Veteran FDNY Lieutenant Who Died Following 24-Hour Shift Was Working in Pain

The New York mayor told mourners that a firefighter who died of a heart attack after a 24-hour shift kept responding to emergency calls while already feeling pain.

The casket of Brian Sullivan arrived on a fire truck for his funeral Friday at Sacred Heart Church in Monroe, a town in Orange County north of New York City where he lived.

The 54-year-old city firefighter, the father of two daughters, suffered a heart attack last Saturday just after completing his tour.

Sullivan was a member of the FDNY for 27 years. He was responding to a kitchen fire in a Bronx apartment during his 24-hour tour of duty along with Squad Company 41 in the Bronx.

Sullivan led the members of his company for the 24-hour period of his final tour, responding to seven emergencies, which included several medical calls, authorities said. He had complained of pain and discomfort to his fellow firefighters throughout the full day tour, but kept responding, officials said. He returned home once the tour wrapped and was taken to a hospital in cardiac arrest later that night. 

"Lieutenant Sullivan was a veteran fire officer and a dedicated member of our elite Special Operations Command who bravely served the Department for nearly three decades,” Nigro said in a statement. “The city and the entire Department mourn the loss of this brave individual who spent his career protecting life and property and rescuing others from harm."

Sullivan is the 1,153rd FDNY member to die as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty, fire officials said. He is survived by his wife, Irene, and 22- and 17-year-old daughters, Nicole and Samantha.

De Blasio offered condolences to Sullivan's family and called his death a tragic loss both for the FDNY and the city of New York.