Standing In Silence, Philadelphia City Council Honors 2 Fallen Firefighters
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia City Council today honored the two firefighters who lost their lives in Monday's five-alarm warehouse blaze (see related stories).
City Council paid tribute to the fallen firefighters both with a moment of silence and with resolutions honoring their memory.
"I move for the adoption of the resolution by a standing vote," said 10th District councilman Brian O'Neill, who authored the resolutions.
After all members of Council stood for a moment, most with heads bowed, Council president Darrell Clarke declared the resolution adopted.
Both of the firefighters -- 60-year-old Robert Neary and 25-year-old Daniel Sweeney -- lived in O'Neill's district.
"It's tragic," O'Neill said afterward. "You get up every day and you know that your loved ones are coming home from work. And you realize that there are some people who don't have that same almost-guarantee, that any time they could get the news."
A memorial service for Neary comes Friday night, with a private burial. Sweeney is to be buried Saturday.
