Battalion Chief Fred C. Scheffold

Battalion 12, FDNY

Battalion Chief Scheffold's Act of Heroism

Over 400 first responders lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Heroically performing their sworn duty, these firefighters, members of the NYPD and PAPD, and numerous other rescue workers will forever be remembered for their sacrifice.

My Hero

Over dinner, Fred Scheffold, chief of the 12th Battalion in Harlem, liked to laugh about fighting fires. Like the time he fell off a fire escape or the time he rescued the skinny man and left the fat one for his partner. "He never told us the bad stuff," said Kim Scheffold, a daughter. "He loved going into fires and rescuing people and he loved his men."

At home in Piermont, in Rockland County, Chief Scheffold skied, golfed, ran marathons and read everything. He also sculpted logs with a chainsaw, painted furniture in crazy- quilt colors and taught his three daughters to reach high and not give up.

His shift had just ended when the station alarm rang Tuesday morning but he jumped into the truck with the others. At 1 World Trade Center, he pushed through crowds to the staircase, intending to climb to the top. The building rumbled. "Doesn't sound good," he said to a friend. But he kept on pushing forward.

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on September 26, 2001.
Information courtesy of the Remember 9/11/2001 memorial site on legacy.com