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 At
the age of seventy-four, longtime Deputy Fire Commissioner
George F. Mand collapsed and died at the scene of a
third alarm fire in the Bronx. However, Deputy Fire
Commissioner Mand's long record of service to the FDNY
did not end with his death. A portion of the estate
of George F. Mand was left to establish a resource center
on the grounds of the FDNY Fire Academy at Randall's
Island. The result of George F. Mand's endowment is
the George F. Mand Resource Center. The resource center
formally opened its doors December 27, 1995 after a
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony presided over by Mayor Rudolf
Giuliani. The George F. Mand Resource Center encompasses
a five thousand volume special library, conference room,
audio-visual resource room and the George F. Mand memorabilia
collection.
The George F. Mand Library is a fully
modern special library. The library's computers possess
an electronic card catalog, a digital photo archive,
and various multimedia-training programs. The NYSDOS
Fire Academy Library's index of fire service journal
articles is also available on library computers. The
library maintains a close affiliation with the N.Y.
State Fire Academy Library and other fire service libraries.
Through resource sharing and collaboration the library
is able to provide cost effective and high quality service
to the FDNY.
The George F. Mand Library is the latest
incarnation of a FDNY Department Library. The Fire Department
of the City of New York has included a library amongst
its resources since the early days of the Metropolitan
Fire Department. The Metropolitan Fire Department was
the precursor to the Fire Department of the City of
New York. Perhaps the best source of information on
the Metropolitan Fire Department's library comes to
us in the form of a letter by T. Baily Myers to Wm.
L. Stone, Esq. Theodorus Baily Myers was the member
of the Board of Metropolitan Fire Commissioners responsible
for the establishment of the first Department library.
In his letter dated December 1, 1871
T. Baily Myers notes that the first library was established
by resolution of the Board of Metropolitan Fire Commissioners
on the 27th day of December 1867. This is exactly one
hundred and thirty years before the opening of the George
F. Mand Library. The library was located in a large
hall above the Headquarters' offices of the Metropolitan
Fire Department. The Metropolitan Fire Department's
library known as the Lyceum functioned as both the Department
museum and library. The Lyceum's library collection
is recorded as being divided into sections on geography
and travel, history, biography, natural science and
carefully selected fiction. The purpose of the collection
was to, in the words of T. Baily Myers, "improve
the leisure hours of the men."
Charles De F. Burns was the first department
librarian. Printed catalogs of the library's collection
were placed in every firehouse in the city. Members
of the various fire companies could send representatives
to the Lyceum to borrow and return books. In 1871, the
Metropolitan Fire Department library's collection of
books consisted of 4,873 circulating volumes belonging
to the library and 1,500 reference books placed on long
term loan to the library.
On December 17th, 1878 the Board of
Fire Commissioners issue Circular No. 3 which breaks
the Fire Department Library up into ten Battalion libraries.
These Battalion libraries were placed under the direction
of the Assistant Foreman (Lieutenant) of the company
were these libraries were located. Charles De F. Burns
Assistant Secretary of the Department was named General
Librarian and given the task of supervision over all
Battalion Libraries. Unfortunately, the Battalion libraries
eventually fell into disuse and their collections were
scattered throughout the Department.
Rev. Edward M.H. Knapp, Chaplain of
the Fire Department was, through the generosity of Mr.s...
Russell Sage, the driving force behind the establishment
of the next FDNY Library. Rev. Knapp succeeded in interesting
Mr.s.. Russell Sage in his plan to install technical
libraries in every firehouse in the city. In a letter
dated February 16th, 1910 Mr.. Robert W. Deforest informed
Fire Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo of Mr.s.. Sage's
decision to donate $10,000 dollars for the construction
of these libraries. The responsibility for selecting
the books for what was to become the Sage Memorial Library
was placed with Dr. John S. Billings the Director of
the New York Public Library.
A February 17th, 1911 New York Times
article describes the books acquired for the Sage Memorial
Library as "dealing with subjects the firemen meet
in their civil service examinations" as well as
light fiction and historical writings. The Sage Memorial
Library is the first library in the history of the FDNY
to be stocked with technical books concerning the fire
service. These small circulating libraries consisted
of fifty books that were to be changed every two months.
In recognition of his dedication to the FDNY library
cause Fire Commissioner Waldo designated Chaplain Knapp
as Chief Librarian of the Department.
 The
Sage libraries were housed in attractive wood and glass
cases bearing the name Sage Memorial Library in gold
leaf lettering. The Captain of Squad Company 1 has generously
donated a Sage Memorial Library cabinet to the George
F. Mand Resource Center. This cabinet has been expertly
restored and is now stocked with original books and
is prominently displayed in the library. Unfortunately,
like the Battalion libraries before them the Sage Memorial
Libraries eventually fell into disuse.
In 1938 FDNY Honorary Chief Clarence
Meek began work on a FDNY Library at the Fire College
located in the old Packard Building. In 1948, Chief
Meek's Library was relocated to Long Island City in
a building constructed for the FDNY Division of Repairs.
At this point the library was officially named the Library
and Reference Center, F.D.N.Y. Through his tireless
effort, Chief Meek accumulated an extensive collection
of historical and technical books including many from
the previous Department libraries. Eventually the library
was moved to FDNY Headquarters at 250 Livingston Street.
With great dedication, Chief Clarence Meek ran the FDNY
Library until his death on September 16, 1973.
 In
honor of Chief Meek's dedication the FDNY Library was
renamed the Chief Clarence E. Meek Library. Acting Lieutenant
Paul Stolz took over the operation of the library after
the death of Chief Meek. Paul Stolz had worked closely
with Chief Meek for many years. Acting Lieutenant Stolz'
expert administration of the library eventually led
to him being designated Chief Librarian of the Department.
Unfortunately, Paul Stolz did not leave a successor
to run the library. The Chief Clarence E. Meek Library
was disbanded in 1987.
Fortunately, the collections of the
Meek Library were placed in storage at Fire Department
Headquarters. The Meek collections now form the foundation
of the George F. Mand Library collection. Each FDNY
library was formed on the bedrock of the preceding library.
The George F. Mand Library is long in tradition and
accumulated knowledge. We are deeply grateful to the
previous librarians of the Department who made possible
this legacy.
Additional information about the Bureau of Training:
Programs offered at the FDNY Fire Academy
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