Firehouse was recently offered these vintage Paul Thayer photos of FDNY firefighters in action from the 1950s to the 1970s that provide a captivating look at the "war years" in New York City.

Many of the firehouses are plagued by cracked and moldy ceilings and walls and other foundation issues, the UFA says.

When former FDNY Lieutenant Allen “Butch” Williams (bottom row, far right) started his career in Ladder 175 in the 1970s, most fire houses looked like this.

The senior leaders in the FDNY had been there during the war years — the tough times in the city in the 1970s and 1980s. That type of leadership was very difficult to replace.