Local first responders, county officials honor local 9/11 first responder

Sean McFee pledged he'd never forget his father, a 9/11-veteran-turned-Lee-County-first-responder who died last week after a series of health complications.

Local first responders and law enforcement saluted as the casket carrying James William McFee, 56, of Cape Coral, made its way to the CenturyLink Sports Complex, where hundreds of people gathered to show their respect.

Family members and county officials on Tuesday remembered McFee, a 14-year first responder in Lee County who had climbed out of the Twin Towers rubble, who died Jan. 4.

Many rescue workers wore their service uniforms, honoring the man who helped train the next generation of first responders.

Relatives arrived in Fort Myers from New York, Virginia, Arizona and Indiana, his brother John McFee said. Survivors include his wife, Lainie, and sons Kevin and Sean.

"We just know he was going through a lot of pain," John McFee said. "And he was too young for this. He's always trying to hide his pain from his loved ones."

John McFee and James McFee were born 16 months apart, he recalled as he began to share stories about their fraternal bond, eventually leading James McFee to become a first responder.

"I was in New York City police officer at the time and I said to him, 'Why don't you try to take this volunteer EMT class in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn?,'" John McFee said. "The rest is history."

Eventually, they covered the same division in Brooklyn, John McFee said.

"One time I was fighting with suspect, and I guess I called for help a little desperate," John McFee said.

James McFee heard the call and made his way there.

"Of course, he was running an ambulance," John McFee said. "So I had to hear stories of how this crazy paramedic drove on the sidewalk to get to the scene."

A passionate protector

Lee County Medical Services Chief Paul DiCicco, said during his opening remarks he sat with the McFees days before the ceremony, where they shared stories through laughter and tears.

"As they talked, I grabbed my pen to take notes, but only wrote three words that summed up Jim McFee," DiCicco said:

Paramedic. Passionate. Protector.

"Today we pay tribute to the service paramedic McFee provided to the great residents of not just Lee County, but also our country," Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said.

Others remembered McFee for what they called his unique sense of humor.

"It didn't take much exposure for people to enjoy being in Jim's company," said Benjamin Abes, director of the Lee County Department of Public Safety. "And for those looking for a laugh, Jim was quick to be your best friend."

Abes emphasized McFee's passion for the profession.

"He'd be the first to tell you that his favorite place was in the back of that truck taking care of the most complex patients," Abes recalled. "He was adept at seeing things very clearly on the most critical cases, when others were struggling to see anything at all."

He also expressed the mixed feelings his sudden loss produced on family and friends.

"There are tears and tremendous sadness," Abes said. "But ... there is also celebration."

"Jim was a veteran of the U.S. Army, a 9/11 survivor, a paramedic, but most of all, he was a husband, a father, our brother," said Brian Hamman, chairman at the Lee County Board of County Commissioners.

On the ground during 9/11

Abes said James McFee first opened up about his 9/11 experience 15 years after the terror attacks.

James McFee became trapped in the rubble when the towers collapsed.

"It was vivid, and it was clearly indelible in his mind," Abes said. "But to hear him tell it and the language he used, and the mannerisms ... There were some arms ... There was some shrugs."

John McFee said James McFee was the brother who didn't go to college, but added that he knew more about American history than most people.

"He had more more more medical knowledge than most people who went to institutions for years," John McFee said.

A son's 'hero'

One of James McFee's sons, Sean McFee, briefly took the stand, awash in tears.

"My dad was the best parent anyone could ask for," Sean McFee said. "He was a hero for me, my brother and everyone."

Sean McFee emphasized how his father was always supported him.

"Even though he had several issues ... He was not OK ... He still made it to every one of my football games," Sean McFee said.

Sean McFee became a football fan thanks to his father, he said.

"I love my dad, and I'll never forget about him," Sean McFee said.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lee County pays tribute to late first responder who worked 9/11