I'm not sure who said it....but there is a quote that states....
"Experience is a cruel teacher. First it tests you and THEN it teaches you a lesson."
Unfortunately, on January 23, 2005, known as "Black Sunday" in the FDNY, many of my brothers found this out. Two of them made the Supreme Sacrifice on that day in the Bronx and in a separate incident in Brooklyn another brother also lost his life. Four others in the Bronx fire who found themselves trapped by fire on the top floor of four story building found the need to bail out of the windows regardless of not being able to get to the fire escape or having ladders or ropes to descend. They simply jumped down after multiple Maydays as the alternative was certain death in the apartment. Needless to say, the injuries all of those men received were horrific. One of those men found his pain from those injuries just too much to take any longer and took his own life a few days ago.
To me, his death goes back to that Sunday as his life was never the same since. Joe was a great man...and if you watch the video, you will see he was willing to lay his life down for others....and this department will miss him greatly.
R.I.P. Joe
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tu47dUuTwP8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Here is the story about his death in the Daily News..
But as I have found the last few days difficult to take, on Thanksgiving another incident happened that reinforces(to me at least) why we do the things we do. This story, in my mind is also the story of Joe D, Lt. Meyren(deceased)....FF Bellew(deceased) and the other great men I work with. It's funny how life is a delicate balance sometimes. I'm not saying that this story erases some of the nasty things that we go through, but to me....it helps.
Just thought I'd share.
No need to reply, I just had the urge to get it out there for Joe D.
....and I must apologize, I just realized that I always knew Joe as a fireman, but he was promoted to Lt. sometime after that day.
M.K.
Knight165
"Experience is a cruel teacher. First it tests you and THEN it teaches you a lesson."
Unfortunately, on January 23, 2005, known as "Black Sunday" in the FDNY, many of my brothers found this out. Two of them made the Supreme Sacrifice on that day in the Bronx and in a separate incident in Brooklyn another brother also lost his life. Four others in the Bronx fire who found themselves trapped by fire on the top floor of four story building found the need to bail out of the windows regardless of not being able to get to the fire escape or having ladders or ropes to descend. They simply jumped down after multiple Maydays as the alternative was certain death in the apartment. Needless to say, the injuries all of those men received were horrific. One of those men found his pain from those injuries just too much to take any longer and took his own life a few days ago.
To me, his death goes back to that Sunday as his life was never the same since. Joe was a great man...and if you watch the video, you will see he was willing to lay his life down for others....and this department will miss him greatly.
R.I.P. Joe
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tu47dUuTwP8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Here is the story about his death in the Daily News..
But as I have found the last few days difficult to take, on Thanksgiving another incident happened that reinforces(to me at least) why we do the things we do. This story, in my mind is also the story of Joe D, Lt. Meyren(deceased)....FF Bellew(deceased) and the other great men I work with. It's funny how life is a delicate balance sometimes. I'm not saying that this story erases some of the nasty things that we go through, but to me....it helps.
Just thought I'd share.
No need to reply, I just had the urge to get it out there for Joe D.
....and I must apologize, I just realized that I always knew Joe as a fireman, but he was promoted to Lt. sometime after that day.
M.K.
Knight165
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