Updates: Funeral/Viewing Info |
New York Post Astoria Fire Heroes Fund |
New York Weeps for Three Fallen Bravest |
2 Teens Questioned in Deadly NY Fire |
Amtrak and Firehouse.com Announce Free Rail Travel to Funerals
LON SLEPICKA
Firehouse.com News
AP World Wide Photos/Matt Moyer
Firefighters from Rescue Company 4 in the Queens borough of New York hang memorial bunting on the station house Monday.
|
FDNY firefighters spent the morning draping purple and black bunting around the bay doors of Rescue 4 at 6418 Queens Blvd where deceased firefighters Harry Ford and Brian Fahey were stationed and Engine 325, Hook and Ladder 163 at 4126 Fifty-first Street where deceased firefighter John Downing worked.
News organizations gathered outside of the station to listen to firefighters talk about their fallen comrades. Jack Corcoran, 52 Battalion Chief, spoke of Harry Ford, "everybody's best friend." "He knew more about being a firefighter than most people will ever learn. It's never going to be easy around here without Harry. Harry Ford epitomized Rescue 4."
For firefighter John Gaine, it was toughest because he heard Brian Fahey calling for help from the basement on his radio. "We went into the store to locate the fire. We heard the explosion beneath in the basement. It knocked us over and we put out many mayday calls. We tried to get Brian out."
"I heard Brian call twice, 'I'm trapped under the stairs please come and get me.' We cut through the floor trying to get to the basement," Gaine said. "The engine was protecting us but fire was blowing out the holes. About three minutes later we heard Brian call again. We were unsuccessful."
More
Interact
Peter Matthews/Firehouse Magazine
The facade of the building hours after the last firefighter was pulled from the rubble
Historical Perspective
Related Links
Elsewhere
|
Fellow firefighters put their arms around Gaine as he described the situation.
Fahey was a teacher. He taught high angle rope rescue at the FDNY Academy. "He was acting as a teacher when he was calling us, I could hear it in his voice. He was calm," said Gaine. Fahey was also an instructor in confined space indcidents.
Corcoran called Rescue 4 "Heartbreak Hotel" in front of the station street signs, Lt. Thomas Williams' Place, who died February 25, 1992, and firefighter Peter F. McLaughlin Way, who died October 8, 1995, adorning the street. Inside the station a plaque honors Lt. Thomas Dore who was killed in the line of duty in 1955.
At Hook and Ladder 163, news organizations photographed a 1992 photo of Downing carrying a LaGuardia airport plane crash victim to safety. He was called by his fellow firefighters "a gentle giant."
When the call came in to the Astoria Boulevard fire, Downing was sitting smoking a cigar and drinking a Pepsi. He stuck the cigar in the ashtray and left the Pepsi as he dashed to drive the truck to the scene. The cigar and Pepsi remained there today.
Sunday was supposed to be Downing's last day at work before he and his wife and two children left for a much-anticipated vacation in Ireland to visit relatives. Now, Downing's Irish relatives are expected in New York this week to attend his funeral.
Firefighter Jerry Brannigan was on the exterior when the explosion occurred. He and other firefighters were knocked across the street. He and others ran back to the building knowing that men were trapped under the fallen brick and mortar.
Injured himself, he helped to pull the others away and discovered Lt. Brendan Manning. "He was semi-conscious, and his words were 'How are the men? How are the men?'" Brannigan said. "He was bleeding from the face, his mask had been knocked off. His thoughts were for his men," he said, "even as he lost consciousness."
Manning is in serious but stable at New York City Hospital. Firefighter Joseph Vosilla, of Ladder Company 116 was also injured and is in critical condition at Elmhurst Hospital Center.
Lt. Nick D'Alessandro, who was on the engine with Downing, said, "It's amazing the firefighters were able to focus on their job. Everybody was doing their job even though they knew their brothers were missing. Please, everybody, pray for the families."
Lt. Mark Boyd from 163 said Downing was like the Pope going down the road. "In the rig, everybody would wave to him."
AP Photos/Jeff Zelevansky
A makeshift memorial stands before the wreckage of the Long Island General Supply Co., in the Astoria section of Queens.
|
Firefighters at both stations were quiet and subdued, and looked to each other for support. As they spoke of their fallen comrades, arms were draped around each other and murmurs of support were whispered in their ears. Tears were commonplace and often they were too choked up to even speak.
Neighbors around the stations slowly drove by, sometimes stopping to ask questions of the news reporters. Those who hadn't heard the news were distraught at the Father's Day tragedy.
Lon Slepicka is reporting from New York. Carla Firey, Peter Matthews and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More
Related Links
Historical Perspective
|
New York Weeps for Three Fallen Bravest