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 |  New York city receives the shipment of it's first two fire engines from London. Battery Park City Greenway New York, United States of America |
 | 2 sheds were built near city hall to house the new fire engines. They are considered the city's first firehouses. City Hall New York City, United States of America |
 | 2012- Brooke Guinan comes out as the FDNY's first trans-female firefighter. Astoria Boulevard New York City, United States of America |
 | A fire breaks out after a performance at the Academy of Music. This was the first fire that tested the strength of the Metropolitan Fire Department. 14th Street-Union Square (L,N,Q,R) New York City, United States of America |
 | The Metropolitan Fire Department's first engine company. 4 Centre St New York, NY 10007 |
 | On the day in which New York City became "Greater New York," members of the Board of Commissioners met to form the FDNY. 67 East 67th Street New York, United States of America |
| 146 people die at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which resulted in stricter enforcement of fire safety laws. 23 Washington Place New York, United States of America |
 | The third African American firefighter, Wesley Williams, is assigned to Engine Company 55 in 1919. 363 Broome Street New York, United States of America |
 | The FDNY's union is formed in 1920. Its head quarters remain at 204 E 23rd St in Manhattan. 204 East 23rd Street New York, United States of America |
 | Brenda Berkman, the FDNY's first female firefighter is assigned to Engine co. 17. 25 Pitt Street New York, United States of America |
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New York City is the home to eight and a half million people; 14,140 are firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMT) dedicated to ensuring the safety of New Yorkers in all five boroughs.1 As the population of New York City has risen dramatically in the last few centuries, New York City has had to adjust the size of its fire department to meet the demand.
Prior to the creation of an organized fire department, New Yorkers viewed firefighting as a communal obligation. When a fire broke out, all able-bodied men were expected to contribute in extinguishing the flames. They hurried to the nearest water source, filled buckets with water and threw them on the fire. This haphazard technique lacked effectiveness and accuracy. As New York grew in size, it became clear that this method would no longer suffice. In November of 1731, NYC received the shipment of its first two fire engines from London. When the first fire broke out in December, the fire engines proved to be beneficial when only one house burned to the ground; a substantial improvement from the bucket method, where usually multiple houses were destroyed. John Roosevelt was designated to oversee the two engines and received twelve pounds a year making him the city’s first official firefighter. In 1737, the first official fire department was created on a volunteer basis.2 Men were no longer obligated to fight fires. It was now the duty of the volunteers.
At the turn of the nineteenth century, New York City’s population began to grow. With immigration on the rise and the city growing in size, much more manpower and better technology were needed to protect New Yorkers. Although fire engines were a large improvement, they still were not enough. In 1841, the city’s first hook and ladder company formed.3 The creation of the Hook and Ladder company created a complementary division of labor in the fire department, which is still prominent today. The firehouse now has an engine, which carries the water pump and hose, and a ladder, which carries the ladder and any other equipment.
The volunteer department lasted for over 120 years, but as New York’s population started to grow, even more, it became apparent that a paid Fire Department was needed. Volunteers no longer sufficed. The size and strength of the department needed to meet the standards of the growing city. In 1865, the Metropolitan Fire Department was born. The new Metropolitan firefighters or “The Mets” as they were often referred to, were first put to the test on May 21, 1866, when the Academy of Music’s basement went up in flames at the end of a sold-out performance. As firefighters were trying to extinguish the fire, gas leaked in the building causing an explosion. Two firefighters, David B. Waters and Peter H. Walsh, perished in the flames.4 The beginning of the Metropolitan Fire Department started off on the wrong foot. Concerns about the new firefighters’ competence loomed in the City Leaders’ minds. However, as the newer firefighters became more experienced, the Metropolitan Fire Department began to make a substantial improvement in firefighting.
The city benefitted from the strong Metropolitan Fire Department when New York became “Greater New York.” Starting in 1898, New York City now consisted of Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, causing the Metropolitan Fire Department to expand its forces throughout the entirety of the new city. Thus, the modern-day fire department was born and renamed the Fire Department of the City of New York. (FDNY) 5
The new FDNY strove to improve their technology within the next couple of years. Engines were improved to pump water quicker and more efficiently than before. Gasoline trucks took the place of horses that would carry the equipment. However, one thing that needed to be enforced, that was not, was fire safety laws.
Manufacturing companies housed their buildings in New York City, employing thousands of the city’s immigrants. Unfortunately, the immigrants, who were desperate for any type of work, endured terrible conditions while working in these factories. The factories were overcrowded and ignored many fire safety rules. This proved to be fatal when the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory went up in flames in 1911.
When the fire initially started in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, located on the top floors, it did not take long for the building to go into chaos. Although the building did have two fire exits, the one in the back was locked, resulting many of the workers to become trapped. The fire department was not much help either as the ladders on the truck could only reach the sixth floor and the majority who were trapped were on the ninth floor. Although it only took thirty minutes to put out the fire, one hundred and forty-six people died, making it the largest workplace fire the city had ever seen, up until the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.6
Deeply disturbed by the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, New Yorkers demanded actions to be taken in order to prevent another disastrous event from taking place. The FDNY responded and took immediate action. They would now be doing regular inspections of buildings, to ensure they are meeting required fire safety standards. The department also created the Bureau of Fire Prevention. This Bureau, which is still in effect today, assist in inspecting and regulating the infrastructure of a building in ensuring it is up to date with fire safety laws7
The nineteenth century continued to be a time of progression for New York’s fire department. One thing the FDNY was severely lacking in was diversity amongst the firefighters. The faces of the department looked very different than they do today. A century ago nearly every single firefighter was a white man. Two very important people in New York’s history changed that and paved the way for more minorities to join the department: Wesley Augustus Williams and Brenda Berkman.
Williams became the third African American firefighter in New York City in 1919. He faced the obstacle of joining a community of all white men in a time where discrimination ruled the land. When he reported for work at Engine 55 in Manhattan, many of the firefighters working there requested to transfer and the captain of the company even resigned that day. They did not think it was fair nor right that they were forced to work with a black man. Even as he proved himself to be skillful enough to successfully complete the job every single time, he still faced mental and physical abuse by the other men. However, determined to prove his worth, Williams moved on to get promoted and eventually became a Battalion Chief. In 1938, there were about forty other black men in the FDNY, all still suffering from the same discrimination that Williams faced. Williams formed the Vulcan Society: a group consisting of black NYC firefighters, where they can come together to escape the injustices they faced in their own firehouses.8 The efforts by Williams made slow progress, but eventually gained an impact in New York City. In 2013, the FDNY graduated their most diverse class in its history.9
Brenda Berkman is accredited as not only first female firefighter in New York City, but also the first openly gay firefighter. Although not technically the first female to join the FDNY, she is given the title for being the one to pave the way for her and other women to become firefighters. In 1977, Berkman, along with 90 other women, passed the written firefighter entrance examination. However, not a single one passed the physical exams, which test the strength and skills of the examinees. Berkman thought that the physical exam discriminated against the women who took it and decided to sue the city. She felt that the fact that there were no other women were present at the site of the exam was mentally challenging. She also felt that the test focused on only upper body strength and did not allow for the use of lower body strength. In the famous Berkman v. New York City case, Berkman came out on top. In 1982, Berkman and forty-one other women passed the new test and became the cities first female firefighters.10
The now diversified fire department expanded even more in 1996 when it combined forced with the Emergency Medical Service. This lead to the city having more forces to protect its civilians in times of tragedy. This proved to be vital in September of 2001, when two hijacked commercial jets crashed into the Twin Towers. That day New York lost 343 brave men who selflessly ran into the burning buildings in efforts to save as many people as they possibly could. The FDNY was impacted emotionally and physically by the events of that day. Even today, the FDNY is being affected by that tragedy as many men have gotten seriously ill and died due to working at Ground Zero to recover any bodies that they possibly could. 9/11 also caused the fire department to become better prepared in the event of another terrorist attack.
The FDNY has grown greatly over the past couple of centuries. Today there are 255 FDNY stations across all five boroughs. Millions of lives have been saved. Many firefighters have given the ultimate sacrifice, by giving up their lives to protect the lives of strangers. Without New York’s Bravest, the city of New York would only be ashes.
- “Fire Department.” NYC. Accessed April 30, 2017. http://www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/index.page.
- Golway, Terry. So others might live: a history of New York’s bravest: the FDNY from 1700 to the present. New York: BasicBooks, 2003. P. 11-17
- Golway, Terry. So others might live: a history of New York’s bravest: the FDNY from 1700 to the present. New York: BasicBooks, 2003. P.24
- Golway, Terry. So others might live: a history of New York’s bravest: the FDNY from 1700 to the present. New York: BasicBooks, 2003. P.126-127
- “FDNY 150.” FDNY Foundation. Accessed April 25, 2017. http://www.fdnyfoundation.org/fdny150/.
- Anbinder, Tyler. City of dreams: the 400-year epic history of immigrant New York. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016. P.334-400
- “NYC Fire Department (FDNY).” NYC Business. Accessed April 28, 2017. https://www1.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/bureau-of-fire-prevention-documentsforms.
- Otis, Ginger Adams. “The inside story of one of the first black FDNY firefighters.” NY Daily News. April 26, 2015. Accessed May 26, 2017. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/wesley-williams-black-bravest-article-1.2196255.
- Schwirtz, Michael. “For New York City Fire Department, More Diversity Amid Tension.” New York Times, December 4, 2013.
- “FDNY 150.” FDNY Foundation. Accessed April 25, 2017. http://www.fdnyfoundation.org/fdny150/.
