Biographical Info
Age: 42
Additional Info: The incident is being described as an accident and no charges are expected to be filed.
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Brady was performing routine maintenance on a heavy-duty rescue truck when his chief drove the vehicle away from the station, crushing Brady.
Date of Incident: July 30, 2006
By Wil Cruz
Newsday (New York)
Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
Paul Brady was more than a firefighter to fellow volunteers at the Malverne Fire Department.
He went beyond responding to fires. Some said yesterday it was not uncommon for Brady, 42, to help with training, cleaning the firehouse and performing routine checks on the equipment.
"He wasn't just there when the whistle blew," said firefighter Dave Gildea. "He was there whenever we needed him; he was always there ... with a smile."
It was that dedication that led Brady, helping with routine maintenance, to the top of one of the rescue trucks Sunday morning. Shortly after 10 a.m., Brady was accidentally crushed to death when one of his fellow firefighters pulled away from the building.
"No one realizes he's up on top of the truck," said Det. Sgt. Richard Laursen of Nassau's Homicide Squad, which is investigating the case.
Laursen said Brady became trapped in a 5-inch clearance between the fire truck and an I-beam, when former chief Robert Meyer, 58, drove the rig out, at a captain's request, to clean the floors.
After the captain realized Brady was up there and tried to get Meyer to stop, Meyer reversed the truck and Brady fell off. Brady, who had internal injuries, was rushed to Nassau University Medical Center and was pronounced dead at 2:11 p.m.
"We are all working through this terrible time as a family," said Chief Michael Latronic Sr. "Paul was very dedicated to his own family, his fire department brothers and to his community."
Brady, an insurance broker, had been with the department for six years. During that time, he developed close relationships with many of its 80 firefighters.
James Callahan, Malverne fire commissioner and deputy mayor for the village, said Brady was the type of firefighter who always showed up at the scene, even to calls thought to be false alarms.
"He would turn out always, no matter what," Callahan said.
Callahan said Meyer is taking the death hard. "Not only did it happen to one of his fellow firefighters," Callahan said, "but it happened to his friend."
Meyer could not be reached for comment.
Brady, of Malverne, is survived by his wife, Lisa. The family could not be reached for further comment.
A funeral for Brady will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Malverne. Burial will be at Locust Valley Cemetery. Donations can be made to the Norwood Hook, Ladder & Hose Company No. 1, 30 Broadway, Malverne, N.Y. 11565.
