MASPETH — As thousands of people were running out of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, FDNY Lt. Kenneth Phelan was running in.
Phelan, 41, who worked at Engine 207/Ladder 110 in Brooklyn, was supposed to have a day off. But another firehouse was short a firefighter, so he was filling in and became one of 343 members of the FDNY who lost their lives on that tragic day.
Two years later, the corner of the block in Maspeth where he lived, 69th Lane and Eliot Avenue, was co-named Lieutenant Kenneth J. Phelan Way, and a street sign bearing his name was placed there. Co-naming means the city still recognizes the street corner’s original names, Eliot Avenue and 69th Lane, and that mail delivery, emergency calls, and GPS mapping remain the same. The sign for Lieutenant Kenneth J. Phelan Way was green, the standard color for New York street signs.
On July 22, his family, FDNY members, and city officials gathered at that same corner to unveil a new street sign bearing his name.
The new sign — bright red with white lettering next to the FDNY logo — is the first in an initiative by the City Council to honor firefighters and police officers who died on 9/11. The signs on streets named after firefighters will be replaced with red signs, while streets named for the NYPD heroes will have blue signs.
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There are 326 streets named for FDNY and NYPD 9/11 heroes, according to City Councilman Phil Wong’s office. Wong represents Maspeth. All are expected to be in place before the 25th anniversary of 9/11, his office said.
The new signs — estimated to cost $90,000 — will be paid for with funding from the council.
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“So now, even with a quick glance, everyone will see that this particular street sign, and these street signs all over our great city, carry a special meaning,” City Council Speaker Julie Menin said at the sign unveiling ceremony.
The distinctive signs will help “ensure that (their) sacrifice is recognized and remembered by future generations,” Wong said.
Phelan, who was born in 1960, was the first baby ever to be baptized at Our Lady of Hope Church, which was built that year, his family said. The church, located two blocks from where the Phelan family lived, was a big part of Kenneth’s life, according to his sister Mary Phelan-Cox, who said he was an altar server.
Growing up, he played stickball and football on his block and had a paper route. He later coached CYO basketball.
Phelan attended Our Lady of Hope Catholic School, where he had the honor of raising the American flag at the start of each day and lowering it at the end. He is a graduate of Cathedral Preparatory School and Seminary and joined the FDNY in 1989 after serving eight years in the NYPD.
“He never sought recognition or praise,” Phelan-Cox said. “He simply did the hard work of helping others out of the kindness of his heart.”
Phelan was a husband and father of four, and his commitment to public service is being carried out by members of his family. His brother, Leonard, is an FDNY battalion chief; his son, Kenneth Phelan Jr., is a firefighter; and his daughter, Kimberly, is a police officer.
Leonard Phelan said the new sign means a great deal to the family. “As a family, we knew how great Kenny was. But now everyone else gets to, too,” he said.
The red signs also mean a lot to firefighters, particularly as the department prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11, said FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Flynn.
“Our commitment to honoring the courage and sacrifice of our members has never been stronger or more significant,” he said.