East Meadow street renamed for FDNY first responder who died from 9/11 illness

An East Meadow street was renamed Sunday after FDNY firefighter and Ground Zero first responder Joseph A. Hatzelman, who died in February 2020 from 9/11-related illness.

Hatzelman, 61 when he died, grew up in East Meadow and was an important member of the community for decades, Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin said during the Sunday ceremony renaming Fifth Street.

"His bravery and his heroism and his impact on his local community will be forever remembered today as we dedicate this simple street in East Meadow in his honor, and rightfully so," Clavin said to the dozens of Hatzelman’s friends, relatives and colleagues who gathered in East Meadow.

"I hope future generations will be inspired by his story, and your children, your grandchildren will ask you ‘Why is this name on this street?’ and each one of you will take the time to tell them exactly why," Clavin added.

"It is not simply a name on a street. It is somebody who gave the ultimate sacrifice for his brothers and sisters and his country," Clavin said.

Hatzelman, who was stationed at Engine Co. 218 in Brooklyn, was not scheduled to work on Sept. 11, 2001, Clavin said, but when he heard that the World Trade Center had been attacked by terrorists, he raced to lower Manhattan to help rescue survivors.

"He remained at Ground Zero for over a month," Clavin said.  

Hatzelman’s son, also named Joseph Hatzelman, remembered the fallen firefighter as a "kindhearted and loving person who was also stubborn and talked with his hands a lot."

The son said that when he was a youngster, he thought it was cool that his father got to ride around in a fire truck and put out fires with a big hose. As he got older, the younger Hatzelman said, he grew to appreciate how difficult the job could be.

"Every day he went to work and he gave everything that he had," the son said. "There were many difficult days that he encountered, and never once did he take it out on his family. He kept everything to himself and he made sure that you knew he was OK. He always told us he was made of steel and nothing could hurt him, which we believed until we caught him gluing his teeth back in or covering up another broken bone."

Hatzelman was more than a committed firefighter, his son said. He was also a dedicated dad who never missed graduations and other school events.

"This is not something he wanted or asked for," the younger Hatzelman said of the street renaming, "but we all know this is something he deserved. During his years of service, I don’t think he ever truly realized the amount of people whose lives he touched."

With James Carbone