FDNY loses another member to 9/11-related illness, firefighter orgs say
Another retired firefighter who answered duty’s call during the city’s darkest hour has died of 9/11-related illnesses, according to the FDNY.
Thomas Dunn, a former member of Engine Company 234 in Brooklyn, died Saturday of sicknesses born out of the massive response to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, the FDNY’s Family Assistance Unit said in a social media post.
“[Firefighter] Dunn served our great department with honor and dedication for 7 years; answering the call when his city needed him most,” the unit wrote. “May his memory be a blessing and may his soul rest in eternal peace.”
The Uniformed Firefighters Association — a nonprofit advocacy organization promoting the health, safety, and interests of the city’s firefighters — said its members are mourning Dunn’s death.
“His family has already endured great loss, including the passing of his brother, [firefighter] Jimmy Dunn of [Ladder] 114, eight years ago,” the organization wrote. “Please keep his father and loved ones in your prayers … NEVER FORGET.”
Several of Dunn’s former first responders posted their condolences to Facebook, with one — Peter Blaich — lamenting that his pal was “taken way too soon.”
“It seems like yesterday we were turning out and fighting fires,” Blaich wrote in one group. “I will have a toast tonight to all the brothers from Schenectady Avenue, for working with you was indeed an honor.”
More than 370 firefighters have now died of 9/11-related illnesses in the years since the terrorist attack, which killed 343 firefighters and nearly 3,000 people overall.
Dunn’s family will hold a private service in Florida, where he lived.
