The Uniformed Firefighters Association is proud to introduce the New York Firefighter Foundation (NYFF).
NYFF was established by the UFA as a nonprofit but operates independently of the union. Its sole mission is to assist NYC firefighters and their families during times of need or tragedy—when financial or personal hardships extend beyond the resources of any union.
The foundation’s launch and early success are credited to the outstanding leadership of Directors Mimi Coluccio and Alison Reilly, whose combined experience in supporting first responders and 9/11 families has been instrumental. To date, NYFF has raised tens of thousands of dollars to directly assist families in need and remains committed to continuing this work at the highest level.
This past Friday night at Madison Square Garden, during a St. John’s University basketball game, NYFF received a $10,000 donation from @sullivanpapain to support four-year-old Izzy Cashion as she undergoes treatment for DIPG, a rare brain tumor. Izzy is the daughter of FDNY Lieutenant Tim Cashion.
The UFA fully supports NYFF and will continue to promote its mission and vital work. We will also continue to stand with Izzy and her family during this difficult time.
Please consider supporting the New York Firefighter Foundation so it can continue helping firefighters and their families when they need it most.
Thank you to Madison Square Garden, St. John’s University, and Sullivan Papain for their generosity and support.
Yesterday members of the UFA, joined the UFOA, City Council Speaker Julie Menin, City Council member Gale Brewer, and other 9/11 advocates as we demanded that Mayor Mamdani fully co-operate and fund the Department of Investigations search to uncover documents that every NYC Mayor has hidden for almost 25 years.
A copy of the ‘Harding Memo’ from October of 2001 was found by researchers at the University of Texas, in the archives of deceased Investigative Reporter Wayne Barrett. The memo sent to Deputy Mayor Harding informed the City that they expected tens of thousands of claimants due to 9/11 toxin exposure and mistakes made by the City.
This memo proves that the City cared more about the liability and finances of the City than the lives of its First Responders and Citizens.
They continued for months to encourage residents to return to the area, and gave a false sense of security to the heroes that worked on the pile.
424 FDNY Members have been lost in the last 24 years to post 9/11 illnesses, along with thousands of civilians. Over 140,000 people are enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Care Program… the people that knew that the air was toxic and lied and hid that information, and continued to lie need to be exposed.
Never Forget that the Mayor Rudy Giuliani lied and hid the information, and Bloomberg, DeBlasio, and Adams continued to keep it hidden, we are calling on Mayor Mamdani to follow his promise and be a Mayor for the people Mamdani, and to not make the sins of past Mayors become his sins.
UFA President Andrew Ansbro was interviewed by Ch. 7 regarding the 68 boxes of hidden 9/11 documents. NYC leaders unconscionably hid this information from the public, choosing to protect the City’s finances instead of protecting First Responders, rescue and recovery workers, and the civilians who returned to the contaminated area. We are fighting to hold those accountable who concealed this information for all these years.
Never Forget. Never Again.
Five years ago today, we lost Firefighter Thomas G. Oelkers of Ladder 44 to a WTC-related illness.
Firefighter Oelkers answered the call in the aftermath of September 11th, dedicating himself to the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center. He served the FDNY with pride and was a respected member of the Department.
Thomas also played an important role in rebuilding the FDNY Football Team, helping lead them to a Public Safety National Championship victory.
Today, we remember his service, strength, and legacy. Our thoughts remain with his family, friends, and his brothers and sisters in the Department.
Never Forgotten.
The UFA regretfully announces the WTC-related passing of retired Firefighter Michael J. Reutter, Ladder 175, which occurred on June 20, 2025.
Firefighter Reutter was appointed on July 6, 1983, and served the Department for 21 years until his retirement on January 31, 2005. We extend our sincere gratitude to Firefighter Michael Reutter for his decades of dedicated service to the Department, and for his unwavering commitment during the rescue and recovery at Ground Zero. His service and sacrifice will not be forgotten. Funeral services were held in June.
In recent days, New York City has seen multiple deadly fires that have left families shattered and communities grieving.
In the Bronx, 1-year-old Liam Parks-Harris lost his life after a fire broke out on Bainbridge Avenue, where he and his twin 6-year-old siblings were found. His siblings remain hospitalized as their family prays for their recovery.
In another Bronx fire, three men were killed after flames tore through a building on Third Avenue near East 140th Street. Firefighters responded to heavy fire conditions, with flames extending through the deli and the apartments above. More than 140 Firefighters, EMTs, and Paramedics operated at that scene, battling difficult conditions for hours.
Another fatal fire in Manhattan also claimed lives, adding to what has been a devastating stretch for this city.
As investigations continue and arrests have now been made in multiple deadly fires, we hope justice is served for the victims, their families, and the communities forever changed by these tragedies.
This is the reality of the job. Our members respond when New Yorkers are living through the worst moments of their lives — and they carry the weight of those moments long after the fire is out.
The UFA extends our deepest condolences to the families of those lost in these tragic fires. We continue to pray for the recovery of the injured children, and we stand with all of our members who operated at these difficult and heartbreaking scenes.
One year ago, the UFA mourned the passing of Lt. Gregory “Mick” Hansen after his long and courageous battle with ALS.
Mick was a longtime firefighter with the Watchdogs in Brooklyn, Engine 254/Ladder 153, and a dedicated advocate for those living with ALS. Through the ALS Watchdogs, Mick helped raise critical awareness and support for research, treatment, and improved care for patients and families facing this devastating illness.
Even while battling ALS himself, Mick continued to fight — exploring alternative methods to improve quality of life and using his voice to bring attention to the needs of others suffering from this disease.
Today, we honor Mick’s life, his service, his advocacy, and the strength he showed throughout his battle. The UFA remains committed to supporting his efforts, his family, the ALS Watchdogs, and all those affected by ALS.
Mick’s legacy lives on through the work he inspired and the lives he touched. He will not be forgotten.
Happy Mother’s Day from the UFA.
To our Mom's who double as firefighters and to all the Mothers of UFA firefighters who share their child with this city and department, We know the sacrifices that you make to help run this city while you support your own families. Unless you sit in those shoes you will never know how much it really takes.
We the UFA will always appreciate all that you give to us all and the world.
THANK YOU!
We also wish a very Happy Mothers Day to all the other Moms out there
Enjoy your Day!
Yesterday, firefighters responded to two major fires across Manhattan, including a three-alarm blaze at the historic Eugene O’Neill Theatre in Midtown and a deadly apartment building fire in Inwood that claimed the lives of three residents and left multiple others critically injured.
The fire at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre broke out Monday morning around 10:00 AM in a rear mezzanine area of the building. Members operated through heavy smoke and difficult conditions, working quickly to bring the fire under control and prevent further spread inside one of Broadway’s landmark theaters. One firefighter sustained minor injuries while battling the blaze.
Earlier that morning, around 12:30 AM, Firefighters responded to a fire at an apartment building on Dyckman Street in Inwood. Firefighters arrived to heavy fire conditions and immediately went to work searching for trapped residents, removing victims, and pushing into a dangerous building where smoke and flames had spread through multiple floors. Members operated in extremely hazardous conditions, with several civilians suffering critical injuries and multiple firefighters also injured during the response.
These incidents show the reality of the job our members perform every day — entering dangerous, unstable, and life-threatening conditions to protect New Yorkers, preserve property, and save lives.
The UFA extends our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the three victims lost in the Inwood fire. Our thoughts are also with the injured civilians and our members as they recover.
The UFA regretfully announces the WTC-related passing of retired Fire Marshal Richard A. Ruggiero, BFI Bronx Base, which occurred on April 26, 2026. Fire Marshal Ruggiero was appointed on December 30, 1965, and served the Department for 36 years until his retirement on April 30, 2002. We extend our sincere gratitude to Fire Marshal Richard Ruggiero for his decades of dedicated service to the Department, and for his unwavering commitment during the rescue and recovery at Ground Zero. His service and sacrifice will not be forgotten.
WAKE
Saturday, May 2, 2026 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Sunday, May 3, 2026
3:00pm - 7:00pm
Wanamaker & Carlough
Funeral Home
177 Route 59
Suffern, NY 10901
FUNERAL
Monday, May 4, 2026
10:00am
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
129 Lafayette Avenue
Suffern, NY 10901
On this day in 2011(May 2nd in Pakistan), nearly ten years after the attacks that changed our city and our nation forever, the man responsible for September 11th was brought to justice.
Osama bin Laden, the architect of the attacks that took the lives of 343 FDNY firefighters and thousands of innocent people, was located and killed by U.S. forces.
For our members, this moment carried weight—but it did not bring back our brothers. Nothing ever will.
We remember the sacrifice. We honor the legacy. And we carry it forward every day in this job.
Never Forgotten. 🇺🇸
Four years ago today, we lost Firefighter Timothy Klein of Ladder 170—“Canarsie’s Bravest.”
Firefighter Klein made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and his legacy of courage, compassion, and selflessness continues to live on throughout our Department.
Timmy represented the very best of this job—dedicated, dependable, and always there for others. After the tragic loss of Firefighter Steven Pollard, he stood by his family, offering strength and support when it mattered most. He later honored that bond by building medical ramps for injured firefighters and their families, quietly making a difference without ever seeking recognition.
That same spirit carries on today through the Fight for Firefighters Foundation, continuing to support members of our fire service family—just as Timmy always did.
His impact didn’t end that day. It lives on in the way we take care of one another and in the example he set for all of us.
God bless the Klein family, his brothers of Ladder 170, and all who continue his mission.
Free and Easy, TK.
We will never forget.
