The friends and family of fallen Buffalo firefighter Jason Arno are honoring his legacy by helping his colleagues across the state.
The Firefighter Arno Memorial Foundation held its annual cookout at Buffalo’s River Fest Park on Sunday.
That’s where the foundation announced plans to help the Canandaigua Fire Department buy life-saving equipment through the Arno Act grant program. It aims to provide financial assistance to first responders.
The foundation also says it is giving money to Erie County’s Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
“We’ve met so many people across different departments, whether it’s professional firefighters, volunteer firefighters, corrections [or] emergency medical services, and to see all these groups of people in one place to bring the community together is a beautiful thing,” James Fierro, president of the Firefighter Arno Memorial Foundation, said.
Arno died during a fire in Buffalo’s Theater District in March 2023. The cause of the fire was eventually ruled accidental.
In May of this year, the city of Buffalo settled a civil lawsuit with Arno’s estate for nearly $5.9 million, to be paid out over the course of three years.