A Deputy Chief Inspector with the FDNY has died from the coronavirus, fire officials confirmed Friday.
Syed Rahman, a 22-year veteran of the fire department, was part of the clean-up at ground zero after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, according to a GoFundMe for his family.
Rahman died Sunday at the age of 59. He was a husband and a father of four young middle school boys.
“Deputy Chief Inspector Rahman dedicated his life to helping others through his service to the Department, and New Yorkers were safer because of his outstanding work,” said FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro.
“Every day, he helped accomplish FDNY’s lifesaving mission and ensured construction, demolition, and abatement took place safely in our city. Our entire Department mourns his loss.”
The Deputy Chief Inspector ran the day-to-day operations for the department’s Bureau of Management Analysis and Planning, Office of Internal Audit and Control.
The GoFundMe account has raised nearly $20,000 as of Friday evening for an education fund for his boys.
Rahman was the second member of the FDNY to pass away from the pandemic COVID-19.
A spokesman said Friday 376 members of the FDNY, including firefighters, EMS and civilians, have tested positive for the virus.
Most of the members are home in “various conditions,” Nigro said on CNN Friday.
“Most of our members are not hospitalized right now but they’re all fighting this fight against the virus,” Nigro added.
“At least, one patient was intubated for many days.”
About 3,000 members of the FDNY were out on medical leave during the outbreak, the spokesman said.
