On April 8th, 1905 Ladder Company 70 was organized in the ...

-“I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a fireman. The position

may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which a

fireman has to do believe that his is a noble calling. There is an adage which says ‘Nothing

can be destroyed except by fire’. We strive to preserve from destruction the wealth of the

world, which is the product of the industry of men, necessary for the comfort of both the rich

and the poor. We are the defenders from fire, of the art which has beautified the world, the

product of the genius of men and the means of refinement of mankind. But, above all, our

proudest endeavor is to save lives of people-the work of God Himself. Under the impulse of

such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring,

even at the supreme sacrifice. Such considerations may not strike the average mind, but

they are sufficient to fill to the limit our ambition in life and to make us serve the general

purpose of human society.” - Edward F. Croker,

Chief of Department from 1899 to 1911

On April 8th, 1905 at 8 o’clock in the morning, Ladder Company 70 was organized in the Brooklyn Fire
Department and quartered at 109 Watkins Street, alongside Eng 131, in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn.
E-131 had occupied 107-109 Watkins St. since 1903. The first run for Ladder 70 was at 1:21 that afternoon to
75 Buffalo Avenue at Pacific Street. The Company was delayed one minute by the horses not going to their
positions on the floor. When the bell was struck, the chain holding the horses in their stall would drop, the
horses would go to the front of the apparatus and wait for the harness to drop on them, and the quick snap
collars snapped around their necks. This would take less than 15 seconds, so one minute was an extremely long
time. Once at 75 Buffalo Avenue, they were ordered back to quarters by the chief. Their first run took them
out of quarters for a total of 29 minutes. In 1905, Ladder 70 responded to 147 calls and worked 81 times.

On April 12, the monthly feed supplies for Ladder 70 from T. Donavan and Sons arrived for the horses. They
received 12 bales of hay at 1540 pounds, two bales of straw at 399 pounds, sixteen 80 pound bags of oats and
four 40 pound bags of bran. The horses were treated better than the men. Once back from a run, the horses
were wiped down and brushed dry. Then they were watered and fed. After this was done, the men could take
care of themselves by washing up and putting on dry clothes. The horses even had a fire department ambulance
to take an injured horse to the horse hospital before there was an ambulance for the men.

Ladder 70’s first rig was a spare ladder truck. On August 8, 1905, they received a new 1905 Seagrave 75 foot
aerial ladder. The new ladder truck cost $3,575 and carried one each of the following ladders 10’, 15’, 20’, 25’,
30’, 50’, and two 35 foot ladders. Two 12-1/2 foot scaling ladder were also carried. Some unique tools carried
back then included a Detroit Door opener, Kelly entrance tool, two pairs of rubber gloves, one lifeline and Lyle
gun and four hay forks.

During the second reorganization of the FDNY, Ladder 70, captained by Capt. James J. Mooney, became
Ladder 120 on January 1, 1913. Capt Mooney remained in charge until May of 1918, giving him the distinction
of serving as Ladder 120’s leader for the longest period of time.

On July 4, 1916, a Christie front wheel drive tractor replaced the horses and an era had passed!

Over the years the number of responses that Ladder 120 made continued to grow to a high in 1926 of 1,043. At
the time, any company that did over a thousand runs a year was considered very busy. In six years, that number
had doubled to 2,113 runs and for some strange reason, it started dropping to a low of 885 runs in 1942. This
would be the last time they would see yearly numbers like that again. In fact, they did see over 800 runs again,
but it was in a month and not a year. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s the number of fires had grown to
unbelievable numbers. In May of 1968, Ladder 120 responded 871 times for the month or 28 runs a day. The
total number of runs in 1968 was 7,904. In 1971, Ladder 120 responded to 9,845 runs, while ladder companies

that relocated into Ladder 120’s quarters responded to another 1,152 runs, making a grand total of 10,997 runs.
In July of that year, between Ladder 120 and the covering ladder companies, they responded to 1,450 runs, or
over 46 runs a day. This one month’s total of 1,450 runs is more runs than 41 years of individual yearly totals.

This era is referred to in FDNY lore as” The War Years.” If New York City were the Civil War, then
Brownsville would have been its Gettysburg. Old timers tell of being on the roof of a Livonia Ave. job, and
spotting another fire on Riverdale, and yet another over on Saratoga.

The men at Watkins St. responded to more alarms than anybody in 1971, and in an article written by Jimmy
Breslin in the NY Times, he correctly dubbed it “The Busiest Firehouse in the World”. The demands of the
men at L120 were such that in 1961, they responded to 1,302 working fires while in 1966, they had 2,759
working fires. This is a staggering 110% increase in workload. In 1971, the NY Times reported that L120
responded to over 10,000 runs, which were 5x, the average number for FDNY units.

On April 10, 1968, Watkins St. had probably the busiest night in the history of the FDNY. There were a total of
25 fires in Brownsville alone, 5 of which were multiple alarms, and 20 “smaller” ones where firemen reported
being pelted by stones thrown by crowds of onlookers. The Deputy Police Commissioner at the time stated this
was “only slightly above the normal number recorded on an average weekly night.”

On May 5, 1971, the NY Times reported the FDNY fighting more than 100 structural fires in Brownsville-East
New York between 5PM and midnight, twenty of which were considered major. Then Deputy Chief Frank
Coughlin confirmed in the same interview, “We responded to 33 fires of some significance since 4:30PM, you
could consider us heavily engaged.”

The men who worked at Watkins St. were proud of their record, and in 1966 began wearing dark blue berets
around the firehouse as if they were Special Forces Troops. The men consider L120 to be “Super truck”
because of all the work it and the company have done. In 1968, FF Bob Canberg {L120} placed the “Horns”
atop the rig for the first time. In the years following 1968, L120 made history, not only statistically, but
quantitatively, in all facets of firefighting. During these hectic years, L120 apparatus and horns were readily
identifiable and recognized by brothers in need of assistance and the civilians in the area who often spoke with
pride of “their truck, the one with the horns.” From the years 1968-1974, L120 responded to over 50,000
alarms. The horns adornment, in the words of Captain Anthony Devita {L120} is but one of the centers of a
vast pool of pride, spirit, and extraordinary interest that makes up the unit known as “One Twenty.” Special
techniques, purchases and design of unusual tools not issued by the Department, and the “get up when you fall
down” attitude, are but some of the qualities that this pool of heretofore uncomplaining members unselfishly
give to their unit and consequently to their Department.

Engaging in as much fire duty as 120 has through its history, many legends were bound to emerge. Charles T.
Smith was appointed to L-120 on July 1st, 1937, as a proby and worked until his transfer on 7/13/67 to Am2
which gives him 30 plus years as a member of L-120. This gives him the distinguished honor of being L-120’s
most senior man. As the LCC of the busiest company in the land, legend has it that Ole Charles could be seen
racing to boxes in sub-zero temperatures without a shirt on his back.

On July 1st, 1937, another bright-eyed proby named Victor Rossi entered Watkins St and quickly established a
reputation as a very aggressive firefighter, making several acrobatic rescues including one which found him
being hung by his ankles to affect the rescue of several trapped civilians. F.F. Rossi to this day is quite possibly
the most decorated firefighter L-120 has produced. He is the only member to win the James Gordon Bennet
Medal (1950) as well as the heralded Dr. Harry Archer Medal, which is the highest honor which can be
bestowed to a member of the F.D.N.Y.

F.F. Dan Tracy L-120, (1959-68) was one of the premier firefighters of his day, although if you ask him, he was
just lucky. He was captured on the front page of the Daily News in July 1967 after he rescued a child. The

union decided to use this picture on billboards which hung for three years throughout the City to help get the
point across that the fireman was your friend. F.F. Tracy’s picture hung over “the cut” at East New York Ave.
for all to see. Dan Tracy, like Victor Rossi before him, continued the commitment to excellence with diligent
firefighting and many heroic rescues. His proudest accomplishment was the four-year scholarship given in his
name at St. John’s University because of his actions on the fire floor. The late Senator Robert Kennedy also
singled him out with formal recognition after he plucked five children from a fire on March 25, 1965.

More recently, FF Mike Cummings and Lt. Dennis Gordon joined the companies’ long honor roll and received
medals for the rescue of several people trapped in a Brownsville project during the summer of 2000.

The ingenuity of our members became evident during the 70’s when the members, lead by Capt. Anthony
Devita, developed a method for packing and deploying the life saving rope. Capt. Devita enlisted the services
of a sail maker from Bayport to help design the carrying case. The method was actually referred to in a WNYF
article as the “Ladder 120 Quick Deploy Method” and remains the standard by which all life saving ropes are
packed, repacked and deployed throughout the job today.

The 1980’s and 1990’s were a period of transition for the FDNY as the “War Years” would become the stuff of
legend among a new generation of firefighters eager to engage in fire duty. The Captains of this era, Paul Jetter,
Robert Babstock, and Marty Coyne led the way for this new group of fervent Watkins St. members who would
face many challenging obstacles. The City murder rate peaked to an all-time high, and epidemics such as Aids
and crack would dominate the Brownsville area. The need for a highly trained and motivated group of
firefighters was never more evident. The men of Watkins St. were the one constant in a community which
would continue to suffer.

L120 had the benefit of highly decorated senior firefighters such as Tom Cleary (L120 1965 – 1990) , a veteran
of the War Years to share his experience with the members. Mike Cummings (L120 1985-2001), who himself
would go on to continue this trend, recalls crawling through a smoky project job and seeing only the glare of a
lit cigarette at the end of the hall and the voice saying-“The fire is in here, lad.” It is safe to say that when Tom
Cleary was working, L120 was at its best.

While fires continued to burn at a steady rate, members had to encounter new challenges, such as hazardous
materials, innovative construction methods, and the ever evolving automobile industry. Firefighters began
using new tools such as the Hurst Tool, torch, and the rabbit tool, to name a few, and with the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing, the thought of terrorism was constantly in the back of everyone’s mind. As a renewed
emphasis on training emerged, much of this burden would fall onto the Lieutenants who were the arms of the
Captain. Lt. Pete McGreevy and Lt. Tom Healy (“The Quiet Man”) were but two of a vast cluster of highly
respected officers to come to L120 to share their wealth of knowledge, and perhaps more importantly, their
sense of “unit”. It was this attention to detail and the expectations they would establish, that set L120 apart.

WATKINS ST. IN THE COMMUNITY

There have been many kind acts and spirited public participation by the members of Watkins St. to the residents
of Brownsville. Countless are the times members would fill the basketball with air, fix the bikes, lead a group
of students on a firehouse tour, hand out turkeys at Thanksgiving, or even help a youngster with homework. As
is the custom, every Christmas the men will take up a collection and buy toys for a couple of needy families
noticed during the year. If you are lucky enough to be working on Christmas Eve, the rigs are taken to these
homes and toys are hand delivered to children, and one realizes why we have chosen the calling we are in.

In May of 1989, firefighters Don Glennan and Ken Whelan of L-120 made a grizzly discovery as, during
overhaul of a routine rubbish fire, a suitcase was found to contain the body of a 3 year old girl. While our job
reveals to us many horrible images, this weakened the knees of even the most stoic. After investigations
uncovered little, the men of Watkins St. were determined to give this little girl the dignity that she had been

denied in her short, brutal life. “The girl in the suitcase” was given a funeral with full department honors, paid
for and attended by the members, as well as a proper burial. As the solemn notes of the bagpipes accompanied
this tortured sole to rest, many hardened career firefighters wept openly.

Recently, a dozen or so Watkins Street members led by Flip Mullen L120 (1969) took part in a “wounded
warriors” weekend, providing assistance to military personnel who have suddenly found themselves without the
benefit of arms or legs as a result of service in Afghanistan or Iraq. Watkins Street was proud to help these
veterans enjoy a weekend of skiing as a very small token of our appreciation for the sacrifices they have made
in the name of freedom.

Two Days in the History of Watkins Street

December 7, 1941

The afternoon of Sunday, December 7, 1941, was a particularly cold one. The men of Watkins Street were in
the kitchen doing then, what they do now, intently enjoying the play-by-play of a football game. The New York
Giants were playing the Brooklyn Dodgers at the Polo grounds. At 2:25 PM, WOR’s Len Sterling broke into
the broadcast with news that the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was suddenly and deliberately attacked
by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. The serenity of an otherwise pleasant afternoon had been
shattered by the reality that a war, only minutes ago a world away, had reached our shores, and that our way of
life was about to change drastically. Men began immediately to think not about the Fire Department or the
game, but about family, friends and coworkers serving in the armed forces. Though few in the kitchen were
listening, the Giants lost 21-7 as the news was never broadcast at the game. Members of Ladder Company 120
joined the ranks of the military to fight overseas. One such member was Captain James Craig L120 (1958)
whose plane was shot down over Germany and would become a P.O.W.

September 11, 2001

The morning of September 11, 2001, as has been stated numerous times before, was a remarkably beautiful,
sunny day. Around 8:30 the firehouse was full as the incoming day tour began relieving the night tour. The
kitchen was abuzz with the usual chatter concerning last night’s game, lousy meal and workload. The junior
men of Watkins Street were busying themselves with their daily routines. Inspecting the rig, checking masks,
asking about the night tour, have long been integral parts of a young firefighters day. At 0845 hrs the voices
throughout the firehouses fell silent as the dispatcher broadcast news of a third alarm in Manhattan reporting a
plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Members quickly searched the news channels
and switched the kitchen scanner to Manhattan hoping to find out what was going on. Members on the job in
1993 recalled the massive FDNY response and wondered if today’s events would be similar. At 0847, a fifth
alarm was transmitted as footage begins to break onto the television. Members watch the thick black smoke
pour from the upper floors and speculate as to the type of plane, method of attack, etc.

At 0903, the grim reality of the situation was clear as members watched a second plane slam into the south
tower. Our city, our country, our way of life, had been attacked. Later, Eng 231 would be called to respond to
the North Tower and Lad 120 was relocated to Lad 119 for the duration of the day. As off-duty members
streamed into quarters as part of a department-wide recall, they couldn’t help but make a mental note of the
riding lists posted in quarters.

While Watkins Street lost no members that day, we did not escape unscathed. Lt Dennis Mojica, a firefighter in
120 from 1977-1984 was killed while working with Rescue 1. Brian Cross, a current member of 120, lost his
father, BC Dennis Cross of the 57 BN. Brian Davan, also of 120, lost his father-in-law, First Deputy
Commissioner and former Chief of Dept. William Feehan on that terrible day.

The next few months were a new defining period in the history of Ladder 120 as members filled in at firehouses
throughout the City, worked tirelessly and without complaint at the site of the former World Trade Center, and
attended far too many funerals and memorials. 120’s never ending sense of duty and commitment was also
displayed by the long list of retired members who came to quarters, borrowed gear and joined the search.
Others volunteered for the unenviable task of handling notifications, and still others visited the firehouse often,
simply for a cup of coffee and to offer much needed, heartfelt and greatly appreciated words of encouragement.

A new breed of young, eager firefighters have continued to fill the ranks of Ladder 120 since September 11,
2001. These brave souls seem no different then the hundreds who’ve worn the front piece before them. Under
the current leadership of Captain John Calamari and Lieutenants Dennis Gordon, Tom Losquadro and Larry
Tompkins, the youth of 120 is in well respected and very experienced hands.

Though many things have changed throughout the FDNY, country and world over the last 100 years, some
things have not. Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, Ladder Company 120 has continued to enjoy a
reputation as a determined, committed unit to whom neither failure nor mediocrity would ever be acceptable.
The men of 120 have always taken tremendous pride in their company and strive to always give 110%,
regardless of the task. As Lt. Pete McGreevy once said, “If they ask us to shovel shit, then we’ll be the best
damn shit shovelers they’ve got!”

The men of Watkins Street have also established a long tradition of service to our nation, fighting in World
Wars, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and currently in Afghanistan and Iraq. For the past 100 years, whether
lead by a team of charging horses, powered by steam, or modern diesel, the sight of Ladder 120’s rig turning the
corner has meant the same thing to the people of Brownsville, and will continue for many years to come.

We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle nor
the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools and we
will finish the job.

- Sir Winston Churchill