Fire Capt. Ware calls it a career after nearly 3 decades

By JOE GORMAN

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

As of Friday, city fire department Capt. Alvin Ware will no longer be “the arson guy.”

Ware, who heads up the department’s Fire Investigation Unit, said people often call him that when they run into him, either in City Hall or different parts of town.

But after more than 29 years on the city fire department, the last 24 spent investigating arson and other fires, Ware is retiring effective Friday. His place will be taken by Capt. Kurt Wright.

Ware was praised by Fire Chief John O’Neill for having a high success rate for both arrests and convictions of arsonists, one of the hardest crimes to investigate. He has won state awards for his work in investigating vehicle arson and other fires, is an instructor, and has been involved in some of the city’s grisliest crimes – which were arsons that led to homicides.

Ware acknowledged arsons are hard cases to investigate because most of the evidence often is

destroyed by the fire and they occur when there are no witnesses.

“It’s hard,” Ware said. “It’s mostly done in the middle of the night when there’s no one around.”

Wright will have to finish his police officer training before he can fully take over Ware’s duties. Ware said it often confuses people that he carries a gun, but he is a certified police officer who can make arrests for arson and other crimes, and he said dealing with arsonists is not always easy. He said arson is on the list of top 10 violent crimes by the FBI and often investigators are called to a fire scene in the dead of night in out-of-the-way places or bad neighborhoods, which are two reasons why they are armed.

Ware said it is not uncommon for people to recognize him, especially in City Hall.

“We’ll be on the elevator and somebody will say, ‘You’re the arson guy,’” Ware said.

Ware came to the city fire department from Struthers, where he was a part-time firefighter and police officer who had worked in the grocery business before starting a career in the safety services. He was first assigned to Station 7 on Madison and Elm, the busiest station in the city, before working in the department’s communications center at the main fire station downtown before the advent of the 911 system. He was moved to arson investigations in 1992 with Mike Stefko and Bob Sharp because of the spike in vehicle arson.

Ware said at the time no one wanted to touch vehicle arson because the cases are so hard to solve. Stolen cars from Pittsburgh and Cleveland, as well as the city, often were set afire in Youngstown. But Ware started working the cases, and he said he liked his work.

“I knew I could do it and I liked it,” Ware said. “I liked meeting different people. Every day was different.”

O’Neill said it was Ware’s police background that helped him get off to a fast start.

“He hit the ground running,” O’Neill said.

From vehicle fires Ware started investigating other arsons. There was no shortage of cases, as Ware said economic conditions in the city are a prime reason for so many arsons. He said there are a wide variety of motives for arson, ranging from profit, gang initiations, people who just like to set things on fire, domestic violence and to cover up crimes.

“They all touch on arson,” Ware said.

Covering up crimes also had Ware working closely with the police department, where he worked with just about every detective for homicides, robberies, auto thefts, gang investigations and drug cases.

Chief of Detectives Capt. Brad Blackburn said he has known Ware for more than 20 years. Blackburn said when he started his career as a reserve officer in Struthers, Ware also was a reserve officer. He also worked with Ware on a number of cases.

“He’s always been very easy going and knowledgeable,” Blackburn said. “I’m going to miss him.”

Blackburn said he also knows Wright very well. He went to Boardman High School with Wright, and he also was in Wright’s wedding, Blackburn said.

“I look forward to working with Kurt,” Blackburn said.

Ware was part of the team that investigated the arson deaths of six people in a Stewart Avenue home on the East Side in 2008. Michael Davis was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the crimes, which took place because Davis was upset over a stolen cellphone, investigators said.

Ware also is part of the current team investigating the fire deaths of William and Judith Schmidt and their 10-year-old granddaughter, Corinne Gump, in the Schmidts’ Powers Way home earlier this year. Robert Seman, 46, of West Calla Road in Green Township, is charged with aggravated murder and aggravated arson and could face the death penalty if convicted.

Ware also was part of the team of city detectives who investigated the death of real-estate agent Vivian Martin, who was robbed and killed in a Nelson Avenue home on the East Side she was showing in September 2010. The home was then set on fire to cover up the crime. One man is serving life in prison for her death and another is serving a lengthy sentence.

Ware said he probably has been involved in more than a dozen homicide investigations over the years and each one takes a toll on him.

“Those are the ones you never forget,” Ware said. “I can tell you where I was for each one when I got the call.”

O’Neill also praised Ware for the work he does in educating juveniles about the dangers of fire and the importance of fire safety. Ware said he is proud of that effort and also his efforts with the Black Firefighters Association and attempts to attract minority firefighters. He also helped start the fire department’s honor guard.

In his time as an investigator, Ware said the map of arsons has moved across town. At first, the Brier Hill area of the North Side was plagued by arsons of vacant homes. The trend now has moved across the Mahoning River to the South and lower West sides, Ware said.

During his retirement, Ware said he plans to teach and also will spend more time with his family.