Bill Text: NY J02951 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Commending Daniel R. Foley posthumously upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-03-10 - ADOPTED [J02951 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-J02951-Introduced.html
Senate Resolution No. 2951 BY: Senator STEWART-COUSINS COMMENDING Daniel R. Foley posthumously upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate WHEREAS, Citizens across the State of New York are inspired by and indebted to our noble firefighters who exhibit courage and bravery every day in the course of their duties; and WHEREAS, New York State firefighters exemplify the power of human compassion and the strength of the American spirit through actions of the most heroic magnitude; their sacrifices and their selfless dedication merit tribute and recognition by all citizens of this great Nation; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Daniel R. Foley posthumously upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate; and WHEREAS, The New York State Senate Liberty Medal was established by Resolution and is awarded to individuals who have merited special commendation for exceptional, heroic, or humanitarian acts on behalf of their fellow New Yorkers; and WHEREAS, After graduating from Clarkstown High School South in 1991, Daniel R. Foley played football and earned his degree from Iona College; and WHEREAS, Daniel R. Foley, affectionately known to his friends and family as Danny, joined the FDNY in 1998, and during his tenure, he was cited by the fire department 10 times for bravery, and was the recipient of three department medals for his courageous rescue efforts; and WHEREAS, Daniel R. Foley's cherished brother Tommy was also a firefighter, serving as a member of Rescue Co. 3 in the South Bronx, and as a volunteer with the West Nyack Fire Department; on that terrible morning of September 11, 2001, Tommy was one of the first responders who was trapped in the ruins of the World Trade Center buildings; and WHEREAS, Even though he was not assigned to recovery efforts, Daniel R. Foley spent hours upon hours searching for his beloved brother, only to find his body 10 days later; and WHEREAS, Later, Daniel R. Foley joined Rescue Co. 3, which had lost a total of eight members; and WHEREAS, Due to his prolonged exposure to the contaminated air during rescue and recovery efforts, Daniel R. Foley was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and retired from the FDNY in 2019, after 21 years of service; and WHEREAS, Prior to his retirement, Daniel R. Foley worked tirelessly to procure health benefits for himself, and the thousands of other men and women who were suffering from 9/11-related illness; and WHEREAS, The epitome of a great fireman, Daniel R. Foley tragically lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on Saturday, February 22, 2020, at the age of 46; and WHEREAS, As of December of 2019, the death toll from 9/11-related illnesses was 2,691; today, the FDNY truly mourns the loss of another one of its brothers; and WHEREAS, Firefighters unwaveringly serve our great State with pride, valor, and integrity; these respected men and women are often the first to respond to an emergency, whether the emergency is a fire, an accident, natural disaster, act of terrorism, medical crisis, or spill of hazardous materials; and WHEREAS, It takes a special dedication, a strong desire to help others and a tireless sense of community to forsake precious time with family and friends to respond to the signal that a neighbor is in need; Daniel R. Foley was such a firefighter; he heroically performed, above and beyond the call of duty, those responsibilities which defined the task of fire protection; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commend Daniel R. Foley posthumously upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the New York State Senate; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the family of Daniel R. Foley.