Senate Resolution No. 2951
BY: Senator STEWART-COUSINS
COMMENDING Daniel R. Foley posthumously upon the
occasion of his designation as recipient of a
Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an
individual by the New York State Senate
WHEREAS, Citizens across the State of New York are inspired by and
indebted to our noble firefighters who exhibit courage and bravery every
day in the course of their duties; and
WHEREAS, New York State firefighters exemplify the power of human
compassion and the strength of the American spirit through actions of
the most heroic magnitude; their sacrifices and their selfless
dedication merit tribute and recognition by all citizens of this great
Nation; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Daniel R.
Foley posthumously upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of
a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the
New York State Senate; and
WHEREAS, The New York State Senate Liberty Medal was established by
Resolution and is awarded to individuals who have merited special
commendation for exceptional, heroic, or humanitarian acts on behalf of
their fellow New Yorkers; and
WHEREAS, After graduating from Clarkstown High School South in 1991,
Daniel R. Foley played football and earned his degree from Iona College;
and
WHEREAS, Daniel R. Foley, affectionately known to his friends and
family as Danny, joined the FDNY in 1998, and during his tenure, he was
cited by the fire department 10 times for bravery, and was the recipient
of three department medals for his courageous rescue efforts; and
WHEREAS, Daniel R. Foley's cherished brother Tommy was also a
firefighter, serving as a member of Rescue Co. 3 in the South Bronx, and
as a volunteer with the West Nyack Fire Department; on that terrible
morning of September 11, 2001, Tommy was one of the first responders who
was trapped in the ruins of the World Trade Center buildings; and
WHEREAS, Even though he was not assigned to recovery efforts, Daniel
R. Foley spent hours upon hours searching for his beloved brother, only
to find his body 10 days later; and
WHEREAS, Later, Daniel R. Foley joined Rescue Co. 3, which had lost
a total of eight members; and
WHEREAS, Due to his prolonged exposure to the contaminated air
during rescue and recovery efforts, Daniel R. Foley was diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer, and retired from the FDNY in 2019, after 21 years of
service; and
WHEREAS, Prior to his retirement, Daniel R. Foley worked tirelessly
to procure health benefits for himself, and the thousands of other men
and women who were suffering from 9/11-related illness; and
WHEREAS, The epitome of a great fireman, Daniel R. Foley tragically
lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on Saturday, February 22, 2020,
at the age of 46; and
WHEREAS, As of December of 2019, the death toll from 9/11-related
illnesses was 2,691; today, the FDNY truly mourns the loss of another
one of its brothers; and
WHEREAS, Firefighters unwaveringly serve our great State with pride,
valor, and integrity; these respected men and women are often the first
to respond to an emergency, whether the emergency is a fire, an
accident, natural disaster, act of terrorism, medical crisis, or spill
of hazardous materials; and
WHEREAS, It takes a special dedication, a strong desire to help
others and a tireless sense of community to forsake precious time with
family and friends to respond to the signal that a neighbor is in need;
Daniel R. Foley was such a firefighter; he heroically performed, above
and beyond the call of duty, those responsibilities which defined the
task of fire protection; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Daniel R. Foley posthumously upon the occasion of his
designation as recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor bestowed
upon an individual by the New York State Senate; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Daniel R. Foley.
