By FireRescue1 Staff
CUMBERLAND, Maine — Family, friends and colleagues remember a young firefighter who died last week for his grit and passion for the fire service.
Brandon Thibeau, 22, died Wednesday after battling a rare form of cancer; he was diagnosed two years ago, reported the Portland Press Herald.
“Brandon was always concerned about everybody else,” Thibeau’s mother, Jane, said. Thibeau’s parents said from a young age, he had grit and determination.
Thibeau joined the fire service after graduating from high school and served as a volunteer firefighter for the Cumberland and North Yarmouth fire departments.
He was named Cumberland’s Firefighter of the Year in 2016, although Fire Chief Daniel Small said Thibeau was humble.
“He wasn’t the sort that wanted to be in front of the class,” Chief Small said.
Chief Small said Thibeau continued to show up for training a week before his death, accompanied with his oxygen tank.
“He wanted to be a firefighter until the very end, not to give up,” Chief Small said.
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