Media Advisory: Memorial Bench in Honor of Fallen Firefighters to be Presented by UB Architecture Students

A memorial bench designed and built by students in the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, will be presented at 8 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010) to the Buffalo Fire Department in honor of firefighters Charles "Chip" McCarthy and Jonathan Croom who died Aug. 24 in a Genesee Street fire.

Lt. McCarthy, 45, was a member of Rescue Company No. 1, 1229 Jefferson Ave. Firefighter Croom, 34, was a member of Ladder 7, 2738 Main St. at Mercer Avenue, in the University District. The presentation will take place at the Ladder 7 firehouse.

The bench is constructed of recycled fire hoses donated by the Buffalo Fire Department and steel donated by Dick Yencer, the UB school's shop coordinator. (See link to photos of the bench, above.)

It was designed and built by UB undergraduate architecture students Jessica Colangelo, Josh Gardner, Lauren Giamundo, Mike Moscato, Billy Rivera and Edward Wilczynski. Adrienne Busch, also a UB architecture student, designed an engraved plaque incorporated into the bench.

The students are members of the school's Senenmut Chapter of Alpha Rho Chi, the national professional fraternity for architecture and the allied arts. UB chapter President Christopher Brandt, is coordinating the event.

On site contact: Christopher Brandt, 585-208-1073.