Christmas at the Firehouse
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Members who lost their lives in the line of duty Christmas Eve and Christmas Day:
FIREFIGHTER JAMES F. CALNAN ENGINE 34 December 25, 1897
He was killed when the apparatus overturned while responding to an alarm. James F. Calnan was the son of William and Mary Calnan. He was of Irish descent, born in London, England of an Irish father and an English mother. James immigrated to America on 7 Jun 1870 along with his mother and four other siblings. In February of 1891, James was appointed fireman, Engine Company 13, at 99 Wooster St. in New York City. James married Sarah Jane Forrester and had issue: John, Elsie Marie and Ruth. James was killed on Christmas Day morning when the engine he was driving overturned and crushed him to death. He was trying to avoid a petrified woman and her child who were standing in the street, and when he swerved to avoid them, the wheel of the engine hit the curbstone and the engine fell on top of him. Many, many articles appear in various New York newspapers giving praise to his heroism and sacrifice. His wife, Sarah died just four years later in 1901. Son, John, died in 1904; Ruth died in 1898. They are all interred in Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, New York and none of the family have headstones. A memorial plaque honors James F. Calnan on the New York Fire Department Memorial Wall in Brooklyn. (From "The Last Alarm")
FIREFIGHTER JOSEPH FINGER LADDER 29 December 25, 1906
Fireman Joseph Finger was driving Ladder 29 back to quarters from a fire at 271 Ryder Avenue. While turning from St. Ann?s Avenue onto East 138th Street the horses bolted. Fireman Finger, not wearing a seat belt, was jerked from his seat to the ground and the wheels passed over him. Six other fireman were injured, none seriously. Once at Lincoln Hospital, doctors discovered that Fireman Finger suffered from internal injuries and six fractured ribs. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital. (From "The Last Alarm")
FIREFIGHTER BERNARD O'KANE ENGINE 227 December 25, 1927
After spending the day before putting up the Christmas tree with his family, Fireman Bernard O?Kane fell off an ice-covered roof while fighting a fire at 1015 to 1017 Putnam Avenue. He was instantly killed in the sixty-foot fall to the courtyard. A member of the Department for thirty-eight months he was married and the father of two small children. (From "The Last Alarm")
FIREFIGHTER THOMAS BARRAGRY ENGINE 241 December 24, 1938
Fireman Thomas H. Barragry of Engine 241 died of a heart attack after fighting a rubbish fire in the Long Island Railroad Freight Yard at Second Avenue and 65th Street. He was fifty-one years old and born in Country Limerick, Ireland. He was appointed to the Fire Department on August 1, 1920. He was married with three daughters. (From "The Last Alarm")
LIEUTENANT JOHN A. LYDEN ENGINE 240 December 24, 1949
20-year veteran - He died as a result of severe smoke inhalation sustained the previous day, while operating at a single-alarm fire.
FIREFIGHTER JOSEPH T. MANNINO ENGINE 219 December 24, 1953
Fireman Joseph T. Mannino of Engine 219 was run over by a truck as he was crossing Atlantic Avenue while he was on Building Inspection duty. He was a member of the Fire Department for fourteen years and was forty years old. He left a widow and a two year old child. (From "The Last Alarm")
CAPTAIN VINCENT J. McGILL ENGINE 96 December 25, 1955
He died as a result of injuries sustained while operating at an alarm.
LIEUTENANT EUGENE R. MILLER LADDER 109 December 25, 1968
21-year veteran - He died as a result of critical burns sustained while operating at a single-alarm fire on November 30th.
RIP. Never forget.
God bless all who protect others - Christmas and every day.
FIREFIGHTER JAMES F. CALNAN ENGINE 34 December 25, 1897
He was killed when the apparatus overturned while responding to an alarm. James F. Calnan was the son of William and Mary Calnan. He was of Irish descent, born in London, England of an Irish father and an English mother. James immigrated to America on 7 Jun 1870 along with his mother and four other siblings. In February of 1891, James was appointed fireman, Engine Company 13, at 99 Wooster St. in New York City. James married Sarah Jane Forrester and had issue: John, Elsie Marie and Ruth. James was killed on Christmas Day morning when the engine he was driving overturned and crushed him to death. He was trying to avoid a petrified woman and her child who were standing in the street, and when he swerved to avoid them, the wheel of the engine hit the curbstone and the engine fell on top of him. Many, many articles appear in various New York newspapers giving praise to his heroism and sacrifice. His wife, Sarah died just four years later in 1901. Son, John, died in 1904; Ruth died in 1898. They are all interred in Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, New York and none of the family have headstones. A memorial plaque honors James F. Calnan on the New York Fire Department Memorial Wall in Brooklyn. (From "The Last Alarm")
FIREFIGHTER JOSEPH FINGER LADDER 29 December 25, 1906
Fireman Joseph Finger was driving Ladder 29 back to quarters from a fire at 271 Ryder Avenue. While turning from St. Ann?s Avenue onto East 138th Street the horses bolted. Fireman Finger, not wearing a seat belt, was jerked from his seat to the ground and the wheels passed over him. Six other fireman were injured, none seriously. Once at Lincoln Hospital, doctors discovered that Fireman Finger suffered from internal injuries and six fractured ribs. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital. (From "The Last Alarm")
FIREFIGHTER BERNARD O'KANE ENGINE 227 December 25, 1927
After spending the day before putting up the Christmas tree with his family, Fireman Bernard O?Kane fell off an ice-covered roof while fighting a fire at 1015 to 1017 Putnam Avenue. He was instantly killed in the sixty-foot fall to the courtyard. A member of the Department for thirty-eight months he was married and the father of two small children. (From "The Last Alarm")
FIREFIGHTER THOMAS BARRAGRY ENGINE 241 December 24, 1938
Fireman Thomas H. Barragry of Engine 241 died of a heart attack after fighting a rubbish fire in the Long Island Railroad Freight Yard at Second Avenue and 65th Street. He was fifty-one years old and born in Country Limerick, Ireland. He was appointed to the Fire Department on August 1, 1920. He was married with three daughters. (From "The Last Alarm")
LIEUTENANT JOHN A. LYDEN ENGINE 240 December 24, 1949
20-year veteran - He died as a result of severe smoke inhalation sustained the previous day, while operating at a single-alarm fire.
FIREFIGHTER JOSEPH T. MANNINO ENGINE 219 December 24, 1953
Fireman Joseph T. Mannino of Engine 219 was run over by a truck as he was crossing Atlantic Avenue while he was on Building Inspection duty. He was a member of the Fire Department for fourteen years and was forty years old. He left a widow and a two year old child. (From "The Last Alarm")
CAPTAIN VINCENT J. McGILL ENGINE 96 December 25, 1955
He died as a result of injuries sustained while operating at an alarm.
LIEUTENANT EUGENE R. MILLER LADDER 109 December 25, 1968
21-year veteran - He died as a result of critical burns sustained while operating at a single-alarm fire on November 30th.
RIP. Never forget.
God bless all who protect others - Christmas and every day.
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In regard to LT Eugene Miller (above)... He was a Covering LT assigned to BN*33 & was working in LAD*109 on 11-30-18.....at a Fire in a 3 sty frame he got caught & severely burned on the top floor stairs when Fire blew out of the basement & up the stairs...he died later on 12-24-68 making this the 3rd LODD since i had come OTJ in Sept '68 (there were several others in the earlier part of '68).....He was a FF in ENG*306 & lived a few blocks away....after his death his Wife "shutdown".....for over 40 years she never attended to the house or to his car left to rust in the driveway....numerous FDNY Members attempted to offer help thru the years but were refused....the house eventually became a neighborhood eyesore & got so bad she was forced to move to a Home...the windows were out & there were holes in the roof....racoon's ran free in & out even after the city sealed the ground floor doors & ground floor & basement windows with wire lath & cement...i am not sure what happened with the Title but the house was finally bulldozed around 2010 ?
This Christmas story appears earlier in thread but is worth re-reading, as are other companies' stories.
Engine 231 Ladder 120 Battalion 44 - Christmas 1993
Brooklyn Box 1600, 0412 hours, December 25
At 0400 hrs on Christmas morning (1993), Watkins Street was dispatched to 1440 ENY Ave for a routine emergency. E231 FF Joe Cooney (now BC Cooney) was conversing with a young child in Apt 10B and it became apparent that the poor child would not be enjoying the Christmas experience as many of us know it. Upon being relieved from duty, FF Cooney (with his own money) went shopping on Pitkin Ave and proceeded to hand deliver toys to this child before heading home to his own family. The child's mother (obviously moved by this chain of events) decided to contact the Brooklyn Dispatchers in hope of finding out the identity of the FF who left the toys. Upon investigation, a phone call was placed to E231 informing the Officer on duty (Lt Bobby Higgins, our future Captain) of what had occurred. FF Cooney returned to work again on the Christmas 6x9, but did not tell his Brother firefighters how he had spent his Christmas morning.
Attached is the Department Letterhead forwarded up the Chain of Command to then Fire Commissioner William Feehan, informing of the actions of FF Cooney. Appropriately (during the holiday season), this letter has been posted in the Watkins Street kitchen every year since.
As then Lt Higgins so eloquently wrote, FF Cooney's actions on Christmas morning were of the highest quality and in the finest tradition of the FDNY. For that morning at least, Brownsville and Bethlehem did not seem so far apart.?
Merry Christmas from all of us on Watkins Street.
Engine 231 Ladder 120 Battalion 44 - Christmas 1993
Brooklyn Box 1600, 0412 hours, December 25
At 0400 hrs on Christmas morning (1993), Watkins Street was dispatched to 1440 ENY Ave for a routine emergency. E231 FF Joe Cooney (now BC Cooney) was conversing with a young child in Apt 10B and it became apparent that the poor child would not be enjoying the Christmas experience as many of us know it. Upon being relieved from duty, FF Cooney (with his own money) went shopping on Pitkin Ave and proceeded to hand deliver toys to this child before heading home to his own family. The child's mother (obviously moved by this chain of events) decided to contact the Brooklyn Dispatchers in hope of finding out the identity of the FF who left the toys. Upon investigation, a phone call was placed to E231 informing the Officer on duty (Lt Bobby Higgins, our future Captain) of what had occurred. FF Cooney returned to work again on the Christmas 6x9, but did not tell his Brother firefighters how he had spent his Christmas morning.
Attached is the Department Letterhead forwarded up the Chain of Command to then Fire Commissioner William Feehan, informing of the actions of FF Cooney. Appropriately (during the holiday season), this letter has been posted in the Watkins Street kitchen every year since.
As then Lt Higgins so eloquently wrote, FF Cooney's actions on Christmas morning were of the highest quality and in the finest tradition of the FDNY. For that morning at least, Brownsville and Bethlehem did not seem so far apart.?
Merry Christmas from all of us on Watkins Street.
See Firehouse Christmas Story reply # 1 on page 1 here. It was Christmas, 2002.
Neither snow, nor sleet, NOR RIPPED SANTA CLAUSE DRAWs will keep Santa from his Christmas duties.
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Love the Harlem companies that drive around and sing christmas carols to all the surrounding companies. Its really beautiful to watch and better to listen to.