Dear #myMCNY Community,
With great sadness, we announce that Chief Spadafora passed away this weekend. Professor Spadafora was a long-time instructor in our Emergency & Disaster Management program. Our deepest condolences to his family, friends, students, and alumni.
MCNY MPA Emergency and Disaster Management (EDM) Program Director, Ali Gheith said, “I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Ronnie Spadafora. He was a great friend and an exemplary colleague. He was loved by the students and the alumni of the EDM program. He was a wonderful teacher and shared his expertise and experiences freely. He was one of a kind.”
“Ronnie will always be known as a true professional, friend and scholar who passed on much of his knowledge before leaving us. We are so lucky to have spent time with a man of his stature,” said MCNY Professor Tom Carey.
Arrangements for Chief Spadafora:
The wake will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday at Franklin E. Campbell Funeral Chapel in Manhattan.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Church in Manhattan. Instead of a coffin, Spadafora’s remains will be wrapped in an American flag and laid in an aluminum stokes basket, “just like his fallen brothers of 9/11,
Professor Ali Gheith, MCNY MPA, Chief Spadafora, Professor Arthur Mastrangelo and professor Chuck Frank, MCNY-EDM
Chief with EDM MPA students and FDNY team.
Below is the story as it appeared on NBC News 4.
FDNY Veteran Succumbs to 9/11-Related Cancer, Commissioner Says
Published at 4:47 PM EDT on Jun 23, 2018 | Updated at 6:48 PM EDT on Jun 23, 2018
A 40-year FDNY veteran who oversaw rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site after 9/11 has succumbed to cancer linked to his efforts at ground zero.
Chief of Fire Prevention Ronald R. Spadafora has passed away at the age of 63, Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.
Spadafora is the 178th member of the department to die of illness related to the September 11 attacks, according to Nigro.
“Ron Spafadora was a consummate professional fire chief who bravely served our city for 40 years, and toiled for months at the World Trade Center site after September 11, leading the department’s rescue and recovery efforts,” Nigro said.
“In his extraordinary career, he fought fires in all five boroughs, improved training for every FDNY member, and as the Chief of Fire Prevention for the last eight years, Ron’s dedication and leadership led to greater safety and protection for millions of New Yorkers,” he added.
Spafadora launched his career with the FDNY at Engine 237 in Brooklyn in 1978 before rising through the ranks over the years, Nigro said. In 2010, he became Assistant Chief for the Bureau of Fire Prevention, according to Nigro. During the recovery efforts at ground zero, he was the World Trade Center Chief of Safety.
He also helped lead recovery efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and was an adjunct lecturer at John Jay College and Metropolitan College of New York, Nigro said.
