9/11 doc 'Chief' preserves FDNY history on screen and beyond

A new documentary chronicles the life and 42-year career of Bill Feehan, the highest-ranking and oldest New York City fire official killed at the World Trade Center

NEW YORK -- Bill Feehan was so knowledgeable about the New York City Fire Department's operations and history, colleagues say, he would have been the one leading its recovery had he survived the attack on the World Trade Center. Feehan, the department's first deputy commissioner, was the highest-ranking New York City fire official killed on 9/11. “Chief,” a new documentary about Feehan airing on public television stations and in-person screenings around the 20th anniversary of the attack, is part of a major new push to preserve the history of the fire department he loved. Proceeds from ticket sales, streaming and donations are going to the Mand Library at the Fire Academy on New York City's Randalls Island. The goal of the campaign is to raise $1 million to digitize and preserve the fire department’s archives, including official documents, logs, news clippings, videos, and photos.