On Thursday, August 2, 2018 at 1000 hours, E-276/L-156, E-254/L-153, B-33 and B-42 will hold a Memorial Mass commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Waldbaum’s Fire at St. Brendan’s Church located at 1202 Avenue O, Brooklyn, NY. All off-duty members and their families are invited to attend. Members are requested to attend in dress uniform.

Today We Take Time to Remember the Anniversary of The Brooklyn Waldbaums Supermarket Fire of 1978:

On August 2, 1978: 6 FDNY Firefighters were killed in the Line of Duty, and more than 35 injured, some seriously. Killed were covering Lt. James Cutillo 39, 33rd Battalion, Fr Charles Bouton 38, Ladder Co 156, Fr William O’Conner 29, Ladder Co 156, Fr James P McManus, 48, Ladder Co 153, Fr George Rice, 38, Ladder Co 153, Fr Harold F. Hastings, 40, Ladder Co 153.

Just prior to the collapse, Louise O’Conner, Wife of FF William O’Conner was at the scene of the fire with her 3 small children. While FF O’Conner was operating on the roof, he waved to his family, and then they waved back, then shortly thereafter the roof collapsed, taking her husbands, and the father of her children’s life. She is now an active member of the highly respected FDNY Fire Bell Club.

HERE ARE REPORTS FROM THE FIRE:
http://www.fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/fire97/art141.html
http://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/fire97/PDF/f97141.pdf

HERE is the story with photos from STEVE SPAK:
http://stevespak.com/waldbaums.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTzBg1YIZmI