 1677 01:31:29.600 --> 01:31:31.720 In through they broke through the apartment. 1678 01:31:31.800 --> 01:31:35.119 Yeah, they just broke through there. Holy shit, how did it? 1679 01:31:35.239 --> 01:31:37.039 And then you say to thisself, how did these guys 1680 01:31:37.159 --> 01:31:38.720 find their way through these places? 1681 01:31:39.800 --> 01:31:41.520 Forty two engine that's a good engine man. 1682 01:31:41.840 --> 01:31:45.079 Oh yeah, yeah, good good house. That's where forty four 1683 01:31:45.239 --> 01:31:50.399 went to when they were remodeling Mars Avenue. And I 1684 01:31:50.520 --> 01:31:53.800 used to always say, I love Mars Avenue. I'll tell 1685 01:31:53.800 --> 01:31:56.359 you how I got there. I was covering there, and 1686 01:31:56.479 --> 01:32:00.119 I went to a third alarm somewhere further north, and 1687 01:32:01.079 --> 01:32:05.439 our good guy, Maddie Farrell was a city wide chief 1688 01:32:05.680 --> 01:32:08.760 and he's there and I come in and I knew 1689 01:32:08.840 --> 01:32:12.119 him in when I was in the fourth Battalion. He 1690 01:32:12.199 --> 01:32:16.079 came there covering and he just stood out, another guy 1691 01:32:16.159 --> 01:32:21.239 that you would just love, you know. And he's there 1692 01:32:21.239 --> 01:32:24.760 and I'm I'm taking up I guess, and he says 1693 01:32:24.760 --> 01:32:26.560 to me, Hey, Jack, what are you doing up here 1694 01:32:26.600 --> 01:32:29.760 in the bronx? And don't ask me why he remembered 1695 01:32:29.800 --> 01:32:32.159 my name. I have no freaking idea except you know 1696 01:32:32.359 --> 01:32:34.920 the memory that guy has. And I did see him 1697 01:32:34.920 --> 01:32:38.239 on the getting Salty. But anyway, I said, no, I'm 1698 01:32:38.319 --> 01:32:40.399 up in the bronx. I said, I'm waiting around. I'm 1699 01:32:40.560 --> 01:32:43.319 trying to get to the seventeenth Battalion. I said, but 1700 01:32:43.439 --> 01:32:46.159 there's going to be two openings, and I'm not senior. 1701 01:32:46.880 --> 01:32:51.119 He said, Jack, we decide who goes where. A month 1702 01:32:51.279 --> 01:32:56.359 later on at the Department Order that was with McGrath. 1703 01:32:57.680 --> 01:32:58.079 The scene. 1704 01:32:58.279 --> 01:33:01.760 Luckily, the two with Haalian chiefs on the deputy's list 1705 01:33:02.039 --> 01:33:06.000 weren't too far apart, so Tom McGrath came maybe, uh, 1706 01:33:07.000 --> 01:33:13.279 two months later. But also when I was in forty four, 1707 01:33:13.920 --> 01:33:15.760 I loved it there too. I used to always say 1708 01:33:16.640 --> 01:33:20.800 Mars Avenue was my second street in the Bronx. They were, 1709 01:33:21.239 --> 01:33:24.600 even though second street had no chief. But uh, just 1710 01:33:24.720 --> 01:33:29.039 the attitudes and things like that. And forty four truck 1711 01:33:29.239 --> 01:33:31.279 was the first towel ladder in the Bronx, which I 1712 01:33:31.359 --> 01:33:31.800 never knew. 1713 01:33:32.479 --> 01:33:35.680 Yep, you worked with uh, you work with George Daily 1714 01:33:35.800 --> 01:33:36.079 up there? 1715 01:33:36.479 --> 01:33:40.399 Oh yeah, talk about a funny guy. George Daily. Yeah, 1716 01:33:41.119 --> 01:33:44.319 he told me sometime one time. He said, we're driving 1717 01:33:44.399 --> 01:33:46.479 up the concourse, he said, and the people were like 1718 01:33:46.640 --> 01:33:49.399 daring you to cross the street and always said, all 1719 01:33:49.479 --> 01:33:51.199 you do. I don't know what he was telling me 1720 01:33:51.279 --> 01:33:53.920 for because I wasn't driving. He said, I just don't 1721 01:33:53.960 --> 01:33:57.439 look at him. I just keep going. He said. They stopped. 1722 01:33:59.000 --> 01:34:00.920 Shit to eat the car either. 1723 01:34:01.000 --> 01:34:04.640 What we talk about a funny guy. 1724 01:34:04.840 --> 01:34:08.239 Oh man, I was related him to marriage actually. 1725 01:34:08.479 --> 01:34:09.199 Oh no kidding. 1726 01:34:09.640 --> 01:34:15.199 Yeah, yes, Queens. Oh he's in Queens now. Yeah. 1727 01:34:15.239 --> 01:34:17.039 Yeah, he's a lieutenant now. But he spent most of 1728 01:34:17.119 --> 01:34:18.720 his career as a fireman up in forty four. 1729 01:34:19.239 --> 01:34:24.199 Oh yes, yeah, yeah, the day everybody it was just 1730 01:34:25.199 --> 01:34:26.159 the chiefs were good. 1731 01:34:27.359 --> 01:34:27.520 Oh. 1732 01:34:27.720 --> 01:34:29.680 I want to tell you too. When we finally got 1733 01:34:29.760 --> 01:34:32.560 the women in the job and eighty two, I guess 1734 01:34:32.640 --> 01:34:37.199 it was. Uh we got Carol Boykin's and uh she 1735 01:34:37.359 --> 01:34:41.159 came and I'm saying Jack Snider. He was a battalion commander. 1736 01:34:41.199 --> 01:34:45.319 He had six good daughters. I have five daughters. Divine 1737 01:34:45.359 --> 01:34:48.720 had two daughters. So I guess we figured, I guess 1738 01:34:48.720 --> 01:34:50.600 we're not gonna have too much trouble here for that, 1739 01:34:51.359 --> 01:34:55.720 and uh, everything got resolved out. And uh, the biggest 1740 01:34:55.760 --> 01:34:59.399 lieutenant in the engine, Tom Latka, he took her under 1741 01:34:59.479 --> 01:35:04.000 his arm, and everything eventually just worked out beautifully. 1742 01:35:04.319 --> 01:35:06.920 So it seems to happen wherever you go. I don't 1743 01:35:06.960 --> 01:35:09.399 know how this happens with everything just happens to work out. 1744 01:35:09.479 --> 01:35:10.039 It flows. 1745 01:35:10.239 --> 01:35:12.800 You know what he said before, you know, that's what 1746 01:35:12.960 --> 01:35:17.359 happens if you know, you respect. I think. 1747 01:35:18.800 --> 01:35:21.439 What was good there too. Of course, the department did 1748 01:35:21.520 --> 01:35:24.199 nothing about the bathrooms yet at the time, were you there, Bill? 1749 01:35:24.319 --> 01:35:29.680 But when she came, yea did what did she get 1750 01:35:29.680 --> 01:35:30.439 assigned there when. 1751 01:35:30.359 --> 01:35:34.279 You were there? No, she was already there able Okay, when. 1752 01:35:34.159 --> 01:35:36.359 They we came. The city, of course did nothing about 1753 01:35:36.399 --> 01:35:37.399 the bathrooms and stuff. 1754 01:35:37.439 --> 01:35:37.600 Like that. 1755 01:35:38.439 --> 01:35:41.479 So the chiefs decided, well, we'll just let her use 1756 01:35:41.560 --> 01:35:44.039 our bathroom because we had a separate office and stuff 1757 01:35:44.079 --> 01:35:47.720 like that. But in the meantime they the finement resolved it, 1758 01:35:47.800 --> 01:35:51.039 that's all, and they put locks on the doors and 1759 01:35:51.079 --> 01:35:54.760 stuff like that. So eventually it worked out very nicely, 1760 01:35:54.880 --> 01:35:57.960 and Tom Lattet took her right under his wing and 1761 01:35:58.920 --> 01:36:02.880 Greg Greg grew along with the hose line and she performed. 1762 01:36:03.239 --> 01:36:05.640 So it's surprising, chief because that's really not a sort 1763 01:36:05.680 --> 01:36:12.920 after firehouse, you know, yes, not the least. I can't 1764 01:36:13.199 --> 01:36:16.359 I can't imagine that happening over there, you know. Really, 1765 01:36:16.960 --> 01:36:19.159 they guys taking care of business. 1766 01:36:19.039 --> 01:36:21.680 So many, so many. Oh here, we have a dog there, 1767 01:36:21.880 --> 01:36:25.760 Rocky Salad shoot board the dog in and he was 1768 01:36:25.800 --> 01:36:28.279 a wonderful dog. He never did anything in our parking lot. 1769 01:36:28.359 --> 01:36:30.720 He'd always go elsewhere to go to the bathroom and stuff. 1770 01:36:30.760 --> 01:36:34.000 By that, and uh me and the aid were driving 1771 01:36:34.039 --> 01:36:36.840 on College Avenue one day and I look out the 1772 01:36:36.920 --> 01:36:40.159 window and on the sidewalk is our dog, Rocky. So 1773 01:36:40.239 --> 01:36:42.079 I opened up the window, I call him. He came 1774 01:36:42.159 --> 01:36:44.159 right over to the car. He got out, open up 1775 01:36:44.199 --> 01:36:46.359 the back door, he jumped in, sat on top of 1776 01:36:46.439 --> 01:36:49.760 my gear. We got back to the firehouse and back 1777 01:36:49.800 --> 01:36:57.039 and then there's the real Rocky in the firehouse. It 1778 01:36:57.159 --> 01:36:58.079 had to be his son. 1779 01:37:00.199 --> 01:37:03.359 I looked just like him. Huh you got a couple 1780 01:37:03.399 --> 01:37:05.359 of kids. Yeah, none that I some that I don't 1781 01:37:05.439 --> 01:37:06.760 know about. Forget about. 1782 01:37:09.079 --> 01:37:12.079 There was There were so many great guys there. I'm 1783 01:37:12.159 --> 01:37:15.439 telling you, it's it's hard to mention the different names 1784 01:37:15.479 --> 01:37:16.079 and all like that. 1785 01:37:18.359 --> 01:37:20.039 I told you we were talking to the pre show. 1786 01:37:20.079 --> 01:37:22.479 I came on with Brian Fox. He went to forty. 1787 01:37:22.600 --> 01:37:24.359 I went to ninety two first, I think, and then 1788 01:37:24.399 --> 01:37:26.159 he ended up going to the truck. 1789 01:37:26.479 --> 01:37:30.039 Yes, yep, he was good. I'm going to say something 1790 01:37:30.199 --> 01:37:32.159 about that later. One time I was out of there 1791 01:37:32.439 --> 01:37:34.920 and I was coming to visit and in the morning 1792 01:37:35.279 --> 01:37:37.800 and they had a job and he made a rescue 1793 01:37:38.319 --> 01:37:45.800 and uh, I'm trying to it doesn't matter what. Yeah, 1794 01:37:46.000 --> 01:37:50.439 what street to okay? And later on somebody said something 1795 01:37:50.479 --> 01:37:53.960 to him about being in there and stuff, and Brian 1796 01:37:54.079 --> 01:37:56.840 said it was alright. He said, if I got stuck, 1797 01:37:56.880 --> 01:38:00.039 I knew somebody was coming after me, and that it 1798 01:38:00.159 --> 01:38:02.039 is one of the things I have to say later, 1799 01:38:03.800 --> 01:38:06.880 No matter what you knew, somebody would be coming, that's 1800 01:38:06.960 --> 01:38:10.279 for sure. There was no and we all felt that way. 1801 01:38:10.640 --> 01:38:14.079 There was no trouble at all. Yeah, it was just 1802 01:38:14.199 --> 01:38:17.079 so many good things there, and learning about the size 1803 01:38:17.119 --> 01:38:20.399 of these H buildings and all, there was something there too. 1804 01:38:21.239 --> 01:38:24.159 I had my own idea of this later on, after 1805 01:38:24.159 --> 01:38:26.640 I learned a lot of stuff, and of course you 1806 01:38:26.800 --> 01:38:30.800 learned this by listening to the senior chiefs. And if 1807 01:38:30.800 --> 01:38:34.399 we had a fire in an H building and it 1808 01:38:34.560 --> 01:38:37.159 was the third floor or below of say a five 1809 01:38:37.279 --> 01:38:40.199 or six story H building, before I got out of 1810 01:38:40.279 --> 01:38:43.680 the car right given all hands, extra engine and truck, 1811 01:38:44.319 --> 01:38:46.359 it was on the fourth coming out the windows on 1812 01:38:46.439 --> 01:38:49.199 the fourth floor to the top, I'd give a second 1813 01:38:49.239 --> 01:38:52.520 alarm before I got out of the car. And the 1814 01:38:52.640 --> 01:38:55.840 stretches that like ninety two and sixty eight did up, 1815 01:38:55.840 --> 01:38:59.640 they're like nothing, twelve ninth stretches. 1816 01:39:00.039 --> 01:39:01.319 And then find the right. 1817 01:39:01.319 --> 01:39:03.920 Stairway in the building to make sure you were going 1818 01:39:04.000 --> 01:39:06.000 to be in the right wing at the time, or 1819 01:39:07.159 --> 01:39:12.119 or hope the truck found it. So but the guys 1820 01:39:12.239 --> 01:39:15.119 just did it, tell you, honest truth. Never saw a 1821 01:39:15.199 --> 01:39:18.239 short stretch. I saw a plenty of hose, but there 1822 01:39:18.279 --> 01:39:22.159 were no short stretches, And they were long, and that 1823 01:39:22.399 --> 01:39:24.840 was if when you found the hydrant, of course, and 1824 01:39:24.920 --> 01:39:27.159 then you'd have to find out when you got into 1825 01:39:27.199 --> 01:39:29.960 the lobby of some of these places, what wing am 1826 01:39:30.000 --> 01:39:34.239 I going up to? And with all the hills in 1827 01:39:34.279 --> 01:39:37.479 the bronx too, we'd be coming down, like say one 1828 01:39:37.560 --> 01:39:41.159 six seventh Street looking at Shakespeare, which a hill, and 1829 01:39:41.239 --> 01:39:45.439 if you saw the fire coming out of the windows there, uh, 1830 01:39:46.039 --> 01:39:49.640 right away we would designate the fireflow would be whatever 1831 01:39:49.760 --> 01:39:53.159 number it was from the roof down, because in the 1832 01:39:53.239 --> 01:39:57.319 front it'd be completely different from right in the backyard. 1833 01:39:57.359 --> 01:39:59.319 It might be eight stories. 1834 01:39:59.000 --> 01:40:00.760 Eight stories, you might have five in the front. 1835 01:40:01.279 --> 01:40:03.960 Yes, And I learned that two of these things that 1836 01:40:04.079 --> 01:40:10.359 were like eight stories, the top six stories were fire 1837 01:40:10.800 --> 01:40:17.640 non fireproof, but the sixth floor, I mean say the well, 1838 01:40:18.119 --> 01:40:20.239 say the first, second and third floor on the hill, 1839 01:40:21.039 --> 01:40:24.319 they were fireproof ceilings because you can only go so 1840 01:40:24.439 --> 01:40:28.199 many feet without it being fireproof. So that was that 1841 01:40:28.359 --> 01:40:31.600 was interesting and paid off many times too, because from 1842 01:40:31.640 --> 01:40:33.079 the front of the building you think you had a 1843 01:40:33.159 --> 01:40:38.840 five story h building. And uh, the education they're listening 1844 01:40:38.920 --> 01:40:42.199 to the you had to listen to everybody. The officer 1845 01:40:42.279 --> 01:40:44.359 would tell me stuff. The chief did you see this? 1846 01:40:44.520 --> 01:40:47.840 Did you see that? And you'd have to listen, because honestly, 1847 01:40:47.880 --> 01:40:50.119 I didn't know. You know, I never saw these buildings 1848 01:40:50.159 --> 01:40:51.000 before in my life. 1849 01:40:52.079 --> 01:40:54.800 You've seen every type of borrow and building before. 1850 01:40:55.159 --> 01:40:56.800 Well, Chief, did you? You did? B I? 1851 01:40:56.960 --> 01:40:57.039 Right? 1852 01:40:57.119 --> 01:41:00.479 How's your feelings on b I. You can get that 1853 01:41:00.560 --> 01:41:02.880 information from b I too, or maybe even Steles. Won't 1854 01:41:02.920 --> 01:41:03.920 you take on something. 1855 01:41:05.960 --> 01:41:07.800 That was not one of my I think the fire 1856 01:41:07.920 --> 01:41:11.680 part of it was my highlights. The fire prevention was 1857 01:41:12.159 --> 01:41:15.039 I could check the books, and luckily Tom McGrath was 1858 01:41:15.119 --> 01:41:16.399 the BI chief. 1859 01:41:16.239 --> 01:41:19.720 So exactly we need we need the one guy Fishers, 1860 01:41:19.760 --> 01:41:20.520 my b I guy. 1861 01:41:22.399 --> 01:41:24.039 That was just all right, chiefs. So now I got 1862 01:41:24.079 --> 01:41:30.039 a question for you. Good you become a chief. Hopefully 1863 01:41:30.079 --> 01:41:32.039 your dad was still around. You look at him and 1864 01:41:32.119 --> 01:41:35.680 you say, hey, pop, you got any information for me? 1865 01:41:35.920 --> 01:41:37.720 Now that I'm a chief and you were a chief? 1866 01:41:37.920 --> 01:41:42.680 Did he give you anything? Who was that? You're dad? 1867 01:41:43.560 --> 01:41:44.079 My father? 1868 01:41:44.279 --> 01:41:44.319 No? 1869 01:41:45.560 --> 01:41:53.760 Well, oh wait, I have to take that back. He 1870 01:41:53.920 --> 01:41:56.199 was in Florida by the time I became a chief. 1871 01:41:56.479 --> 01:41:58.920 So all right, all right, we'll let him slide. We'll 1872 01:41:58.960 --> 01:42:02.880 let him slide him. Uh yeah, that was That's funny. 1873 01:42:04.039 --> 01:42:08.239 But at one time I failed the deputies test and 1874 01:42:09.159 --> 01:42:11.000 I told him I failed and he said, well, did 1875 01:42:11.039 --> 01:42:12.920 you study? I said no, He said, well what do 1876 01:42:12.960 --> 01:42:13.760 you expect. 1877 01:42:15.680 --> 01:42:16.800 That was? That was easy. 1878 01:42:18.119 --> 01:42:21.640 Being a battalion chief was to me, well, first two 1879 01:42:21.720 --> 01:42:24.079 engine officer that I was that you couldn't beat that. 1880 01:42:24.319 --> 01:42:28.800 But h being a battalion chief was superb, superb. Yeah, 1881 01:42:29.079 --> 01:42:30.520 I have to say I loved that job. 1882 01:42:30.800 --> 01:42:32.680 I was going to say, what was your favorite looking 1883 01:42:32.760 --> 01:42:36.960 back at your career, what was your favorite spot? 1884 01:42:37.039 --> 01:42:38.520 Your sweet spot like that? 1885 01:42:38.680 --> 01:42:40.560 You know, obviously there's a lot of sweet spots, but 1886 01:42:40.640 --> 01:42:42.479 where where was the one that you if you had to. 1887 01:42:42.479 --> 01:42:44.199 Go back, where would you go back? 1888 01:42:46.760 --> 01:42:48.560 Well, if I was young enough, I'd go back to 1889 01:42:48.680 --> 01:42:51.239 twenty eight engine if I if I was older, I'd 1890 01:42:51.640 --> 01:42:55.199 be a chief in the Bronx. But I have to 1891 01:42:55.239 --> 01:42:57.560 say both of those fireman, I love being too. I 1892 01:42:57.720 --> 01:43:01.760 like being a captain. But uh, the first two engine 1893 01:43:02.199 --> 01:43:05.600 and the battalion chief in the Bronx they hard to 1894 01:43:05.680 --> 01:43:08.760 beat for sure. And luckily too. When I was a 1895 01:43:08.880 --> 01:43:11.800 chief in the Bronx, the Rescue three was still in Manhattan, 1896 01:43:12.439 --> 01:43:15.520 and they there were a lot of when they'd committed 1897 01:43:15.600 --> 01:43:17.520 the Bronx for all the fires and stuff like that. 1898 01:43:17.600 --> 01:43:20.960 There was always competition and jealousies with a certain lot 1899 01:43:21.039 --> 01:43:24.800 of companies and stuff like that. So it worked out 1900 01:43:24.880 --> 01:43:28.359 good because I was the rescue come over, and when 1901 01:43:28.399 --> 01:43:31.279 they come over, I would I enhance their position. 1902 01:43:31.399 --> 01:43:31.720 They were. 1903 01:43:32.000 --> 01:43:33.560 They were there to help me, and I knew it 1904 01:43:34.039 --> 01:43:37.359 being in a rescue company. But as you know, most 1905 01:43:37.760 --> 01:43:41.760 other superior officers were never in rescue companies to even 1906 01:43:41.840 --> 01:43:45.199 know them. They they just knew they could do fantastic 1907 01:43:45.319 --> 01:43:47.920 jobs for them. But I knew, damn well they'd be 1908 01:43:47.960 --> 01:43:50.479 there to help me and bail me out if I 1909 01:43:50.600 --> 01:43:53.159 needed it. For sure. They were. 1910 01:43:53.279 --> 01:43:53.720 They were good. 1911 01:43:53.760 --> 01:43:56.520 If we had one guy in rescue three Ray Phillips, 1912 01:43:56.720 --> 01:43:57.680 he's another gonzo. 1913 01:43:57.880 --> 01:43:59.439 I remember Ray. I remember Ray. 1914 01:43:59.720 --> 01:44:02.199 When things were under control, they'd come out and get 1915 01:44:02.279 --> 01:44:04.520 ready to take up, and he come up behind me, 1916 01:44:04.920 --> 01:44:07.359 Take my helmet off, put it on his hat, put 1917 01:44:07.399 --> 01:44:09.800 his hat on, helmet on my head, and then he 1918 01:44:09.920 --> 01:44:17.840 start barking orders to everybody. Okay, you can take up rescue. 1919 01:44:18.119 --> 01:44:18.319 Yeah. 1920 01:44:19.159 --> 01:44:19.359 Yeah. 1921 01:44:19.880 --> 01:44:23.760 The things were just so good, you know. It's you 1922 01:44:24.279 --> 01:44:26.840 learn so much stuff by listening to these guys, that 1923 01:44:28.039 --> 01:44:30.800 which we all should. Of course, And another thing I 1924 01:44:30.920 --> 01:44:34.760 learned in the Bronx Chief I finally I've used to 1925 01:44:34.800 --> 01:44:37.079 be ABC many times when I was a Captain of 1926 01:44:37.079 --> 01:44:40.520 the thirties, stuff like that. But being the real chief, 1927 01:44:41.079 --> 01:44:44.399 I learned, I'm watching Jack Schneider and Don Devine and 1928 01:44:44.920 --> 01:44:49.760 other senior guys. I used to see Joe de Bonardo 1929 01:44:49.880 --> 01:44:52.840 all the time, and Phil Phil Burns and stuff like that. 1930 01:44:53.479 --> 01:44:58.640 And I realized, I'm not stretching down the hallway anymore, 1931 01:44:58.640 --> 01:45:01.840 and I'm not forcing door pulling ceilings and stuff like that. 1932 01:45:02.680 --> 01:45:06.640 My job was the fireman. They the fireman would make 1933 01:45:06.680 --> 01:45:09.119 the rescues, they put out the fires, and I was 1934 01:45:09.279 --> 01:45:13.000 just there. But my job really was there watching them. 1935 01:45:13.479 --> 01:45:16.359 When they needed help, I'd get help. When they were 1936 01:45:16.439 --> 01:45:19.279 ready to take up, I let him take up. And 1937 01:45:20.520 --> 01:45:23.720 it was just I finally realized chief is a different 1938 01:45:23.800 --> 01:45:28.039 job is And my guys all went home. They all 1939 01:45:28.119 --> 01:45:28.560 went home. 1940 01:45:29.199 --> 01:45:30.399 And how lucky was I? 1941 01:45:30.640 --> 01:45:35.439 Huh, Yeah, yeah, I was gonna stay Chief. Jimmy Daily 1942 01:45:36.199 --> 01:45:37.800 Chief Daily mentioned. 1943 01:45:37.520 --> 01:45:39.800 Something I saw. I know he was up there too 1944 01:45:39.880 --> 01:45:41.560 with you. Yes he was. 1945 01:45:44.159 --> 01:45:47.479 I never knew how smart he was till he passed through. 1946 01:45:49.880 --> 01:45:52.439 I didn't even know he studied and he probably didn't. 1947 01:45:52.720 --> 01:45:54.520 He just had that memory. 1948 01:45:54.760 --> 01:45:56.840 Yeah, some guy's a wicked smot. 1949 01:45:58.479 --> 01:45:59.920 Everybody says it's good. 1950 01:46:00.680 --> 01:46:03.359 Another thing I learned too. I'll say it later too. 1951 01:46:04.039 --> 01:46:07.600 Every tour I worked, I looked who was working in 1952 01:46:07.800 --> 01:46:10.439 all the units that I would respond to on the 1953 01:46:10.520 --> 01:46:14.479 first alarm, and I'd know what officer was working, and 1954 01:46:14.600 --> 01:46:17.239 if it was a covering officer, I'd find out who 1955 01:46:17.319 --> 01:46:21.640 the senior man was in that company. And it just 1956 01:46:21.880 --> 01:46:26.159 made things so much simpler, just so, and the officers 1957 01:46:26.199 --> 01:46:30.640 were good, the firemen were good, all that mutual respect. Oh. 1958 01:46:30.800 --> 01:46:34.960 I was there sixteen years. One morning, just once I 1959 01:46:35.039 --> 01:46:37.479 had to go in the kitchen and said, hey, guys, 1960 01:46:38.239 --> 01:46:41.800 how about if I be the chief today? And they 1961 01:46:41.840 --> 01:46:44.199 were probably having a fit over no fires or something 1962 01:46:44.279 --> 01:46:46.239 like that, you know, so they get a little crotchety. 1963 01:46:46.520 --> 01:46:47.239 But it. 1964 01:46:48.760 --> 01:46:50.359 Worked out like a job for sure. 1965 01:46:50.680 --> 01:46:55.279 Yeah, but sos, you got to tighten the bolt chief. 1966 01:46:55.960 --> 01:47:02.199 Oh yeah, I recently to do what you keep saying. Later, 1967 01:47:02.359 --> 01:47:03.880 is that in your thing that you want to read 1968 01:47:03.960 --> 01:47:04.239 to us? 1969 01:47:04.439 --> 01:47:04.760 Is that what you? 1970 01:47:04.920 --> 01:47:05.000 Oh? 1971 01:47:05.079 --> 01:47:06.920 Yeah, are you ready for that? 1972 01:47:07.119 --> 01:47:07.279 Now? 1973 01:47:07.560 --> 01:47:09.439 I'd like to hear it. You're piquing my interest with 1974 01:47:09.520 --> 01:47:10.640 all these laters. 1975 01:47:10.319 --> 01:47:12.079 So okay, yeah, that's true. 1976 01:47:12.600 --> 01:47:15.439 We're gonna give you. We're gonna give you a full screen, 1977 01:47:15.520 --> 01:47:16.880 right guns, Yeah, you're right. 1978 01:47:17.039 --> 01:47:18.319 We're doing the at that time. 1979 01:47:18.600 --> 01:47:19.239 This is the tip. 1980 01:47:19.319 --> 01:47:20.800 This is something else that he wants to read. 1981 01:47:20.880 --> 01:47:23.800 Right, okay, all right, you wanted the tips that you 1982 01:47:23.920 --> 01:47:27.960 wanted to want what you want to do first, I'll 1983 01:47:28.000 --> 01:47:30.239 do the tips first, because very quickly. 1984 01:47:30.319 --> 01:47:32.640 Okay, don't do nothing yet. We gotta do a little 1985 01:47:32.680 --> 01:47:33.720 intro here we go. 1986 01:47:33.800 --> 01:47:36.640 We gotta give you the introduction, all. 1987 01:47:36.600 --> 01:47:44.920 Right, tip, wait one more second, alright, chief. 1988 01:47:44.760 --> 01:47:45.359 And then you watch. 1989 01:47:46.039 --> 01:47:46.359 Okay. 1990 01:47:46.520 --> 01:47:50.439 For the engine companies and guys, of course, everything was 1991 01:47:50.479 --> 01:47:53.000 always to listen to the senior guys in the offices 1992 01:47:53.039 --> 01:47:55.479 because they've been through it all and all you have 1993 01:47:55.600 --> 01:47:57.920 to do is listen to them and follow it. But 1994 01:47:58.159 --> 01:48:00.439 the engine that said, when you're crawling down on the hall, 1995 01:48:00.680 --> 01:48:03.479 get out of the hallway, because that's the flu that 1996 01:48:03.560 --> 01:48:06.000 if this thing blows back on you, you're gonna be 1997 01:48:06.199 --> 01:48:09.359 right in a flu. And one of the other things 1998 01:48:09.520 --> 01:48:13.159 was for the truck company, forcing the door always looked 1999 01:48:13.319 --> 01:48:17.000 behind the door because of the victim was there trying 2000 01:48:17.039 --> 01:48:19.520 to get out their front door and collapsed. He'd be 2001 01:48:19.640 --> 01:48:24.239 behind the door that you're forcing open, So always check 2002 01:48:24.319 --> 01:48:26.560 on that. And I learned that with two truck. One 2003 01:48:26.640 --> 01:48:30.119 time when I was a Probian sixty five engine, I 2004 01:48:30.239 --> 01:48:32.680 was up. I must have been detailed, and the guy 2005 01:48:32.800 --> 01:48:35.560 forced the door and went right behind it and found somebody. 2006 01:48:35.800 --> 01:48:38.359 It was like, Oh, I guess, so we'll listen. We'll 2007 01:48:38.399 --> 01:48:39.640 listen to this guy for sure. 2008 01:48:40.479 --> 01:48:40.760 Okay. 2009 01:48:40.840 --> 01:48:43.199 The other thing is it might be a little hokey 2010 01:48:43.279 --> 01:48:45.760 to some people, but I always have this thing about 2011 01:48:45.800 --> 01:48:50.920 the fire department family, and that's sick. I always figure 2012 01:48:51.119 --> 01:48:53.840 that the chief is the grandfather in the family. He's 2013 01:48:53.920 --> 01:48:58.920 generally older, experienced, worked in many areas and firehouses, and 2014 01:48:59.039 --> 01:49:02.800 it's hard to imagine, well, I'm looking here, like the 2015 01:49:02.920 --> 01:49:07.439 grandfather being like Mike McParland or Tommy Jensen or Richie McVay, 2016 01:49:07.520 --> 01:49:10.520 guys like that. Then the captain would be the father 2017 01:49:10.640 --> 01:49:13.520 of the house. Just like at home. He sets up 2018 01:49:13.560 --> 01:49:19.039 the rules and standards, separates personalities. This is his firehouse, 2019 01:49:19.359 --> 01:49:23.000 particularly if he's the engine captain and proud of it, 2020 01:49:23.960 --> 01:49:28.079 and guys like that would be like Dennis McCool and E. J. Tierney, 2021 01:49:28.640 --> 01:49:33.760 Dick Collins and Steve Louisey stuff like that. Lieutenants were 2022 01:49:33.800 --> 01:49:37.920 your uncles, especially the senior lieutenants. And we had one 2023 01:49:38.039 --> 01:49:41.279 Dick Gilroth for sure in thirty truck. He was a 2024 01:49:41.359 --> 01:49:44.199 fireman in fourteen truck and then a lieutenant in thirty 2025 01:49:44.600 --> 01:49:48.399 for over thirty years. Anyway, senior lieutenant is the guy, 2026 01:49:48.560 --> 01:49:52.439 the perfect go between the captain and the members, and 2027 01:49:52.840 --> 01:49:57.199 like Bob Conrad would do that, and Jimmy McCluskey and 2028 01:49:57.880 --> 01:50:03.000 Marty Coin, a sweetheart of a guy. Then the senior firefighters, 2029 01:50:03.319 --> 01:50:06.800 they were the big brother, the senior firefighter, respected for 2030 01:50:06.960 --> 01:50:11.439 his status and influence. He runs everything outside of the office. 2031 01:50:12.079 --> 01:50:15.560 And you'd have guys like Tom Flaherty, Pete Carroll, Matty Baker, 2032 01:50:15.720 --> 01:50:19.000 stuff like that. Then the regular firemen, they were all 2033 01:50:19.079 --> 01:50:22.279 the brothers in the family and they were looking out 2034 01:50:22.359 --> 01:50:26.880 for all and each other. The proby he was the 2035 01:50:26.960 --> 01:50:31.159 baby brother. He was protected, helped, taught by all and 2036 01:50:31.359 --> 01:50:34.399 watched out for and was taught the traditions and history 2037 01:50:34.479 --> 01:50:39.159 of that firehouse. All the other fire all the other firemen, 2038 01:50:39.680 --> 01:50:42.479 they were like from other units. They were like cousins. 2039 01:50:43.159 --> 01:50:45.920 And whoever you met covering and stuff like that, or 2040 01:50:46.000 --> 01:50:51.199 interchange in overtime, they were cousins, and everything works because 2041 01:50:51.239 --> 01:50:55.680 of mutual respect. And this is the important part any firefighter, 2042 01:50:56.079 --> 01:51:00.239 whether you're detailed on overtime or a covering officer, they're 2043 01:51:00.319 --> 01:51:03.800 guests in our firehouse, which is our home, and they 2044 01:51:03.840 --> 01:51:07.720 are relying on us all the time. After they leave, 2045 01:51:08.119 --> 01:51:11.840 they carry and spread our reputation. He was a good 2046 01:51:11.880 --> 01:51:14.359 one too in the Bronx where the guy promoted from 2047 01:51:14.399 --> 01:51:17.399 Rescue two is a covering lieutenant and when he covered 2048 01:51:17.439 --> 01:51:20.000 in ninety two and forty four, he made up the 2049 01:51:20.079 --> 01:51:22.680 thing that they were the crown jewel of the Bronx. 2050 01:51:23.119 --> 01:51:28.279 That was a good reputation to spread. Huh. And the 2051 01:51:28.359 --> 01:51:31.520 other thing would be our saving factor is whenever we 2052 01:51:31.680 --> 01:51:35.520 perform the jobs and or you get jammed up or trapped, 2053 01:51:35.720 --> 01:51:39.279 we always know someone or more are coming to get 2054 01:51:39.399 --> 01:51:44.920 us out. And when typically wherever you go, you're always 2055 01:51:44.960 --> 01:51:49.079 asked where you worked, and when you say, in this case, 2056 01:51:49.079 --> 01:51:51.159 I'm going to say fifteen nine or thirty or twenty 2057 01:51:51.199 --> 01:51:54.520 eight and eleven, ninety two and forty four, the atmosphere 2058 01:51:54.720 --> 01:51:57.760 just gets better. And when I got promoted at BC, 2059 01:51:59.039 --> 01:52:02.319 I went to five to five Battalion, and of course 2060 01:52:02.359 --> 01:52:04.439 the guys asked you where you worked, and I said, well, 2061 01:52:04.439 --> 01:52:06.239 I just got promoted from thirty truck. 2062 01:52:06.600 --> 01:52:07.319 That was the end of it. 2063 01:52:07.479 --> 01:52:12.199 That was nobody asked anything. I was the chief. It justotes. 2064 01:52:15.079 --> 01:52:16.720 But you know that yourself. 2065 01:52:16.840 --> 01:52:17.279 We all do. 2066 01:52:17.680 --> 01:52:21.000 And anyway, one last thing is a quote from Oscar 2067 01:52:21.159 --> 01:52:26.159 Wilde and it's experience is the hardest kind of teacher. 2068 01:52:26.920 --> 01:52:32.840 It gives you the test first and the lesson afterward. Okay, 2069 01:52:33.239 --> 01:52:35.640 now that he wrote that in the eighteen hundreds, and 2070 01:52:35.840 --> 01:52:37.800 my sister told me that one, but I had to 2071 01:52:37.840 --> 01:52:38.399 write it down. 2072 01:52:38.439 --> 01:52:39.840 That was that was some quote. 2073 01:52:40.039 --> 01:52:42.279 But anyway, I think that's all I have to say. 2074 01:52:43.720 --> 01:52:46.479 Wow, that could be up there, Kobe, that's in the 2075 01:52:46.560 --> 01:52:47.079 top five. 2076 01:52:47.159 --> 01:52:49.800 I think that last quote, what was it? Could you 2077 01:52:49.840 --> 01:52:50.880 say that last quote again? 2078 01:52:50.960 --> 01:52:52.800 They see it's a It's a good one, isn't it. 2079 01:52:53.520 --> 01:52:54.119 Yeah, it. 2080 01:52:55.600 --> 01:53:00.800 Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you 2081 01:53:00.960 --> 01:53:07.439 the test first and lessons and and the lesson afterward. 2082 01:53:08.199 --> 01:53:10.399 So you get the job first and then. 2083 01:53:10.800 --> 01:53:13.279 You have to learn from it after. That's great. 2084 01:53:13.319 --> 01:53:14.560 Exactly, that's great. 2085 01:53:15.199 --> 01:53:18.479 I guess just like the Fight Department, there's so many 2086 01:53:18.600 --> 01:53:21.960 superior guys. It's I was trying to mention names because 2087 01:53:22.760 --> 01:53:25.560 they make such an impression on you and like all 2088 01:53:25.640 --> 01:53:28.600 you have to do is listen and then there they are. 2089 01:53:28.960 --> 01:53:31.000 You know it's now did you make up the whole 2090 01:53:31.039 --> 01:53:31.760 thing with the family? 2091 01:53:31.880 --> 01:53:32.039 Was that? 2092 01:53:32.319 --> 01:53:33.079 Did you make that up? 2093 01:53:33.600 --> 01:53:33.920 That one? 2094 01:53:34.000 --> 01:53:37.239 I made up myself? Yeah, that was great too. Oh God, 2095 01:53:38.359 --> 01:53:44.880 I'll send it to one of you. And the thing too. Also, 2096 01:53:45.319 --> 01:53:48.119 no matter no matter where you work, whether it's in 2097 01:53:48.199 --> 01:53:50.800 Brownsville or one hundred and three truck from first second, 2098 01:53:50.920 --> 01:53:56.159 second section, everything was in the long run, mutual respect. 2099 01:53:56.479 --> 01:53:57.199 It works. 2100 01:53:57.359 --> 01:53:57.680 That's all. 2101 01:53:57.720 --> 01:54:00.720 It just works. That's that's who we are. And also, 2102 01:54:01.319 --> 01:54:03.920 uh get guys in the company, they get sick and 2103 01:54:04.000 --> 01:54:07.439 tired of going out on gas leaks and water leaks 2104 01:54:07.479 --> 01:54:10.000 and stuff like that. And I'd say, because you know 2105 01:54:10.079 --> 01:54:12.600 they'd be grumping about it. I said, you know, every 2106 01:54:12.680 --> 01:54:17.000 time they go out, you're really helping somebody, and they're 2107 01:54:17.079 --> 01:54:19.319 calling us because they know we're going to come to 2108 01:54:19.399 --> 01:54:21.520 help them. And so no matter what you want to 2109 01:54:21.520 --> 01:54:24.560 say about it, we are the only help they get, 2110 01:54:24.640 --> 01:54:26.520 and we get it every time, and we give it 2111 01:54:26.600 --> 01:54:32.000 to anybody, okay who they are. We never ask yeah, nope, nope, 2112 01:54:32.159 --> 01:54:35.000 and uh last I'll let it go My last thing 2113 01:54:35.119 --> 01:54:38.119 is my new nickname now is I should have said 2114 01:54:38.159 --> 01:54:41.680 this years ago. My nickname is lucky Jack. They were 2115 01:54:41.800 --> 01:54:45.359 Lucky Jack, Lucky Jack, and there. 2116 01:54:45.279 --> 01:54:48.760 I am, and you got and you got twenty five 2117 01:54:48.840 --> 01:54:50.479 more years to go chief at. 2118 01:54:50.439 --> 01:54:51.520 Least at least. 2119 01:54:52.920 --> 01:54:57.079 I always like the backstep. That was a good one. Yeah, 2120 01:54:58.279 --> 01:55:00.760 and they're carrying on and stuff like that. But the 2121 01:55:00.960 --> 01:55:05.960 carrying on everybody everybody's yeah, everybody's inside now with the 2122 01:55:06.000 --> 01:55:10.880 air conditioning or the heat, right, imagine those old days. 2123 01:55:11.000 --> 01:55:13.439 I get those big responses and queens. 2124 01:55:13.479 --> 01:55:16.239 They go for miles and miles on the backstep. 2125 01:55:16.520 --> 01:55:20.119 I can't imagine backstep. And I always got to kick 2126 01:55:20.159 --> 01:55:23.680 out of the ladder companies, particularly with the windchild wiper 2127 01:55:23.760 --> 01:55:25.840 on the inside any outside because there. 2128 01:55:25.800 --> 01:55:31.800 Was no cover. So where did you stop smoking? 2129 01:55:33.880 --> 01:55:36.000 Oh? I stopped smoking when I was a captain of 2130 01:55:36.119 --> 01:55:40.880 thirty truck. I got hypnotized and Jimmy Harrison and the 2131 01:55:40.960 --> 01:55:45.680 engine I went for hypnotism down by two truck and 2132 01:55:46.159 --> 01:55:47.760 the gal who gave it it was a group of 2133 01:55:47.880 --> 01:55:50.479 us and she said, if you smoke again, you're really 2134 01:55:50.600 --> 01:55:53.520 going to be in strong And for some reason I 2135 01:55:53.640 --> 01:55:57.279 gave mine up. Jimmy didn't. He smoked again, but then 2136 01:55:57.439 --> 01:56:01.640 he went back a year later and gave up after that. Yeah, 2137 01:56:01.920 --> 01:56:03.279 your son's on the job too. 2138 01:56:03.479 --> 01:56:07.199 Yeah, what the smoke lucky strikes? While were you smoking? 2139 01:56:07.359 --> 01:56:07.680 Camel? 2140 01:56:07.840 --> 01:56:19.920 I smoked the Alpine mentalated when my brother and I 2141 01:56:20.039 --> 01:56:22.239 were kids. We had to go on the bus and 2142 01:56:22.319 --> 01:56:23.880 it was a block away from the house, and we 2143 01:56:23.960 --> 01:56:26.239 get down there and we pick up all the butts 2144 01:56:26.239 --> 01:56:28.119 because the people dropped them. Some of them were big, 2145 01:56:28.239 --> 01:56:30.319 you know, when they got on the bus. And we 2146 01:56:30.439 --> 01:56:32.840 buy the papers and we roll our own cigarettes. 2147 01:56:34.640 --> 01:56:38.319 Oh the memories as a kid, cheap out. 2148 01:56:38.359 --> 01:56:41.840 Sign the paper for eighty nine. Hell yeah, I'll sign 2149 01:56:41.920 --> 01:56:42.560 the contract. 2150 01:56:43.560 --> 01:56:45.479 I'm happy I gave it up, for sure. But I 2151 01:56:45.720 --> 01:56:48.680 have to say it was a good social thing too. 2152 01:56:48.720 --> 01:56:52.680 I did enjoy smoking, for sure. Thank goodness. 2153 01:56:52.760 --> 01:56:57.920 We gave it up, don't Yeah, you just have to 2154 01:56:58.000 --> 01:57:00.319 do you get an oral fixation. It's okay. Oh. 2155 01:57:00.560 --> 01:57:04.479 My my stepdad spoke five packs a day. He would 2156 01:57:04.520 --> 01:57:06.239 just light one of them. All he had to do 2157 01:57:06.399 --> 01:57:08.880 is like one in the morning. That was it. For 2158 01:57:08.920 --> 01:57:10.159 the rest of the day, that he would go from 2159 01:57:10.159 --> 01:57:10.680 one to the other. 2160 01:57:11.239 --> 01:57:13.920 I never heard I never heard that many in my life. 2161 01:57:16.239 --> 01:57:18.239 Yeah, and then he one day he just threw him 2162 01:57:18.239 --> 01:57:20.600 out the window of his car and he never smoked again, 2163 01:57:21.520 --> 01:57:24.079 really quit for thirty years. Yeah, he died when he 2164 01:57:24.199 --> 01:57:26.279 was ninety ninety one, ninety two. 2165 01:57:26.880 --> 01:57:28.680 Oh, I'm glad I gave it up. So are you 2166 01:57:28.760 --> 01:57:30.239 gonna guarantee I'm gonna. 2167 01:57:30.000 --> 01:57:31.920 Get to be ninety two, You're gonna get to be 2168 01:57:31.960 --> 01:57:34.880 one hundred. We're gonna have you a hundredth anniversary. We're 2169 01:57:34.880 --> 01:57:37.159 gonna have it on this show. Yeah, one hundredth birthday. 2170 01:57:37.680 --> 01:57:40.279 Oh, he's gonna make the boat trip now by then 2171 01:57:40.359 --> 01:57:40.760 he'll forget. 2172 01:57:40.840 --> 01:57:43.199 Oh, yeah, he has to. He has to forget something 2173 01:57:43.279 --> 01:57:44.760 for God's sake. This guy he hasn't know. 2174 01:57:45.439 --> 01:57:47.720 There was one guy he couldn't he could remember, and 2175 01:57:47.760 --> 01:57:50.399 then he remembered like three sentences later. So I'm gonna 2176 01:57:50.439 --> 01:57:52.000 give him a one hundred. 2177 01:57:52.239 --> 01:57:56.199 That the best thing for all of us was again 2178 01:57:56.279 --> 01:57:59.000 I said it before that lucky Saturday when we took 2179 01:57:59.039 --> 01:58:02.840 the entrance steps. Wow, how lucky who he became? 2180 01:58:03.039 --> 01:58:04.880 What a great what a great life? Huh? 2181 01:58:05.319 --> 01:58:09.279 I would easily say most of my friends are firemen, 2182 01:58:09.680 --> 01:58:13.159 for sure. I go to lunches, I go to breakfasts 2183 01:58:13.279 --> 01:58:17.159 and meetings and it keeps me going, for sure keeps me. 2184 01:58:17.680 --> 01:58:19.680 Now you get to come on our annual boat ride. 2185 01:58:19.960 --> 01:58:22.000 We have all past guests come on a boat ride 2186 01:58:22.000 --> 01:58:22.520 in August. 2187 01:58:23.079 --> 01:58:24.079 I didn't know you had that. 2188 01:58:24.520 --> 01:58:24.840 We have. 2189 01:58:25.079 --> 01:58:27.640 We have a friend who owns the John J. Harvey, 2190 01:58:28.199 --> 01:58:31.279 and we go around in second week of August, all 2191 01:58:31.319 --> 01:58:33.600 the year's past guests. We take a cruise around the 2192 01:58:33.640 --> 01:58:36.680 Statue of Liberty, drink our faces off, and you know, 2193 01:58:36.800 --> 01:58:37.680 eat some good food. 2194 01:58:39.439 --> 01:58:41.239 You're right, I did know about the Harvey. 2195 01:58:41.359 --> 01:58:42.239 Yes, very true. 2196 01:58:42.600 --> 01:58:44.680 Well, now you'll be on that boat cruise this year 2197 01:58:44.680 --> 01:58:45.920 in August, so I'll. 2198 01:58:45.800 --> 01:58:46.319 Pick you up. 2199 01:58:46.920 --> 01:58:49.720 I hope they don't have a gold room, because when 2200 01:58:49.760 --> 01:58:53.439 I was appropriate, I spent a week in Marine seven. 2201 01:58:53.560 --> 01:58:57.760 Shine in the brass in there, shining brass here, buddy, 2202 01:58:58.680 --> 01:59:01.520 Okay there, you're right that I forgot. 2203 01:59:01.760 --> 01:59:03.439 Go home and get your fucking shine box. 2204 01:59:05.680 --> 01:59:06.039 I hope. 2205 01:59:09.039 --> 01:59:11.079 Put the little patch, get the little patch from behind 2206 01:59:11.119 --> 01:59:13.039 the gear. Yeah, it's not that bad. 2207 01:59:13.279 --> 01:59:19.199 Great show, great career, Chief, great insight, great memory, fantastic career. 2208 01:59:19.359 --> 01:59:20.640 I really appreciate you coming on. 2209 01:59:20.800 --> 01:59:21.039 Chief. 2210 01:59:21.239 --> 01:59:22.640 You really did have a wonderful life. 2211 01:59:22.720 --> 01:59:27.399 Chief and two guys, Bill Haney and ron Cappell tought 2212 01:59:27.439 --> 01:59:29.399 for me, wanted me to come on here a long time. 2213 01:59:29.439 --> 01:59:30.880 You guys that I can't go on. I be too 2214 01:59:30.920 --> 01:59:34.199 embarrassed and stuff like that. All of a sudden, here 2215 01:59:34.279 --> 01:59:36.239 I'm telling them I'm gonna go. And Bill made the 2216 01:59:36.279 --> 01:59:36.760 phone call. 2217 01:59:37.039 --> 01:59:39.600 So well, now you got to get another guy. We 2218 01:59:39.680 --> 01:59:41.800 need another guy from your area. You go to these breakfasts, 2219 01:59:41.880 --> 01:59:43.000 get us some more guests. 2220 01:59:42.840 --> 01:59:44.279 Going, I'm going to the breakfast. 2221 01:59:44.600 --> 01:59:45.039 You're going. 2222 01:59:46.079 --> 01:59:49.319 Yeah, okay, we'll look for you there and and see, yes. 2223 01:59:49.800 --> 01:59:51.680 Take phone numbers. Roough, get the phone numbers. 2224 01:59:51.800 --> 01:59:52.279 I'll get them. 2225 01:59:53.119 --> 01:59:55.920 Then we got to get a contract. Get the contract. 2226 01:59:56.039 --> 01:59:58.359 That Bill said he'll make sure we text him to 2227 01:59:58.439 --> 01:59:59.079 you for sure. 2228 01:59:59.239 --> 02:00:01.680 All right, right right, Wilson, maybe Bill, what about Phil? 2229 02:00:01.840 --> 02:00:08.399 Bill's coming on, Bill's coming on? Okay, all right, you 2230 02:00:08.479 --> 02:00:12.680 got any shoutouts? Roof, I'm done? 2231 02:00:12.760 --> 02:00:15.000 Oh actually, hold on one second, I had. I did 2232 02:00:15.079 --> 02:00:15.800 have a shout out for. 2233 02:00:16.800 --> 02:00:20.119 Okay, yes, hold on, hold stay stay uh stay right there, Chief, 2234 02:00:20.159 --> 02:00:20.800 don't go away. 2235 02:00:21.399 --> 02:00:26.039 I give I'll give you a while. You gay guys 2236 02:00:26.119 --> 02:00:29.800 gave me a retivation. When I come on, I come 2237 02:00:29.840 --> 02:00:31.880 out of it. We had a second alarm on sixty 2238 02:00:31.920 --> 02:00:34.079 seventh Street, and it's over. And I come out of 2239 02:00:34.119 --> 02:00:37.800 the building and I get a standing ovation and my 2240 02:00:38.039 --> 02:00:40.520 driver's there, and I said, George, what the hell is 2241 02:00:40.560 --> 02:00:42.439 going on here? He said, Chief, you come out of 2242 02:00:42.439 --> 02:00:44.119 the building. We can all go home now. Thanks. 2243 02:00:49.119 --> 02:00:51.760 Good thing you reminded me. Coop so Philly Peter Ruley 2244 02:00:51.800 --> 02:00:54.399 a guy we worked with. He was at Squad two seventy. 2245 02:00:55.039 --> 02:00:57.760 Uh he said, Louis, my Volley department is doing a 2246 02:00:57.800 --> 02:01:02.079 fundraiser on October nineteenth. It's a firefighter captain from South Camden, 2247 02:01:02.279 --> 02:01:05.439 North Carolina, who was in a uh call, was sustained 2248 02:01:05.439 --> 02:01:08.359 when he was struck by a ball during a fire 2249 02:01:08.399 --> 02:01:09.520 department softball game. 2250 02:01:09.680 --> 02:01:13.319 Could you imagine? No, he's his dad is an ex 2251 02:01:13.399 --> 02:01:14.680 chief here in Massapequa. 2252 02:01:15.800 --> 02:01:18.239 He was his uncle is in latter one forty two 2253 02:01:19.479 --> 02:01:21.079 who passed away from nine eleven cans. 2254 02:01:21.079 --> 02:01:23.720 I was wondering if you can mention it on the show. Uh, 2255 02:01:24.239 --> 02:01:27.399 so I guess, uh nineteen. 2256 02:01:27.800 --> 02:01:30.000 Yeah, I'm gonna get the information on that and uh 2257 02:01:30.439 --> 02:01:31.960 we'll put it in and maybe I'll post it up. 2258 02:01:32.039 --> 02:01:35.800 Yeah, we'll post it up on the fence. All right, excellent, 2259 02:01:36.560 --> 02:01:39.119 all right, gee, thank you very much. It was it 2260 02:01:39.279 --> 02:01:39.760 was an honor. 2261 02:01:40.399 --> 02:01:43.399 Well, thank you for that, and thanks for putting up 2262 02:01:43.439 --> 02:01:44.520 with the stories. 2263 02:01:44.800 --> 02:01:47.560 Putting up love the stories because they love them. I 2264 02:01:47.680 --> 02:01:47.960 love it. 2265 02:01:48.680 --> 02:01:50.600 Eat them up my face, hurt my face. 2266 02:01:51.479 --> 02:01:53.399 A little bit of wisdom is the best way to 2267 02:01:53.920 --> 02:01:55.960 the best way to learn from an old fireman is 2268 02:01:56.039 --> 02:01:57.279 to work with an old fireman. 2269 02:01:57.399 --> 02:01:59.600 I'm going to give you one one more last story. 2270 02:01:59.680 --> 02:02:02.640 I just go ahead, my guys, totally. Early, if I 2271 02:02:02.680 --> 02:02:04.600 saw a fire coming out the windows, I'd give a 2272 02:02:04.680 --> 02:02:09.920 second right away. And if it was out, nobody mind coming, 2273 02:02:10.439 --> 02:02:13.399 and I would look around, and if I saw companies 2274 02:02:13.439 --> 02:02:17.359 there with Proby helmets on them, I get the lieutenant. 2275 02:02:17.479 --> 02:02:21.600 I said, do you want to stay you guys, Let 2276 02:02:21.640 --> 02:02:23.720 you guys go in and do the overhaul and then 2277 02:02:23.920 --> 02:02:27.840 washing down and stuff. And every lieutenant took me up 2278 02:02:27.880 --> 02:02:30.279 on it. And in the meantime I could let the 2279 02:02:30.319 --> 02:02:31.039 regular guys go. 2280 02:02:31.119 --> 02:02:34.119 Home too, So yeah, right, yeah, perfect. 2281 02:02:34.840 --> 02:02:36.960 It was a perfect thing for the Proby's. It's just 2282 02:02:37.119 --> 02:02:38.520 like get a chance. 2283 02:02:38.760 --> 02:02:41.720 That's perfect. That's why they loved the chief. That's why 2284 02:02:41.760 --> 02:02:42.199 they loved you. 2285 02:02:42.880 --> 02:02:45.680 There you go, Thank you, you got the Chief Hoff, 2286 02:02:45.720 --> 02:02:50.119 Imber Chief Hoff. He was the chief of Chicago Fire Department. 2287 02:02:50.680 --> 02:02:51.199 I was watching. 2288 02:02:51.279 --> 02:02:54.199 He said, great, great show. Tell Louke appreciate these show. 2289 02:02:54.119 --> 02:02:57.039 So yes, I'm sure they do for sure. 2290 02:02:57.159 --> 02:03:01.279 Yes, Well right, guys, well we have Monday or Thursday. 2291 02:03:02.039 --> 02:03:03.800 Thursday, Thursday's leave chief. 2292 02:03:04.439 --> 02:03:08.239 Oh oh, that's this book right here. It is thirty 2293 02:03:08.279 --> 02:03:10.279 fires you must know. So we're gonna bring a couple 2294 02:03:10.279 --> 02:03:12.600 of guys out on at a time to tell these stories. 2295 02:03:12.680 --> 02:03:13.840 Thirty fires you must know. 2296 02:03:14.560 --> 02:03:15.000 Thursday. 2297 02:03:15.760 --> 02:03:18.399 All right, God's good luck down there, stay dry. 2298 02:03:19.399 --> 02:03:22.960 Yeah, for sure, Florida, we're good now, man, we're good now. 2299 02:03:23.239 --> 02:03:27.039 Part of it wasn't too bad. Yeah, people down. 2300 02:03:26.960 --> 02:03:30.239 There, Yeah they had the This was the worst tornado 2301 02:03:30.319 --> 02:03:32.359 breakout for us ever, I think in history. 2302 02:03:33.600 --> 02:03:35.479 Couldn't believe the number of tornadoes. 2303 02:03:35.680 --> 02:03:37.720 Yeah, this was one of the Uh, this was definitely 2304 02:03:37.720 --> 02:03:39.760 the worst list that usually it doesn't happen like that. 2305 02:03:40.680 --> 02:03:43.000 You know, it was usually happened too. But my wife 2306 02:03:43.039 --> 02:03:45.079 says to you know, there could be tornadoes in a hurricane. 2307 02:03:45.079 --> 02:03:47.279 I'm like, what are you talking about? This tornadoes and 2308 02:03:47.319 --> 02:03:52.079 a hurricane. This tornados over the placebody. I feel like 2309 02:03:52.119 --> 02:03:55.239 an asshole. Now I gotta go apologize for my wife. 2310 02:03:55.520 --> 02:03:57.960 What am I an asshole? One of my. 2311 02:03:59.560 --> 02:04:04.479 All right, alright, guys, thanks for the assistance over the bill, rather. 2312 02:04:04.520 --> 02:04:06.319 Bill, Thanks guys. 2313 02:04:07.319 --> 02:04:08.239 Don't don't hang up. 2314 02:04:09.279 --> 02:04:12.119 Don't hang up. All right, ladies and gentlemen, you know 2315 02:04:12.159 --> 02:04:13.880 what I said. Stay load and go. 2316 02:04:14.720 --> 02:04:16.399 All right, everybody will see it the big one. Thank 2317 02:04:16.439 --> 02:04:17.039 you again, cheap. 2318 02:04:17.560 --> 02:04:20.319 Sorry, a good night all of our brothers out there 2319 02:04:20.439 --> 02:04:24.039 operating and sisters too. Sorry, be safe out there. Good 2320 02:04:24.079 --> 02:04:24.520 night of one. 2321 02:04:25.119 --> 02:04:25.680 Disclaimer