Capt. James Mills of L-128 addresses the crowd at his company's centennial as Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano, Chief of Department Edward Kilduff and other officials look on.
 

Members past and present gathered on the apparatus floor of Ladder 128 in Long Island City on Feb. 5 to celebrate a milestone - the company’s centennial.

“The qualities that make a good firefighter today are the same as 100 years ago - bravery, honor, dedication to duty and teamwork,” said Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano.

The members of Ladder 128 played important roles battling the Chiclet factory fire of 1976, a 10-alarm fire on the Brooklyn waterfront in 2006 and during the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Chief of Department Edward Kilduff commended the firefighters for their exemplary knowledge of the neighborhood’s diverse structures - including residential high-rise buildings, rail yards and commercial factories.

Members recently received a unit citation from FDNY for a February 2009 incident in which they rescued a man who was dragged and pinned by a tractor trailer after it was struck by a locomotive at Review Avenue and Laurel Hill Boulevard.

A plaque honoring the company's 100 years was unveiled during the ceremony.

FDNY Chaplain Msgr. John Delendick blessed the plaque as Commissioner Salvatore Cassano,

Chief Edward Kilduff and the honor guard stood by.

 

“This is an extremely challenging area,” he said. “That’s why you have great leadership, great members and outstanding officers promoted out of this company.”

Several veterans of Ladder 128 have become Chiefs at FDNY, including Assistant Chief Joseph Pfeifer, who is Chief of the FDNY’s Counterterrorism and Preparedness Center, and Deputy Chief Robert Strong of Division 11.

“The quality and caliber of the men and women in this job never cease to amaze me,” said Ladder 128 Capt. James Mills. “From the new guys to the senior firefighters, I think we’re moving in the right direction and we’re prepared to meet the challenges of the next 100 years.”

Ladder 128, which shares quarters with Engine 259, had their firehouse renovated just last year.

Among the many retired members attending the ceremony was Firefighter John Killcommons, who joined the FDNY in 1960, and retired after 30 years of service at Ladder 128.

“This is just remarkable,” he said.