A little more than a year has passed since the members of the Roslyn Rescue Fire Company lost two of their bravest. Still, some senior members of the organization, which just celebrated its 150th anniversary this summer, remark that the Langone brothers' presence is strongly felt within the walls of the firehouse, which are now lined with photos and awards that serve as a showcase of the character and heroism displayed over their 20-year volunteer careers.

Over the last year, the 100 or so members of this fire company have all found strength differently. Some have immersed themselves deeper in training, while others have focused on trying to fill the holes left by Tommy and Peter Langone, two career-long leaders at Roslyn Rescue whose firefighting and emergency service initiatives remain central themes to the current operation. Still some firefighters are simply too new to the department, having never met the Langone brothers. But for all the firefighters, filling the void remains a daunting task for which some Roslyn Rescue officials believe there may never be a panacea.

"This last year has been a tremendous challenge to emergency workers across the region, who have all been tragically touched by the events on September 11, 2001," said Chief Peter Liotta. "From funerals to fund drives, Roslyn firefighters have spent the last 12 months dealing with these losses. Now the time to remember them begins."

This Sunday, Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m., the Roslyn fire companies will do just that. Throngs of firefighters will pack Mineola Avenue, just north of the Long Island Expressway to remember Assistant Chief Thomas Langone and ex-Captain Peter Langone at the dedication of a memorial in their names at Roslyn Rescue Station #2. The scene will mirror almost exactly the occasion just one year ago where thousands of residents, community leaders, and emergency workers stood in solidarity, under a relentless rainstorm, to hold a candlelight vigil and pray for the safe return of the Langone brothers.

Tommy Langone, who was serving as an assistant chief for the second time in his career at Roslyn Rescue, was also chief of department in the early 1990s, and was a police officer with the New York City Police Department's elite emergency service unit, where he specialized in confined space and trench rescue. Peter Langone, who served as captain of Roslyn Rescue in the 1980s, was a rescue expert in his own right, a career firefighter assigned to Squad 252 of the New York City Fire Department. Tommy Langone was one of the police department's rope masters and Specialized Training School (STS) instructors, where he found synergy among his vast knowledge base and his didactic flare. Among his more harrowing experiences, as he once recounted, was when he and another police instructor rappelled the entire elevator shaft of the World Trade Center towers.

Both Tommy and Peter Langone had experience responding to large-scale disasters at the World Trade Center, having responded to the 1993 bombings there and assisted with the evacuation, search and rescue of thousands.

"Tommy and Peter Langone were fixtures of this fire company, and have touched the lives of so many community members, either directly or indirectly, over the last generation," said Robert Busby, Jr., vice president and one of this weekend event's organizers. "This memorial will tell future generations of their spirit, generosity and good will."

The public is encouraged to attend the memorial, which will include a few short statements and the dedication of the memorial at the firehouse.

Fire officials note that more information about the Langone Brothers Memorial is available online at www.roslynrescue.org or by calling 621-3899. Biographical sketches of both men and additional press information are available.