Two widows and the fiancé of Maryland firefighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice while protecting their communities are on a mission to carry on their legacies.
Celeste Flynn, Sara Laird and Clara Fenelon are not willing to sit idly by and do nothing to prevent another family from suffering the heartbreak.
The trio has formed a non-profit – Phoenix Advocates – and plan to share their message and lessons learned with firefighters and their families.
“We officially launched the website two days ago. And, yesterday (Monday), we received our official notice (from the IRS) that we were granted 501-C-3. We are beyond excited,” Laird said Tuesday morning, adding that they’ve received their first donation.
“From what we heard, sometimes it takes three to six months for the paperwork to get approved. We were fortunate that we received our notification in about a month and a half.”
The women have been busy working on a plan to get their life-saving message to those who need to hear it the most – the firefighters who are answering the calls.
The three joined forces after all shared unimaginable losses.
Celeste Flynn’s husband, Howard County, MD Fire/Rescue Lt. Nathan (Nate) Flynn was killed on July 23, 2018. It was determined that the fire was determined to be lightning induced failure of the residential Corrugated Stainless-Steel Tubing (CSST), used in the home's propane delivery system. He had been with the department for 13 years. Also surviving in addition to his wife are five children, Alex, Gavin, twins Teagan & Connor, and Breccan.
On Aug. 11, 2021, Frederick County, MD Battalion Chief Joshua (Josh} Laird answered his final alarm. The cause of the fire that claimed the 21-year fire department veteran also was traced to failure of the CSST. In addition to his wife, Sara, he also leaves behind his two daughters, Erin and Madelyn.
Clara Fenelon lost her fiancé, Baltimore City Firefighter/Paramedic Kenneth (Kenny) Lacayo in a fire in a vacant house on Jan. 24, 2022. The cause of the fire that also killed two other firefighters remains under investigation. Lacayo also was a life member of Wheaton, MD Rescue Squad.
They say it’s imperative that families of responders are prepared – just in case.
“We hope by hearing our stories, learning about what we’ve been through, firefighters and their loved ones will reach out to make sure they know the benefits available. Their paperwork has to be on file,” Flynn said during a recent interview.
Laird added that it’s vital that families of firefighters know what to expect from the department and county should their firefighter lose their life in the line of duty.
“There are so many variables. Had the girls and I not been covered on Josh’s insurance through the county, it would have been very difficult for us,” she said.
It’s also important that wills are updated as family dynamics change.
The women will be attending a number of fire service events throughout the country to share their stories.
Their focus is to reach firefighters – from rookies to veterans – who are responding to calls and have families waiting for them to get home.
But that's not all.
They are advocating for changes in laws regarding CSST as well as to bring the dangers of vacant buildings to the forefront.
