Sunday, June 29, 2009, was a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning as Battalion Chief Michael Gala walked into the office of Battalion 43 in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn. He was relieving Battalion Chief Joseph Carlsen (now Deputy Chief, covering in Division 3). Then-Battalion Chief Joseph Carlsen (raised arm) outlines the objectives of the June […]

Editor’s Note: In Part I of this two-part article, the author provides background material on the rear tenement and covers some of the identifying characteristics that pertain to this kind of building and with which FDNY members should familiarize themselves. On March 24, 2008, at 0719 hours, the dispatcher assigned three engines and two trucks […]