Kenneth Kumpel October 2, 2001 He Was Always a Firefighter at Heart

Kenneth Kumpel was a New York City police officer for four years before changing careers. He was assigned to a precinct that covered Chinatown and, later, Manhattan's infamous "Alphabet City," said his wife, Nancy Kumpel. But "he was always a firefighter at heart," she said. Kumpel, 42, was a 10-year veteran of the New York Fire Department who was part of Engine Co. 25 in Manhattan. A former Long Islander, Kumpel grew up in New Hyde Park and graduated from Sewanhaka High School. He and his wife of 18 years lived in Cornwall, where he was a member of the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department, said Nancy Kumpel. "He loved the camaraderie of it. He lived firefighting every moment of the day," she said. He is also survived by his sons, Greg, 11 and Carl, 9. -- Bill Kaufman (Newsday)

Kenneth Kumpel, a firefighter with the New York Fire Department, was aprankster and a craftsman. He built the family’s home in Cornwall after renovating theirformer home in West Brighton. As a practical joke, he once switched the handles and hinges ona firehouse refrigerator so it opened from the opposite side. At a memorial Mass, an FDNYmarine unit fireboat sprayed plumes of water, making rainbows in the air. The display honoredKumpel’s love of the Hudson River and the family’s boat, which was christened the Batboat.

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