LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Ladder Company 105 upon the occasion
of celebrating 125 years of service to the City of New York on June 15,
2010

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is proud to commend Ladder Company 105
upon the occasion of celebrating 125 years of service to the City of New
York and to honor its past and present firefighting members for 125
years of fire protection to the citizens of Brooklyn and its surrounding
communities; and
WHEREAS, The Officers and Members of Ladder Company 105 celebrated
this most auspicious occasion on Tuesday, June 15, 2010, at a ceremony
held at the Quarters of Engine 219 and Ladder 105 in Brooklyn, New York,
which was followed by a reception at The Williamsburg Savings Bank; and
WHEREAS, Engine 219 and Ladder 105 have over 245 years of dedicated
service to the citizens of Brooklyn, New York; however, Engine 219 and
Ladder 105 have only been quartered within the same firehouse for the
past 30 years; prior to June 2, 1977, both companies were single houses
located approximately one-half mile away from each other; and
WHEREAS, Engine Company 219 and Ladder Company 105 are located at 494
Dean Street in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn, New York; they
are assigned to the 57 Battalion within the 11th Division; some of the
areas they respond to include: Prospect Heights, Prospect Park, Park
Slope, Downtown Brooklyn, Fort Greene as well as parts of Crown Heights
and Bedford-Stuyvesant; they are first due to the third largest trans-
portation hub in New York City, the Atlantic Terminal, where numerous
subway lines, as well as the Long Island Rail Road, converge; and
WHEREAS, Although the vast majority of their area is comprised of
Brownstones, they have a variety of other types of construction, includ-
ing, non-fireproof multiple dwellings (tenements or "walk-ups"), fire-
proof multiple dwellings (projects), light commercial tenements (commer-
cial occupancies on the first floor with, typically, 2-3 floors of
apartments above), one story taxpayers (stores), high-rise buildings
(commercial and residential) as well as an occasional private dwelling;
and
WHEREAS, Engine 219 is a 2003 Seagrave Pumper with a 1000gpm pump and
a 500 gallon tank; it carries the typical cache of equipment, hose,
fittings and nozzles that an Engine Company uses to complete its task;
Engine 219 operates with four firefighters and one officer; the fire-
fighter positions include: the chauffeur (responsible for positioning
the apparatus as well as getting water into the pumps and through the
hose lines), the nozzle-man (first on the line, responsible for operat-
ing the nozzle), the back-up man (second on the line, responsible for
backing-up the nozzle-man) and the control man (last on the line,
responsible for controlling the stretching of the hose line to the seat
of the fire); and
WHEREAS, Ladder 105 is a 2003 Seagrave 75' Tower Ladder; it carries a
complement of ground ladders as well as various types of manual, hydrau-
lic and pneumatic forcible entry tools; these tools include, but are not
limited to, the hydra-ram, air bags, the Hurst tool with spreaders,
cutters, various size rams, the Wizzer tool and hammer drill, partner
saws, an assortment of blades and the lobster tool (used in various
applications including cutting window bars and fences); and
WHEREAS, As a truck company, the members of Ladder 105 are responsible
for gaining entry into the fire area, searching for and rescuing victims
and venting to make the attack on the fire easier and safer; Ladder 105
operates with five firefighters and one officer; the firefighter posi-
tions are split into two groups, the outside team and the inside team;

the outside team is comprised of the chauffeur (responsible for posi-
tioning the apparatus and operating the tower ladder), the roof-man
(responsible for vertical ventilation) and the outside vent man or OVM
(responsible for horizontal ventilation opposite the fire); as always,
life is a firefighter's number one priority; therefore, the outside team
members will vent, enter and search for victims (VES) while also
completing their other tasks; the inside team consists of the officer
(responsible for the overall company operation as well as search), the
can-man (responsible for confining the fire until a charged hose line is
in place and searching for victims) and the irons man or forcible entry
man, FE, (responsible for gaining access to the fire area as well as
searching for victims); and
WHEREAS, Fire departments are an integral part of community protection
services in every locality of our State; during the past 125 years, the
courageous and devoted firefighters of Ladder Company 105 have valiantly
responded to all types of fire emergencies and have won the praise and
respect of the community which they serve; and
WHEREAS, With a membership of dedicated firefighters, the record of
Ladder Company 105 in public service and fire protection is one to be
envied; for 24 hours a day, for 365 days a year, for 125 years, whenever
the alarm sounded, these noble volunteers left their homes and went to
the aid of their neighbors; and
WHEREAS, The brave firefighters of Ladder Company 105 are prepared to
risk their lives every day to help save the lives of others and to
protect homes and property from the destruction caused by fire; and
WHEREAS, In addition to the skill and devoted service demonstrated by
individual firefighters, Ladder Company 105 reflects the history and
development of firefighting over the past 125 years; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body cannot express sufficient gratitude to
those devoted individuals who recognize that the preservation of life
and property is a sacred responsibility and who make that responsibility
their own by serving as firefighters; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that we should give
special recognition to those who work so assiduously for the betterment
of their communities, and acknowledge publicly the heroic good works
performed by the volunteer fire departments of this great Empire State,
their officers and auxiliaries; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
proudly commend Ladder Company 105 upon the occasion of celebrating 125
years of service to the City of New York on June 15, 2010; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Ladder Company 105.