The second of two firefighters who were fatally injured while battling a massive fire aboard a cargo ship docked in New Jersey last week was posthumously promoted to captain during his funeral service on Friday.
Hundreds of mourners, including dozens of uniformed firefighters and law enforcement officers, came to the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark to honor Wayne “Bear” Brooks Jr., 49, who was a Newark firefighter for 16 years. Brooks was remembered as a dedicated public servant with a big personality who was always smiling.
