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.
Officials said the plane was scooping water from the Hauser Reservoir while fighting the Horse Gulch Fire northeast of Helena
Chittenden Captain Charlie Parker was found unresponsive inside the fire station
Boone County Fire Protection District Assistant Fire Chief Matt Tobben and another firefighter had rescued two people when their boat capsized
James Donnie Keith responded to a mobile home fire and went into cardiac arrest later at his home
Lt. David Knapke, 55, was taken off life support after tests revealed brain damage incompatible with his wishes for life
Dale Wege, 59, was found in his home without a pulse; colleagues tried to save him but were unsuccessful
Firefighter Steve Ackerman had a BAC of 0.189, more than twice the legal driving limit; the fire was ruled accidental
Daryl Gordon’s death was the first line-of-duty fatality in Cincinnati in almost seven years
Lt. Terrance Morgan Pryor, 48, became ill and died at home after his last shift
Firefighter David Bourget, 59, was about to leave to work a fireworks display detail when he fell ill on the station’s driveway
It’s one of the changes safety inspectors recommended after the department’s first line-of-duty death in 40 years
Capt. Jason Farley, a 20-year veteran, drowned when he slipped or fell into a storm drain
Capt. Jason Farley, a 20-year veteran, drown when he stepped into a storm drain
The remote area where the 38-year-old pilot crashed complicated recovery efforts
Capt. Dwight Greer, 44, collapsed while playing basketball at the firehouse; fellow firefighters were unsuccessful in saving him
The chief’s performance came under scrutiny after a report on the fire that resulted in two firefighters’ deaths last year
Firefighter Brian Woehlke, 29, died May 8, 2013 when a roof collapsed on him during a fire at a strip mall
Dennis Swenson was awakened by his pager requesting response for a fire; he told a neighbor he was going back in for his mother
Lt. Kevin McRae, 44, died while battling the 2-alarm high-rise fire; another firefighter was injured
Timothy Gunther, 54, was trying to rescue a victim when he collapsed; it’s the department’s first line of duty death since 1971
Tim Peters, 46, leaves behind a wife of 21 years, a son and two daughters
Firefighter Chris Blankenship, a 10-year veteran of the fire department, was well-trained and active within the department
Larry Lawhorn, 60, was discovered by other firefighters as they left the fire call
The NIOSH report makes 11 recommendations the department should implement, one being the reinstatement of a full-time safety officer
The city records communications with fire dispatch, but not radio communication on the fireground
“The leader of this department had a flawed system ... he needs to be held accountable for the decisions he made.”
The report also makes 11 recommendations for departmental implementation, but does not go further than pinpointing those
Training officer Mike Corn, 68, was donning his gear for a fire call when he collapsed
Early reports are that one firefighter was caught in a flashover and the other died trying to rescue him
Investigators may have destroyed preliminary fire reports that suggested the blaze started in a kitchen rather than in the garage
Vicky Ryan, 46, died after the rescue boat she was in capsized
The department will be participating in a Conn-OSHA consultation program to identify areas of improvement
Daniel Nolan was put on administrative leave pending an investigation into an incident that occurred during and after a task force meeting