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| FDNY Harbor Unit | |
|---|---|
| Name | FDNY Harbor Unit |
| Formed | 1913 |
| Jurisdiction | New York City |
| Headquarters | Staten Island, New York City |
| Parent agency | Fire Department of the City of New York |
FDNY Harbor Unit is the marine branch of the Fire Department of the City of New York responsible for firefighting, search and rescue, and emergency response in the waterways surrounding New York City, including the Hudson River, East River, Upper New York Bay, and approaches to Newark Bay. The unit operates fireboats, rescue boats, and support vessels to protect ports, terminals, bridges, tunnels, and maritime infrastructure, and to respond to maritime emergencies involving vessels, passengers, and waterfront installations. Harbor Unit personnel train with and coordinate alongside agencies such as the United States Coast Guard, New York Police Department, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and state-level organizations.
The Harbor Unit traces its roots to early 20th-century waterfront incidents and the growth of the Port of New York during the World War I era, when stevedoring, transatlantic liners like SS Normandie and RMS Olympic, and industrial waterfronts demanded marine firefighting capability. Significant developments occurred after the General Slocum disaster catalyzed municipal reforms and later during World War II when harbor defenses, shipbuilding at New York Navy Yard, and wartime logistics highlighted the need for dedicated firefighting vessels. Postwar expansions paralleled the construction of large maritime infrastructure such as the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and growth of container terminals at Red Hook (Brooklyn), driving acquisition of modern fireboats. High-profile marine responses during events linked to United Airlines Flight 93 aftermath planning, the 1983 Staten Island ferry accident era safety reviews, and post-September 11 attacks waterfront security adaptations further shaped policies and capabilities.
The unit is organized within the Fire Department of the City of New York as a specialized division with ranks drawn from career firefighters and officers who serve on rotational duty aboard vessels homeported at borough piers in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens. Personnel assignments often include veterans of incidents at locations such as Battery Park City, South Street Seaport, Jamaica Bay, Yonkers, and Governor's Island. Career progression and leadership involve coordination with offices like the Office of Emergency Management (New York City), and personnel receive recognition from institutions including the New York City Police Benevolent Association and civic awards from bodies such as the New York City Council.
Harbor assets have included large fireboats capable of multi-axis pumping and high-capacity monitors comparable to legacy vessels like the fireboats that responded to liner fires at North River pier sites. Modern fireboats are equipped with technologies influenced by design standards from shipbuilders who served clients at yards like the Gulf Coast Shipyard Group and include diesel-electric drives, diesel engines, and water cannons capable of thousands of gallons per minute. The unit also maintains smaller aluminum-hulled rescue craft used in shallow areas near sites such as Coney Island, Rikers Island, and Flushing Bay. Equipment inventories interface with communications networks like New York City 911 systems and maritime traffic services overseen by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department and the United States Coast Guard Sector New York.
Daily responsibilities include firefighting aboard vessels and on piers, search and rescue for lost mariners near shipping lanes such as those serving Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, hazardous material response for incidents near industrial sites like Gowanus Canal, and flood response for coastal storm events affecting neighborhoods such as The Rockaways and Far Rockaway. The unit also provides maritime security patrols during major events at venues including Yankee Stadium, MetLife Stadium via waterways, and high-profile gatherings hosted near Battery Park and Times Square waterfront viewing areas. Harbor crews support evacuations and tactical operations during incidents involving passenger ferries like Staten Island Ferry and commuter services such as operators around Long Island Rail Road terminals with marine interfaces.
Harbor firefighters receive specialized instruction in shipboard firefighting, confined space operations, maritime rescue swimmer techniques, and hazardous materials stabilization, drawing on curricula from institutions and programs such as the National Fire Protection Association standards, United States Coast Guard marine firefighting courses, and joint exercises with the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. Training ranges include underway drills near Governors Island National Monument and cold-water immersion practice in locations influenced by tidal regimes of the Hudson River Estuary and Arthur Kill. Certifications commonly held include marine firefighting endorsements, emergency medical technician credentials tied to New York State Department of Health, and specialized licenses aligned with United States Merchant Marine regulations when operating certain tonnage-class vessels.
Harbor crews have been central to responses during events such as major liner fires historically at Chelsea Piers and near Pier 57, high-profile ferry incidents in the Upper New York Bay, and hurricane-related rescues during storms like Hurricane Sandy that impacted waterfront neighborhoods including Breezy Point and South Queens. They have conducted rescues involving recreational vessels near landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and supported salvage and containment operations in coordination with the United States Environmental Protection Agency during maritime pollution incidents affecting areas like the Newtown Creek and Harlem River.
The Harbor Unit operates within a complex jurisdictional mosaic that includes coordination with the United States Coast Guard, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New York Police Department Harbor Unit, New York State Police, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, and federal entities such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency during disasters. Memoranda of understanding, mutual aid compacts, and participation in regional planning groups like the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program guide operational boundaries and incident command integration with structures codified under frameworks such as the National Incident Management System.
Category:Fire departments in New York City Category:Water transport in New York City Category:Emergency services in New York City