carlitoswa's blog: "F.D.N.Y. 9-11-01"

This memorial Is Dedicated To My Good Firefighters Friends And Brothers Firefighter/EMT Hector Tirado, Firefighter/EMT Sean Tallon, Firefighter/EMT Michael Vernon Kiefer May You Rest In Peace You Shall Never Be Forgotten, We All Love You And Miss Very Much God Bless All Of You ! Firefighter Hector Tirado, Jr. Engine 23 Firefighter and Model Of his three jobs, Hector Tirado Jr. liked firefighting work the best. A former emergency medical technician, he was lured to the New York Fire Department less than two years ago by the excitement and the opportunity to help people, said his uncle, Robert Tirado. The divorced father of five children, Mr. Tirado, 30, also worked as a waiter and, occasionally, as a model. His latest shoot was posing in casual clothes for a Latino firefighters calendar that was due out sometime this year. His uncle said, "I'd walk on the street with him in the summer and the girls would give him their number." Mr. Tirado, who lived in the Bronx and was a member of Engine 23 in Manhattan, did not shy away from the attention, but was blasé about it, his uncle said. His main focus was to support his children ‹ a 7-year-old daughter and four boys, ages 11, 10, 6 and 5 ‹ who lived in Ohio with their mother. Mr. Tirado visited them every month, and they spent summers with him in the city. "As long as it's legitimate and I make money for my children," he told his uncle about the modeling, "I don't care." FDNY Firefighter Michael Vernon Kiefer LADDER 132 December 5, 1975 - September 11, 2001 Michael arrived into this world on December 5th 1975 to the joy of his parents Pat and Bud. His ultimate goal of being a FDNY firefighter started in the first years of his short but meaningful life. All photos of him taken at occasions such as birthdays and Holidays showed him adorned in the firefighter gear that he would so proudly wear in his early manhood. His dedication to this ultimate goal should be an inspiration to others. Around the time he was able to skillfully master the use of his bicycle, it became his vehicle to take him to the "red devil" in his neighborhood and beyond. With the use of a scanner he intently listened to these callings as other kids his age were listening to rock music. Sometimes, unbeknownst to his parents, these callings took him away from his neighborhood of Franklin Square into areas where he needed a police escort to safely guide him home. He joined the Franklin Square and Munson junior firefighters organization and quickly rose through the ranks to Chief. Unfortunately for them he had to leave due to, as he put it …"the lack of action". The Town of Malverne was his next target for as he grew so did his appetite for the action of smoke and flames. He stayed with this company until again his patience wore thin searching for the "red devil". By this time Michael had grown into his later teen years and became more intent on his FDNY goal. To that end his body became his temple and the ritual of working out and eating right became his sole focus. His stack of training certificates and awards was now over two inches thick. His dedication to his faith also became another driving force. He proudly attained the role of Eucharistic Minister and weekly attendance at Mass and Holydays were a must. The swimming lessons that his Mom brought him to as a youngster now paid dividends as he sought for and attained employment as a pool lifeguard in the Town of Hempstead. He would later go on to become an ocean lifeguard in Long Beach LI, his "home away from home". As with Franklin Square, Malverne gave way to the Freeport Fire Department. An action packed group that was much to his liking. While honing his skills there he learned of a fire cadet program given by John Jay College that, upon graduation, would make him a member of the New City Fire Department with the rank of EMT and allow him to take the promotional exam as firefighter. He quickly joined and passed with 100% on both the written and physical exam. His quest for the "red devil" still never waned. Freeport had succumbed in action to the Hempstead Fire Department. In October of 2000, Michael was now in "Probie" school or as he put it - heaven. The following December he received the best birthday gift he could ever ask for when he attained his diploma and was now officially a FDNY fireman. His dream assignment came through when he was told to report to Engine 280/Ladder 132 in Brooklyn. Life was now "perfect" for Michael. He had found the other love of his life Jamie two years ago and was saving for a ring. He proudly wore this mantle of FDNY firefighter that he worked his whole life to attain for a short 9 months until that fateful day on September 11, 2001 when God called him home to His firehouse Firefighter Sean Tallon Ladder 10 Awaiting Fresh Challenges Sean Patrick Tallon, 26, was a reservist in the United States Marine Corps, a former emergency medical technician and a probationary firefighter with Ladder Company 10 just a few weeks away from the end of his training. He was tough, but he always wondered whether he measured up. "That's the way he was," said his older sister, Rosaleen DaRos. "He always thought everybody else was capable, but he was just as capable." Take the button accordion that Mr. Tallon loved to play. He would bring out his instrument and play Irish favorites for relatives at family gatherings, with his sister on the piano accordion. But he rarely played for friends; some of them didn't even know he could play an instrument. When he left for work from his home in Yonkers on Sept. 11, headed for the fire station that was among the first to respond to the trade center attack, he seemed in a buoyant mood. His probationary period was almost over and a new challenge lay ahead. "He wanted to find Mrs. Right," Mrs. DaRos said. "That is what he said was his next mission. He said his probie year was almost finished and he wanted to start with the rest of his life. Everything was just all ready. He had just blossomed." 9-11-01 The New York City Fire Department Made The Supreme Sacrifice /photobucket.com" target="_blank">Video Hosting at Photobucket">