Tag Archives: In the Line of Duty

Firefighter Harold Frey, 46, died of a heart attack while packing up after ice rescue training.

Quincy Captain William (Bill) Floyd Hopman died at home after battling a house fire the night before. Hopman was 53 and a 20 year veteran of the fire service. He was married for 26 years and had one child. Hopman loved aviation and had been a pilot since the age of 17. Currently, he was the Chief Pilot for Foxen Canyon Motorsports and Alan Johnson Performance Engines for the past 12 years.

Chicago, Illinois Lieutenant Patrick Hannon was found unresponsive at his firehouse and later died in the hospital. Hannon, 51, was working at Truck 8 at 2528 S. Throop Street at the time (4th District, 15th Battalion) Hannon was a 22 year veteran of the department and was hired in December 1988. He leaves behind a wife and two children. His wife is also a firefighter/paramedic for the Chicago Fire Department.

Fire Captain Jim Niles,59, of the Downs Fire Department in Osborne County Kansas has died after a cardiac condition while working at a garage fire. The incident occurred on Thursday. Niles had been with the department for 18 years. He leaves behind a wife, two children, and four grandchildren. The Kansas State Firefighters Association is considering this a Line of Duty Death. There is no word on this being a USFA LODD.

Big Tree Volunteer Fire Company Firefighter Jarrett Eleam passed away Wednesday. He fell ill during training with his fire company on Monday night. Eleam, who graduated from Erie County’s Firefighter I Boot Camp class this past summer, died at Mercy hospital in Buffalo. His arrangements are being planned.

Before dying of cancer at just 45 a week and a half ago, Matt Durham helped plan his own formal line-of-duty memorial service, according to one of his fellow Woodinville Fire and Rescue firefighters speaking at that service today. “I want to do it for the boys,” Battalion Chief Greg Ahearn quoted Matt as saying – so that his young sons would see the support and the love showed by their father’s firefighter family, as well as that of their own relatives and friends.

Firefighter Close Calls has the story on Roy Chelsen. He is a September 11th hero who risked his life to make it back to the North Tower amid bodies falling from the upper floors to warn other firefighters of the towers imminent collapse.

Maybe this Council Member will appreciate her firefighters. While I don't have any direct evidence that Closter Councilwoman Victoria Amitai has any history of not appreciating her firefighters, she has reason to appreciate them now. A two alarm fire at her house at 449 Ruckman road burned her husband and sent him to the hospital.

Kansas City, Missouri Firefighter Richard Paul died this morning after having his annual physical exam. Paul, a fire apparatus driver, died of a medical emergency after being transported to the hospital. Paul , 54, has been a firefighter since 1977 and was promoted to driver in 2006.

“We got firemen unaccounted for,’’ according to Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford who was on the scene at 7:30 a.m. “Right now we’re working to get inside the building,’’ Langford said. As of 7:24 a.m. the alarm has been elevated to a 3-11 and an EMS Plan II, which automatically sends about ten ambulances to the scene, is in effect, Knight said. Knight said the building is 40 feet by 125 feet.