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WTC Widow Follows Fatal Path of Bravest
Hubby, Runs in Memorial 5K
NY Daily
News 9/28/2008
The widow of hero
Firefighter Stephen
Siller, who sprinted
through the Battery
Tunnel on 9/11 to
get to the burning
towers, ran in his
footsteps for the
first time Sunday.
Sarah Siller took
part in the seventh
annual Tunnel to
Towers Run, which
honors her husband,
whose selflessness
on that tragic day
will live on
forever, she said.
"It was time," the
Staten Island mother
of five said.
"It was a very
emotional
experience, and to
go through the
tunnel and hear
everybody cheering
was amazing," said
Siller, 41, of
Staten Island.
On the morning of
Sept. 11, 2001,
Stephen Siller, 34,
a firefighter with
Squad 1 in Park
Slope, Brooklyn,
raced on foot
through the
smoke-filled tunnel
carrying 80 pounds
of gear when he
wasnot allowed to
drive to Manhattan.
He was last seen
alive at West and
Liberty Sts.; the
rest of his fire
company was already
there, and they all
perished...more>
Thousands Take Part in Stephen Siller
Tunnel-to-Towers Run
Staten
Island Advance 9/28/2008
 A
light rain was falling this
morning as the first runners
came out of the Manhattan
side of the Brooklyn-Battery
Tunnel, following in the
footsteps of an American
hero in the Firefighter
Stephen Siller
Tunnel-to-Towers Run.
The
rain beaded on the hats of
the uniformed firemen lining
the exit from the tunnel,
each one holding an American
flag or a banner with the
likeness of a firefighter;
343 banners, one for each
fireman who died on that
other September morning in
2001, a line of heroism and
heartbreak that, from down
there where the runners
exited the tunnel, seemed to
stretch forever.
"You
look at the banners and it's
like, 'I knew him ... I knew
him," retired fire
lieutenant Denis Driscoll
said. "It brings you back."
Seven
years after the hijackers
drove the planes into the
buildings, there are only
two kinds of firefighters in
New York: the older ones,
like Driscoll, the freshman
basketball coach at St.
Peter's High School, who
lost friends and co-workers
the day the hijackers drove
the planes into the
buildings ... and the young
ones like Driscoll's son,
Denis Jr., a probationary
firefighter, who went on the
job after Sept. 11, 2001.
"I went
through the list one time,"
the elder Driscoll said,
"and I figured I knew 180 of
them. I mean, I probably
knew 240 of them, knew who
they were. But I really knew
180.
"Seeing
all the faces ..." When he
looks up, his eyes are wet.
"I knew half of 'em," he
said...more>
 related...
Tunnel-to-Towers: A Celebration Rooted in
Tragedy
SI
Advance9/29/2008
Thousands Take Part In Seventh Annual Tunnel
To Towers Run
NY1 News
9/28/2008
Tunnel to Towers Run Celebrates Heroes of
9/11
WCBSTV 9/29/2008
9/11 Firefighter Faces Cancer
His Vocal Cords Were
Harmed in Surgery
Concord Monitor
9/21/2008
Bernie Cornell speaks in a
raspy voice, without the boom it had before.
That was one of Cornell's
trademarks, a voice that wrapped you in a bear
hug, no matter the topic.
Cornell's thyroid cancer is
the topic these days. And the potential
connection between the Sept. 11 attacks and his
illness. And his future as a lieutenant with the
New York City Fire Department. He's based in
Brooklyn.
Cornell, once a slugging
third baseman at Merrimack Valley High and
Plymouth State College, was diagnosed with
cancer last spring, nearly seven years after he
helped clean up the mess in lower Manhattan.
His thyroid was removed in
June, leaving him cancer free. But his vocal
cords were damaged during the surgery, leaving
him with no voice, not even a whisper.
He can speak now, but
Cornell remains out of work. The spirit and hand
movements behind the voice and words are still
there, but Cornell can't be a firefighter again
unless he can communicate clearly. And there are
no guarantees.
He traces his cancer to the
terrorist attack at the World Trade Center. The
link between the air those in the area breathed
and various ailments they now suffer is more
apparent as the years pass.
Three other 9/11
firefighters who work with Cornell at the
firehouse in Brooklyn also have cancer. A
fundraiser for the four of them will be held
next month...more>
related...
Bradford Street 4 Benefit
Details
Firefighters Help Pay It Forward
"It's the generosity New Yorkers received after
the 9-11 attacks" that started the annual New York Says Thank You
program, Kreppein said. "This pays it forward.".
The Times-Picayune 8/6/2008
Local firefighters hope to bring
truck loads of trees on the anniversary of the
Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to help rebuild a town
devastated in May by an F5 tornado.
Greensburg, Ks., has been chosen
by the New York Says Thank You Foundation for a
project to construct the Kiowa County 4H
Pavilion, a 14,000-square-foot building that
will be used as a gathering place for the
community.
Joining more than 1,400
volunteers will be local firefighters and other
volunteers from Slidell who will be leaving
Sept. 3 to make the 17-hour trip to the small
Kansas town. The local contingent will be led by
St. Tammany Fire Protection District 1 fire
inspector Erik Kreppein. Beside bringing
manpower for the effort, he hopes to fill the
beds of three pickup trucks carrying the
volunteers to the site with trees for the
town...more>
MVFD Receives Three Thermal Imaging Cameras
Mid Hudson News 7/30/2008
Mount Vernon city officials Tuesday
had expected to receive two $11,000 a piece thermal
imaging cameras from the Terry Farrell Firefighters
Fund, but were surprised when they were given three
units. The Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund was
established in memory of Terry Farrell, a decorated
member of Rescue 4/FDNY and chief of the Dix Hills
Volunteer Fire Department. Terry, along with 342 of
his brothers, perished on September 11, 2001 in the
World Trade Center attack. The Fund is set up to
assist firefighters and their families with
educational, medical and equipment needs. We support
the firefighters who serve our communities. “Today
isn’t just about receiving equipment,” Mayor Clinton
Young told the 30 firefighters present during a
presentation ceremony. “We celebrate the heroism,
patriotism, and courage of Terry Farrell and the
great work that continues to be done in his honor
through the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund. These
cameras will make your work environment much safer,
and possibly one day, save one of your lives.” “The
Fund exists for you guys, the firefighters…that is
why we’re here,” said Brian Farrell, Terry’s
brother. “Whatever firefighters need, we are going
to try to help, and Mount Vernon is no exception.”
Fire Chief Al Everett said that the cameras “would
be put to work immediately,” and that personnel had
already been trained in their use.
Remembering the Lessons of 9/11 By Helping Communities in Need
Actually, he said, “what we do is not about 9/11 —
it’s about 9/12.”
NY Times 7/29/2008
Jeff Parness describes
himself as addicted to the Weather Channel.
But he doesn’t watch it to see if he should
take his umbrella when he leaves his
apartment on the Upper West Side. He’s
looking for disasters. That’s how he learned
about Groesbeck, Tex. Groesbeck is a pencil
point on the map, about 35 miles east of
Waco. In late December 2006, a tornado
ripped through the town, killing a man and
injuring dozens of people. A mention of the
storm on the Weather Channel got Mr. Parness
to Google Groesbeck. He came across a news
story. One line caught his eye. It said that
an assisted-living center for disabled
veterans, run by James and Eva Vincent out
of their house, had been destroyed. “I was,
like, bingo!” Mr. Parness said. He wound up
last September leading a few hundred
volunteers from across the country,
including scores of firefighters and others
from New York, to Groesbeck to construct a
new home for the Vincents. “In two days we
built a 2,400-square-foot house from the
ground up,” he said. “They were this classic
prideful Texas family,” he said. “They’d
never ask anybody for help.”..more>
9/11 Rescue Workers Bike To Benefit Families
NY1 News 7/26/2008
More than 400 World Trade Center rescue and recovery
workers revved up their motorcycles Saturday morning to help
families of the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The
seventh annual Independence Ride kicked off at the corner of Church
and Vesey Streets in Lower Manhattan after a blessing of the bikes.
The ride wrapped up with a barbecue in Rockland County. The event
benefits Tuesday's Children, an organization providing services and
programs to the families of 9/11 victims. The group's president says
he expects about $10,000 to be raised. "But, it's more than the
money. It's the camaraderie that exists here," said Tuesday's
Children President Carmine Calzonetti. "It's a good feeling. It's a
great time and it's a way for these people here to give back to us
and it's a way for us to demonstrate we really appreciate it." ...more>
Two Firefighters Accompany Visually-Impaired Athletes During the NYC
Triathlon
FDNY Insider 7/24/2008
It may have been 93 degrees with 60 percent
humidity on July 20, but Firefighters Kevin White and Jeff
Pellis never noticed … they were more concerned with
jellyfish, potholes and tandem bicycles. The firefighters
each led a visually-impaired athlete in the 2008 New York
City Triathlon. “It was one of the most rewarding things
I’ve ever done,” said Firefighter White, who works at the
Fitness Unit at the Fire Academy. Firefighter White led
Charles Plaskon, 65, from Moriches, Long Island, and
Firefighter Pellis accompanied 15-year-old Jacob Goldberg
from Boca Raton, Fl., in the challenging competition. Each
found their partner through the C Different Foundation,
which creates opportunities for visually-impaired athletes
to participate in sporting events. “I wasn’t sure to expect,
but it worked out really well,” said Firefighter Pellis from
Ladder 25. “[Jacob] was a great kid.” The race began at W.
98th St. in Manhattan at the Hudson River, with the 1,500
meter swim...more>
FDNY Members Volunteer to Teach Emergency Safety Day
FDNY Insider 7/23/2008
Twenty paramedics, EMTs and firefighters
descended upon PS 177 on July 23, but they were not there to
tend to an injured student or extinguish a dangerous fire.
In fact, there was no emergency at all. The FDNY members
were there as volunteers for Emergency Safety Day, a
fun-filled educational event designed to teach blind,
visually-impaired, deaf or hearing-impaired children what to
do in case of a medical or fire emergency. “This was
something we needed to do,” said EMS Lt. Maria Garcia of
Station 20, the event organizer who also serves as President
of Parents of Blind Children of New York. “This population
of children was being overlooked.” More than 150 children
visited five educational stations during the all-day event
in Fresh Meadows, Queens. They learned about the work of
paramedics, EMTs and firefighters and the equipment they
use; toured an ambulance, fire truck and an EMS Major
Emergency Response Vehicle; practiced fire evacuation
techniques in the FDNY’s Fire Safety House; and learned what
to do when there was any emergency in their home - including
how to call 9-1-1. The event was the brainchild of Lt.
Garcia, a 17-year veteran of the EMS Command, who said she
realized her 12-year-old, legally-blind daughter, Elora, had
never been taught what to do in an emergency...more>
Photo Gallery
Lt. Christopher DiBiase Honored for His Charity Work
FDNY Insider 7/22/2008
Who says good guys always finish
last? One big-hearted FDNY hero was honored for his charity
work on July 22 by Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain and
representatives from Dunkin Donuts. Lt. Christopher DiBiase
of Battalion 19 was awarded two tickets to the final game at
Yankee Stadium and free Dunkin Donuts iced coffee for a year
for his dedicated service to the Leary Firefighters
Foundation.For several years he has helped the organization
raise millions of dollars through various fundraising
events. “This is a little surprising and a real honor,” said
a smiling Lt. DiBiase during the event at Engine 16/Ladder
7, noting that he once worked at Ladder 55, located 10
blocks from Yankee Stadium...more>
related...
Yankees' Chamberlain Honors Firefighter
NJ.com 7/22/2008
FDNY
Marine Wins Hearts and Minds In Iraq Using His New Arabic Skills
NY
Daily News 7/12/2008
 The
generals have ways of measuring progress in Iraq. But for Marine Lance
Cpl. Chris Ford, a firefighter with Ladder 56 in the Bronx when he's
not fighting wars, it comes down to talking. Ford finds himself doing
more of that with the locals in his rudimentary Arabic now than when
he arrived in western Anbar Province in March.
"They're
a lot more open, willing to talk," Ford said by phone last week
from his desert outpost near Ash Sharqat.
"My
Arabic is horrible, but I'm working on it," he said with a laugh.
Ford said that the Iraqis he encounters, particularly the kids, are
also more willing to accept the small U.S. flags he hands out on
patrols. Back in the Bronx, Fire
Capt. Bill Connolly of Engine 48 was stunned and pleased to learn the
flags he gave Ford were helping in the hearts-and-minds effort...more>
The
Bravest Meet Some Heroes
Wounded
War Vets Get Warm Reception at HQ of FDNY's Rescue 5
Staten
Island Advance 7/11/2008
 Injured
war veterans got a heroes' reception yesterday at the Concord
headquarters of FDNY Rescue Co. 5. Firefighters
gave soldiers -- including Army Capt. Ryan Miller of Elm Park -- a
tour of their equipment and rigs and the company's Sept. 11 Memorial
dedicated to its 12 brothers killed at Ground Zero.
Miller's
body was riddled with shrapnel in Baghdad last year and he has
undergone intensive rehabilitation. He
was previously the honorary starter for the 28th annual Memorial Day
Run in South Beach. Refreshments
were served to the military personnel, who also got to meet Tony
Sirico, the actor better known as Paulie (Walnuts) Gualtieri on HBO's
"The Sopranos." The vets
-- with a few British military members joining them -- then hitched
rides on fire trucks to Breezy Point in Queens, where the Wounded
Warrior Project (WWP) and Disabled Sports USA are hosting a weekend of
fun-filled, adaptive water activities for the troops...more>
A Time To Say 'Thanks'
Burlington County Times 7/18/2008
More than 100 volunteers flooded the 600
block of East Fifth Street yesterday to say 'thank you' in a very
special way. Homes For Our Troops, a nonprofit organization from
Massachusetts that builds specially adapted homes for injured
veterans, began building a house for retired Marine Staff Sgt.
Andrew Robinson and his wife, Sara. Robinson, a native of North
Hanover, was severely injured when his vehicle was attacked while
serving in Iraq in June 2006. He sustained compound fractures to his
lower legs, collapsed lungs and fractured vertebra that left him
paralyzed from the chest down with partial paralysis in his arms.
“It's not a repayment; it's just a thank you,” said Kurt Rebello,
the chief projects officer from Homes For Our Troops. “It's really
the least we could do. Andrew sacrificed so much and he will never
be the same. There is no way he could live in a regular house that
isn't adapted to fit his needs. We're just happy we can give him
one.” Robinson has been renting a house in Southern California near
where he was stationed before deployment to Iraq. He returned this
week for a glimpse of his home being built. On a day more fit for
going to the beach than construction work, the volunteers endured
the hot and sunny weather to help build the handicapped-accessible
home. By noon, several walls were standing and a few hours later,
most of the framework had been completed. “It's one thing for people
in the community to send cards or make a phone call,” said Robinson,
25, “but to see people come out and work for a full day and take off
from their jobs to come down here. It's really amazing to see the
outpouring of support.”...more>
related...
Team Builds Future for Veteran
Courier-Post Online 7/18/2008
Photo Gallery
Courier-Post Online 7/18/2008
'Wounded Warrior Project': The Road To Recovery
A Special Program To
'Rediscover The Athlete Within'
WCBS 7/15/2008
 For
many service members home from Afghanistan and Iraq, a new battle
begins to adjust to life with severe injuries. Fifty such heroes
were here recently as guests of the Wounded Warrior Project, in a
special program to rediscover the athlete within.They may be
wounded, but they are not limited. That's the driving lesson of the
Wounded Warrior Sports Festival. Paul Yarbourough lost his arms
while serving the army in Afghanistan. "It's just another thing I
can do. It's one more accomplishment. I always wanted to go skiing
and now I finally have," said Yarbourough. There's also scuba
instruction, sailing and kayaking. Many participants are still being
treated at Walter Reed Hospital, where just the possibility of going
to the event in the Rockaways is motivating patients.
"The therapists at Walter Reed tell me they're working harder at
their therapy because the folks that were here last year said not to
miss that trip to the Rockaways...Everyone's working really hard so
they can make the trip," said Flip Mullen of Wounded Warriors. The
4-day festival is encouraging not only for the soldiers, but to
their families as well. Sandra Acosta's husband lost his arm
dismantling an I.E.D. in Iraq. "When you first get hurt you think
life is over - and loot at him now - He goes to shows...he can do
anything he did before," said Acosta. Many of the Wounded Warriors
counselors, who are retired NYPD and FDNY members, teach the sports.
Others in the Rockaways open their homes to some 150 soldiers, their
families and medical personnel. Some are floored by the generosity.
"I think it's pretty amazing the whole community coming together -
it's something I've never seen before," said Daniel Acosta. Those
with the project say they are honored to be part of the road back
for these service members, who will always have a place to call
home. It was the Fourth Annual Water Sports Festival. The group also
runs a winter festival in the Catskills.
4th Annual Adaptive Water Sports Festival Offers
Wounded Soldiers Opportunities
to Water Ski, Scuba and Sail
News Blaze 6/30/2008
 As
part of the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, a partnership
between Wounded Warrior Project and Disabled Sports USA, severely
wounded soldiers from the ongoing war on terror will have the
opportunity to learn adaptive water skiing, scuba diving and other
water sports as guests at the 2008 Adaptive Water Sports Festival.
Specially trained volunteers from the Fire Department of New York
City (FDNY) will be on hand to teach these sporting skills to those
with amputations and other severe injuries. Activities for this year
include water-skiing, scuba diving, sailing and fishing. The
Adaptive Water Sports Festival will take place in Rockaway Point
(QUEENS), New York from July 10-13, 2008. The Rockaway community was
one of the hardest hit on Sept. 11, 2001 and ravaged again by the
crash of American Airlines Flight 587 just two months later. Yet,
the community proved resilient and responded with a surge of
empathy, and charitable endeavors. Most notably, the Graybeards were
formed, a non-profit dedicated to helping those in need. It is
through the Graybeards, Wounded Warrior Project and Disabled Sports
USA, that this event is again possible. "Each year I am amazed to
see these wounded soldiers water-skiing and scuba diving," stated
Wounded Warrior Project Executive Director
John Melia
. "Many able-bodied people are not brave enough to take on this
challenge and I am filled with pride to see our wounded service men
and women once again acting courageously and pushing their bodies to
the limit."" A real camaraderie has built up between our wounded
warriors and the members of the Fire Department of New York. Both
know, first hand, what it is like to put their lives on the line for
their country and community. We are honored to be working with the
New York communities as they help us rebuild the lives of our brave
wounded warriors through sports" said
Kirk Bauer
, Executive Director of Disabled Sports USA and a disabled Vietnam
veteran...more>
1st
Year of H.E.A.R.T.-felt Thank You from 9/11 First Responders
NY
Daily News 6/24/2008
 In
a heart-rending flash, Fire Department Capt. John Viola lost 14 of his
men the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. He spent the next nine months
sifting through the smoldering rubble, seeking out the remains of his
comrades in Ladder 15. Viola maintained his sanity, reading cards that
poured in from children across the country, as he toiled night after
night inside the grim pit of Ground Zero. "Now it is time to
start giving back," said Viola, 56, who retired in 2002 and lives
in Wantagh, L.I. On Thursday, Viola stood with the dozens of men -
most of them now retired police commanders, firemen and construction
workers - who combed the ruins of the World Trade Center as a team.
Together again, they celebrated the first year of their thank you to
the world. They are part of H.E.A.R.T 9/11 (Healing Emergency Alert
Response Team), a growing nonprofit comprised of Sept. 11 first
responders whose aim is to travel the country as an alliance of
relief...more>
FDNY
Honoring Charleston 9
A
golf tournament in Myrtle Beach
created six years ago to thank the New York City firefighters who
faced death at the World Trade Center is being dedicated this year to
nine fallen Charleston firefighters. The FDNY tournament later this
month will bring more than 600 firefighters from across the nation and
Canada will play on 30 Grand Strand courses. One of the nine
Charleston firefighters killed in the furniture store fire last June
was Captain Louis Mulkey, who had brought fellow firefighters to the
FDNY tournament before and volunteers to cook for the awards ceremony.
9/11
Charity Held Up as Model of How Best to Help Bereaved
Nearly
seven years after a hijacked airplane crashed into the Pentagon, the
largest charity established to help Washington area victims and their
families is closing, becoming the last major Sept. 11-related charity
to shut down. The Survivors' Fund raised $25 million from more than
12,000 area residents and businesses in the months after Sept. 11,
2001, terrorist attacks and spent it over the subsequent years
treating the grieving, the distressed and the traumatized...more>
NYC
Firefighters' Help In Greensburg Inspires New Book A
project that began this winter with the help of New York City
firefighters has now become the subject of a new book. The book called
“Greensburg’s Stars of Hope” shows how 220 Greensburg children
brightened up the barren landscape with the help of an organization
called “The New York Says Thank You Foundation.” Back in December,
Parness and a group of New York City firefighters helped the children
of Greensburg make the stars as their way of paying forward the
generosity they received after 9/11....more>
Veterans,
Firefighters to Flock to Strand This Month
The
seventh annual FDNY 9-11 Memorial Golf Outing May 21 will be dedicated
to the late Capt. Louis Mulkey and the nine Charleston firefighters
who lost their lives in a furniture store fire in West Ashley last
June. Mulkey had assisted with the tournament each year by bringing
members of his fire department to cook for the firefighters and their
families at the picnic and awards ceremony. The FDNY 9-11 tournament,
created by former New York City firefighter Kevin O'Brien, is the
world's largest firefighter golf benefit. More than 600 firefighters
from 27 states and Canada are expected to participate on 30 Grand
Strand courses this year...more>
Baskin-Robbins
Honors FDNY Firefighters
Baskin-Robbins
will again partner with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF),
in an effort to extend support to the firefighting community, by
donating $100,000 to the organization. Together, Baskin-Robbins and
the NFFF will honor 31 firefighters from across the country who have
demonstrated exemplary commitment to community service through the
newly created America's 31 Firefighting Heroes program...more>
Pair
Splits Torch Bearing Route to Honor Fallen Firefighters
When
Rick Doran, Fire Department of New York retiree, was selected by
Samsung to carry the Olympic torch through San Francisco as a part of
the Samsung Mobile Phone Samaritan Contest, no one could have
predicted the chaotic environment he and other runners were about to
enter...more>
Applications
for John F. Ginley Scholarship
The
applications for the John F. Ginley memorial scholarship are now
available at the guidance office in Warwick Valley High School. The
Ginley family established the scholarship fund in the memory of John
F. Ginley, a lieutenant with the FDNY, Engine 40, in Manhattan who
died on September 11, 2001...more>
FDNY News Archive Index
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