Trending Topics

Pittsburgh battalion chief suffers fatal medical emergency while commanding fireground

Battalion Chief John Walsh died at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital after being stricken while working as the incident commander during a house fire

By Bill Carey
FireRescue1

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Battalion Chief John Walsh died following a medical emergency while working as the incident commander during a house fire in the city’s East Hills neighborhood.

The Pittsburgh Firefighters Union announced that Walsh, 60, who was working as Battalion Chief 3 based in Station 8, died after being transported to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital on Nov. 20, CBS Pittsburgh reported.

“His unwavering passion for the job, his courageous service, and his remarkable leadership over 37 dedicated years will never be forgotten,” the union wrote in a social media post. “Chief Walsh embodied the very best of what it means to serve and protect.”

A procession led Walsh’s body from the hospital to the medical examiner’s office. He had been a member for 37 years.

Trending
As shots rang out during the deadly Canfield Mountain ambush, a Northern Lakes battalion chief’s calm and decisive 911 calls helped guide a complex response
With at least 82 dead and 41 still missing after catastrophic flooding in central Texas, officials warn of more life-threatening rain as search efforts continue
All seven people missing after last week’s fireworks warehouse explosion in Yolo County, California, have been confirmed dead
Flooding from Tropical Storm Chantal’s remnants displaced over 60 people in central North Carolina, prompting more than 50 water rescues in Chapel Hill