by JONATHAN LEMIRE
Michael Stackpole began preparing for the Fire Department lieutenant's test in 2001 at the urging of his brother Timothy, a beloved FDNY captain who overcame terrible burns to stay on the job he loved. But when Timothy Stackpole was killed on 9/11, his brother set aside his studies and dedicated himself to comforting his grieving family. Yesterday, Michael Stackpole, a 16-year veteran, finally fulfilled his brother's wishes - and said he didn't achieve his promotion alone. "I sensed his presence," the newly minted lieutenant said of his slain brother. "If he was here today, he'd be smiling." Michael Stackpole, a father of four, appeared emotional as he shook Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta's hand during the promotions ceremony at the Fire Academy on Randalls Island. "I think about him every day; he's always in my thoughts," Michael Stackpole said of his brother, who suffered burns over 30% of his body in a 1998 fire but fought back to rejoin the department before 9/11. "He's the one who really pushed me to do this," he said, "and I think he'd be proud of me." Michael Stackpole, assigned to Squad 1 in Brooklyn, was one of 45 firefighters promoted to lieutenant. Five lieutenants were elevated to the rank of captain. "What I see here before me is an outstanding group of fire officers," Scoppetta said. "Lead wisely, lead well and lead your firefighters home safely at the end of every tour." Among the other firefighters promoted were Lt. Robert Roderka, who rescued two window washers from a broken scaffold 500 feet above a Manhattan street on Tuesday, and Lt. Francesca Smith, who becomes just the fourth female lieutenant in the FDNY.
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