On December 3, 1999, six Worcester, Massachusetts, firefighters died while searching a vacant cold-storage and warehouse building where two people were believed to be trapped. Among the six were Firefighter Jeremiah Lucey, Denis Leary’s cousin, and Lieutenant Thomas Spencer, a childhood friend of the actor and comedian. Less than a year later, Leary established the Leary Firefighters Foundation. Since 2000, the foundation says it has donated more than $17.5 million to help fire departments obtain equipment, training facilities and technology. Its work has continued for more than two decades, with grants supporting departments and firefighter organisations in communities across the United States.
The Worcester Cold Storage fire of 1999 that led to the Leary Firefighters Foundation
The Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse fire began on December 3, 1999, in a six-story building that had been vacant for years. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH, the building was a maze-like cold-storage and warehouse structure. Firefighters entered after reports that two homeless people might be inside. The first alarm was received at 6:15 p.m., when the fire had probably been burning for between 30 and 90 minutes.Conditions inside the building changed rapidly. Firefighters searching the structure became disoriented as thick black smoke reduced visibility. Two firefighters became lost and sent an emergency transmission, prompting further search-and-rescue efforts. Four additional firefighters later became lost. All six ultimately died. The victims were Paul Brotherton, Timothy Jackson, Joseph McGuirk, Jeremiah Lucey, James Lyons and Thomas Spencer. Recovery operations continued until December 11, when all six bodies had been recovered.NIOSH’s investigation identified several factors that contributed to the risks faced by firefighters, including the hazards of vacant buildings, difficulties maintaining personnel accountability, the challenges of searching a maze-like structure and problems with incident command and communication. Its recommendations included pre-fire planning for vacant buildings, stronger personnel accountability, rapid intervention teams, improved emergency procedures and the use of guide ropes or tag lines to help firefighters find their way out. NIOSH also recommended that fire departments explore the use of thermal-imaging cameras to locate lost or downed firefighters and civilians.
How Denis Leary’s foundation began supporting fire departments
Leary established the Leary Firefighters Foundation in 2000 following the Worcester tragedy. The foundation’s stated mission is to provide fire departments with equipment, training and technology. Its programmes have included grants for live-fire training facilities, emergency vehicles, thermal-imaging cameras, safety equipment and other tools used by firefighters.The foundation’s own impact page currently reports more than $17.5 million in donations since 2000. It says its support has included projects ranging from forcible-entry door simulators to emergency-management vehicles and technology upgrades. Its grant records also show support for individual fire departments and firefighter organisations, including funding for thermal-imaging cameras and vehicle equipment.The foundation’s work has extended beyond Worcester. Its grants have supported fire-service organisations in different parts of the country, while its programmes have also included larger equipment and training projects. Leary has also continued fundraising through the Denis Leary FDNY Firefighter Challenge, a programme that gives civilians an opportunity to take part in firefighter training exercises at the FDNY Fire Academy. According to the Associated Press, the event raises additional funds for fire-department grants.
Training, equipment and technology remain at the centre of the foundation’s work
The foundation’s grants cover practical needs that can vary substantially between departments. Its reported projects include live-fire training facilities, technology upgrades and equipment intended for use during emergency responses. The foundation has also funded thermal-imaging cameras, which can help firefighters locate people in smoke-filled environments.The need for such equipment is not limited to large city departments. In 2026, retired FDNY battalion chief and foundation board member David Morkal told the Associated Press that the foundation’s grants provide equipment and training to departments that might otherwise struggle to afford them.
The Worcester 6 remain part of the foundation’s history
The Worcester fire remains closely connected to the foundation’s origins. The City of Worcester identifies the six firefighters who died that night as the Worcester 6 and maintains a memorial at the site of the former cold-storage building. The Franklin Street Fire Station now occupies the location and officially opened in 2008. A memorial tribute to the six firefighters was unveiled at the site that same year.The foundation’s work has since developed into a nationwide programme of firefighter support, but its origin remains tied to the six men who died in Worcester in 1999. More than two decades after Leary established the organisation, its stated focus remains practical: helping fire departments obtain equipment, training and technology. With more than $17.5 million donated since 2000, the foundation continues to direct philanthropic funding toward those needs.
