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Wilbur Ritter’s Name Placed on NYS Fallen Firefighter Wall
By Firefighter Wendy Liu
November 1, 2009
On August 28th, 2006 Ex-Captain Wilbur Ritter, a 59 year member of the Sayville Fire Department died in the line of duty while responding to an alarm at Eckerd Drugs for a hazardous condition with a potential roof collapse. Wilbur drove to the firehouse to pick up the Fire Police vehicle to respond to this alarm when he began to feel ill. Fellow firefighters observed his distress and provided immediate medical attention. As Emergency Medical Technicians provided treatment en route to the hospital, Wilbur went into cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, despite the extraordinary efforts of the EMTs and hospital staff to revive him, he was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later. Ritter's death was not under heroic or exciting circumstances. Nonetheless, he went down while performing his duties in connection with the alarm that he responded to as a member of the Sayville Fire Department.
Several months after Wilbur's death, the Sayville Fire District sent in required paperwork to the New York State Fallen Firefighters Memorial Committee so that his name would be placed on the memorial wall alongside six other Sayville Fire Department members who have been lost in the line of duty. To their surprise, their request was denied. As there was no formal appeal process in place at the time, the committee could not act on the District's request for an appeal in time for the ceremonies in 2007 and 2008.
Fortunately, there is an appeal process in place now, and Wilbur's name is now engraved on the New York State Fallen Firefighters Memorial along with 2,347 other firefighters who have been lost. Ritter's family as well as his brother and sister firefighters attended the solemn New York State Fallen Firefighter Memorial service in Albany recently to honor their fallen hero and to finally bring closure to his untimely death.
Wilbur Ritter
1ST ASST. CHIEF THOMAS PANTANO MAKES PENCIL RUBBING OF WILBUR'S NAME ON MEMORIAL WALL.
SAYVILLE FD MEMBERS WITH THE RITTER FAMILY IN FRONT OF THE MEMORIAL
WILBUR'S SON, PETER, IS ESCORTED BY 1ST ASST. CHIEF THOMAS PANTANO
