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Billy Steinberg, 37, a volunteer firefighter, responded to an unoccupied vacation home in upstate New York's Sullivan County on January 15. The blaze was allegedly set by a serial arsonist, Mohammad Islam, 32, according to local reports.
Billy was an assistant chief with the Forestburgh Fire Company when he died of an apparent heart attack, according to the US Fire Administration.
Islam is accused of breaking into the vacant home and using paper and wood, he is alleged to light the blaze that incinerated the house, as per the criminal complaint. He was charged with second-degree burglary and fourth-degree arson.
William Steinberg died of a heart attack while responding to the fire.
Islam had previously been charged on Jan. 14 with arson and burglary for two previous fires — on Jan. 10 and on Jan. 13, according to criminal complaints, but was set free a day before the fire that Steinberg responded to and from which he died. State Senator Mike Martucci (R) from Hudson Valley, blames the death and property destruction on bail reform law.
Martucci spoke at a press conference and said that he was introducing "Billy's Law to authorize bail and pre-trial detention for all felony arson charges, as a way of keeping mentally ill arsonists from hurting anyone else before trial.
“Our state leaders should not need any more evidence that bail reform is a failed policy. Before one more innocent life is lost, action must be taken,” Martucci said. “Billy’s Law is a practical step with a broad and bipartisan consensus to address the dangerousness of repeat offenders and protect our volunteer firefighters.”
Steinberg’s father, Jim, said that “the system has failed our community, my family, and Billy,”
“Our state leaders should not need any more evidence that bail reform is a failed policy. Before one more innocent life is lost, action must be taken,” Martucci said. “Billy’s Law is a practical step with a broad and bipartisan consensus to address the dangerousness of repeat offenders and protect our volunteer firefighters.”
Steinberg’s father, Jim, said that “the system has failed our community, my family, and Billy,”
It also failed the vacation home owner who was an innocent party, as well as his or her insurance company that provided coverage for the home.
“At this time, my family and I are pleading to the New York State Senate and Assembly to change bail reform to protect our firefighters and the citizens of New York, so they never have to endure this type of tragedy themselves,” Steinberg said.
Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, a Democrat from Forestburgh, said she would introduce legislation “to make sure that this never happens again.” This sounds virtuous but it's only a deterrent, not a total fix.
Islam is being held in Sullivan County jail on $100,000 bail.
“At this time, my family and I are pleading to the New York State Senate and Assembly to change bail reform to protect our firefighters and the citizens of New York, so they never have to endure this type of tragedy themselves,” Steinberg said.
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Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, a Democrat from Forestburgh, said she would introduce legislation “to make sure that this never happens again.” This sounds virtuous but it's only a deterrent, not a total fix.
Islam is being held in Sullivan County jail on $100,000 bail.
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