Son of 9/11 hero Frederick J. Ill Jr. promoted at FDNY ceremony

The son of a beloved FDNY hero who rescued a fallen straphanger from the tracks — before dying on 9/11 trying to save his comrades — was among more than 100 Bravest to be promoted Tuesday.

Frederick J. Ill the Third landed the new rank of captain for Queen’s Rescue 4, making him the same rank as his courageous namesake father when he died in the terror attacks almost exactly 24 years ago.

“I am a legacy,” Ill, 46, told The Post after accepting his new title. “My father was Captain Frederick J. Ill, the junior, and he was in Ladder Company 2 on 911, so to carry his name, very special.”

Ill’s father was 49 years old when he bravely charged into the burning Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001 — but he was already a hero in the FDNY.

Frederick J. Ill Jr. was lauded in 1999 after he leaped onto the subway tracks without checking to see if the third rail’s power had been turned off to save the life of a man who had pushed into the path of an incoming train.

Not only did the late hero save the man, but the two also established a strong friendship.

Frederick J. Ill Jr. stayed nearby as the man learned to walk on artificial legs and even helped his son be admitted to St. Raymond’s High School, the high school from which Capt. Ill had graduated.

Two years later, Ill Jr. bravely entered the North Tower to rescue the injured and trapped civilians on the building’s 17th floor shortly before its collapse.

“When told to evacuate, he said, ‘Let me get my guys first,’ ” according to his obituary.

For Ill the Third, becoming a captain with the FDNY means accepting that same responsibility and heroism that his father proudly displayed.

“I’m looking to take on the new role as company commander and have the outstanding responsibility of training and leading my men and women into fires and emergencies and executing the mission,” he said.

Ill was among 109 FDNY members to be promoted at the ceremony at Queens College, an impressive list that involved one staff chief, two deputies, 12 battalion chiefs 38 captains and 55 lieutenants — promotions which Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker celebrated as a “symbol of your dedication, your courage, your hard work and your dedication to the FDNY.

“You’ve spent years sharpening your skills on the fire ground, building trust with your peers and answering the call no matter the times nor the circumstances,” Tucker said.

“Leadership in the FDNY is about being a steady hand. It’s about protecting the lives of New Yorkers and the lives of your own members. It’s about continuing to guide and teach those who work under you, upholding our traditions and earning respect, not by rank but by your actions.”

Among the other Bravest to be promoted to the rank of captain was Patrick Hayden, who is the son of a surviving 9/11 first responder.

The new Ladder 147 captain’s father is former Deputy Fire Chief Peter Hayden, who was in the crowd of about 500 loved ones cheering on the newly minted higher-ups.

“I find it to be an honor to get promoted to the rank of captain,” Patrick told The Post. “I’ve had some great captains that I’ve worked for, and I certainly have my father to look up to, and I’m very pleased to make him proud of me today and to make the department proud.

“Certainly, I think any time you get promoted, there’s always big shoes that came ahead of us. So nothing’s ever easy on this job. You got to follow the footsteps of the guys who came before you.”

Hayden’s father made headlines in the aftermath of 9/11 by challenging Mayor Bloomberg’s policy of making the NYPD the sole authority in hazardous-materials situations where terrorism is suspected, saying he needed a seat at the table if he was going to put his men’s lives on the line.

Two decades later, Peter Hayden said it was the honor of a lifetime to see his sons carry on his legacy.

“It’s really become a family business for us, so to speak, and we’re very proud to be members of the Fire Department. It’s really a proud day for me as a father,” he told The Post, adding that his eldest son was promoted to battalion chief in December.