KEEP BACK 343 FEET

Have you ever noticed the “KEEP BACK 343 FEET” on the back of fire engines, fire trucks, and ambulances? What an odd number you might be thinking. But you know what? It’s a very specific and very special number. 343 is the number of FDNY firefighters who lost their lives on 9-11. A majority of fire departments across the country have elected to incorporate this tribute into the standard distance warning as a way to carry these firefighters’ memory forward on every call.