FDNY Sons Honor Lost Firefighter Fathers

FDNY Sons Honor Lost Firefighter Fathers

A split image shows firefighter Frank Palombo, who died on 9/11, and his son Thomas Palombo, who is also an FDNY firefighter.
Left to right: Frank Palombo, who died on 9/11, and his son Thomas Palombo. Photo courtesy of the FDNY.

Two firefighters are honoring the legacy of their fathers who died in the line of duty just months apart, according to the New York Daily News.

Thomas Palombo, 24, and Harry Ford Jr., 27, were among the 310 probationary firefighters that graduated Tuesday in Brooklyn.

On June 17, 2001, Ford’s namesake was one of three firefighters who died from the Rescue 4 team in a burning warehouse in Astoria, Queens. The blaze became known as the Father’s Day Fire.

Three months later, Frank Palombo was called to the World Trade Center with Brooklyn unit, Ladder 105.

"I was in school. I remember my friend across the hall was like, ‘A plane just hit a building,’" Palombo told the Daily News. "I knew my dad was at work, but he was in Brooklyn so I thought there was no way."

The late Firefighter Harry S. Ford and his son Harry Ford Jr.

The late Firefighter Harry S. Ford (left) and his son Harry Ford Jr.

Both men have found strength through their training.

“It’s been a dream coming, meeting people that knew him, hearing how he was with them,” Ford said. “It’s really good to know these people are looking out for me ... It means everything to me, to be able to get through this and live up to the name.”

Palombo remembers his father’s firehouse taking care of him, his mother and nine other siblings.

"In the months leading after that ... all the firefighters from 105 and (Engine) 219 were coming to my house constantly. They were always there throwing the ball with us," Palombo said. "There was a brotherhood always there, cooking us dinner, taking care of us. They spent time away from their families to come to us."

By 9/11 Memorial Staff

Stair Climb Honors Fallen Firefighters

Stair Climb Honors Fallen Firefighters

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Past climb participant rings silver fire bell in honor of a fallen firefighter (Photo courtesy of the 9/11 Stair Climb Committee)

A Wisconsin community is currently organizing a 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb to honor the 343 New York City firefighters who died in the 9/11 attacks and a Colby, Wis., firefighter who died earlier this year, the Wausau Daily Herald reported.

Participants will climb 110 stories of an office tower in Wausau to represent the number of floors that once scaled the twin towers, and they will be given a photo and badge of one the fallen firefighters to take with them on their climb, according to the report. Upon completion of the climb, participants will have the opportunity to ring a silver fire bell in honor of the firefighters.

Funds raised at the climb will be donated to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. The event will be held on Sept. 8 and is open to the public.

By Allyson Philobos, Communications Associate for the 9/11 Memorial  

Fundraising for 9/11 Memorial fuels firefighters' run across U.S. (Updated)

Here's a broadcast from an Arizona news station reporting on the "Tour of Duty" run, a 9/11 fundraising event first reported on The MEMO blog.

The route of the run is from the coast of Los Angeles to the island of Manhattan. The runners, who are firefighters, hope to raise money in support of the 9/11 Memorial and the first responders who were killed in the 2001 attacks, organizers said.  The LA-to-NYC run consists of a 31-day continuous relay run that began Aug. 12 and finishes on the ninth anniversary of the 2001 attacks.

Check out the entire route that spans more than 4,600 miles, organizers said.  Keep up with the runners and all they encounter on the road by logging on to the Tour of Duty blog.

 By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial 

WTC steel arrives at Louisiana firehouse after years-long wait

WTC steel arrives at Louisiana firehouse after years-long wait

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A 20-foot beam from the remains of the destroyed World Trade Center was greeted with bowed head, tears and prayer when it was recently received at a fire district in Louisiana.

According to a St.Tammany News report by Suzanne Le Breton, Fire District 12 Deputy Chief Steve Krentel has been trying to get a piece of WTC steel for use for a memorial for years. The beam reportedly arrived this month on a trailer, draped in an American flag, "serving as a reminder of the many coffins holding firefighters and other first responders that were laid to rest in the days and months following September 11."

The beam is to be used as a centerpiece for a proposed memorial proposed at the fire station at the intersection of Louisiana Highway 36 and Louisiana Highway 32 in Covington, La., about 42 miles north of New Orleans on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain. The fire district plans to erect the memorial featuring the beam in time for the upcoming anniversary of Sept. 11

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which is building the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, is seeking proposals from public and city agencies and not-for-profit groups interested in acquiring a piece of 9/11 World Trade Center steel for public display. Tons and tons of WTC steel are being stored at a JFK airport hangar.  Communities across the country are receiving pieces of remnant steel.

Several large pieces of WTC steel will be part of the exhibition experience of the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which is scheduled to open in 2012.

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial

Remembering 9/11 with group run from LA to NYC

Remembering 9/11 with group run from LA to NYC

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They are used to running into burning houses.

Now a group of firefighters from Down Under will run from the coast of Los Angeles to the island of Manhattan in support of the nearly 3,000 victims - including "411 first responders" who died on Sept. 11. The LA-to-NYC run is called the Tour of Duty and consists of a 31-day continuous relay run starting  Aug. 12, 2010 and finishes on the ninth anniversary of the 2001 attacks.

The core group of running firefighters are from Australia. They've trained for more than 18 months while continue to battle blazes and save lives. They hope their firefighting comrades will join in the run as the relay passes several states, including Las Vegas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Orleans, Memphis, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Check out the entire route that spans more than 4,600 miles.

The blaze battling Aussies, who are spearheading the coast-to-coast run, traveled to New York City on Monday and gathered a few feet from the Brooklyn Bridge, blocks away from the Tour of Duty finish line. New York City firefighter Bryan Bean met with his Australian counterparts  to chat about the upcoming event and to show solidarity.  He said of the month-long run: "It's a great challenge and this is why we are here."

By Michael Frazier, Sr. Communications Manager for the 9/11 Memorial

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