Ladder 24 was organized on June 1, 1901, in a large and ornate fire station at 115 West 33rd Street, in midtown Manhattan. On November 3, 1946, they moved into a new fire station, two blocks south, at 142 West 31st Street, with Engine 1. In the past, several special units, including Water Tower 1, Searchlight 21, Department Ambulance 1, High Ladder 1 and the chiefs of the Third Division were also in this fire station.

Located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, their first alarm area consists mainly of high-rise office buildings and factories, as well as the Empire State Building, Macy’s Department Store, Madison Square Garden, Pennsylvania Station and many hotels and stores. In 2005, they responded to 4,003 alarms, of which 3,005 were workers. They were the 5th busiest ladder company in Manhattan and 10th overall in the entire City for 2005.

Their current apparatus is a 1999 Seagrave model J 100 foot rearmount aerial, carrying FDNY registration number SL99006, and has several distinctive unit emblems.