Transcript: Mayor Eric Adams Delivers Remarks At Funeral Of Firefighter William P. Moon II

December 29, 2022

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you, Father. And on behalf of the fire commissioner and the police commissioner and chief of department and the entire 8.8 million of the city, I was reflecting when I looked at little Colin. I recall during the mid '60s, my family received a notification that my Uncle Joe was killed in Vietnam. And I remember the response in our house, and as I looked at the innocent eyes of Colin, as I stood in front of him, he must have said to himself, "Who is this man? Who is this man that's disrupting this moment?" As he's seeing all of these spaces for the first time, the innocent eyes of a child. And there's something I think about when we were here and we attended Jesse's funeral, a firefighter we lost in February, and the three firefighters and one EMS first responded that we lost. And when we walk into the hospital or we attend the wakes, or we attend the funerals, I'm sure Commissioner Kavanagh and Commissioner Sewell would tell you that it is such a challenging moment in part of our careers to have to go through those moments.

But when we watch the faces of the parents and of the spouses, they give us the courage we need. And there's a common thread that goes through the families of our first responders. A thread of service. And if we only reflect on the physical transition to the spiritual transition of the individual we are honoring today, we really miss the common denominator of the families of service. Just watch Firefighter Moon's family. His dad, a Vietnam Vet, who put his life on the line to water this tree of freedom that we all sit under today. His wife. When I think about her as an educator, inspiring young people and ensuring that they can understand their role in the lives that they will live. His mom being the anchor of the family, and ensuring that she could give the love and care that not only her son and his sister and brother, but also the grandchildren that will follow.

That's the common thread that flows through what I say all the time. The American family and what we represent. That patch that shows red, white, and blue is more than just an indicator of what it is to be a member of the FDNY, it's an indicator of what it means to be an American family. We're going to miss Firefighter Moon. But he was not only a hero in life, he understood what it meant to be a firefighter. Courage, bravery, and sacrifice. But he was a hero, not only in life, just to think as he transitioned and donated his organs to others. He's a hero in death. And that's a real reflection of who he is as a person. It's a real challenge, these moments, we're always lost for words on what we could say or what we should say. But all I can say to this family, we are here with you. We will continue to be with you.

This entity and body of people never forget those men and women who have served with them. They would do it throughout the year if it's hanging a plaque in their firehouses or the days of remembering the fallen heroes. This is a rich culture of respect and understanding of those who have served and who have sacrificed. I cannot thank you enough for giving us your son, your husband, and Colin, your dad. Cannot thank you for what you have done. And to Patricia, to William, Sr., to Robert, to all of you, I thank you. And Kristina, I thank you. Thank you for what you have given both the commission and I. You've given us the strength. When I saw you the first day in the hospital, I saw the level of strength that said to us, "It's okay." Your husband understood the sacrifice of being a firefighter. He understood the commitment and dedication that came with it. Yes, we are sorry. We're sorry that your babies are losing their dad so early. We're sorry that you're losing your spouse. But we cannot thank you enough for what their dad and what you have given us in Firefighter Moon. May God be with you, your family, the City of New York, and our country. Thank you.

(...)

Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh: Firefighter William P. Moon II, or Billy, as everyone called him, exemplified the FDNY in every way. He was the type of person the FDNY attracts and the type of person the FDNY shapes. He was not a hero because he was superhuman, he was a hero because he was a man who chose to dedicate himself more fully to those around him every single day. Billy's story isn't ending today. It's a journey, and one that continues. Billy began his long career at the FDNY more than 20 years ago, just a year after 9/11. And last week, after his accident, he gave his lungs to a retired firefighter and a 9/11 first responder, Terrence Jordan. Terrence nearly gave his life to save others on 9/11, and his response that day left him tethered to an oxygen tank.

Billy's lungs have literally breathed life into Terrence Jordan, and made him part of Terrence's story and the story of all of those who Terrence rescued that day at the Towers. Billy's commitment to saving others is so extensive that he is fulfilling the mission of the FDNY, transcending boundaries to give back to people who served before he came on this job, and inspiring those who will serve after he's gone. And that so exemplifies Billy Moon. The perseverance, humor, kindness, and optimism he put into being a husband, a father, a friend, and a firefighter. Whether at the firehouse, at home with his family, or on the soccer field with his children, Billy understood that his commitment to his community was so much larger than himself. He was an excellent firefighter that you'd want on your team, a man who was happy to pitch in and pick up the slack wherever needed, who put so much of himself into public service to save others.

As a young firefighter, Billy worked in a busy fire company, Ladder 133 in Jamaica, Queens, and dreamed of serving in one of the FDNY's most elite rescue companies. He worked hard. He drilled, he trained, he served his local volunteer fire department. He showed up and he lived by example. He made that dream of serving in an elite company come true when he was detailed to Rescue Company 2 in Brooklyn, where he would respond to some of the most challenging emergencies the FDNY faces. When we think about the FDNY, we think about people like Billy. A man who understood that community can be greater than the sum of its parts, who understood you could impact others in a million different ways. Billy fundamentally understood that he was part of something larger than himself, and if something ever happened to him, not one, but dozens would show up in his place to coach sports, to tell a joke or a story, to ensure that life kept going for those he loved.

This is why he was so dedicated to ensuring he could give back after he was gone through organ donation, so he could bring joy to other families, even as his own lost so much. In the tradition of the FDNY, Billy would not simply suggest you should become an organ donor, he would demand at the kitchen table that his coworkers pull out their driver's license and prove to him that they had the small heart under their photo that indicated they'd signed up to be a donor. And if they didn't, he would insist they signed up immediately. I hope that at this moment you will all consider whether you have that little heart on your license, whether you would answer the call if you could. It is what Billy would have expected I would ask today.

There are really no words to process the grief and the gap that Billy's death leaves us with. But Billy also left us with hope and comfort in knowing that part of him lives on in his family, in his children, and in the lives he's so selflessly saved throughout his life and even after his death. He is the best of us all, and we are not only better for having known him, but we are stronger in this moment because he has equipped us to live by his example. In losing him, no matter how hard it is, Billy is still teaching us how to show up for others. We all have that step we don't want to take or that conversation we don't want to have. Billy always chose to take that next step and we owe it to him to do the same for others.

Billy quite literally lives on in his lungs that are allowing someone to breathe right now, in his spirit so obviously embodied in the large personalities that show through each of his children, in the strength he gave Kristina to get through this moment. He lives on because he chose always to take his promise to others one step further. That is the type of person Billy was and the person we all hope to be. This department will hold the memory of Firefighter Billy Moon in our hearts forever and we will never forget him. May God bless his family, his wife, Kristina, his children, Brianne and Colin, his parents, siblings, and the entire Moon family. May God bless Billy's coworkers at Rescue Company 2, Ladder Company 133, and the Islip Fire Department. And may God always continue to bless the FDNY. Thank you.

(...)

Lieutenant James Keane, Fire Department: "So others may live." Four simple words that has been a war cry for generations of firefighters and emergency medical technicians. We embrace this campaign and make it our life's mission. Billy Moon exemplified this in both life and death. Billy always had a smile, an infectious laugh, and loved to play jokes. He also had many names. He went by Billy Boy, Moony, Moondog. But Billy was really tall, lanky, and very easily startled, so he quickly earned the name Ichabod Crane based on the legendary character of Sleepy Hollow. But my personal favorite was PITA. Not based on the bread, but an acronym for P-I-T-A, which stood for "pain in the..." You guys can figure out the rest. Forgive me, Father. Having a conversation with Billy was never easy. He was an expert debater. He loved to argue, but in a way that made everyone laugh. He would always point out how his opinion was obviously common sense. I always felt he would've made a great trial attorney. But his parents instilled values to care for others, and that led Billy to his true calling, a firefighter. After he graduated from the FDNY Academy, on his very first tour, he came to Merrick Boulevard, bopping into the firehouse with his hat on backwards and earrings. He also had on his Islip Fire Department racing shirt, sweatpants, and sneakers that made him look like the 1980s gym coach. I could only imagine what the senior members of 133 were thinking. "Look at this act."

He spent 20 years in Ladder 133 and a lifetime trying to get into Rescue 2. As an ultra competitor, Billy worked hard to hone his firefighting skills and master his craft. When Billy's fire helmet had to be replaced, some members gathered around and joked about Billy's new helmet, which is only a few weeks old, kind of looked like the middle one right there, at how abused it was. And without missing a beat, Billy smiled and said, "I go into windows you guys dream about."

Well, that quote stuck with Billy and is referenced every time we tell Billy Moon stories. Throughout his career, he's always made a difference in people's lives. I'm not surprised he was courted by Rescue 2. Billy was one of the elites. As intense as his personality was, his work ethic was extraordinary, both in the firehouse and on the fire floor. As a leader, he led by example, and Billy would often put his arm around less experienced firefighters and remind them that they're a valuable part of the team. And he'd work with them to be they the best they could be.

His goal was to be a rescue firefighter. He submitted his application and waited years to be selected. Billy never got discouraged on the length of time it took. He believed in the process because he knew what it meant to be selected. You see, rescue firefighters must be the best. They are our version of the military special forces. And when a firefighter is in desperate need of help, the rescue companies come to save us. Everything in Billy's life prepared him to work in rescue. And when he was selected, after he attached his Rescue 2 front piece, his smile, which was already big, got a little bit bigger and a lot better. It was confirmation for what we all already knew. Billy was the best.

He was an even more incredibly dedicated husband, father, son, brother, and friend. Kristina was… Many of us would call her Saint Christina. We knew he was a handful. Billy wasn't just her husband, he was also her first child. And it was obvious at Billy's wedding, when Billy's mom negotiated with the DJ to switch the mother-son song at the midway point from a slow song to Hit The Road, Jack. Kristina and Billy's love for each other was evident. When they were together they would laugh and joke, and you couldn't help but admire the way they looked at each other. He kept a picture of you in his locker. When he would even open his overstuffed locker, after all the clothes would spill out, there on his door was a picture of you and Brianne and Colin, reminding him of all the great things in his life.

Brianne and Colin, you made your father so proud. He would often brag about your accomplishments. He'd show us countless videos of your athletic abilities. And you both have many of Billy's traits, whether it's your competitiveness to beat each other or your quick-witted responses. It's the way you care for others that I find remarkable. Brianne has participated in charitable events already, helping other children in our military. And Colin will be donating his long blonde hair to kids that are sick.

In closing, the late Marvel creator, Stan Lee, he once said a hero was someone who was concerned about other people's wellbeing and will go out of their way to help them, even if there's no chance of reward. That person who helps others simply because it should be done and must be done and because it's the right thing to do. So indeed, without a doubt, a real superhero. Brianne and Colin, your dad is a real life superhero. All the very best qualities live within you. You have the support of the FDNY and everyone whose lives he touched. We will miss your dad, but we will never forget him and we will tell his story.

For those who knew Billy, he would say he never lost a fight. He didn't lose this fight because he chose to give the gift of life. So today I call on you all in attendance here or watching from home. Become an organ donor. Tell your family. Change your license. It's what Billy did, and it's what he would want us to do, so others may live. Miss you, buddy. Please watch over us.

(...)

Captain Liam Flaherty, Fire Department: Good afternoon. I'm going to be mercifully short. You're getting a two for one here. I'm going to speak first and then James is going to give us some words from Ed Dailey.

People always ask about my selection process for new members. It simply starts with an interview. Guys with time on and experience like Billy come to the firehouse, they drop off a cake and maybe some cigars in the kitchen. I know 133, you guys are Merrick Magic. But if you guys want to see real magic, see how quick free cigars disappear from Rescue 2's kitchen table. Always when I come back down, they're all gone.

So basically, we'll go upstairs and we'll have a chat, like I did with Billy. I'll tell them what's expected and they'll tell me what they can offer. Before they leave, I give them a caveat. "I will be asking around about you. The response received from multiple sources will either drive you up my list or down. If I hear good stuff, you go up. If I hear the killer response on the FDNY, like, 'Yeah, I know the guy,' that drives you down." So I kind of borrowed this from special forces. It's called 360 Peer Review. They use it, and I've used it extensively with our place, and it almost always guarantees I'm going to be getting the best of the best.

So Colin and Brianne, you guys would be very proud to know the responses I got about your dad. I got lines like, words and phrases, "Exceptional." "Best guy in the firehouse." "He's a beast on the fire grounds." And you guys could take that, and I have other stuff I'm going to share with you. You guys would be so proud of how highly regarded your dad was by all of us. So when I got those kind of responses, I was very eager to get Billy over, and we got him a slot. And as you know, I know you were helping him with all of his schooling and stuff. He went through hundreds of hours in training and schooling. We were talking about that because Billy seemed very bright, but I think you brought that out in him.

During his tryout, all eyes were on him and he performed exceptionally, okay. And he was quickly thrust into the ultimate test last April as a new guy. Very serious fire down in Canarsie where we lost one of our brightest stars, Keith Klein from Ladder 170, in a horrific house fire. And I was driving into work and I heard what was going on, so I drove to the fire scene. And I just wanted to check on my guys and just see what was going on. And I saw the rig, I saw all the guys, and I saw Billy sitting on the back step. And I guess thousand yard stare comes to mind, how all the guys looked that were at the fire.

And I went up and talked to Billy. I said, "Hey, how you doing?" He goes, "I think I'm okay, Cap." And not much good came out of that day, but one thing that did come out of it was that at that moment I knew that we had our newest member of Rescue 2, that Billy had passed the test. He was a keeper. I looked over at all the other guys that were working. They all looked in Billy's direction and they gave me a nod, and Billy passed the test with the fellas.

I'll just end it by saying, and we'll put James on, that you guys are telling me at Rescue 2 was Billy's dream, and I'll add to that, or twist it around. I'll say that Billy Moon was our dream. He was a dream to have on our rig, even for the short time, and he made us all better. And thank you for sharing with us. And God bless you guys.

Firefighter James Dowdell, Fire Department: Hello, my name is James Dowdell. I'll be delivering this on behalf of Billy's longtime friend, Ed Dailey, a former member of Ladder 133 and a current member of Rescue 2. This is Billy and Eddie's story.

Billy and I met on my first tour on Ladder 133. He had already been there a couple of years when I was assigned, so he took me under his wing, so to speak. We became friends, good friends. In a short amount of time, Billy would've been referred to as my boy. I'd be reminded of this frequently. Every time I walked in the door, someone would ask, "Did you hear what your boy said? Did you hear what your boy did?" If you knew Billy, you knew he loved a good debate and we all loved to watch him in action. Even if you were the one he was debating. He would let you know he had the upper hand immediately because he possessed two things the other person he was challenging simply did not possess. Common sense and logic.

Our friendship extended outside the firehouse. My friends from home became Billy's friends and vice versa. I even knew of Paul Fluge, a close friend of Billy's who lived in California, who up until last week, the guys on Merrick Boulevard thought was Billy's version of Bigfoot. Often spoke of, but never really seen.

Nicknames are commonplace in the firehouse, and Billy had many, but one stuck. Since it's not appropriate to say out loud in this house of worship, I'll just refer to it as a feminine product made by Summer's Eve. Naturally, he wasn't going to let me take that one alone, so we made sure I got one to match. We've greeted each other with it every time since. Our wives, and even my four year old daughter, have called us this on occasion. Billy went as far as to make a custom Halloween custom depicting me of the said product.

Billy's wife, Kristina, is a strong woman. We've all seen this in the last two weeks. I've witnessed her ability to remain cool, calm, and collected before. The night of my wedding, Billy, Kristina, and some others stayed for a little after party. Billy and I were having a cigar when Christina walked over to Billy and said, "When you're done with that, we're leaving. It's 4:00 AM." Without skipping a beat, Billy reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a fresh stogie. Holding one in each hand, he told Kristina, "I'm going to light this cigar with this one." While she was not amused, it was a line that Billy would've preferred to as "a classic." And as far as we were concerned, it was. However, I know Kristinaprobably anticipated a rebuttal like that from Billy.

They had known each other for a long time, prior to dating and getting married, so she was no stranger to Billy's sense of humor or stubbornness. Billy and I shared a love for the job. We were both farming in our hometown as well. However, we had our differences when he came to his other love, the Islip Wolves, which was a well kept secret from his new brothers in Rescue 2. I let Billy know from the very beginning to keep that part of his life out east for a while. But Billy loved the racing team, and I did not have a problem with the team or the guys from Islip, many of whom I'm friends with.

I was just annoyed that we had to schedule trips, nights out, or anything else, around Billy's practices and tournaments. He was a hundred percent committed to this team. I would rag on him about it, and he would quickly hit me with, "You just don't understand, because you don't have an athletic bone in your body." And this was true. So my comebacks were limited, and I usually settle for a loss. Billy and I had the same career goals, one of the reasons I think we became so close. We both wanted to go to a rescue company. And although there were five, in our eyes, there was only one, Rescue 2. Getting a spot in the rescue company is not easy. There is no shortage of great firefighters looking for a spot, but getting into Rescue 2, because of its reputation, is even harder.

And coming out of borough seemed impossible. I interviewed with Captain Flaherty and got the call to come a year or so later, a call I attribute to the way I was mentored in Ladder 133. Billy and I would often speak about how things were going, and every single time we spoke, he would say, and again, this is not an actual quote, because of where we are, but the gist of it was, don't mess this up. Because he thought it would affect his chances.

And for this reason, when Billy got the call, I immediately let him know it was due to my performance, not his, that he was coming to the company. That statement was completely fabricated, but like stated earlier, Billy loved a good debate. And I was simply casting a line. In the time that I left Merrick Boulevard to the time Billy had gotten the call and come to rescue, Billy obtained the rank of senior man in the truck. While it's not an official rank recognized by the department, such as lieutenant or captain, the senior member of the company is unofficially in charge. Company officers come and go, but senior firefighters are an invaluable part of the firehouse.

By all accounts, Billy had it made. He was the senior man in a great company, and it would've been an easy decision for him to stay put. Guys thought he was crazy to leave at that point in his career. But Billy, "this was a no-brainer," he said, a quote he used often. When he got the call to come over, we were both excited. We were both happy that we'd be working together again. Billy was excited about all the challenges ahead, and I was excited that the tables actually turned.

And Billy was now junior, something I referred him often just to mess with him. Billy was definitely a black cloud Ladder 133. And that stayed with him in Rescue 2. In his first few tours, he operated in some very serious fires, and his performance in those fires, we had known all along, Billy was great at his job. The only thing Billy loved more than being a fireman was being a father. He was very proud of his children. Colin, Brianne, he would speak of you often. Just recently, he was talking about how Colin scored a winning touchdown in the same day he scored two goals in soccer or how Brianne scored two goals in her game as well. In the caption on his Facebook page, reflecting on his children, he wrote, "time is flying by and I'm enjoying every minute." I see Billy and his children and is especially evident in watching them do their own honor guard at the wake.

To Kristina, Brianne, Colin, and the entire Moon family, you will always have a home in Rescue 2 and a place in our hearts. Billy was one of a kind. He impacted everyone he met one way or another. The guys at Rescue 2 got a refined version of Billy Moon's personality as he was busy doing what new guys do. But I know that the real Billy Moon possessed all the qualities and characteristics of what we hold sacred in our kitchen. Billy, you're top five, a hundred percent, you'll never be forgotten. I'll love you buddy, and I miss you already. The job will never be the same without you. We'll see you on the other side.

(...)

Thomas Butler, Retired, Fire Department: This is my lifesaver. So I met Bill Moon in 1994 when he walked through the doors of the Islip Fire Department. This long lanky guy coming in, we didn't know what we were getting. Had a bit of an edge to him. But the first training that we had, we were out in the parking lot. We had guys crawling to the parking lot, because it was in July that he came in.

Advancing a hose line, probably the most important thing that you have to do in the fire department. So a few guys went, and they were going nice and slow and stretching across the parking lot. Now, Billy's turn came. He picked it up and ran, and we were like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You got a backup, man?" "No, no, I don’t need a backup man. I got this thing." And then, we really realized it. His family was in the Islip Terrace Fire Department. They were very involved, and we started asking around. And we found out that Billy and his brother Robby used to, in the backyard—and yes, this was racing, and we love racing out on Islip—they were stretching their little cart that they had their wagon with a hose in it. And somebody hit the hydrant and then somebody else had put the fire out, what was supposedly the fire, hopefully.

So they were doing this as kids. When everybody else was out playing in the playground and climbing trees, these guys were in the backyard running, what we call, efficiency, but stretching hose lines and putting water on a fire, it ended up being what Billy really loved to do. I got to tell you, he was a trip. He was really a trip. I had a roofing company as my side job, and Billy's in the Fire Department maybe a few months. And I hired him to come to work. So he comes to work very handy, good work ethic, worked hard. And in about the second week, he came over to me and said, "Hey, listen, we can do this faster. There's a better way to do this." I was like, "Get up on the roof and put the shingles on the roof please. No arguments here." That was not the last argument that we had on the roof.

We were together roofing for many, many years. And I'm telling you, he loved to argue. He would argue about the color of the sky, whether or not the leaf hit the ground or landed on top of another one. He found something to argue about all the time. But as time was going on, I had two worlds with him. I had the work world with him and the fire department. And the fire department, he was excelling rapidly in the fire department. I did the training for the Islip Fire Department, and Billy wanted to do everything faster. And then, he'd come back the next week with how we could do it better. But that was Bill. Bill was always going to try and make it better, do it faster. And if you didn't agree with him, he'd argue with you. And he would say to me, all the time, "Listen, you're not understanding me right now.

This is the way to do it, a hundred percent." And with that "hundred percent," we heard that probably once or twice a day. But that was Bill, and he would just love to argue and he loved to get it going. And let me tell you a little story about us with our roofing. This is true Bill. So we're working one day, it's me, Billy, and a helper. And it's an easy day. We're just banging some nails, and all of a sudden Billy freezes. I'm like, "What is this wrong with this guy?" And like, "what's wrong with you?" He says, "That's Islip Terrace's siren. I think it's for a structure fire." So we're sitting, I go, "Okay, good. Put the shingles on. Let's go. Put the shingles on." Nah, that wasn't good enough for Billy. He goes up to the peak of the roof, he looks over, he comes flying down the roof, throws his nail bag, throws the tools down, and he slides down the ladder and he's running.

He's going, "Come on." I go, "Where we going?" "They have a job. They have a job." I was like, "Who's the boss here? And who's the worker?" So of course, I sort of light a fire a little bit myself. I slid the ladder. We got in the car, we went over to Islip Terrace and we ended up getting involved in their firefight. And it was pretty cool. But then, I got scared a second time, because we were down in the basement. I had the nozzle, and I heard this voice say, "Who's on the nozzle over there?" And it was Willie Moon. And I was like, "Oh no. Willie Moon is not going to be happy that a guy from Islip has a nozzle in their basement fire." So I was like, "(Inaudible) come over here." And as soon as he cleared the turn, he was like, "What the f are you doing with a nozzle on my fire?"

I said, here you go, "Willie." So we got outside, I said, "Bill, let's get rid of this stuff fast before your father comes out of the basement and go back to the roof." And that's what we did. We got out of there, because I did not want to face that man after we were in his basement fire. And that's how we are. We like to put out our own fires. Billy's arguing, constant, constant. We're working one day and we have these shingles that are called timber lines. They're wrapped in cardboard. So I was like, "I got to shut him up for a while." I said, "I'll tell you what, Bill. Please, if you can get two bundles up onto the scaffold," I was working with my brother, Steven, and God rest his soul, "I'll buy lunch." Oh my God, everybody knows Billy was getting something for free. He ran over to this bundle of shingles, put two up together.

But I knew what was going to happen. Puts them two together. He puts some on his shoulder, and the top bundle of shingles, all the shingles slide out. So he turns around and he looks at me, didn't stop, and went to the pile of shingles, took another bundle, put it on it. "What about the other ones?" "We'll take care of them later." "Is that right?" He puts it on his shoulder and short and short and sugar. He got them onto the scaffolding, turned around and said, "What's for lunch?" So I had to buy him his lunch, but it was worth it just to watch him struggle to do it. But that's the kind of person that he was. He would struggle to do it, but he was going to get it done. Billy didn't believe in failure.

I'm going to tell you right now, Billy didn't believe in failure. No matter what it was in his life, he did not believe in failure, whether it was sports, no matter what it was. So let's get down to the real nitty gritty of Billy Moon. And I know some of yous aren't going to want to hear it. In 1995, Billy joined the Islip Wolves Drill Team. Yes, it is racing. Yes, it is a little scary, but it surely is fun. So he raced for 16 years. In the 16 years that Billy raced, we won 12 invitational tournaments and we won two state tournaments. That's the kind of guy he was. There were eight events in the tournament. Billy ran all eight events. Not many people did that in their careers in racing. He ran all eight events and made that team successful. But oh man, if you were late for practice or whatever the case may be, you wouldn't want to run into Billy Moon because he would definitely take care of you. He's not going to put up with any of that.

So now we're talking about the mentorship with Billy. We were talking about him being a mentor before. I guess he had about 13 years in Islip, and my son joined. So I told my son, "Listen, here's what you're going to do. You have no skills yet. Make sure you get by the front door with a six-foot hook because when they get tired of pulling the ceilings, guess what? They're going to come out here. They're going to look for a guy with a six foot hook and you're going to go to work."

They go to a job. Billy comes to the door and goes, "Oh, you've got a hook? Come on." They go into the building. It's really loaded down with smoke. Tommy goes to start pulling, Billy taps him on his shoulder. He took his SCBA breathing apparatus off and put it on Tommy. And Tommy was like, "I don't really need this." And Billy said, "Oh, no, no, no. You are wearing that because I don't want to listen to your father when he comes home, when he finds out I let you go into a smoke condition without having the Scott Pak on."

But that was Bill. It was his mentoring. And then he talked to Tommy about the fire work on pulling ceilings, worked on trimming windows. Billy was the consummate firefighter. I'm going to tell you right now. There's nobody that was better. I was talking to one of our buddies, Ex-Chief Tom Farrell, and I said to Tommy, I said, "Listen, this is just such a huge loss for the Islip Fire Department." And he put it in a different way. He said, "Tom, this is generational loss." Billy was a chunk of our foundation that got taken away from us. Now we have to make up for that. But how do you make up for a Billy Moon? You can't make up for a Billy Moon. It's going to take time, it's going to take a long time.

Our substation up in the north end of our town, Billy put a new life into that substation, and (inaudible.) He started off at headquarters down in the south end of town, moved up to the north, and now he wanted to beat the south end to all of their runs. And we were like, what a traitor. He's just a traitor. He just bailed on us, and now he's going to take our runs away from us. So that didn't go over too good. We really didn't like that too much. But he was truly that generational guy. And generational, we don't have to put dates on it. It's how many guys came in at a certain time in our volunteer fire department. And when he came into that north house, we lost him. We took that big chunk out. I'm telling you, we lost a really big chunk. We lost a big part of our identity, and that's most important. You always will have to have your identity.

And the identity of the Islip Fire Department is a guy like Billy Moon. I mean, I really can't say enough about him. I can talk about how we fought all the time, and I can talk about how we fought fires all the time. We always had that smile for each other when we were on the fire floor when we got to see each other. But that was Bill. He just had that effect. He just got it done. That's all I can say of him.

We got to watch other parts of Bill's life as he was coming up in his life. He married Christina, who is probably the strongest woman I've ever seen in my life, who I ever met in my life. He had Bree and Colin, and it seemed like he sort of restarted himself. Now, it was all about Bree and Colin, their sports events. They were always down at the firehouse. We loved seeing them at the firehouse. I mean, they're great kids. We even have our own little handshake, right col? Yeah. We'll show it to them later. We won't show it to them now. But that was what Billy did.

In 2002 when he got into the New York City Fire Department, I got to tell you, when I saw that he was going to 133, I was so ecstatic for him. I was a member of Ladder 133. 133 and Engine 275, one of the best shops on our job. And I knew Billy was going to have a great experience there, and I knew that he was going to make that company better because of his firefighting. He was a warrior on the fire floor. No lie. He's one of the best that I've ever seen. I've been doing this for 47 years. He was a warrior. The man was a warrior. He did things that a lot of people would've never gotten done, but that wasn't Bill. Bill had to finish the job. He had to get the job done. That was Billy. He is the ultimate loving father, and I believe he's the ultimate loving husband. He's a family man. And that comes from the way he was brought up, with Patty and Willie. We've known them a long time too, and they're part of our firehouse.

There's just one thing I need to straighten out here. Billy was a hero before this tragic accident. He donated 20 years of his time in a volunteer fire department, and in some very dangerous situations. He trained our guys. He never sat out a fire. He never sat on the couch and said, "No, I'm not going to go on this one." He went on everything because an automatic alarm might be a working fire and Billy didn't want to miss a working fire. And he did have that same luck with us that he had with Rescue 2 and 133. He always seemed to make the working fires, and Billy was in the job. And that's the way it was. And as a teammate, teammate, he was phenomenal. I would take 10 Billy Moons on my team any day of the week. If you do that, you have a phenomenal company, and things are working really well for you.

But Bill became a hero doing that. He became a hero giving 20 years of his time to the New York City Fire Department in very busy places, and ultimately getting to Rescue 2. So for that he was a hero. Now, in my eyes, he's an American hero. He donated his organs to two FDNY members, and they are breathing life around Christmas time because of Billy Moon. If you want to talk about unselfish, I would think that that's pretty unselfish. And I did check right away to see if my license said organ donor on it because of Bill.

He is… I don't know how to… He's the ultimate that you need to have in your life. You need somebody to argue with. You need somebody to straighten you out. You need somebody you want to straighten out. Just makes a nice big package. In the fire service, Billy was the best thing that we had. We will miss him dearly. Colin, Brianne, you have 135 uncles in the Islip Fire Department. You ever need anything, you just make a phone call, and we're going to be there for you. And we will be there for Kristina also because we love Kris. We know what you went through with Bill. Tough. I think she's the one that straightened him out. God bless the Moon family, and may God bless our American hero, Billy Moon.