Fire Commissioner Harold J. (Jimmy) Lyons, Sr. Brookhaven Fire Department 1992

The last thing that Harold J. (Jimmy) Lyons, Sr. did before he died on October 30, 1992 was help save a total stranger who was injured in a car crash.

But then helping others was a way of life for the popular Brookhaven Fire Commissioner and Ambulance volunteer. Jim, as he was known in the community, at age 63 suffered an apparent heart attack just after assisting in extricating a victim in a car crash on Sunrise Highway in Shirley, New York. He was backing up the fire department's heavy rescue truck when the attack occurred.

The well-known husband, father, and community volunteer was a lifelong resident of Brookhaven Hamlet, a small community on eastern Long Island, where he rode the rural route as a mail carrier for 28 years before retiring four years prior to his passing. He was a life member of both the Brookhaven Volunteer Fire Department and the Brookhaven Ambulance Company. He served as Commissioner of Brookhaven Fire District for 25 years and was a former Chief of the department. He was named Brookhaven Firefighter of the year in 1975.

In addition, Jim was a member of the Suffolk County Department of Fire Safety as a County Deputy Fire Coordinator and was past President of the Brookhaven Town Fire Chiefs Council and the Long Island Sunrise Association. In 1988 the local community paper, The Long Island Advance named him "Man of the Year" for his dedication to family, friends, and community.

Jim was a veteran, serving in the Korean conflict as a Sergeant, 1st class, in the 24th & 25th Infantry Divisions. He was awarded a Bronze Star by the President of the United States and numerous other medals for action in combat.

He was also a master craftsman, who built a number of local homes in the area. He loved to tinker and do small projects. He loved the outdoors, animals, and life in general. He was a happy man and had a way of making others around him calm.

Jim was one of four brothers, all of whom were life members of Brookhaven Fire Department and all of whom grew up and lived in town. Jim father, Robert Lyons, Sr., was a charter member and the second Chief of the department. Where the current fire headquarters stands today is on land that was partly donated by the Lyons family. So you can say the Lyons family is intertwined in the fire service. Jim's son, Jim Lyons, Jr., was a member for 14 years before moving out of the community and was a past lieutenant. He now volunteers with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and works within the fire industry.

Jim particularly enjoyed visiting the local elementary schools to teach youngsters about fire prevention. He got a big thrill out of seeing the children.