In lieu of flowers, Ron’s partner Rhonda has requested donations be made to the Chief Ron Spadafora FDNY Memorial Fund. You can do so here.
Funds such as the Chief Ron Spadafora FDNY Memorial Fund are critical to the school’s ability to advance its mission in the long term. This, in turn, helps to ensure the continuing legacy of the Choir School and Choristers of the Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, a legacy that was treasured by Ron.
RONALD R. SPADAFORA, died on Saturday June 23 after battling cancer related to his role at Ground Zero following 9/11. He was a 38-year veteran of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), where he was the chief of Fire Prevention. On 9/11, he responded to the World Trade Center (WTC) and supervised rescue and fire suppression efforts. He was named the WTC Chief of Safety for the entire recovery operation, which ended in late June 2002. On Aug. 14-15, 2003, he headed the Logistics Section for the FDNY during the New York City Blackout. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Sept. 2005, he was designated deputy incident commander of the FDNY Incident Management Team and was sent to Louisiana to assist the New Orleans Fire Department. In Oct.-Nov. 2013, he coordinated logistics for the FDNY for Hurricane Sandy. He taught fire science at John Jay College (CUNY) for 25 years and emergency management at the Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY) at the graduate and undergraduate levels. He was a visiting teacher and advisor on urban firefighting and incident management for the Working on Fire Program of South Africa. He held an M.P.S. degree in criminal justice from Long Island University (C.W. Post Center), a B.S. degree in fire science from John Jay College, and a B.A. degree in health education from Queens College (CUNY). He wrote more than 70 firematic articles. His books include Firefighter Exams, 2nd Edition, (McGraw-Hill); Sustainable Green Design and Firefighting: A Fire Chief’s Perspective (Delmar-Cengage Learning); and Fire Protection Equipment and Systems (Pearson-Brady Fire Series).
