New York's Rescues
VIDEO REVIEW
By John M. Malecky March, 2020
New York’s Rescues
5 DVD Set
By Advanced Print & Video
Available from:
FSP Books & Videos
188 Central Street, Suite #4
Hudson,, MA 01749-1330
1-800-522-8528
e-mail: fire-police-ems.com
www.fire-police-ems.com
Price: $69.95
This five DVD set is sold for the above price and is activity recorded for all five of New York City Fire Department’s rescue companies. Each company has its own DVD. All are 60 minutes with the exception of Rescue 5, which is 45 minutes. We will be presenting each DVD separately for this first review of Rescue 1 and the next four.
For the review of Rescue 1, the coverage starts off in late 1997 and 1998. There is brief narration, however radio traffic can be heard so the viewer has a better idea of what is going on. It starts off with clips of various incidents in which the company operated with “Rescue Me” sung in the background by Fontella Bass. This goes on for a few minutes followed by a brief talk by a firefighter who has about 16 years in the department and has been assigned to Rescue 1 for the past six months. He describes the many types of calls the rescue company trains for and answers, and the many different types of diversions that make up the city. All of the action is in Manhattan where the unit is stationed. There is a fifth-alarm, a third-alarm and an all-hands, as well as horrendous accidents, a building collapse just before New Year’s Eve of 1997 (near where the ball would drop), and some training thrown in. The coverage is action packed but there is also some firehouse life scenes, such as preparing for a meal. I feel it is a good representation of the company and its pride all feeding to the interest of the viewer, especially if he or she is a fire buff with interest in the FDNY.