NASHVILLE - Four distinguished contributors were inducted into the Firehouse Hall of Fame during a special event at Nashville’s Walk of Fame Park as part of the Legends & Icons program at Firehouse Expo. Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Tim Sendelbach opened the event by sharing that the Hall of Fame gives him more pride in the work that he does with Firehouse than perhaps all of his other duties, as it gives us the opportunity to recognize our own. He then highlighted the myriad accomplishments of Francis L. Brannigan, Harry Carter, Barry Furey and Paul F. Hashagen, and explained the key role each member played in building the Firehouse brand and serving the fire service.
Francis L. Brannigan
Francis (“Frank”) L. Brannigan began his fire service career in 1938. He joined the Navy in 1941, serving in various fire service capacities, including those with the Norfolk, VA, Shipboard Firefighting School. In 1953, Brannigan was appointed the first fire and safety specialist/public safety liaison officer for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. During his career, Brannigan developed fire preplanning strategies and courses as well as unique training approaches designed to reduce firefighter fatalities. He is known for his book Building Construction for the Fire Service, and he originated the saying, “The Building Is Your Enemy. Know Your Enemy.” Brannigan wrote his first article on building construction for Firehouse Magazine in 1989, and was a featured speaker at Firehouse Expo events. He was named a fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers in 1999.
Chris Brannigan, Frank’s son, accepted the award on behalf of Frank, who passed away in 2006. Chris read from an article he wrote shortly after his father passed, and emphasized that his father, known as “the old professor,” accomplished his mission in life of being a firefighter.
Dr. Harry Carter
Harry Carter, PhD, has served as a fire protection consultant based in Adelphia, NJ, as well as chairman of the Board of Commissioners in Howell Township Fire District 2. He retired from the Newark Fire Department as a battalion commander in 1999. Dr. Carter is a life member of the Adelphia Fire Company, serving as chief in 1991. As a Firehouse Magazine contributing editor, he wrote his first Command Post column in 1990 and has presented at Firehouse Expo events since the 1980s. Dr. Carter is a life member and past president of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) and life member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). He is the past president of the U.S. branch of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) of Great Britain.
Carter said he was honored to be a part of the Firehouse family, and noted that we are all who we are because of the many people around us, thanking his friends and family for their support throughout his career.
Barry Furey
Barry Furey began his fire service career in 1970 with the Valley Cottage, NY, Fire Department for which he ultimately served in all ranks, including chief. During his public safety career, he has managed 9-1-1 centers and served as a volunteer fire officer in multiple states. A Firehouse contributing editor, Furey began writing on communications-related topics for Firehouse Magazine in 1984, later penning the Fire Dispatch column. He served as the executive director of the Knox County, TN, Emergency Communications District for 10 years, and then as the director of the Raleigh-Wake, NC, Emergency Communications Center until 2014, at which time he began offering consulting and training services in emergency communications.
Furey, known as the “quiet communicator,” encouraged attendees to share what they have learned and to give more than a passing glance at the topic of communications in the fire service, as it may not be as flashy as fire attack or rescue, but integral to the success of any operation.
Paul Hashagen
Paul Hashagen began fighting fires in 1976. In 2003, he retired from the FDNY after 25 years of service, with 20 of those in Rescue Company 1 in Manhattan. He has also served as chief of the Freeport, NY, Fire Department. Hashagen is the author of eight books, including the official FDNY history book, Fire Department City of New York: The Bravest, An Illustrated History, published in 2000. He also wrote One Hundred Years of Valor: Rescue Company 1, which was published in 2015 and won “Best Non-Fiction” in the New York Book Festival. Hashagen has written numerous feature articles and lectures on the history of the fire service. His column Rekindles appeared in Firehouse Magazine from 1995 to 2015.
In his acceptance speech, Hashagen thanked his family and friends, as well as all the firefighters who came to help on 9/11, specifically those who went to the firehouses and attended the funerals—things that the members of the FDNY simply could not do because of the relentless work required at Ground Zero. He also encouraged everyone to remember those who are having a hard time right now—responders in Texas, Puerto Rico and California.
Firehouse Hall of Fame member Chief Alan Brunacini, who passed away on Oct. 15, was also recognized during the ceremony, and his Hall of Fame panel was lit in green, his favorite color.
