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HEATHER CASEY
Firehouse.com News
(March 26) - New Jersey Firefighter Jim Heenan passed away Sunday afternoon, March 25,
after fighting for nearly three months against injuries sustained in a house
fire.
Heenan, 37, was with the Verga Fire Department in West Deptford, NJ for over
18 years.
He died at about 5 p.m. at the Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland,
Penn., where he had been in critical condition since Jan.1.
Heenan entered the burning West Deptford house on New Year’s Day to search
for victims believed to be inside. The floor immediately collapsed beneath
him and dropped him into the basement, where he was trapped under debris,
including a kitchen stove, for about 20 minutes.
It was later discovered that the two-story structure had been empty.
Heenan suffered burns to 74 percent of his body and went through several
surgeries, said A.J. Ferriola, an assistant chief of the Verga Fire
Department.
It was never clear whether or not he would recover. "We were prepared for
the worst but hoped for the best," Ferriola said.
Heenan is survived by his wife Patti and their sons, Jim, 16, and Mike, 14.
He worked as a dredge operator and volunteered with the fire department.
"Hobbywise, this was his thing. He loved to fight fires," Ferriola said. "He
was a wonderful family man, a wonderful father and a wonderful firefighter."
Ferriola also remembered Heenan as a fun guy to be with. "You always had a
good time when you were with him," he said.
This is the first line-of-duty death in the department since the 1950s,
Ferriola said.
Over the past few months, Heenan’s long struggle has elicited an outpouring
of support from his community.
A number of fund raisers have been held to help his family, including
raffles and a basketball game between firefighters and local TV and radio
celebrities. There have also been several blood drives in Heenan’s name.
Additional fund raisers will include an event April 3 at the Coastline
Restaurant in Cherry Hill, NJ. Anyone interested in additional information
can call the Verga Fire Department at (856) 848-2926.
Arrangements for Jim Heenan are as follows:
The viewing will be on Wednesday, March 28 at 5 p.m. at McGuinness Funeral
Homes, 34 Hunter St. in Woodbury, N.J.
The funeral will take place Thursday, March 29. Refreshments will be
provided at 8 a.m. at Soupy Island, located at the end of Red Bank Ave. in
Verga. Mass will begin at 11 a.m. at St. Matthew's Church, 307 Wesley Ave in
National Park, N.J. Following the Mass, the procession will proceed past the
Verga Fire Department on its way to Woodbury Memorial Park, at Jessup Rd.
and Kings Hwy.
Donations for Heenan’s family are being accepted at the Bank of Gloucester
County. They should be addressed to:
Attention: Stephanie Thayer
Bank of Gloucester County
207 North Grove Rd.
National Park, NJ 08063
The bank can be reached at (856) 853-9321.
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