Line-of-Duty Death (LODD)
The FireRescue1 line-of-duty death page provides ongoing coverage and resources related to firefighter deaths that occur while on duty. The page compiles breaking news, incident updates and memorial coverage honoring firefighters who died during emergency response, training or other job-related duties, while helping the fire service stay informed and reflect on lessons that may help prevent future tragedies.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation supports the families of firefighters who die in the line of duty through resources, programs and remembrance efforts that honor fallen fire heroes and help their loved ones rebuild their lives. Learn more about how to support firefighter families through the NFFF.
Supervising Fire Marshal George Snyder was first assigned to Engine 36 in Harlem before being in charge of the Lithium-Ion Battery Task Force
Wichita Firefighter Ty Voth collapsed while on scene and died after being taken to a hospital
The tribute to Newark Fire Division Captains Augusto Acabou and Wayne Brooks Jr. comes just over a year after their deaths while fighting a cargo ship fire
Gregory Brown Jr. was convicted of three counts of second degree murder for setting the Bricelyn Street fire that killed three Pittsburgh firefighters in 1995
They hope it will provide answers to why Kevin Bell was left behind and no one searched for him for eight minutes
The new equipment is part of the department’s response to an agreement with Conn-OSHA following the investigation into the death of firefighter Kevin Bell
A department that experiences an LODD can’t change the past, but it can affect the future to ease pain and prevent more deaths
The memorial was a boot with flowers and a sign as a tribute to firefighter Dennis Rodeman, who was killed after being struck by a driver during a ‘Fill the Boot’ fundraiser
A firefighter fell through a rooftop skylight and suffered a close call in 2012, three years before the same happened to firefighter John Whelan
Not every firefighter reacts the same way to a bad call and a cookie-cutter debriefing may do more harm than good
Sheriff Frank Rogers: “The weather was weird that day. The fire was busy. The wind did a 180-degree shift that day. Nobody expected it.”
Investigators determined the fire was intentionally set in a storage room; the woman previously received insurance payments from two other fires
Capt. Thomas Araguz died in 2010 in the line of duty and his wife has been fighting to claim his death benefits ever since
Officials aren’t sure if firefighter Larry O’Neil died while en route to the scene or when arriving; they believe he suffered a heart attack
Jason Farley died earlier this year rescuing individuals stranded by flash flooding; he was pulled into a storm drain and became trapped
Retired and active firefighters donated their time to cook 55 gallons of Booya to raise money for Shane Clifton’s family; Clifton, 38, died of heart attack this summer
Investigators have been using hand shovels to remove remains of the building in buckets to determine the cause of the fire
The 5-foot-long, 3,500-pound beam, one of the last pieces of the World Trade Center, is being given to a fire department in Colorado
Hundreds of firefighters from across the nation paid tribute to Larry Leggio and John Mesh at Saturday’s two-hour service
Chuck Horning, 54, was found slumped over the wheel of his truck
The preliminary report on firefighter Dave Ruhl’s death describes a fire that quadrupled in size within 30 minutes of crews arriving
Gerald “Bear” Celecki, 70, collapsed after responding to a call for the smell of gas at a house; firefighters immediately came to his aid but he later died at a hospital
The first and third basemen wore fire department shirts during batting practice, and the pitcher and manager wore department hats
The firefighters saved two civilians before a wall collapsed around them; two other firefighters were also injured
Neighbors saw him in his vehicle and thought he was asleep
The roof and floors collapsed, trapping two firefighters who led six people to safety; they went back into the inferno to rescue one missing tenant
Readings, songs and other tributes filled the three-hour National Fallen Firefighter Foundation service; other activities included a candlelight church service and luncheon
Watch this weekend’s memorial events as they play out
President Barack Obama will speak at the memorial service to honor 87 firefighters who died in the line of duty
The rig was purchased through funds raised by fallen firefighter Michael Kennedy’s mother; she said she needed a project to focus her energy on after her son died
Shawn Benson, 50, was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead
A fifth grader, whose dad works as a firefighter, came up with the idea to put decals on his football team’s helmets to honor firefighter Dennis Rodeman
The chief learned that their names weren’t on the fallen firefighters memorial; they were added during a public ceremony over the weekend
