Firefighter Mark Whitford, 31, had twin one-year-old sons. A 1998 graduate of the Fire Academy, Whitford drove the rig for Engine 23. He was born to the job. A natural athlete, he especially excelled at wrestling and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Courage by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, along with Chief Ray Downey. Whitford loved the outdoors and the family had moved from Staten Island to be closer to his beloved Bear Mountain up the Hudson river. One of his favorite spots was Anthony’s Nose, the lookout knob atop the mountain.