911 Ribbon
In Memory of Page
We Remember Ribbon

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, 2009.

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
Firefighter Steve Koeser 33 12/29/09 12/29/09 St. Anna Fire Department New Holstein WI
Firefighter Richard Adam Miller 24 12/29/09 12/29/09 Belmont Fire Department Belmont NC
Firefighter/Paramedic Paul D. Holmes 37 12/26/09 12/28/09 Douglas County Fire Department Douglasville GA
Firefighter Peter Coe 43 12/27/09 12/27/09 Shoreham Volunteer Fire Department Shoreham VT
Fire Chief Craig C. Starr 44 12/24/09 12/24/09 Plymouth Fire Department Plymouth UT
Assistant Fire Chief Bobby Joe Mullins
 52 12/20/09 12/20/09 Dante Volunteer Fire Department Dante VA
Firefighter Richard Ibarra 42 11/??/09 12/16/09 Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department Cosumnes CA
Battalion Chief Tommy Adams 52 02/21/09 12/12/09 Shreveport Fire Department Shreveport LA
Fire Police Gary F. Neidig, Jr. 36 12/04/09 12/04/09 Mount Carmel Volunteer Fire Department Mount Carmel PA
Firefighter Walter Hessling 54 11/21/09 11/27/09 Dix Hills Volunteer Fire Department Dix Hills NY
Firefighter Clair Melvin Pierce 68 11/26/09 11/26/09 Wellsboro Fire Department Wellsboro PA
Firefighter Terrance Freeman 37 11/22/09 11/22/09 Rockford Fire Department Rockford IL
EMS Chief Harry Moore 77 11/22/09 11/22/09 Duquesne Emergency Medical Services Duquesne PA
Firefighter Ramon E. Hain 50 11/24/96 11/14/09 Saint Paul Fire Department St. Paul MN
Pilot Jim Rogers 39 11/14/09 11/14/09 Mountain Life Flight Susanville CA
Chief Flight Nurse Clinton Reger 40 11/14/09 11/14/09 Mountain Life Flight Susanville CA
Chief Flight Paramedic Christopher Ritz 37 11/14/09 11/14/09 Mountain Life Flight Susanville CA
Captain David Deland 45 11/06/09 11/06/09 Lake-Sumter Emergency Medical Services Eustis FL
Deputy Chief Chad Eric Greene
 34 11/04/09 11/04/09 Union Cross Fire and Rescue of Forsyth County, Inc. Kernersville NC
Firefighter Robert Stone 47 11/03/09 11/04/09 Amity Fire Company Douglassville PA
Fire Chief Phil Whitney 72 10/27/09 10/28/09 Springville Fire Department Springville UT
Lt. Roy E. Westover, Jr. 41 10/24/09 10/24/09 Westover Area Volunteer Fire Company, Station No. 45 Westover PA
Captain John Thurman 52 10/21/09 10/21/09 Clinton Fire Department Clinton MS
Firefighter J.D. Street 60 10/17/09 10/17/09 East Lake Sinclair Volunteer Fire Department Sparta GA
Paramedic Thomas Widcamp 38 10/09/09 10/09/09 Cameron Parish Emergency Medical Services Cameron LA
Captain Carl Nordwall 56 10/03/09 10/06/09 Norfolk Airport Fire Department Norfolk VA
Firefighter Patrick Joyce 39 10/02/09 10/02/09 Yonkers Fire Department Yonkers NY
Rescue Squad Member Joseph R. Barlow 57 09/15/09 09/18/09 Johnson County Rescue Squad Johnson County TN
Firefighter Terry Sharon 60 09/13/09 09/13/09 Monterey Volunteer Fire Department Monterey KY
Firefighter/Operator Ricky Christiana 44 09/11/09 09/11/09 David Crockett Volunteer Fire Company #1 Gretna LA
Firefighter Richard Holst 60 09/09/09 09/09/09 Huntington Manor Fire Department Huntington NY
Captain Tedmund "Ted" Hall 47 08/30/09 08/30/09 Los Angeles County Fire Department Los Angeles CA
Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones 35 08/30/09 08/30/09 Los Angeles County Fire Department Los Angeles CA
Firefighter Kenneth Frizzell 55 08/30/09 08/30/09 Charleston Volunteer Fire Department Charleston VT
Lt. Charles "Chip" McCarthy 45 08/24/09 08/24/09 Buffalo Fire Department Buffalo NY
Firefighter Jonathan Croom 34 08/24/09 08/24/09 Buffalo Fire Department Buffalo NY
Pilot Dave Jamsa 45 08/20/09 08/20/09 Minuteman Aerial Application Incorporated Missoula MT
Fire Chief Jimmie Zeeks
 54 08/15/09 08/15/09 Marion Township Rural Fire Department Mitchell IN
Paramedic Larry Wayne Faegin
 49 08/14/09 08/14/09 Gemini Emergency Medical Services Falfurrias TX
Firefighter Paul Warhola
 47 08/12/09 08/14/09 Engine Company 221 Fire Department City of New York Brooklyn NY
Firefighter John McNamara
 44 06/??/06 (9/11/01) 08/09/09 Engine Company 234 Fire Department City of New York New York City NY
Assistant Fire Chief John P. “Jack” Horton 68 08/06/09 08/06/09 Marlboro Volunteer Fire Company Marlboro VT
Capt. Eric Allan Tinkham
 44 08/01/09 08/01/09 Queen Creek Fire Department Queen Creek AZ
Lt. Harold Curtis 36 07/31/09 07/31/09 Hartford Motor Speedway Safety Lawrence Township MI
Firefighter Thomas Marovich 20 07/21/09 07/21/09 National Forest Service - Modoc National Forest Alturas CA
Apparatus Operator Joseph T. Grace 47 07/09/09 07/10/09 Saint Tammany Fire Protection District #4 – Mandeville Fire Department Mandeville LA
Firefighter David Grass, Jr. 34 07/07/09 07/08/09 Ste. Genevieve Fire Department Ste. Genevieve MO
Firefighter Ryan Wingard 28 07/06/09 07/06/09 Strattanville Volunteer Fire Department Strattanville PA
Firefighter Robert Johnson 75 10/20/08 07/05/09 Mahopac Falls Volunteer Fire Department Mahopac Falls NY
Assistant Fire Chief Dale Elliott Haddix 70 07/04/09 07/04/09 Schell City Fire Department Schell City MO
Assistant Fire Chief Allan LePage 67 06/29/09 06/30/09 Kingston Fire District Kingston RI
Captain Brett Stearns 29 06/26/09 06/26/09 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - Little Snake Field Office Craig CO
Firefighter William F. Thompson, Sr. 65 06/18/09 06/18/09 Dushore Volunteer Fire Department Dushore PA
Firefighter Jimmy E. Cameron 47 06/16/09 06/16/09 South Chester Fire Department Chester SC
Firefighter Lyle Lewis 49 06/16/09 06/16/09 Osborne County Fire District #3 Alton KS
Firefighter Conrad Mansfield 45 06/10/09 06/14/09 Delaware Township Volunteer Fire Department Blanchard OH
Firefighter/Paramedic Debra A. Cole 40 06/10/09 06/11/09 South Portland Fire Department South Portland ME
Firefighter Jeffrey H. Reed 39 06/05/09 06/08/09 Pulaski Fire Department Pulaski VA
Firefighter Matthew Douglas Tramel 18 06/08/09 06/08/09 City of Pembroke Fire Department Pembroke NC
Firefighter/EMT James M. Hall 40 05/29/09 05/30/09 Greentown Volunteer Fire Department Uniontown OH
Firefighter Paul J. Roberts 54 05/22/09 05/22/09 Beverly Fire Department Beverly MA
Lt. Stephen Michael Cospelich 56 04/17/09 05/20/09 Philadelphia Fire Department Philadelphia PA
Fire Captain Frankie P. Nelson 51 05/09/09 05/10/09 Shreveport Fire Department Shreveport LA
Firefighter Conway M. Johnson 26 04/29/09 05/05/09 Houston Fire Department Houston TX
Pilot Tom Risk (from Littleton, CO) 66 04/25/09 04/25/09 Neptune Aviation Missoula MT
Brian Buss (from Alberton, MT) 32 04/25/09 04/25/09 Neptune Aviation Missoula MT
Mike Flynn (from Alamogordo, NM) 59 04/25/09 04/25/09 Neptune Aviation Missoula MT
Firefighter Dennis M. Simmons 63 04/21/09 04/21/09 Stafford County Fire Department St. John KS
Firefighter Patrick Reardon 42 04/11/09 04/21/09 New Haven Fire Department New Haven CT
Fire Chief Charles Fletcher "Buck" Clough, Jr. 41 04/15/09 04/15/09 Sudlersville Volunteer Fire Department Sudlersville MD
Captain James Harlow 50 04/12/09 04/12/09 Houston Fire Department Houston TX
Probationary Firefighter Damien Hobbs 29 04/12/09 04/12/09 Houston Fire Department Houston TX
Pilot Heath Van Handel 36 04/08/09 04/08/09 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Madison WI
Firefighter John Weber 77 04/04/09 04/04/09 Township Fire Department Eau Claire WI
Firefighter Robert Kubicki 60 04/02/09 04/02/09 Plains Township Fire Department Plains PA
Assistant Chief John William Jeffers 54 04/01/09 04/02/09 Wellington-Greer Fire Protection District Wellington IL
Firefighter George A. Wimberly 63 04/01/09 04/01/09 Stonewall Volunteer Fire Department Stonewall MS
Firefighter Manny Rivera 43 02/09/09 03/31/09 Trenton Fire Department Trenton NJ
Firefighter/EMT-Training Officer Robert Allen France 45 03/30/09 03/30/09 Stateline Volunteer Fire Department Stateline MS
Fire Chief Mike Gilbreath 55 03/27/09 03/27/09 Double Springs Fire Department Double Springs AL
Lieutenant Robert Strang 60 03/26/09 03/26/09 Melbourne Fire Department Melbourne FL
Fire Chief Nolan Schmidt 37 03/23/09 03/23/09 Hydro Volunteer Fire Department Hydro OK
Firefighter Greg Cooke 60 unknown 03/21/09 Salem Volunteer Fire Department Whitakers NC
Lieutenant William Roger Vorwark 49 03/14/09 03/14/09 Odessa Fire & Rescue Protection District Odessa MO
Special Division Ladies Auxiliary Member John G. Lawrence 52 03/07/09 03/07/09 Bart Township Fire Company Bart PA
Firefighter Alan M. Hermel 62 03/01/09 03/03/09 Bossier Parish Fire District 1 Haughton LA
Corporal Christopher Allen Dill 43 03/04/09 03/04/09 Oklahoma City Fire Department Oklahoma City OK
Engineer Michael J. Darrington 45 02/27/09 02/27/09 Toledo Fire and Rescue Toledo OH
Firefighter/EMT Charles Myshrall 67 01/30/09 02/26/09 North Coventry Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. Coventry CT
Firefighter/EMT Ferdinando 'Freddy' Pierno 55 10/??/06 02/25/09 Martin County Fire Rescue Stuart FL
Firefighter Derek Edward North 34 02/23/09 02/23/09 Stockton Fire Department Lakeland GA
Firefighter John Adams 45 02/20/09 02/20/09 Silver City Volunteer Fire Department Jennings OK
Lieutenant Johnnie Hammons 49 02/19/09 02/19/09 Craigsville-Beaver-Cottle (C-B-C) Fire Department Craigsville WV
Firefighter Timothy Nicholas 26 02/19/09 02/19/09 Craigsville-Beaver-Cottle (C-B-C) Fire Department Craigsville WV
Fire Police Captain Albert G. Eberle 74 02/15/09 02/16/09 Roslyn Fire Company Roslyn PA
Fire Chief Dean Mathison 63 02/10/09 02/10/09 Clayton-Winchester Fire Department Larsen WI
Firefighter Jeffrey Isbell 33 02/10/09 02/10/09 City of Enterprise Fire Departmeny Enterprise AL
Firefighter William Gray Parsons
 58 01/31/09 02/01/09 Millers Creek Fire Department Millers Creek NC
Firefighter/EMT Mark Bradley Davis 25 01/30/09 01/30/09 Cape Vincent Volunteer Fire Department Cape Vincent NY
Firefighter Kyle Perkins
 45 01/25/09 01/25/09 Kilgore Fire Department Kilgore TX
Firefighter Cory Galloway 28 01/25/09 01/25/09 Kilgore Fire Department Kilgore TX
Captain Richard Lynn Rhea
 60 01/24/09 01/24/09 Crawfordville Volunteer Fire Department Crawfordville FL
Lt. Kevin M. Kelley
 52 01/09/09 01/09/09 Boston Fire Department Boston MA
Firefighter Charles "Woody" Woods 57 01/05/09 01/05/09 Morris Fire Department Morris AL
Firefighter/Mechanic John C. Myers 61 01/03/09 01/03/09 Union Chapel Volunteer Fire Department Pittsburg OK
Firefighter Gary Stephens 57 01/01/09 01/01/09 Elizabeth Fire Department Elizabeth NJ

Click here for listings for 2010 Line of Duty Deaths

Click here for listings for 2008 Line of Duty Deaths

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 incorrectly.

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 newsleter. In some case, Yahoo! Maps provides and/or verifies city and state information. I also use the USFA FireFighters 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.

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Last Edited on 01/04/10
by Douglas J. Ochsner, Webmaster
For broken or incorrect links, please e-mail the Webmaster @
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