By Nancy A. Fischer
The Buffalo News
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The volunteer fire chief who led efforts in the moments and days following the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 was among those honored Wednesday during the opening of the Firemen’s Association of New York 137th annual convention.
Clarence Center Chief Dave Case helped oversee the efforts of as many as 11,000 people who answered the call to help after the crash, which claimed the lives of 49 aboard the plane and one person on the ground Feb. 12.
“The 13 volunteer fire companies that responded that night did an outstanding job. I never had to say too much to them except a few ‘holy moleys.’ The officers of the fire company are what make us good leaders,” Case said.
“To all of you that have sent your prayers, it has touched us very deeply and still does. I still have three, three-ring binders that I still haven’t been able to look at with well wishes from all across the country and all across the world.”
Thomas Cuff, president of the state fire association, presented plaques to fire chiefs in attendance from nine of the departments who responded to the crash. He called them “very small” plaques “for a very extraordinary and significant event.”
Niagara County Legislator Peter E. Smolinski, a former North Tonawanda assistant fire chief, was honored for his 50 years of firefighting service Wednesday as the 137th annual convention of the Firemen’s Association of New York opened here.
Smolinski said, “I’m very touched by this honor. To be respected by my peers and to be honored by my peers is certainly something that moves me. It has been an honor to have served as a volunteer firefighter, and there’s no question it has helped me in my duties as a legislator.”
The convention in Conference Center Niagara Falls, laced with seminars on technical firefighting topics, lasts through Friday. The last time the firemen met in Niagara Falls was 11 years ago.
Meanwhile, Erie County Deputy Fire Coordinator Tiger Schmittendorf said that the support shown by those who helped first-responders after the plane crash was incredible.
“I can honestly say I have never been prouder to be deputy fire coordinator for Erie County to represent these great folks and never been prouder to be a volunteer firefighter,” Schmittendorf said.
Case told The Buffalo News after the presentation that 483 first-responders reported for duty the night of the crash.
The impact of such a large disaster hits a small community hard, he said.
“There is no one big incident that you can handle alone,” Case said. “The Ladies Auxiliary in our department fed 500 people a day breakfast, lunch and dinner for nine days.”
Case personally knew three people on the plane. He said the crash also happened on the street where he grew up, and 725 feet from the Clarence Center fire hall.
Firefighters worked on fire suppression for two days and were at the Long Street crash site for 11 days.
“The first quote was four weeks,” Case said. “The Town of Clarence and supervisor’s office are to be commended. It was a collaborative effort because everybody knows each other.
Also honored Wednesday were chiefs representing firefighters and first responders from Bowmansville, Brighton, Buffalo, East Amherst, Harris Hill, Mill Grove, Rapids, Amherst Fire Control and Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
Those attending the convention also had a chance to listen to Deputy Chief Billy Goldfeder, of Loveland-Symmes, Ohio, who talked about firefighter survival and risks a firefighter shouldn’t take.
“This is a risky job, and our families understand that we could get killed,” he told The News. “We’ll walk through fire to save a baby’s life, but sometimes a firefighter will die for a ridiculous reason.”
He said an average of 114 firefighters lose their lives each year in the United States in service-related incidents, almost one-third of them traffic accidents. Some firefighters have died because they didn’t wear a seat belt, he said.
Safety also was the topic for J. Gordon Routely, a division chief in Montreal, Canada, and former volunteer in Phoenix and in Maryland, mentioned the Charleston, S.C., Sofa Super Store blaze which claimed nine lives.
Routely talked about going deep inside a very big building to make an attack and then being trapped inside. He said firefighters should know the buildings in their community and recognize the potential death traps.
Niagara County Fire Coordinator James Volkosh said local firefighters were proud to welcome their fellow professionals from across the state. And while the convention focuses on volunteers, he pointed out that all firefighters, paid and unpaid, work well together.
“When the alarm goes off and someone dials 911,” he said, “they don’t care who comes to help them.”
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