My Friend Arthur Crames

There are many heroes in this world, the obvious ones, those who serve in our military, our first responders ... Police , Fire and Emergency Medical Personnel. Then there are others, those who do good deeds without looking for credit, who help because they are exceptional and good human beings. They want to give back because they have achieved success in a country that used to encourage hard work and excellence. Arthur Crames was one of those heroes, and my friend.

In 1994 when I became New York City Fire Commissioner, my assistant told me there was a Mr. Crames on the phone. She said he was insistent on speaking with me and that he had been trying for weeks to get a response from the FDNY . That was my first contact with Arthur Crames. He told me that he was with Bear Stearns and that he wanted to help the widows and children of firefighters who were killed in the line of duty. He asked for nothing other then the opportunity to comfort those whose families had made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our city safe.

Over the next seven years as I went from Fire Commissioner to Police Commissioner I found out that he was not just talking, he meant what he said. Every time we lost a Firefighter or Police Officer in the line of duty Arthur would offer to set up a scholarship for the children of the fallen. The only thing he asked in return was the to meet the family and express his sympathy and thanks for the sacrifice they had made.

I attended too many lunches in the private dining rooms of Bear Stearns, where Arthur, a big man physically, gently explained how he was going to provide college educations for the children of our heroes. He didn't just say it, he gave each family a legal document to ensure that his desires were carried out.

Arthur who started in a low level job at Bear Stearns with his friend "Ace" Greenberg, rose to the highest levels of the bank. Yet when you walked into his modest office at the bank, you would only noticed his passion for Disney art and characters. He was brilliant, but also one of the most compassionate human beings I have ever known. I went to dozens of lunches and dinners with Arthur, where he hosted Cops and Firefighters, not the Chiefs, but the rank and file, because he admired them and cared about them.

There are not enough words or time to explain what a great man he was. He was what I would always believe was the essence of goodness. If the Jewish religion had saints, Arthur Crames would be first in line. I miss him and know that God has a special place for him.

Howard Safir

29th Fire Commissioner FDNY

39th Police Commissioner NYPD