Ten years have passed since three New York city firefighters died on what is now known as Black Sunday, reports The New York Daily News.
Their tragic story has been used over the years to help train countless firefighters all over the country.
Survivor Brendan Cawley, who was a young probationary firefighter back in 2005, relives the painful experience on a regular basis, saying it’s vital to teach others and honor the supreme sacrifice of his colleagues.
“Maybe every firefighter can go to work and be a little bit safer,” he said.
Friends, family and colleagues gathered Saturday for an 11 a.m. memorial Mass and service at Engine 46 and Ladder 27 in the Bronx to pay homage to the brave trio.
“Sometimes you really feel like it happened yesterday,” said Eileen Bellew, whose husband Firefighter John Bellew was killed in the Bronx fire.
“Sometimes you feel like it happened 100 years ago.”
That day, on Jan. 23, 2005, firefighters responding to a call in a Bronx building soon found themselves in smoke-filled maze of illegally divided apartments.
Six firefighters were forced to jump from the fourth floor.
Lt. Curtis Meyran of Battalion 26 and Bellew of Ladder Company 27 died from their injuries that day.
Cawley and Firefighter Eugene Stolowski of Ladder 27, as well as Firefighter Jeffrey Cool and Firefighter Joseph DiBernardo of Rescue 3, suffered critical injuries.
Just hours later, Firefighter Richard Sclafani was killed fighting a fire in Brooklyn.
“That was a horrific day in the history of the FDNY,” said Uniformed Firefighters Association President Steve Cassidy.
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