FDNY, NYPD Hold Solemn Tribute For Battalion Chief Michael Fahy
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Black and purple bunting was placed outside a Bronx firehouse Wednesday for an FDNY battalion chief who was killed in a house explosion.
The bunting now hangs on the 19th battalion firehouse on Walton Avenue where FDNY Battalion Chief Michael Fahy served.
Wednesday morning, members of the FDNY and the NYPD gathered outside the firehouse for a moment of silence and a salute.
Battalion 19 Commander Brian Fink said Fahy was "a great family man, took care of his wife and kids, coached his kids' teams."
"But most of all, he was a good friend to all of us, and we're going to miss him," Fink said.
Fahy's closest friends who came up with him in the department said he died doing a job he truly loved.
"When he was here, firefighters loved him, they loved to see him walk through the front doors," Capt. Brendan Deehan said. "He was a pleasure to work with."
"Obviously the loss is tremendous for us, and I know everybody here feels terrible that his three children were left to grow up without him," Chief Mike Woods said. "But we're going to do our best to make sure his memory lives on forever."
Additional photos of Fahy and his family can be found here.
Mayor Bill de Blasio also ordered city flags to fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset until interment.
Tuesday morning, Fahy and several fire units responded to calls of a gas odor at a home on West 234th Street. He was on the scene for about an hour, directing operations from the street, when the FDNY said the two-story home exploded.
Fahy was hit and killed by flying debris.
The 17-year veteran was described as a "rising star" in the department and a dedicated family man who was married with three young children.
Fahy once planned to be a lawyer and graduated law school at the top of his class before passing both the New Jersey and New York boards. He chose instead to follow his heart and become a firefighter, CBS2's Hazel Sanchez reported.
Fahy's funeral is set for Saturday at the Annunciation Church in Yonkers.
A donation page has been set for the Fahy family. If you'd like to donate, visit fdnyfoundation.org/donate and select the "Chief Michael J. Fahy Children's Educational Fund."
