Hundreds Remember Fallen Firefighters

Hundreds came from all over to pay their respects to two Philadelphia firefighters killed in the line of duty

Hundreds of family, friends and firefighters came from all over Friday to pay their respects to two Philadelphia firefighters who died in the line of duty.

Philadelphia firefighters Lt. Robert Neary, 60, and Daniel Sweeney, 25, were killed Monday morning after a wall of an adjacent building collapsed and trapped them during a massive warehouse fire on East York Street in Kensington.

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Fellow firefighters, EMTs, police officers and members of the community all wanted to say their goodbyes, but most of all thank you.

"Dan was one of my partners for the last four years at Warminster Squad in Bucks County," Nick Gorman said. "He was one of the best paramedics for being so young, he was such a good health care provider."

There was also an outpouring of support from firefighters across the country.

“It was imperative that we be here to show our support,” District Fire Chief Travis Ford of the Nashville Fire Department told NBC10.

Chief Ford drove 14 hours with a colleague to attend Friday night’s viewing for the two men he did not know but whom he shared a deep bond.

“The brotherhood is spread wide and far.”

Another viewing for Daniel Sweeney will take place Saturday, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. also at St. Cecilia’s. That viewing will then be immediately followed by a service, also at St. Cecilia’s. Finally, an interment for Sweeney will take place that Saturday immediately after the service at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery on 4001 W. Cheltenham Avenue in Philadelphia.

“When something like this happens it’s another family member and these things happen and we just come together to represent,” Volunteer firefighter Brandon Jones-McGeer of Lincoln Fire Company said.

Funeral services for Lt. Neary are private, according to the family.

Lt. Neary has been with the Department for 37 years. Sweeney served for six years. Both men were firefighters with Ladder 10.

The cause of the fire has not been determined. The warehouse's owner had been repeatedly cited for code violations.


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