By Andrew Coen
Funeral services were held at St. Joseph's R.C. Church in Hewlett for longtime local firefighter Lt. Peter B. Lund, who was described by his colleagues as a legend in fire service, both as a New York City firefighter and as a volunteer with the Woodmere Fire Department. Lund was also a teacher of the profession.
Thousands of firefighters attended the funeral on June 18 and a memorial service a day earlier to honor the 54-year-old, who suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after helping to extinguish a blaze at a two-story home at 753 Longacre Ave. in Woodmere on June 14. Lund, who battled blazes and responded to disasters in the city and on the Island since 1970, died shortly before midnight after fighting the house fire, which broke out shortly after 10 p.m. A volunteer in Woodmere after he retired from the NYFD, Lund complained of shortness of breath and chest pains, according to officials, who said that he sat down on a curb before collapsing. He was transported to St. John's Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, where he was pronounced dead.
According to police and fire officials, Lund's cardiac arrest might have been triggered by the excessive heat to which he was exposed while fighting the fire, as temperatures in the house's attic were estimated to be over 150 degrees. Officials at the Nassau County fire marshal's office determined that the blaze, which started in the house's electrical service entrance near the roof line, was not suspicious. It caused moderate damage to the home.
Lund, who lived in the Gibson section of Valley Stream for the past two decades, was with the FDNY's Rescue Two, retiring in 2003, and had been a volunteer firefighter in Woodmere since 1970. Firefighting is a tradition in the Lund family: Peter's late father, Clarence, served in Woodmere and his son, Matthew, serves as captain in Woodmere.
"Pete was a legend in the fire service," said Ray Grawin, who worked as deputy chief under Lund when he served as chief. "He lived, battled and died fire duty."
Joseph Sperber, a captain with the Lawrence-Cedarhurst department, knew Lund for most of his life and fought many fires with the former Woodmere chief. "When you saw the man, he was very short in stature, but he used that to his advantage as a firefighter," said Sperber. "He was able to get places where other people could not get to."
Former Lawrence-Cedarhurst Chief Joseph Montilli, a friend of Lund's for more than 20 years, described him as someone who "lived every day like it was his last day" and who was respected by everyone. "He gave to his community, he gave to his family and he gave to the fire service," said Montilli. "Peter would always share his knowledge with us."
More than 3,000 firefighters paid tribute to Lund at a memorial service last Friday night after marching down Broadway from the Hewlett Bay Fire District headquarters to St. Joseph's Church. One of the many speakers at the memorial was John Norman, chief of the FDNY's Special Operations, who carpooled with Lund to the East New York section of Brooklyn when the two worked together. "He was very happy doing what he was doing," said Norman, a former Inwood fire chief. "You couldn't ask for a better fire officer or friend."
Lund taught firefighting both locally and nationally, serving on the staff of the University of Illinois Fire Institute and as deputy chief instructor at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy in Bethpage. His specialty was rescuing victims during building collapses, and he contemplated writing a book on the subject, according to Grawin.
The Kentland Fire Department in Kings County, Md., one of the largest volunteer forces in the nation, for which Lund and his son have volunteered for a few weeks each year, sent a truck to Hewlett for the funeral to help hoist a huge American flag in front of the church. Firefighters from other major cities, including Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago, also attended the funeral services.
Many reflected on how Lund responded to many of the disasters in the metropolitan area during his career, including the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and various plane crashes. "Anything that was of any magnitude in the city of New York or the Five Towns, he was there," said Sperber.
"Anytime there was a big fire, he was always there," said Allen Ruff, a former lieutenant in the Hewlett Fire Department. "Any disaster in the last 30 years, he was there."
"You could be assured that if there was a fire in the neighborhood and he was off, he was there," said Vincent Carey of the Valley Stream Fire Department. "He led his life by example."
Firefighter and friends of Lund said his passion extended to his hobbies, photography and collecting model trains. He was also a huge fan of NASCAR, and such a big supporter of the NFL's San Diego Chargers that he attended their only Super Bowl appearance, in Miami in 1995. He also coached the Hewlett-Lawrence Soccer Club.
After the funeral Mass at St. Joseph's, interment took place at Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury. In addition to his son, Lund is survived by his wife, Andrea; his daughter, Valerie; his parents-in-law, Annette and Anthony Spadaro; his brother- and sister-in-law, Rick and Lynne Cavallero; and two nephews, Marc and Danny.
The Rev. Thomas M. Moriarty, spiritual leader of St. Joseph's, who led the funeral Mass, said the gathering should be considered a celebration of Lund's life and a tribute to the devotion he and other firefighters show every day. "The sirens that we hear at 3 in the morning, that you get up to, is what we are here to celebrate," said Moriarty. "I bet all of us, if we shared a story, we'd be here forever. Folks don't stop sharing the stories."
Comments about this story? ACoen@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
Photos by Rebecca Lopatin/Herald
