By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
The town of Babylon, N.Y., plans to rename a street in its Deer Park community for fallen Salisbury firefighter Victor A. Isler.
“Of course, that’s great, it’s unbelievable,” Victor Isler’s brother, Michael Isler Sr., said Thursday.
A section of 22nd Street between Long Island and Lake avenues will be renamed for Victor Isler, the town has announced.
Michael Isler Sr. said his brother used to live on 22nd Street and was a longtime member of the Deer Park Volunteer Fire Department before he moved to North Carolina and became a full-time firefighter in Salisbury.
A New York native, Victor Isler helped to instruct rookie volunteers for the Deer Park department, his brother said.
On March 7, 2008, 40-year-old Victor Isler and 19-year-old Justin Monroe died in the fire that destroyed Salisbury Millwork.
A retired officer with the NYPD, Michael Isler Sr. came to know Salisbury and Victor’s colleagues at the Salisbury Fire Department during all the tributes, memorials, Vic’s funeral back in New York and the yearly memorial services in Salisbury.
Last year, Michael Isler moved his family to North Carolina, although his son, Michael Jr., stayed behind in New York and enrolled in the NYPD Police Academy.
Meanwhile, Michael Isler Sr. decided to start a second law enforcement career in North Carolina. This spring he graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College — the same school where Victor had gone through his fire service training — and he intends on becoming a law enforcement officer in Rowan County.
Michael Isler Sr. happened to be in New York Thursday for the police academy graduation of his son.
“Last week I gave him his shield and gun, and this week I came up for graduation,” Isler said.
A date has not been set for a ceremony to rename the Deer Park street for Victor Isler.
Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.