Firefighters, Sick from 9/11, Honored

It was a family gathering at the home of Engine 320 and Ladder 167 – the firehouse on Francis Lewis Boulevard near Crocheron Ave., to pay homage to two fallen brothers.

 Captain Kevin Cassidy and Firefighter James Ryan shared even more than the strong bond of brotherhood that runs through and through the FDNY.

 Both worked at the World Trade Center immediately after the terrorist attacks. Both ended their service at the Bayside house, located at 36-18 Francis Lewis Boulevard – and both succumbed to 9/11-related health issues.

 High officials such as City Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano and Chief of Department Edward Kilduff rose to remember Cassidy and Ryan through the prism of those who charge into burning buildings.

 Cassidy passed away on August 30, 2009; Ryan on Christmas Day of that year. “It’s hard when you lose two that close together,” Cassano said.

 Kilduff acknowledged that all firefighters understand the risk of their craft and that only now are the new risks of terrorism becoming appreciated. He acknowledged the recent passage of the Zadroga Bill, as a help for those who have fallen ill.

 Closer friends revealed how they dealt with adversity, like Captain Rocco Fertoli, who ordering Ryan to break down a door at a fire scene only to find the fire was in the next apartment.

 “First [Ryan] looked at me and said, ‘Hey cappy, it could happen to anybody.’ But when we got back to the house, it was, ‘It could happen to anybody, but it happened to you,’” said Fertoli, remembering Ryan’s sense of humor.

Both were remembered for their good humor and their willingness to mentor and the force of their personalities making an impact on “the house.”

There were many recollections, some prompting laughter, others a wiping of eyes.

Rose Cassidy, Kevin’s wife of 34 years, bravely received a plaque honoring him, supported by their two daughters and his mother, Helen.

Magda Ryan, cherishing their “twenty-one-and-a-half” years together accepted an award supported by their two sons and daughter.

Also unveiled were bronze plaques memorializing Cassidy and Ryan so that in the words of  Uniformed Firefighters’ Association Steve Cassidy (no relation) “Generations of new firefighters will know the kind of men these were that worked here.”