A Plaque was Dedicated to Firefighter Daniel Pujdak on Saturday

Daniel Pujdak was a 23-year-old Greenpoint native who enjoyed the physical challenges presented by working for Ladder 146 in Brooklyn. While Daniel’s brother Matthew had wanted to join Daniel as soon as possible in order to beat him to the fire academy, Daniel prevailed and earned himself an invitation. A plaque was unveiled Saturday at his Richardson Street firehouse to honor Daniel.

Early Life and Education

Daniel Pujdak was at home in many places at 23 – his parents’ Greenpoint apartment, the firehouse where he worked in Williamsburg and his YMCA gym in Greenpoint. Daniel enjoyed training for triathlons while spending extra hours helping a partially paralyzed woman. Additionally, he volunteered at soup kitchens and nursing homes.

Pujdak was serving at Ladder 146 in Brooklyn at the time of his death, arriving an hour early each day so as to learn as much as possible about the job and quickly and eagerly absorbing everything that was taught him about firefighting.

His parents instilled him with the value of service, which he took to heart. At his funeral were hundreds of firefighters and FDNY officials including Mayor Bloomberg and Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano speaking out about him.

Professional Career

Daniel Pujdak, 23, was widely recognized by those who knew him as an excellent team player. He participated in school sports teams and training at the Greenpoint YMCA; additionally he competed in triathlons while volunteering for nursing homes and soup kitchens.

At SUNY Cortland, he earned a degree in Kinesiology. Subsequently, he joined Ladder 146 in Brooklyn where his love of his job often caused him to arrive an hour early for shifts.

On June 21 in Williamsburg, he was killed fighting a fire caused by a woman smoking on the windowsill of a building. His passing sent shockwaves through his firehouse where tearful colleagues draped black-and-purple bunting to mourn his passing.

Achievement and Honors

On Friday night, the Brooklyn Cyclones honored Daniel Pujdak by lowering their flag to half-staff before their game as part of FDNY night at Coney Island ballpark. Daniel’s mother and two brothers attended for the ceremony that marked FDNY night at Coney Island ballpark.

Greenpoint resident Christopher Healy was in his third year with the FDNY and died after falling four stories while fighting a fire at an illegally converted Williamsburg loft. While on the roof to cut ventilation holes with his saw, he lost his grip and fell.

He died at Bellevue Hospital. More than 60 firefighters from 12 units were needed to extinguish the fire that was started by an uncontrolled cigarette on a window sill, including Mayor Bloomberg and Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta who were present at the scene.

Personal Life

Daniel Pujdak was an energetic young man with an affinity for physical challenges who was committed to serving his local church, his community, and loved his family and friends. A star athlete during high school athletics at SUNY Cortland and avid mountain climber; Daniel died during an illegally converted East Williamsburg loft fire he fell from as an illegal conversion that caught fire; aged only 23 at that time.

Net Worth

Firefighter Daniel Pujdak, 23, was a member of Ladder 146 in Brooklyn and tragically perished while responding to a window sill fire at an illegal Williamsburg apartment building. Born and raised near his family home in Greenpoint, Daniel learned early the value of service to others while growing up nearby. Daniel leaves behind both parents and two brothers as his survivors.