Uniformed Fire Officers Association

The Executive Board and the entire membership of the UFOA extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families of FF Sal Scarentino of Ladder Co. 24 and FF John J. Kelly of Engine Co. 37. FF Scarentino was a 20 year veteran who succumbed to heart failure at home after finishing a 24 hour tour. I had the pleasure of working with Sal during my tenure as Captain of Ladder 24. I will miss him greatly.

FF Kelly was a young 1 ½ year member who died suddenly and too young after marching in the Pearl River St. Patrick’s Parade. God rest their souls.

The outcome of the Bronx trial was a disappointing one. As we all know, the tenants were found “not guilty” on all counts despite the fact that they erected that partition wall and wired it illegally. Surprisingly, the landlord and building manager were found guilty of negligence. Greed was the driving force here and now a Bronx jury has sent a message of total disregard for Fire Officers’ lives and local building codes.

However, this should also be a message to all of us. That message is vigilance. We should all be vigilant whenever we enter a premise; look around to ensure there is a secondary means of egress and no illegal renovations have taken place. If you see a violation, take all necessary steps to report it. Don’t let the lives of Curtis Meyran and John Bellew and the severe injuries to the four other firefighters be in vain. We must enforce the codes, your next fire could be in an illegally altered occupancy.