FDNY Pro

On Sunday, June 17, 2001—Father’s Day—FDNY members in Queens responded to a telephone alarm reporting a fire in a hardware store at 12-20 Astoria Boulevard. What initially appeared to be a routine cellar fire in a small, two-story commercial occupancy quickly escalated into one of the most tragic fires in FDNY history. At approximately 1447 hours, a powerful explosion tore through the building. The large bearing wall and portions of the roof on the 14th Street side of the building sustained a total collapse, and portions of the front wall collapsed as well. Firefighter Harry Ford of Rescue Company 4 and Firefighter John Downing of Ladder Company 163 were buried in the collapse, and Firefighter Brian Fahey of Rescue Company 4 fell through an opening into the cellar and became trapped beneath heavy debris. FDNY members mounted an historic rescue effort to remove the three trapped firefighters. But tragically, all three succumbed to their injuries.

As we mark 25 years since the Father’s Day Fire, host Battalion Chief Jason Cascone is joined by Assistant Chief Michael Meyers, the FDNY Chief of Training, and Captain Liam Flaherty, the company commander of Rescue Company 2. At the time of the Father’s Day Fire, Captain Flaherty was assigned as a firefighter in Rescue Company 4, and Chief Meyers had recently been promoted from Rescue 4. Together, they discuss this devastating historic fire, the lessons learned from it, and the remarkable resilience of the companies and members that suffered heartbreaking losses.

On a warm summer’s day a new class of fire lieutenants was attending the FDNY’s First Line Supervisors Training program or FLSTP at the Fire Academy on Randall's Island. Members were in the midst of a live burn drill, rotating through the riding positions, when Lieutenant Kevin Travis began to feel progressively unwell. He removed himself from the building and collapsed outside. Immediately a CODE RED was transmitted, which let everyone on scene know that this emergency transmission wasn’t part of the drill. In this episode, host Captain Randy Li, discusses how seconds count when someone is in cardiac arrest, and how lifesaving treatment was administered to Lieutenant Travis immediately by those on scene with guests Lieutenants Kevin Travis (retired) and Stephen McGowan, and Paramedics Nyla Page and Veronica Cruz.

In this episode of the FDNY Pro Podcast, host FDNY Battalion Chief Anthony Pascocello welcomes returning guests Captain Chris Collier, Captain Dan Gordon, and Lt. James Pirot, as well as new guest FDNY fire code counsel Kelly Carr, to discuss the challenges that HVAC systems and refrigerants pose on the fireground. They cover recent operational challenges they’ve encountered, adapting to the environmentally friendly A2L refrigerants and their associated fire risk, and the impact all of this has on fire code and response strategies. They also give a brief summary of what is being offered at the 2026 FDNY High Rise Symposium.

On September 11, 2001, Firefighter Kevin Smith was a twenty-three-year veteran of the FDNY and a charter member of Hazmat Company 1, a company he helped build since its inception in 1984. He and his entire company responded to the World Trade Center and were among the 343 members killed that day. He was 47 years old and left behind a wife, Jerri, and eight children. 

After his death, Smith’s children continued this legacy of service—serving in the military, joining law enforcement, and fire and EMS departments. But the first to follow in her father’s footsteps as a New York City firefighter was his daughter, Josephine. In 2014, she became the first daughter of a fallen 9/11 member—the first female legacy—to join the ranks as a firefighter. 

In 2018, FDNY Pro Films highlighted her initial journey with a film, Legacy of Bravery, which can still be streamed on FDNYPro.org. As we approach the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, we reflect on the memories of our fallen and the legacies they leave behind. Firefighter Josephine Smith joins host Elizabeth Cascio on the podcast to discuss her decision to follow in her father’s footsteps, her career and what her life is like 25 years after that fateful day.

Smoke inhalation is the most common cause of fire-related deaths. Fire victims are exposed to toxic gases like hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide. High levels of cyanide can cause rapid symptoms like confusion, breathing problems and collapse. The body’s cells can’t use oxygen efficiently, which can quickly lead to cellular death and organ failure, so rapid treatment is vital. CYANOKITS containing the powerful and effective antidote to cyanide, hydroxocobalamin, have been carried by our FDNY ALS Units and EMS officers since 2008. In late 2020, REMAC protocols changed, requiring all ALS units in New York City to carry the kits. And lives have been saved. Captain Randy Li welcomes EMS Special Operations Command’s Captain Joseph Spinelli to the podcast to discuss this life-saving treatment.