At the lieutenant's firehouse, black and purple bunting had been mounted by Sunday afternoon.
Its downtown is a hodgepodge of ambitious designs, from the Spanish colonial row houses, to the neo-Classical-style high school modeled after Grand Central Terminal, to the red and black candy-striped wooden firehouse on the town square.
"Secret Service only wanted the people that were working that tour there, and it is unfortunate that some provisions could not be made for the only black firefighter in the firehouse to be there also," said Michael Marshall, a fire lieutenant in the department and the first vice president of the Vulcan Society.
Rarely a day goes by without somebody papped at Chiltern Firehouse's imposing black gates – because, of course, this is where we are – for the Sidebar of Shame.
Even after the financial crisis and notable missteps — threatening to close firehouses, appointing Cathie Black to run the schools, cleansing Zuccotti Park — Bloomberg has remained personally popular.
Even after the financial crisis and notable missteps threatening to close firehouses, appointing Cathie Black to run the schools, cleansing Zuccotti Park Bloomberg has remained personally popular.
Firefighters and police officers also gathered outside the firehouse as some placed black and purple bunting over the building's towering dark red doors.
Now the 77th Street firehouse is covered in black construction netting, as the inside is being completely rebuilt by the Department of Design and Construction in a $4 million renovation.
The lone black firefighter attached to the Midtown firehouse visited by President Obama on Thursday was not allowed to be there during the event because he was not officially on duty, a decision that drew criticism from the Vulcan Society, an organization of black firefighters.
When they returned, several hours later, orange flames and black smoke were billowing from their firehouse and firefighters from another company were spraying water everywhere, trying to bring the situation under control.
Cheyane Caldwell, a leader in the Stentorians, a group that has represented black firefighters since the days of segregated firehouses.
