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Fire Fighter Fatality Reports - 1999
Lord, I ask that you receive these men and women into your care. Their unselfish acts
of kindness to strangers and their willingness to pay the ultimate price, with little
renumeration for their efforts and the shallow respect of their fellow man has certainly
earned them a place in your kingdom. Your Word tells us that there is no greater person than
the one who would lay down his life for a friend. The fire fighters and paramedics who
work to protect us have exceeded this mandate, as few of them have the priviledge of knowing
those they humbly serve. I ask that you would provide them the cooling comfort of your hand upon
their burning skin. Provide for and protect their families throughout the remainder of their days. BN
We have received notice of the following firefighter fatalities in Keokuk, Iowa:
Assistant Chief Dave McNaley, Age 48, Career
Firefighter Nate Tuck, Age 39, Career
Firefighter Jason Bidding, Age 29, Career
Date of Incident: December 22, 1999
Date of Death: December 22, 1999
Fire Department: Chief Mark Wessel, Keokuk Fire Department, Keokuk, IA
Cause of Death: Died as the result of a flashover while trying to rescue children at a duplex fire. Three children were also killed. Cause of the duplex fire, which was originally built in 1870, is unknown at this time.
Name: Theodore A. Ferrante, Jr.
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 43
Status: Career
Date of Incident: 12/21/99
Date of Death: 12/21/99
Fire Department: Chief Daniel Doherty, Revere Fire Department, 400 Broadway, Revere, Massachusetts 02151
Cause of Death: Apparent heart attack upon returning from a false alarm.
Funeral: 12/23/99, Revere, Massachusetts
Name: Bradley McNeer
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 22
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 12/18/99
Date of Death: 12/18/99
Fire Department: Chief Steve Elswick, Chesterfield Fire Department, P.O. Box 40, Chesterfield, VA 23832
Cause of Death: Died from injuries sustained from fire apparatus accident while responding to an alarm.
Funeral: 12/22/99, Huguenot United Methodist Church, Richmond, VA
Name: John Tvedten
Rank: Battalion Chief
Age: 47
Status: Career
Date of Incident: 12/18/99
Date of Death: 12/18/99
Fire Department: Chief Rick Brisben, Kansas City Fire Department, Third Floor, City Hall, 414 East 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64106
Cause of Death: Died from smoke inhalation at warehouse fire.
Funeral: 12/22/99, Kansas City, MO
Name: Paul Ezernack, Jr.
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 28
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 12/15/99
Date of Death: 12/15/99
Fire Department: Chief Nick Spann, North Sabine Fire Protection District, P.O. Box 81, Zwolle, Louisiana 71486
Cause of Death: Died from injuries sustained from tanker truck accident while responding to a grass fire.
Funeral: 12/18/99, Zwolle, Louisiana
Name: Gregory Rodgers
Rank: Firefighter/EMT
Age: 50
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: December 13, 1999
Date of Death: December 13, 1999
Fire Department: Chief Carl Archer, Dresden Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 687, 21 West 9th Street, Dresden, Ohio 43821
Cause of Death: Apparent heart attack at barn fire.
Funeral: December 17, 1999, Dresden United Methodist Church, Dresden, Ohio
We have received notice of the following firefighter fatalities. All were members of the Worcester, MA Fire Department. The six firefighters were trapped in an abandoned warehouse fire of suspicious origin on December 3.
Name: Thomas E. Spencer
Rank: Lieutenant
Age: 42
Name: Paul A. Brotherton
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 41
Name: Timothy P. Jackson
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 51
Name: Joseph T. McGuirk
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 38
Name: James F. Lyons
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 34
Name: Jeremiah M. Lucey
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 38
A memorial service for the six is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday at the Worcester Centrum. Funerals will be held Friday and Saturday at the churches the firefighters attended.
Fire Department: Chief Dennis L. Budd, Worcester Fire Department, 141 Grove Street, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605
Name: Wayne Yost
Rank: Assistant Chief
Age: 48
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 11/20/99
Date of Death: 11/27/99
Fire Department: Chief Mike Lennenbaugh, Cochranville Fire Company, P.O. Box 307, Cochranville, Pennsylvania 19330
Cause of Death: Apparent heart attack at scene of structure fire.
Funeral: 12/1/99, Maplegrove Mennonite Church, West Sadsbury Township
Name: Jerry Wayne Ramey
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 18
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 11/3/99
Date of Death: 11/3/99
Fire Department: Chief Mitchell McCorkle, West Fork Fire Department, P.O. Box 699, West Fork, Arkansas 72774
Cause of Death: Electrocuted by downed power line at investigation of possible fire.
Funeral: 11/8/99, Greenland, Arkansas
Name: Alton L. Lewis
Rank: First Assistant Chief
Age: 55
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: November 29, 1999
Date of Death: November 29, 1999
Fire Department: Chief Paul Cartwright, Montour Falls Fire Department, 111 Lee Street, Montour Falls, New York 14865
Cause of Death: Heart attack upon returning to residence after responding to vehicle accident.
Funeral: December 4, 1999, St. Mary's of the Lake Church, Watkins Glen, New York
Name: Brian Andrew Lee
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 38
Status: Career
Date of Incident: 11/16/99
Date of Death: 11/16/99
Fire Department: Chief Frederick G. Eggers, Fire Department of Jersey City, NJ, 465 Marin Blvd., Jersey City, New Jersey 07302
Cause of Death: Collapsed at firehouse.
Funeral: 11/20/99
Media Contacts:
Marc Wolfson (FEMA/USFA), (202) 646-4600
Mary Ellis (National Fallen Firefighters Foundation), (301) 447-1370=
Release No: 99-326
Release Date: November 15, 1999
Name: Fred Broussard
Rank: Fire Chief
Age: 69
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 11/18/99
Date of Death: 11/18/99
Fire Department: Assistant Chief Matthew Trahan, Maurice Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 111, Maurice, Louisiana 70555
Cause of Death: Heart attack at scene of fire.
Funeral: 11/19/99, Maurice, Louisiana
Name: Jack Garnett
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 54
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 11/20/99
Date of Death: 11/20/99
Fire Department: Chief Barry Mangum, Quapaw Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 756, Quapaw, Oklahoma 74363
Cause of Death: Heart attack while responding to the scene of a grass fire.
Funeral: 11/23/99, Ottawa Burial Ground
Name: Bert Bruecher
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 46
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 11/14/99
Date of Death: 11/14/99
Fire Department: Chief Aubrey Ritch, Village of Pleak Volunteer Fire Department, 6307 Kamus, Needville, TX 77461
Cause of Death: Killed when tanker truck overturned while responding to the scene of a fire.
Funeral: 11/18/99, Forest Park Funeral Home, Westheimer, TX
Name: William Korte
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 59
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 11/4/99
Date of Death: 11/4/99
Fire Department: Southampton Fire Department, Windmill Lane, P.O. Box 1435, Southampton, NY 11969
Chief: Christopher C. McKay
Cause of Death: Heart attack at scene of automobile accident
Funeral: 11/9/99, Southampton, NY
Name: Walter Vaughan
Rank: Fire Police Officer
Age: 80
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 10/29/99
Date of Death: 11/13/99
Fire Department: Chief Albert Carbone, Warminster Fire Department, Madison and Ivy Streets, Warminster, PA 18974
Cause of Death: Died from injuries sustained while directly traffic at the scene of a fire.
Funeral: 11/17/99
Name: Brian K. Burnett
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 23
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 10/28/99
Date of Death: 1/22/00
Fire Department: Chief Walter Fass, Scipio Township Volunteer Fire Department, 0693 South 500 West, LaPorte, Indiana 46350
Cause of Death: Died from injuries sustained from tanker rollover while responding to the scene of a fire incident.
Funeral: 1/26/00, Michigan City, Indiana
Name: Robert Ulrich
Rank: Captain
Age: 57
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 10/28/99
Date of Death: 11/4/99
Fire Department: Chief Walter H. Sass, Scipio Township Volunteer Fire Department, 693 South 500 West, Laporte, IN 46350
Cause of Death: Died from injuries as a result of an accident responding to an alarm.
Funeral: Unknown at this time
Name: Michael Sims
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 38
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 11/2/99
Date of Death: 11/3/99
Fire Department: Chief Terry Chambon, Highland Hose Company, 401 East 8th Avenue, Tarentum, PA 15084
Cause of Death: Fell from apparatus while responding to an incident.
Funeral: 11/6/99, First United Presbyterian Church, Tarentum, PA
Name: David Pack
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 63
Status: Career
Date of Incident: 10/29/99
Date of Death: 10/29/99
Fire Department: District Forester Rick Merinar, Tennessee Department of Agriculture - Forestry Division, 390 South Lowe, Suite 10, Cookville, Tennessee 38501-4702
Cause of Death: Drowned in pond while fighting a forest fire.
Funeral: 11/1/99 - DeKalb Funeral Home - Smithville, TN
Name: Gregory E. Pacheco
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 20
Status: Career
Date of Incident: October 3, 1999
Date of Death: October 5, 1999
Fire Department: Forest Fire Management Officer Marcus Trujillo, Carson National Forest, 208 Cruz Alta, Taos, New Mexico 87571
Cause of Death: Struck by rock while fighting a wildland fire in San Diego County, CA
Funeral: October 9, 1999, Penasco, New Mexico
Name: Marvin Huisman
Rank: First Assistant Chief
Age: 56
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 10/7/99
Date of Death: 10/7/99
Fire Department: Chief Jim Henning, Wilmont Fire Department, P.O. Box 76, Wilmont, Minnesota 56185-0076
Cause of Death: Heart attack while fighting a brush and grass fire
Funeral: 10/11/99, Our Lady of Good Council Church, Wilmont, Minnesota
Name: William Bethune
Rank: Captain
Age: 58
Status: Career
Date of Incident: 10/5/99
Date of Death: 10/5/99
Fire Department: Texas City Fire Department, 1725 25th Street, North, Texas City, Texas 77590
Chief: Gerald Grimm
Cause of Death: Involved in motor vehicle accident while responding to an EMS call.
Funeral: 10/8/99, First Baptist Church, 1400 9th Avenue, North, Texas City, Texas 77590
Name: Lewis Edward Anderson
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 68
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: September 27, 1999
Time of Incident: 12:14PM
Date of Death: September 30, 1999
Fire Department: River Falls Fire Department, 602 River Falls Road, Marietta, South Carolina 29661
Chief: David Embry
Cause of Death: Struck by tractor trailer while directing traffic at the scene of a motor vehicle accident.
Funeral: October 3, 1999, Marietta First Baptist Church, Marietta, South Carolina
Name: Terri L. Hood
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 31
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 9/15/99
Time of Incident: 2:09PM
Date of Death: 9/15/99
Fire Department: Chief Frank Paxton, McCulloch Volunteer Fire Department, 2006 Allison Lane, Jeffersonville, Indiana 47130
Cause of Death: Struck by apparatus while fighting a wildland fire.
Funeral: 9/19/99
Name: Timmie Dawson
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 34
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: Tuesday, August 31, 1999
Date of Death: Tuesday, August 31, 1999
Fire Department: Chief Joe Bill Dickerson, Center Rock Fire Department, Station 11, 2124 Karen Lane, Anderson, South Carolina 29624
Cause of Death: Involved in traffic accident while driving apparatus to the scene of a motor vehicle accident.
Funeral: Unknown at this time
Name: Stephen Joseph Masto
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 28
Status: Career
Date of Incident: August 26, 1999
Date of Death: August 27, 1999
Fire Department: Chief Warner McGrew, Santa Barbara City Fire Department, 121 W. Carrillo Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101
Cause of Death: Unknown. Failed to return to camp when fighting a wildland fire north of Santa Barbara.
Date of Funeral: Wednesday, September 1, 1999
Name: Ralph Wynne
Rank: Chief
Age: 46
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 7/29/99
Date of Death: 7/31/99
Chief: Assistant Chief Greg Beachman
Fire Department: Pactolus Fire Department, 5858 Highway 264 East, Greenville, North Carolina 27834
Cause: Heart attack as a result of stress from a training exercise.
Date of Funeral: 8/2/99
Name: Ronald Wade Meshell
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 30
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: 8/8/99
Date of Death: 8/16/99
Chief: Odell Stockman
Fire Department: Huttig Fire Department, P.O. Box 406, Huttig, Arkansas 71747
Cause of Death: Burns as a result of a burning RV gas tank explosion.
Funeral: 8/18/99
Name: Frank William Wood
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 54
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: August 14, 1999
Date of Death: August 14, 1999
Chief: Anthony Squadrito
Fire Department: Flourtown Fire Company, 1526 Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown, Pennsylvania 19031
Cause of Death: Heart attack at scene of nursing home fire.
Funeral: August 18, 1999
Name: Michael E. Cupp, Sr.
Rank: Chief
Age: 48
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: August 5, 1999
Date of Death: August 5, 1999
Chief: Assistant Chief Gary Cupp
Fire Dept.: Cygnet Volunteer Fire Department, 325 Front Street, Cygnet, Ohio 43413
Cause of Death: Heart attack at scene of brush fire.
Funeral: August 9, 1999
Name: Richard Bacon
Rank: Assistant Chief
Age: 46
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: August 5, 1999
Date of Death: August 5, 1999
Chief: George Bacon
Fire Dept.: Dunstable Fire Department
Address: 28 Pleasant Street, Dunstable, Massachusetts 01827
Cause of Death: Heart attack upon returning to station after fighting a fire.
Funeral: August 9, 1999
Name: James Everett Clark III
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 41
Status: Career
Date of Incident: August 5, 1999
Date of Death: August 8, 1999
Chief: Mike Bower
Fire Dept.: Midwest City Fire Department
Address: 8201 East Reno Avenue, Midwest City, Oklahoma 73110
Cause of Death: Died from injuries sustained when struck by vehicle at the scene of a MVA on Interstate 40.
Funeral: August 11, 1999, 10:00 a.m.
Name: Kenneth F. Clinch
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 52
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident and Death: July 30, 1999
Fire Dept: Mount Marion Fire Dept., Post Office Box 75, Mount Marion, New York 12456
Chief: Steven Gakenheimer
Cause of Death: Collapsed while operating at a vehicle fire
Funeral: Aug. 4, 1999
Name: Richard Devine
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 49
Date of Incident and Death: July 29, 1999
Chief: Commissioner Harold D. Hairston
Fire Dept.: Philadelphia Fire Department
Address: Fire Administration Building, 240 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123-2991
Cause: Heart attack at structure fire.
Funeral: August 4, 1999
Name: Martin Stiles
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 40
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: July 18, 1999
Date of Death: July 18, 1999
Chief: Michael Freeman
Fire Dept.: Los Angeles County Fire Department Camp 19, 1320 North Eastern Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90063
Cause of Death: Slipped off a 150-foot drop while clearing for a fire break, during a brush fire in Ventura County.
Funeral: Unknown at this time
Name: Costello N. Robinson
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 64
Status: Career
Date of Incident: 7/7/99
Date of Death: 7/9/99
Chief: Donald Edwards
Fire Dept.: District of Columbia Fire Department, 1923 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Cause of Death: Heart attack resulting from injuries received during response to residential fire alarm.
Funeral: Unknown at this time.
Name: Matthew E. Black
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 20
Status: Volunteer
Date of Incident: June 23, 1999
Date of Death: June 23, 1999
Chief: Al Moorhead
Fire Dept.: Lakeport Fire Department
Address: 445 North Main Street, Lakeport, California 95453
Cause of Death: Electrocuted at grass fire when he stepped on a downed power line.
Funeral: July 1, 1999
Name: Wayne Luecht
Rank: Assistant Chief
Age: 47
Status: Career
Date of Death: June 21, 1999
Date of Incident: June 11, 1999
Chief of Department: Jay Reardon
Fire Department: Northbrook Fire Department
Address: 740 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062
Cause of Death: Third degree burns received from an electrical explosion and fire.
Funeral Date: June 25, 1999
Name: Ronald G. Phillips
Rank: Firefighter/Paramedic
Age: 32
Status: Career
Date of Death: June 19, 1999
Date of Incident: June 18, 1999
Chief of Department: Christopher Maurer
Fire Department: Sylvania Township Fire Department
Address: 6633 Monroe Street, Sylvania, OH 43560-1958
Cause of Death: Collapsed during a physical fitness workout.
Funeral Date: June 24, 1999
Tribute is being paid to these firefighters at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/ffmem
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