Across New York City, the FDNY has 22 Surf Rescue Companies stationed along the coast. Members of these companies receive specialized training in water rescues and carry extra equipment designed for emergencies in the water. The FDNY responds to hundreds of water-related emergencies every year, especially during times when lifeguards aren’t on duty. To help protect yourself, always follow safety guidelines when swimming—whether in a pool or along the city’s 520 miles of coastline. Only swim in a

Deputy Chief Raymond M. Downey was Chief of the Special Operations Command on September 11, 2001. He made the Supreme Sacrifice in the line of duty while helping others escape from the fire and collapse scene of the World Trade Center. Chief Downey’s expertise in building collapse operations led him to establish the FDNY Technical Rescue School. He was a visionary on technical rescue and spent years sharing his knowledge through intense training with members of the Special Operations Command and

FDNY drone footage shows fire blowtorching from the shaft. Command tactical 1 and the newly established command tactical 2 employ a fleet of advanced drones that give the IC eyes in the sky to assist with operations. They respond on a variety of calls including fires like this, collapses, high angle rescues, and water rescues. Over the years they have proved to be an invaluable resource for the FDNY. | FDNY Response Videos

NY-TF1 is one of 28 Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces nationwide, made up of FDNY Special Operations Command personnel and members of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit. Last week, the team carried out a full-scale mobilization drill simulating a Category 4 hurricane striking Fire Island, a barrier island located off Long Island’s southern coast. | New York City Fire Department (FDNY)

WATCH: A brief documentary produced by the Fire Department of the City of New York in the aftermath, at what was then, the deadliest day in FDNY history. 12 FDNY Firefighters were killed in the line of duty on October 17, 1966, an incident that has come to be known within the Department as the “23rd Street Fire.” Visit the FDNY Facebook page on Monday, October 17, 2016, at 12:15 pm EST, to watch a live stream of the 50th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony to be held at the scene of the fire on 2

Today the FDNY remembers one of the worst tragedies in Department history, when six Firefighters were killed in a fire at a Brooklyn Waldbaum’s on August 2, 1978. Nearly 20 Firefighters were on the roof of the supermarket when the central portion gave way, plunging 12 members into the flames. Lt. James E. Cutillo of Battalion 33, Firefighter Charles S. Bouton of Ladder 156, Firefighter Harold F. Hastings of Battalion 42, Firefighter James P. McManus of Ladder 153, Firefighter William O’Connor of