Queens

On August 24, 2020, during the midst of the COVID pandemic outbreak in New York City, Tracy Harris began having severe abdominal pain that prompted her to call 9-1-1 for help. Just prior to EMS arrival, she realized that she was in full active labor (23 weeks […]

On November 5, 2022, FDNY units saved multiple residents from a three-alarm fire in a Manhattan high-rise. The explosive fire, which was ignited by an e-bike’s lithium-ion battery, blocked the first arriving units’ entry into the fire apartment. Multiple firefighters were lowered simultaneously to rescue residents […]

Two trailblazing women of the FDNY, Battalion Chief Rochelle “Rocky” Jones (Retired) and Battalion Chief Michele Fitzsimmons discuss their successful careers with the Department. Chief Fitzsimmons joined the Department in 2001, and currently is the highest-ranking woman firefighter in the FDNY. Chief Jones entered the Department […]

Tragically, on December 12, 2022, Kristina Moon’s husband, Firefighter William P. Moon II, or Billy as everyone called him, suffered a fatal injury while preparing for a training drill at his Brooklyn firehouse. Days later when it became clear that the 21-veteran of the Department would […]

On October 22, 2022, history was made as New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointment, and swore in, Laura Kavanagh as Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department. Commissioner Kavanagh is the 34th commissioner to lead the Department—and the first woman. In her […]

We revisit conversations from our latest season of the FDNY Pro Podcast with host, FDNY Deputy Chief Michael Barvels. In our 2022 seventh season, pride and professionalism remains ever-present in FDNY training and operations, and is reflected in the stories and lessons shared here on our […]

The heavy demand on electrical usage in high rise buildings warrants the need for high voltage equipment. That is why it’s so important to understand the dangers of this equipment and how units can safely operate at fires involving transformer vault rooms. In this episode, Battalion […]

2022 marks the 25thanniversary of the untimely death of FDNY EMT Tracy Allen Lee who was the first EMT to contract HIV on duty in the city—and in the country. Allen Lee dedicated her life to caring for others but spent the years leading up to […]

As the attacks on the World Trade Center were carried out, most people viewed the collapses from the outside in. However, on September 11, 2001, then-Captain John “Jay” Jonas and five of his firefighters from Ladder Co. 6 were descending Stairwell B with injured civilian, Josephine […]

Ladder Company 41 arrived first on-scene to fire and smoke pushing out the windows of a seven-story, fireproof multiple dwelling in the Bronx. Lieutenant Patrick Twomey, Firefighter Rob Rivera and Firefighter James Soutar discuss this challenging operation, which involved scaffolding surrounding the building and an aggressive […]