The Forgotten 344th: A Father's Decades-Long Fight to Recognize a Fire Patrol Hero
Arnold Roma has spent 25 years demanding that his son, Keith, be recognized as a 9/11 hero. Keith died at the World Trade Center as a New York Fire Patrolman, a separate entity from the FDNY, and was excluded from the official count of 343 firefighters killed. Roma argues Keith deserves inclusion in the national memorial, despite official records limiting the count to active FDNY members.
Key points
- Keith Roma, a 27-year-old New York Fire Patrolman, died at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, while assisting in the evacuation of the North Tower.
- The FDNY officially recognized 343 firefighters as killed in the attacks, a number that excluded Keith because he was employed by the New York Fire Patrol, a private fire salvage corps, rather than the FDNY.
- Arnold Roma, Keith's father, discovered his son's body 104 days after the attacks on Christmas Eve 2001, buried deep within the debris pile.
- Despite receiving the FDNY Fireman’s Medal of Supreme Sacrifice and a White House Heroes Medal of Valor, Keith is not listed on the Ten House memorial or included in the 343 count.
- Arnold Roma continues to advocate for changing the number to 344, arguing that Keith's service and death were equivalent to those of FDNY firefighters.
Background
The New York Fire Patrol operated as a private fire salvage corps alongside the FDNY for nearly two centuries, distinguished primarily by red helmets compared to the FDNY's black ones. The organization was defunded in 2006 due to rising costs and changing urban infrastructure. While many FDNY leaders originated from the Fire Patrol, the two entities remained administratively separate, leading to distinct casualty counts during major incidents like 9/11.
Why it matters
This story highlights the bureaucratic and historical distinctions that can exclude first responders from national recognition, even when their duties and risks were identical. It underscores the ongoing struggle of families to secure proper memorialization for heroes who fall outside official organizational boundaries.
What to watch
As the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches, Arnold Roma continues to lobby FDNY officials and public figures to acknowledge Keith Roma's sacrifice. The debate over whether the official count should remain 343 or expand to include other first responders remains unresolved.
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