Established March 8, 1915 Stations 1 Fireboats 1 inflatable | Employees 25 Rescues 1 | |
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Address 530 W 43rd Street, New York | ||
New York City Fire Department Rescue Company 1 (FDNY Rescue 1) was organized March 8, 1915, and is one of five specialized rescue companies of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) that responds to fire and rescue incidents where there are rescue operations that require specialized equipment and training. Rescue companies have a broad mission that goes beyond firefighting and incidents that may be outside the capabilities of a normal Engine or Ladder Company. The main purpose of a rescue company is to rescue trapped or injured firefighters.
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Organization
The members of rescue companies receive extensive training in many courses from the Special Operations Command (SOC) of the FDNY. Additionally, many of the members have many years of experience within the FDNY and/or other fields of emergency operations. The rescue companies have an emphasis on equipping the company with tools that could be instrumental in performing rescues of civilians and firefighters at structural fires as well as operating at "odd jobs". Early versions of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) were first assigned to the rescue companies. Heavy duty lifting equipment, torches, and saws were initially introduced to the rescue companies. Life lines and a line gun (Lyle gun) were among the initial equipment used by rescue companies, and as technology evolved, the companies were instrumental in pioneering the fire service application of artificial resuscitation techniques, SCBA, and firefighting foam. Rescue 1 is staffed with one captain, three lieutenants, and typically 25 to 30 firefighters that are split into tours (shifts).
District served
Rescue 1 services the Manhattan borough of New York City below 116th Street in East Harlem and 125th Street in West Harlem. Rescue 3 in The Bronx covers the areas of far northern Manhattan. Rescue 1's firehouse is located on 530 West 43rd Street, in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood.
History
Rescue 1's firehouse was destroyed in 1985 by a fire in a neighboring warehouse. Rescue 1 was already out on a call, when fire collapsed the warehouse onto their quarters. The unit then temporarily relocated until 1989 when their present firehouse was finished. Their distinctive door was saved and relocated to the back of the building. In 2002, rescue trucks designed by Captain Terry Hatton of Rescue Company 1 were installed into the departments fleet. Captain Hatton died in the line of duty operating at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. His often used phrase "Outstanding" appeared on the front of Rescue 1, and reminded the members and friends of his outstanding leadership and qualities. The more recently installed 2007 Pierce rig took on the same inscribing with "T.H." next to the motto to expand on its quote. Their present rig is an 2011 Ferrara Ultra Rescue Truck and passes on the quote across its front chrome grill.
Rescue 1 celebrated their centennial on March 8, 2015.
September 11 attacks
Rescue 1 was one of the most affected companies in the FDNY during the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center, losing nearly half of its company. The company responded to the North Tower, and can be seen as one of the first units entering the stairwell in Jules and Gedeon Naudet's documentary 9/11. To commemorate the death of the company's captain in the attacks, the section of West 43rd Street between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues where the company's firehouse is located was named Terence S. Hatton Way in 2005.