By FireRescue1 Staff
WHISPERING PINES, N.C. — Colleagues are remembering a volunteer fire lieutenant that died Tuesday for his passion and dedication.
The Pilot reported that Lt. Donald “Reid” Key, 31, with the Whispering Pines Fire Rescue Department, was helping extinguish a fire when he began to complain of a headache. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, where a CT scan revealed that he was suffered from an undiagnosed brain tumor.
Fire Chief Rich Lambdin said Lt. Key’s condition grew progressively worse and he was airlifted to a hospital, where he died. Chief Lambdin described Lt. Key, who began volunteering at the department in 2012, as a dedicated firefighter.
“He was one of the most reliable and responsible volunteer personnel that we had,” Chief Lambdin said. “If the pager went off, he was coming.”
Chief Lambdin promoted Key to lieutenant during the department’s annual Christmas party earlier this month.
“I couldn’t think of a more deserving person,” he said. “I use him as a benchmark for other folks who really want to do something in this field.”
A visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Boles Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at New Home Baptist Church. A GoFundMe page was created to help with funeral expenses.