By Tim Potter
The Wichita Eagle
WICHITA, Kan. — Officially, he was Sedgwick County fire Lt. Bryon Johnson.
But at the firehouse, he was Bubba.
To his fellow firefighters, Bubba was many things: a big eater, a heavy sleeper, funny, smart, fanatic about learning the intricacies of fire science and fire codes, driven to become fire marshal some day.
During football games that were part of their physical training, the firefighters teased him because he had a lineman’s hands -- he couldn’t catch. He wasn’t fast, either. But he would tenaciously chase after whoever caught the ball, legs churning under his stocky frame.
In a news conference Tuesday, county Fire Chief Gary Curmode paid tribute to Lt. Johnson a day after he died in the line of duty. Lt. Johnson, 32, a husband and father of two young sons, was electrocuted Monday afternoon when he came into contact with a downed power line while responding to a grass fire south of Haysville.
For several minutes, Curmode’s voice held steady. But when he said, “Our community has,” he choked up and had to pause awhile before finishing: “has lost an excellent public servant and firefighter.”
Afterward, Curmode, his eyes still red, said he suddenly got emotional because he had a hard time saying the word “lost.” To say it meant facing the painful reality, Curmode said.
Lt. Johnson, a 1993 Derby High School graduate, had obtained a bachelor’s degree this spring and planned to pursue a master’s. His firefighter career seemed on a fast track. He became one of the younger lieutenants when he was promoted in July 2006.
He was one of the best-trained, most safety-conscious firefighters, and so his death didn’t make sense, Curmode said.
The electrocution occurred about 2:15 p.m. Monday as Lt. Johnson and his crew mates battled a wind-whipped grass fire near Broadway and 95th South. Sheriff’s Lt. George Mason said the fire was ignited when a tractor-trailer struck a utility pole, causing an electric wire to fall onto dry grass.
Lt. Johnson’s death has scared a lot of the children of firefighters, Curmode said.
One firefighter’s wife called officials Monday night, saying, “I think I might need counseling for our children,” he said.
The county has offered counseling services.
Since joining the Sedgwick County Fire Department in October 1999, Lt. Johnson had worked at fire stations around the county. He most recently had been based at Station 34, at 71st South and West Street, on the west side of Haysville. Some of his firefighter friends came to the station Tuesday to tell Bubba stories.
“He was laughing all the time,” said fire Capt. David Matthew.
“He had a giggle,” firefighter Darin House added.
“You just wanted to hug him,” House said.
“We know Bryon’s looking down right now and saying, ‘What are you going to do with my wife and kids?’ ” Matthew said, adding that firefighters are determined to see that his family gets all the assistance they are entitled to.
A few years ago, Bubba designed T-shirts for his co-workers with this saying printed on the front: “Life is all about the challenge. If you are scared, say you are scared.” Fire Lt. Patrick Nelson wore one of the T-shirts Tuesday afternoon. Nelson said the saying was Bubba’s way of challenging others not to be afraid.
“I’ve never seen Bubba scared,” firefighter Troy Hilger interjected.
As the firefighters started to leave the station, Hilger stopped under the retracted overhead doors and looked out at a fire truck parked in the shadow of a flag flying at half-staff.
Hilger knew it was the truck Bubba rode in on his last call.
Tears filled Hilger’s eyes, and Nelson stepped up and draped his arm across Hilger’s broad shoulders.
As Nelson followed, Hilger walked over and propped a foot on the truck’s running board and rubbed his eyes.