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Monthly Archives: August 2007

Two of Boston’s Bravest Make the Supreme Sacrifice

Firefighters Warren Payne, 53, and Paul Cahill, 55, died while fighting an early morning blaze in the West Roxbury section of Boston.   The fire located at 1726 Centre Street (the Tai Ho Restaurant), quickly spread to other attached buildings and soon escalated to a Fourth Alarm.  Both firefighters worked at the Engine 30 and Ladder 25 Firehouse.  A three ton air conditioner crashed through the roof and may have contributed to their deaths.

Photo by Mike Adaskaveg

Hub’s sad turn to bury comrades
By Michele McPhee
Boston Herald Police Bureau Chief

Thursday, August 30, 2007 - Updated: 10:28 AM ESTLast week, a contingent of Boston jakes stood in solidarity at the funerals of two FDNY bravest, killed battling a seven-alarm fire in a vacant high-rise building across the street from Ground Zero - where 343 firefighters made the ultimate sacrifice on 9-11.Now, the Boston Fire Department will bury two of its own, a sad duty that comes just days before the state’s first memorial to fallen firefighters will be unveiled in a State House ceremony on the sixth anniversary of the terror attacks.

Firefighters killed

Thursday, August 30, 2007
Prayers, flowers and remembrances fill a bench outside the West Roxbury firehouse where Paul Cahill, 55, of Scituate, and Warren Payne, 53, of Canton were stationed. The two were killed when a three-ton air conditioning unit crashed through the roof of the Tai Ho restaurant where they were fighting a blaze Wednesday night. (continued: please click here to read more) http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=1019937

Filed in News on Thursday, August 30, 2007 | Comments (1)

Gary Sinise Concert

When we first met Gary Sinise last August, via Lt. Mike Hyland, we never knew we would be adding a new van to our fleet. Who would have thought that we would be replacing the old FFT 11 and adding the new FFT 11, affectionately known as the “Lt. Dan Van.”

Gary Sinise put on a great concert for the Wall of Remembrance. Whoever did not go to this concert missed a rockin’ good time!

Gary Sinise
Gary Sinise addresses the crowd at Brooklyn College. (See more in our Photo Gallery!)

We had the distinct pleasure of transporting his band (The Lt. Dan Band) while they were in town. A highly talented group of musicians accompanied him. Here are a few pictures from that night (click for larger pictures).

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click to view Slideshow (has sound)

But that was not the highlight of the weekend for us. Below is a picture after the unveiling of the “Lieutenant Dan Van.”

Gary
Gary Sinise is all smiles posing in front of the Lt. Dan Van, as Mike Hyland looks on.

Prior to the unveiling we also remembered Jim Fassel for his donation of FFT # 1 in 2006.

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Left to right: Mike Hyland, Jim Fassel (holding his 343 plaque) Bill Schillinger, Gary Sinise, Chief Cassano, FDNY Chaplain John Delendick, and Frank Ancona.

The next morning (early!) at 6:30 am, Gary was off to do a show for the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) in New Orleans. Here he poses in front of FFT 11 at Fort Hamilton.

Pose
Left to right: Mike Hyland, Gary’s daughter Sophie Sinise, Gary Sinise, and Frank Ancona.

Our Heartfelt thanks go out to Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band. Thanks for making this past weekend a most memorable event in the annals of the FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation!

But it doesn’t stop there…

On Thursday, August 9th , 2007 I not only picked up FFT 11, of which the graphics unit of the FDNY Shops did a tremendous job on the logo, but I was also handed the official license plates for ENGINE 343.

Its maiden voyage with the official plates was made on Sunday afternoon, August 12th. We met up with the female disabled American veterans who were here for the concert, and transported them from the Memorial Wall at Engine 10 and Ladder 10 to South Street Seaport.

Disabled vet

Natasha
Natasha poses for us in front of Engine 10

Official
WE ARE OFFICIAL!

FFT 11

A final shot of FFT 11
She is a beauty!
(A 2007 Chevrolet Suburban LT)

Filed in News on Tuesday, August 14, 2007 | Comments (0)