Funeral Held for Staten Island Firefighter

NEW YORK (1010 WINS)  -- Family, friends and colleagues packed a Staten Island church Wednesday to bid a sad farewell to one of New York's bravest.

Photo Gallery: Funeral Held for S.I. Firefighter

Lt. Robert J. Ryan Jr. died Sunday after stretching a hose to a Staten Island home's burning attic. A ceiling collapsed, throwing him to the ground and knocking off his helmet and oxygen mask.


Steve Sandberg Reports

Ryan, 46, was a married father of two children and two stepchildren. His funeral will be held Wednesday at Sacred Heart Church in the West Brighton Section of Staten Island.

Firefighters created an education fund for Ryan's children and ask donations be directed to Robert Ryan Children's Educational Fund and sent to: FDNY Foundation, 9 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn NY 11201.
   
Mayor Michael Bloomberg says Ryan was "a brave man who lost his life protecting the city.''

Ryan's engine company was the first to arrive to tackle the flames at the New Brighton home.  The fire appeared to have been caused by faulty wiring, firefighters said.

Ryan, a 17-year veteran of the fire department, was promoted to lieutenant in March 2001. After Sept. 11, 2001, he was assigned to an engine company that had lost all its members in the World Trade Center attack, which killed 343 firefighters.

He was burned in a fire a few years ago and spent more than a year recuperating before returning to work.

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