RIP Dennis Smith…report from Engine Company 82 was a great read and I had Dennis autograph my copy of it when I met him when my ship was in dry dock in the Brooklyn Navy Yard many years ago I met Arbuckle Mcfatty too😀
I meet eddie m in 1977durring the blackout was the nicest person the last time I saw him was in 2000 I was sad to read he passed rip eddie you will never be forgotten by me and my family
How fortunate for the FDNY, the City of N.Y. and U.S.A, that in the midst of this madness and despair, a journalist firefighter would emerge to chronicle this time for posterity. Watching this takes me back to those seemingly endless dark and overcast days of the 70's when hopelessness was rampant and urban decay the accepted norm. A lot has been written on the War Years, but you had to live it and be there to understand it. Thank You Denis Smith to Brian Sullivan for posting.
i couldnt believe my ears when they said people would cut holes in the floor so firemen woulf fall through and rig up piano wire, or fill water ballons with gasoline in fires...that is just a sick twisted thing to do
This is epic. I wouldn't even be a firefighter, more or less one in NYC, if it wasn't for me reading Dennis Smith's book, which I read while I was in high-school in 1987, two years later I flew out to NYC from my home city of St. Paul,MN and took the test.
The image stabilization filter is the WORST thing that ever happened to TH-cam! This was probably a VHS or Betamax copy of a 16MM TV print but watching software try to steady things like fire trucks moving or the title over a moving background is so distracting! Otherwise great film and thank you for uploading.
It was an 8mm film shot off the TV, then played on those reel to reel projectors on a white wall. Then years later that filmed by a VHS camera, which eventually we able to be digitized. I've tried for years to get a copy from the BBC/Man alive without success. It only aired once.
Well currently there are 6 on a truck and 5or 6 on an engine... back then who knows... between budget cuts and lay offs and they used to ride on the tail board too.
Family friend was a fireman and toward the end the lieutenant for ladder 31 from 1969 or 1968 to 1984, he’s not doing too well so I’m gonna try and get his story before anything with him gets worse
Had the opportunity to meet Dennis Smith. The firefighter, and author of Report from Engine 82 back then. Too bad the quality of this film is as bad as it is. This was all prior to the IAFF and Congress finally recognizing the dangers of Firefighting as other than men sitting around, waiting for a fire.
+steve1978ger I am pretty sure they were. I think the owners of these buildings often had them torched to collect the insurance money since they couldn't get any tenants in them. But it seems like NYC could have told these building owners to clean their properties up or they would be forfeited to the city.
It's freakin amazing.These guys bust their asses and put their lives on the line daily and yet they get shit pay,shit hours and on top of that they have to pay out of their own pockets for food and drinks.I would think that would be a perk food.But when they have budget issues who is the first to get laid off.The Fireman.Also they close houses and transfer calls blocks away but yet response time is better.Can't figure that one out.
RIP Dennis Smith. "Report from Engine Co 82" got me started on my career as a firefighter, which lasted for 38 years.
RIP Dennis Smith…report from Engine Company 82 was a great read and I had Dennis autograph my copy of it when I met him when my ship was in dry dock in the Brooklyn Navy Yard many years ago
I met Arbuckle Mcfatty too😀
Have you still got the book?
Thanks for the comment and thanks Brian for posting the video. Thats my uncle...he absolutely loved his job and was a proud fireman.
There will only ever be one Dennis Smith. Rest easy, sir. Even then The Bronx had notable fire characteristics.
I meet eddie m in 1977durring the blackout was the nicest person the last time I saw him was in 2000 I was sad to read he passed rip eddie you will never be forgotten by me and my family
How fortunate for the FDNY, the City of N.Y. and U.S.A, that in the midst of this madness and despair, a journalist firefighter would emerge to chronicle this time for posterity. Watching this takes me back to those seemingly endless dark and overcast days of the 70's when hopelessness was rampant and urban decay the accepted norm. A lot has been written on the War Years, but you had to live it and be there to understand it. Thank You Denis Smith to Brian Sullivan for posting.
i couldnt believe my ears when they said people would cut holes in the floor so firemen woulf fall through and rig up piano wire, or fill water ballons with gasoline in fires...that is just a sick twisted thing to do
The Didn't call the Early 70's the War years for nothing.. Pure balls to the walls Combat Firefighting.
This is epic. I wouldn't even be a firefighter, more or less one in NYC, if it wasn't for me reading Dennis Smith's book, which I read while I was in high-school in 1987, two years later I flew out to NYC from my home city of St. Paul,MN and took the test.
Did you get it?
he is an inspiration . to do what they do with flawed equipment makes it . even more incredible .
Without wearing bearing apparatus many of these guys suffered from poor health in later years. That smoke is not good
holy crap thanks for uploading this man!
The image stabilization filter is the WORST thing that ever happened to TH-cam! This was probably a VHS or Betamax copy of a 16MM TV print but watching software try to steady things like fire trucks moving or the title over a moving background is so distracting! Otherwise great film and thank you for uploading.
It was an 8mm film shot off the TV, then played on those reel to reel projectors on a white wall. Then years later that filmed by a VHS camera, which eventually we able to be digitized. I've tried for years to get a copy from the BBC/Man alive without success. It only aired once.
15:43 "Get up! 82 truck and the chief. Everybody go. Get up!"
great video
Well currently there are 6 on a truck and 5or 6 on an engine... back then who knows... between budget cuts and lay offs and they used to ride on the tail board too.
Family friend was a fireman and toward the end the lieutenant for ladder 31 from 1969 or 1968 to 1984, he’s not doing too well so I’m gonna try and get his story before anything with him gets worse
Bags of gas, The Sting Bar Youngstown, OH same thing three FFs burned.
Thank goodness for fire sprinklers and better fire codes.
Had the opportunity to meet Dennis Smith. The firefighter, and author of Report from Engine 82 back then. Too bad the quality of this film is as bad as it is. This was all prior to the IAFF and Congress finally recognizing the dangers of Firefighting as other than men sitting around, waiting for a fire.
"H" apts. The apt in the "throat" is the death apt. hard to get tower ladders positioned there.
I got a code 3 model of 82 engine. Good shit
How many men where assigned to each truck? Looks like 8 per truck
Back when NYC looked more like Detroit than a real city.
Sorry, breathing not bearing. Auto correct again!
The evil smoke
Those were old school hard core firemen no scba's, masks or anything lol
how many guys were assigned to each company back then?
The engines were running an officer and 5, the ladders an officer and 6.
That was also at a time when the men rode the back step, and often became the target of hoods who hated the Establishment...cops, and firefighters.
I wonder if one of those children playing became Fireman's🙄
25:07 what was his toast he gave? i cant make it out exactly
To all of you eat, but you don't eat without me. It's an old Irish thing.
Why didn't NYC just bulldoze and get rid of these abandoned buildings?
+iverar - probably they were private property?
+steve1978ger I am pretty sure they were. I think the owners of these buildings often had them torched to collect the insurance money since they couldn't get any tenants in them. But it seems like NYC could have told these building owners to clean their properties up or they would be forfeited to the city.
this is when the men were men. wooden ladders and iron lungs
It's freakin amazing.These guys bust their asses and put their lives on the line daily and yet they get shit pay,shit hours and on top of that they have to pay out of their own pockets for food and drinks.I would think that would be a perk food.But when they have budget issues who is the first to get laid off.The Fireman.Also they close houses and transfer calls blocks away but yet response time is better.Can't figure that one out.
What has ever happened to Dennis Smith?
Became and author retired and still does talks around the U.S
Sadly, he died today (1/22/2022).
is 82 the nut house or animal house
La Casa Grande, The Big House.