Long Island 9/11 Memorial
Lt. Keith G. Fairben Memorial Monument
Lt. Keith G. Fairben Way
Nassau County 9/11 Memorial
Queen Elizabeth II September 11 Memorial Garden
Conseleya 9/11 Memorial
Dewitt 9/11 Memorial
Montclair State University 9/11 Memorial
East Newark 9/11 Memorial
Keith G. Fairben was born the 20th day of October, 1976 to his parents Diane and Kenneth Fairben. At even an early age it was evident that Keith was a kind and caring person who was interested in helping others. By all accounts Keith enjoyed a good joke and reveled in playing practical jokes on his friends and family; never mean but always fun.
As he grew he took an interest in firefighting as an expression of his caring attitude toward others. He was a volunteer member of the Reliance Fire Company in Floral ParK, New York and rose to the rank of 1st Lieutenant. This interest brought him to his career choice as a paramedic.
As a recent graduate of the paramedic program, Keith was working the BLS Unit 10-David on the morning of September 11. He and his partner were among the first ambulances dispatched to the World Trade Center. After the second aircraft struck the tower they proceeded into World Trade Center - Tower Two to treat the injured with his team. All contact with them was lost when the South Tower collapsed.
New York Times Portraits of Grief
Keith Fairben was the adrenaline kid, always on the run, said his mother, Diane. He would get home from his job as a paramedic for New York Presbyterian Hospital, get on the cellphone, the home phone and his e- mail all at once, and then field calls from all his friends as they decided what movie to see that night or where to have dinner. Sometimes, to assuage the tension of his job, Mr. Fairben, 24, and his fellow paramedics would play practical jokes on their supervisor, Jack Delaney, one time smearing grease on his office doorknob so he couldn't get in.
But when Mr. Fairben was on the job he was in command, big and reassuring. And he was fast. Records of the Fire Department's Emergency Medical Service show that he and his partner, Mario Santoro, arrived at the World Trade Center within minutes after the first plane hit. They immediately got to work tending to the injured, running in and out of the building. At 9 a.m., Mr. Fairben's father, Kenneth, reached him on his cellphone, but Mr. Fairben said he was too busy to talk. The elder Mr. Fairben told his son to be careful. That was the last time he spoke to him.
Keith
Keith
you don't know me and one of my regrets is never meeting you. I have the great blessing of being able to say I'm a good friend of your mum and dad. They are wonderful people and I know you that when I talk with your mum that you would've truly been all the amazing things she says you were. I start my Nurse training in two weeks time. We would've had a lot in common . We were even the same age you're just 2 months older than me.
I dedicate my training to you Keith. I hold you and your family in my heart always
From a friend you never knew the name of or saw the face of - but a friend all the same.
Julia
Posted by Julia Collyer-Crane
Add new Guest Book entry