BAY RIDGE AND ENGINE 241, 100 YEARS OF SERVICE
Bay Ridge, along with what would become the town of New Utrecht was bought from the Nyack Indians in 1647. Because of the color of the clay, Bay Ridge was first called Yellow Hook and then changed its name to Bay Ridge in 1853. Bay Ridge was a village in the town of New Utrecht, which was one of the six towns to make up the City of Brooklyn. The City of Brooklyn annexed the town of New Utrecht on May 3, 1894 along with the towns of Gravesend, Flatbush and Flatlands.
Fire protection in New Utrecht's dates back to 1827. Bay Ridge had three volunteer fire companies when the City of Brooklyn annexed the area. Bay Ridge Engine 1 was placed in service in a one story wood frame building on Bay Ridge Avenue near Third Avenue. In the rear was a bell tower to sound the alarms for a fire. Neptune Engine 2 was located on Sixty Seventh Street near Third Avenue. It was also a one story wood frame shed. Bay Ridge Ladder location remains a mystery to this day. It might have been located in with Engine 1 on Bay Ridge Avenue. New Utrecht volunteer fire department had grown to four steam fire engines, one hose company and five ladder companies.
The City of Brooklyn would provide fire protection into the newly annexed area once firehouses were built, equipment bought and manpower hired. Until this was done, the City was responsible for keeping the volunteers active. The volunteers would respond to fires and receive $1000.00 a year for their service from the City of Brooklyn until being replaced. The last fire the Bay Ridge volunteers attended was on Cowenhoven Lane and Stewart Avenue. The saloon and home of John Stoltz burned to the ground after a fierce early morning fire.
On February 1, 1896, the volunteer fire department of the late town of New Utrecht was replaced with a paid department. Bay Ridge's first paid fire companies were Engine 41 and Ladder 13. Both companies were placed in service on the same day, along with Engines 42, 43, 47, 53, and Ladders 14, 15, 19, and 24, all in the former town of New Utrecht.
In the law annexing the new area, Brooklyn could hire forty-three members from New Utrecht's volunteer fire companies. The members picked for Engine 41 and Ladder 13 were John R. Hanson, J. H. Van Pelt, Harry Martin, Albert Lyons, Michael Johnston, James Hennessy, John R. McIntosh, Ruppert Werner, Fred Wardell, John Erickson, and Elmore H. Wardell. The Foreman and Assistant Foreman came from other Brooklyn fire companies.
A new firehouse was built for Engine 41 and Ladder 13 on Bay Ridge Avenue near Ridge Boulevard. The lot was bought from the heirs of Joseph A. Perry for $1,800.00 on March 27, 1895. The lot measured 30 feet in the front and 100 feet deep. A beautiful two story, two bay firehouse, measuring 27 feet by 87 feet was built by the Leonard Brothers for $14,792.00. On the first floor was room for the steam fire engine, hose wagon and ladder truck, in the rear were the stalls for six horses and hay bins. The second floor had offices for the foreman and assistant foreman, a bunkroom, sitting room and a bathroom
In all of the annual reports put out by Brooklyn since 1869 it is always mention that the fireman had the latest and most modern convinces for their comfort. In the 1896 report a new item was added to every firehouse in the City, ".... a water heater, which supplies hot water for bathtub and wash basins. This improvement was a great boon to the fireman, particularly upon returning from fires tired and covered with smoke and dust, to have the convenience of taking a refreshing bath, without the risk or danger of taking cold, which was the case in former years, when only cold water was obtainable".
The firemen of 1896 did not have to worry about "do I go to work today" or finding a mutual partner. The work chart for the Brooklyn Fire Department was simple, 24 hours a day, six days on and the seventh day off. Twice a day, a fireman could go home for a two-hour meal period. The paid was around $1,000.00 a year. Members were detailed to other companies to relieve for a day off or meal break. In Manhattan, the work chart was ten days on and one day off.
One of Engine 41 and Ladder 13 first fire did not go well for them. On May 25, 1896, a fire was discovered in a shed on 67th Street and 3rd Avenue. The chemical tank of Ladder 13 was placed in service which had little effect on the fire. By this time, the fire had spread to the former quarters of Neptune Engine 2, next door of the fire building, before water could be found in a cistern. The second due engine hooked up to the closest hydrant at 59th Street and 3rd Avenue only to run short of hose and had to make a trip to back to the firehouse for more hose. The third due engine from Fort Hamilton arrived with a line of hose from Bay Ridge Avenue and these two hose lines put the fire out. A total of four buildings were burnt with a loss of $10,000.00.
The Cities of New York, Brooklyn, Long Island City, the Bronx, the western part of Queens county, and Staten Island merged into the five boroughs of New York on January 1, 1898. The Fire Departments of New York City, Brooklyn, and Long Island City merged on January 28, 1898, along with all the volunteer companies in the area. After twenty-three months in Brooklyn, Engine 41 and Ladder 13 became Engine 41 & Ladder 13 of the Brooklyn & Queens Fire Division of the New York City Fire Department. On April 15, 1898, Ladder 13 was disbanded as a separate fire company and the ladder truck assigned to Engine 41 to make it a combination company of an engine, hose wagon, and ladder truck. All the members were assigned to the engine company.
To avoid the confusion of two Engine 41's, one in Brooklyn and the other in the Bronx, the companies in Brooklyn and Queens were renumbered on October 1, 1899. Brooklyn Engine 41 became Engine 141. The ladder companies were given 50 to the number, thus Ladder 1 became Ladder 51. The companies were renumber again on January 1, 1913, Engine 141 became Engine 241.
Combination Engine 241 was disbanded along with five other Combination Companies on May 15, 1914 and reorganized as a single engine company. Three new motorized ladder truck companies were placed in service, replacing the five horse drawn units. Ladder 147 was placed between Engines 240, 248, and 250, Ladder 148 between Engine 247 and 250, and Ladder 149 between Engines 241, 242, & 247.
The fire horse would be given a high place in fire service history. They were treated better than the men. The department had an ambulance to take the horses to the horse hospital when hurt or sick. Some say that the horses could count the bells and knew which ones they responded on. After a fire on a cold snowy winters night the horses would come back to the firehouse and the firemen would dry the horses, feed them and brush them down, then the men would take a hot bath, change clothes and warm up. The up keep on the horse for one year was around $800.00 a year, a new motor operated apparatus cost $64.00 for fuel. Engine 241 lost its horses in 1922 when they received a new American LaFrance 700 gpm-pumping engine.
The need for a ladder company in Bay Ridge had been felt since the ladder truck was placed out of service in 1914. On February 1, 1939 Ladder 109 was moved from 4th Avenue and 19th Street to Engine 241's quarters. The City of Brooklyn had put Ladder 109 in service, as Ladder 9, on August 20, 1891 in the former quarters of Engine 1, 4th Avenue and 19th Street, with Engine 1 was moved further south.
The firehouse on Bay Ridge Avenue was starting to show its age by the mid 1960's. The house was altered in the 1920's by removing the two apparatus doors and replacing them with one door. A kitchen was placed on the first floor where the stalls and hay bins had been. With Ladder 109 in quarters, the living conditions were cramped. A new two story, single bay, house was built on 3rd Avenue between Wakeman Place and 67th Street. The back corner of this new house would be touching the back corner of Neptune Engine 2's quarters if it were still standing today. The new house opened on March 22, 1971 with an address of 6630 3rd Avenue.
Lieutenant William P. Berry of Engine 241 received the Emily Trevor - Mary B. Warren Medal for rescuing Richard Pugh from a basement fire at 7123 4th Avenue on February 14, 1927. A lighted match or cigarette was thrown into a bucket of shellac, which exploded, trapping Pugh and his cousin Clarence E. Dennison, age 19 in the basement.
Lieutenant Berry and his crew pulled in front of the fire and was told of two men trapped in the basement. He crawled on his hands and knees until he found Pugh unconscious and carried him to safety. Dennison body was not found until the fire was out. Richard Pugh would later died at the Norwegian Hospital. Lieutenant Berry entered the burning basement without the backup of a hose line and at extreme personal risk, was awarded the Trevor & Warren Medal for 1927.
Fire fighting is the most dangerous job in New York City. Every year hundreds are injured while fighting the "Red Devil". Over the past 100 years many members of Engine 241 have injured, some to the point of not returning to work. Two members of Engine 241 have paid the supreme price with their lives.
Fireman Christopher Boines died has a result of a building collapse. The fire was discovered in the early morning of March 21, 1901. The large car barn, located at the foot of 65th Street belonged to the New York & Sea Beach Railroad Company. The building had been vacant for some three years and was in dilapidated condition. The men were ordered into the building and shortly afterwards the roof came down on them, trapping them. Fireman Boines and two members from Engine 201 and one from Engine 243 were taken to the Norwegian Hospital where Fireman Boines died several hours later of burns and broken bones.
Fireman Thomas Barragry died while fighting a fire in a freight car of the Long Island Railroad at 2nd Avenue and 65th Street on December 24, 1938. The fire was reported at 9:51 P.M. and Fireman Barragry collapsed and died at 10:05 P.M. from a heart attack cause by the overexertion. He was 51 years old and a member of the Fire Department since 1920. Fireman Barragry left a wife and three children.
Engine 241 has been serving the citizens of Bay Ridge since 1896. No matter what the call is, a fire, an EMS run, water leaks, explosions or just putting air in a child's bicycle, Engine 241, the 3rd Avenue Express, is ready, willing and able.
THE APPARATUS OF ENGINE 241
HORSE DRAWN
1895 LaFrance 4th size steamer #332 Feb. 1, 1896 - Nov. 29,1922
1896 P. J. Barrett hose wagon #49B Feb. 1,1896-1905
1905 C. N. Perkins hose wagon #100B 1905-Nov. 29,1922
1896 Holloway 50' city service #1B feb. 1, 1896-May15,1914
ladder truck with a 40 gallon chemical tank
MOTORIZED
1922 American LaFrance 700 gpm #3955 Nov. 29, 1922 - June 25,1938
1938 Ahrens Fox 1000 gpm #3440 June 25, 1938 - April 8, 1958
1958 Mack 750 gpm #1028D April 8, 1958- Dec. 10, 1971
1971 Mack 1000 gpm #MP7123 Dec. 10,1971 - Feb. 9,1981
1980 American LaFrance 1000 gpm #AP8010 Feb. 9, 1981 - April 10, 1986
1979 Mack 1000 gpm #MP7960 April 10, 1986 - Dec. 30, 1992
1993 Seagrave 1000 gpm #SP9302 Dec. 30, 1992 - 2002
2002 Seagrave 1000 gpm #SP02020 2002- Nov. 25, 2011
2010 Seagrave Marauder II 2000 gpm #SP10027 Nov. 25, 2011- present
THE HOMES OF ENGINE 241
240 Bay Ridge Avenue
BETWEEN: 3rd Avenue and Bay Ridge Pl.
BROOKLYN FIRE DEPARTMENT
ENGINE 41 Feb. 1, 1896 - Jan. 28, 1898
LADDER 13 Feb. 1, 1896 - Jan. 28, 1898
NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT
ENGINE 41 Jan. 28, 1898 - April 15, 1898
LADDER 13 Jan. 28, 1898 - Apr. 15, 1898
COMB. ENGINE 41 Apr. 15, 1898 - Oct. 1, 1899
COMB. ENGINE 141 Oct. 1, 1899 - Jan. 1, 1913
COMB. ENGINE 241 Jan. 1, 1913 - May 15, 1914
ENGINE 241 May 15, 1914 - Mar. 22, 1971
LADDER 109 Jan. 27, 1939 - Mar. 22, 1971
6630 3rd AVENUE
BETWEEN: 67th St. and Wakeman Place
NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT
ENGINE 241 Mar. 22, 1971 - Present
LADDER 109 Mar. 22, 1971 - Present
From: Mike Boucher Dispatcher 350 S.I. CO. FDNY HOMEPAGE http://www.nyfd.com
UNIT CITATIONS
Date of Act Box # Address
April 13, 1969 3-3 2676 249 58th Street
January 24, 1987 2653 231 65th Street
December 11, 1992 3023 Fox Beach Road
October 6, 1997 2676 IFO 140 58th Street
HISTORY OF LADDER 109, 100 YEARS OF SERVICE
Brooklyn's Ladder 109 can trace its history to the forming of Brooklyn Fire Deparment's Ladder 9 on August 20, 1891. The company was placed in service in the former house of Engine 1 at 633 4th Avenue. The house dates back to 1860 and Putnam Engine 21. Engine 1 moved into the house on September 15, 1869. Ladder 1 was also placed in service in the same quarters with Engine 1. In 1872, new quarters were built for both Engine 2 and Ladder 1 on Van Brunt Street.
Ladder 1's district included all the area bounded by the bay and Atlantic Avenue to 5th Avenue, south to the town of New Utrecht. This amount of territory required Ladder 1 to respond to three or four alarms a day, some as far as two and a half miles to the end of the district. This distance created an extreme physical stress on the horses and the men.
Knowing the size of Ladder 1's district, Commissioner John Ennis place Ladder 9 and 10 in service in 1891. Ladder 10 was placed in service before Ladder 9 only because Engine 1's new house wasn't finished in time. Half of the men from Engine 1 stayed to place Ladder 9 in service, while the other half went with Engine 1. Rounding out the roster for Ladder 9 were five "pobies".
On January 1, 1898 the cities of New York and Brooklyn along with Staten Island, Queens and the Bronx merged into the Greater City of New York. The Fire Department became part of the F.D.N.Y. only on paper. All rules and titles of the Brooklyn Fire Department remained in effect. On January 23, 1898, The Brooklyn Fire Department was disbanded and became part of the F.D.N.Y. Thus Ladder 9 of B.F.D. became Ladder 9 of the F.D.N.Y. of the Brooklyn and Queens fire districts.
Now the Fire Department had two Ladder 9's, one in Manhattan and the other in Brooklyn. This created some major problems when mentioning a company, as far as which Ladder 9 was being referred to. To solve this problem, On October 1, 1899 the Brooklyn companies changed numbers. All the engine companies added one hundred to the number, thus Engine 1 became 101. The Ladders added fifty to the number, thus Ladder 9 became Ladder 59.
On January 1, 1913 Ladder 59 was renumbered to Ladder 109. The Engine companies added another one hundred to their number. The rapid expansion of the Fire Department in Brooklyn and Queens caused the number change. Prior to this, Staten Island engines were numbered 200's and Ladders were 100's. With the growth of Brooklyn and Queens, the numbering system would run out of numbers shortly.
Ladder 109 quarters were used until February 1, 1939, at which time the truck moved to 240 Bay Ridge Avenue along with Engine 241. In 1941 the company was responding with a 1929 American LaFrance 75' aerial. This was one of four bought that year.
On March 22, 1971 the station on Bay Ridge Avenue was closed and both Engine 241 and Ladder 109 moved into new quarters at 6630 3rd Avenue. This was the first of five new houses to open during 1971 and one of twenty five built during 1970 through 1975. Prior to this, only twenty four stations were built since 1950!
Source: The Chief January 16, 1974 - Bell Club News Letter February 1974
UNIT CITATIONS
Date of Act Box # Address
November 28, 1962 1145 314 79th Street
July 7, 1973 1171 345 86th Street
November 13, 1974 2617 6716 8th Avenue
February 4, 1975 2-2 2645 7628 5th Avenue
April 16, 1976 4-4 1462 5019 4th Avenue
September 2, 1991 3-3 1169 361 86th Street
March 25, 1993 2678 201 61st Street
October 6, 1997 2676 IFO 140 58th Street
June 19, 2005 1102 146 67th Street
March 13, 2011 2637 510 61st Street
MEDAL WINNERS
Capt. Richard Collins, F.D. Department Medal 8/6/1918
Capt. Richard Collins, Brooklyn Citizens Medal 2/17/1919
Fr. Thomas Mulvaney, Thomas A. Kenny Medal 11/17/1929
Lt. Edward Alwell, Hugh Bonner Medal 3/1/1934
Fr. James Maher, Brooklyn Citizens Medal 1/15/1938
Fr. Erik Weiner, Pulaski Association Medal 1/31/1982
Fr. Raymond Tremer Jr., BC Tuttlemondo Medal 5/24/1989
Fr. Joseph Flynn, Fr. David J. DeFranco Medal 10/19/1990
Fr. Patrick Whalen, Dr. Albert A. Cinelli Medal 8/6/1993
Fr. Michael Mullally, Dr. Albert A. Cinelli Medal 6/7/1998
Fr. Vincent Trotter, Edward Thompson Medal 7/25/2008
Bay Ridge, along with what would become the town of New Utrecht was bought from the Nyack Indians in 1647. Because of the color of the clay, Bay Ridge was first called Yellow Hook and then changed its name to Bay Ridge in 1853. Bay Ridge was a village in the town of New Utrecht, which was one of the six towns to make up the City of Brooklyn. The City of Brooklyn annexed the town of New Utrecht on May 3, 1894 along with the towns of Gravesend, Flatbush and Flatlands.
Fire protection in New Utrecht's dates back to 1827. Bay Ridge had three volunteer fire companies when the City of Brooklyn annexed the area. Bay Ridge Engine 1 was placed in service in a one story wood frame building on Bay Ridge Avenue near Third Avenue. In the rear was a bell tower to sound the alarms for a fire. Neptune Engine 2 was located on Sixty Seventh Street near Third Avenue. It was also a one story wood frame shed. Bay Ridge Ladder location remains a mystery to this day. It might have been located in with Engine 1 on Bay Ridge Avenue. New Utrecht volunteer fire department had grown to four steam fire engines, one hose company and five ladder companies.
The City of Brooklyn would provide fire protection into the newly annexed area once firehouses were built, equipment bought and manpower hired. Until this was done, the City was responsible for keeping the volunteers active. The volunteers would respond to fires and receive $1000.00 a year for their service from the City of Brooklyn until being replaced. The last fire the Bay Ridge volunteers attended was on Cowenhoven Lane and Stewart Avenue. The saloon and home of John Stoltz burned to the ground after a fierce early morning fire.
On February 1, 1896, the volunteer fire department of the late town of New Utrecht was replaced with a paid department. Bay Ridge's first paid fire companies were Engine 41 and Ladder 13. Both companies were placed in service on the same day, along with Engines 42, 43, 47, 53, and Ladders 14, 15, 19, and 24, all in the former town of New Utrecht.
In the law annexing the new area, Brooklyn could hire forty-three members from New Utrecht's volunteer fire companies. The members picked for Engine 41 and Ladder 13 were John R. Hanson, J. H. Van Pelt, Harry Martin, Albert Lyons, Michael Johnston, James Hennessy, John R. McIntosh, Ruppert Werner, Fred Wardell, John Erickson, and Elmore H. Wardell. The Foreman and Assistant Foreman came from other Brooklyn fire companies.
A new firehouse was built for Engine 41 and Ladder 13 on Bay Ridge Avenue near Ridge Boulevard. The lot was bought from the heirs of Joseph A. Perry for $1,800.00 on March 27, 1895. The lot measured 30 feet in the front and 100 feet deep. A beautiful two story, two bay firehouse, measuring 27 feet by 87 feet was built by the Leonard Brothers for $14,792.00. On the first floor was room for the steam fire engine, hose wagon and ladder truck, in the rear were the stalls for six horses and hay bins. The second floor had offices for the foreman and assistant foreman, a bunkroom, sitting room and a bathroom
In all of the annual reports put out by Brooklyn since 1869 it is always mention that the fireman had the latest and most modern convinces for their comfort. In the 1896 report a new item was added to every firehouse in the City, ".... a water heater, which supplies hot water for bathtub and wash basins. This improvement was a great boon to the fireman, particularly upon returning from fires tired and covered with smoke and dust, to have the convenience of taking a refreshing bath, without the risk or danger of taking cold, which was the case in former years, when only cold water was obtainable".
The firemen of 1896 did not have to worry about "do I go to work today" or finding a mutual partner. The work chart for the Brooklyn Fire Department was simple, 24 hours a day, six days on and the seventh day off. Twice a day, a fireman could go home for a two-hour meal period. The paid was around $1,000.00 a year. Members were detailed to other companies to relieve for a day off or meal break. In Manhattan, the work chart was ten days on and one day off.
One of Engine 41 and Ladder 13 first fire did not go well for them. On May 25, 1896, a fire was discovered in a shed on 67th Street and 3rd Avenue. The chemical tank of Ladder 13 was placed in service which had little effect on the fire. By this time, the fire had spread to the former quarters of Neptune Engine 2, next door of the fire building, before water could be found in a cistern. The second due engine hooked up to the closest hydrant at 59th Street and 3rd Avenue only to run short of hose and had to make a trip to back to the firehouse for more hose. The third due engine from Fort Hamilton arrived with a line of hose from Bay Ridge Avenue and these two hose lines put the fire out. A total of four buildings were burnt with a loss of $10,000.00.
The Cities of New York, Brooklyn, Long Island City, the Bronx, the western part of Queens county, and Staten Island merged into the five boroughs of New York on January 1, 1898. The Fire Departments of New York City, Brooklyn, and Long Island City merged on January 28, 1898, along with all the volunteer companies in the area. After twenty-three months in Brooklyn, Engine 41 and Ladder 13 became Engine 41 & Ladder 13 of the Brooklyn & Queens Fire Division of the New York City Fire Department. On April 15, 1898, Ladder 13 was disbanded as a separate fire company and the ladder truck assigned to Engine 41 to make it a combination company of an engine, hose wagon, and ladder truck. All the members were assigned to the engine company.
To avoid the confusion of two Engine 41's, one in Brooklyn and the other in the Bronx, the companies in Brooklyn and Queens were renumbered on October 1, 1899. Brooklyn Engine 41 became Engine 141. The ladder companies were given 50 to the number, thus Ladder 1 became Ladder 51. The companies were renumber again on January 1, 1913, Engine 141 became Engine 241.
Combination Engine 241 was disbanded along with five other Combination Companies on May 15, 1914 and reorganized as a single engine company. Three new motorized ladder truck companies were placed in service, replacing the five horse drawn units. Ladder 147 was placed between Engines 240, 248, and 250, Ladder 148 between Engine 247 and 250, and Ladder 149 between Engines 241, 242, & 247.
The fire horse would be given a high place in fire service history. They were treated better than the men. The department had an ambulance to take the horses to the horse hospital when hurt or sick. Some say that the horses could count the bells and knew which ones they responded on. After a fire on a cold snowy winters night the horses would come back to the firehouse and the firemen would dry the horses, feed them and brush them down, then the men would take a hot bath, change clothes and warm up. The up keep on the horse for one year was around $800.00 a year, a new motor operated apparatus cost $64.00 for fuel. Engine 241 lost its horses in 1922 when they received a new American LaFrance 700 gpm-pumping engine.
The need for a ladder company in Bay Ridge had been felt since the ladder truck was placed out of service in 1914. On February 1, 1939 Ladder 109 was moved from 4th Avenue and 19th Street to Engine 241's quarters. The City of Brooklyn had put Ladder 109 in service, as Ladder 9, on August 20, 1891 in the former quarters of Engine 1, 4th Avenue and 19th Street, with Engine 1 was moved further south.
The firehouse on Bay Ridge Avenue was starting to show its age by the mid 1960's. The house was altered in the 1920's by removing the two apparatus doors and replacing them with one door. A kitchen was placed on the first floor where the stalls and hay bins had been. With Ladder 109 in quarters, the living conditions were cramped. A new two story, single bay, house was built on 3rd Avenue between Wakeman Place and 67th Street. The back corner of this new house would be touching the back corner of Neptune Engine 2's quarters if it were still standing today. The new house opened on March 22, 1971 with an address of 6630 3rd Avenue.
Lieutenant William P. Berry of Engine 241 received the Emily Trevor - Mary B. Warren Medal for rescuing Richard Pugh from a basement fire at 7123 4th Avenue on February 14, 1927. A lighted match or cigarette was thrown into a bucket of shellac, which exploded, trapping Pugh and his cousin Clarence E. Dennison, age 19 in the basement.
Lieutenant Berry and his crew pulled in front of the fire and was told of two men trapped in the basement. He crawled on his hands and knees until he found Pugh unconscious and carried him to safety. Dennison body was not found until the fire was out. Richard Pugh would later died at the Norwegian Hospital. Lieutenant Berry entered the burning basement without the backup of a hose line and at extreme personal risk, was awarded the Trevor & Warren Medal for 1927.
Fire fighting is the most dangerous job in New York City. Every year hundreds are injured while fighting the "Red Devil". Over the past 100 years many members of Engine 241 have injured, some to the point of not returning to work. Two members of Engine 241 have paid the supreme price with their lives.
Fireman Christopher Boines died has a result of a building collapse. The fire was discovered in the early morning of March 21, 1901. The large car barn, located at the foot of 65th Street belonged to the New York & Sea Beach Railroad Company. The building had been vacant for some three years and was in dilapidated condition. The men were ordered into the building and shortly afterwards the roof came down on them, trapping them. Fireman Boines and two members from Engine 201 and one from Engine 243 were taken to the Norwegian Hospital where Fireman Boines died several hours later of burns and broken bones.
Fireman Thomas Barragry died while fighting a fire in a freight car of the Long Island Railroad at 2nd Avenue and 65th Street on December 24, 1938. The fire was reported at 9:51 P.M. and Fireman Barragry collapsed and died at 10:05 P.M. from a heart attack cause by the overexertion. He was 51 years old and a member of the Fire Department since 1920. Fireman Barragry left a wife and three children.
Engine 241 has been serving the citizens of Bay Ridge since 1896. No matter what the call is, a fire, an EMS run, water leaks, explosions or just putting air in a child's bicycle, Engine 241, the 3rd Avenue Express, is ready, willing and able.
THE APPARATUS OF ENGINE 241
HORSE DRAWN
1895 LaFrance 4th size steamer #332 Feb. 1, 1896 - Nov. 29,1922
1896 P. J. Barrett hose wagon #49B Feb. 1,1896-1905
1905 C. N. Perkins hose wagon #100B 1905-Nov. 29,1922
1896 Holloway 50' city service #1B feb. 1, 1896-May15,1914
ladder truck with a 40 gallon chemical tank
MOTORIZED
1922 American LaFrance 700 gpm #3955 Nov. 29, 1922 - June 25,1938
1938 Ahrens Fox 1000 gpm #3440 June 25, 1938 - April 8, 1958
1958 Mack 750 gpm #1028D April 8, 1958- Dec. 10, 1971
1971 Mack 1000 gpm #MP7123 Dec. 10,1971 - Feb. 9,1981
1980 American LaFrance 1000 gpm #AP8010 Feb. 9, 1981 - April 10, 1986
1979 Mack 1000 gpm #MP7960 April 10, 1986 - Dec. 30, 1992
1993 Seagrave 1000 gpm #SP9302 Dec. 30, 1992 - 2002
2002 Seagrave 1000 gpm #SP02020 2002- Nov. 25, 2011
2010 Seagrave Marauder II 2000 gpm #SP10027 Nov. 25, 2011- present
THE HOMES OF ENGINE 241
240 Bay Ridge Avenue
BETWEEN: 3rd Avenue and Bay Ridge Pl.
BROOKLYN FIRE DEPARTMENT
ENGINE 41 Feb. 1, 1896 - Jan. 28, 1898
LADDER 13 Feb. 1, 1896 - Jan. 28, 1898
NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT
ENGINE 41 Jan. 28, 1898 - April 15, 1898
LADDER 13 Jan. 28, 1898 - Apr. 15, 1898
COMB. ENGINE 41 Apr. 15, 1898 - Oct. 1, 1899
COMB. ENGINE 141 Oct. 1, 1899 - Jan. 1, 1913
COMB. ENGINE 241 Jan. 1, 1913 - May 15, 1914
ENGINE 241 May 15, 1914 - Mar. 22, 1971
LADDER 109 Jan. 27, 1939 - Mar. 22, 1971
6630 3rd AVENUE
BETWEEN: 67th St. and Wakeman Place
NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT
ENGINE 241 Mar. 22, 1971 - Present
LADDER 109 Mar. 22, 1971 - Present
From: Mike Boucher Dispatcher 350 S.I. CO. FDNY HOMEPAGE http://www.nyfd.com
UNIT CITATIONS
Date of Act Box # Address
April 13, 1969 3-3 2676 249 58th Street
January 24, 1987 2653 231 65th Street
December 11, 1992 3023 Fox Beach Road
October 6, 1997 2676 IFO 140 58th Street
HISTORY OF LADDER 109, 100 YEARS OF SERVICE
Brooklyn's Ladder 109 can trace its history to the forming of Brooklyn Fire Deparment's Ladder 9 on August 20, 1891. The company was placed in service in the former house of Engine 1 at 633 4th Avenue. The house dates back to 1860 and Putnam Engine 21. Engine 1 moved into the house on September 15, 1869. Ladder 1 was also placed in service in the same quarters with Engine 1. In 1872, new quarters were built for both Engine 2 and Ladder 1 on Van Brunt Street.
Ladder 1's district included all the area bounded by the bay and Atlantic Avenue to 5th Avenue, south to the town of New Utrecht. This amount of territory required Ladder 1 to respond to three or four alarms a day, some as far as two and a half miles to the end of the district. This distance created an extreme physical stress on the horses and the men.
Knowing the size of Ladder 1's district, Commissioner John Ennis place Ladder 9 and 10 in service in 1891. Ladder 10 was placed in service before Ladder 9 only because Engine 1's new house wasn't finished in time. Half of the men from Engine 1 stayed to place Ladder 9 in service, while the other half went with Engine 1. Rounding out the roster for Ladder 9 were five "pobies".
On January 1, 1898 the cities of New York and Brooklyn along with Staten Island, Queens and the Bronx merged into the Greater City of New York. The Fire Department became part of the F.D.N.Y. only on paper. All rules and titles of the Brooklyn Fire Department remained in effect. On January 23, 1898, The Brooklyn Fire Department was disbanded and became part of the F.D.N.Y. Thus Ladder 9 of B.F.D. became Ladder 9 of the F.D.N.Y. of the Brooklyn and Queens fire districts.
Now the Fire Department had two Ladder 9's, one in Manhattan and the other in Brooklyn. This created some major problems when mentioning a company, as far as which Ladder 9 was being referred to. To solve this problem, On October 1, 1899 the Brooklyn companies changed numbers. All the engine companies added one hundred to the number, thus Engine 1 became 101. The Ladders added fifty to the number, thus Ladder 9 became Ladder 59.
On January 1, 1913 Ladder 59 was renumbered to Ladder 109. The Engine companies added another one hundred to their number. The rapid expansion of the Fire Department in Brooklyn and Queens caused the number change. Prior to this, Staten Island engines were numbered 200's and Ladders were 100's. With the growth of Brooklyn and Queens, the numbering system would run out of numbers shortly.
Ladder 109 quarters were used until February 1, 1939, at which time the truck moved to 240 Bay Ridge Avenue along with Engine 241. In 1941 the company was responding with a 1929 American LaFrance 75' aerial. This was one of four bought that year.
On March 22, 1971 the station on Bay Ridge Avenue was closed and both Engine 241 and Ladder 109 moved into new quarters at 6630 3rd Avenue. This was the first of five new houses to open during 1971 and one of twenty five built during 1970 through 1975. Prior to this, only twenty four stations were built since 1950!
Source: The Chief January 16, 1974 - Bell Club News Letter February 1974
UNIT CITATIONS
Date of Act Box # Address
November 28, 1962 1145 314 79th Street
July 7, 1973 1171 345 86th Street
November 13, 1974 2617 6716 8th Avenue
February 4, 1975 2-2 2645 7628 5th Avenue
April 16, 1976 4-4 1462 5019 4th Avenue
September 2, 1991 3-3 1169 361 86th Street
March 25, 1993 2678 201 61st Street
October 6, 1997 2676 IFO 140 58th Street
June 19, 2005 1102 146 67th Street
March 13, 2011 2637 510 61st Street
MEDAL WINNERS
Capt. Richard Collins, F.D. Department Medal 8/6/1918
Capt. Richard Collins, Brooklyn Citizens Medal 2/17/1919
Fr. Thomas Mulvaney, Thomas A. Kenny Medal 11/17/1929
Lt. Edward Alwell, Hugh Bonner Medal 3/1/1934
Fr. James Maher, Brooklyn Citizens Medal 1/15/1938
Fr. Erik Weiner, Pulaski Association Medal 1/31/1982
Fr. Raymond Tremer Jr., BC Tuttlemondo Medal 5/24/1989
Fr. Joseph Flynn, Fr. David J. DeFranco Medal 10/19/1990
Fr. Patrick Whalen, Dr. Albert A. Cinelli Medal 8/6/1993
Fr. Michael Mullally, Dr. Albert A. Cinelli Medal 6/7/1998
Fr. Vincent Trotter, Edward Thompson Medal 7/25/2008
