Fire department rallies for firefighter battling cancer
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) — A longtime local firefighter is now in the fight of his life after being diagnosed with stage 3 esophageal cancer. Now, his firehouse and his family are stepping in to help.
Robert Cornelius is the kind of firefighter every department wishes to have. For the last 28 years, he hasn't just worn the badge for the Frontier Volunteer Fire Company — he's lived it.
'Rob has been a huge, huge player,' said Rich Silvaroli, former chief of the Frontier Volunteer Fire Company. 'He was on many calls among this neighborhood helping our neighbors here at Frontier.'
Now, the man who has answered thousands of calls for help is facing something he can't battle on his own.
In March, Cornelius was diagnosed with stage 3 esophageal cancer. It's a disease that's tragically common among the very heroes who run toward danger.
'When you hear it from one of your own members, it hurts,' said Alan Perry, chief of the Frontier Volunteer Fire Company. 'The only thing we can do is give back to him as much as he's given back to us.'
Cornelius described the moment he found out the news.
'It was devastating just thinking about the girls and family,' said Cornelius.
Day by day with rounds of chemotherapy and hospital visits, he continues to put his family first.
'When we were younger, it was him watching us struggle,' said Aurora Cornelius, one of Rob's daughters. 'If we fell and scraped our knee, he was the one to pick us up and put a Band-Aid on it and tell us we were going to be OK. Now, we kind of have to do the same for him.'
In the Cornelius family, firefighting isn't just a duty, it's a legacy, five generations strong. It was never a question if his daughters would also become firefighters.
'Seeing my dad when I was younger, it was very inspiring,' said Faith Cornelius, Rob's daughter. 'It was pretty easy to know where I was heading.'
'It was just having the same people in your life and being able to fall back on them when something like this happens,' said Aurora Cornelius.
At Frontier, the bond is described as a brotherhood, which means standing by each other when it matters most.
'It's a big family,' said Silvaroli. 'We come together, and when one of our family members gets sick, it means a lot to us and (we) want to help out as much as we can.'
To help support Rob, the fire company is holding a benefit on July 19 from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m., with all profits going to Cornelius and his family. It will be a pasta dinner with basket raffles and the chance to give back to the man who has given so much.
Family members said the response from the community has already been immense, with fire departments near and far donating what they can.
'Watching all these people come and support him and do these things for him, it just fills your heart with gladness,' said Rochelle Earp, Rob's sister. 'Firefighters and EMS meet you at your worst possible moment, and they're not jaded, they're amazing and just keep going.'
Cornelius told WIVB News 4 that his chemotherapy has been working. He will undergo surgery on June 26.
He's urging other firefighters across New York State to get tested.
'I'm going to be around for another 20 to 30 years,' said Cornelius. 'I want to be here for my kids, watch them get married and have kids of their own.'
For tickets to the event, you can contact chief Alan Perry at 716-930-1109 or treasurer Denise Morreale at 716-622-6324.
If you'd like to make a donation in the form of a check, you can make it out to Robert Cornelius. You can drop it off, along with baskets or pasta for the dinner, at 2176 Liberty Dr.
There is also a GoFundMe family members have started to support Rob's journey, which you can find here.
Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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