Popular FDNY Officer Remembered on 9/11 Anniversary

A wall in Patrick “Paddy” Brown’s apartment featured a quote from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”:

“To thine own self be true.”

He was to the end, which for Brown came on 9/11.

He died the way he lived — in the service of others.

Brown (1952-2001) joined the Fire Department of the City of New York in 1977 and became a legend to everyone but himself.

“He was not comfortable about talking about his heroic accomplishments,” Janet Brown, his sister-in-law who wrote an online biography of him, told IBD.

TV actor and volunteer firefighter Robert John Burke, Brown’s buddy, said “Pat was constantly trying to defuse being called a legend.”

Brown’s fearlessness and commitment to rescuing people — and his work outside the FDNY in helping those in need — made him well-known in New York City before Sept. 11, 2001.

On that morning, FDNY Capt. Brown and 11 of his men from Ladder 3, also called 3 Truck, responded to the terrorist-steered airline attacks at the World Trade Center.

Helping Thousands

Brown and so many others from the FDNY safely evacuated 25,000 people before the towers fell.

Brown’s last actions were helping evacuate people, including numerous burn victims, down the smoke-filled stairs of the North Tower. The South Tower had already fallen.

No matter how tough a situation, he had always told his men, “Don’t worry fellas, we’ll take care of it.”

This time his last words were believed to be “thank you” as he reported his position on the 34 th floor of the North Tower to the FDNY from a land line still working. Due to jammed communications, in all likelihood Brown never heard an evacuation order, so he and his men kept operating as firefighters, probably heading upward when the building collapsed.

The city of New York said “thank you” and goodbye to Brown on what would have been his 49 th birthday, Nov. 9, 2001, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. A crowd of thousands packed the enormous church.

“Firefighters lined up three and four deep, as far as the eye could see, on Fifth Avenue to honor and respect this legendary NYC Firefighter,” Janet Brown wrote on PaddyBrown.org.

Brown’s remains were recovered amid the rubble of the North Tower on Dec. 14, 2001. He was one of 343 FDNY members who gave their lives on 9/11.

“Over his 24 years of service to the FDNY, Patrick became one of the department’s most decorated firefighters. He blended his extensive knowledge of firefighting with creativity, innovation, bravery and quick thinking to perform dangerous rescues and to guide his company to safe havens. His men looked up to him and would look forward to working with him,” Janet Brown wrote.

At Brown’s eulogy, fireman Mike Moran said of his lost captain: “We all knew he was in charge. And not because he yelled, but because he spoke softly. He was humble. He led by example.”

Janet Brown said: “Pat never did anything halfway. He did everything he was involved with 100%. He was very intense, very deep and very serious about things. Pat was also so humble. He was extremely polite and always doing something to help other people.”

In his honor, the Captain Patrick J. Brown Walk now runs along the East River on Avenue C, right near the Stuyvesant Town apartment building he lived in. His numerous FDNY decorations and citations included several heroism medals.

Up To The Task

“There was a humility about Pat,” said Burke, who volunteered for duty after 9/11. “He said that he didn’t know everything, that the FDNY and fire service are a learning culture. I cannot stress his emphasis on that point enough. He said no two fires are alike and he needed to train and be ready physically, mentally and spiritually 110%. There’s a quote that’s attributed to Pat that speaks to this humility and understanding, and that is: “Even when we do this job the right way, fireman can die.’ “

Brown, born in Oak Park, Ill., was the son of an FBI agent. After his father was transferred and the family settled in Queens, N.Y., Paddy developed a keen interest in public service. The youngster had a scanner in his bedroom, responded to fire calls on his bicycle and learned from watching firefighters.

At 17, Brown joined the Marine Corps. His dad signed a document allowing him a combat assignment despite being underage, and off he went to Vietnam, where became a decorated sergeant.

From War To Fire

After leaving the Marine Reserve in 1976, Brown joined the FDNY and came to the public’s attention. He once pulled a baby from a tenement fire. Another time he pull off a rooftop rope rescue, for which he received an FDNY medal and a letter of recognition from President George H.W. Bush.

Whenever he was honored, he quietly donated any monetary compensation to the Burn Center at the Cornell University Medical College in New York City.

His sister Carolyn Brown, brother Mike and Mike’s wife, Janet, say that to this day, countless people tell of how Paddy Brown saved lives and helped people by being so caring. Mike Brown shares some of these stories in his book, “What Brothers Do.”

“Pat had a passion for firefighting and a compassion for people,” Carolyn Brown said.

Brown’s example endures. His sister says a Philadelphia teacher encourages students to do a daily selfless act, called a “Paddy Brown.”

When he wasn’t fighting fires, Paddy Brown was battling in other ways. He earned a black belt and taught karate to the blind.

On the job, said Moran, “Paddy never would have left any building until all his men were out. He couldn’t leave the scene or the firehouse until all his men were cared for. He would even come by on his off days to take care of things for his guys.”

Janet Brown said: “Pat would teach people that success comes from hard work, passion and persistence. As long as you gave him that, he was happy. But if you didn’t, he would call that to your attention. He expected a lot from these guys, but he would never ask one of his guys to do anything he wouldn’t do.”

Moran says that Brown’s main criteria for his men were that they had enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Transferees from other fire stations that had previous issues started with a clean slate.

“He only cared about the content of your character,” Moran said. “What a humble man he was. He was a nice man, he was a generous man. He treated everyone with respect.”

Shake ‘Em Up

In order to get anything his men needed to do their jobs, Brown wouldn’t hesitate to speak up, even it jarred FDNY bosses.

“He was a very giving person. If he saw a wrong thing, he would go through whatever it took to straighten it out,” said fireman Jim Wind, who worked with Brown. “He put 110% into anything he saw that was worthwhile.”

Also in the apartment that Brown never returned to after 9/11 hung a quote from Teddy Roosevelt that reflected the fire hero’s traits:

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly.”