Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It has been a week since the four-alarm fire at 745 Main Street in Downtown Buffalo that took the life of Engine 2 firefighter Jason Arno at the age of 37. Arno leaves behind a wife and a three-year-old daughter at home.
Arno died while battling the blaze when a portion of the three-story building he was in collapsed on top of him. He was able to put out a mayday call shortly after the partial building collapse, which allowed for his fellow firefighters remaining in the building to evacuate.
In the several days since firefighter Arno's death, support for Arno's family and the firefighters of Engine 2 have come from near-and-far. Locally here in Western New York, the outpouring of support from the community has been, at times, overwhelming for local firefighters.
"I think we just live in this amazing community, Western New York is amazing. The people here are great, and when there is a need, they step up, and they step up big, and it's just been pouring in," said President of Buffalo Professional Firefighters Local 282, Vincent Ventresca. "We're so grateful for all the people who have given donations, and done anything. People have been dropping off food, people are just doing the little things that helps lessen the burden, and helps the Arno family and lessen their burden as much as you can in such a devastating, tragic time in their lives. So it's just amazing. We're so grateful, and that's why it's such an honor to serve such an amazing community."
Certainly the efforts of the Western New York community has come to no surprise to many across the region.
"This is a great community, particularly during difficult times," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown during a press briefing on Tuesday at City Hall. "This community always comes together to help other community members, to support other community members. So it is certainly heartwarming to see the tremendous outpouring of support from Buffalo and Western New York, but also from other areas of the country as well."
"Firefighters and police officers, it's a tight knit group where you're always together, you spend a lot of time together," said Board Member of the 716 Foundation and firefighter at the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, Marty Szymanski on Tuesday. "They become your second family, and doesn't matter where you're from, when one of those goes down, somebody's willing to step up and help your family."
As Buffalo and Western New York does its part to help the Arno family and those with the Buffalo Fire Department, others from across the country - even other firefighters in the U.S. and internationally - have shown their support in a number of ways.
"Buffalo is one of the largest Locals in the IAFF [International Association of Firefighters]. We have the opportunity to make sure that we support members, especially in the Northeast, when there's a line of duty death. I think that because of our line of duty death, we are going to see an outpouring of support like never before," Ventresca believes. "I think the other thing is, too, is that there are a lot of factors that are going into it, but the fact that you have 10 a.m. in the morning, Downtown Buffalo, this fire and there's so much video and audio, and people just are like almost able to see and hear, and be a part of this tragic event. I think it just hits home for our brothers and sister firefighters, and obviously the community. Just to see these things, it's a lot."
As plans continue for the services for Arno on Thursday and Friday in the City of Buffalo, Mayor Brown and Fire Commissioner William Renaldo expect more than 4,000-5,000 out-of-town guests to come in support of a fallen brother. This includes more than 1,000 firefighters from across the country and also Canada.
"Clearly, firefighting is a brotherhood and a sisterhood. It's a calling," Mayor Brown said. "The outpouring of support from fire departments, nationally and internationally, certainly is very comforting. To have that many people traveling to our community to pay their respects to hero firefighter Jason Arno means a great deal to our fire department, our city and certainly to the family."
As of Wednesday, the Venmo account set up by the Buffalo Professional Firefighters union, Local 282, has had more than $75,000 worth of donations come in. Ventresca adds that has nothing to even do with the fact that people have been mailing and dropping off checks and cash on a daily basis to their office.
"I believe two of the family members are running GoFundMe [pages], and I'm not even sure, but I think they're over a quarter of a million dollars. I mean, it is just unbelievable," Ventresca said. "Again, there's no question that Western New York is the best community, and the best people live here."
A total of $10,000 worth of donations have come from the 716 Foundation, as Szymanski and his group have helped to get the word out to the public on what they can do to support the Arno family.
"What we started to do is right away, we got billboards up to make the community aware of what's going on, where they could donate to. We got The Buffalo News involved, we're starting a digital campaign [Tuesday] to get the ball rolling," Szymanski said.
Szymanski adds the billboard company and The Buffalo News have been tremendous, being very willing to help with their cause. He also commends the firefighters union and the community for their assistance in getting the word out as much as possible.
As for what drove Szymanski to get the ball rolling on this initiative, he says it has to do a great deal with his own son being in law enforcement.
"The reason I got involved so quickly is I have a son who's a New York State Trooper, and I could not imagine losing him and the pain that family must feel," he explained. "His wife and his child, who will never really have the opportunity to have more moments with him, it just made me feel like I had to get out there and do something."
With the amount of people that continue to keep giving and donating, as well as the firefighters coming into town later this week, Szymanski believes more money will keep coming in for the Arno family.
As for how much longer the donations, the GoFundMe pages and other forms of support will continue following this week, neither Szymanski nor Ventresca are sure just when those initiatives will stop for the Arno family, as well as the Buffalo Fire Department.
"I know so many businesses have put boots out, and people are just collecting donations, and it's just wonderful. It's almost overwhelming," Ventresca said. "At this point, I can tell you that as far as the union and the Executive Board and the underguard and stuff, we're just so busy and just trying to get through this week right now that as far as when the fundraising is going to end or any of those things, I really don't know."
"The billboards will be up for the next week. After that, we plan on keeping to continue working with the family," Szymanski added. "We're already working with Buffalo Fire to do a family day. We're doing things today for the firefighters that are working by bringing them dinner. We have plans to keep on going. This pain, it doesn't end after the funeral."
For anyone looking to continue their support of the Arno family, as well as the Buffalo Fire Department, donations continue to be taken via Venmo, @IAFF282. In addition, physical donations are also welcome by check, made payable to Buffalo Professional Firefighters at 500 Southside Parkway, Buffalo, New York, 14210.
In addition, anything that people may want to drop off to the firefighters at Engine 2 would be appreciated by Szymanski and Ventresca.
"I think the idea should be there's just been such an outpouring that at some point down the road, it's almost better sometimes once next week is over and we have some closure on it, the question will be the continuing support for the family. And, again, just doing nice things for everybody in the community, everybody doing something positive all the time is just the way that we should be living. We do a great job of it here in Western New York," Ventresca said.
