NYCOMG | FDNY

“On Oct. 17, 1966, 12 firefighters were killed in what was the deadliest day for the New York City Fire Department until the 9/11 terror attacks. Two chiefs, two lieutenants and eight firefighters lost their lives as they tried to battle a fire at 22nd St. by entering a building on 23rd St. before it collapsed.”

Monday morning, October 17, 2022, we found ourselves in the midst of a commemoration of the 23rd Street fire. We stayed for a short time, gathering images, then melting away quietly so as not to be overly intrusive. Later in the day, a few of us came upon the aftermath of another scene involving FDNY. No idea what had transpired, but there were trucks and hoses and firefighters packing up to go. We’re in awe of our first responders, whether they’re firefighters, police, or military. A few of us know people who serve, even fewer actually serve. We “thank you for your service” in a more or less awkward fashion, and then we go our separate ways. The words always seem inadequate. The sacrifice of these individuals, the sacrifice of their families, is magnitudes above what most of us consider ourselves capable of. Fifty-six years later, our FDNY gathers at the scene of that terrible fire. Most of them weren’t even alive back then. They remember. We should always remember.