S08, E96 Trench Rescue Operations with FDNY Lieutenant Todd Smith
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
A trench is considered a temporary excavation where both the length of the floor and the depth of the trench exceeds the width of the floor. Construction and underground utility service and repair are a few of the reasons trenches are dug. The large amount of underground infrastructure and construction happening in New York City increases the likelihood that FDNY units will respond to such a collapse. These incidents are deceivingly dangerous as they often occur with little or no warning and a high percentage of deaths that occur involve would-be rescuers. In this episode, host Battalion Chief Brian Mulry discusses trench rescue operations with Lieutenant Todd Smith, lead trench instructor at the FDNY Technical Rescue School and a member of Rescue Company 4 in Queens.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the @FDNYFoundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
In July 2023, Manhattan FDNY companies were dispatched to a high-rise building under construction with reports of a crane on fire. The construction crane was positioned about five stories above the 45-story building when the engine caught fire. Upon arrival, the crane’s boom, which had 16 tons of concrete attached fell, striking another high-rise building before crashing to the street below. Host Battalion Chief Brian Mulry talks through this challenging operation with two of the initial chiefs on scene, Battalion Chief Anthony Pascocello, Battalion 9, and Battalion Chief Mark Rosenbaum, Battalion 8.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the FDNY Foundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
An FDNY Chaplain since 1996, Monsignor John Delendick has comforted, advised, and ministered to the Department’s members and families for nearly three decades. On September 11, 2001, he responded to the terrorist attacks and served as a pathfinder to safety, first aid and ambulances, while providing counsel to the desperate who were losing hope. During the recovery efforts, he spent his days attending memorial services and funerals, and his evenings checking in with members working the pile. In the years since 9/11, while the Department rebuilt, he continued attending plaque dedications, funerals and visiting with members, but also bestowed blessings at graduations, promotions and on the Department’s marine fleet. Eventually, Monsignor Delendick received the same news many WTC responders have since that fateful day—that he too had developed World Trade Center-related illness. Host Elizabeth Cascio speaks with the Monsignor about entering the priesthood, his introduction to the FDNY and his experiences since.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the FDNY Foundation to support New York’s Bravest.
S08, E93 Heavy Clutter Makes for Challenging Rescues with FDNY Lieutenant Chris Walter and Firefighters Roger Buck and Joseph Andres
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
Members of Ladder Company 108 carried out multiple rescues amongst challenging conditions and heavy clutter at a Brooklyn fire in May of 2022. In this episode, Lieutenant Chris Walter and Firefighters Roger Buck and Joseph Andres discuss the operation with host Battalion Chief Brian Mulry. For their heroic actions, the company received a unit citation, and the three guests were recognized with individual medals at the 2023 FDNY Medal Day ceremony – the most of any one company this year.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the @fdnyfoundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
In December 2022, two people plummeted five stories down an elevator shaft at the Bronx Terminal Market. Lieutenant Shlomo Winkler, then a Rescue Paramedic, and Paramedic Watkins, together with numerous on-scene units, worked to treat and free the patient trapped beneath the elevator car. Winkler and Watkins discuss their processes, challenges faced, and teamwork needed at this incident. For their professionalism and commitment to providing quality care, the two were awarded the Christopher J. Prescott Medal at FDNY Medal Day this past June. Captain Randy Li hosts.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the FDNY Foundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
Some of the most difficult fires FDNY members face are wind impacted fires. It's been more than two decades since the Department began studying the impact of wind in high rise building fires which ultimately led to current protocols, procedures, and equipment developed to help fight these fires and are now part of FDNY standard operating procedures. In this episode, retired Battalion Chief Gerald Tracy shares his knowledge of wind impacted fires and revisits how the Department improved its understanding and tactics of fighting these challenging and devastating fires. This included studying wind impacted fires during a series of live burns on Governors Island in February 2008 which he recounts in this preview. Captain John Ceriello hosts.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the FDNY Foundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
On August 24, 2020, during the midst of the COVID pandemic outbreak in New York City, Tracy Harris began having severe abdominal pain that prompted her to call 9-1-1 for help. Just prior to EMS arrival, she realized that she was in full active labor (23 weeks pregnant at the time) and her pre-term baby girl had just unexpectedly delivered while she laid on the floor. In this episode, Station 20's first-arriving EMTs Silverio Moreno and Johnathan Rivera—who had never worked together before—recall how they upgraded the call from OB-OUT to a cardiac arrest as they discovered the newborn baby was not breathing and had no pulse, and the events that followed. Mother and daughter were taken to Jacobi Hospital Medical Center, and eventually both made a complete recovery. In 2023, the patients and their rescuers were reunited at the FDNY's Second Chance Ceremony; a precious full-circle moment for all. Captain Randy Li hosts.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the @FDNYFoundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
On November 5, 2022, #FDNY units saved multiple residents from a three-alarm fire in a Manhattan high-rise. The explosive fire, which was ignited by an e-bike’s lithium-ion battery, blocked the first arriving units’ entry into the fire apartment. Multiple firefighters were lowered simultaneously to rescue residents trapped at the window, overcoming obstacles that challenged members while suspended 200-feet above ground. In this special two-part episode, firefighters and fire officers working in Ladder 16, Rescue 1 and Battalion 9 recount the harrowing details of this operation and highlight the teamwork, determination and lessons learned that will leave an indelible mark on listeners. Battalion Chief Brian Mulry talks to Battalion Chief Anthony Pascocello, Lieutenants Adrienne Walsh and Joseph Decker, Firefighters Darren Harsch, Christian Wellinger and Artur Podgorski.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the FDNY Foundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
Two trailblazing women of the #FDNY, Battalion Chief Rochelle “Rocky” Jones (Retired) and Battalion Chief Michele Fitzsimmons discuss their successful careers with the Department. Chief Fitzsimmons joined the Department in 2001, and currently is the highest-ranking woman firefighter in the FDNY. Chief Jones entered the Department back in 1982, with the first class of women ever appointed to the FDNY, and climbed the ranks to become the first woman to be promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief in 2003. Chief Fitzsimmons followed in her footsteps and joined the rank in 2020. Elizabeth Cascio hosts.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the FDNY Foundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
Observed every year on February 14th, #NationalDonorDay is an observance dedicated to spreading awareness and education about organ donation. Our latest episode advances the #DonateLife message. Tragically, on December 12, 2022, Kristina Moon's husband, Firefighter William P. Moon II, or Billy as everyone called him, suffered a fatal injury while preparing for a training drill at his Brooklyn firehouse. Days later when it became clear that the 21-veteran of the Department would not survive his injuries, Billy’s family carried out his wishes to donate his organs to help others. In total, five organs from Moon were transplanted into five desperate recipients. Two of those recipients include retired FDNY members, Captain Patrick Reynolds and Lieutenant Terrence Jordan, who join this conversation remotely via video conference. Kristina Moon joins host Battalion Chief Brian Mulry in-studio.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the @FDNYFoundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
On October 22, 2022, history was made as New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointment, and swore in, Laura Kavanagh as Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department. Commissioner Kavanagh is the 34th commissioner to lead the Department—and the first woman. In her role, she oversees the nation’s largest fire department, including the agency’s 17 thousand employees and $2 billion budget. She also advocates for first responders at the City, State and Federal level.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the @FDNYFoundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
In this episode, we revisit conversations from our latest season of the FDNY Pro Podcast with host, FDNY Deputy Chief Michael Barvels. In our 2022 seventh season, pride and professionalism remains ever-present in FDNY training and operations, and is reflected in the stories and lessons shared here on our podcast. We thank all the members who contributed this season and reaffirm our commitment to offer resources to our peers in public safety and help save lives.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the @FDNYFoundation to support New York’s Bravest.
Yesterday, FDNY members battled a stubborn 3-alarm fire at 700 Columbia Street in Brooklyn. Fire and EMS members had to overcome several challenges at this fire, including weather conditions and advanced fire conditions on arrival. Members from #FDNYRobotics, #FDNYMarineOperations, and land units coordinated with each other and employed a wide array of tactics in order to bring this fire under control.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
The heavy demand on electrical usage in high rise buildings warrants the need for high voltage equipment. That is why it's so important to understand the dangers of this equipment and how units can safely operate at fires involving transformer vault rooms. In this episode, Battalion Chief Anthony Pascocello returns to the podcast to provide listeners with a working knowledge of these types of fires and operational considerations. Battalion Chief Brian Mulry hosts.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the @FDNYFoundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the untimely death of FDNY EMT Tracy Allen Lee who was the first EMT to contract HIV on duty in the city—and in the country. Allen Lee dedicated her life to caring for others but spent the years leading up to her death fighting for the benefits for an illness obtained while in the line of duty. It wasn’t until a year after her death, that she received the line-of-duty designation and a New York State law granted line-of-duty benefits to any EMT and Paramedic who contracts HIV while on the job. This year, the Department honored her service and sacrifice in a memorial ceremony at Station 10 in Manhattan. In this episode, you'll hear from family, friends and leaders of the FDNY who gathered at the station where she worked to memorialize Allen Lee and celebrate her legacy. Chief of Staff Elizabeth Cascio hosts.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the @FDNYFoundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
As the attacks on the World Trade Center were carried out, most people viewed the collapses from the outside in. However, on September 11, 2001, then-Captain John "Jay" Jonas and five of his firefighters from Ladder Co. 6 were descending Stairwell B with injured civilian, Josephine Harris, when the North Tower violently collapsed around them. The collapse of the 110-story building took at total of 13 seconds and came down in a pancake fashion, producing tremendous debris and strong air movement that lifted the firefighters and Harris and threw them about the staircase. Chief Jonas, who went to on to serve the Department for another 21 years before retiring in July of 2022, discusses their miraculous survival. Battalion Chief Brian Mulry hosts.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the @FDNYFoundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
Ladder Company 41 arrived first on-scene to fire and smoke pushing out the windows of a seven-story, fireproof multiple dwelling in the Bronx. Lieutenant Patrick Twomey, Firefighter Rob Rivera and Firefighter James Soutar discuss this challenging operation, which involved scaffolding surrounding the building and an aggressive lithium-ion battery fire blocking the entry to the fire apartment, but resulted in multiple rescues. On Medal Day, the three received individual medals and the entire company received the World Trade Center Memorial medal for their efforts. Battalion Chief Brian Mulry hosts.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the @FDNYFoundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
On July 30, 2021, Rescue Paramedics Hugh Smith and Shewain George were presented with a challenge that would test their many years of training and experience. The rescue medics arrived on scene of a building collapse to find FDNY Special Operations Units operating to rescue two trapped victims. Together with Lieutenant Paul Ardizzone, they worked to assess, stabilize and treat the two pinned workers. For their efforts at this operation they were awarded the Christopher J. Prescott medal this past June. The three members discuss this arduous assignment, their rescue medic training and attending medal day with host Chief of Staff Elizabeth Cascio.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the @FDNYFoundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
At the FDNY, the roof position can be both physically and mentally
demanding. The assignments are largely autonomous but can drastically improve operating conditions for other members and survivability for civilians, while failure can result in punishing--if not devastating--consequences for all. In this episode of the FDNY Pro Podcast, Battalion Chief Brian Mulry talks with Firefighter Philip Gordon of Ladder 176 about roof operations on the FDNY fireground.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the @FDNYFoundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
With 20 years in the Department, Deputy Chief Natalia Polunin rose through the ranks and was most notably the first woman to command #FDNY's specialized HazTac unit. Chief Polunin discusses her career, how she continually opts for new challenges and fosters growth in FDNY's newest EMS members. Chief of Staff Elizabeth Cascio hosts.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the FDNY Foundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
Firefighter Cameron Peek, Rescue Company 2, has been passed the reins and is embarking on his first season as head coach of one of the Department's largest athletic organizations, the FDNY Bravest Football team. As the 5th coach since the team's founding in 1973, FF Peek discusses the club and their goals for the season. #FDNY Battalion Chief Brian Mulry hosts.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the FDNY Foundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
The increase in popularity of battery-operated mobility devices, like scooters, skateboards and bicycles has meant a dramatic increase in fires in New York City caused by lithium-ion batteries with sometimes fatal consequences. #FDNY Lt. John Cassidy, Haz-mat Company 1, discusses the dangers of these batteries, tactics and procedures operational units can take at these incidents. Battalion Chief Brian Mulry hosts.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the FDNY Foundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
The great work of our firefighters and EMTs this year show the department’s commitment to ensuring the safety of all New Yorkers. Before we say goodbye to 2021, we want to revisit the highlights, takeaways and lessons learned from this year’s Podcast - which include notable rescues, a renewed focus on health and wellness and, perhaps the most momentous event for the Department this year - the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. Deputy Chief Michael Barvels hosts.
•••
Check it out and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
•••
An initiative from the FDNY Foundation to support New York’s Bravest.
NEW podcast episode is up!
•••
In the early morning hours of April 3, 2021, units were met with a heavy volume of fire at a commercial building on Springfield Boulevard in Queens. As members operated in the rear of the building, a portion of the roof collapsed trapping Lt. Steve Schuman beneath it. Members on scene, including firefighters from Squad 270 and Rescue 4, worked to extricate Lt. Schuman who was rescued with serious injuries. In this episode of the FDNY Pro Podcast, FDNY Lieutenant Steve Schuman and Lt. Fred Ill discuss their experiences and lessons learned at this incident. Battalion Chief Brian Mulry hosts.
