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Appendix #18: Growth of the FDNY - The First Four Decades

Illustration 18: Growth of the FDNY - The First Four Decades

Milestones for the FDNY include its 1738 inception, its expansion after the 1741 fires, and the 1758 acquisition of 4 engines, which brought its total complement to ten engines, finally after three decades on a par with Boston and Philadelphia. With ten engines but only forty-two firemen (seven per ward), some of the engines may not have been fully deployed since the larger engines required eight to ten men. The shades of gray in the graph represent this potential underutilization with the darker shade representing a possible underdeployed engine.

Of course, with its many dedicated citizens, some "unofficial" firefighters may have worked the engines on the fireground. In any case, the increase in 1762 to seventy-two firemen resulted in a greater utilization of engines with a trained force. In 1769 there was a 60% increase in firemen (to 116) who, along with nine engines, formed nine engine companies.

Organized by company rather than ward meant the department could expand as necessary without restricting it to the same number of engines or firemen in each ward. It is interesting to note that even with the 1769 increase there was an unassigned engine that Stoutenburgh as chief engineer was charged to repair, upgrade, or maintain.

By 1772, the city had purchased and retired some engines which resulted in eleven engines placed in companies and 158 firemen. The last years before the revolution, with purchases and sales, added a net of one engine. The fire department, maybe the last vestige of normalcy of any government agency in 1775, was remarkably stable.

* This number does not include Engineers or Assistant Engineers, who increased in number from 1 in 1738, to 3 in 1762, and then 4 in 1772.