CARLA FIREY
Firehouse.com News

Despite the tragic occasion, a sense of camaraderie filled the Amtrak train car that carried over a dozen firefighters to the Friday funeral service for John Downing, one of the firefighters killed in the New York Father’s Day fire.

Amtrak provided special designated cars to firefighters traveling from Boston and Washington to New York.

Transportation was free of charge to members of the fire service who wished to attend the funerals on Thursday or Friday. A similar special train took firefighters from Providence, R.I. to the Worcester, Mass. firefighters memorial service in 1999.

Pete Vagdodikz, of the D.C. Fire Department, gave Amtrak "kudos" for their support. "I try to make as many funerals as I can," said Vagdodikz.

Dave Reed, of the IAFF Local 1045 Color Guard, was grateful for the kindness of Amtrak. "We were treated like dignitaries," he said, "which we are not. We are just working guys paying our respects to other working guys."

No complaints were heard among the firefighters who rose to catch the 6:00 a.m. train from Washington, D.C. Though many of them were from different states and different departments, they united to show support for their fallen brothers.

Firefighters Jimmy Poindexter and Steve Forren from the Salem Fire Department in Virginia, left their homes at 12:20 a.m. for the four hour drive to the Amtrak station. "We haven’t been to bed since yesterday morning," said Forren, "and we have to be back to work at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow."

The two men expressed their appreciation for the free Amtrak ride. "We’re going to show our support," said Poindexter, "and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without the free transportation."

Other firefighters on the train explained the reason for their journey. "Firefighters have a common bond," said Jerry Wilhelm of the D.C. Fire Department. "Even though I’ve never met any of these guys, it’s a brotherhood. That’s what it means to me."

Many firefighters expressed a desire to reciprocate the respect they’ve received from NYFD members. "We’ve had three line of duty deaths in the past few years," said Tom Thornhill, a firefighter with the D.C. Fire Department. "The guys from New York always come down ... We want to show them the same kind of support they show us."

The firefighters grieved for their lost comrade as they discussed the close-knit atmosphere of the profession. "When you talk to your brother or sister firefighter about the job," said Captain Brian Brendel of the Fairfax County Fire Department, "They understand you no matter where in the world they come from. They may do some things slightly different, but the bottom line is still the same."

"It’s a close knit brotherhood," said Vagdodikz. "You’re all doing the same job, putting your life on the line. You think about this happening to you or your family, and you feel their pain. You want to go and show your support."