Fallen Firefighters Remembered

A ceremony will be held today in the memory of three Philadelphia firefighters lost in the past year.

On Saturday, fire Capt. Mike Goodwin became the latest of Philly's bravest to lose his life when he was killed in a fabric store fire in Bella Vista.

"My dad was a loving man, a caring man, a hard worker, a Navy man, a church-going man," said his son, Michael Goodwin, Jr.

Goodwin, 53, died when a roof collapsed beneath him. Goodwin was fighting a fire inside a fabric store on 4th Street, known as Fabric Row in South Philadelphia.

His death came just days short of the anniversary of Lt. Robert Neary and firefighter Daniel Sweeney deaths in a Kensington warehouse fire.

That early morning April 9, 2012 fire at 1817 York Street quickly went to five alarms.

Neary, 60, and Sweeney, 25, died fighting the blaze in the vacant building that was burning out of control. The fire spread to an adjacent furniture store. A team from Ladder 10 returned to inspect and make sure the fire they had put out earlier was still out. That's when a wall and roof collapsed on them, burying them under timber and bricks.

"We lost some real good heroes today," said Deputy Mayor Everett Gillison following the Kensington fire.

On Tuesday, those heroes along with the city's latest hero, Goodwin, wee remembered at a ceremony put on by the the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Firefighters.

"We're gonna have a quick anniversary service, bagpipes, speeches, members there -- lay some wreathes, we’re gonna add Mikey," said IAFF - Local 22 president Bill Gault.

The area chapter of the American Red Cross also paid tribute as they posted a YouTube video of Southeastern Pa. Red Cross CEO Judge Renee Hughes at the scene of the deadly Kensington blaze.

"The Red Cross just wants to take a moment to thank the Philadelphia Fire Department for all that they do," Hughes said. "Just please take a moment and send your condolences your love and your support to the Philadelphia Fire Department."

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