Engine Company 249 Brooklyn

Engine Company 249 was first organized as Engine 49 of the Brooklyn Fire Department on January 20, 1896.

It was later reorganized to Engine 249 on January 1, 1913.

Download Engine 249's History (PDF)

From left to right are: FF Thomas Fleming-FF Nick Malter- FF Gene Moore- Lt. James Daly Jr.- FF Joe Scaramuzzino- FF Bob McBratney


There were two major reorganizational dates that involved the Brooklyn and Queens engine and ladder companies.

Brooklyn and the Long Island City Fire Depts. merged with the FDNY on January 28, 1898. To avoid confusion with the companies in Manhattan and the Bronx, the companies in Brooklyn and Queens were renumbered on October 1, 1899. One hundred numbers were added to the engines and fifty number were added to the ladder companies. The second major reorganization came on January 1, 1913.

Again one hundred numbers were added to the engines and fifty numbers were added to the ladder companies. Ladder 8 became Ladder 58 which became Ladder 108. Engine Company 49 of the Brooklyn Fire Department became Engine 149 and latter became Engine 249.

Ladder 13 was placed in service on Feb. 1, 1896 at Engine 41. Ladder 18 on Dec. 15, 1897 and Ladder 23 was placed in service on Jan. 20, 1896 at Engine 49 of the Brooklyn Fire Dept.

On Jan. 28, 1898 the Brooklyn Companies became part of the Brooklyn Queens Fire Division of the New York City Fire Dept.. On Apr. 15, 1898 Ladder 13 at Engine 41 was disbanded to organize Combination Engine 41(now Eng. 241). Ladder 23 was renumbered to Ladder 13 while Ladder 18 was renamed to Ladder 14. Brooklyn's ladders 13 thru 25 were disbanded and assigned to the engine company that they were in with execpt for 18 & 23. By changing these two ladders (18 & 23) it kept the numbers in order. Ladder 13 was changed to ladder 63 to avoid confusion with ladder 13 in Manhattan on October 1st, 1899. Ladder 63 became ladder 113 on January 1, 1913.


by: DONALD VAN HOLT (Ladder 103 / Engine 216 / Ladder 108 Retired, 1983)

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