On October 10, 2023, at the Empire State Convention Center in Albany, the 26th Annual New York State Fallen Firefighters Memorial Ceremony was held to pay tribute to the brave firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities.
A total of 29 firefighters were honored at the ceremony, and their names will now be engraved on the Memorial Wall at Empire State Plaza. This year, one of the names added to the wall was that of Jason Arno, a Buffalo firefighter who lost his life while fighting a four-alarm fire in March.
- Jason Arno — Buffalo Fire Department
- Herbert Louis Bishop, Sr. — Arlington Fire Department
- Freeman Board — Brockport Fire Department
- James Brooks — Whitehall Volunteer Fire Company
- Owen Carlock — Fire Department of New York
- Joseph Daly — Fire Department of New York
- Andrew DiMaggio — New Rochelle Fire Department
- Dennis Farrell — Fire Department of New York
- Daniel Foley — Fire Department of New York
- Jesse Gerhard — Fire Department of New York
- James Hopkins — Brockport Fire Department
- Ronald Kemly, Sr. — Fire Department of New York
- Timothy Klein — Fire Department of New York
- Michael Lyons — Fire Department of New York
- Peter McCaffrey — Yonkers Fire Department
- James McCauley, Jr. — Fire Department of New York
- William Moon, II — Fire Department of New York
- Philip Morrissey — Cohoes Fire Department
- Daryl Lynn Pace — Ithaca Fire Department
- Brian Payne — Mamaroneck Fire Department
- Raymond Phillips, Jr. — Fire Department of New York
- Judy Spencer — Hartland Volunteer Fire Company
- William Steinberg — Forestburgh Fire Company
- Dennis Tortorella — Mamaroneck Fire Department
- John Vallini — Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department
- Victor Valva — Fire Department of New York
- Tracy Veno — Olean City Fire Department
- Patrick Whalen — Fire Department of New York
- Thomas Wutz, Sr. — State Office of Fire Prevention and Control
“Today, we honor and remember the service of 29 firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice. I’m proud to honor their memory and extend my gratitude for their service to their families. Please remember these fallen firefighters, and their families, in your thoughts.”
In addition to the memorial ceremony, Gov. Hochul also issued two proclamations on Tuesday, officially recognizing October 10 as Firefighter Appreciation Day and the week of October 8-14, 2023, as Fire Prevention Week. Both proclamations serve as a reminder of the bravery and dedication of firefighters, and the importance of fire prevention in keeping our communities safe.
