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NEW YORK MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG
AND FIRE COMMISSIONER
NICHOLAS SCOPPETTA ATTEND THE
RE-OPENING OF
ENGINE 10 AND LADDER 10 IN LOWER MANHATTAN
Two-Year, $3.5 Million Repair
and Renovation Marks Final Piece of
Fire Department’s Rebuilding Effort Since September 11, 2001
 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and
Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta today joined hundreds of members
of the New York City Fire Department to cut the ribbon on the newly
renovated quarters of Engine 10 and Ladder 10 (“Ten House”) in Lower
Manhattan. The Ten House, located on Liberty Street directly across
from where the World Trade Center stood, suffered significant damage
and was nearly destroyed on September 11, 2001. The $3.5 million
repair project took more than two years to complete and was funded in
part by a $1.5 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA).
"The re-opening of the Ten House
is the final brick in the Fire Department’s rebuilding efforts after
the devastation of September 11th,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Since that
horrible day, the department has sworn in more than 2,100 probationary
firefighters, promoted a new generation of leadership, and replaced
more than 92 key pieces of equipment, including engines, ladder trucks
and ambulances. The reopening of the Ten House marks the close of an
important chapter in the history of the Fire Department, one filled
with triumph and tragedy. While we celebrate this achievement, we will
never forget the 343 firefighters we lost only steps from here.”
"Although it suffered heavy damage
in the September 11th terrorist attack, this building's foundation –
like the foundation of this department – stood firm," said Fire
Commissioner Scoppetta. “Today we celebrate not only the return of the
members of Engine 10 and Ladder 10 to their home here on Liberty
Street, but a significant moment in the rebuilding of our department
and the revitalization of this community.”
On September 11, 2001, five
members from the Ten House made the supreme sacrifice. Lieutenant
Gregg Atlas, Firefighter Jeffrey Olsen, Firefighter Paul Pansini were
from Engine 10, and Lieutenant Stephen Harrell and Firefighter Sean
Tallon were from Ladder 10.
As the towers collapsed, tons of
building debris fell onto the firehouse and forced its way into it,
blowing out windows and doors and causing extensive damage to the
facade, interior structures, utilities, lighting and the roof. Inside
the firehouse, the apparatus floor was flooded with over three feet of
debris and in some areas in and around the firehouse the debris from
the collapse was nearly six feet deep. The building’s ventilation
system, air conditioning units and Nederman exhaust system were
completely destroyed.
Although it was unable to be used
as a firehouse after the collapse of the towers, the quarters of
Engine 10 and Ladder 10 nevertheless played a vital role in the daily
operations at ground zero. During the early days of the rescue and
recovery operations and even during the clean up of the site, the Ten
House was used as a rest and recuperation station as well as a command
post for fire department operations at the site. Since September 11,
2001 both Engine and Ladder 10 have been temporarily quartered in
nearby firehouses. Engine 10 was stationed at the quarters of Engine 7
and Ladder 1 on Duane Street and Ladder 10 at the quarters of Engine 4
and Ladder 15 on South Street.
Both Engine 10 and Ladder 10 were
organized from Volunteer Fire Companies in 1865 and each had several
homes before being brought together at Liberty Street in 1984. |
