Ep72: Kyle Zappia - The E.M. Cotter, the World’s Oldest Active Fireboat, Right Here in Buffalo

John sits down with Kyle Zappia, President of the Edward M. Cotter Conservancy. The E.M. Cotter is the oldest active fireboat in the world - built in 1900, docked at 155 Ohio Street since the day it arrived in Buffalo, and still breaking ice and responding to fires on the waterfront today. Kyle retired after 20 years with the Buffalo Fire Department, got restless, showed up at the boat to volunteer a few hours a week, and a year later was running the whole conservancy.   The conversation covers the full 126-year history of the Cotter: the 10,000 people who lined the pier when it arrived in 1900, the coal-fired engines and Morse code dispatch system of the early era, the 1928 oil barge explosion that destroyed the boat and killed the engineer, the four Caterpillar diesel engines installed in 1954 that are still running today, and the conservancy’s current campaign to replace the two propulsion engines and transmissions and keep it going for another 50 years. Kyle also talks about what it physically feels like to run into a burning building, the South Buffalo fire where a man was pulled alive from a house that was fully engulfed, and why the brotherhood of the fire service is something you can’t put a price on. And he explains why losing the Cotter would not just be a historical tragedy - it would leave Buffalo without the only vessel capable of breaking ice jams that protect Erie County communities from catastrophic flooding. **Enjoying the episode?** Subscribe, leave a review, and share *Angles with John Richmond* with a friend. 🎧 New episodes every week. Visit www.richmondvona.com/angles-podcast/ for more 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @anglesjohnrichmond @johnrichmondlaw @richmondvona 🎥 Follow us on TikTok: @richmondvona @johnrichmondesq 📺 Watch on YouTube: @angleswithjohnrichmond Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576886611238 > **Disclaimer:** *This episode is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the guest and host are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Angles Podcast does not endorse any specific health claims, products, services, or treatments mentioned in this episode. Listeners should consult qualified professionals for advice tailored to their individual circumstances.*