Senate Resolution No. 2925

BY: Senator GRIFFO

COMMENDING Chief Ronald M. Brement upon the
occasion of his retirement after 35 years of
dedicated service to the City of Rome Fire
Department

WHEREAS, Citizens across our State and Nation are inspired by and
indebted to our noble firefighters who exhibit courage and bravery every
day in the course of their duties; and

WHEREAS, Firefighters exemplify the power of human compassion and
the strength of the American spirit through actions of the most heroic
magnitude; their sacrifices and their selfless dedication merit tribute
and recognition by all citizens of this great State; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Chief
Ronald M. Brement upon the occasion of his retirement after 35 years of
dedicated service to the City of Rome Fire Department; and

WHEREAS, Ronald M. Brement was born to Nicholas and Beatrice Brement
in Rome, New York, where he graduated from Rome Free Academy in 1980;
after meeting in high school, he married the former Patricia Giannico
and together, they raised two sons, Alexander and Nicholas; and

WHEREAS, After earning his accounting degree from Utica College,
Ronald M. Brement thought he was going to work in that field for many
years; however, as providence would have it, he decided to take a civil
service test, and ended up graduating from fire school in the spring of
1984, and was subsequently hired to the City of Rome Fire Department by
the end of the year; and

WHEREAS, Ronald M. Brement thoroughly enjoyed his job, and quickly
rose through the ranks, holding the leadership positions of Lieutenant,
Captain, Deputy Chief, and lastly Chief, the title from which he will
officially retire on Friday, February 28, 2020; and

WHEREAS, In this capacity, Chief Ronald M. Brement diligently worked
to make the Department more fiscally sound by procuring grants from the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help pay for new
equipment, gear and much needed repairs, and he and his fellow
firefighters maintained the firehouse by remodeling the kitchen and
installing new bathrooms, amongst other renovations; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his esteemed career, Chief Ronald M. Brement
observed numerous changes in not only the City of Rome Fire Department,
but in firefighting itself; each year, the Department responded to more
and more emergency calls, from an individual who has locked themselves
out of their house, to a fiery car accident; and

WHEREAS, In addition, Chief Ronald M. Brement was instrumental in
building a partnership between the Department and the City of Rome Codes
Department to inspect homes and buildings; and

WHEREAS, The Department also visited local schools to teach students
about fire safety and prevention, and worked with the American Red Cross
to provide residents with free smoke detectors; and

WHEREAS, Firefighters unwaveringly serve our great State with pride,
valor, and integrity; they are often the first to respond to an
emergency, whether the emergency is a fire, transportation accident,
natural disaster, act of terrorism, medical crisis, or spill of
hazardous materials; and

WHEREAS, It takes a special dedication, a strong desire to help
others and a tireless sense of community to forsake precious time with
family and friends to respond to the signal that a neighbor is in need;
Chief Ronald M. Brement is such a firefighter; throughout 35 years of
devoted service, he heroically performed, above and beyond the call of
duty, those responsibilities which define the task of fire protection;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Chief Ronald M. Brement upon the occasion of his retirement
after 35 years of dedicated service to the City of Rome Fire Department,
and to wish him continued success in all his future endeavors; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Chief Ronald M. Brement.