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Martinson an Aggressive 'Teddy
Bear'
Man of High Standards "Most of the times when John would talk we would talk about things that he expected of other people, and it was usually very high," Capt. Thomas Reilly of Engine Co. 249 told reporters before his funeral Jan. 8. "His standards were high. And he never expected from somebody else what he couldn't produce. He put himself right in front and he led from the front. He was always the first guy off the rig and into the building, and that's the type of guy John was. He's going to be really missed in the firehouse." Lieutenant Martinson, 40, was buried in a Staten Island cemetery after a funeral at the Church of St. Clare. Thousands of uniformed firefighters lined Nelson Ave. to pay their respects. Monsignor Joseph Murphy told the attendees before the service started that Edward Cardinal Egan of the New York Archdiocese called from Rome to pass on his condolences to the bereaved. "He was the kind of man who everybody said didn't mistake bluster for bravery," Mayor Bloomberg said in his eulogy. "He was, as one man who worked with him said, never one to swagger or be chesty around the firehouse." Handy and Helpful Lieutenant Martinson moved into a house, which his grandfather built, next to his mother's after his father died. In their Staten Island neighborhood, he was known for being one who loved to help others renovate their houses and do other handy work.
He is survived by his mother, Iris; a young son, John, and a wife, Jessica, who is six-months pregnant with their second child. After four years in the NYPD, Lieutenant Martinson came to the FDNY in 1993 and started with Engine Co. 204, then moved to Engine Co. 80 in a much-busier firehouse in Harlem. Later, he received what some might have thought was a reward for his hard work: an assignment to a fire company near his home without too much danger. 'Didn't Want It Easy' "Again, he said Staten Island wasn't busy enough for him, so he gave up that comfortable and easy commute in favor of one of the busiest houses in the city, Engine 249 and Ladder 113 in Flatbush," said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta in his eulogy. "Men like John don't come along very often." Captain Reilly, who worked with Lieutenant Martinson in the Harlem firehouse as well, remarked in his eulogy that at the Flatbush firehouse he was known for being a firm leader and lighthearted character during the company's down time. "He was a professional arguer and was disarming with his quick wit and self-deflection," he said. On Jan. 3, Engine Co. 249 along with more than 100 firefighters responded to the fire in the 25-story Ebbets Field Houses on Bedford Ave. that was formerly the site of the ballpark where the Brooklyn Dodgers played. Lieutenant Martinson led his team into the building, and reportedly died from smoke inhalation and burns later that night. Ten others, including firefighters, sustained injuries. 'Made Sure They Got Out' In his eulogy, the Mayor said that Lieutenant Martinson's performance in his final assignment in the FDNY displayed the bravery and care for those in his company that so many of those who knew him spoke about.
"When the men in his command were forced to fall back,
he ensured that every one of them went out first and escaped safely," he said.
"That kind of courage fills us all with the deepest awe." | ||||||
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