NY Post – September 07, 2015
by Kevin Sheehan and Daniel Prendergast
Two Bravest brothers assigned to different firehouses responded to the same Queens blaze Sunday and found themselves in the rare position of climbing up ladders to the roof — side by side. Smoke-eater Denis Mandel, 38, and his brother Tommy, 46, had little time to exchange pleasantries as their fire houses’ trucks pulled up to the burning three-story apartment building on 78th Street in Jackson Heights around 12:30 p.m.
“We both showed up at the same time — I was happy to see him, ” said Denis, who works out of Engine 307-Ladder 154.
“Then I was amazed that we were both going to be in the same position. That is really rare.”
The brothers were each assigned to begin venting the roof as other firefighters battled flames on the lower floors.
“It is very uncommon for my brother and me to be working as a team,’’ added Tommy of Engine 287-Ladder 36. “ But when we do, we work very well together.’’
When the pair reached the roof, Denis, who has 11 years on the job, deferred to his older brother, who has 22 years of firefighting experience, letting him take the lead.
“We talked about what tools we should take, and when we got up to the roof, I asked him, ‘What do you think?’ ” Denis recalled.
“I ask his advice, and I always get the most honest answers from my brother because he wants me to be the best fireman I can be.”
As for Denis, Tommy said, “He’s a very good fireman, he knows what he’s doing.”
After all, the pair said, they had the best teacher: their dad, a 34-year FDNY veteran.
The blaze started in the building’s basement and took more than 40 minutes to extinguish, the FDNY said. No one was injured. The cause is under investigation.
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