The Fire Stations of the FDNY

A fire station (also known as a fire hall or firemen’s hall) is a building used for storing and maintaining equipment such as fire engines, vehicles, personal protective equipment, and fire hoses. In addition, they serve as living and working spaces for firefighters. Fire stations are also frequently used as meeting places for firefighters, especially when they are not responding to an emergency call.

The FDNY is currently organized into five borough commands for each of the City’s boroughs, with each command being led by a borough commander. Within each borough command, there are nine firefighting divisions. Those divisions are then further divided into four to seven battalions, each being lead by a battalion chief.

Each battalion has between three and eight firehouses that are used by its firefighters. The members of each battalion work a twelve-hour shift, swapping days off with other firefighters in the area who do the same. A large portion of the FDNY’s firefighters are volunteer, but since the department became professionally operated in 1865, all members are paid employees.

While a firehouse has a lot of different equipment stored within, the most important piece of gear is an engine. A fire engine is a large, diesel-powered vehicle that is used to pump water, transport people, and extinguish blazes. The FDNY has 197 engine companies and 143 ladder (or truck) companies. There are also 5 rescue companies, 8 squad companies and 3 marine (or fireboat) companies.

In addition to the aforementioned apparatus, each firehouse is equipped with other essential tools and equipment such as axes, crowbars, hydraulic lifts, and hoses in varying sizes. Each company is outfitted with specialized equipment to handle specific incidents, and the corresponding firefighter knows how to operate each piece of machinery.

Many fire stations are named for the primary company that is housed in them, such as “Ladder 49.” Others may be named after the settlement or neighborhood they are located in, or given a number. In general, fire stations are designed to be highly visible. They are often brightly painted with the FDNY’s signature red, blue and white colors, and are located in prominent areas. Moreover, the approaches to the fire station are often posted with warning signs to alert motorists when fire trucks are coming and going from the location.

When an emergency is reported to the FDNY, the dispatcher will assign an engine company, a ladder company, and a rescue or squad company to the incident. The information provided by the caller is gathered by the firefighters and then transmitted to their firehouse via radio. The dispatcher will then issue an “all-hands” announcement, meaning that at least two engine and one ladder companies are operating on the scene.

Fire stations have been the backdrop for numerous films and television shows. For example, the exterior shots for the 1984 and 1989 comedy film Ghostbusters were taken at the firehouse of Ladder Company 8 on 14 North Moore Street in Tribeca. This same building was also used for the exterior shots of the headquarters in Ghostbusters II.