Service today honors late Samuel Revella, former Girard fire chief
GIRARD
Former Fire Chief Samuel Revella was an inspiration to many firefighters, especially his grandson, firefighter Jim Petruzzi.
“He was my mentor, my idol, my hero,” Petruzzi said. “He was definitely my best friend.”
On Wednesday, family, friends and community members honored Revella, who died Saturday at age 90, with a funeral procession and memorial services.
The Girard Fire Department used its ladder truck to fly a flag over the procession, which included representation from the Girard, Liberty and McDonald fire departments and Girard and Youngstown police departments.
Revella started as a firefighter in 1959 and was chief between 1973 and 1990.
He made lasting impacts on the department, including increased staffing levels, improving firefighter and emergency medical technician training and spearheading the acquisition of a new vehicle and equipment.
Revella also battled some of the largest fires in the city’s history, including a 1963 fire that threatened the entire downtown business district, said firefighter Brian Pearson.
Read more about him and the service in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.