New York City Fire DepartmentRescue Company 1 was organized March 8, 1915, and is one of five specialized rescue companies of the New York CityFire Department that responds to fire and rescue incidents where there are rescue operations that require specialized equipment and training. Rescue companies have a broad mission that goes beyond firefighting and incidents that may be outside the capabilities of a normal Engine or Ladder Company. The main purpose of a rescue company is to rescue trapped or injured civilians and firefighters.
Organization
The members of rescue companies receive extensive training in many courses from the Special Operations Command of the FDNY. Additionally, many of the members have many years of experience within the FDNY and/or other fields of emergency operations. The rescue companies have an emphasis on equipping the company with tools that could be instrumental in performing rescues of civilians and firefighters at structural fires as well as operating at "odd jobs". Early versions of self-contained breathing apparatus were first assigned to the rescue companies. Heavy duty lifting equipment, torches, and saws were initially introduced to the rescue companies. Life lines and a line gun were among the initial equipment used by rescue companies, and as technology evolved, the companies were instrumental in pioneering the fire service application of artificial resuscitation techniques, SCBA, and firefighting foam. Rescue 1 is staffed with one captain, three lieutenants, and typically 25 to 30 firefighters that are split into tours.
Rescue 1's firehouse was destroyed in 1985 by a fire in a neighboring warehouse. Rescue 1 was already out on a call when fire collapsed the warehouse onto their quarters. The unit then temporarily relocated until 1989 when their present firehouse was finished. Their distinctive door was saved and relocated to the back of the building. In 2002, rescue trucks designed by Captain Terry Hatton of Rescue Company 1, who died in the line of duty at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, were incorporated into the department's fleet. Captain Hatton's often used exclamation "Outstanding" appeared on the front of Rescue 1, reminding members and friends of his outstanding leadership and qualities. The more recently installed 2007 Pierce rig had the same inscription with "T.H." added next to the motto. The present rig is a 2011 Ferrara Ultra Rescue Truck, with the quote across its front chrome grill. Rescue 1 celebrated their centennial on March 8, 2015.
Rescue 1 was one of the most affected companies in the FDNY during the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center, losing nearly half of its company. The company responded to the North Tower, and can be seen as one of the first units entering the stairwell in Jules and Gédéon Naudet's and James Hanlon's documentary 9/11. To commemorate the death of the company's captain in the attacks, the section of West 43rd Street between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues where the company's firehouse is located was named Terence S. Hatton Way in 2005.
