What to Know
- Steven Pollard, 30, who had been with the FDNY for a year and a half, is the 1,151 member of department to die in the line of duty
- He died helping victims of a car crash on the Belt Parkway after he fell more than 50 feet off the Mill Basin overpass
- Pollard's wake began Wednesday evening and will continue Thursday; his funeral will be Friday morning at Good Shepherd Church in Brooklyn
Emotional final goodbyes began Wednesday for a 30-year-old FDNY firefighter who died when he fell off a Brooklyn bridge while helping car crash victims.
Family, friends and fellow FDNY firefighters gathered Wednesday evening at Marine Park Funeral Home on Quentin Road in Brooklyn to honor Steven Pollard, a probationary firefighter who came from a family of FDNY firefighters.
Firefighters teared up as Pollard, who had been on the job for a year and a half, was remembered for his bravery and dedication.
"As you can see it’s a tremendous outpouring of love for a wonderful young firefighter and his family," FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. "Steven just wanted to help people."
His wake will resume on Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Marine Park Funeral Home on Quentin Road in Brooklyn. Pollard will be laid to rest during a Friday funeral at 11:30 a.m. at Good Shepherd Church on Batchelder Street in Brooklyn.
Throngs of firefighters stood at emotional salute Monday as they watched an ambulance carry away Pollard's body after he plunged 52 feet to the concrete below the Mill Basin overpass when he responded to an overturned wreck on the westbound Belt Parkway.
Pollard went to jump over a 3-foot gap in the road to get from the eastbound to the westbound lanes to help the crash victims but slipped through.
Pollard who was assigned to Ladder Company 170 in Brooklyn.
Pollard is the 1,151st member of the FDNY to die in the line of duty.
Pollard’s father, Ray, is a retired FDNY firefighter who was on the job for 31 years for Ladder Company 102 in Brooklyn. His brother, Ray Jr., is currently an FDNY firefighter and has been for 11 years for Ladder Company 114. He is also survived by his mother.
