“20 years now, Where'd they go?”

Bob Seger posed that question 35 years ago and it has likely been asked today by every adult old enough to have witnessed the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. For all of us involved in public safety, this is a day we remember every single year, and for Firefighters in particular, we recall the 343 FDNY Firefighters that were killed when the World Trade Center towers came down. Not counted in the 343 is Patrolman Keith Roma, of the NY Fire Patrol (an organization similar to Rochester’s own Protectives) who was also killed while rescuing multiple people from the towers. According to the NYC Fire Wire, in the 20 years since, at least 279 other NYC Firefighters have died due to illnesses contracted while working ‘The Pile’.

Six hundred and twenty-three.

August 1, 2021 - Rochester Airport Firefighters responded for an Alert 2 after being notified of a CRJ-7 diverting to ROC reporting a fuel leak with 54 souls on board, and 2,100 pounds of fuel remaining - incorrectly relayed as 21,000 pounds. As Firefighters positioned along the runway to await the its arrival, ROC’s Air Traffic Controllers guided the aircraft to land on Runway 4. As the pilots began their final approach, it became obvious that the leak was a significant one due to the fuel spilling out of the left engine giving the aircraft what looked like a long vapor trail.

Upon landing safely and stopping on the runway, the professional Firefighters of ROC airport immediately surrounded the aircraft to protect the passengers and crew on board. In order to prevent a fire, the crew was told to shut down both engines as there was still a significant amount of fuel spilling onto the runway. Unfortunately, the APU also needed to be shut down meaning comfort controls were powered down with it, likely causing some uncomfortable conditions onboard the aircraft. Due to temperatures at the time, the decision was made to hold off on covering the fuel with AFFF foam and instead cover it with absorbent material including dry sand provided by Airport Operations.

In spite of what many people have heard or been led to believe, the Firefighters and Fire Captains that this Union represents have been working without the guidance of a Fire Chief at the Frederick-Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport since March 2020. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of the responsibilities a Fire Chief is supposed to handle instead fell largely on the shoulders of the junior Captains and even on the Union leadership. We have remained quiet on this matter publicly in order to try and maintain a working relationship with the Airport Director, and later the airport’s Special Projects Manager Dave Young, whom was appointed as our administrative liaison. While there were some obvious growing pains, the consensus among our membership is that morale has greatly improved and the efficiency of the unit as a whole has increased during these last 16 months despite the hiring of seven new Firefighters during that time.

Two of our members reached the pinnacle of their careers this week, representing a combined 48 years of experience. They are the 6th and 7th retirements in the last 16 months, and bring us to 10 members (out of 21) that have either retired or transferred in just under two years!

One week ago on June 18th, Afton Lathigee, the daughter of Rochester Airport Firefighter and Local 1636 Sergeant-at-Arms Bob Blank experienced a garage fire that extended into the living areas of the house. Thankfully, all of the family members that were home were able to self-evacuate and were not injured, however, the home suffered extensive damage. Adding insult to injury, the house was broken into following the fire and many salvageable belongings were stolen leaving the family with almost no possessions.

Rochester, NY, February 15, 2021 - The Rochester Airport Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 1636 would like to publicly acknowledge the support rendered by the M&T Bank location in Gates. Located at 1955 Buffalo Rd., their assistance was vital in the tallying and transfer of funds directly to MDA. This year, our Fill the Boot collection boxes were greatly impacted by the reduction of travelers due to COVID-19 but still raised nearly $1,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Rochester, NY, January 19, 2021 - The International Association of Fire Fighters has long been one of the most respected Unions in existence, earning a reputation for supporting its allies and never backing down from a fight. Over the past several years, however, actions at the top have brought the integrity of our entire organization into question and led to some negative attention from outsiders. While investigations are underway to discover and address any malfeasance, it is clear that the appearance of impropriety has led to a lack of confidence in some of the current leadership at IAFF headquarters. Our own experience has also taught us that the darkest secrets are often protected by the strongest opposition. After evaluating all of the candidates, the members of the Monroe County Airport Firefighters Association -IAFF Local 1636 are proud to endorse Ed Kelly for General President, and Jake Lemonda for General Secretary/Treasurer.

Dick Ziegler (Photo by Spencerport Fire District)

As we approach the anniversary of the deadliest airliner crash in local history, the Rochester Airport Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 1636 is saddened to announce the passing of Richard ‘Dick’ Ziegler. Dick is believed to be the last surviving responder to the Mohawk Airlines crash at KROC on July 2, 1963 where he was credited with saving at least a dozen lives.

Dick was one of several airport mechanics that were cross-trained as a firefighter to supplement the ‘crash crew’ before he transferred to Pure Waters, where he eventually retired. According to a statement from the Spencerport Fire District, Dick was in the company of his wife and children when he passed away yesterday morning at the age of 83. He was a Spencerport volunteer firefighter since 1962, serving in many roles throughout the years.

The Rochester Airport Firefighters Association welcomed 3 new members last week. Probationary Firefighters Daniel Maggio, Justin McGory, and Patrick Spear were all hired as Airport Firefighters recently, and all three made the decision to support the Union that supports them. With their commitment, our Union continues to maintain 100% membership in spite of the rhetoric that was spread around the Janus decision in 2018. The leadership of Local 1636 is proud to welcome aboard these Professional Firefighters and we all look forward to working with them throughout their careers!

In other member-related news from the last year, we'd like to publicly congratulate the following people;

Fifty-six years ago today, Mohawk Airlines Flight 121 crashed upon takeoff at the Rochester Airport, killing 7 people and injuring 36 others. Airport firefighters responded immediately and were able to rescue a number of people from the aircraft with help from other airport workers and outside fire companies. To this day, it remains the worst aviation accident in local history. While many things have changed in both the firefighting and aviation industries, one thing that has not is our members’ reliance on outside agencies in the event of a major disaster. In spite of our constant training to maximize our crews efficiency, with just five on-duty members there is only so much we will be able to do without help from other agencies.

Last night, the City of Rochester implemented the first fire station closure under its “dynamic staffing” plan, which chooses a company to close during the overnight hours, when residents are most at risk. These closures - also known as ‘brownouts’ or ‘firehouse roulette’ - arbitrarily choose a neighborhood to receive reduced protection for a specified period of time. It’s a tactic that hasn’t been used much locally, but has seen tragic results when implemented elsewhere. In Philadelphia, a 12-year-old boy died in 2010 while the closest engine company was ‘browned out’. In 2017, three people were killed in a Holyoke, MA fire in which the closest engine company was closed. In Wilmington, DE, 2016 saw two children and three firefighters killed in the course of eight months. At least two other firefighters were forced to retire due to injuries sustained at a fire. These are just a few of the many stories one can find by briefly searching the internet.

Samuel Cooper

The members of Local 1636 are saddened to hear that longtime Rochester Airport fixture Sam Cooper passed away last Friday, June 7th, at the age of 96. Mr. Cooper was a pilot in WWII before eventually serving as the Airport Manager from 1972-1989. He remained here as Public Relations Director up until a few years ago conducting airport tours and was an almost daily visitor to the firehouse. Sam witnessed many, many changes at ROC during his tenure here and was full of information about the airport and its history. He also had a collection of photos with the many celebrities and VIP’s that traveled through the airport, including several sitting Presidents. His presence will be felt here for many years to come which is “Outstanding, young fella!”

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Richard F. Masters - Retired Airport Fire Captain and Charter Member of IAFF Local 1636. He passed away on February 21st at the age of 86 following a brief illness.

After serving as an Aircraft Firefighter in the United States Marine Corps, Dick was hired as a Firefighter with the Rochester-Monroe County Airport Fire Department. When the career firefighters joined the International Association of Fire Fighters in 1966, his was the first of nine names printed on the Certificate of Affiliation. He retired as a Captain in 1993 after more than 30 years at the airport.

The members of IAFF Local 1636 would like to congratulate Andy Moore on his recent permanent appointment as ROC Airport Director.  The appointment was well deserved and we look forward to continuing working alongside Andy and his staff!

Andy Moore named permanent Rochester Airport Director - WXXI News

It's my pleasure to announce Andy Moore will be the new permanent Director of @ROCAirport. Andy did an incredible job overseeing the #ROCRenovation, and I'm confident his experience and expertise will help us attract more visitors, #MoreJobs, and more investment to Monroe County! pic.twitter.com/5sWssbscMy

— Cheryl Dinolfo (@CherylDinolfo) December 11, 2018

Soldiers from the NY Army National Guard attended this month’s Union meeting to thank our members for the care packages we sent to Afghanistan in 2017. Local 1636 members collected more than 160 pounds of food and hygiene items for the deployed soldiers of B Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment that is based at Greater Rochester International Airport. The unit and its CH-47 Chinook helicopters were deployed to multiple locations in Afghanistan to directly support combat operations. The ROC-based soldiers paired up with other soldiers of B Co., 3/126 from Maryland, along with the 7th Battalion, 158th General Support Aviation Battalion out of Kansas to support Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.

Airport Fire Unit Citation

Greater Rochester International Airport Firefighters were among those recognized with a Unit Commendation Award and  Certificate of Merit during the annual Firefighter Appreciation Dinner held October 11th. The recognition was due to our mutual aid response to the Mumford Fire District for an MVA involving a fuel tanker that rolled over on June 11, 2018. Airport Fire Chief Kevin Bardeen accepted the award on behalf of our members.

Fire Departments everywhere open their doors and invite the public inside as part of Fire Prevention Week each year. Gates Fire District held their open house at Station 2 on Long Pond Rd. yesterday and Airport Firefighters were among the public safety professionals there to show off their equipment and educate the public on what we do every day.

Though there have been many scares about what can happen to children or teenagers on the internet, adults should be safe as well. There is no limit to the amount of risk adults come in contact with such as sexual predators, criminals who are seeking out your personal information on social networking sites, buying habits, frequently used sites, and many others.

Here are some tips to help prevent you from being a target: