Armor Tuff Flooring

NEVER NEVER FORGET FORGET

UNITED WE STAND

TRENTON FIREFIGHTING

ON THE BOOK SHELF

by John Malecky

Trenton Firefighting

By Michael Ratcliffe

Forwarded by Chief Dennis Keenan (ret)

Available from:

FSP books & Videos 433 Main Street, #2A

Hudson, MA 01749 1-800-522-8528

E-mail: support@fire-policeems.com: www.fire-police-ems.com

Price: $21.99

This is a soft cover book from the Images of America series and measures 6 ½ inches by 9 inches. It has 127 pages and five chapters between the Forward, Acknowledgements and Introduction, and the Roll of Honor in the back. The Roll of Honor lists 34 Trenton firefighters known to have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The author’s name is familiar to me and I believe I met him in person many years ago when I was photographing apparatus near Trenton. My recollection of the conversation was quite pleasant, as was my conversation with Trenton Fire Chief Dan George whom I called one day to ask permission to photograph their apparatus. He was so pleasant and accommodating that it was almost as if we were schoolmates! There are several photos of him in this book. He was the longest serving chief. Well back to the book!

The author did an excellent job of writing about the TFD, which became paid in 1892. He had help from many others which he acknowledges. Most of the images in the book were scanned from the originals. The five chapters are divided in years, namely 1747-1892, 1892-1920, 19211950, 1951-1990 and 1991-2020. Much of what is written is accompanied by a photo. All photos are black and white. I should mention that for the fact that this is a history of firefighting, there is no gallery of fire apparatus. There are photos of apparatus mostly from the earlier days, so there are horses and spoked wheels. The first motorized vehicle was actually a 1907 chief car with a 10 horsepower steam propelled motor. The reader will see much more apparatus in the wealth of fire pictures which dominate the book. One is of a ship built fuel tender, which I remember photographing. Their shop built five vehicles, two pumpers, two floodlight trucks and the fuel tender, which are lined up in one photo.

There are a number of photos of personnel, both individual and in groups. One is of their first African American firefighter who also had been a marine veteran in World War II and did a search and rescue of a two-year-old girl. There is also mention of the first African American captain, the first Hispanic firefighter and the first female firefighter.

If you like history you will find this book an extremely interesting read!

JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER/SIDEWINDER PHOTOGRAPHY

Fire Rips Through Bridge Ave. Home in Cohoes

COHOES, NY - On August 9th at 5:16 A.M., the City of Cohoes Fire Department along with Green Island, the Watervliet Arsenal and the City of Watervliet Fire Department were dispatched to 161 Bridge Avenue for multiple calls reporting a structure fire.

The first arriving engine and truck company on scene had heavy fire showing from the rear of the building which was pushing across the second floor. Firefighters immediately made entry to the structure and conducted a primary search of the building to make sure all of the residents were out.

Crews deployed multiple hand lines to the rear portion of the building and began to knock down the heavy fire condition. Firefighters from the incoming mutual aid units arrived on scene and deployed several hand lines into the front door of the building, making their way to the second floor where they encountered thick heavy black smoke with high levels of heat and heavy fire running through the cockloft. Firefighters attempted to knock down the heavy fire condition, but were forced from the building when the fire in the cockloft rapidly extended over their heads and blew through the roof of the building.

Crews immediately set up multiple blitz fires for exposure protection in the front of the building. Firefighters switched to defensive operations as the fire had gotten ahead of them. Firefighters placed two of the truck companies on scene in the air and into operations. As the truck companies were getting in place the roof of the structure collapsed into the second floor.

Firefighters remained on scene until the late hours of the morning. The New York State Department of Homeland Security’s Office Fire Prevention and Control was contacted for their investigators to come to the scene. Unfortunately, firefighters were not able to locate the family pets until after the fire.

The fire is under full investigation at this time. No injuries were reported.

JUMP TO FILE #083021109

- JEFFREY BELSCHWINDER