Always Remember: LODD
Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue salutes those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
Monday, June 20
Maxwell (TX) Community Volunteer Fire Department
Assistant Chief Jonathan Coco, 25, and Firefighter Hunter Coco, 21, were killed in a traffic accident while returning from a wildfire outside Lockhart, Texas. Asst Chief Coco had been a member of the department since 2016. His younger brother had been a member for just over a year.
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Philadelphia Fire Department Lieutenant Sean Williamson
Lt Williamson, 51, a 27-year veteran of Philadelphia FD, was fatally injured in a building collapse. Four other firefighters and an inspector with the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections were also trapped at the time of the collapse.
Sunday, April 24, 2022
NYFD Ladder Company 170 Firefighter Timothy Klein
Firefighter Klein, 31, was fatally injured in a collapse inside a building while fighting a 3-alarm fire on Avenue N in Brooklyn Sunday afternoon.
January 31, 2022
Stockton (CA) Fire Department Captain Max Fortuna
Captain Vidal “Max” Fortuna, 47, was shot while responding to a dumpster fire in Stockton.
January 24, 2022
Baltimore Fire Lt Paul Butrim
Baltimore Fire FF/Paramedic Kelsey Sadler*
Baltimore Fire EMT/FF Kenny Lacayo
Baltimore Fire Lt Paul Butrim, 37, FF-Paramedic Kelsey Sadler, 33, and EMT-FF Kenny Lacayo, 30, lost their lives in service to their city while battling a two-alarm fire. The three became trapped in a vacant row home when it partially collapsed. Lt Butrim died at the scene; Sadley and Lacayo died shortly after being transported to the hospital.
A fourth firefighter, EMT/firefighter John McMaster, was seriously injured during the same collapse.
*Sadler, who was Acting Lieutenant that day, was posthumously promoted to Lieutenant.
August 12, 2021
Burlington Volunteer Fire Department Firefighter-EMT Colin McFadden
FF-EMT McFadden, 26, experienced a medical emergency while at the scene of a three-alarm structure fire two days earlier.
August 12, 2021
Green Valley (MD) Fire Station Captain Joshua Laird
Captain Laird, 46, died from injuries sustained after falling through a floor that collapsed during a structure fire in Ijamsville, Md.
June 1, 2021
Agua Dulce/LA County Fire Station 81 Fire Specialist Tory Carlon
Fire Specialist Carlon, 44, died after being shot while on duty in his station.
Authorities say the gunman was a fellow firefighter specialist and engineer who also shot and wounded a 54-year-old Captain in Station 81 before the gunman returned to his home and took his own life.
March 23, 2021
Spring Valley (NY) Fire Department Firefighter Jared Lloyd
Firefighter Lloyd died at the scene of a structure fire at an assisted living facility in Spring Valley. He was trapped inside the building after the area he was searching collapsed.
February 18, 2020
Porterville (CA) City Fire Department Captain Ramon Figueroa, 35
& Porterville City FD Firefighter Patrick Jones, 25
Firefighters Figueroa and Jones died while at the scene of a structure fire at City of Porterville Library. The fire had been intentionally set by two 13-year-old males.
January 19, 2020
Town of Orange Fire Marshal Timothy Smith, 56
FM Smith succumbed to injuries sustained in a car accident while returning to his home after responding to a structure fire in Orange. His death is being memorialized as a line of duty death.
November 22, 2019
Westport Firefighter Turk Askoy, 46
WFD FF Askoy succumbed to an occupational cancer on November 22. A 13-year veteran of Westport Fire Department, Local 1081, his death will be memorialized by the union as a line of duty death.
November 13, 2019
Worcester (MA) Fire Lieutenant Jason Menard, 39
WFD Lt Menard died while leading his crew inside a three-family residence, while searching for a baby and other residents of a burning building during a 4-alarm call. Lt Menard was reportedly able to guide his men to safety, but was unable to escape the flames himself.
September 16, 2019
Farmington (ME) Fire Rescue Department Captain Michael Bell, 68
FFRD Captain Bell was killed when a propane explosion leveled a recently constructed commercial building after firefighters arrived to investigate the smell of gas.
Six other FFRD firefighters were injured, including Capt Bell’s brother, FFRD Chief Terry Bell, 62; Captain Tom Hardy, 40; Captain Scott Baxter, 37; Firefighter Theodore Baxter, 64 (Captain Baxter’s father); and Firefighter Joseph Hastings, 24.
June 25, 2018
Long Beach (CA) Fire Department Captain Dave Rosa, 45
LBFD Captain Rosa was killed after being shot by a resident of a high-rise senior housing complex the fire department was responding to following reports of an explosion and fire at that location.
A second LBFD Firefighter, Ernesto Torres, 35, was also reportedly shot during the early morning incident, as was a resident of the facility. Both are expected to recover from their injuries.
March 22, 2018
City of New York Fire Department Engine Company 69 Firefighter Michael R. Davidson, 37
FDNY Firefighter Michael R. Davidson was killed and two other firefighters were seriously injured in a Harlem five-alarm fire that broke out in a former jazz club that was being used as a film set. FF Davidson was operating the fire hose nozzle in the basement of the building when fire conditions intensified and Davidson became separated from the other firefighters.
FF Davidson was removed from the structure and taken to Harlem Hospital, where he was declared deceased.
March 22, 2018
York City Department of Fire/Rescue Services Firefighter Zachary Anthony, 29
York City Department of Fire/Rescue Services Firefighter Ivan Flanscha, 50
Firefighters Zachary Anthony and Ivan Flanscha, members of York City Department of Fire/Rescue Services in York, Penn., were killed from a collapse at the scene of a multi-alarm fire that began the previous day. FFs Anthony and Flanscha were transported from the scene to a hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries.
Both firefighters were on an advance hose line when the collapse occurred.
Two additional firefighters were also injured in the collapse, and were reportedly in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries as of March 24, according to FEMA.
January 6, 2018
Philadelphia Fire Department Engine 45/Platoon A Lieutenant Matthew LeTourneau, 42
Lt Tourneau was trapped following an interior structural collapse while fighting a fire within a rowhouse. Lt Tourneau was pronounced dead after being rescued and then transported to Temple University Hospital. A person living in the building was also killed in the fire. Two other firefighters were injured and transported to the hospital, and released shortly thereafter.
February 7, 2015
Paugassett Hook & Ladder Co. 4 Former Chief and Longtime Member James J. Butler, 50
Chief Butler died after responding to a fire alarm at a local restaurant.
Among his survivors is Janice Butler, a member of Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Ladies Auxiliary.
October 12, 2015
Kansas City Fire Department Firefighter Leggio, 43, and Firefighter John Mesh, 30
Both were killed while at a working apartment fire. Both men were credited with saving the lives of two civilians, who had been rescued from the burning building, before the firefighters were trapped, along with two other firefighters, under a collapsed wall.
October 7, 2014
City of Hartford Firefighter Kevin Bell, 48
Firefighter Bell, 48, died while battling a two-alarm blaze on Blue Hills Avenue. A Hartford native, he had been a firefighter for more than six years.
May 25, 2014
City of New Britain Deputy Fire Chief David Fiori
Deputy Chief Fiori, 59, died after suffering a heart attack while on duty.
April 21, 2014
Damon (TX) Volunteer Fire Department: Fire Chief Hugh Ferguson
Chief Ferguson, 52, collapsed while working to establish a water supply while at the scene of a vacant residential structure fire. He died of a heart attack.
March 26, 2014
Boston Fire: Lt Edward J. Walsh, Jr, age 43; and Firefighter Michael R. Kennedy, age 33
Both were killed while battling a nine-alarm fire on Beacon Street, in Boston’s Back Bay district.
June 30, 2013
Granite Mountain Hotshots: Andrew Ashcraft, 29; Robert Caldwell, 23; Travis Carter, 31; Dustin Deford, 24; Christopher MacKenzie, 30; Eric Marsh, 43; Grant McKee, 21; Sean Misner, 26; Scott Norris, 28; Wade Parker, 22; John Percin, 24; Anthony Rose, 23; Jesse Steed, 36; Joe Thurston, 32; Travis Turbyfill, 27; William Warneke, 25; Clayton Whitted, 28; Kevin Woyjeck, 21; and Garret Zuppiger, 27.
All 19 men were killed in Yarnell, Arizona, while battling wildfires.
April 17, 2013
From West Fire Department: Captain Robert Snokhous, 48; Firefighter Jimmy Matus, 52; Firefighter Morris Bridges, 41; Firefighter Cody Frank Dragoo, 50; Firefighter Joey Pustejovsky, 29; and Firefighter Douglas Snokhous, 50.
From Abbott Volunteer Fire Department: Firefighter Jerry Dane Chapman, 26; and Firefighter Cyrus Adam Reed, 29.
From Navarro Mills Volunteer Fire Department: Firefighter Perry Calvin, 37.
From Bruceville-Eddy Fire Department: Firefighter Kevin Sanders, 33.
And from Dallas Fire-Rescue: Captain Kenneth Harris, 52.
All 11 firefighters were killed during explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas.
April 6, 2013
Binghamton (NY) Fire Department: Firefighter-Paramedic John Janos, 57
Died of a heart attack shortly after returning to the station following a call.
April 6, 2013
Philadelphia Ladder 27: Captain Michael Goodwin, 53
Killed during a structure fire, when the roof of a three-story building in Philadelphia’s Fabric Row collapsed beneath him.
December 24, 2012
West Webster (NY) Fire District: Past Chief Michael Chiapperini, 43; and Firefighter Tomasz Kaczowka, 19
Both men were shot to death while responding to a structure fire. They were ambushed by the man who reportedly set the house on fire.
October 29, 2012
Easton Volunteer Fire Company: Lieutenant Russell F. Neary, 55
Neary, who was also president of Easton Volunteer Fire Company, was struck by a tree while clearing debris from a roadway following a snow storm.
April 15, 2012
Redding Ridge Fire Department: First Lieutenant George Marshall Sanford, 67
1st Lt Sanford, who was also a former chief of the department, died while responding to a fire.
July 24, 2010
Bridgeport Fire Department: Lieutenant Steven Velasquez, 40; and Firefighter Michael Baik, 49
Both died while fighting a multi-alarm wood frame house fire.
September 11, 2001
