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N.C. FDs mourn loss of 2 FFs who died on same day

Thomasville Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Mark Holt and former firefighter Ernest Kinley were honorary members of the Fair Grove Fire Department

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Photo/Fair Grove Fire Department

Duty Death: Mark Holt - [Thomasville]

End of Service: 09/02/2022

By Leila Merrill

THOMASVILLE, N.C. — Two North Carolina fire departments are mourning the loss of two firefighters.

Thomasville Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Mark Holt died of a heart attack Wednesday after working a 24-hour shift and responding to a call, the U.S. Fire Administration said in a news release.

Holt, 50, was found unresponsive by a family member at home. Emergency personnel performed CPR, but he was pronounced deceased shortly thereafter. The cause of death is listed as cardiac arrest, and stress is cited.

https://www.facebook.com/288807961184554/photos/a.582960818435932/4979594282105875

Around the same time that day, Ernest Kinley died of COVID-19 complications and circulatory issues, WFMY reported.

Both were honorary members of the Fair Grove Fire Department.

Leaders said Kinley served as a firefighter in the ’70s and ’80s.

Holt started his career at Fair Grove in the ’80s.

“Chief Holt was an inspirational leader that firefighters naturally gravitated to. He served on various committees and was always willing to take on new projects to better the organization,” said Thomasville Fire Department Interim Fire Chief Jason Myers.

https://www.facebook.com/fireservicelineofdutydeaths/posts/2058086731018928

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