“When a man becomes a fireman his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. What he does after that is all in the line of work. They were not thinking of getting killed when they went where death lurked. They went there to put the fire out, and got killed. Firefighters do not regard themselves as heroes because they do what the business requires.”
Croker (right) was Chief of the New York City Fire Department from 1899 to 1911
Croker (right) was Chief of the New York City Fire Department from 1899 to 1911