Nutter remembers fallen, injured firefighters Goodwin and Godlinski

Mayor Michael A. Nutter issued a statement on the death of Captain Michael Goodwin and the injury to Firefighter Andrew Godlinski:

“Today, we mourn the loss of Captain Michael Goodwin of the Philadelphia Fire Department and the injury to Firefighter Andrew Godlinski who tried to save him. Captain Goodwin was a leader who for 29 years put on the uniform of our respected department and risked his life on a daily basis in order to protect all of us from the ravages of fire and destruction. On Saturday, while leading his ladder company in the suppression of a raging fire, Michael Goodwin, husband, father of two, brother to three siblings, perished in the inferno.

“I ask all Philadelphians to join me in prayer for this heroic man, for his wife Kelly and their children, his mother Betty, and their extended family and for the members of the Philadelphia Fire Department who have all suffered a grievous loss. I also ask that Philadelphians communicate our great sorrow and condolences to Capt. Goodwin’s fellow officers in the finest firefighting force in America. We must never forget the grave risks that these heroic public servants take every day at a moment’s notice on behalf of us all.

“Like Capt. Goodwin, Firefighter Andrew Godlinski, a five-year veteran, fought the blazing fire and with all of his professional training risked his life in an effort to save Capt. Goodwin. Please join with me in praying for Firefighter Godlinski’s swift recovery.

“Finally, this tragedy comes just three days before the one-year anniversary of the deaths of Lt. Robert P. Neary and Firefighter Daniel Sweeney who gave their lives fighting a raging warehouse fire in Kensington. Members of the Philadelphia Fire Department are in mourning again for one of their own and recall these two fallen heroes. Our firefighters need our support and prayers, but we know that every minute of every day, they are protecting us with all their skill and heart and we thank them.”