Archive for the ‘FDNY Horses/Mascots’ Category

The following incredible tale about a retired fire horse that saved a little girl’s life at Coney Island Dreamland is based on the story in my new book, The Bravest Pets of Gotham: Tales of Four-Legged Firefighters of Old New York.

I’m excited to announce that my next book, The Bravest Pets of Gotham, is now available for pre-ordering. Read on for more details!

Every day, Lester the NYPD police horse worked with his two-legged partner on Fifth Avenue near 35th Street. And every day at 5 p.m., he would visit the Mother Goose Tea Room at 13 East 35th Street. He would stick his nose over the hedge and wait for a few lumps of sugar.

My latest story is one of my favorites from my upcoming book, The Bravest Pets of Gotham: Tales of Four-Legged Firefighters of Old New York (September 2024). I laugh every time I think about this crazy little dog of FDNY Engine 56. Enjoy.

During World War II, the United States Army Garrison at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn was an important staging area for the New York Port of Embarkation. The Fort Hamilton Fire Department, installed in December 1941, was one of many military installations within New York City that had a paid civilian fire department and fire apparatus during and after the war. The department had 27 enlisted men and a toothless mascot named Butch.