William M. Feehan

William M. Feehan (1929 – September 11, 2001) was a member of the Fire Department of New York who died during the collapse of the World Trade Center. Feehan held most ranks within the department, starting with Probationary Firefighter upon his appointment on October 10, 1959. [cite web |url = http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/memorial/wtc/feehan_william.shtml |title = First Deputy Fire Commissioner William Feehan |publisher = Fire Department of New York|accessdate = 2006-12-13] He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1964 and eventually to Chief of Department in 1991. In 1992, he was appointed Deputy Fire Commissioner. Upon the resignation of Fire Commissioner Carlos M. Rivera, he briefly served as Acting Fire Commissioner through the end of Mayor David N. Dinkins administration from August 31, 1993 until December 31, 1993.

After incoming Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani picked Howard Safir to become Fire Commissioner of the City of New York, Feehan returned to his previous title of First Deputy Fire Commissioner of the City of New York and served in that position until his death in the line of duty during the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. [cite web |url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70715FD3B5C0C708DDDA00894D9404482 |title = William Feehan, Fire Dept. Leader, Dies at 72|publisher = The New York Times |accessdate = 2006-12-13]

Feehan graduated from Saint John's University in 1952. Before his appointment to the FDNY, he served in the United States Army in Korea. Chief Feehan's wife, Elizabeth, died in 1996. His son, Firefighter John Feehan, is assigned to FDNY Squad Company 1. [cite web |url = http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/memorial/wtc/feehan_william.shtml |title = First Deputy Fire Commissioner William Feehan |publisher = Fire Department of New York|accessdate = 2006-12-13]

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