Flags Flown at Rare “Double-Half Staff” in New York

In a rare move, flags were flown at what some call "double half-staff" over the weekend throughout New York State.

On Saturday, \flags outside town halls, police stations, schools, and state buildings throughout the state were all lowered. Few realized that there was a tragic double meaning for the show of respect.

Flags "Double Lowered" in New York State

At first glance, it looked like flags were lowered due to the same order that has kept them at half-staff throughout the week. New York is still observing a statewide directive in honor of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, whose passing on November 3 prompted flags to be lowered until further notice.

But this weekend brought a second, separate reason for the lowered flags.

Governor Kathy Hochul directed that all state government buildings fly flags at half-staff on Saturday, November 15 to honor Firefighter Patrick Brady of the New York City Fire Department, who died in the line of duty on November 8.

Brady, 42, was battling a five-alarm fire at a six-story apartment building in East Flatbush when he suffered a medical episode on the roof and went into cardiac arrest. He was an 11-year veteran of the FDNY, known among colleagues as a firefighter who always stepped up and someone who brought positive energy to every shift. Brady began his career with Engine 227 in Brooklyn before transferring to Ladder 120, and he came from a family of firefighters, including his brothers Jimmy and Brian.

Governor Hochul said Brady’s service reflected the courage shown by firefighters across New York who risk their lives each day, and that his loss is felt deeply within his firehouse and the larger FDNY community.

Flag Lowered Concurrently in New York

The result was a rare weekend in New York where the same lowered flags carried two distinct meanings at once. One honored a national political figure whose career shaped decades of American policy. The other remembered a firefighter who gave his life protecting New Yorkers.