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| By RON JEFFERS |
| Jersey City Fire Department chaplain, Reverend James Pagnotta, concludes the memorial at Engineer James W. McCarthy's gravesite, on July 24th. |
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Jersey City firefighters braved the heavy rain and assembled at Bayview Cemetery on the morning of July 24th to remember the department's fallen members. They gathered at the grave site of Steamer Engineer James W. Mc Carthy who was the first career city fireman to be killed in the line-of-duty.
The memorial began several years ago as a project by fire dispatcher, and Gong Club life member, Ira Rubin. Ira, who became a department historian, researched records and discovered that Mc Carthy was the first line-of-duty death, which occurred in 1872. A huge commercial building was burning on Provost Street when a brick wall collapsed near Steamer 3, instantly killing its engineer. The fire broke out in the carpenter's shop and spread rapidly to nearly all parts of the large building. A general alarm was sounded for all fire department units.
At Mc Carthy's funeral, a large body of former volunteer members joined with paid firemen to pay tribute to Mc Carthy, who was a member of both organizations. The funeral was one of the largest which ever took place in the city at the time, according to “The Evening Journal,” of July 29, 1872.
Rubin got members of the fire department to join in on an annual memorial on the day of his death-July 24th--for a wreath ceremony, including bag pipes, at the cemetery.
Rubin passed away in 2016, but the Gong Club and the fire department have continued the tradition. Fire Chief Steve Mc Gill has gone further by proclaiming July 24th as the official Annual Day of Remembrance for Line-of-Duty deaths within the Jersey City Fire Department.
“In honor of his sacrifice, from this day forward, July 24th will be the official Annual Day of Remembrance for line-of-duty deaths within the Fire Department of Jersey City and on that day each year a memorial ceremony shall be held at 1100 hours at Engineer McCarthy's grave site located in Bayview Cemetery,” by order of Steven J. Mc Gill, Chief of Department. General Order 17-25.
As fire officers, firefighters, and retired members gathered at the cemetery to begin the memorial, the rain suddenly stopped. When Reverend James Pagnotta, the fire department chaplain, began the memorial, the sun broke through the clouds. Perhaps, from the heavens, Ira was showing how proud he was that his efforts have now become the department's official day to remember its heroes.
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