Sonny Scarff, a fervent advocate for fire protection

Like many young people, he began attending his local fire department – the Carroll Manor Volunteer Fire Company in Frederick County, Maryland.

He rose through the ranks to become an ambulance captain, but John F. “Sonny” Scarff was just getting started.

Titles that followed included career firefighter, fire officer, fire chief assistant and fire protection instructor.

But Scarff, who died this week at his home in Rosemont, Md., is best known as a staunch advocate for fire protection.

As vice president of fire and life safety for Marriott Hotels, Scarff traveled the world inspecting hotels to ensure they had the proper fire protection systems and plans in place before opening the doors.

“He had the final say. If things weren’t going well, he’d stop the hotel from opening. He wouldn’t budge. He didn’t care if they had a wedding booked or a conference booked,” recalls Wayne Powell, a fellow inspector who traveled with Scarff on many trips.

“When they threatened to call one of the Marriott family members to complain, he encouraged them and gave them his number. He knew what their response would be: ‘What did Sonny say?’” Powell added with a laugh. “JW and Bill Marriott were committed to security. Every hotel is fully sprinklered and other security measures are in place as well.”

There are no shades of gray, and Sonny made sure people were aware of that. Being politically correct was not his strong point.

Jay Livingston, who left Marriott to start his own fire protection company, said he suggested Scarff take over because he was impressed by his no-nonsense philosophy.

“I knew he would be a good fit and I put him forward. I was right. He got along very well with them,” he said. “I will miss him greatly.”

Stacy Welch met Scarff during various test burns while she was a student in the fire protection engineering program at the University of Maryland.

She landed an internship as a plan reviewer at Marriott and was eventually offered a full-time position.

“Sonny was so passionate about protecting people…Nothing and no one could stand in his way.”

She quickly learned that he also enthusiastically supported and mentored his team. He had their backs. No one ever doubted that.

“In my sixth week on the job, he sent me to Hong Kong and Guatemala. He told me he had confidence in me and that I would do well,” she said with a laugh. “I guess he wanted me to learn by fire.”

“One time things didn’t go well and a landlord called me ‘little girl.’ When I told him about it, he called the guy, and I know everyone on the fourth floor could hear it. He wasn’t happy.”

She added that she was honored to have been part of his overseas inspection team. “I learned a lot from him.”

When he was ready to retire, he recommended that she take over her role.

“I knew I had very big shoes to fill…”

Mike Love, former Montgomery County, Maryland, Fire Chief, recalls, “Sonny was a unique and special individual because he rose through the ranks as a firefighter and then entered the very powerful, complex and sophisticated world of international business. He once again had a unique relationship with the owner and leader of one of the most successful hotel and lodging companies in the world. He was so respected by the Marriott family that he could go right to the top and eliminate the sometimes overwhelming tendency of middle management. Sonny commanded the respect of the firefighting forces he worked with, commanded the respect and perhaps a little healthy fear of hotel managers around the world, and commanded the respect of the leaders of the Marriott hospitality company. That’s a rare combination of relationships in any field.”

Scarff's contributions were varied.

“In addition to his operational management of Marriott’s fire protection, Sonny has always had a strategic vision for how to ensure the safety of Marriott hotel guests and visitors. Sonny has led a number of tests and forays into new technologies, such as the efficient and cost-effective retrofitting of very old and difficult businesses with automatic sprinklers as well as the use of fire protection water mist systems to retrofit some of the most extreme examples of very old buildings with massive stone walls. Leaders like Sonny Scarff are rare and in any given field, they only appear about every two generations.