Engine Co. Gets Financial Lifeline to Help Keep Fit;
Grant for Exercise Equipment
By ARI PAUL

For Firefighters working under Lieut. Thomas Byrne of Engine Co. 65 in Midtown, there are to be no more excuses for not staying in shape.

The Chief-Leader/Adrienne Haywood-James MONEY FOR 'THE MOB': A $25,000 check from two insurance firms to FDNY Engine Co. 65, nicknamed the Midtown Mob, will go towards training and exercise equipment. Lieut. Thomas Byrne, holding the check at left, said 'We get equipment donated here and there, but it's usually rag-tag, second-hand. This is new stuff, which is rare.'

At the firehouse located a stone's throw from Grand Central Station, representatives of insurance firm Kornreich-NIA and the Fireman's Fund Insurance Company July 17 gave the company a check for $25,000 to purchase new exercise and training equipment, which the officer said was needed for the busy company.

"Getting up there, it's going to be an exercise in itself," Lieutenant Byrne said, pointing to the firehouse's old-fashioned spiral staircase.

Cover High-Rises and Tunnels

The company, which makes 5,000 runs per year, responds to what the Lieutenant called the "lowest to the highest," as the district is home to high-rise buildings and a multitude of subway and commuter train tunnels. Cardiac arrest is the biggest killer of firefighters, he noted, making the need for new exercise equipment all the more important.

"We tend to make do with what we have and make the best; we're very tradition-oriented," Lieutenant Byrne said, noting that the company will receive a new elliptical machine and treadmill. "We get equipment donated here and there, but it's usually rag-tag, second-hand. This is new stuff, which is rare. It's quality and state of the art."

In addition to the exercise equipment, the money will be used to procure a smoke machine for simulating drills and a chop saw. The technology training package also includes a laptop, projector and digital camera to examine locations in the company's response area.

"It improves our safety and our effectiveness," said Deputy Chief Daniel Donough of the anticipated new equipment.

Donations, Grants Welcomed

This is the ninth grant the Fireman's Fund has given to the Fire Department since 2006, providing in total nearly $250,000 since then. It has dispersed $18 million to fire departments nationwide. "Hopefully, this is exactly what you're looking for," said Steve Parnes of Kornreich-NIA during the check presentation.

Lieutenant Byrne noted that the city's budget problems have often left the department without the resources it needs to provide in terms of training and exercise, making donations from companies and foundations all the more important.

"Since 9/11, the Fire Department is embracing a more aggressive pursuit of grant money and also embracing technology," he said. "I appreciate that change in attitude."