Actually, the practice for the '64 riots happened in the hot summer of 1963, when in the formerly all-white rental areas were being taken over.
As I recognize now, it was the activists who were drumming up loud block parties and revelry that was quite disturbing. I was moving into the area, and for a few months rented half a duplex on Magnolia Street, just off Genesee. A lot of loud parties heard several blocks away toward Plymouth distressed me.
By the next year, my new house was finished out in Chili, and I had joined the Gates-Chili Volunteer Fire Company #1, which hosted the full-time dispatcher's office with all the city and county fire and police radios. Because of the involvement of the city fire companies, our trucks from the immediately adjacent suburbs were called in to fill in for the city hose companies called out to quell the riots. Most of us were continually listening to the fire and police radios, and we heard things that were never reported, probably for fear of exacerbating what was already in progress. When we were to be called in to the city, we were advised by the dispatcher that when we came, to make sure we brought in every hydrant wrench we had, and that was not just for opening the hydrants, but to physically protect ourselves and our hose lines in case we had to enter the fray.
As it turned out, we did not, but the city firemen did have to use them. I don't know if you've ever seen one of those wrenches, but it had a two-foot steel pipe handle topped off with a 5-sided brass socket bigger than a good-sized man's fist.
I remember those riots well. I now live in Wilmington, DE where in 1969 the same kind of riots were fomented. One of my current friends served in the National Guard at the time, when the city was locked down under militia law for about 6 months. He was one of the Guardsmen that enforced that law, and has related his stories of the burning and looting that happened in those days.
Folks, you really don't want to have this happen, but if it does, you'd better be prepared for it, and you' better know what racism really means, especially when it is exhibited toward citizens with light-toned hides.
imardmd1, my family moved to the 19th Ward in 1968, then out to Gates, just across the Chili line off of Westside Dr. My wife and I tried to make a go of it in the 19th Ward after we got married and we fled in 1995 to North Chili, as our portion of the neighborhood went bad and we and our kids became targets because we're white. Yes, there's terrible racism that festers in the black and hispanic communities in Rochester, but city officials, the local media and of course, the SJWs are in denial about it and instead blame white people for all of their ills. To me at least, it's a hopeless situation and when I retire in a few years, I'm headed out to join my younger son, daughter in law and grandson in Colorado. I'm urging my daughter and older son to do the same and join me in moving there. Not only is Rochester a sinking ship, but New York State as well!