Not enough of a Hero to leave a legacy.

Heroism isnt supposed to be ranked, because all service men and women are heroes. But with a new policy regarding legacy credit, the Fire Department of the City of New York has been pushed to the bottom of the ladder. Can one life given in the line of duty be worth more than another? When the City of New York updated the Special Circumstances regarding Legacy Credit for Open Competitive Examinations last month, they all but told us it can. The new specifications state as follows: 1. For Parent Legacy Credit (for child of a firefighter or police officer): A candidate shall qualify for Parent Legacy Credit if his or her parent was killed in the line of duty as a firefighter or police officer in New York City. 2. For Parent Legacy Credit (for child of an EMT): A candidate shall qualify for Parent Legacy Credit if his or her parent was killed in the line of duty as an emergency medical Technician in the service of New York City as a result of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack, or as a result of the rescue effort that took place in response to the attack. 3. For Sibling Legacy Credit (for sibling of a firefighter or police officer): A candidate shall qualify for Sibling Legacy Credit if his or her sibling was killed in the line of duty as a firefighter or police officer in the service of New York City as a result of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack, or as a result of the rescue effort that took place in response to the attack. How come firefighters and police officers who died as a result of their post-9/11 service not accorded the same respect as the life of an EMS worker in the same circumstances? How can this be? I am the proud son and grandson of New York City firefighters, two men who gave their lives in service of this city. Now as both my brother and I pursue the career that is such an integral part of our heritage, we are made to feel that our fathers life is not as valuable as others lost in the same manner, to feel that my fathers 27 years of exemplary service have been devalued. My dad was a responder September 11, 2001. He spent days sifting through rubble searching for his lost FDNY brothers and continued that service for a decade after 9/11, exposing himself to all the harmful elements in the ruins. Less than 90 days after retiring, he died of pancreatic cancer. He never even received his first pension check. I am not nave; I know many children lost their parents that day and that many more continue to lose their parents every day as result of this horrible tragedy. I am not looking for preferential treatment, but for equal treatment. There is a tragic disconnect between the observation of those who died that terrible day and those who have died every day since.

When asked for explanation, the Citys response to questions about the change in policy was to tell me my fathers death was not while in discharge of his duties. When I think of the day I attended the Metro Tech memorial dedication and heard Chief of Department Edward Kilduff promise, With this wall, we're making a statement that the sacrifices our members made on Sept. 11, 2001 did not end on that day," it sickens me to know the City of New York no longer agrees.