Twelve years after the ambush on Christmas Eve, the community remembers the West Webster firemen

Webster, New York – Twelve years have passed since two West Webster firefighters were slain in an ambush while battling a Webster fire on Christmas Eve. Early on Tuesday morning, locals gathered at the Lake Road attack scene.

Longtime veteran of the West Webster Fire District and current public information officer Al Sienkiewicz recalls the call that arrived at West Webster’s station on Backus Road early on Christmas Eve, 2012.

“Twelve years later, it’s difficult,” Sienkiewicz remarked. “Time heals, they say. Time blurs the details; it doesn’t heal.

It all began when a house on Webster’s Lake Road, a little over a mile from the station, caught fire.
“When the ambush occurred, Chip, Tomasz, and Ted were on the apparatus and drove down to the scene. They were there for a very short time,” Sienkiewicz remembered.

While responding to the fire, West Webster firefighters Tomasz Kaczowka, 19, and Michael Chiapperini, 43, were ambushed and killed. Additionally, two additional firefighters were wounded by gunfire. Later, the shooter committed suicide.

Dozens of community members still come together annually to commemorate the fallen heroes twelve years later.

“We arrived at the location at precisely 5:30 a.m. when the ambush occurred,” Sienkiewicz stated. “Two outstanding public servants were lost by the community. They were both generous people who frequently skipped family dinner parties and other events to look after the people living in this district.”

A wreath-laying ceremony was held at the memorial after a parade.

“12/24/12 will never be forgotten,” Sienkiewicz remarked.

“It serves as a gentle reminder to all first responders, law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services that there are potential hazards out there and that you should be mindful of them,” Sienkiewicz stated.

Every year, a wreath is laid on the Lake Road memorial location. At West Webster’s station on Gravel Road, there is another tribute for the firemen who lost their lives.