Lt. Glenn Perry’s father was a retired FDNY Captain. His older brother was on the force; another with the NYPD. Glenn began his uniformed service career with the New York City Police Department in 1982, but he always wanted to be a fireman instead. The hours were better for a father wanting to spend time with his growing family.
In preparation for the FDNY exam he was seen around a Staten Island Railway station running up and down the stairs with a heavy oxygen canister on his back. He was inducted into the force in 1990. By 1999 he had been promoted to Lieutenant, which led to a stint teaching at the Fire Academy for nine months. After rotating through a series of other firehouses, he landed at Ladder 25, “The Pride of the West Side,” just a few months before 9/11. That morning he spoke briefly with his wife, but their short call was almost drowned out by all the sirens and bells in the background.