Lt. Harvey Harrell, 49, was the older brother who inspired his younger brother, Stephen, to join the FDNY too. Both died at the World Trade Center. With 22 years on the job, Harrell was still looking to improve practices, training and equipment on a daily basis. “He really lived and breathed the job,” wrote Captain John Ferry who worked with him at Rescue 5. Both Harrell and Modafferi worked as rescue divers on the wreck of TWA Flight 800 which crashed after takeoff in 1988.
Nicknamed “Buddy” by his family, he certainly was one and could always be counted on to help in any way from shoveling snow to mowing lawns. On September 11th, he was supposed to be in a fire department training in Rosebank. His family hoped he was. But he heard the news and hopped the rig before it left the station. Had he lived, Harrell would have celebrated his 18th wedding anniversary the next week. He left behind two daughters.