FDNY Chief of Department Peter Ganci was killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9/11, and on Thursday, his son, Peter Ganci III was promoted to captain.
Peter Ganci III was promoted to captain along with 30 other officers by the department at the Christian Cultural Center in Canarsie, Brooklyn to the cheers of fellow firefighters. He was accompanied by his mom, Kathleen, who was sitting with her numerous grandchildren and Ganci’s brother, Christopher, who is also one of New York’s Bravest.
On the morning of the attacks, Ganci’s father was scheduled for jury duty, but after American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower (One World Trade Center), he and Chief of Operations Daniel Nigro, now commissioner, rushed to the scene, setup a command post and then witnessed United Flight 175 hit the South Tower.
Ganci instructed then Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, fire commissioner Thomas Von Essen and others to clear the area because he believed the North Tower would fall. Ganci himself did not evacuate the area, saying, “I’m not leaving my men,” and remained at that location with Deputy Commissioner William Feehan. Both Ganci and Feehan were killed when the second tower collapsed.
“Captain Ganci is the son of my good friend Chief Ganci and he led the operations at the World Trade Center,” Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. “He would’ve like to have seen his son climb the ranks and continue the name Ganci in the name of service to this city.”
Daniel Nigro, who joined the department in 1969 and is 32nd Fire Commissioner in the 150-year history, was also celebrating his 50th year with the FDNY.
Lauren Judson — one of only 100 female firefighters currently among New York’s Bravest — was also promoted to captain. She is a highly regarded lieutenant from Ladder 25 on the Upper West Side and one of the few women commanders in the field.
“These veterans have many years experience fighting fires, responding to medical emergencies and helping people and they will bring these skills to lead others in the field,” Nigro concluded.
