Photo Courtesy of FDNY
FDNY Chief Ronald Spadafora
By Michael V. Cusenza
City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and City Fire Department Commissioner Dan Nigro are set to host a street renaming ceremony this Friday, June 14, honoring FDNY Chief of Fire Prevention Ronald Spadafora—an Ozone Park native and Sept. 11 hero who notably led rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero following the terrorist attacks in Downtown Manhattan.
Last year, Ulrich sponsored the legislation to rename the intersection of 90th Street and Rockaway Boulevard “Chief Ronald Spadafora Way” after the 40-year FDNY veteran.
According to Ulrich, Friday’s program will include a number of keynote speakers, including Commissioner Nigro, elected officials and members of Spadafora’s family. The ceremony will also include participation from the FDNY Ceremonial Unit and John Adams High School’s Reserve Officer Training Corps.
“Chief Spadafora was a true American hero who touched the lives of all who knew him. As an FDNY chief, it was up to Spadafora to keep people safe—and 9/11 was no different,” Ulrich said. “He will always be remembered for his selflessness, his dedication and his courage. It is my hope that renaming this intersection in his honor will serve as a small reminder of his brave sacrifice and that his legacy will live on forever.”
Ulrich noted that Spadafora supervised safety and recovery at Ground Zero for the entire recovery operation following the Sept. 11 attacks. In October 2012, he served as chief of Logistics for the preparation of Superstorm Sandy and worked on recovery efforts during the days after the historic storm. Spadafora died on June 23, 2018, of Sept. 11-related illnesses at the age of 63. According to official records, he is the 178th member of the FDNY to have died of Sept. 11-related illnesses.
“Ron Spadafora was a champion of firefighting and fire prevention,” Nigro added. “In the final years of his extraordinary career he continued to teach and educate his fellow FDNY members as he bravely battled cancer caused by countless hours spent at the World Trade Center site on, and well after, Sept. 11. We will never forget him.”
In addition to being chief of Fire Prevention, Spadafora served in numerous operational leadership capacities over the span of his career. In 2003, he oversaw the Logistics Section for the FDNY during the New York City Blackout. In 2005, he was the Deputy Incident Commander with the FDNY Incident Management Team in New Orleans, tasked with assisting the New Orleans Fire Department in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
“His loss is a tremendous one for all of us, but we know his legacy of learning, safety, education, and training will live on and will impact generations of the department yet to come,” Nigro said during the funeral service for Spadafora at St. Thomas Church in Manhattan.
The commemorative ceremony will be held on Friday, June 14, at 10 a.m., at 90th Street and Rockaway Boulevard in Ozone Park.
