The firefighting Heeran brothers were promoted on the same day — Firefighter William to lieutenant, and Lt. Sean to captain.
Though their father is a retired FDNY firefighter, the brothers had no intention of being firefighters. Both were in the finance industry, as was their brother, Charlie, 23, Billy’s twin. When Charlie was killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, his brothers had a change of heart.
“When I watched [the firefighters] respond, I felt like [the FDNY] was something I had to do, and I have no regrets. This job has been very good for me. On 9/11 I saw how our guys took care of each other and to this day we take care of each other,” Sean told Thomas Tracy of the New York Daily News.
