His 'brothers' came through for my father

My father passed away in May. Within days, our family heard from his “brothers.”

My father, Len, was 85 and a life member of the Centerport Fire Department, albeit inactive for decades, and we were told the fire department was there to help with whatever we needed. Such phrases are often said at difficult times with the best of intentions. Little did we know that our old friends, the volunteers at the Centerport Fire Department, would truly come through.

Newsday readers may have seen a picture of Paul Heglund, a retired FDNY captain, who appeared prominently in a story on 9/11 remembrances. Paul is a longtime Centerport fireman and an old friend of my father’s. After my father died, Paul called me and asked if I could come down to the CFD. They wanted to help.

I went to the firehouse to meet with the volunteer committee that springs into action when a member passes away. I had no idea what to expect as I made my way to the firehouse on Park Circle in Centerport.

They informed me that my father, as a life member, was entitled to a death benefit to help pay for the funeral costs. They handed me a check. Just like that. They offered the use of the fire department for a reception after the funeral mass at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs. They would take care of everything: ordering the food, setting up the room, serving the food, and cleaning up. We would not need to do a thing other than to tell them how many people to expect. I was stunned with gratitude.

Growing up, the Centerport Fire Department played a large role in our family’s life. My father would race out any time the whistle blew, no matter the time of day. Our cars had to be parked just right in the driveway so he could get out. And every night during dinner when the radio test came on, we had to be quiet, even though it said the same thing every night: “This is KEE667 Centerport Fire Department on the air with a signal 19 general. The time is now 18:50.”

Being a volunteer firefighter represents a significant commitment. The training is intense and ongoing, and when the whistle blows, the call must be answered, no matter the time or the weather. But, yes, there is some fun: holiday parties, softball games, parades and picnics. Even after he retired from the CFD, Dad would put on his uniform and join the Centerport Memorial Day parade. And when his legs could not make it the whole way from the Mill Dam Bridge to the fire department, they let him ride in a truck.

Volunteer fire departments provide an invaluable service to our communities. No parallel exists where volunteers serve such a vital and indispensable role: unpaid first responders. Fittingly, when my father fell, the CFD ambulance came to the house on Westfield Drive — where my father lived since 1969 — and took him to Huntington Hospital.

My father served a long time although I don’t recall him doing anything particularly heroic. Nothing so dramatic as charging into a burning building to save someone. Yet that happens. And it’s a volunteer who puts his or her life on the line.

My family and I will always have fond memories of the CFD and be eternally grateful for their support. As Long Islanders, we should all show gratitude to the dedication of these volunteers.

READER MATTHEW HICKERSON lives in Huntington.