Where there’s fire, there’s fire power in the form of athletic prowess: More than 20 current members of the close-knit brotherhood known as the Hoboken Fire Department were once standout athletes in their high school and college days.
Take Tyrell Dortch, who may be the most decorated football player ever to come out of Hoboken High School. Dortch was a sensational running back for the Red Wings in the late 1990s, leading the team to consecutive NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group III championships in 1998 and 1999, earning All-America honors before going off to Michigan State.
Now 31 years old, Dortch became a member of the Hoboken Fire Department in April 2013.
“I was a probation officer and a disciplinarian at Hoboken High School,” said Dortch, who received his degree from Michigan State in 2005 after an injury-ravaged career. “I thought about becoming a firefighter as a way to give back to the people of Hoboken. I’m from here. I was born here and the kids look up to me as a hero, which I like.”
Dortch’s best friend, Keeon Walker, another legendary Red Wing grid standout, has been in the fire department since 2007. Walker was also a great running back at Hoboken. He went on to play defensive back at Syracuse University and had a little taste of pro football, having a tryout with the Buffalo Bills and a stint playing Arena Football.
“I didn’t go to school to be a firefighter,” said Walker, who earned a degree in sociology from Syracuse. “But when the opportunity came about, I figured it was a good job and I could work with guys who I grew up with and played with. It was the best decision I ever made in my life. Hoboken is a small town. We all grew up in the same community and amazingly, we all played sports.”
Walker, who graduated from Hoboken in 1998, cherishes his friendship with Dortch.
“We’re always looking to help each other out,” Walker said. “I’m glad we can share this together. Plus, when we play in charity events, we dominate.”
Lou Turso is another former Hoboken High School standout who played both baseball and football and went on to play football both at Rutgers University and New Jersey City University.
Now a Hoboken Fire Department captain, Turso has spent the last 14 years as a firefighter.
“At first, I wanted to be a Secret Service agent, but my father made me take the firefighter’s test,” Turso said. “The fire department got back to me first and that’s how it all started. It was a great opportunity for me. I’m with guys who I played with, guys who I coached. What’s unique about it is that Hoboken is a small town, with only six fire companies, but more than a quarter of the department is former athletes.”
Turso’s right. Of the current 113 members of the Hoboken Fire Department, 27 were former athletes in high school and college.
“I see the trend all over, in Jersey City, in the North Hudson Regional, even the New York Fire Department,” Turso said.
Kudos from the Brass
Hoboken is a diverse and growing community of about 50,000, all cramped into one square mile. The population has expanded by an incredible 29 percent since the 2000 Census. With its vast number of restaurants and bars, Hoboken has become a popular entertainment destination.
All this means that we need a viable and solid fire department.
Hoboken Fire Chief Richard Blohm, who was astounded by the number of former athletes, believes that it enhances the entire department.
Blohm said, “They take care of themselves and they’re in good shape. But the idea that they’re great athletes is just icing on the cake. Without a doubt, it’s beneficial to the community and the fire department.”
Blohm also thinks that the camaraderie that the firefighters enjoyed as athletes benefits their careers.
“Each fire company has to rely on each other and back each other up,” Blohm said. “When you have people who played sports, who were part of a cohesive team, it turns out to be a huge plus. Being a firefighter is not a profession. It’s a calling. I always say that we must be crazy to be running into a burning building, but it helps if you have formed a family, like brothers and sisters.”
Ralph Eusebio was a three-sport athlete at Hoboken (soccer, basketball, and baseball), graduating in 1992. He eventually played professional baseball in the Chicago Cubs organization.
“It just shows the talent we have in this town,” Eusebio said. “We all grew up in this town, and now you see the second phase of our lives. We have that locker room environment. We stick together like a team does. We fight together and we’re still wearing a uniform.”
Chris Lugo is another former professional baseball player, having spent a few seasons with the Washington Nationals’ organization after his playing days at Hudson Catholic were over. Lugo became a member of the Hoboken Fire Department last year.
“I feel like I’m part of a whole other team,” Lugo said. “I go to work and have that kind of camaraderie.”
Lugo also believes that it takes a special kind of person to be a firefighter.
“You have to learn to adapt and that comes with teamwork,” Lugo said. “You have to be somewhat athletic to do the job in the first place. We just happen to have guys who did it at a pretty high level. It’s an honor to work with these guys. They have a lot of knowledge and they’re passing it on to me.”
Home of the Brave
Joe Radigan was also a three-sport athlete at Hoboken High (football, basketball, and baseball) before moving on to become a standout punter for the Rutgers University football team, eventually getting a tryout with the Chicago Bears. He was all set to play professional football in Alabama when the All-American Football League folded.
Radigan said, “I was a physical trainer and involved in medical-device sales, but always wanted to get involved in firefighting.”
Radigan was also a corrections officer for four years and earned his Master’s degree in elementary education, but made the decision to join the fire department.
“The physicality of the job does play a favor,” Radigan said. “We were all trained well early to be able to handle the obstacle course and carry hoses. I know if I was in a burning building, I would want these guys to come get me. Not everyone can do it. But these guys can do it.”
Mike Forcum was also a three-sport athlete at Hoboken High School, eventually earning The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Year his senior year, before he went on to the University of New Haven to play football. He graduated with a degree in business administration from New Haven.
“I did try to utilize that degree, but it was tough getting a job,” said Forcum, who has been a firefighter for eight years. “I got a chance and ran with it. I think you have to be an athletic person to do the job. But you want to be with guys you trust, the whole team effort. When you’re in a fire, the guy next to you is all you have.”
At age 45, Tommy Aligo is one of the oldest of the firefighter/athletes. He played football and baseball at the now defunct St. Joseph of the Palisades in West New York and joined the Hoboken Fire Department in 1999.
“When I was a little boy, I wanted to be a firefighter,” Aligo said. “I used to walk by the firehouse on First and Adams all the time and dream about becoming a firefighter. It’s been the best 15 years of my life. It’s a calling, not a profession.”
Aligo said that he has one thing in mind when he goes to work.
“I just want to make it home to my wife and kids,” he said. “It’s the greatest job on earth. We had to rely on our teammates when we were playing sports, and that’s what we do now.”
Lou Zampella was a football and baseball standout at Hudson Catholic who later became a fine defensive back at St. Peter’s College. He’s currently the head football coach at his alma mater, Hudson Catholic, while juggling his duties as a fire captain.
“We have so many guys from so many different sports,” Zampella said. “We have some guys I even coached. It’s great to be working with guys who I grew up with, played with, respect.”
A fire department that once played together, stays together. The Hoboken Fire Department is living proof.—07030