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High-rise multiple dwelling fires present a unique challenge to FDNY members. These fires can be difficult to fight and may require specialized equipment. Even more complicated are fires in a high-rise multiple dwelling that contains duplex or sandwich apartments. While found throughout New York City, these […]

When opening ceilings to check for extension of fire, creating access points for hand-line operations or during overhauling, Firefighters usually encounter sheetrock-type ceilings, which they can open up easily. In commercial and some residential occupancies, Firefighters may encounter the original ceiling covered with a tin ceiling. […]

On a clear, early evening in February 2009, Manhattan units responded to a phone alarm for a fire in a laundromat. On arrival, units encountered a four-story, non-fireproof, 20- by 40-foot multiple dwelling with a 25-foot first-floor setback in the rear. The first floor contained a […]

Anyone living or working in New York City in the past 10 years knows there has been a building boom not seen since World War II. Changes in building materials and practices, building codes and new living arrangements are evident everywhere. Some examples: factory conversions, penthouse […]

Rabies is not something that Firefighters worry about when performing their jobs. There has not been a case of human rabies in New York City since 1953. In the six years preceding 2009, only one rabid animal was found in the City.  However, that record was […]

In Part I of this article on sawtooth roofs, the reader will be introduced to their construction, components and characteristics. In Part II, which will appear in the 4th/2010 issue of WNYF, the focus will be on firefighting operations in structures that feature sawtooth roofs. Design […]

  Units responded rapidly for reports of a fire at 1308 Findlay Avenue. Engine 92 arrived at this address at 2122 hours on Sunday, November 22, 2009. They immediately transmitted a 10-75 and, accompanied by Ladder 44 members, went to work. The fire address was a […]

The value of real estate throughout New York City has surged during the past 15 years as the demand for housing has increased. In order to maximize their rental income, more and more landlords have been building penthouse additions on the roofs of their tenements and […]

By the time the Command Chief, Deputy Assistant Chief John Sudnik, Queens Borough Commander, arrived at the scene of this Bronx fire, Acting Deputy Chief Christopher Rearer already had committed to an exterior operation. After a quick briefing at the transfer of command, one of the […]

At 0304 hours on Saturday, October 31, 2009, Bronx fire units received a phone alarm for a fire in a Mexican restaurant located at 3105 Bainbridge Avenue. One minute later, at 0305 hours, a second source was received, reporting smoke in a bakery located at 3101 […]