FDNY plaque ceremony honors fallen firefighter Timothy Klein

The FDNY dedicated a plaque to fallen firefighter Timothy P. Klein on the anniversary of his line-of-duty death during ceremonies Monday at the firehouse where he served on Rockaway Parkway in Brooklyn.

Klein, 31,  a six-year veteran, was working April 24, 2022, when he became trapped under a ceiling that collapsed during a three-alarm house fire that also killed resident Carlos Richards, 21. Transported in critical condition to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in Brooklyn, Klein later died of his injuries. He was the 1,157th FDNY firefighter to die in the line of duty.

A lifelong resident of Queens, Klein was appointed to the FDNY in 2015.

In January 2019, he delivered the eulogy for FDNY firefighter Steven Pollard, his friend and fellow firefighter at Engine Company 257, Ladder Company 170, Battalion 58, who also died in the line of duty.

In dedicating a plaque to hang in Klein's memory at his firehouse, FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said: "We will place his name on the wall of his beloved firehouse and know that his story will continue . . . Tim epitomized what it means to be a New York City firefighter, to dedicate yourself to helping others — on and off the job. Tim was exactly the kind of person we hope to attract to the FDNY: He was calm and deliberate, passionate about his work and doing it so well."

Recalling his nicknames as "The Golden Child" and "The Canarsie Kid," Kavanagh spoke of Klein coming from a family of firefighters that included his uncles and father, Patrick, saying: "He knew the risks that come with the job — and he forged ahead, anyway."

Addressing Klein's family, including his parents and three sisters, she added: "Thank you for raising a man like Tim and for sharing him with us and for the sacrifices your whole family has made for this department. He died doing what he loved, in a city that he loved, with the people that he loved."

During his remarks, FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said: "We are making sure that Timmy's sacrifice is never forgotten and … that his legacy will touch every future firefighter and every visitor who passes through these doors. Timmy was just the type of example we want future firefighters to emulate — a selfless, brave, kind individual with a heart of gold who loved his job."

Also in attendance were the families of Pollard and FDNY firefighter William P. Moon of Islip, who died after being critically injured in a training fall in December.