Whether Fighting Fires Or Fishing, His Quality Shone

PAUL WARHOLA

It seemed like the firefighters had beaten back a heavy fire in a pharmaceutical plant in Brooklyn, retired Capt. Bruce Lindahl recalled, when one Firefighter went to inspect whether there was the potential for another explosion. As he walked in further, containers of alcohol fell onto hot embers. A new fire raged, and the Firefighter was trapped. And that's when Firefighter Paul Warhola came through.

"Paul instinctively opened the line, moved his 2½-inch line forward extinguishing the pool of burning alcohol, and directed that line alternately back and forth onto that Firefighter who was trapped in that ball of fire," said Captain Lindahl, formerly of Engine Company 221. "He extinguished most of that fire enough for us to go forward, grab that Firefighter and bring him to safety. While that Firefighter was injured, Paul most certainly saved him from more-serious injury or possibly death."

A Generous Fisherman

Several of the 6,500 members of the Fire Department who paid respects at Firefighter Warhola's funeral Aug. 19 in the Suffolk County town of Center Moriches on a brutally hot day fainted from the heat. Those who knew him described the Firefighter as a family man whose love of fishing fused with generosity and talent resulted in legendary fish dinners at Engine Co. 221 in South Williamsburg, where Mr. Warhola spent his entire 15-year FDNY career. He suffered an apparent stroke Aug. 12 while responding to a 911 call, and died at the hospital two days later. He was 47, and is survived by his wife, Arleen, his son, Paul, and daughter Tiana.

The Chief-Leader/Eric Weiss FAREWELL TO A HERO: As family members grieve, firefighters salute the casket of their fallen comrade at his funeral in Center Moriches, L.I. Firefighter Paul Warhola was a 9/11 survivor, though his uncle from Ladder Co. 5 was killed during the attacks. In addition to his every-day firefighting skills, one officer praised how Mr. Warhola went above and beyond the call of duty after the World Trade Center attacks.

Mr. Warhola became inspired to join the FDNY while working in construction. As his brother, Stephen, described, he and a co-worker saw a fire in a building, entered and rescued a woman trapped inside.

The Chief-Leader/Eric Weiss THE FIREMAN AND THE SEA: Firefighter Patrick Demic, who attended the Fire Academy with Firefighter Paul Warhola, described him as having born leadership abilities and a willingness to teach. Never a braggart about his job, he said, Mr. Warhola loved fishing and always brought him some of what he caught.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'A Humble Guy'

"Despite that, knowing my brother, I didn't find out about it from him. It was through his co-worker that had told me about a month later," his brother said. "He was a humble person that was never boastful."

Mr. Warhola's colleagues described a man of few words who exuded a vast knowledge of firefighting, and showed the traits of a born leader in the department. In his eulogy, Mayor Bloomberg said, "As one of the officers at Engine 221 put it: 'Some guys just chatter-chatter. Paulie wasn't like that. He always got right to the point. And when he said, I think we should do it this way, it was the first choice every time.'''

Firefighter Warhola was not scheduled to work on 9/11. He was coming off his shift when Captain Lindahl realized he needed a replacement for the next shift. Mr. Warhola volunteered. Then the planes hit.

They arrived at the site as Tower 2 was collapsing, and the members of Engine Co. 221 survived. But among the 343 members of the FDNY who died in those few minutes was Mr. Warhola's uncle, Lieut. Michael Warhola of Ladder Company 5. After witnessing the destruction, knowing that there would be unfathomable casualties, Mr. Warhola sprang back into action, the Captain recalled, almost without a second thought in the rescue and recovery process.

'A Patient, Wise Teacher'

"Paul and other FDNY veterans were crucial to the department's rebirth," the Mayor said. "Because as its ranks filled with new members, they needed precisely what Paul had in abundance: Patience, wisdom and a willingness to teach. He gave them all that and more."

It was Mr. Warhola's devotion, instinct and ability to focus while under tremendous pressure, Captain Lindahl said, that made him such a good Firefighter. He recalled another incident where he and Firefighter Warhofrom la were fighting a fire on the first floor of an apartment, and they realized that several occupants were trapped above.

He said that Mr. Warhola didn't need to take orders; he moved forward with the Captain instinctively and beat the fire back. Suddenly, as they made their way down a narrow hallway, a bookcase collapsed, trapping them, and leaving Firefighter Warhola in a position where he sustained burns. But even while injured he directed the hose towards the fire, which Captain Lindahl said was a major contributing factor in saving the building's residents.

Firefighter Patrick Demic went to the Fire Academy with Mr. Warhola, and would join him in the Brooklyn firehouse as a member of Ladder Company 104. He said he was always confident in a fire when Firefighter Warhola was working. But his selflessness came through the most when he discovered that Mr. Demic suffered sea-sickness, and therefore couldn't join him on his fishing trips. Firefighter Warhola made sure his old Academy buddy didn't go hungry.

The Whole Nine Knots

"He wouldn't just bring fish; he would pack it for me, ice it for me, put it together for me," Mr. Demic said. "He would just do things like that."

Living on the eastern edge of Long Island's South Shore, a stark and peaceful contrast to the gritty environs of the neighborhood where Mr. Warhola worked, afforded him the luxury to pursue his favorite hobby in nearby Moriches Bay. He shared both his bounty and the opportunity to fish with his FDNY colleagues. He also volunteered to help others with carpentry, another of his loves.

As Mr. Demic recalled, Firefighter Warhola derived his joy in life from lending his skills to others, whether it was during a fishing trip in the tranquility of the ocean or the stress of a raging fire.

"He was just really good at most stuff," he said.