FDNY firefighter close to death after 20-foot fall inside Brooklyn firehouse; family to donate organs

A New York City firefighter who suffered fatal injuries on Monday is expected to die following a 20-foot fall at his Brooklyn firehouse, the FDNY said.

But William Moon, 47, will make one last contribution as he passes — he will donate his organs, his wife Kristina Moon said Friday.

“Loving Billy was not only a marriage of families but a marriage to the Fire Department. His love and passion for the job extended far from the firehouse walls,” his wife said. “He instilled that same passion in our children and always talked about how important it was to help others. We are eternally grateful for the Christmas miracles that Billy will now be able to give to others.”

Moon, 47, was preparing for a drill inside Rescue Company 2 on Sterling Place in Crown Heights on Monday when he fell from a makeshift scaffolding, fire department officials said.

He and his crew were training on how to rescue window washers trapped on immobile platforms hundreds of feet in the air, FDNY officials said.

He was immediately rushed to Kings County Hospital with a serious head injury and was put on life support.

Doctors told his wife and family on Friday that Moon would not survive and they decided to donate his organs, Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said.

“He was passionate about organ donation, and just as he saved countless lives working out of the firehouse, he will continue to save lives in his passing,” Kavanagh said.

Mayor Adams called the tragedy “a heartbreaking loss for New York’s Bravest, and for our entire city.”

“I don’t think sometimes people realize the vicarious trauma that those of us who have to go to the hospital when a member of our first responders are involved in some serious physical injury,” Adams said at a press conference at City Hall Friday. “I know for me personally it takes several days before you can sort of normalize your emotions after speaking to family members and loved ones. It is extremely challenging. And it is challenging for us today.”

Moon remained in critical condition Friday, Adams said.

“(He) was a dedicated public servant, who spent more than two decades saving the lives of New Yorkers and will continue to do so in his passing,” Adams said.

Firefighter Moon joined the FDNY in 2002 and spent most of his career at Ladder Company 133 in Jamaica, Queens, before moving to Rescue 2, FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said. He also served as a member of the Islip Fire Department on Long Island and was their Chief of Department in 2017.

“Billy was the type of firefighter who wanted to do more, so in January of this year he transferred to Rescue Company 2 in Brooklyn, which is an elite unit that not only responds to fires, but also responds to any type of emergency that you can imagine happening,” Hodgens said. “This type of work requires extensive training. Billy was preparing for one of these training exercises when this tragic accident occurred.”

He leaves behind Kristina and their two children.

This is the second time in more than a year that a city firefighter suffered fatal injuries as the result of a training drill.

On Dec. 2, 2021, FDNY probationary Firefighter Vincent Malveaux, 31, died at the FDNY Training Academy on Randall’s Island during a training exercise. He was six weeks into his 18-week course, the department said. He was rushed to Harlem Hospital, where he died the next day.

An autopsy later revealed Malveaux died from complications of exertional rhabdomyolysis — the result of muscles breaking down and releasing proteins into the bloodstream. It is associated with strenuous exercise or normal exercise under extreme circumstances.