Press Release Archives #012-97 Honors Memory of Fallen Fire Lieutenant John Clancy

Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: January 8, 1997

Release #012-97

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Dwight Williams (212) 788-2972

MAYOR GIULIANI HONORS THE MEMORY OF FALLEN FIRE LIEUTENANT JOHN M. CLANCY

(Queens, NY) Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today honored the memory of fallen Fire Lieutenant John M. Clancy at a plaque dedication ceremony held at the headquarters of Engine Company 298, Ladder 127 and the 50th Battalion. Joining the Mayor were Fire Commissioner Thomas Von Essen, Acting Chief of Department Joseph Casaburi, firefighters from Engine Company 298, Ladder Company 127 and 50th Battalion and members of the Clancy family, including John's wife, Dawn, his son, John Jr., and his mother, Geraldine.

"I am very proud and very honored to be here to dedicate this plaque in memory of a brave firefighter and a great man, Lieutenant John Clancy," Mayor Giuliani said. "John was committed to serving and protecting the people of New York City. His greatest desire was to be a distinguished firefighter like his father, Edward who had been a popular Deputy Chief and had served the City for more than 30 years. John admired his father and chose to emulate his courage, his dedication and his willingness to sacrifice. And that is exactly what he did when he entered a burning building looking for people to rescue from a Queens drug den. The plaque we dedicate today will be here to remind future generations of what an outstanding man he was and always will be."

"John Clancy followed in his father's footsteps by taking on the job they both loved -- protecting the lives and property of all New Yorkers from the ravages of fire," Commissioner Von Essen said. "On that fateful New Year's Eve Day, Lieutenant Clancy led his company on the search for victims in what may have been a vacant building, but to people like John 'may have been' is not good enough. John gave his life searching for innocent civilians and attempting to save their lives. This is truly the supreme sacrifice."

Lieutenant John M. Clancy died on Sunday, December 31, 1995 as a result of injuries sustained battling a two-alarm fire at 149-06 97th Avenue, in the Jamaica section of Queens.

John Clancy joined the Department in 1986 and was assigned to Ladder Company 103 in East New York. In April 1994, Clancy was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to Engine 298, Ladder 127, and the 50th Battalion.