In Memory of Firefighter John Michael Collins FDNY Ladder Company 25 Age 42 Died September 11, 2001 John decided at four years old. His father took him to a Bronx firehouse, someone put him up on a ladder truck, and that was it. The St. Patrick’s Day parade of New York firefighters sealed it. John Michael Collins was going to wear the coat. There was no opening when he first tried, so he did the next closest thing. He joined the New York Police Department and served four years. Fellow officers later said he bought groceries for families who were struggling and sneakers for their kids. He did it quietly. That was the pattern of his life: help first, talk later, if at all. When the FDNY finally called, he was living the dream he had carried since childhood. He was assigned to Ladder Company 25 on West 77th Street in Manhattan. He was the oldest of five. He lived in the Bronx. He lifted weights. He planned the family trips to Long Beach Island. When Johnny arrived, his brother and sisters said, the party began. Ask him about fires and he changed the subject. He did not want his parents to worry. The family joke was that he was the only fireman who never went to a fire. The men at Ladder 25 knew better. He spent three years on computers and training, then asked to go back to the street. On September 6, 2001, he got himself reassigned to Ladder 25. Five days later, the country changed.That morning he was supposed to fill in at another house. That house went out before he arrived. When Ladder 25 was called, he jumped the rig anyway. Seven men rode instead of six.He did not have to be on that truck. He chose the truck. His motto was simple: live life to the fullest, but don’t forget to help the next guy. On September 11, he helped the next guy all the way into the towers. A son. A brother. A cop first, then a firefighter. A man who bought sneakers for other people’s children and never made a speech about it. No words were spoken. No time for goodbye. He was gone before the people who loved him knew the size of the hole he would leave. Ladder 25 still carries his name in the house that sent him. The city still carries the debt. Rest easy, John. The next guy was all of us. Never forget.❤️🙏