FDNY - Rescue 1 (Manhattan)

 fire service  Add category

4-story modernist fire station completed in 1988. Designed by Richard G. Stein, it replaced Rescue 1's previous firehouse that was destroyed in 1985 by a fire in a neighboring warehouse. Rescue 1 was already out on a call, when fire collapsed the warehouse onto their quarters. The unit then temporarily relocated until 1989 when their present firehouse was finished.

The facade is clad in grey brick and granite. The garage door is at the left, with a shorter pedestrian entrance on the right. A window between the two doors displays a memorial to the 11 firefighters from the company who were killed on 9/11. A flagpole projects from above the pedestrian entrance. The 2nd floor has three recessed window openings on the left (the eastern one being narrower), and a window framed in blue metal on the right. The 3rd floor is divided into three recessed openings on the left (again with the eastern one being narrower), and two openings on the right. The 3rd floor is topped by a blue square with a white numeral "1". The top floor is set far back and not visible from the street.

The company was organized March 8, 1915, and is one of five specialized rescue companies of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) that responds to fire and rescue incidents where there are rescue operations that require specialized equipment and training. Rescue companies have a broad mission that goes beyond firefighting and incidents that may be outside the capabilities of a normal Engine or Ladder Company. The main purpose of a rescue company is to rescue trapped or injured firefighters.

www.nyfd.com/rescue/rescue_1.html
www.fdnytrucks.com/files/html/manhattan/r1.htm