MY VIDEO; VISIT WITH FDNY 'MIKE THE PROBIE'

I guess most of you know by now that they call rookie Firefighters in NYC "Probies" as they are on probation for a year and a half after the Academy.

I ran into this really friendly young man  (Mike) totally by accident...I had moved up to the Upper West Side from my old Kips Bay neighborhood and thought I would drop by the local Firehouse, Eng 76 L 22, and see if I could take some photos.

As always, I wanted to get a little information from any Fireman I met and maybe a little background story. Dropping in on people unannounced of course is not always the best way to interview people, -- but here was this one:

https://youtu.be/q2RTeyP1VZ0

So Mike is now on his way to becoming a full fledged fireman and joining the 150 year tradition of the FDNY

Have to note if you didn't know that "Probies" are supposed to "know their place" and do all sorts of chores and errands including washes the dishes after meals - being as I note here " at the sink all the time." They also get a lot of ribbing from the established Firefighters, which is hopefully always within the limits of fair play and good humor  ( alas, there have been times when it has not been so, but to me that is an inherent drawback of this kind of Rite of Passage.

Above: Probies at the Academy

I myself feel that being at the sink all the time is enough and that the heavier ribbing stuff is for the birds, but the FDNY is very proud and sensitive about its traditions..

And oh, yeah, have to note that Firefighters relieve the stress and tension of life at the Firehouse by playing practical jokes on each other ( including their officers) all the time.
Probably necessary and OK again as long as it stays within bounds...