LODD - Captain John Keane Waterbury, CT

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Waterbury firefighter dies after weekend crash

by News Channel 8's Kent Pierce

Posted May 22, 2007

Updated 4:40 PM

(Waterbury-WTNH) _ One of the Waterbury firefighters hurt in a weekend crash involving two department vehicles has died.

The purple and black bunting on the firehouse tells the neighborhood the news it did not want to hear. Thirty-seven year old Fire Captain John Keane has died from serious head injuries he sustained in a Saturday morning crash with another fire truck going to the same fire. In total, 8-firefighters were injured, Captain Keane the most severely.

"It's a scary thing when they're going to a fire, you never know what could happen," said Mary Ann Petrillo of Waterbury.

Mary Ann should know since her husband is a firefighter. She and Kathie Schock also help out at the Bunker Hill Elementary School right across the street from the firehouse.

"It's a great community to live right here in Bunker HIll and have a fire station right across from the school. The kids love it, we feel safe," said Mary Ann.

The Bunker Hill Firehouse is such a part of the Bunker Hill community that it was supposed to be a part of the Bunker Hill Parade last Saturday, which means the engine would have been taken out of service and not answered calls. But the parade was cancelled due to rain, so when the call came in, Engine 12 answered.

But Engine 12 never made it to the fire. With Captain Keane and engine driver Joseph Fischetti still in the hospital on Monday, the school wanted to show its support.

"We came up with the idea to do the helping hands and the caring hearts to let them know how much we care about them, how much they're in our thoughts and prayers," said Mary Ann.

Those messages are spelled out on hand and heart shaped signs the kids made Monday. Mary Ann and Kathie attacked the get-well signs to the school fence on Monday night, but while they still apply for Joe Fischetti, someone now has to break the bad news about Captain Keane to the littlest members of the Bunker Hill community.

Keane was a 13-year-veteran of the Waterbury Fire Department and leaves behind his wife Monica, 10-year old daughter Erica and 8-year old son John.

Funeral arrangments are still pending

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Damn........................

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RIP Brother.....................

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RIP Brother...its sad that he died from such injuries though. My prayers go out to his family and the Fire Department and town of Waterbury

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Thoughts and prayers are with Capt. Keane, his family, friends, and coworkers.

Hopefully, his tragic and untimely death will not be in vein, and that the WFD and the fire service in general will come away from this with a lesson, and the hope that this never repeats itself again.

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Thoughts and prayers to Captain Keane's family, friends and to his extended family, the Officers, and members of the Waterbury Fire Department. PLEASE! Be Careful and stay safe, and may there be lessons learned and never forgotten.

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We just received the funeral arrangements at my station:

The Wake will be Thursday 5/24 from 4-8 p.m. at Waterbury City Hall, 232 Grand St.

The Funeral Mass will be Friday 5/25 at 10:30 a.m. at the Saint Peter & Paul Roman Catholic Church, 67 Southmayd Rd.

Staging for Friday Morning will be at 9:30 a.m., the staging location is not finalized yet.