B.C. Thomas Haskell, Jr. became a Battalion Chief at 37. He joined the department during his senior year at college and finished his degree in night school. He moved quickly up through the ranks stationed in one after another of the busiest firehouses in the city, ending at ”The Eye of the Storm,” Ladder 132 in Brooklyn.
Haskell loved football and played in high school, college and for the FDNY’s Bravest team. Later he switched to coaching. He even inserted a football stadium into the elaborate 3-train Christmas Village he created each year.
Haskell married his high school sweetheart and they had three daughters. His younger brother, Timothy, was also a firefighter. Tommy led his crew into the South Tower and they all perished in the first collapse. His brother died in the collapse of the North Tower 30 minutes later.