Statement from Senator Patty Ritchie

November 23, 2021

I am deeply disappointed and angered by news that the Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau’s (PESH) investigation into the death of City of Watertown Firefighter Peyton Morse failed to identify any wrongdoing by the New York State Fire Academy in Montour Falls.

For more than eight months now, family, friends, fellow firefighters and the community have been looking for answers regarding what happened to Firefighter Morse. PESH’s investigation brings us no closer to the truth and instead, lets the state off the hook completely.

It is my hope that the other investigations taking place provide the answers and closure that so many are desperately seeking. Just as importantly, I am hopeful they will identify any issues at the Academy that could potentially put other firefighters in jeopardy.