Wantagh firefighter dies at 57

Wantagh Fire Department Ex-Captain Denis Carroll died suddenly on Dec. 21. He was 57.

Carroll, a life-long Levittown resident, was a 27-year member of the volunteer fire service. He was a graduate of Division Avenue High School, worked for a while as an oil burner repair man and returned to the Levittown School District working in security. He would serve as the supervisor of security for 25 years and was the vice president of the union representing the security division of the school district.

His first stint in firefighting came when he joined the East Meadow Fire Department. A move closer to Wantagh had him joining the Wantagh Fire Department in February 1980.

He was assigned to Engine Company 4 and served with pride for 10 years, whereby he resigned in 1990 for personnel reasons. He returned to the department in 1998 and was assigned to Rescue 2, where he served until his death. He was a certified emergency medical technician and in May 2000 was appointed lieutenant of Rescue 2. In 2001, Carroll attained the rank of captain, a position he held for six years. He then accepted the position of department EMS captain, a position he held until December 2009.

In addition to his serving as captain, he was the chauffeur training officer for all the drivers of Rescue 2. He strived for safety and always said, “If you don’t get there safe, you are of no help to anyone.”

Carroll was a member of the Volunteer and Exempt Firemen’s Benevolent Association of Wantagh and was the recipient of two unit citations during his 27-year career.

He was married to his wife, Joanne, for 14 years and they have a large family. In addition to his wife, he is survived by son, Robert, his wife, Erica and their two children, Jacklyn and Christopher; daughter, Tara, and her daughter Caydence; daughter Erin, her husband, Frank, and their twin children, Gavin and Chase; daughter, Shannon, her husband, Nick, and their two children, Jenna and Savannah; son, Steven and his fiancé, Erin, who are expecting their first child in January; brother, Thomas, and his wife, Roseanne; and sister, Margaret.

A funeral mass was held on Dec. 28 at St. Bernard’s Church in Levittown. An arch of honor was provided in front of Wantagh’s Station 2 by the East Meadow Fire Department, in recognition of his earliest service as a firefighter, and the Westbury Fire Department, in which his son, Robert, is a member.

Donations in Denis Carroll’s name may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at www.jdrf.com.