Building of the Day: 786 Union Street

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Originally Engine 169, then Engine 269, now Squad 1, FDNY
Address: 786-788 Union Street
Cross Streets: 6th and 7th avenues
Neighborhood: Park Slope
Year Built: 1906-1908
Architectural Style: Romanesque Revival
Architect: Walter Parfitt for Parfitt Brothers
Other Buildings by Architect: Many row houses, apartment buildings, churches, civic and commercial buildings throughout Brooklyn. In Park Slope – row houses, flats buildings, St. Augustine RC Church, Grace Methodist Church. Fire houses: Engine Companies 243,247,252,253
Landmarked: No, but part of a proposed expanded Park Slope historic district

The story: Cities are often measured by their civic architecture. The care and expense a city extends towards the agencies that work to protect it says a lot about priorities. It also says a lot about the times we live in. At the turn of the 20th century, New York invested a great deal of time and money in building some of the most beautiful fire houses in the world. The finest architects were hired, and they were given the go-ahead to design station houses that were not only highly functional for the men and equipment of the day, but buildings that added to the majesty of the greatest city in the world. Brooklyn certainly got her share of this city largesse, and made the most of it. In Park Slope, several fine fire houses were built, but none became more well-known than this one, now home to Squad 1.

The building was designed by Walter Parfitt in 1906. He was one of the three brothers who made up the Parfitt Brothers architectural firm of Brooklyn. Our borough would be far less attractive without their contributions to the architectural fabric of the city. They came to Brooklyn from England, where all three brothers; Albert, Walter and Henry, were educated.

Albert and Walter were the principal designers; Henry was more of the project manager and business end of the firm. They took Brooklyn by storm, and would design every manner of building imaginable here. Park Slope is blessed with many of their townhouses, flats buildings and two of their most beautiful churches – St. Augustine’s on 6th Avenue, and Grace Methodist on 7th. This was not the only Parfitt firehouse commission; they also designed Engine Companies 253 in Bensonhurst, 252 in Bushwick, 243 in Bath Beach, and 247 in Borough Park.

The house was built for the new Engine 169, organized in 1908, when the building was completed. The company was renumbered as Engine 269 in 1913, in a massive restructuring of the entire city’s fire houses and companies. Engine 269 protected Park Slope, and wherever else needed, until 1975. That year was perhaps the lowest point in the city’s history. New York City was broke and all of the city’s services were massively cut back to try to save money. Under great protest from FDNY and the people of Park Slope, the city closed Engine 269 on July 16, 1975, and officially disbanded the company that same November.

There are seven squad companies in today’s FDNY. They are part of the Special Operations Command. (SOC) Squad 1 had been founded in Harlem in 1955, was moved to the Bronx in 1972, and moved around to two different Bronx companies before being disbanded under more budget cuts in 1976. Back in Brooklyn, the community was still protesting Engine 269’s closure. The powers that be finally decided to reform Squad 1 and assign them to 286 Union Street. The old Engine 269 house became Squad 1’s headquarters. The squad’s motto is “The Only One.”

The squad is equipped with both a pumper truck and a ladder company’s hand and power tools. They originally acted as the first truck to the old Engine 269’s calls and did routine duty. But after 1998, when terrorism became a primary concern, as did hazardous materials disasters, the city enhanced its squad units, added six more, and gave them all special training in dealing with hazardous substances and incidents involving weapons of mass destruction. Squad 1 became one of the city’s most elite units, its members trained in high angle, confined space, subway and other special fire situations, as well as building collapse and hazmat issues.

On September 11th, 2001, all of their training was called on. When they towers were hit, Brooklyn’s fire companies had an easier time getting to Lower Manhattan than most Manhattan companies. Squad 1, as an elite unit trained for this type of emergency, rushed to the scene, and its men ran headlong into the Trade Center buildings and into history. Out of the twenty-seven men in the unit, half never came out. Squad 1 lost twelve men that day, more men from a single fire house than any other company in the entire city. Even the fire truck itself was crushed. Today, the door of Squad 1’s truck is on exhibit at the Smithsonian. Its mangled remains are a tangible symbol of the destruction and loss of that day.

The men lost were Captain James M. Amato, Lt. Edward A. D’Atri, Lt. Michael Esposito, Lt. Michael N. Fodor, Brian Bilcher, Gary Box, Thomas M. Butler, Peter Carroll, Robert Cordice, David J. Fontana, Matthew David Garvey, and Stephen Gerard Siller. Memorial artwork and tributes now surround the fire station, the best we can do to honor the memories of these, and all of the brave men and women who ran into the towers to save others.

Stephen Siller was off duty when he heard about the towers. He drove to Squad 1, picked up his gear, and was set to drive through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it had already been closed. Undaunted, he put his 60 pounds of fire gear on his back and ran through the tunnel to the Trade Center to help people. He died along with his squad members in Tower Two. He left behind a wife and five children, as well as three brothers and other family.

In his memory, his family has established a foundation in his name. Every year since 2011, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Run traces his footsteps. The money raised by the foundation is used in many programs to help others. One of their most important projects is to custom build special housing for disabled and special needs veterans of the Iraqi and Afghanistan wars. Those helped are not just in the NYC area, but are from all across the country. The foundation also continues to aid in rebuilding the areas still crippled by Hurricane Sandy. The capacity to turn tragedy into help for others is one of our country’s greatest assets. Park Slope is proud to call Squad 1, “The Only One,” their own.

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(Photo: Beyondmyken for Wikipedia)