Today, company members both past and present, joined to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Squad 61. Prior t0 July 1st, 1998 Squad 61 was Engine Company 61 in the same firehouse.

The second job on the day tour was at a 6 story 120 x 100 non fireproof multiple dwelling. The original caller stated there was smoke in the basement at the address of 2089 Arthur Avenue (cross East 179th Street) at box #3143.

Today’s day tour started with a job up North at 3250 Perry Avenue between East 207th Street and East 209th Street for a fire on the 6th floor of a multple dwelling.

Squad 61 was sent up to 150 West 225th Street (cross is Jacobus Place) for a fire in a 33 story 190 x 100 fireproof multiple dwelling.

Soon after the 09:00 day tour roll call, SQ-61 was sent to 4070 Pauling Avenue (Box # 3690) between East 229th Street and East 228th Street for a fire in a multiple dwelling.

At 0:856 hours SQ-61 received a ticket to respond to 10-75 box # 3398 at 2815 Grand Concourse between East 197th Street and Miriam Street at a 5 story 75 x 100 Non-Fireproof Multiple Dwelling.

SQ 61 responded to a fire on the 3rd floor of a non-fireproof multiple dwelling at 09:38 hours.

Multiple Dwelling fire on the 3rd floor at 1860 Morris Avenue between Mounthope Place and East 176th Street.

Squad 61 responded as a Squad to assist with searches on the floors above the fire which started in the bathroom on the first floor of a 6 story brick 100 x 75 non-fireproof multiple dwelling.

Squad 61 responded at 01:30 hours for an all hands fire on the 3rd floor of a non-fireproof multiple dwelling at 333 East 138th Street between Willis Avenue and Alexander Avenue.

Squad 61 Responded as a Squad at 22:28 hours to 2020 Walton Avenue between East 179th Street and Burnside Avenue for a fire on the 5th floor of a 6 story non-fireproof multiple dwelling.

At 21:34 hours Squad 61 responded to Box #3148 for a fire on the first floor of a five story 90 x 90 class 3 (non-fireproof) multiple dwelling at 2070 Creston Avenue between East 180th Street and East Burnside Avenue.

Squad 61 responded at 14:16 hours for a fire on the first floors of a multple dwelling at 566 East 188th Street between Lorillard Place and Hoffman Street.

At 10:59 hours SQ-61 responded to a fire in Apartment 1C on the first floor of a 5 story 40 x 60 non-fireproof multiple dwelling at 735 East 182nd Street between Prospect Avenue and Clinton Avenue.

At 05:13 hours Squad 61 was sent by Bronx Dispatch for a fire at a 6 story 90 x 100 class 3 non-fireproof multiple dwelling at 4030 Bronx Blvd. between East 228th Street and East 226th Street.

At 02:45 hrs Squad 61 responded to a reported fire in a private dwelling with reported people trapped in the North Bronx. Upon arrival Battalion 15 ordered Squad 61 to stretch a third line to assist the two lines operating in a three story brick non-fireproof multiple dwelling with a taxpayer (commercial occupancy) on the first floor. After relieved on the line, the company was used to assist in secondary searches on the first floor as well as assist truck companies with extensive overhaul. With three floors of fire, the second alarm was transmitted by the Deputy Chief of the 7th Division and all companies were used for relief and search purposes.

On Wednesday May 28th, 2008 9 members of Squad 61 went up to Warrensburg, NY (next to Lake George) for two days of White Water Rafting with an overnight of camping in tents along the Hudson River.

(Left to Right - Rich Barry, Keith Donovan, Joe Alfonso, Alex Streichenwein, Tony Zeolla, Tom Costa, Weaver Debe, Dave Collado, and Charlie Wendland)

At 18:29 hours Squad 61 responded to a fire in a two-story frame 20 X 40 flat roof occupied dwelling.

Squad 61 responded as a Squad to 286 City Island Avenue (cross is Fordham Street) at Box # 4541. Division 7 on scene requesting a 3rd alarm for a fire from a 2 story commercial building (Bar & Grill Restaurant) at 12:45 pm. The attached exposures was a pizza shop and a pharmacy.

Squad 61 responded to a reported vehicle in the water off of the Bronx River Parkway at 233rd Street Northbound. Upon arrival, units were operating and no use of the extrication tools were required. Upon returning back to our first due area we get notified to respond back with Rescue 3 to the same location for a confirmed pin in the Southbound lane of the Bronx River Parkway at 233rd street. Apparently a “rubber necker” traveling at high speeds swerved into the median divider. Extrication tools were used by all units and the victim was freed.

Squad 61’s rescue-pumper was the first Seagrave Commander II series apparatus in FDNY. This apparatus was donated to the FDNY by the management and employees of Seagrave Fire Apparatus of Clintonville, Wisconsin. The Seagrave employees sponsored various fund raising events to help defer the cost of this vehicle. The 2003 rescue-pumper, which carries FDNY registration number SP03016, was assigned to Squad Company 61 on December 17, 2003. In a special ceremony at the FDNY Fire Academy on Randall’s Island, it was presented to the Fire Commissioner, the Chief of Department, and the captain, lieutenants and firefighters of Squad 61, by the President of Seagrave. 

Click on the link for information on this model: http://www.code3.net/product/detail.asp?item=12814

A vehicle accident at Middletown Road & the New England Thruway (I-95) with a car into a tractor trailer resulted in a fire and a hazardous material fuel spill. The Squad responded to off-load the remaining diesel fuel from the tractor trailer involved.

Engine 45 / Ladder 58 / Rescue 3 and Battalion 18 responded along with Squad 61 to 1776 Hoe Avenue. A worker’s arm was stuck in the rollers of a machine at a commercial laundromat where they sanitized sheets for hospitals. The belts of the rollers were cut and the woman was freed up and sustained only minor injuries.

photo by dave collado squad 61

A dump truck on the Sheridan Expressway leaked diesel fuel from his saddle tanks for one mile. Squad 61 offloaded two tanks at the Cross Bronx Expressway and 3rd Avenue Service Road.

Fire on the first floor and in the cockloft of a one story Taxpayer (Pizza Place).  Battalion 20 on scene requesting an extra Engine and Truck.

First Alarm Assignment:

Engine 89       Ladder 50
Engine 72       Ladder 47
Squad 61        Battalion 20

All Hands for a fire in a basement of a two story frame private dwelling at 657 East 227th Street.

3530 Whiteplains Rd. heavy fire
from the basement & 1st floor of a 2 story 100×100 Taxpayer

Wilson Avenue at Givan Avenue. Approximately 30 gallons of
fuel spilled on the roadway, requring Hazmat 1 to the scene.

4052 Lowerre Place cross is  East 228 Street. Fire
in 2.5 Story Private Dwelling with extension to Exp.#2

4622 Carpenter Avenue cross of East 240 Street. All Hands on arrival for a fire in the basement of a 2 story 40 x 75 private dwelling.

Firefighters and police divers helped rescue a teenager at Orchard Beach in the Bronx Friday evening. The 14-year-old fell through some rocks on a jetty and got stuck. The teen had been walking along the beach with his father, officials said.

The NYPD Aviation Unit dropped divers in the water and firefighters responded to the jetty just as the frigid water threatened to overcome the boy. Rescue workers managed to free the teen from the rocks, strapped him to a back board, and carried him to an ambulance.

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08:01 Hours: Lydig Avenue and White Plains Road.

Fire in a commercial building with 12 stores involved.

Watch Video

photos by tom bendick - www.nycfire.net

At 07:45 hours multiple calls were received by the Bronx Dispatch Office reporting fire at 740 East 214th Street in the North Bronx. First due units transmitted the 10-75 for a working building fire. Fire spread into two buildings.

photo by Tom Bendick - www.nycfire.net

2855 3rd Ave @ 149th Street, fire in the Basement and walls on upper floors of a 3 story commercial 100×100 triangular building in the South Bronx.

photos by Matt Daly - http://www.nycfire.net/gallery/mdaly/

(L to R) Lt. Aldo Adissi, FF Michael Fassino, FF Steven Hardwick, FF James Skelly and
FF David Collado of Squad 61 with a stokes basket they used to save a
construction worker on the Throgs Neck Bridge.

Firefighters from the Bronx and Queens came to the rescue on December 19, saving a construction worker who was trapped by falling scaffolding as he was standing on safety netting more than 20 feet above the roadway of the Throgs Neck Bridge.

“All that we were thinking about was keeping the incident from escalating and keeping everyone safe,” said Lt. Aldo Adissi from Squad 61. “It was definitely a group effort by all the companies involved.”

Members of Ladder 167 and Squad 61 were among the first to arrive on the scene at around 1:45 p.m.

Firefighters from Ladder 167 extended their aerial ladder to the victim and members from all responding units, including Rescue 3 and Battalion 20, climbed to the victim. They quickly packaged and stabilized the victim, who had injured his leg.

Members of Ladder 54 extended their bucket ladder and firefighters moved the victim to the bucket and lowered him to the roadway safely. Although the victim was in a great deal of pain, firefighters said he was smiling as he was lowered.

EMS members transported the victim to Jacobi Medical Center in stable condition.

“This is an evolution that we practice on a daily basis,” said Firefighter David Collado of Squad 61. “There’s more pressure when it’s the real deal, but everything went really smoothly.”

NY Daily News Article

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Adams Place and East 183: 2nd alarm for a fire on the 1st and 2nd floors of a 2 story 80′x100′ commercial  on the first floor and  apartments above.

12:48 Hours: 2958 Roberts Avenue between Crosby Avenue & Plymouth  Avenue.

Fire on the 3rd Floor of a 5 Story H-Type Multiple Dwelling

140 ALCOTT PLACE (CO-OP CITY)

Fire on the 14th Floor of a 33 Story 170X290 Occupied Multiple Dwelling

photo by Michael Messar - onthejobny.com