Ordinary Heroes by Joseph Pfeifer

Author:Joseph Pfeifer [Pfeifer, Joseph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-09-07T00:00:00+00:00

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As bodies were found, the funerals and memorial services began. Among the first, on September 15, had been the funerals for Chief Pete Ganci and Father Mychal Judge, the chief of department and its beloved chaplain.

On September 10, the day before his death, Father Judge had given a homily at the rededication of the Bronx firehouse Engine 73 and Ladder 42. The words of his talk proved he knew the life of firefighters, and they proved prophetic.

“That’s the way it is,” he told those gathered in the firehouse. “Good days. And bad days. Up days. Down days. Sad days. Happy days. But never a boring day on this job. You do what God has called you to do. You show up. You put one foot in front of another. You get on the rig, and you go out and you do the job—which is a mystery. And a surprise. You have no idea when you get on that rig. No matter how big the call. No matter how small. You have no idea what God is calling you to. But he needs you. He needs me. He needs all of us.”

After those first two funeral services, I attended dozens of FDNY memorials and funerals.

As firefighters, we think of ourselves as having two families—our family at home and the firehouse family. Every holiday is divided between time at home with family and working at the firehouse. When a firehouse suffers a line-of-duty death of one of its members, firefighters feel like they have lost a brother or sister and are compelled to take care of the fallen firefighter’s grieving family. It is a special part of Fire Department culture to arrange funeral details, provide for the needs of the spouse and children, do necessary repairs to the family’s house and vehicles, generally help however we can. It is a deeply emotional time for the firehouse, and everyone bonds together. As the number of line-of-duty deaths rose to 343, the needs became overwhelming. Yet we tried.

In my brother’s firehouse, the members of Engine 33 and Ladder 9 cared for ten families of fallen firefighters and fire officers. Since I was working endless hours with no days off, members of Engine 33 drove my father to his prostate cancer treatments. My parents could have taken Access-A-Ride, but just being with a firefighter from my brother’s firehouse meant more to them than anything else. It was a way for my parents and the firefighter to feel close to Kevin.

A huge dry-erase board at the firehouse listed each day’s wake, funeral, or memorial service for a fallen brother. Some days had a half dozen listed. If you are not working, you are expected to attend your fellow firefighter’s funeral. In previous years, it was not unusual for 8,000 firefighters in uniform to line the streets at the funeral to pay our last respects as the caisson—a special fire engine fitted with a lift—carried the firefighter’s coffin to the burial place. It

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