Woodside Remembers 9/11 at ‘Boulevard of Bravery’

Residents of Woodside will never forget the sacrifices made by the firefighters of Rescue 4.
In order to ensure the heroes are always remembered, Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer joined local elected officials, families of first responders, active firefighters and members of the community on September 9 at a ceremony held to co-name 65th Street and Queens Boulevard the “Boulevard of Bravery.”
The street, which is home to the Rescue 4 firehouse, was given the distinction in honor of the 15 firefighters from the company who lost their lives in the line of duty, including nine who perished on September 11, 2001.
“It’s so important to permanently recognize the sacrifices that were made by the members of Rescue 4 and to memorialize those sacrifices,” said Van Bramer. “Adding the name ‘Boulevard of Bravery’ to this street makes certain that no one will ever forget. People will always recognize that this isn’t just a building with fire engines, but that there are brave men and women who are serving every day. We have to do everything we can to say thank you, and this is just a small symbol of our gratitude.”
While they never require recognition to save lives, the outpouring of affection from the neighborhood was not lost upon the firefighters of Rescue 4.
“On behalf of all officers and members past and present, and families of our fallen brothers, we are proud to have the street renamed ‘Boulevard of Bravery’ in their honor,” said Joseph Gandiello, captain of Rescue 4.
“I think the renaming is great,” said Patrick Dowdell, who lost his father, Lieutenant Kevin Dowdell, a member of Rescue 4, on September 11. “It’s a tribute to the members that were lost, but it’s also a sign of how much the community and the firehouse care about the guys who work here. They want to make sure they always remember them in the best way possible.”
Dominic Moffo attended the ceremony to honor his first cousin, Durrell “Bronko” Pearsall, a member of Rescue 4 who perished at the age of 34 at the World Trade Center.
“It’s fantastic that all the men, even those that lost their lives prior to 9/11 and those who continue to serve, are honored,” said Moffo, whose son enlisted in the army due to his cousin’s sacrifice. “It preserves it for generations to come, so that our children and grandchildren can come here and see where their brave cousin served. He just loved FDNY and firefighting. That was his life.”
Also present at the event were students from nearby P.S. 11.
“It was an honor to be here,” said Marco Aguilar, 10. “A lot of firefighters sacrificed their lives to save ordinary people they didn’t know, so I was very happy to be here to remember them.”