FDNY

FDNY Veteran Succumbs to 9/11-Related Cancer, Commissioner Says

What to Know

  • A 40-year FDNY veteran who oversaw rescue and recovery efforts after September 11 has died of 9/11-related cancer
  • Chief of Fire Prevention Ronald Spadafora was 63
  • He is the 178th member of the FDNY to die of illness related to the September 11 attacks, the commissioner said

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.

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