PATERSON FIRE HISTORY
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    • 1909 BALL BOOK
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  • AUXILIARY FIRE DEPARTMENT
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QUACKENBUSH WAREHOUSE
General Alarm - March 12, 1938

The greatest tragedy in department history occurred on March 11, 1938 at a 4 alarm fire at the Quackenbush warehouse. Station 474 was sounded at 1:58 PM. The flames gutted the building and long after the fire was well under control, Deputy Chief Sweeney and four men from Engine Company 5  Captain William Devenport and firemen Louis Rodesky, William Lynch, Matthew O'Neill)  made the Supreme Sacrifice when the walls of the building collapsed on them. At the time the wall collapsed, the firemen were devising a means to to pull it down because they knew it was in danger of falling. The only survivors from Engine 5 were fireman Thomas Schofield who was in the alley picking up 
hose and driver and engineer  Ralph Miller 
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Aerial view
who was maintaining the pumps at the Ahrens Fox engine (#3401). A never to be forgotten scene took place when driver Miller had to return the apparatus to Headquarters alone. As he stepped from the Engine he was met by Chief Engineer Coyle. Miller stood at attention and announced "Number 5 returning back to quarters." The Chief bowed his head and wept. Miller cried, "I'm all alone, Chief."
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The 1931 Ahrens Fox pumper (register #3401) used by Engine Company 5 at the fire (here shown later in its career as E3)
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Truck 2 1932 Ahrens Fox on Prospect Street (Natoli Collection)
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Truck 2 Ahrens Fox with raised aerial at scene
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Truck Co 2 (Ahrens Fox) on Prospect Street side of building
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Truck Company 2 and men with high Eagle Helmets typical of the era
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Truck 3 aerial on Prospect Street after the collapse (Anthony Natoli collection)
Series of photos showing streams from a Van Houten Street building rooftop
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Anthony Natoli Collection
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Anthony Natloli collection
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Anthony Natloli collection
PATERSON EVENING NEWS MASSIVE HEADLINE
An extra edition was published the evening of the fire
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March 12, Paterson Evening News - Dayspring Collection
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Courtesy Dennis Morrison
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March 14 Morning Call Courtesy Dennis Morrison
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The arrow below points to the upper floors before the collapse
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(Anthony Natoli Collection)
Below is the site where the wall collapsed and the firemen died: note Engine 5 helmet at the left border. The hose the firemen were using is seen in
​the rubble still releasing water
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(Anthony Natoli Collection)
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March 14 newspaper photo - Courtesy Dennis Morrison
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Wall that collapsed (Anthony Natoli collection)
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Anthony Natoli collection
Below: In this scene of brick and lumbar Chief Sweeny’s horribly crushed body was taken while the recovery of his his four companions were dug from the ruins nearby. The large intact section of brick shown left center had to be moved before rescuers could reach the chief.
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March 14, 1938 News photo = Courtesy Dennis Morrison
May 1938: The following 2 pages are an article from the May 1938 issue of Fire Engineering and detail what happened on the March 12.
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The following photos are are courtesy of the Anthony Natoli Collection
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Crowd viewing the fire - Van Houten and Prospect Streets. Rear of Ahrens Fox pumper at left
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Fire at its height
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Ellison Street side of the fire
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Furman Street (alley)
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Furman Street view
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Men of Engine 9 (at right) and ? company at left on Furman Street Garage roof
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Firemen on fire escape on Carpenters Hall on Van Houtent St
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View from a Main Street rooftop (old Orpheum theater in foreground
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Ambulance physician treating someone at the scene
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1936 Ball Book photo showing 4 of the FF who died and 2 who survived (Schofield and Miller)
1953 Morning Call Clip describing the FF manpower of Engine 5 at Quackenbush fire
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Courtesy Dennis Morrison
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March 14, 1938 - Courtesy Dennis Morrison
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Courtesy Dennis Morrison
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The death of the firemen led to the creation of the Fireman's Monument first located at the Post Office Plaza in downtown Paterson and later moved to the Hillcrest Firehouse
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​​A Bravery in Action Medal was presented to the families of all of the killed in action firemen by the Paterson Evening News. The one at right was for Louis Rodesky (photo courtesy of his relative Harry Miller).
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September 1, 1938   Mayor's Day Festivities
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  • HOME
  • OVERVIEW
    • FIRST CENTURY
    • EVENTS 1890-1894
    • EVENTS 1895-1899
    • EVENTS 1900-1910
    • EVENTS 1911-1919
    • EVENTS 1920-1939
    • EVENTS 1940-1959
    • EVENTS 1960-1979
    • EVENTS 1980-99
    • EVENTS 2000-2019
    • EVENTS 2020-2021
  • FIREFIGHTERS
  • THE SUPREME SACRIFICE
    • MEMORIAL SERVICE
  • CHIEF ENGINEERS
    • ASSISTANT CHIEFS
    • DEPUTY CHIEFS
    • BATTALION CHIEFS
    • CHIEF GIGS
  • GREAT 1902 CONFLAGRATION
  • TAKING THE HEAT BOOK
  • 1893 PFD HISTORY BOOK
  • 1940 HISTORICAL REVIEW
  • 1950 HISTORICAL REVIEW
  • NOTABLE FIRES/INCIDENTS
  • EMS
    • EMS ROSTER
  • FIREHOUSE PHOTOS / FACTS
  • COMPANY & FH HISTORY
  • COMMUNICATIONS / FA
    • FIRE BOX LISTS
    • EVRS STATION LIST
  • SPECIAL OPERATIONS
  • SPECIAL OP EVENTS
  • FIRE VIDEOS 1991-2011
  • FIRE VIDEOS 2014-2020
  • DOCUDRAMAS
  • APPARATUS
  • APPARATUS VIDEOS
  • NOTABLE EVENTS INDEX
    • APPARATUS NOTABLES
    • APPTS & PROMOTIONS
    • AWARDS
    • DEATHS / OBITUARIES
    • FIREMEN STORIES
    • 1960 CHIEF SELECTION
    • GRAND STREET RIOT 1917
    • GROUND ZERO
    • HANCOCKS
    • HISTORICAL REVIEWS
    • HISTORY by CHIEF STAGG
    • JOSEPH DAYSPRING
    • KEARNEY-FAMILY
    • MILITARY
    • PARADES
    • RED MASS
    • RESCUES
    • RETIREMENTS
    • SISTER LORETTA
    • SPORTS
    • THEATRE DETAIL
  • MEMORABILIA
  • PATCHES DECALS LOGOS SHIRTS
  • WALLPAPER
  • DEPARTMENT DOGS
  • TRAINING
  • VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENT
    • 1821 - 1854 HISTORY
    • VOLUNTEER HISTORY
    • ANNUAL REPORTS
    • VOLUNTEER CHIEFS
    • VOLUNTEER PROFILES
    • ANDREW MOSER
    • VOLUNTEER COMPANIES
  • EXEMPT ASSOCIATION
  • EXEMPT HOME & RELICS
  • FMBA / PFA
  • BALLBOOKS
    • 1909 BALL BOOK
    • 1916 BALL BOOK
    • 1918 BALL BOOK
    • 1923 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1928 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1936 JANUARY PICTORIAL
    • 1936 DECEMBER PICTORIAL
    • 1937 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1938 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1939 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1941 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1942 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1943 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1944 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1945 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1946 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1947 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1948 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1949 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1950 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1951 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1952 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1953 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1954 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1955 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1956 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1957 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1958 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1959 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1960 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1961 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1962 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1963 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1964 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1965 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1966 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1967 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1968 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1969 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1970 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1971 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1972 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1973 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1975 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1976 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1977 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1979 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1980 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1981 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1982 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1983 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1984 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1985 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1986 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1987 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1988 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1989 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1990 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1991 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1992 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1993 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1994 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1995 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1996 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1997 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1998 ANNUAL BALL
    • 1999 ANNUAL BALL
    • 2000 ANNUAL BALL
    • 2001 ANNUAL BALL
    • 2002 ANNUAL BALL
    • 2003 ANNUAL BALL
    • 2004 ANNUAL BALL
    • 2005 ANNUAL BALL
    • 2010 ANNUAL BALL
    • 2011 ANNUAL BALL
    • 2014 ANNUAL BALL
    • 2016 ANNUAL BALL
  • AUXILIARY FIRE DEPARTMENT
  • CITY OF PATERSON
  • PFH CONTRIBUTORS
  • ORAL HISTORY
  • STATISTICS
  • CONTACT