Prayer service held for New Haven firefighting community With two deaths and one firefighter severely injured, it's been a tough week for the NHFD family. Author: Keith McGilvery Updated: 1:25 AM EDT May 16, 2021 NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Lt. Samod Rankin's family believes in the power of prayer. "And May is known as the month of miracles and it is, yes, we thank God for the miracle in advance," said Sean Hardy, Rankin's cousin. Saturday the family joined his friends and fellow firefighters at a vigil in Rankin's honor. Captain Joe Davis, retired from the Connecticut State Police, had apersonal message to his grand nephew, Lt. Rankins: "We love you, we appreciate everything that you do, continue to fight .We know you are going to recover from it."