Hundreds visited St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Binghamton to pay their final respects to firefighter John Janos, 57, who died Saturday morning after responding to a call. Most of the eulogies focused on Janos’ service to the community and personal life. That included Mayor Matthew Ryan’s eulogy, which called Janos the embodiment of the great American firefighter.
Janos leaves behind a lasting legacy within the department. He co-authored the department’s mission statement and helped form the department’s HAZMAT unit. Following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he took charge of the local 9/11 Commission. As union president, he fought for better wages and safer conditions. A preliminary autopsy ruled Janos’ death to be heart related. A full autopsy report will be released in a few weeks.
