Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
21 Photos Of Fearless Firemen Rappelling Off The Roosevelt Island Tram
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 21, 2013
Modified Mar 21, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
View all 21
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 21, 2013
Modified Mar 21, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
[UPDATE BELOW] Yesterday a group of firefighters clambered up onto one of the Roosevelt Island tram cabins to defy gravity and sharpen their rappelling skills. Photographer Tod Seelie was out there to document all the vertiginous action over the course of four hours. This is the first of many training exercises on the tram; the department will be repeating this every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through April 24th., so be advised that tram service will be disrupted during those times.
Click through on the images in full screen mode to start your day with a vicarious thrill. (Below, some appropriate musical accompaniment.)
Update: FDNY spokesman Frank Dwyer gives us more background on the training:
Our members regularly train on complex rescue situations—high angle rescues, trench rescues and at locations like the Roosevelt Island Tram.
As we saw this week in the 2nd Avenue subway construction site, the training exercises our members conduct are crucial. Tuesday night's rescue was a complex operation and was executed perfectly by FDNY members to safely remove an individual in a life-threatening predicament.
Specific to the RI Tram, for the last 2 weeks, and over the next several weeks, FDNY members are training on rescue and patient removal operations on board the tram.
Some operations being covered:
-Bringing a rescuer to a stranded tram car over the east river
-Using a 2nd tram car to reach the stranded car and transfer patients for removal
-Lower a patient to the ground or to fireboat in the east river (depending on location of the tram car)
-Bringing an FDNY Rescue Paramedic to a tram car to treat a patient experiencing a medical emergency (Rescue Paramedics were used to treat the individual stuck in the subway construction Tuesday night. They have training specific to these incidents and are able to provide medical treatment to an individual while they are still stuck in a dangerous situation.)
FDNY trains on the RI Tram on a regular basis, these weeks of training are meant to bring even more of our members a greater familiarization with the specifics of the Tram.
These drills are performed in conjunction with the RIOC to ensure safety of residents and customers.
Tagged
fdny
firefighters
rappelling
original
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
1 killed, 4 others injured at Elizabeth, NJ vigil shooting
Prosecutors say shots were fired at the intersection of Elmwood Place and Irvington Avenue.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 27, 2026 at 2:45 p.m. ET
Police arrest man in Queens stabbings that ended with officer shooting woman
The arrest stems from a reported home invasion and stabbings on Friday.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Police arrest man in Queens stabbings that ended with officer shooting woman
The arrest stems from a reported home invasion and stabbings on Friday.
By
Ryan Kost
Early Addition: It's been a while since it rained
By
James Ramsay
Ex-boyfriend of woman found in shallow grave in Queens charged with murder, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
ICE used a warehouse in NJ. Locals are ‘frustrated’ by Sherrill’s response.
By
Mike Hayes
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .