Tag: fire safety

Two Tragic Fires That Sparked Major Changes

Today we mark the anniversary of two tragic fires that occurred in New York City. In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire claimed 146 lives. On the same date 79 years later in the Bronx borough of New York City, the Happy Land fire killed 87 people, the most deadly fire in the city since …

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Two Fires That Sparked Major Changes

Today marks the anniversary of two major fires in New York City fire and work place regulations. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire claimed 146 lives. and on the same date 79 years later in the Bronx borough of New York City, the Happy Land fire killed 87 people, the most deadly fire in the city …

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Two Tragic Fires That Sparked Major Changes

Today we mark the anniversary of two tragic fires that occurred in New York City. In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire claimed 146 lives. On the same date 79 years later in the Bronx borough of New York City, the Happy Land fire killed 87 people, the most deadly fire in the city since …

Continue reading

Two Tragic Fires That Sparked Major Changes

Today we mark the anniversary of two tragic fires that occurred in New York City. In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire claimed 146 lives and 79 years later, in 1990, the Happy Land fire killed 87 people, the most deadly fire in the city since 1911. The Triangle Factory fire lead to major changes …

Continue reading

Two Tragic Fires That Sparked Major Changes

Today we mark the anniversary of two tragic fires that occurred in New York City. In 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire claimed 146 lives and 79 years later, in 1990, the Happy Land fire killed 87 people, the most deadly fire in the city since 1911. It’s believed that the factory, which had four …

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Yesterday’s Memorial for the Triangle Factory Fire Victims



Cross-posted at DailyKos.

At 11:30 yesterday morning on the corner of Greene St. and Washington Pl. I met Firefighter James M. Sorokac for the first time. I’d never met him before but being the keeper of “The Last Alarm” and a member of the of the FDNY ceremonial unit, his face was far too familiar to me.

In the shadow of the Asch Building he explained that the bell that is rang for the fallen dates back to a time when there was one bell at every NYC fire house. He told me the story of the four fives. When firehouses would communicate to each other across the city by ringing five times in a series of four the message that “a brother has fallen in the line of duty.”

Today that bell is rang once by a white gloved firefighter at funerals and memorial services.

Yesterday Firefighter James M. Sorokac rang that bell 146 times.