Disclaimer. We'd like to know before the start of this interview that the opinions about to be expressed by the guest of tonight's Getting Salty Experience Podcast are that of the guest and do not directly or necessarily reflect the views of the host of the Getting Salty Experience Podcast.
You're listening to the Getting Salty Experience Podcast.
Hello, Hello, roofies out there worries by a shout out hello to the Marianna Half Show.
We can tell when you show show them that share. Let me see that chair.
Ship about it?
Maybe Jesus room you go through. You gotta give about it.
He already had my You know what I had? You have pasta and saucer, Jimmy pul macaroni.
Model's all right, man? What did you have the cookies afterwards?
Too?
No, I had a necktarready.
Well listen, we finally tracked this guy down. Bro, you want a storytelling. We got a guy who remember ship that happened forty years ago. I don't remember what I have a breakfast, but he remembers stories from forty years ago.
If I had a nickel for every time we had to tell him, don't tell them.
Basically, yeah, we have.
A lot of nickels.
You guy's got more stories than rookies, got the dead things hanging on his walls, got a lot of story.
Yeah, we will definitely not get to them all tonight, that's for sure.
So let's sen I don't think we're the young guys, keep the trap shut and listen to a guy probably maybe one of the most premier trucks on the job right in the seventies and eighties doing it.
Maybe a little bit before.
I've mentioned it all in the shows.
No, no, that name never comes up.
No, no nuthouse, nor Bobby.
No, and not the guy from the eighteen b A eight fool rackets.
Got a sad card, Now, yeah, that's what it is.
A big, big time movie guy, big shot, big shot should get us on. Guess A said card.
Let's go.
Yeah, I'll tell you what movies that he's in. Just don't get up to go to the bathroom because you might miss him. He's in. He's like the mother if I came.
On the show his head back.
Yeah, that peppered me up. I waited for this, and yeah, we got a lot of shout outs, and I too. Unfortunately, a couple of guys do that towards the end of the show. But let's jump into the commercials really quick, do it? Advise commercial Little Baison Vince, Oh yeah, let's go here we go.
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Call Little Vince. They'll give you a free logo, free, free for free, free free logo for your firehouse like Cherry Red Ferrarie. This is sorry, look at this. Kemal and Bobbios has been one of the most mentioned on the podcast Bobby to.
Figure out who he is?
Yeah, all right, let's jump into the uh because I gotta tell Louis little something right after this next commercial here we love it.
The First Responder Center for Excellence is a not for profit organization dedicated to protecting the lives and livelihoods of first responders. Their education and research initiatives aim to bring greater awareness and understanding the challenges to the health, safety, and well being of firefighters, EMS personnel, and other first responders too. They are an affiliate of the National Fallen Firefighter Foundations.
And there you go. So I went to Rob Brown this week, ruffinoes Rob Brown the Extended Medical WTC Extended Medical. So I'm practicing what I'm preaching. Get out there, don't just do the basic baseline. Get as much as to have the offer. It's free, for free, free, free, and there's plenty of states around the country that do it too, so follow up on it. He's the part I didn't
tell Roofie. I talked to Rob Brown, and he's gonna be at the hockey game, the fire Police hockey game, and we're gonna do his tiny little interview that they're gonna put on the jumbo tron in Madison Square Garden. The boss interviewing him about what he does six minutes minutes.
That's not a shorty thing. Man got a nice script.
Yeah, well he's in there. I'm on the treadmill with no shirt and he's filling me. I'm like, what are you doing with this for? He's like, well, I gotta put this on the jumbo tron. I'm like, really, I don't have enough guys breaking my balls that you're gonna put He's got me doing it too. Blah blah blah blah blah. Bro all right, Ruffie, let's bring this guy in. He he was on, he was off, he was on, he was off. He's up. Now we got him. He can't and he was almost off, and he was almost
off as of yesterday. I have to talk some sensitive him and I told him the podcast at night, you got a furnace of delivery coming, like you got a what is levit still deliver at night?
What's PC? Richards?
All right, he's a funny guy. I'm ready, you're right, my.
Fate, my face hurts already coming to the stage. Here he is on Legend one eleven b A Bobby Austin.
I want to know there he goes, thank you, gentlemen.
Thanks, looking forward to it play.
Before we ask any questions, A couple of things I want to mention.
First losing it ready.
First, I want to mention the passing of UH fireman Edgar Edward J. Stephens mentioned two fourteen the other they spent forty two years in the backstep. Eddie was actually on the job, got drafted, went in the military, came back to the job. One of the best nozzlemen UH that I've ever known. Im insight Taylor, right up there with George day Hard if I feel from two eighty three. So may he read in peace? Yeah, A good friend
of mine. Second, I want to go on the record to say I was very lucky to come on a job when I did October fourteen, nineteen seventy eight. Worked where I worked engine Company two three to zero and a lot of Company one to eleven. And the most important part was working with the people I worked with. I had a tremendous privilege to work with probably not only some of the best fiemen in New York City, but probably the best fireman in the world. And if I had the time to mention each one by name,
it would use up this whole time. So I've been very privileged to be a part of something to me that is still very huge. So thank you.
Let's thanks patriotic really quick, forget it. The pledge.
Here we go.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic, for which it stands, One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
God bless the ftmy, That's what I say, bro Amen to that. All right, So we already told us he got on in the early seventies. What wait, give us a little early background to ba, I mean the late seventies to a little early background. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in town, Long Island. Yeah. Yeah, we have a town of White Kettle, you know, basically Irish Italians. Uh Levet House. My dad was the second owner. My dad was Korea level. Town was built for World War Two veterans and we moved from Queen's when I was born in Cambria Heights. Lived there until I think it was three or four. Still remember the ID just won eighteen forty eight to twenty seventh Street, so we went back every weekend, you know, moved a let of town
grew up in eleve of Town. I went to school there and my high schools Lovetown's Division, which was a rough school. It was seven to twelfth grade in one school. So I got there in sixty seven. So you are a twelfth grader mixed in with guys that are eighteen years old, you know, who could drink, and we're going to Vietnam. So they didn't give a fly fuck hard to believe, but I was in honors classes. It was for what after high school? Actually, my mother got rest
of the soul. She wanted me to be a vent aaran. That was the role. And she didn't realize it's ought to be an event here and that I had a goal doctor, but she wanted me to me to be event here.
And and.
After two years of pretty mad, I realized I'm not going to be event areing. Maybe a nurse, but I wanted to. My senior in high school nineteen seventy three, I was in a I could have graduate lived grade, but I was in a special program called integrated Studies, and it was you know, for seniors that really did have to be there. And we had gotten an assignment that you had to do a paper about a career. So my father was a printed for New York Post
and he had been there for many years. I'm not gonna write about it from dinner, but my dad had a very good friend. His name was Jerry Stell, who was like an uncle, one of those uncles. You know you call him uncle, but I really don't do. And he was in New York City fireman and I knew that about the FDN so and he was a New York City fireman in a latter one nineteen So my dad said, why you got tact Jerry, maybe you can go back him. So I called him and he said, yeah,
we'll bring you into the fireas one night. And that's what I did, so I'll never forget to day. It was October seventeenth, nineteen seventy three, and he brought me into the fires for a night to it. And I remember most of the guy's names that worked that night, and they they went with to eleven and back then
they were a pretty busy company. I don't know about busy companies, but and H I ran the engine, and I remember Lieutenan's name was Lieutenant Who's Tony Dio was the chauffeur Doub Callahan and Tommy Barbek running back and I spent the night there and uh that named Jack Tide, which I'm sure you heard about. He was in the
truck he cooked and winning white clamss. I spent a night tour with them and they had about sixteen runs, one job of one fire about four in the morning, and that was it, and my uncle drove me back home. I walked into my house and I told my mommy that I'm going to be in New York and I don't think my father has ever talked to well he passed awaymn here and my parents were like, horrifight. I said, no, I want to be a New York City finman. And that was it. That was and found you.
You found your thing in life.
Yes. And the funny thing is, five years later, almost to the day, I was sworn into the job on October fourteenth, nineteen seventy eight. Wow. Probably one of the greatest days of my life. So I went on a job.
Well, we got a picture of you waiting to get inside to take the test, don't we.
Yeah, yeah, that you know. So what happened was I went to college for two years. Boom, yeah. Danny Potter that's Danny Potter right in the middle.
Where in the middle of what it's like eighteen thousand guys did what were you looking?
Guy looking with the hat.
The striped shirt, Well, that's me. I ran next to him, was Danny Potter then and I go back a long ways. So we worked in the ambulance service, many bus so I decided to be in New York City fireman. But let me tell you, nineteen seventy five things for great. They had the layoffs since seventy five. So I was gonna go to Stony Book, but Mike Toumb wasn't high enough to go into the pro I had a three at six and it just wasn't high enough. So I got a scholarship to go to Delphi for nursing. Uh
but anyway, full ride, but then they would have men. Anyway, Eventually Finmanus test came up, and uh but I was going to del Hay's. You know back then he went to Delany's. I was taking That's why I met Danny Potter. I was a volunteer fireman and Brentwood and I had an uncle, My uncle John Colligan was the chief of brekn So we finally had some common ground and and then uh, I was taking the New York City course. You go in to city so so, but in Intrim,
I took the Niarssau County Police Department test. I took that on October thirty first of nineteen seventy seven. He two thousand guys. Thirty thousand guys took the test. And then I took the Fireman's Exam on December third and nineteen seventy seven, and I wrote the same grade on both tests. Ninety seven. I took my physical agility on
March twelfth of nineteen seventy eight. The FDNY eighty six point six ninety seven are written and my list when my list number came out in May of seventy eight, I was forty one on the firemans, but I wasn't a veteran, so guys took their veterans credits. So the amended list I dropped it two twenty three wow. So I was investigated for the first class. So so that January I went on the fire patrol. Fire patrol too.
I had taken Tesla three years earlier, and I got cold in January seventy eight, and I went on a fire patrol too on West Third between Thompson and sull great experience. It was only at ten months, but I worked with great guys Jimmy, Crispeck, Taylor, Mannie Riley. I stayed in touch with Jimmy, Uh, Lieutenant Pearl Line, Sergeant Ostader, and I spent ten months there and I wondered too, right uh beef he was there, Yeah, fireman u Eve and sergeant later on Tommy O'Kaine, if you remember Tommy
o'caine Cocaine Okaine. But you know great guy. Yeah, uh great, Uh Tommy, but Tommy great man so and Colrade and Patty Brown, uh, who was in probably school at that time. He he hung out a lot number two. He was from number one. Patty Brown went to Vietnam. He was in number one. Went to Vietnam, came back. I think Patty did two tours and he came back and worked in five patrol one until he got called for the FDN. Y and uh. He used to stay in the firehouse a lot and uh number two, and we got to
be very good friends. And Patty and I were very close, and losing him, uh was a little rough. But Patty, you know, you know the certain guys. As you guys know that, you know from day one there's gonna be something, you know, which I'll get into in private school.
So Bobby said it all the time, Yes, all the time.
So I go on a job less than ten months later from the day I take the written jam take the written his zam December third. I'm on a job October fourteenth, seventy eight. You will never see that again, No, never. I'm in the second I gotta investigated first class, but I go into second class. Okay, a lot of big So the funny thing is most of the guys in that class with veterans. They used their veterans points. So there's only twenty of us that weren't veterans, which was
a little tough because the marching old shit. But that class. Sorry, Tommy Galvin was in that class. Well, I just saw the other day.
He didn't do much.
Yeah, I saw Tommy, Yeah, I saw Tommy. Captain Steve b Rui's Black dedication the other day. Paul Harshaggen another.
Y never heard of that.
I never heard of it, walk, Mike Poos, Dannis Gordon, Bobby West so.
Me.
Yeah, it's like the stars right there man who knew.
They were going to move up. I was in the second plume, first squad, number thirteen. My my squad believer was kept was Carl Evans thirty four, great man, the man who was oh god, lieutenant. Uh let's see his face now, yes, the end of his son a job. It'll come to me from Harlem anyway, So go to Probate school six weeks and a way could and uh the instructors, I look back with terrific sobi school.
Then Bobby how many weeks?
Six weeks? Six weeks and they basically told this. Remember this is the year after the blackout. Black Guy was seventy seven. They they hired guys off the old list.
You know.
It was good. When I got to thirty, it was guys in their thirties. Uh, they had the mercy hiring off the old list. They hired like eight hundred guys and they dropped Promam school for six weeks. So when I got there in second class, yeah, first last like guys like Bobby Turner. Actually, Bobby Turner was a great friend of mine.
Uh that was slacker.
Bobby Turner was number one on the list. He wrote the highest written. He had a very high written grace, but he had the highest physical jilly if you remember that was the physical agility to test that. All the women sailed.
They allote the poll had to hanging pull off the wall of the legs.
The yeah, the bent arm hang uh wrecked a lot of guys. I remember to take the we get attesting you. I wigh ae hundred about fifty pounds, and the bent arm hang eliminated a lot of guys. Where you started, you had a butt and it was until you were fully extended, you're out. And you had all these guys like juiced up and ship and they jumping said down.
The guys make me.
One hundred and fifty pounds were hanging like a fucking bat. You know, you had to do a minute. If you didn't do a minute, you're out. You get a zero.
Wait.
So and it was the first thing was the uh. They had a dummy carried to carry a one hundred twenty poundummy up and down the stairs and everything was tied. And I still have the sheet actually uh got away carried. And then you had h the bent arm hang uh. The wall. That was another thing they made. The you gotta go along walk eliminated a lot of girls the ledge walk and eliminated a lot of women. Those of the rest, you know, they couldn't get close to the ledge.
Women did a mask. He had the obstacle course and what else do we have something else? I forget, but it was tough. Oh you had you had a mile running at the end, and I remember I ran four point five minutes in the mile. I was running like a fucking.
This was like you run like a motherfucker, and you like a running like yeah, well whatever.
But and then I get my grade and there was only one hundred guys that got over in ninety. When I make the friends Greg mcconi, he got over ninety old and I ended up in eighty six point six with a ninety seven coming thing. I end up forty one, eventually to twenty three list. So now I'm in Provably school and I'll never get this. Well. I had gone to my angel Swias a couple of times. So one day I'm in Provably School and there was a little tent name Deal Lieutenant Deal in a lot of winning team.
Who's an old school, tough guy. And you know he knew me as a kid. When I came to my angle Swas and I'm sitting I'm sitting at the table one day for lunch, I said, well, Bucky Bobby Wedstead of scoring the old guys, and Lieutenant Deal walks in. This guy's an old school guy from twenty six truck nineteen and they were doing the safety honesty, the old safety honesty. And he sits down next to me. He sees me and he says to me, this job. He had this rough on this job. That's great.
The bi him in a fucking barrel. And my friend just got up and left and I'm sitting there and he took my hand, goes good for you. So so that's it.
So I'm there about a week before graduation and they had a promotion ceremony up there. So when I was taking the city courses, there was a lieutenant teaching it in Manhattan. His name was Lieutenant Paranelo and he was a lieutenant engine sixty five. So I was going to the courses once a week and I took the train home a couple of times, and uh, we kind of hit it off. You know, you could tell how I
was into the job and I was it. So while I'm in Provy school, they have a promotion and same thing them at lunch one day and they promoted lieutenants and captains, and Paranelo seized me and he walks over to me and he says, remember me, you believe and he shakes my hand. He says, congratulations. I knew you would get on this job. Now. I did have a
little juice. I was good friends with Louis Garcia. I don't know if you ever heard of Louis came to mar Yeah, well, Mois started two eleven, laid off seventy five, and he went to Hountital and I knew him as a kid, and he was going to be my juice. So he says to me. Paranl says to me, I'll never forget this. He goes, you know, I'm going to be the captain Avengine two Para Neal never covered a day. I'm going to be the captain of Engine two thuty, which I knew about, being the fire patrol and it.
He goes, if you want this unit, I'll bring it in. So I said, thanks, cat, but I'm going to World two. I'm in fucking probably school and going to World two. You know, Okay, that's it.
So but later thanks cap Yeah.
Plus graduating, and I get a letter to the bag in Prova School from Captain Parallelo and he says, if you want this unit, I'll still get you one of everybody's going and everybody's going to engines. Remember the first couple of classes went to EUS engines that were doing over four thousand runs a year. Now like two ninety one oh three, they were doing eight nine eighty two thirty one. And that's when any change and full schedule.
So he says to me, nobody's going to trucks. Okay, I want to go to hunt to Nobody's going to trucks, all right, So I want to go to Tour nine. Tour nine was the four minut engine. That's why I've been trump make a long story short orter comes down. I got an engine two thirty, and the day day order came down two and I went to a five minute engine. So Tommy Donald and Kevin Rice out of my pro school went there. I go to two thirty,
the great houset man. Believe me, I got lucky. I've always said I was lucky to get on a job when I did. In October fourteen, ninety seventy eight, worked where I worked engine two three to zero and latter one eleven and worked with the guys I worked with, and that was the most important thing. So I go to two thirty and Arthur J. Parmeranello whose daughter works in the Comack nine to eleven place. He's my captain. So I get there as a probably and Lorett the
cams groups and he was tough, very tough captain. But I looked back years later a great captain. So you got to so guys. When I got to two thirty, the day to was we had bells and the voice low. Fortunately I was better at counting the bells. Yeah, there it is because in control too we had the bells voicel in Manhattan, so I got pretty good counting the bells. So you sat assist in the house watch and it was write a book with him, you know, and you drilled.
But he was he was tough, but he was very fair. So when I first came to the fire, when I got to two thirty in nineteen seventy, I got there in November. Other than the guys from the seventy seven list, they hadn't gotten a probium in years, so I was the youngest guy it was twenty two to get to to thirty in fifteen years.
You were kid.
Oh yeah, And I worked with two guys that fought in World War Two.
Wow.
Frank Chucchio was the chauffeur. He survived the first wave of Regima as a marine. Joe Russo chauffeur. They both came on in nineteen fifty five. Joe was drove Sandy Magioe great as he was in the Navy, survived the Battle of Midway, and then a bunch of Vietnam guys, you know they Fletcher, Uh, Bobby Lawrence got the rest of the soul other guys.
To be careful with those guys, Bob. They're always panicking at the drop of a hat. You know, yeah right, yeah, so awesome.
You gotta be wrong. You wake up with a bowie knife at your night.
Solid, solid guys, I remember, Billy Ah just last awake of your own suspenders. Dennis wa Cola, Bobby Larrence, Phil boyco H, Jimmy Jones, Uh, Harry Harry Gumm and maybe the tich That's what Yeah, I was broken by. I was broken in by Bobby Lawrence got a rest of the salt diideline to do the eighty five. That is what I called it. Bill aarn and Ormond Samuel's one of the showers. Uh. And I was the other thing. You know in probably school, they're gonna go to fire,
We're gonna break your balls. Didn't break my balls. They were terrific because they hadn't gotten new blood in a long time. But I remember the day I had a report there. You had to get your ship. I go to two thirty. I walk in the door and I get met. I get met by Nicky Rocco. I don't know if you ever heard about Nicky Rock.
Nicky Rocco, he lives to judge his check book lived in.
The basement of two thirty. It's almost showing there. And I go in the back in the kitchen and were and the lieutenant was a guy named Eddie Collaboro who had like one hundred thousand years on the job. And I walk in. I say, you know, well my folder. I walk and I go, you know, profession fireman houstin reform of duty, sir so Collaboro. He's got his tie on, which is not tied. He got his stab, fixs his glass up. He goes give me a folded kid. So he goes through the fold and he goes, oh, wow,
that's impressive. He graduated high in your provary class. So I'm like, yes, sir, I was. I was number twenty two and one hundred and twenty five. And he folds that. He throws across the room and he goes, that don't mean fucking ship done.
He goes, I knew that was coming.
Oh yeah, I'm and trooky air and all these billy hang u that's what. And I'm like, fuck, and you like to eat? And so they had lunch while I was there for about two hours. They had about twelve runs. Oh my, I didn't go out on the runs. They wouldn't let me ride. Uh yeah, they went mostly false alarms, you know. And that was it. And I went home to my parents and I felt like I died and went to Avon and uh worked with great guys, just terrific firement over there.
Bob, How long are you take you to catch your first joble.
My thunder my first night to I think it was actually my first run. We relocated to eighty. They had all hands. We got back my first night too. We had two old hands. Now we didn't wear a mask. Back then my first night tour, captain put me on the mask maybe the mask man, but two guys rod in the back step and I was in the back of man and mass man rode behind new officer and hook them in, rode behind the chauffeur and actually, when I was thirty, he had a phone on for a fire.
They stretched a line to the front door, just automatically. So yeah, my first night we had two old hands. Uh second do them both? Uh? I remember? I remember I got off in the morning, I went home. I was little. My parents up most of the night and my dad worked for the New York clost You know, I got home, my dad was up, and you know, I had just got my locker, and I went home and worked close and my dad sitting and I was kind of dirty still, and my dad was like, how
was your first night? I go, I made a big mistake coming on this job. You know, I thought, like you went to the fire people came out and gave you a cour fee the ship at us, I said, I made a big mistake coming on his shot, and I gotta go back to tonight. And I went back, and you know what it was. It was the greatest thing, and I talked to Dennis Murphy about this a lot. His first ain't coming by the year after me. And I remember the first time getting on a rig and
going out the door saying, yeah, I'm here. I did it and I'm here, and uh it was two thirty. Was a great company, a great company, Lieutenanta Great Eddie Collaboro, Sandi Maggio. He called him his immenseness, his immenseness, huge guy, could move like a baby, Eddie Thomas. He was there a short time. Uh, he was there a long time. He transferred Atlanta one oh six, and then my lieutenant got the rest of the soul, Cordy Simon, and there Lieutenant Gordon Simon. Uh, one of the best firefs since I
ever worked. But and he came there and I worked with him until I went to one eleven. Yeah, that's uh. To the left, Greg Dacny, Bobby Bobby Kennedy, myself in the middle, John Banbury, and Dennis walk Cole.
He always had that mustache.
Huh.
Oh. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know if you know the story about his brother Mike and Mike Well, Dennis was a sign of ninety three Engine and Mike was in two thirty and they actually did a mutual swap. You could do that back then. And and Dennis came to two thirty and on, and I worked with Dennis in his groups, him and Bobby. Uh have we gone? They were just great, a common Granado. And like I said, when I got there's a probe, they treated me like
old They really cat mo stuff. Take quick story about paranlettle bit Uh. Dennis his brother Mike Walkol. So this Mike made lieutenant and he went to five trucks and he was working. He worked the Monday four nine to eleven, and it was the last tour in the job. He was retiring at a nine hundred September eleventh. So he had his party this thing, and I guess the box came in about way a fifty something was five truck. He goes to get on the rig his release and
and lieutenant says, Mike, what are you crazy? You know you're done. He goes, fuck it, man, my last job is going to be the best, you know, not knowing and he was killed. Oh my god, yeah he was killed.
I don't think I ever heard that story.
Yeah either, Yes, he died. He died anyway, let's make true toplot. So yeah, I worked with Dennis great nozle Man. But as I said, these guys in war Mass Billy Ahern, who wants suspended. He just passed away a couple of years ago. His father was Harry Aharan from twenty six truck. But just great, great people.
So hey, Bob, just one one quick thing I wanted to take sure.
You know what amazes me, Like you just said they had sixteen runs or whatever they had in a couple of hours there right, Like when you look at that area like two thirty to all those single engines in the area, right, it's around one eleven, how much work like all of those companies there right to twenty seven.
Like, it's just incredible how much those guys were doing.
You know the good thing you know, one thing is single. I can tell you some about two seventeen. One thing, especially one eleven. Uh, we ran to within a majority of single engines.
So you got a lot of work that way, man.
Oh yeah, but we went got to the job because I guess those engines to thirty two seventeen they stretch the line for a phone alongn for fire even not was showing they stretch a line to the front door, which sounds ridiculous, said to take it off, but that's what they did, and we rolled in and most of the time, you know, they already had the line in place, and uh, they just wait first to pop the door. But if they were able open the door, you know,
they make it moves. Uh. Seventeen with Sister Engines, we did our company party with them, We did our company picnic with them, the shawtball team with them. We were in the five seven together and we had ninety four boxes. That was it.
First, it's such a small area.
It's Chris second and Reserve, you know, Reserve Engine. I think TO seventeen had about sixty and they were doing like five thousand runs a year, you know, and we were doing such we were on the schedule inter change every third night. We went to two twenty four and uh. But TO seventeen had a manual door. We had well see back then in seventy eight, Louisue there was a lot of work. So we we had a button so that we went out the door, hit the button that
shut the door. TO seventeen had to go out and roll the door down.
Crazy.
Certain boxes like six nine oh too Blasky. I've got six ninety one. Uh uh, Dick Calvin Summon.
He still remember the boxes because they came.
In a thousand times a day. So we were rolling in and this could be a job. We'd be rolling in, you'd see a job. If we saw to seventeen coming, rights were bouncing, we would give them the fire. We don't wearing cowards, but it was they were first too gentlemen, because you know what, we're gonna have our one later, and we would and they would stretch, and then naturally we'd stretch off there were and we got along grave with them.
Was Derek Allen there, Bob at that time? That Eric Allen? Was he there?
Or yeah?
He came way later, Yeah later.
I was in one eleven when he got to seventeen. But weren't you to seventeen? Getting detailed? You either work, Sarah's the other thing. You stayed within your battalion, you worked over the time, or or got detailed in your battalion. And I remember, like, you're like, you don't really you're like spoiled. You don't realize there's all other job out there, right? Was it until he started doing DIVISIONI details or borrow details or citywide details. You realize that, whoa man, it's
all different world. Yeah, when we detail that worked over time, it was always in five to seven. So you either went to two thirty five to seventeen, one eleven or two fourteen and yeah, excuse me, and you know that's what you dealt with. And work were great guys, you know, but the engines down there and the area we worked in, you know, Brownstone small frames, if you remember, they're engine jobs.
They're mostly engine jobs, you know, the truck, especially with an engine pulling the first two the fires at the door. You're not you're not doing much, you know, you go move with the line. Maybe the ov is gonna make a moving But yeah, a lot of engine jobs, a lot, say with Bushwick, uh two thirty head, a fair amount of vacants. We didn't. I remember when I first got there,
Oman SAMUELSSS. It was the show for there two thirty four, two ninety and one day we we went the troop and bought with He said bring a camera in one day, Hey kid, bring a camera. So I bought a camera, you know, a little puzzled, and we stood on the corner troop and bought. There's a lot of buildings, you know, vacance. And he said take a picture. And he said, when you leave here or you retire, take the same picture in the same spot.
That's a great idea.
Man.
Four years later, I'm going to one eleven, which is all nother story. Uh, And I go to the same spot and take the picture.
Before left.
Nothing left like fucking rice patties in Vietnam. There was no buildings left and we were good, no shot. Everything was gone, all burned down. So and that was it. So I I it was in two thirty love the place. But you know, you start, you start to get the itch to go to the truck. And the reason why I went to the truck, well the reasons like I didn't like the truck. Later, when you're an engine, you know, you get a run but nothing happened. You know, you
pull up to take a hydriene. The truck guys always get off the rig and do something right cast league, quarter league. So when you're a young guy, you want to do something years let you go, fuck this, I should project for sending. So I decided I want to go. Oh so you couldn't go to a truck until you had a year on a job when I went on a job, so after year you were allowed to go to truck. So I was on a job a little over here and I get a call one day and two tari from a guy named George Lee who was
a lieutenant won seventy five. Now my dad wasn't on a job, but he was a friend of my dad through the Mason's and he was a lieutenant one seventy known guy worked and rescue two Now one seventy five was on New Jersey Avenue.
Back then, yeah, by themselves in the one on.
Seven's old quarters and tell her by themselves with all senior guys. And it was the endity at the borrow. You remember everybody was driving in that. You know it was popule, And no twenty fourths. Nobody worked twenty fours. You know you work twenty four when you got overtime twenty four hours. And back then you can go to five old hands. So you know twenty four is blood money. And I told you get a hundred fifty bucks. I used to bought them make a hundred seventy five. I
wouldn't work night to us. So he calls me one day in two thirty schools. He goes, Bob, it's George Lee. Oh how you doing, mister Lee? He goes, listen, would you like to come to one seventy five? And I really know much about the place. And I said, well, I don't know. You know here three years and he goes, I'm here a year, you know. Just why don't you stop by for lunch? Okay, So in between my night tours, I take it right over there to a single truck
at the end of Hint to borrow with all senior guys. Fuck, no, how do I get this? I get there. The guys were great. I had launched them, went on a couple of runs with them, and that was it. And I went back to two thirty for the night tour. And uh. I called him a couple of days later and I said, uh, mister, you know, mister Lee. He says, call me George. I should have call him low And he says, I said, look, I'm not really ready to leave engine two thirty. He said, well,
anytime you want to come here, I'll have you. Yeah. Well, they had the old. They had the old, you know, they had the they had the flywood over the over the camp. You know, like one hundred and eight had an open cab, you know, and uh he said give me a call. But I stayed there, and uh stayed there for almost four years. So I'm starting to not that I want to leave to oh so go back to Parallel. I remember. So when I came on a job,
we had a two year on probation. One year. The guys in the seventy seven list, Roger Richie's, Greg Samin Eira, you know, all those guys who came right before me, they did six months probation and then turned fourth grade firemen. So after six months they got their front piece, two thirty front piece. So when I first came to the fireas first night, Joe Russo comes over to me and he goes, give me two dollars. I'll give him two dollars. Commissary with two bucks and a dollar for the third
of lampuol, I give him two dollars. He gives him my two thirty front piece. Let's put it in your locker until you get a probation. Okay. So working there, we had guys six months come by and the guy's like, hey kid, he gone. The Aaron was, hey kid, you can take your prov shield off. Now you know it's six months. So I'm like, well, I don't know if I should. You know, I was in the captain school. No, it was a it was a gordious schools. When the
captain came in between. You know, I don't know you know, blah blah blah. You know now, no kid, you can you could take your proper shield off, So okay, take it off. You see you guys tell you to take it off. So I'm working. Noidently, gotten parallel comes in for night to it sees my helvet on the back and the hosband. You know I was bad year back, you know, run the back step now, asked have my boots and he goes in the kitchen get a cup of coffee. Comes back, sees me and he goes. He
points to the thing. He goes, what's this ship? I said, well, Cap, the guys told me I can take my proper shield off. He says to me, the guys don't tell you what to do. I'm the captain. I tell you what to do. I tell you when he proba shield because you got a value it between every three months. I said, okay, Cap, because I'll tell you what I'm gonna ask you one question about the rigs, and if you get it right, you can keep your pubble shoe on. Now, guys, I
knew this fucking rig inside out. I should tell you. I could tell you that the butts were made. I said, guy had cap. Sure exactly, He says to me, go get the boost of line, span of wrege. I didn't even know we had one. I just want. I just went upstairs, took the prob.
Shield off, took the public shield back on, and.
He showed me where it was. It was under the show to see in this big thing with all this fittings, you know, and it's this little tiny wrench and the boat boost line was hand hand crack, wasn't. I just put my thing on and that was waiting.
Another six months.
Six months later, right with Gordy Simon. Six months later, go for my fourth grade medical combatment October fourteenth, nineteen, and I had got my first one of citation, believe it or not. Uh with the learning those guys. About three months before I went information with another story, but a great fire with great guys, and we got a unit. I get a use citation. Where's the prob? So six months later, Hey, kid, you can take the pro shield off. You know you better take it off. You know, I
don't know. Captain like man, I kid, don't worry about it again a lot put the two thirty thing on. Who comes in that night, Captain Arthur j P. I have this conversation already, and here's my helmet.
I was.
Then you're in the back my boots. He goes in the kitchen, comes there, e sees me. He goes, what's this ship?
I said, did you get them the span wrench? At least this time.
It's the greatest part. It shows you how he was. It was tough and fair. So he goes, Bob, the guys don't tell you what to do. I'm no one who tells you what to do. I'm the one who grants you ten here. But he says, I'm going to ask you one question and if you get it right. No, you can keep your boot. You can keep your two thirty shield on. I said, god cap. He goes, go get me the boost line spanner. Ah, if there was one fucking thing on that rig, I didn't know to yet.
I got shook my hand and said, you're off probation. Welcome to engine two thirty and I'll never forget that.
Wow, it was a tough story man.
Yeah, it was tough. It was tough. But I look back forty some years later and when I see Gina, his daughter with the Night of the thing, you know, at the medicals, I always telling uh, and I don't he made deputy chief. I always ask her, how's the captain doing? Oh, and be honest with you. I look back and it was a great experience to have him as my captain. Is he still around, Yes, he's he's retired deputy. Oh God, I mean I'm going to be sixty nine in July. He's got to be. I asked
you to lately. I think he's eighty one, eighty two. You'll make captain very young. Here's from one twelve as the flyman, but tough but fair. And he showed you the way and and you know, things are different. You know back then you sat assistant house watch. Everything done in the book was a certain way. But anyway, So I start to get the age to go to the truck and by then Greg Laconey had come there, and Greg Pacconey is one of my best friends in the job.
Louis Paccone's son from one away and he gets there and we right away two young guys. I got there about a year before you did, and two young single guys, and we hit it off right away, and we are two fucking assholets and we get nicknamed. I'm Kid Rat and he's kid Snake, and we cut doing everything together. So we would just talk about this the other day. So our first Patty's Day, I had just gotten my first unit citation and it shows you out when you're
a young guy. So Gordon Simon, uh was a lieutenant where and it was Patty's Day and we were having breakfast in a fi ass well in uniform class and I remember, God, he sidon come over to me and give and gives. You know. Now you're like, oh shit, I but that's the way it was. And I'm like, you know, I'm off the charts now. So you know, we go to city, do what thing. I look back, I'm like twenty five years old, twenty four right, He's like, and we do the gamut and nice all night out.
Can't fiel my face.
So now we take the brain. Yeah, we took the train in and we take the train back to two thirties. Quarters take the jay. We get off at Broadway and Gates at one o'clock in the morning, in beeavastives and in uniform, trunks monkeys, and we're walking arm in arm and we are cursing everybody out in the street. How we didn't get shot, I don't know. So why don't we get to the fires We walk in and the Captain's got his car parked cat parallels there. He's in uniform.
He must have watched and like maybe it was eleven o'clock or twelve, I don't know. So we walk and John Bambury, capt Bury was covering the spot.
Well.
We eventually got to touch great man, great guy. So we walk in arm in arm with two years on a job hammade, and we salute Captain Bambury. How you doing? Cap? He goes, good boys, and we look at the captain Taraneoua and go hey, author, hey author, and his face. So he had his car parking in the fire ass and he didn't let anybody park us. So Cony says. He says, hey, author, watch it. And he was supposed to transfer to one nineteen. He was going to one thing.
He goes, hey, are why are you parking the fire ass, so says somebody. I didn't want anybody screw with it, So I said, well, author go parking on Hoopah Street. We don't watch him anymore, and we leave and we go to college for him and hang out, and I ended up seeing over his parents' house and we live bubbles of So three days later I come in for my day tours and well, no, no, worse, it's not on the desk. So I walk in. I'm in the bathroom and Patoni comes out of the bunk room and
he is as white as a sheep. I thought he was going to pass out. And he comes in. He goes, I go, what's the matter with you? He goes, He's still here? What are you talking about? He's still here? I said, what the fuck are you doing? He's still here. He didn't transfer transfer water came down. Captain wasn't on it. Wah wah'd I'm dead.
I'm dead, you know what.
He never said anything, he didn't do anything. We both we both figured I would been better transfer thinking, I figured he was. He was terrific. He took it as a joke, so M.
A little while later over indulged.
Oh you know what well, you know he was he loved his Proby's When when we all turned grade, we had a big party at Dave Johnson's house. You know remember two thirty, nineteen seventy. I got there with Mike Thompson, who actually texted me today about this. Uh. You guys advertised that I got a million calls in the least
couple of days. Uh. We came together and every every six weeks we got a probably in two thirty and uh, I remember when we all turned first grade, we had a big party at Dave Johnson's house at East and cant Paranila came out. He was already a chief and he brought a big sheet cake with all our names on it the dates that we came on a job. Oh yeah, Uh we were his boy. You know. He was proud of his probablys and uh he was tough, but he was fair.
But uh, sometimes you have to look back at those things.
Right.
And a little in my career when I was breaking guys in, you know, I always tell people in the job, you will break guys in the way you were broken.
Yeah, some of those broke the balls.
And we're broke your balls and did stupid ship to you. But you're gonna do that to younger guys. If the guys show you the way you know and help you out, I mean, it's tough on you. That's the way you're gonna teach your kids. You guys learned and that's you know. And let's face it, you know of this job his experience. Like I said, when I went to probably school six weeks, they basically told us, look, we're we're not going to teach you much here. You know, you're gonna learn the
basics when you go to the field. You'll learn the job one day. And probably Schill never get this. We were. They tell us, one day, bring your lunch tomorrow because you can buy lunch in all right. So the next day get there. They put us on these school buses and they bring us up to the South Bronx nineteen seventy eight up by eighty two and thirty one, which I knew nothing about.
The Bronx is burning.
We get up there and we had put tools in the rig in the bus. We get up there and grew up and live in town. Even though it's looking from Long Island. I get off the bus, like a lot of us are it looked like Europe. It looked like in nineteen thirty four, like holy shit. And we took the tools and we went into these vacant buildings and they taught us how to pull ceilings, how to uh kind of rose windows, yeah, trimming windows. I mean Mike Bradley is from rescue. One was when he lieutenant,
when he struck this great guy. They nailed doors shut. Remember one day that day we were forcing the door and he heard noise. Turns out there was dogs in the room. You know, vacant buildings. You always said these dogs around. He wouldn't listen there because the dogs would attach you. But you learned how to pull. That was a great experience. But we got up there. I was like there was blocks and blocks of vacd tenements and I was like, holy ship. But uh, you learned a lot.
But as I said, going back, so, uh, I'm ready to go to chuck and up and hunt the mountain skiing. You know, I had eleven years on the job and to get married. So at the ski house, at the house and Hampton's, I Boar attended tonight's I'm living life. You know, I've got to show you guys something I went through some ship and I found my first paste up. I don't know if you'll be able to see it.
I'll spend it all once fun.
Yeah, I don't know if you can see.
It, Come on, you pick it up up. Yeah.
I took home three hundred, three hundred, nineteen dollars and seventy eight cents every two weeks.
That ship three hundred dollars every two weeks, you know.
And I was living at large. No really, Uh, I found it the other day. I didn't looking for pictures like you know.
Uh.
Anyways, bought then. So I'm living a life, you know. But anyway, So up at Hunter Mountain with Greg Paconi and uh Audie work, I worked in five patrol with Artie. Yeah, it's gonna be a long show, Lartie, how do you ask me to mention nine things? Now? Break my So we're up at Hunt Mountain and with skiing with Joe brus O Captain Bruz Kampa one thirty two. Who is Greg Pecconi's godfather, his dad Luis Paconi legend? And Joe says to me and Greg, would you guys like to
come to one thirty two? Now, I didn't know much about one thirty two, But would you like to come at one thirty two. I'll have you here. Yeah, there we are, Me and Greg. He said, I'll have you here next week. Wow, okay, okay, yeah, let's do it. A couple of days later, Greg Peconi was stretching for a job in the projects, the forty projects. He I got an ozly he comes off the backstep full Safferson blows his knee out. That's it, he's fucked up. Put
the fire out, it's it boomed. He ends up. You know, six months, get surgery. The Ashley came back to the job, which very odd, but in the intrum, I figure he's not coming back. I'm ready to go to truck. I want to go to hunt and too. I always want to go on.
Still over that company, I still haven't figured it out.
I want to go on. And the big thing on hand and two is at that time the kind of had to have as a sponsor. So Captain was Harry Rodgers, Jerry Barber was a Lieutenant rest of soult Lieutenant do Letto and Lieutenant Dennis Cross rest of And you need a sponsor, so Jerry Lambert, Frankie Robos Dave Island. Those guys they like. So I make the move. I go over there in Class a's see Captain Rodgers. You go over in Class a's go in, make the phone call Mind and Bob and I come in, sit down with
Captain Rodgers and tell him what I want. He says, okay, great, put your paper in, we'll bring out. Thank you. That's it.
So.
Oh the other thing is the Batian command was the chief name Jim Jim Duffy, if you ever heard of him. I worked with his son in the fire patrol. Billy and Chief Tuffy knew me when I was young guy. So about two weeks after I put the CD thirty in, Chief Tuffy comes to the fires so roll call come out and he comes over to me. He says, he hands me to CD thirty. I put World two in and ext all the other boxes out right. He comes on. He says, what's this ship?
You gotta put more, you gotta put everyone.
I put it for one hundred and two. Chief he goes, you're not going on hundred two. It's not happening. So I went to see Captain Rodgers and he goes, you can't. You got to put other companies in. Okay, so I put companies in. I put companies in. I'm never gonna go to rescue two, rescue three, rescue four, you know, one, and my last choice is one eleven. Come on, nobody's going to one eleven. Guys, who's on the sixty day
detail from Nobody's going to one eleven. You know. At that time, the count was Tom Brown, and nobody's going to put one eleven. I give it to him. That's it here, it is Chief. Two weeks later, go to so I'm working on lificant. I'm working over time in engine two thirty five, and the chief was Ray Brown. If you ever heard of Ray Brown, I grew up with his son Ray. He's from eleven Town. So I grew up in Ray junior lieutenant one to thirteen. You know,
I'm sure you heard it, Ray Rescue one. His two brothers, Tommy was in twenty six and the youngest kid, Brian. He became a cat. But anyway, so I'm working hoteam two thirty five and it's like ten o'clock at night and he comes down. He goes Bobby, Chief wants to see upstairs. Okay, I didn't do anything wrong he's up in your office. Jef Brown, who when he got the Spotify seven I actually called me at home said anything
you need, I'll be the five seven. You know, because I grew up, I knew HI when I was a kid. So I walked in the office. I said, old Chief. He goes, you get something, congratulately. He goes, congratulations, you're going to ladder one eleven. So I'm like what. He goes, You're going to one eleven. I go, no, Chief, I'm not going to one eleven. I'm going hundred to two. So he says to me, well, according to Department Order one eleven whole nine hundred hours Thursday, August sixth you
were assigned to Ladder one eleven truck. I can't go that. Those guys are nuts, buddy, that's where you're going. Congratulations. So now I'm like, shit, I don't know. I'm thinking about it right my regulator Friday at the last minute, you know, party uh all one eleven. Get Lieutenant Peter Rice on the phone at the time. Oh yeah, you're going to group. So so you know what, So you come in Tuesday. All right, they gave me like ninety six. Okay, great,
I feel I'll bring my gear over and that's it. Okay, I'm going to one eleven. Uh, I'm like, I can't believe I'm going to one eleven. So that's it. So I was bought, you know, So that's Sunday.
Oh on, Bob, did what happened with the Captain of World two? Did he say anything? Like?
Did he Harry Rogers?
No?
It came down.
Uh.
You know, I'm seeing guys in the street, you know, I had one more tour left in two thirty, and they're like, you like, what happened?
I go?
I don't know. And it took me years to find out why I went to one eleven. Uh, well I was put there. I didn't. I didn't put it. Well, I did with zummies, but I didn't want to go there because those guys were nuts. They were great fireman don't and you know when I was in two thirty, we didn't run in with that much. You know, we didn't go down south that far. We ran a hundred two eight one once in one one night team and they were great companies, you know, hundred two great companies.
I mean, yeah, I believe a little fireman there. Uh, I could probably mention every guy in.
Oh, you can mention every guy you know.
I mean when I gave to Charlie Dmaza was still the chauffeur and had the open cav rig, you know. Yeah, and Pokie Sullivan was They used to sometimes they came down Broadway to Park Avenue and that tiller was not straight. But anyway, I worked to day they had the accident, uh, which put Soki out of the job. But anyway, so yeah, so one eleven and I forget I was bought tenner. So that's Sunday. Sunday, I get the water comes down to six. I'm doing on a Tuesday. So the Sunday
I'm bought tenner and I wears one. So my manager from the bar worked in was getting married and they had a been going to the wedding. He was marrying the daughter of the guy who owns Helme and Cold and Eyeglasses. So it's in King's point in his unbelievable mansion. So make Alom's so short. I party a lot with the guys. We go out and I end up getting back to my apartment about five thirty in the morning in my three piece suit and I fall asleep. Oh, no,
and then nine thirty the phone rings. Oh no, I get a phonego hello, Oh yeah, is this fireman Western? Yeah? Who the fuck is this? He goes, that's your new captain, Tom Brandon speaking cap we're gonna do. He goes, well, Son, I don't know where you came from, but we started at nine o'clock on handtocky and I had a new Camaro. Ye know, I'm telling you I'm living a life passed. I'm in my suit. He says, take your time. So I dropped my car and I tried to the fire ass.
I pull up my Camaro and I get a standing ovation from all the guys lined up in front of fire Ass. Sometimes you know, I to rest his soul. Kenny Connolly, Bobby Johnson, mister Jay, and I get a standing ovation, and I'm in a three piece suit with no fig fire gear, and I come out the first thing. Johnson comes over. Mister Janey goes, listen, kid, before you see the captain, you got to go around the corner there. You gotta cross the street and see that Jewish guy,
and you got to pick up something. So he tells me what to pick up, one on one one for your first day and when for being late. That's it. Now we're talking. Now it's like eleven o'clock. I haven't seen the captain. So I get back, and I said, and he walked me get mister Jake. He held my hand and walked me to the corner. He said, this is as far as I go. Come back. I go, mister Jay, Well, I knew these guys. You know guys an Arab.
He's Jewish, he said, the list on my head to go there, kid, he was Jewish. You bet there was a jew there. You better go up and see the captain. So now I go upstairs, knock on the door, come on in.
I walk in. I'm in a three piece suit, still hungover, and an hour, almost two hours late to meet Tom Brennan. And he gets up, shakes my hand. He goes, how you doing, Tom Brennan. I came in fire a roster, report of duty. He gets, shakes my hand. How you doing, kid, Tom Brennan. He says, listen, three things. Uh. Number one, senior guys are not going to talk to you. Number two, we don't wear masks in his company. And number three, we don't cough on the fire floor. Coughing on the
fire floor, you'll be out of here. Get the that's it, Get the fuck out of my office.
We don't call for the fire floor. That sounds like a shirt, bro, Dude, that does sound like a shirt.
That sounds like a shirt, and that picture what's classic about that? So I work in his group with Kenny Conwley, Dougie Simes, unbelievable fire me and I'm a lunatic. I'm just a funny guy. I guess, I don't know. And I remember we had two jobs that day. I had the can, I borrowed cloak work, I borrowed turnout here I'm in a three piece. Oh so what happens is yeah, so we get done with that. So now it's like twelve o'clock the lunch, and now guys like, come to
the yard, let's go hang out in the art. Kid, I don't know. I come on in the yard, you know, some in the yard doing what we did in the yard. And the old man comes down. He walks in the back yard and sees me with the dude Mike leave me and he says, what are you doing with this? They give you right up and the dudes like, O, no cap this palking kad. You know he's with me, Michelive he said, so, so, hey, hey, Bobby, I heard you.
You don't want to come, and you want to go on the do you know now I'm back, I'm feeling I go. No, I don't want I said, I put in for an engine and wanted to her in the truck of the East Meadow. And Brennan's over the table
to kill me. And that was it, and and uh and somehow so we went and I stayed right with him, and I can tell you and my first toe was with him, my second toe with Jim Basil, And I can tell you right now and again I could tell you the serial number on the heel of their fucking boots, you know, their their shoes, because that's all I saw. You were just grabbed on to their foot and you went with them. Uh. But great teachers and and Brennan
and I we ended up becoming. He loved me for some reason, he just him and the Duke Kenny Connolly loved me. He was one of the biggest ball breaks in the fire house and for some reason he just took me under his wing. He taught me a lot. But so.
Duke Bobby, he was the duke you know the firefloor.
Yeah, this guy won in his career. He won the the the Bennett Medal, the Cane Medal. Uh. In another class street he won the what's the one you get every three years metal?
Uh.
He was just an amazing fireman. Uh, traumatics could take it. There's three types of guys in this job. There's a guy who can take the beating and he gets respect. Take the fucking beat. Uh. That is goodn't make a moves, but take a beat. Then you have another guy that's can't take a beaten like the other guys, but he knows his moves. You know, he's smart, you know what I'm saying. Then you get the guy that can take his beating the moves. So those are the Bobby Chasers.
Those are the Kenny Connollys, the Dennis Conways, you know, uh, the Tommy Craig. These are the guys.
Eric seemed to always be in the right spot.
Dude. Eric is another well Eric had Eric had a lot of instinct and he you know, let's face it, though, you know, I made a million searches. I mean he pulled some people out, But you make a million searches, take a beat and never pull anybody out.
I got somebody like that guy was always in the right.
Spot man, Yeah yeah, and pulled Eric out a couple of times. Oh yeah, Well he'll tell you.
I mean, how many legendary guys were in that place. You know.
The other thing, Louis is, and I've always said this too, there's guys that the whole job knows their name. The Tom Leary's all right, the Jack Pritches, Patty Brown's, Larry Fitzpatrick, god rest, the whole job. But the whole job knows their names. But then there's a ton of guys that nobody knows their name out of the battalion, and they're great fireman, you know. Like I said, Tommy Craik, Billy ches need to work in the place. I can mention
Charlie Williams. I mean the guys that I worked with that were phenomenal firemen, but outside of the battalion, nobody knew them. And and that's how the job is, you know. And not only that, you know, you never hear about great engine. You know, everybody in the truck. You know. I work with George Day uh right now, he's two thirds he's one of the guys that broke I'll never get When I first got to two third, George Day laid it right out. He says, hey, kid, here's how
it works, all right, this is easy chopping. Well, we get a run, you jump on the back of the pump. You don't have to know where you're going. You know, you guys know where he's going. We got when we get there, and we got a job. See them big guys over there in the truck. They get there, they break the door, they break the windows, they go in, they find the fire, They get the people out. When they find the fire, they call us up. We go
with the hose, We hit the red shit. When the red shit goes out, we put those back in the rig. We go back to the firehouse and wet lunch. And he said, that's in New York City. Fire uponent And he was right.
It's very simple, you know.
And George was another legend in the job.
You know.
One of my first fires with him. Uh, we had a job at one hundred and eight road frames. I didn't know what the row frame was. I think it was my second tour they tour. Uh, didn't know what the row frame was. Didn't know where exposure was. So we go there's the reserve engine kept there. It's like two sixteen and two eighteen. So so we pull up and his fires blown at his building and he tells the stretch of line into the building exposure for it. I don't know what it was, stretch a line in
the building next door. So we stretch the line. We get the top floor and there's a truck up there. I think it was one forty. I think it's we're up there. You know, we got no masks, you know, uh you know, now's the man back of them in don't wear a mask. Third man has a mask, mask man. So we're up there and George got a cigarette now, and you know, it's like a little hazy and shit. So now he started pulling the ceilings and the fires burning, but it's not bad. So he says, hey, kid, get down.
You gotta get down. So I'm like, mom, okay, George. You know this is my third day and two thirty. I'm okay, George, Now, kid, get down, get down in Delbi not judge. I'm okay, all right kid. He opens that lineup, it's like fucking lights out. I hit the tack and I am calfing my balls off. He's on his haunches, you know, knocking fire down and he puts it out pretty quick. But it is I'm on my belly half in my ass off and he lets me wash down and he turns around. He goes say, kid,
I said, don't worry about it. What have you whatever? You know, but another kind of legendary guy.
You know, who is the guy that you felt like you latched onto?
Sorry?
Who is the guy you latched on to in one eleven? Right away? Like? Who did you finish?
I you know, I didn't really latch onto everybody.
I just.
I just followed what they told me to do. Like I said, Kenny Connley took a big liking to me from the beginning. Brandon, I can tell you me, Brandon. Uh you've heard of Tom Brandon. I mean, you know, so every day two o'clock I had to take the rick to take the bucket up and practice with the bump, even though I'm probably not going to see the all the years, but.
Up in the bucket.
So I'd be up in the bucket. So I would come in the yard and dub Simes's I know from eleven time? Great? Uh, you gotta pull. So they pulled a rig out, you know, and I'd be up there and uh later on. One of the ways I trained my problems with the bucket was I used to get a broom and tie the broom to the basket, and they had to keep the broom on the on the building. That was like my idea. But anyway, so I'd be out there doing what I had to do, and there was certain things you had to learn. So I had
to be there at two o'clock. And so one day two o'clock comes and hey guy, you know, Duke's in the back and hey, Ken, could you put the rig out a puck bad asshole. We're not doing that today. You know, don't worry about it. You don't have to do that. Look, I gotta be out there, you know. If the captain, you know, don't worry about a kid, sit down, have a dreak, you know, I gotta be out there. So, you know, two minutes after two, he don't need a bucket. He comes into the back squad
and he's like, what are you doing? And I'm like, and of course they're like, yeah, cop, we don't know what the deal is with this kid. We can't.
Hang it out.
You know, they give you up right away.
Right under the right, under the bucket, I swear to christ.
So one day, not a time, I'm doing things that if I but I always I didn't cough with Brent, you know, I mean I did.
And Uh.
One day I'm up in the bucket with Rudy Winler. I don't know if you ever heard a Rudi Uh. And we're practicing. You know, I always want my radio that was in this way. So we're practicing the bucket and I take the you know, bucket up to the window and just keep the bucket below the window and all the ship. And Brennan's in the office and he's
on the phone with his back to me. So I come into the window and I crawled and I ran him by the collar and I pulled him off his chair and I get in the radio and I called really, I said, one eleven o feet what eleven? I need help with me. I got a big fan funk. I'm pulling bread and and he's trying to hit me with the phone receiver. The phone gets pulled out of the wall and I dragged him to the window. And you know what, he loved it. He just he loved it. But I did that was that was kind of crazy.
Find a picture of what eleven and two foot a picture.
Of Brennan and me. Brennan had a broken finger. Yeah, so his finger was broken, so it was always point So when I would worked on bending my finger like him and I got it to work. So he would. He always had a drill right after fire and he would. One day he was pissed off at me about something and he's pointing at me and he gets I go, hey, Cap, you're talking to me or murphy, because now you pointing me a murphy And he just put his hands up and walked away. Yeah, look at you.
You're looking down at his finger.
Bens oh, one of the I worked with great fire officers. But he was But so another thing with him, I was habitually late. I would guess when I worked with him. So I was late. And then one day he tells me, if you're late one more time, I'm going to kill you, all right. So one day we're working. We had a couple of jobs, so he's getting off from inn yard with Kenny. We're getting off duties. So the Cap comes in the backyard. He says, what are you doing now? And I had a date that night and he says,
what are you doing now? I says, well, I have a date tonight. Cap. He says, well, you know what, you're coming with me. My brother Billy, who's the retired first grade detective, is bartendant. I know he is a big name bartender. So we're going to white Stone. You're gonna meet my brother Billy, I said, CAP. I get a take. So the duke, they could a Parker Captain both. You gotta go to drink and you go with him? Okay, No, we go to white Stone and his brothers told cops.
So make a long story short. We're drinking the whole night's going on. So I'm calling him Cap all night and he says to me, hey, kid, you don't have to call me Cap. You call me Tommy. All right, he's you call me Tommy now, Cat, I can't do it. You call me Tommy from now on, all right, CAP. So that's it. So we leave it like three in the morning. We're both working. Next day. He drives to the fire Asse. Not me, like an idiot. I drive back to Leventown. That's it. Go to sleep, get a
call about quarter quarter to ten. It's the Duke hey kid out with the Parker Capitol last night and he's here and you're night. He's going to kill you. You're not. You're not he's going to kill you. So I drive it and I pull up. He's on the apron and I used to do a great brand and imitation. You get his then, sperver they're hiding behind a rig. Rudy Windler and Kenny Connley a behind the rig looking because
they think he's gonna kill me. I walk up to him, I grab him and I kiss him on the cheek and I go, hey, Tommy, I had he just went upstairs and that was it. And I don't balk. I believe it, and I got away with it.
You gotta have like a special to be an officer in a place like that. You gotta really it's you know, the guys love you and they respect you, but they do crazy things.
Right well, you know, Uh, the reason why we got away with what we got away with, and I'm not saying is because uh they did We did our job and uh and uh the chiefs. I remember Alco my computer one time saying, uh, you know when we went there, three seven. He says, you know, you guys are painting my ass, but I love it when you turn the corner. You know, the guys, they were profound, They were good
and a tremendous lineman. You know, I always tell people I went to work every day, UH, trying to be like those guys, knowing that I never will be there. He is, there's Dennis.
So I don't know if you notice Bob, but that's that's Coobs and I that's that's our guy.
Dennis Murphy.
Yeah, he was the one who taught us a lot of stuff.
Dennis Murphy is one of the greatest firemen I've ever worked with.
Uh.
We became great friends in Hancock Street. We had house and Hampton's together, ski houses. Great firemen. UH worked with Dennis, and you knew that Dennis was going to be somebody in the job. And I remember when he was talking about going to rescue too, and he had asked me and Dennis Conway about it. And I remember one day he grabbed me and he says, you know, I'm thinking of going to rescue too. What do you think? And you know there's three ways you leave one to eleven,
you retire, you die, where you get promoted. That's the only three ways. That's what Jimmy Basel said. He wanted to go to rescue too. What do you think I should do? And I said, you know what, Dennis, absolutely your career path. You're going to move up in this job. And believe me, say he went there. Had he not failed the Battalion Chiefs test, I think he would ended up taking over, like right down his job or whatever. He would have been in charge of rescue services. I
mean to eighty eight. As you know, Kevin Pete Cans he told him he's going to eighty eight. And in fact, Vinnie and Garrow, well I broke Vinnie in. Yeah, Vinnie one day when well what happens? So we're in the yard one day, you know, doing that thing, and Vinnie comes in he work with He goes, yeah, you know, can we go over the roof? Roll like Vinnie, it's it's three o'clock.
You know.
It's because I want to go over with you because I used to talk teach my guys to tie it blindfold, and I could tie a blindfold. So all right, go get the fucking ropes. So we go through the evolution does a great job. All right, you can pack it, you know time and that's it. Two days later it makes your roof for a rescue unbelievable. Uh I didn't know Giro made Oh yeah, not only.
What he hould him back up?
Uh yeah, allegedly, Well no they did. I mean he broke the rules because after the first questionon he pulled out. He used the same roplan shits in the finn and said, but yeah. So when that was I studied with Vinnie, my first time studying full lieutenant, and the guys thought I was going to do well in the tests. And a week before the test came, I said, you know what, I'm not taking the test and I wanted to be a lieutenant. I worked the other time. People were shocked.
I worked the overtime.
I didn't want it. And then I started again, and at that time it was serious and Basil said, if you make lieutenant, you got my tenants. Pause, but you never wore. And I took the the highly protested test and I wrote a sixty eight. For twenty one years on the job, I'm in a couple of medals. So all he had to do is pass. Passing was turned out seventy. I got a sixty eight and I had a sixteen answer changes I didn't.
Get one, get one of them.
Ellen McNair got all sixteen. But I'm not going up.
I'm sitting here thinking, who how many guys I know?
I got?
You got Donnie had you got, you got Jimmy Ellison, you got Rayed Strong, Jakomovic. I mean, I can't even think about how many guys that came out of that.
Then, Oh, Chris Iza my problem.
Welcome Malcolm.
But anyway, so I'm glad I didn't make Lieutenant was you know, for one reason. I can never be a hypocrite. I would I wouldn't stand for the guy. When I was a boss, things I did, uh, But I didn't really have a desire. But I told them my problems to study. And I used to tell them like, after, here's what I said to do, would be a job. You know, Kevin prophet with p cancy prolific right right right? Yeah, Scottie civid Chrissa story about that with his father.
So I.
Used to add, the fires knockdown and they'd be pulling ceilings and I tell them take a break a minute. Now. I want to show you something. See them two tenants over there, what are they doing? They're bullshitting about how they got sucked out of an overtime. And then what did they do is they take the flashlight and they point to a spot and tell you to put a hole there, and then you go back and then more and the only do starry flashlight. So it was just
what you want to do. And you know, the young guys, they don't want to be the senior man, you know. And I used to tell I was a senior man in one of eleven almost seven years and I didn't drive, but and.
I used to tell, as you were rough, well that was I was on.
I was at the job. Then I was coming home from from rehearsal because I worked as after now and I was coming from rehearsal and Manhattan. But I used to tell the guys, you know, you become a senior man, I said. Everybody leaves. They do like they either retire or they die or they get promoted. You know. It's not like they take you downtown and go you know, Santa puts the sorda in your shoulders, go, oh, you've to senior man now, so study and and they all did.
And Pekancy's the captain, Kevin's Chris Isa when he was at remember right right fires terrific are.
Still doing it. He's seventy years old.
Yeah, just you know, all all my officers, nine of them were terrific. You know, I was in Basis group for eleven years. Uh, Jimmy, Uh that's a whole nother man, a whole nother story. Uh. Oh god, you know he was. He was a marine and surviving frozen, frozen, chosen hunter two truck you know, never wear masks.
Uh.
Just a tough guy. But yeah, all our officers, Eddie kill Duff came there for about a year. Oh yeah, chief killed Uff, but I forgot who left. Oh Chris, Chris Lehanna got out, So they killed Duff camp and he was a young guy. I mean he came on a job right before I did. But he he came on and I think December seventy seventh, Uh yeah, and I came and follow So he came to one eleven covered U foll and Uh, young guy but great guy. Oh great fire. I worked and went through a lot of fires with him.
Uh.
Just a tremendous fire officer. Great and you know he learned a lot and uh but what happened is he got bumped ah by another guy, Kaylish Storman Norman. Kaylish a legend. And as much as we loved Daddy could love that Storman. Uh. You know, Eddie probably had about forty points and Storman probably Stormy Norman probably had about five thousand. Uh Like Eddie ended up only twelve, you know.
And then he went to the Three Edits. Betan you so just a great uh great dig grade fire officer and it was a real pleasure to work with him. But we had terrific courses over there that came to the ranks. Uh, great teachers. You know. You guys a lot there right Uh yeah, you know, informal drills kind of like you know, you came back from a job and you always talked about it, you know. Uh. Brandan was big, like in the street, asking you a questions right away, what do you do? What you do there?
Famous my radio. We caught a job in Kingsboro Walk and I had the old day. I'll tell you two great over stories. So get there and report of a guy trapped on the fourth floor or whatever. So I jump in the bucket, take off, take the window, and it's like the kitchen in the bedroom going and the guy's laying right there. So they're banging on the door and they're not getting burning was offtually and they're having
trouble getting in. So I pulled a guy out through him in the bucket, you know, drap, and I actually crawled open the door for them. It wasn't that bad, So dropped the guy open the door. Hey, you know, I'll tell you what happens. So we get to it's all we get the street. So bred little drill sore said, hey, uh, I was calling you on the radio that we couldn't get in. Why the fucking answer, I go, I left my radio back of course, cap what you know? I said, Well,
I pulled. I couldn't. I couldn't give you ten for I said, I let my radio back into FLA asks you were a weigh your radio every day till you die. I did I read it? When you ask anybody, I never took my radio off to that day. Oh this picture this somebody sent me this years ago. I don't remember the street. I think it was Hot Street, but I'll tell you exactly what happened here.
We had it.
It was the top floor. I went in the window from the bucket and there was hot street and you know, making my move, and it started to get soured real quick. So naturally, you know, you guys know what the towel letter. You get chased out a lot, and it was gonna light. You know, your clock is going in your head, all right. I got fifteen seconds up and I went out the window winter the bucket and I blow the window and I pulled the bucket away and it just lit up.
And the first time that happened to me. We caught a job on I forgot where it was down by Reida Avenue and Kenny Connley was driving. So they teach you to keep the bucket below the window right so that if you find somebody load and plus you stay low. So we caught this my first time in the over eight we caught this job. It was in a four story tenement. If I was on the third floor, never forget it on exposure two side at full sight. So
I jump in the barking take off. I'm on my way up to the third floor and five blows out the windows. All right, So where do you go? Now? You know your job's done? You know, guys don't understand the OVM is real main job is the vent uh So where do I go? Should I go above the fight? Well, it's blown out the window, so I go to join top floor apartment. I go crawl back and you go on the top floor and it's I'm in there and I left my hook by by the bucket, but I
didn't have the bucket blow the window enough. It was up about a foot and it's starting to get bad and I gotta go. And I ended up going out the window and Jimmy Peppy was driving. He said the flames were at your feet. So I land in the bucket back then the stick was straight up. I had no gloves on. Sweeny wear gloves and I'm trying to reach the choice thing to get me out of here. Said cause burn the ship. And I'm trying and I'm on the bitch bock going due Teddy was dry. Don't get me out of here.
You know I'm burning.
He goes park your let us all the bucket ball window.
And leaves me up there for like two minutes and I'm playing on my hands on my head like and then I got to the street and he goes, yeah, and true story that was that was my first time in the OVIM.
Uh.
That's a tough position to learn, you don't.
You know what I remember one eleven when I when I first got on the job, when I still sit to Brooklyn was.
Yeah, it could be a fire in Coney Island, and I would hear Warren.
Say, yeah, we haven't take that, and UH like, yeah, well I would send you to every fire.
George. Yeah, George Bunch and I have great friends because we're in five patrol together. Uh one if you and George Bunch probably the two best fire ump dispatches in the city's history, you know, just great guys. Just knew the job, you know. I think they both, between the two of them knew. Ever, your long box number.
Four, My god, he would take you off boxes, like if you would go somewhere, he would take you all.
You got a job coming in the wan, Yeah, one of three State Service.
You're like guys, so back in ninety nine, I got detailed in three seven time for a year. Uh, Gene think it was the time Commander Bobby Gleason is in front of mine who was up there, and they wanted a senior guy up there for for a year. I said, you know what, I'll take it sounds like a lot of fun, and it was. I had a great time so well. One of the I've had two famous radio
transmissions in my life. I was working the Night of the Millennium in the three seven and the three seven had the last old hands of the twentieth century and the first second alarm of the twenty first century. So I was driving that night. Jizink he was the officer, and we catch a job first too, and I'm giving a size up on the radio, you know. And it turns midnight and George Bunch, a friend of mine, he's on a radio saying, this is now the year two thousand?
Is it? And jazink it gives me to this transmitted second, I get a radio, go three seven time of Brooke, an urgent goes go ahead. I go at box six Sat five transmitted second ALMP. Happy New Year, George. You got only down town and they were they would peak. Antsy was the chief and they heard about it Manhattan. I threw was getting in trouble and uh but uh so I did a year there, came back and then when I got hurt uh in the job, uh a school bus woo who red lighted fifty miles an hour.
I had the old I never drove. Uh.
I was gonna ask you what why not?
What you want to What happened was back in nineteen eighty five. Uh, they started this company qualified thing because Chauffe's had a tough time making mutuals.
You know.
Of course the city looked that opinion over so they you could become company qualifying. So you had to drive five hours with do so and we had a stand in, uh standard shift. So Cat Brennan, you know, Uh, I drive the rig five times makes everybody company quali, right, that's it. So I come into work one day. They to her and how even asking how the rest of his soul? Great fires? Uh great comman. He says, you're driving today? Okay, I knew how to you know? So
all right? So I had my Camaro and I was parking front Quarters by the hydrot There was a parking spot. We always parked there. You know where this is going now, right? So this the show has always told me, when you make a left out of Quarters, always watch the bucket because it tracks, you know, and you get the wall. So we get a run ten minutes after nine, I jump in the rigs started up, put the second gear,
come out. I'm I'm looking to the right, make sure the bucket clears, and bam, I hit something and I stole the rig. I looked down. I hit my own car. So when ask he goes, what the funck was that? I go, and I go, It's okay, lo, I hit my own car.
We'll do that later.
This is the best. So I start the rig up again. The Netsky reaches open to his hand on my chest. He goes, Austin, you're out, maloney, next man up, And I never drove again. So every time. Oh so that night I'm working hot that night and Greg Evans, great fireman. Uh he didn't have a driver's license because we didn't get in seventy seven, and they made him come in to qualify the engine. Jimmy Basil, So I moved my car.
Jimmy Basil had bought a brand new car. Jimmy Bazil used to come to work with the worst looking cause you have seen your life. I mean one time he had a pipe holding the back of his driver's seat. So he buys this new car. I don't know what it was. So he's parking spoty works, the engine gets in the RS box and out the door to go and and boom we here an explosion all in the yard. We all go running out and two fourteen ran over the front of his car and it hold it. But
Jimmy was a million. They took care of it. So the next morning I'm in the bathroom and Bobby Shaffer walks. Now you've heard about Bobby Shaef who said three words to me in three years. He walks in, shuts the bathroom door. He says, they kid, I heard you were driving yesterday and your fucking car. I said yeah, And he goes the kidney engine pulls out. Of course it's Jimmy's car and takes you off the hook. That's what he called this place, the fucking nuthouse.
And he walked and I was like, holy shit.
So I had about eleven or twelve captains. And every time I get a new captain, especially when the time of a job, listen, uh, you want to send a show for school now. I don't want to go to show school. Captain, Now, we're gonna send you now. And I'd say, cap, let me tell you a story. And I would tell them what happened. He goes, all right, who's after you? But the fine thing was, Bruby, you're just who can't do it as a captain. I remember
when he's a probe two twenty two. Great guy. So you know, I had twenty nine years on the job on the back step. And not that I was getting tired or not that I was thinking of my duties, but you know the guys once you drive, so Scotti see it was, you know, one of my probies. You So I thought, you know what, maybe I will So I spoke the captain Bruby, Uh one day and UH said, you know, I'd be interested in going to show school and the guys will give me. He was absolutely, Bobby,
we'll get you in next clix. So two nights later, I'm working and I had stopped cooking, and I cooked a little time, but went young guys cook said that night I had a cook who's no talent. Eric was working, Oh can you can boil water? And Uh, we're working, and uh, I guess it was about six thirty morning, and uh we had two jobs or a job, and we get a round about six thirty in the morning, and we go out the door and and I forget. We made a right out of the quarters. I little
figure it up and go where are we going? And they had the over and they said smoking the church on Troop Avenel. I said, hey, holy smoke, and we're in the corner summer and Hancock and I looked to the right and bam his school bust de bonbus and that was it. And I went to Uh it took me to Bellevue and uh that was it. It was on my minutes later. So I never made it to Shouffa.
A couple of questions in here. Somebody, I'm sorry, somebody asked if who brought the alligator in the captain if you mentioned.
It's an alligator into one eleven.
No, I think he was talking about one seventy six.
An alligator.
Yeah, I had a lot of animals over there.
Yeah.
Over there, Yeah there's another one. Does Bobby have any good Patty Concannon stories?
Yeah? No, uh yeah One seventy six had. I'm an are Yeah they were. You know. That was the other thing, like, especially when I went to one eleven years ago, there was no competition between companies. You know, everybody did their job. Nobody was trying to beat people in. Everybody went to whit It's supposed to be. One thing about one eleven. I will say one eleven was always a position truck. Uh you got to be in a position. You know what I'm saying. Sign you know, and you know, I
mean sometimes things would happen. But uh oh So another thing I remember, I had just gotten one eleven and one night this is a lesson I taught my probes. I had just gotten there and it was like my third tour and they had to give me the roof that night because we had two details from whatever. So I get the roof. So Doug Simes and Kenny Connolly and Stella to give me the roof. Trail you know, eight seconds, I kid, here's what you do. You pull up. If you can't use that, you know, pull up, You
use your joining building. If you can't use your join the building, use the bucket. If you take your joining building course in the front, not in the rear. Blah blah blah, do this. Okay, that's it. You got it. Two minutes after, you know, two minutes later, boom six seventy six box comes in Washington Pulasky fire on the top floor. People trapped. Okay, we jump and we take off. We get there and I see a hundred two aerial to the top for I get off the ring. I
take the adjoining building. I had a hook, had the hook and hawlgan my right hand. I take the adjoining building. Get up there, come out of the scuttle and the fire is blown out the bulkhead. I've never seen this, you know, being an engine hook. And I'm so messment. I run across the rear and I fall in a four story chaft. Did you do that?
What?
My left hand caught the parapet, my right hand hit the wall. Who had the tools? I broke my finger and now I'm hanging four stories up but not warm. You know, remember when you did the eight foot wall and probably you know when you were taking a test. I walked up that wall and rolled over onto the roof and I'm laying there like holy shit. So I had the fire and there's nobody on the roof. I'm the first guy. So the fire has blown out the
window at the folk door. So oh, I take the skylight but I'm sure, and the bucket comes up with the dou You got the sword and I must have. I found out later. I'm just standing there shaken, and the dude comes over and he goes, well, the pucks no matter, you ass, Oh what are you doing? And I pointed to the shaft and he said to me,
we'll talk to you later. And after the fire was out, we cut a hole and we got back to the firehouse and Doug Sims and Kenny Connolly and Side Taylor ripped me a major who ass They really did, to the point of they said, you know, if you fell in that shaft and you were dad, we would have just left you there.
Oh yeah, very nice.
Serious, there's no sympathy half. But that was one of the points I would teach the young guys. You know, cross in the front, standing belly, U's your hook. But you know I was young, I was new, and you know you get mesmarly ship, you know. But that was another lesson.
I where did they come up with the peanut bob?
What I heard was, uh came up from back in the day to well, when I got there, they ate a lot of peanuts. And our original patch was designed by Lieutenant Willy Malone's daughter Mary Uh and the job turned it down because there was a hole. It was supposed to be two crazy guys. Oh god, what would be the names? When I Kim and the job turned it down because there was a hole in the boot. So yeah, so see the hole in the boot. They turned it down because of that. Oh god, yeah, well
who were crazy guys back then? Napoleon? The one eleven guy was Napoleon, I forget. So the job turned it down, so the it was Dennis Conway. Ashley said let's do the peanut man, and uh yeah, and that was perfect. You know. By the way, Dennis Conway, you're a great friend of mine, great fireman. He's in hospice. Yeah, I go to see him. We all go to see him quite often. Great fireman. Tell another story with Dennis. A tough guy, very tough. One night I was new there.
I hope I'm not taking too much time? Up?
Are you good?
We interchanged every third night. I remember when I retired in South Asanto in front of mine retired my badge and I didn't have quite thirty years. If you have thirty years, your bed can be retired automatically. But if you have under thirty years, the only chief department can retire it. So today I was getting out there's any thing. It was called up anyway, so he retired my bed.
But so and he said to me, you know, you realize that you're probably the last guy to leave this job that worked on the last two scheduled interchange companies. When I got to two thirty in nineteen seventy eight, we were on scheduled interchange. We interchange when Injine two twenty four, so every night that every third night we interchange. We had to leave the guy back because twenty four
is a form an engine. And then we went to two twenty fourth quarters and then there was a little incident, uh I guess that happened, and then we ended up started sentence to two well six, which you know was way out no way, you couldn't get any trouble. And then when I went to one eleven, you're on schedule interchange with latter one fifty nine every third night. So uh so one night we were on interchange in latter one fifty nine. So when you interchange, you're that unit.
It's not like you relocate. You're not one eleven acting one fifty nine. You're one fifty nine, and one fifty nine is not acting one eleven. They were one eleven, so we relocate. Then we're back, I mean we go there, we get there about we're there about an hour, and we get sent back to relocate to one eleven. Well one twenty was the night time, he and uh, I
forget uh, I'm not sure. No, they sent us back because there was one twenty a quarter in one seventy five quarter, a really hairy fire in Bushwick and there was metal you know, guys made rescues, It's crazy, and it was another job on Hancock Street going so the interchange company won fifty nine went there, so they sent it us back to one eleven. So we're about easton Parkway and just one.
Eleven acting one eleven, well acting one fifty nine, who's acting one eleven?
But we're not at we're one fifty nine, so we're not one eleven. So the dispatcher, it might have been George, or it might have been on He Jimmy was, Basil's the officer, and Conway's working, you know, Doug signs and Dennis head the hat, the ions, I'm the camp man, you know, broken the ladder one fifty nine. What's your location? So Jimmy says, we just crossed Easton Parkley. All right, go in eight three to zero box. Uh, first to a three old browery. Can hear your first two truck?
We yeah, take it in.
Well, no, we were legit at Easton Parker. But there's so many, so much working. So we roll into this thing and this place is going it's a frame. So two fourteen ended a first do there. So I got the can. I run for Dennis Conway and I'm jacked up and were masks, you know, And we get up to the five floor and it's burnt through the door a little bit, and I started with a can. So I'm like, you know, come on, Dennis, let's go. Let's go. Come on, I'm ready to go. He goes, you want
to go in there? Kid? I go yeah. He opens the door, fire blots out our friends. Look, he shut to do you want to go in there?
And go?
No?
No, our wait for me. But he knew what he was doing.
Uh.
But yeah, so we were so as we're going through the fire, the job on Hancock, the handy talkies, I mean, so we're here in the basils any talkie three seven and one eleven, So Jimmy answers it eleven he goes, yeah, uh, one eleven, you might want to help. Uh, there's a job around the corner, you know, but we're basinss is, no, we're here ready. It was just crazy that night. But I'll never forget Dennis opening that door of me, and uh you really he was, he was. They were all tough,
Bobby shape, they were all tough guys. Like I said, you went to work every day trying to be like them and knowing you never will be.
That's the best line ever.
Yeah never Uh. And as they said, guys got made out of there, you know, guys like myrph uh. You know, just I was very lucky to work with these guys, I really was. You learn a lot from them, and you you pass it on, you know what I'm saying, Like the young guys, you're supposed to do yeah when you're Yeah, when you're a senor guy, they look up to you. And I used to tell them, you know, show them stuff.
I go.
I didn't make this up. I just learned from the older guys that showed me. I'm not a genius there. This is what I was taught to do and how to do this and how to do that. And I always like they told me, and like I told me, young guys, if you make a mistake, it's okay, it's gonna happen. Just don't make the same mistake twice, you know, and always remember that. You know, you have guys that depend on you. Just do your job, and you know,
I mean that's how it is. The job, like you said, is ninety percent experience and ten percent knowledge.
Yeah, we say a lot like on the show that you know, especially guys like yourself. You know, you can make a mistake at you know, eight o'clock in the morning, and by nine thirty you could be.
I've always said that, You're right, Louis. I say, when I first got there, you can screw up at eighteen hundred hours, but then twenty hundred hours, you know, eight o'clock you could do better because you had the next job, and six in the morning you got even better because you know, another story I can think of. I don't know if you guys ever heard of Bobby Grayber Jethrow or whatever, you know, Jetro. Every time Jethro worked in the truck, we got a rasts kick.
So actually I was one guy he was in the he was an engine guy.
Always stayed in the engine. But when he get detail work outing in the truck and I worked with mine, I wanted to go home, you know. I would tell you also, I'm going home. I don't want to work when this kid's working, We're gonna get killed. So I actually was at the promotions area a couple of weeks ago and UH and the Chief department Uh esposito his first thing, Yeah, Joe right. So I went over to
shake his hand. I said hey, chief, and he goes, you're be right met those kind of life, yes, sir, And he says, I remember you when I was in the battalion covern and they had this fire and it was so smoky and nobody could see and you direct the rigging. And I said it was on Brooklyn Avenue and he goes, yeah, And I'll never forget that fire.
So we had a job of Brooklyn Avenue and Bill Chesney was the irons guy, and Gregory was cam in and Dennis was driving, and I had the OVA and I had just started agetting the OVA and we pull up. You can't see the building. Cannot see the building, there's so much smoke. So but I didn't know they had taught me like, line up, because I got to go in the windows, and I got to go on the top floor. You go in the top floor, you know, and I'm lining the windows. So I get in the bucket,
I take off. I can't see the build, can't see shit. I go up. Bam, I hit the building. I got it back off and I got to the window. So I take the window, clear it out. I go in as clear as about up there. Clear's about my tough isiness.
You know.
Well eleven over on the one eleven and how even excuse you off? And he's caught in his bulls over here? All right, I go listen, I'm on the top floor. Uh, primary is negative. This is no smoke up here. Tommy gets in the radio. Yeah that's great. I'm getting the fire, bove.
You.
I swing over and now we're going to the top floor. No man ask, you know. And I'm like, oh, this sucks. So after the fire is out, cut down the street and Dennis, you know, comes over and he puts his arm around. He works me away from he goes is some kid, it's okay to fuck up. It is, but when you do, don't tell the fucking world that you Yeah, but Uh. But yeah, you know, you learn a lot. You know, I missed the job. You know, seventeen years I'm out.
Did you ever take like what would have happened if you went to one O two instead?
Uh? I you know, I don't know the area on had two change. Oh yeah, I finally found out how I ended up at one eleven years and years ago. I don't know if you remember Chief Duffy, Jim Duffy, he became the first Chief of Rescue Services. He was Tom Brand's captain actually wonder for he was a legend of the job. And I worked with his son Billy in the five Patrol and he knew me when I was a young guy. And so he's the guy I told you when I put my paper in and he said,
you know what's this? And uh so, uh, I'm at his retirement. He was retiring. And I went there with Jimmy Bazil and Dennis Cross and all these guys and and I Chief Fuffy was there, and uh finally, you know, at the end of the night, I went over to him and I said, Chief, I gotta ask you, how do I end up at one eleven? And he said, I put you there? I was the guy who put you there. I said what he said, because one O two, as great a company is, the area was going to change.
I said, in one eleven it'll always be the same. And I found out he's the one who put me in one eleven and he told me you got to do twenty years there. So when I had twenty years, I called him at home and then I got Missusduffy on the phone and said, can I speak to the chief. He gets on the phone to go, well, Chief, I got twenty years, now get me out of here. He goes, you got another ten to do it?
What?
He hug the phone, uppy. But yeah, that's how he put me there.
How are you doing now? They still working there? The neighborhoods changing there too.
Oh yeah, I saw it in the tail end of my time. I mean it used to be the drug dealer walking down Lewis Avenue with a rotwaller. And then you started seeing like the couple from Wisconsin. Yeah, I was.
They love it. I don't understand it. They love it?
Are you people lost?
No?
We live on mon Road Street. Yeah. But and you know, Charlie Williams got rested, so great, great guy he had bought a lot of buildings down there. That was another unknown guy throughout the job. Charlie Williams, Uh, great fireman. Uh Fort Vietnam. Uh yeah, Charlie, Yeah, I remember when Desert Storm happened.
Uh.
Charlie was in the reserve state in reserves and they were sending guys over and he got sent to sent to Fort Vietnam and he got sent over there. He was a mess sergeant. Yeah, for us Carster. So I'm driving to work one day and Scott Shannon and w P LG Is you know, telling people you can dedicate a song. So I get to the firehouse and I go to pay for and I start dialing a number and I get through. I couldn't believe it. And I get Scott channel and you're on a delay. So I said,
he goes, what you like do? I said, listen, I want to dedicate in next swunk with my buddy Charlie Williams. He's in New York City, fireman here in bepist lives in the last twenty years. Uh. He fought in Vietnam sixty seven sixty eight. He's over in the rack right now as a cargo master. You know, and I want to dedicate it long as Scott Shannon said right on it. It wasn't I'm sure in here he goes holy shit, and uh yeah, I got to bring in the kitchen. It was up and we put it on and they
mentioned his name. But when Charlie passed away, it was he died from who came here for nine to eleven?
Uh Lieutenant forty one too, I think right.
You know Charlie he was he was a show for one eleven. He's on the back a long time. He worked with Conway and Schaeffer. They broke and he went through a helmet the year he got on seventy seven tough fire. His his father, Willie Jackson, was a fireman one eleven.
So.
But Charlie, yeah, glass guy. Just just a great guy, A great fireman, a great teacher. You know, they old the older guys who are great teachers, you know they is the one thing I learned with certain guys, especially Tommy Craig, when he told you something, don't tell you tell him. I know that, Hey, you do this, Oh, I know that. Never say that because they'll never tell you again.
We've had a couple of people say that, Yeah.
But you know, uh, just you learned a lot from these guys. And like you said, Louis, you got to practice it. You know what I'm saying. You got to put your mouth.
If you think about your time there, it had to be like the perfect.
Time to be there, right h Like I said, very lucky to work there and work with the guys I worked with. And let me tell you something. You know, guys come and go. You know, you saw guys walk in the door theill, you know, and before you know what, they were gone. You know, if I it was a tough kitchen too, you know, or a tough backyard, you had a pretty thick skin. U. But overall all, uh, like I said, the senior men, Brendan was wrong. The senior men did talk to you, and they showed you
the way as long as you had an interest. And as I said to my ProBiS, uh Chritsiza, I'm working with Tommy Burke.
Oh my god, we forgot about Norton.
About Norton, Tommy Burke was an amazing fireman. Uh. Tommy Burke and Kenny Ross with the two fastest roofman I've ever seen in my life. I really think that Burke had a cape and float. You know, he could get the roof up and do his thing. He's down to refresh game and pulling ceilings with the guys right away, you know. And uh, and Tommy and I had logs next day. But Tommy was always Tommy.
And uh, well he's perfect in the lighthouse.
You can write a book about him.
Uh.
I remember when you worked with Pampalone. I got put in the captain's groups. Uh, I'm gonna get into why. And uh, Tommy and I worked together, and Tommy would always get in trouble and the captain called the stairs the ripping when the ass and and then he would say something. I'm like, oh, you've got burke, I mean. And one day he told me, he said, this is the difference when you and Bark. Pamp Alone he's dead now. He says. Bark is like a knife one. It's like
him sticking a knife in me. And the cane is temporary. He says, you are like a boil on my fucking collar, and you're just irritated all the time. And so Tommy and I Tommy to take me with uh. So one day we catch a job Tommy's went we called a job we go down a winners back eight and you know, Tommy and I were in the backyard drilling like he always do, you know. And uh we get there and we're liked their truck and really didn't have to do much. So we're hanging out and the aid comes over me.
He said, BA, the chief wants to talk to you. I'm like, oh, shure. So I learned about social distancing way before. So it's George Isa. So I worked with him. You got a number, the three three offices in one twelve. I mean once when he four three lieutenants, Pete, Nancy, George Isa, and Jim Elson had three sons went to one eleven. So I walked up and said, yeah, what's up, Chief, And he goes, what's the ba. He goes, my son's a probably school. Oh great, he goes, uh, he's getting out.
I'm putting them on eleven and you're going to break him in. I said, okay, Chief, anything else and he goes yeah, And I turned on Tommy. He said, let's make let's make like sheep and get the flock out of here. And the kid came there. He went to his first day. He caught a really good job and he did a great job. Somebody just said a thing about to mention two people. One was Bob Daily.
Yeah yeah, and Danny Danny.
Uh you talk about from eleven time you talk about a man that has no fear, Danny Perella, I mean absolutely no fear. When he would drive, I mean, great chauffeur. When we were coming back down by I don't know if you remember Louie, but you gotta to go to Louis Avenue. You gotta cut in under the L and then make time. He would make copeful speed you you know, when we were outside. Uh Bob Daily, which I wanted to mention another guy outside of the area, nobody would know.
Bob Daily was one of the best toughest ov men I had ever seen in my life. Uh. Bob Daily started in one O three, two ten years, in one O three, two ten years and one seventy six, Wow, ten years and one eleven on the back step.
Uh Bubba, he's still around.
He passed away a couple of years ago.
Uh.
I learned a lot with him, So I always tell the story. One night, Wow, we were sitting there and uh, I'm like, hey, Buffalo were still in Buffalo, I said, man you know what are you gonna do?
Man?
How much he was sitting to watch, you know, uh Ga, they got strong. You know what are you gonna do?
Man?
I want you want, b A. I'm never gonna leave this job. Never. Well, we go to job on Bainbridge Street that night, uh or we have. I came and it was horrible, a really tough job I had. I had to camp Ruddie Richard at the Auions and Bubba had to go on the time. I remember we pulled up and the stuff's coming. The stuff was coming out of the top floor windows so bad. Not only did the edges on it. I always said it had to word Anderson backwards in the smoke's help and he's on
his way up in the bucket. You know, we're we're forced to do with no mask and I'm telling you, I tell guys, it comes out even with the word Anderson backwards. And he went in that ship so and it was a screw up fire. We had a tough time with the guy to do that. And after the fire was out, we go back to quarters and he's sitting there in the kitchen and he's coughing and he says, b A, I'm done, and two weeks later he put his paper in really so oh yeah, so it was
his last tour. Was New Year's Eve came out? What year was I was dating my wife at the time. Now, but I was dating my wife and we'd gone after New Year's Eve and I said, we weren't dating that long. And I said, listen, we have to go into the fire ass tonight, so you can come or out. She goes, why, I said, well, a very good friend of mine was
retiring and I wanted to see him. So I went in to the fire ass and she came to see Bubba and gave a bottle of the Cardi doc rum, which he loved and to you know, push him lots of luck. And I loved him. And yeah, he passed away a couple of years ago. But another one of those guys nobody outside of the outside of the borrow, let's say, or outside of the mission. I didn't know his name.
You imagine how many times tonight you've said.
Incredible officer of tremendous fireman, Like how many if I had a nickel right.
Like, I'll tell you what I mean. I was surrounded by great guys, you know, you know listen, ninety five percent of the guys on his job do their job, you know, five percent. I'm not going to get into it, but ninety five percent of the guys in his job they give their heart and souls into it. They love the job. Yeah, I always just I used to say, it's a couple of things the city hates about fireman. Number one, it's the only job in the city where you can actually get paid to sleep, you know, not
that they do. Uh you o? The do is they they realize, well, the guys worked the second job, you know, and the third thing years your friends with your boss. You know, they don't like that, you know.
The captain.
Yeah, I'm having a barbecue in my house, but I don't like that.
Didn't do that.
Stop.
They worked, and they're like.
Their bosses suck, you know. So but yeah, I mean to work with the guys I worked with.
You know.
It's just, uh, do I owe my life? Did they keep me alive when I was young? You know? Uh, they looked over you and they taught you the way. And you know, Eddie Stephan's passing the other day was tough. Going to Captain Rubies.
I knew Steve when I.
Was twenty two. Ste Steve Steve I broke Steve Gaertty into one eleven and he went to my group's great got knew his ship. His brother Eddie was one of my best friends and heart to uh and uh that's why I want to go on hard to you know, work with Eddie. And when Steven came back to my captain. Uh, probably I've had good captains, h I always said Steve Garertty, which probably the next best captain I had since Tom Brenan. Wow.
Oh yeah, Stephen. Funny story with Stephen. So his last night as a captain, he caught a job on Folk Street and uh, which leads him to other stuff. So he's getting made. He got made, but you know it takes effect. I guess what on the whatever. So he caught a job on Full Street, good fire. I had the lions, so we do the thing. So because he grubs a cigarette off me, because I have a picturemoke, I was sitting there smoking. So I turned around, look at my watch, and I go, well, cap had nine
hundred dollars. You become an asshole. Who's standing right next to me? By me? Dave Jacobowski, you.
Know he was coming in right after him, right. Oh.
Him and I did not get along, which is ironic what happens. So I said, you become an asshole. So he said what I said, We're gonna be a chief most assholes. So Jackabowski comes around. He goes, hey, ba, you call me an asshole. I look him right hereys, I go, well you're a fucking chief, right. He goes yeah. I said, well you're a fucking asshole too, and I walk away. Ardy says to me, He goes, I can't believe I four hours left and I'm gonna have to hook you up.
Like.
The strange thing is when I went to the division light duty, and believe me, I got hurt March ninth of two thousand. I was at a job December seventeenth, in two thousand and seven, almost not just none than nine months. How how quick do you see guys get out that quick? So when I I was a medically for four months, I was pretty busted up. So they go like duty and I never had to go downtown. So Danny Butler, vision man, who Danny will come? He
wanted me to come to the fifteenth Division. They wanted to see you guy, you know, to drive right to light do the job. So I went to fifteenth division. But that oh Wayne Cott, great guy. It was Wayne Cott, right, Danny Butler, Dave Jacobowski and Mike uh oh kid his kid was in one eleven four. Mike, it'll come to me. So they go to the fifteenth division. So Butler says, you're gonna be driving Jackobowski, I said, chief him and I do not get along. What do you mean he
wants you to drive? Well, I said him, and I don't get along, I said, I called him an asshole, little fire. Once he goes well, he wants you to drive him, okay, whatever. So the first Tory work comes in working, you know you work twenty four was there and takes me to lunch, and uh we hit it off really well.
I swear I tell you the truth. Nobody would believe it because he was just so weird or tough at the job.
Louis, he was all in act.
He was an actor.
I know it. And the way you got them is go right back at him. One day you off for smoking and you weren't allowed to smoke, and your offers and he says to me, BA, what's our smoking policy up there? I said, the policy is with my time and the job, I need to do whatever the fuck I want. Listen, I went. I went to the division with twenty four hours of over time, and he was a drudgery over time and he was strict. I went out with four and seventy five months later for great care of me.
Hit the brother up.
He did, they did. They were great chiefs over there. I'm gonna tell you this one sort of a division. I might get choked up there. Ah So, my last night, my last night I was working, was the Thursday. It was it was a Thursday. I think it was around the fifteenth whatever. So, and the guys in two eighty three were tremendous, great guys. Uh Tommy Boyd, Tommy Boyd, who was the senior man. We got when I left, I got a note my locker was a letter from Tommy Boyd saying how I helped the younger. Just a
great letter. I still have it somewhere. Uh So, Anyway, my last tour bringing me all in, you know, steaks, lots of tales, h Jacko's working, Wayne and Danny and Mike all coming from home. All three deputies come in from home for my last door and which to me was unbelievable. So cooking doing the thing, and we're just about to eat and voice lum comes out and says engine engine two, Wait three, Division one to five, and I'm like, you gotta be shipping. You've got to run here,
and they say, stand by for a department message. Then they come back. All units in the bar of Brooklyn stand by for a department message. And they came on and the CEO UH congratulated me on my last tour in the FDNY. I congratulated and said, you know my career, you know, one to eleven and I had to acknowledge it. They said, you know, acknowledge and I was choked up when I got wilam. So that was it. So we had a meal, it was good night. We caught a little job.
Uh.
I can probably mention this now because I'm out of the job. So go to job at two thirty four, a little ship thing we're process of taking up in the Captain two thirty four whence mentioned his name, but you know it is, and he's out on the stoop and I'm walking by and he says, hey, cap When he goes, yeah, here you go. You know it's amazing all the years I've been down there, and you're still want to fucking stoop you don't go in the building, and and you know what it is. And yeah, Jacko
turns around and looks at me. He goes, are you out of your fucking mind? I got twelve hours left. They can't get the charges in, so.
That was it.
So we couldn't. So about two o'clock in the morning, we get a run down by Flatbush and we're on our way in and we're a couple of blocks away and we any talking rate. They can't find the fire, have a lot of problems running out of the air all shit. Good companies, you know. So on the way in, he says to me, listen, uh he he would use him, let the battalion run the fire. But he's I'm out of Joe Callon Junior. I worked with his dad when he is he was the chief, great guy. But you
know he was gonna help Joe. He says, do what you gotta do, all right, So we get there. I go out of the car. I got my helmet boarding. I go over there. It's a semi attached private dwelve and fives in the first one, but you can't find it. So I tell the aid take it. I go to the rear. There's nobody in the rear. I'm in the rear with a clipboard in the helmet and the window. I hit it with my helmet. And then now so I'm going out. The deputy's coming to the rear. Dave.
I go, Dave. They got a piece of cake. He goes, transmit a second. All right, so we transmit a second. That's it. They put the fire out. Do the great job. So I'm getting ready to make We're gonna take up. So I get on the radio, get my final you know, had second limbox one say whatever uh in the process, let rescue two go and that, and I said, also, Brooklyn, I just want you to be advised. I just want to tell the brook And as I have the Pumber radio, I just want to thank the Brook brook And for
that tremendous tribute. Give me a voice long. I love this job. It's the greatest job in the world. I will miss it tremendously. And they say there's life f T F T N Y, but mine will never be the same. Division one, five ten commander, And that was it.
That was the end of my career and fabulous career it was.
I got a lot of calls about that.
Yeah, for sure, Well you get to teach, you get to teach one more time, all right, Yeah, I didn't all got a minute. We got to set you up. You know what time it is gone?
No, I don't miss I do. Hold on one second. I got a little caught up here. Wait we went way to hell too long?
But you know who cant. I'm just kidding.
I'm just playing around.
Ray Strong used to say, you know, b knows a lot of ship, but you've got to listen to him for another hour. Day in one eleven job on Bedford Atlantic, really bad fire and we're going down the block and I turned around the Ray and go walcome the beakmastives and.
Somebody was asking if you work with him?
So yeah, it's this time.
All right, it's time for.
The old school tip.
Kay, okay, here you.
Go, brother, bring me bring it right in.
I will.
Uh.
What I taught my Proby's was remember and I don't get Bill and got the rest of He always said the whole job eventually will be mass coordinated. So I said, tell me, probs, God forbid if your mask runs out of air and you're in a bad spot, Cruel to the wall. Get your nose on the floor where the wall meets the floor, and they'll be aired there for you to breathe. It will be great because smoke rolls, it doesn't go square, and you'll be able to get enough air to keep crowing to the next window and
then take the fucking window. So that's my tip of the day.
Wow, I never heard that.
Nobody ever heard that because I made it up. I heard. I kind of taught myself, but I taught my my probies that. And you know, you hear guys dying with masks on. I mean, I think if it says one guy's ass, it's weird.
Yeah.
Well, I gotta tell you, mister Austin, it was worth the wait. You are fine and fine, and.
We waited. You know, I was about my career there for a while, and uh things are quiet and I just had the cancer and doing better though. But uh, Pat leaves like the flobblets. Yeah, but gentlemen, it was a pleasure. I appreciate you putting him on the show. I think you guys are doing a great job. Uh well, I do remember working with you many years ago. Kevin
unfortunately never got a chance to work you. But if you were not squad And remember what the squad is, right you know what squad is right there, it comes an engine with a fucking root for rop. That's thank you very much. And I'll tell you quick, Vine and Garo what happened. They were him in a truck. He was supposed to get one seventy six. He came to fires one day all pissed off. I said, call Murph and Urt's going to be the catin two eighty eight.
And that's how you got Vinnie was a great fireman.
Great great old had great hair, too, good hair.
Yeah, but the Duke used to blow smoke.
Tang him. He's a good wrestler.
He was a good grappler. Adam photographer. He always pictures all.
Those guys, you know, Hancock Street. You know I can get into Mark Gregory.
We didn't even talk about it watching it before.
Yeah, yeah, stand by.
We got to get through a couple of things and then we'll get back to it.
I want to go first. I gotta shout out you.
I want to mention uh, Deputy Chief the third Division Commander, Joe Causton, Chief call, but.
He had a stroke. I think he's doing a little bit better. But he's he's fighting. He's got a lot of rehab ahead.
Well, yeah, he was.
He came on the boat ride with us. He follows the show, he loves he loves.
Him to watch the show more often. I don't really do it.
Chief, All right, gods, we got two shout outs?
Right, we have three. Well we'll start with uh.
Yes, from one fifty nine. The guy reaches out to be the Actually he's working covering in twenty seven tonight. They're all watching it. It's a Jeff Warmer seven. He's twenty seventh tonight. Remind you about retired five fighter Rob o'corn from Taolada. One fifty eight. What do you donate to? Where is wiscons can you.
It's gonna be a QR code. You're gonna have to scan the QR code.
I will put it in. We'll put it in the in the description, right, we can put the q code. It's tickets just to help. But it's a fundraiser. He has pancre out of cancer, I believe man. So let's show some supportive fifty to fifty riffles and prizes. Uh that thirty thirty two thirty two wir Old Avenue, mon Tony, York on May fifteenth, six thirty to ten thirty. Yeah, so let's try to get out there and support.
I pull it up after the show and then we have uh a lot of duty death from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Let me pull his picture up. We'll say if you want to do the bells at the end, because.
Yeah, we'll do up five.
All right, this is Local six. Oh has announce something I wanted to do. The esophageal cancer Jesus Lt. Kelly Hoppy Hopkins is his name. He actually knows they know him as the battalion chief had passed away from Scranton, FD. No, you have your friend right, this is Scranton and uh for those of us that haven't heard, I do have a short little video that I don't know if you want to do it after the bells that.
We'll do the bells last. You could throw it up ahead.
It's only gonna be about a minute when I show up. But for those that haven't heard, Captain Bill Gustin from Miami Dade Fire passed away on Sunday, has the picture of the good old cap well known He's kind of like our comparable to a Vinnie Donner. The FDU y well known. He knows them, and one of the video will explain a lot too when I show you a little video for those that don't know him. This guy's a wealth of knowledge, a lot of stuff, fire engineering,
so on and so forth. But he's gonna be missed. I do have permission from the Miami Date Fire Department to share this video because it is their video. Go ahead, So I'm just gonna play about a minute of them. When you see who it is, this gentleman was on our show once before, who also had recently passed away. Just listen to the kind word she says.
Before I begin.
There's two things comment on a I've never seen Bill so quiet. I've never seen him so closely shaved. In May of nineteen sixty two, then General of the Army Douglas MacArthur said the following.
Duty honor country.
These three hallowed words reverently dictate.
What you ought to be, what you can be, and what you will be.
It has been said that a vision is an acute sense of the possible. Today we have an opportunity to honor a man who not only had an acute sense a vision of what was possible, but became and shared that vision with literally hundreds of thousands of firefighters.
I'll leave it at that, no way. I mean, it's a little bit longer. But as you guys know, we had Bobby Holton on the show, Chief Holding on the show, Big fd icy guy, and so this it's kind of a unique that two legendary guys kind of commencing there not too long ago.
Guys, I tell young guys sometimes they go, you know, it's the greatest job in the world. You're gonna spend twenty thirty forty years on his job. Don't expect to make it to ninety.
How it is, there's somebody else in the chat that was a line of due.
Other thing I talked about too, is that when I got a job, we were firemen, not firefighters.
There's another great.
Don't forget Eddie Stevens, which we mentioned at the beginning of the show.
Okay, that was that was actually okay, we're gonna give them the five bells now for all the brothers who've died in the line of duty. Rest in peace, brothers, Rest in peace, brothers.
We got it from here.
Don's lasting. Louis and I, we have to show us up there again the fifty third. Louis and I will be at Harrisburg for the fifty third annual Fire Expo, hosted by Lancaster County Fireman's Association. Fire Expo will showcase more than two hundred and fifty emergency service exhibits, featuring the world's leading manufacturer of fire, emergency, medical, service, rescue and public safety equipment. Plus you're truly getting salty hawkins
and T shirts. You know how we do it. The Fire Expo not only has displays, exhibits, and live demonstrations, but also provides training from Cumberland Valley volunteers also provide let's just skip to this the Association penn State Hershey Lifeline, Critical Care Transport, Middle Creek Search and Rescue, PA Offices of State Fire Command. Full training descriptions and details available
on our website Www. LCFA dot com. Backslash firesh Expo May sixteenth, seventeenth, nine am five and then nine am to four at the Pennsylvania Farm Showing Complex. So come down and see me. Louis twenty three hundred North Cameron Street and Harrisburg, PA. Come on down and see us. We'll be there along with those other ex exhibits. And one last thing. Captain Dennis Murphy's son just got over the squad two eighty eight.
I heard about it.
He already already caught a couple of good jobs.
So how do he gets over?
How he got there?
If you know, Dennis doesn't get involved that the kid went over there on merit. I like it they went over there merit.
Yeah, I want to thank you again, mister Austin. It was worth the wait, your fire and fineman I love it. So I don't know, but I think your hell too.
I always told people, Uh, I just went to work and did my job. You know, Uh, the ft m Y is not a job, it's a way of life.
There's another T shirt this man.
You better write that ship down.
You got a lot of T shirt ideas. Yeah, I'm gonna go back.
It's been a real pleasure and privilege to finally get ahold of you guys and talk to him. I appreciate it. Thank you very much. Well, thank you. We'll see you.
We'll see you on a boat ride. Now we have a boat ride.
You love that.
It's on the hobby the hobby fire friend.
You have to John your hobbyist, right, it's privately owned that the owner.
And we go around the Statue of Liberty and around Manhattan drink off, faces off, eat off, faces off. We have all the guests from the past year. Come on, so now you gotta you have my number now, keV. Second week of August, always second weekend, so I'll send it to you. I have your email. We'll send it. The invitations go out like in May June.
I bring the spouse or well the girlfriend, whatever you prefer. Brother, we'll see if I'm still witter. You never know.
We got this to make shoes.
Louis great sitting you again after all these years. Remember working with you over.
There, and that's coming back to him.
Guys, I played in the hockey team for them from you know, so you know Dickley leads, Russ Banks and oh god, Joe Koopro got the rest of the soul, Timmy Connell, all the good guys over there. You know. Hundred three was always two nights on three. They used to get a little bit of rap once a while, but they're very very.
Good company, objective, all right, boys, So we'll see you next week, Bobby Steady, don't don't click you out. We're gonna sign off here. Roofie guns.
You know what I say, Man, you don't want one to rest first.
Baby three, two, multiple phone calls.
Sounds like a job. How about that? Everybody? Thanks again, Bob.
All right, guys, I was gonna say roll heavy, no problem, they're Bobby, but I was gonna say rolling heavy. But we're gonna roll a little like tonight in honor of.
Captain Bill Gustin.
So absolutely God bless everyone and have a great night you
Too, gentlemen again mm hmm