"We have this picture they take of us in probie school," said Lt. Bob Hartie, a firefighter in Brooklyn.
"In probie school, they teach you the choreography, the cha-cha, the tango, and now the music starts.
Rather than lead the "probie" into Tower 2, Lieutenant Crisci ordered him to stay outside with the truck.
"There's 300 probies out of probie school they're pumping out.
Andy Johnson, a first-year firefighter, or probie, at Engine Company 278 in Sunset Park, initially shrugged off the suggestion that he have his picture taken.
The photos of firefighters who died on Sept. 11 that were released to the news media were official portraits in dress uniform or were "probie shots," taken of young firefighters when they first join the department.
KARL JOSEPH Taking the Ribbing Karl Joseph was a "probie," a probationary firefighter, at Engine Company 207 in downtown Brooklyn after joining the department in October 2000.
When he became a firefighter with Ladder Company 13 three years ago, "he was about as perfect as you can get," said his friend Chris Gainer, who graduated from the Fire Academy with him and, in longstanding firehouse tradition, became "the bad probie" while Mr. McHugh was "the good probie".
A probie, or probationary firefighter, is struck by the senior guys' aura and ease: making jokes, telling stories, deconstructing a fire, commanding respect, all in stark contrast to the probie's grunt life of doing chores and not being allowed in the TV room the first year on the job.
