FDNY Battalion Chief Michael J. Fahy, who died after a house exploded in the Bronx Tuesday morning, has been posthumously promoted to deputy chief, FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro and Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
Fahy had passed the exam for deputy chief, the highest civil service position in the FDNY, in 2013, and he was on the list to be promoted, a news release said.
“Chief Fahy achieved the rank of Chief Officer faster than any active member of the Department,” Nigro said in a statement. “He was a rising star who accomplished so much during his 17 years with the FDNY, and is deserving of this promotion for his selfless dedication and service.”
Fahy became a firefighter in 1999 and most recently served as the battalion chief at Battalion 19 in the Bronx.
He had responded to the gas leak call at the house on Tuesday. When the house exploded, he was hit with debris.
Investigators are still determining the cause of the blast, but the NYPD said the house was being investigated as a marijuana grow house.
Two suspects were taken into custody following the explosion. One was charged with possession of marijuana, police said.
