9/11/2001 red, white & blue ribbon
In Memory of Page

This page honors all United States rescue workers (that have come to my attention) who have died in the line of duty since January 1, 2008.

May all these rescue workers and all other rescue workers who have died in the line of duty or in retirement rest in peace.

The following is a poem which I found in my research for the 2004 page that I thought fit with the theme of these pages perfectly. It was written by Greg Gray of the Raccoon Township Volunteer Fire Department in Aliquippa, PA (used with his generous permission) to honor his fallen comrade, Firefighter David Vinisky, who was lost August 25, 2004:

With A Heavy Heart I Witness

We lost a part of our world.
A man has been killed.
A brother has fallen.
A good friend is no longer here to help.
For days, we try to prepare to say goodbye.
We have many friends. They are all very wonderful.
They have help in many ways that no one on the outside even thought about-
Food & soft drinks seem to appear out of nowhere-companies from outside are
Here to cover our area while we are out of service.
All those who have come to help are our Brothers-we are not related by blood-\
We are not of the same religion or skin color.
We are auto mechanics and computer engineers. Electricians, plumbers, school
Teachers & CPA's, truck driver & CEO, standing side by side in our tragic
Loss.
The day is long and hot, it starts before the sun is up.
The truck is draped, the hall prepared, we can do this, we must.
The service is carried like a litter. All hands on. No one here will let it drop
If we should stumble, and stumble we do.
We are in pain, and we grieve.
We go on.
Now, the service is over.
Back the truck in & have another coffee it's been a long hard day.
Look forward to some rest & see the kids for a time………
TONES!!!!!!!!!!
Men & women, that an hour ago, were too choked with grief to speak, Jump
Out of patent leather & dress uniform into bunker gear & boots.
There are no reporters here now.
No camera crew.
It's just another fire call out of hundreds that no one will hear about.
They don't care if they get their picture on TV or get to read their name in the papers.
The truck that moments ago sat quiet & blacked- burst into red & wails off into the rain & wind. Someone needs help!!!!!!!!
They care about me, they care about you, they care about "our" homes & they go.
My heart is heavy, but it is lifted high by what I witness here.
Thank you God for the fire fighters!
Thank you firemen!

Rank and Name Age
Date of Incident
Date of Death
 Department City State
Fire Chief Frank Wichlacz
 75 07/23/08 07/23/08 Pulaski Tri-County Pulaski WI
Firefighter Brian J. Munz
 24 07/22/08 07/22/08 Fairbury Fire Department Fairbury IL
Firefighter/Paramedic Ryan Hummert
 22 07/21/08 07/21/08 Maplewood Fire Department St. Louis MO
Firefighter David Meron
 58 07/20/08 07/20/08 Hoosick Falls Fire Department Hoosick Falls NY
Firefighter Johnny Bajusz
 69 01/16/08 07/18/08 Layton Volunteer Fire Department - Monroe County Fire/Rescue Long Key FL
Secretary/Treasurer/Firefighter Joe Pat Jordan
 71 07/09/08 07/11/08 Pickton-Pine Forest Volunteer Fire Department Winnsboro TX
Lieutenant Jared Carson 38 ??/??/05 07/09/08 Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services Mableton GA
Firefighter Ryan T. Barker
 25 07/08/08 07/08/08 West Hill Fire Department Elmira NY
Firefighter Richard L. Kear 58 07/07/08 07/07/08 Pitt Township Volunteer Fire Department Harpster OH
Chief Robert Knight
 42 07/05/08 07/05/08 Teague Volunteer Fire Department Teague TX
Firefighter Bill Poley 40 07/04/08 07/04/08 New Madrid Volunteer Fire Department New Madrid MO
Flight Nurse James Taylor 36 06/26/08 07/04/08 Classic Helicopters Woods Cross UT
Firefighter Recruit Robert Roland 63 07/03/08 07/03/08 Anderson Valley Volunteer Fire Department Boonville CA
Firefighter Michael MacDonald
 26 06/27/08 06/29/08 Chief Mountain Interagency HotShot Crew, Blackfeet Tribe Browning MT
Firefighter/Paramedic Gary L. Studer
 61 06/20/08 06/28/08 Whitehouse Fire Department Whitehouse OH
Pilot Patrick Graham 51 06/26/08 06/26/08 Air Methods Englewood CO
Flight Nurse Shawn "Clyde" Shreeve Jr. 36 06/26/08 06/26/08 Air Methods Englewood CO
Pilot Tom Caldwell 54 06/26/08 06/26/08 Classic Helicopters Woods Cross UT
Flight Medic Tom Clausing 36 06/26/08 06/26/08 Classic Helicopters Woods Cross UT
Deputy Chief Jeff Powers
 44 06/26/08 06/26/08 Southern Marin Fire Protection District Mill Valley CA
Pine Level Fire Chief George E. Crocker
 32 06/22/08 06/22/08 Pine Level Volunteer Fire Department Pine Level NC
Kevin Patrick Pryor 31 06/16/08 06/17/08 Newport Beach Fire Department Newport Beach CA
Firefighter Colin Gene Thomas
 51 06/14/08 06/14/08 Verona Volunteer Fire Department Jacksonville NC
Pilot Wayne Kirby 63 06/08/08 06/08/08 PHI Air Medical Bryan TX
Paramedic Stephanie Waters 27 06/08/08 06/08/08 PHI Air Medical Bryan TX
Nurse Jana Bishop 28 06/08/08 06/08/08 PHI Air Medical Bryan TX
Firefighter Russell Thomas "Rusty Gains" Topping 28 05/31/08 05/31/08 Barnsdall Volunteer Fire Department Barnsdall OK
Firefighter Richard Burns 43 05/24/08 05/24/08 Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Pittsburgh PA
Firefighter Jay C. Maddy 41 05/23/08 05/23/08 Eaton Volunteer Fire Department Eaton IN
Chief Raymond Eusden 57 05/19/08 05/20/08 Aston-Beechwood Volunteer Fire Company Aston PA
Training Captain Joseph R. Mixon
 51 05/12/08 05/13/08 Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Department Birmingham AL
Firefighter Tyler Casey 21 05/10/08 05/12/08 Seneca Fire Protection District Seneca MO
Firefighter Jeremy Jylka
 34 04/29/08 04/29/08 Pine City Fire Department Pine City MN
Firefighter Riley J. Terrebonne, Jr. 29 04/20/08 04/21/08 Springfield Fire/Rescue, Livingston Parish Fire Protection District 2 Springfield LA
Firefighter Rick Morris 54 04/08/08 04/17/08 Sedalia Fire Department Sedalia MO
Fire Chief Terry DeVore 30 04/15/08 04/15/08 Olney Springs Volunteer Fire Department Orday CO
Firefighter John Schwartz, Jr.
 38 04/15/08 04/15/08 Olney Springs Volunteer Fire Department Orday CO
Pilot Gert Marais (from Fort Benton, MT)
 42 04/15/08 04/15/08 Aero Applicators under contact to Colorado State Forest Service Fort Collins CO
Chief Charlie Fraley 65 04/12/08 04/12/08 Macon Fire Department Macon MS
Deputy Chief Michael D. Crotty
 24 04/08/08 04/08/08 Lawrence Park Township Volunteer Fire Department Erie PA
Firefighter-EMT Brian Schira 29 04/04/08 04/04/08 Colerain Township Department of Fire & EMS Cincinnati OH
Captain Robin Broxterman
 37 04/04/08 04/04/08 Colerain Township Department of Fire & EMS Cincinnati OH
Firefighter Joseph J. Ritzenthaler
 30 03/30/08 03/30/08 Henrico Division of Fire New Kent County VA
Firefighter Eric Speed
 33 03/28/08 03/28/08 Caddo Parish Fire District #2 Shreveport LA
Firefighter Brent A. Lovrien 35 03/26/08 03/26/08 Los Angeles Fire Department Los Angeles CA
Deputy Chief Donald "Lee" Grubor
 42 03/21/08 03/22/08 Lewistown Fire Protection District Lewistown IL
Firefighter Terrance Crockett
 48 03/17/08 03/17/08 Kansas City Fire Department Kansas City MO
Captain John Delaney
 44 03/17/08 03/17/08 Mesa Fire Department Mesa AZ
Lieutenant Robert T. Kilduff, Sr. N/A 05/??/03 03/13/08 Boston Fire Department Boston MA
Fire Captain Matt Moore
 43 11/??/07 03/11/08 Murrieta Fire Department Murrieta CA
Firefighter Raymond Barrett, Sr. 62 03/09/08 03/09/08 West Milford Township Fire Department West Milford NJ
Firefighter Victor Isler 40 03/07/08 03/07/08 Salisbury Fire Department Salisbury NC
Firefighter Justin Monroe 19 03/07/08 03/07/08 Salisbury Fire Department Salisbury NC
Lieutenant Nicholas V. Picozzi, II 35 03/05/08 03/05/08 Lower Chichester Fire Company Linwood PA
Firefighter Brad Holmes 21 02/29/08 03/05/08 Pine Township Engine Company Grove City PA
Fire-Rescue Lieutenant Rafael Vazquez 42 03/03/08 03/03/08 Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue West Palm Beach FL
Fire Engineer Roger Dennis, Jr. 55 02/29/08 02/29/08 San Antonio Fire Department San Antonio TX
Captain Shane Stewart 33 02/23/08 02/23/08 Ault-Pierce Fire Department Ault CO
Firefighter Joey Turner
 48 02/21/08 02/22/08 Homerville/Clinch Company Volunteer Fire Department Homerville GA
Captain Vance Tomaselli
 66 02/16/08 02/21/08 San Bernardino County Fire Department San Bernardino CA
Firefighter Michael Hays 64 02/19/08 02/19/08 Brazos Canyon Volunteer Fire Department Chama NM
Firefighter Jack Lockhart
 69 02/17/08 02/17/08 Dayton District Volunteer Fire Department Dayton PA
Fire Chief Kerry Sheridan 75 02/12/08 02/12/08 Troy Township Fire Protection District Shorewood IL
Firefighter James Earl Arthur 19 02/11/08 02/11/08 Cold Water Fire & Rescue Concord NC
Fire Chief Matthew Hubly 43 02/01/08 02/07/08 Kankakee Township Fire Protection District Kankakee IL
Pilot Robert Lamar Goss 54 02/04/08 02/04/08 South Texas Emergency Care Harlingen TX
Flight Paramedic Raul Garcia, Jr. 40 02/04/08 02/04/08 South Texas Emergency Care Harlingen TX
Flight Paramedic Michael T. Sanchez 39 02/04/08 02/04/08 South Texas Emergency Care Harlingen TX
Captain David Sherfick 40 02/04/08 02/04/08 Brown Township Fire - Rescue Mooresville IN
EMT Edward Mueller 50 02/02/08 02/02/08 West Islip FD Suffolk County NY
Fire Chief Paul Swander 73 01/31/08 02/02/08 Ohio City Fire Department Ohio City OH
Captain Donald W. Hubbel 42 02/01/08 02/01/08 Baltimore City Fire Department Baltimore MD
Fire Chief Walter Clyde Walker, Jr. 68 01/26/08 01/26/08 Collinsville Volunteer Fire Department Collinsville MS
Assistant Fire Chief/EMS Director/Paramedic Christa Dawn Burchett 33 01/22/08 01/22/08 Paintsville Fire-Rescue-EMS Paintsville KY
Lieutenant Herman S. Jones 58 01/18/08 01/22/08 Raleigh Fire Department Raleigh NC
Firefighter Robert L. McAtee, Sr. 55 01/20/08 01/20/08 Huttonsville-Mill Creek Volunteer Fire Department Huttonsville WV
Firefighter Louis P. Berra 48 01/18/08 01/18/08 West County EMS & Fire Protection District Manchester MO
Fire Apparatus Driver Operator Jarrett Dixon 36 01/09/08 01/13/08 Baltimore County Fire Department Towson MD
Firefighter Harvey Jordan 71 01/07/08 01/07/08 Penn Hills #1 Volunteer Fire Department Pittsburgh PA
Fire Captain James L. Robeson 50 01/06/08 01/06/08 Scranton Fire Department Scranton PA
Lieutenant John H. Martinson 40 01/03/08 01/03/08 Fire Department City of New York Brooklyn NY
Firefighter Paul Lewis Ellington 36 01/01/08 01/01/08 Oregon Hill Volunteer Fire Department Reidsville NC
Firefighter Donald G. Paterson 65 01/01/08 01/01/08 Kimball Township Fire Department Kimball MI

Click here for listings for 2007 Line of Duty Deaths

Click here for listings for 2006 Line of Duty Deaths

Click here for listings for 2005 Line of Duty Deaths

Click here for listings for 2004 Line of Duty Deaths

If you know of a rescue worker who has died in the line of duty that you would like to see me list here, please e-mail me at frrykid@yahoo.com with verifying information so that I don't honor someone too soon.

All Line Of Duty Death information verified from firehouse.com and from links on that site and the Montana Fire Services Training School (based in Great Falls) daily newsletter. In some cases, Yahoo! Maps provides and/or verifies city and state information. I also use the USFA Fire Fighters Memorial Database to find missing information.

Any errors that may creep into a new entry (such as a wrong department name, wrong spelling of a name, etc. will be corrected as soon as I can after I am made aware of such an error and have the correct information. Thank you for your understanding.

The background music is "Amazing Grace" by Isaac Watts & John Newton played on the bagpipes.
This version was sequenced by Barry Taylor. The file comes from godsgospel.com.
I wish to thank them very much for allowing me to use this very appropriate piece of music.
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Last Edited on 07/23/08
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