15 years since the tragic fire that killed Buffalo firefighters Croom and McCarthy

BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Flags at fire stations across the city of Buffalo were flown at half-staff Friday in memory of fallen firefighters Jonathan Croom and Lt. Charles “Chip” McCarthy.

Saturday marks the 15th anniversary of their deaths in the line of duty.

“The anniversary of a tragedy can be heartbreaking,” Angie Heusinger, Firefighter Croom's mother, told me. “You'd think that after so many years, things would get easier, but that's not the case. The memories of all the events come flooding back. They bring back all the losses we've experienced.”

On August 24, 2009, Croom and Lt. McCarthy were among the firefighters who responded to a fire at a deli on Genessee Street. At one point, it was believed a person was trapped in the basement, so Lt. McCarthy went back into the building. The floor partially collapsed and Lt. McCarthy fell through. Croom went to search for McCarthy. Crews lost contact with both men.

Heusinger said her son is extremely proud to be a firefighter.

“He loved the adrenaline. He loved being able to do this job. He took his work very seriously and was very dedicated to it,” said Heusinger.

In the years since the tragedy, Heusinger said, she has had the opportunity to learn more about Lt. McCarthy, his family and her son's actions on that fateful night.

“Who did he want to save there? Who did he want to take care of at that moment? Through meeting Chip McCarthy's brother Dan, I got to know them as a very kind, very loving family,” said Huesinger.

“Both were members of the Buffalo Fire Department. Very well-liked and highly respected,” said Buffalo Fire Chief William Renaldo.

Commissioner Renaldo said he has worked with both Croom and McCarthy and said several safety protocols have been changed over the past 15 years, including improved equipment, the use of portable radios and the hiring of an accountability officer.

The Commissioner also said the tragic loss also underlined the importance of the “two-in, two-out” rule.

“The two in, two out rule has been in place for some time now and we enforce it on a daily basis. Every incident we go to, we enforce the two in, two out rule. That's very important from an accountability perspective,” Renaldo said.

On Saturday, family, friends and fellow firefighters will gather to honor Croom and McCarthy, beginning with a vigil at the scene of the fire on Genessee Street just before 4 a.m., when the first alarm went off.

“When the anniversary of these people who died in the line of duty comes around, you look back, give thanks, remember and do everything you can to keep their memory alive,” said Commissioner Renaldo.

Mourners will also attend a Mass at St. Joe's Parish, a reception at Ladder 7 and a ceremony at Holy Cross Cemetery in Lackawanna on Saturday morning.

“I’m really grateful that this is a small community where we really value each other and that we remember that our first responders are our everything,” Heusinger said.