Answering the bell

The FDNY’s Battalion 10, representing the Upper East Side, is always ready to answer the bell.

Battalion 10 encompasses Engine 39 and Ladder 16 on East 67th Street, Engine 44 on East 75th Street, Engine 22 and Ladder 13 on East 85 Street, and Engine 53 and Ladder 43 on Third Avenue at East 102nd Street.

According to Battalion Commander Richard Tarello, the seven units “answered the bell” 39,675 times last year, and Ladder 43, in particular, was the busiest ladder company citywide, responding to more than 5,700 calls.

In addition to risking their own lives fighting multi-story blazes to handling daily concerns such as gas leaks and elevator emergencies, Battalion 10 ensured the safety of residents and workers during the years’-long Second Avenue subway construction project.

There are some events that deserve special recognition, such as one last October when a six-alarm fire broke out in an East 93rd Street apartment building. Although there was a fatality, it could have been worse if not for the FDNY’s heroic efforts.

Tarello, 62, a member of the FDNY since 1983 and Battalion Commander since 2005, explains, “All Battalion 10 companies were first to arrive and they did an outstanding job, considering how advanced the fire was, and the severe life hazard to the building occupants.” Especially noteworthy was a rare and risky maneuver where firefighter Jim Lee, from Rescue 1, repelled from the roof via a rope to save an elderly man trapped in his apartment. Both were lowered down to safety.

Three members of the 10th Battalion were involved as Joe Moore, Ladder 13, acted as a guide. Andrew Hawkins, Ladder 43, and others from another company lowered Lee down from the roof and got him to the window and Stephen Janicki, Ladder 43, helped anchoring the rope.

While the Second Avenue subway is now up and running, for years the 10th Battalion was successful ensuring safety procedures, fire protection, and proper access to buildings on Second Avenue. “It was major construction and there were some serious fires and some injuries, but no fatalities during the long and dangerous project,” says Tarello.

Gene Kelty, 62, has been a member of the FDNY for over 37 years, and a Battalion Chief since 2009. He feels a special sense of community on the East Side. “It’s a dynamic area, always vibrant … mostly residential, complimented by mid-level businesses, so we get to see the same people every day and they know our doors are always open.”

Sadly, eleven members of the 10th Battalion lost their lives on September 11th, 2001, but in a fitting tribute, there are currently five relatives, including sons, brothers, and a daughter, who are now FDNY members serving the Upper East Side.

The ever-modest Tarello always comes back to his fellow firefighters. “I enjoy going to work every day, but I’m just the chief,” he says. “How they meet the challenges of a difficult and dangerous job fighting fires is the real story.”