Listed By State

Posted: Tuesday, September 28, 1999 - 3 PM

• Also See: National Memorial Weekend to Honor Fallen Firefighters

• Tulon Goodwin, 50, a 10-year employee of the Alabama State Forestry Commission, suffered a fatal heart attack on July 6, 1998, while fighting a wildfire in West Blocton started by children playing with fireworks. Goodwin was also the Assistant Fire Chief of the West Blocton Fire Department for 12 years and served for 4 years as a city councilman in the Bibb County town.
• Johnnie Ray Park, 43, a career firefighter with Cullman Fire Rescue, collapsed from a heart attack at the scene of a motor vehicle accident on July 27, 1998. He had assisted in loading victims into an ambulance and with accident clean up prior to his collapse.

• J. D. Donahue, 57, a contract pilot with the U. S. Forest Service, died on June 27, 1998, when his air tanker crashed while applying retardant to a wildfire in Gila National Forest near Reserve, New Mexico. A resident of Mesa, Donahue had been an aerial firefighter since 1975. Chuck Key of Grand Junction, Colorado, also died in the crash

• Ernest Alan McElroy, 40, a career firefighter with the Arkansas Forestry Commission, died on Oct. 28, 1998, from burns he sustained while fighting a forest fire east of Crossett. McElroy, an Ashley County Reserve Sheriff, was a Forest Ranger II with the Arkansas Forestry Commission and the father of five.

• Joseph Charles Dupee, 38, a 17-year Los Angeles City firefighter, died on March 8, 1998, of smoke inhalation and burns after being trapped in a commercial building when the roof collapsed. He was active in his church, driving a bus for the handicapped.
• Michael A. Butler, 33, Michael D. McComb, 48, and Eric F. Reiner, 33, also Los Angeles City firefighters, died on March 23, 1998, in a helicopter crash while transporting a patient to a hospital in Los Angeles. Butler and Reiner were firefighter/paramedics and best friends for many years. McComb, an avid pilot, was only 6 months away from retirement.
• Michael A. Pizinger, 32, another Los Angeles City firefighter, drowned on May 2, 1998, during a scuba diving accident while training.
• Brian Keith Carrasco, 35, assigned to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, died when the apparatus he was riding in overturned while responding to a wildfire on Aug. 31, 1998.
• Gary D. Nagel, 62, a contract pilot with the California Department of Forestry, died in an air tanker crash while fighting the Mount Edna wildfire on Oct. 5, 1998. An aerial firefighter for more than 35 years, Nagel served as a pilot in Vietnam.
• Thomas Oscar Wall, 44, a career firefighter with the Orange County Fire Authority, died of a heart attack while battling a wildfire near Calimesa on Oct. 5, 1998. He was a decorated 20-year veteran of his department.
• Duane Williams, 52, a contract pilot with the U.S. Forest Service, died in a helicopter crash near Apple Valley on July 18, 1998.
• David Robert Kyle, 50, a pilot with the Bureau of Land Management, died in a flight accident near Bear Valley on June 10, 1997. He had previously worked for the California Department of Forestry

• Chuck Key, 59, a contract pilot with the United States Forest Service, died when his air tanker crashed while applying retardant to a fire in Gila National Forest near Reserve, New Mexico on June 27, 1998. A second pilot also died in the crash. Key began his aviation career in the Air Force where he served for 21 years. He had also worked as a flight instructor and private pilot.

• Prince A. Mousley, Jr., 58, a 28-year career firefighter with the Wilmington Fire Department, died of a heart attack on January 6, 1998, at a residential oil heater fire in Wilmington. He had received three departmental commendations during his career for his outstanding commitment and service.

• Richard "Keith" Rice, Sr., 38, assistant chief of the Nassauville Volunteer Fire Department, died when the apparatus he was driving overturned enroute to the scene of an illegal burn on March 28, 1998. A jet mechanic for the Air National Guard, he had received several service medals during his career.

• Kennon Loy Williams, 27, a volunteer firefighter with the Banks County Volunteer Fire Department, died while rescuing other firefighters when a roof collapsed during a structure fire at a church in Homer on Dec. 31, 1998. Officials later confirmed that the fire was the work of a nationwide serial arsonist. Williams also served as a volunteer firefighter in a community close to where he lived.

• Eugene W. Blackmon, Jr., 38, a career firefighter with the Chicago Fire Department (CFD), drowned during a search and rescue of two victims in a river in Chicago on May 19, 1998. A dedicated firefighter, he had learned scuba diving on his own time so he could join the department dive team.
• William Bonnar, Sr., 61, a batallion chief with the Orland Fire Protection District, died of a heart attack following a training drill at a simulated structure fire in Orland Park on Feb. 25, 1998. He had been with the department for 26 years.
• Patrick J. King, 40, and Anthony E. Lockhart, 40, both CFD members, died of smoke inhalation and burns on February 12, 1998, after they were trapped inside a burning building and the roof collapsed. King had spent 19 years as a paramedic before completing firefighter training. He came from a family of Chicago firefighters. Lockhart, a 9-year CFD veteran, worked for the U. S. Postal Service for 14 years before he joined the department.
• Tom E. Prendergast, 56, a 31-year CFD veteran, died on Aug. 4, 1998, after suffering a heart attack on July 23, 1998, while fighting a structure fire. For 18 years, he had performed volunteer work at a home for physically and mentally challenged children and young adults.
• Martin Doherty, 63, a 35-year CFD veteran, died of a heart attack in Chicago on Sept. 21, 1996. He was a founding member of the Gaelic Fire Brigade.
• Jesse Stewart, 73, a CFD Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner, died on Dec. 1, 1997, after being critically injured in a 1985 car accident while responding to a call. At the time of the incident, he was the highest ranking African-American in the history of the department.

• Matthew Paul Casboni, 55, a 22-year veteran volunteer firefighter with the St. John Volunteer Fire Department, died of a heart attack at the scene of an arson structure fire in St. John on July 23, 1998. His two surviving brothers are also volunteer firefighters.
• Paul Allen Laux, 50, a volunteer firefighter with the Cool Spring Township Fire Department, died of a heart attack at the scene of a false alarm in Michigan City on Nov. 7, 1998.
• Jeffrey William Reick, 34, a volunteer firefighter with the Aurora Fire Department, died of a heart attack suffered during a training session at a burn on April 2, 1998. In addition to being a firefighter for 13 years, he coached girls' softball teams in the community.

• Thomas Archer, Jr., 46, and Larry R. Walsh, 45, volunteer firefighters with the Albert City Fire Department, died when a propane tank exploded at a farm near Albert City on April 9, 1998. Members of the department had responded to a fire at the turkey farm. Archer, an Albert City firefighter for 14 years, also served as First Assistant Chief for 4 years. Walsh, an avid sportsman, served on the Albert City Fire Department for 16 years and as an EMT for 15 years

• Norman Almond, 46, and Craig Daniel Brown, 27, career firefighters with the Parsons Fire Department, were electrocuted when their extension ladder came in contact with power lines at a Parsons church on Nov. 24, 1998. Almond had been with the department for 20 years; Brown was a 5-year veteran.

• William Dwight Yankey, 35, a career firefighter with the Harrodsburg Fire Department, died of a heart attack Nov. 13, 1998, after assisting victims of a motor vehicle accident. He had worked as an aerial driver with the Harrodsburg Fire Department for over 12 years.

• Allen L. Heirtzler, 22, a member of the Slaughter Volunteer Fire Department, died in a single car motor vehicle accident while responding to a mobile home fire in Clinton on Sept. 4, 1998. A resident of Ethel, he was also a full time deputy sheriff with the East Felicana Parish in Clinton.

• Donald Martin, 34, a volunteer firefighter/EMS technician with the Van Buren Fire Department, died of a heart attack while preparing to search for a missing child on Aug. 3, 1998. He was a driver/engineer, fire pump instructor and intermediate EMT. According to his colleagues "he dedicated his life to fire/EMS and volunteered countless hours to maintain the department's equipment.

• David M. Brinkley, 43, a volunteer firefighter with the United Communities Volunteer Fire Department in Stevensville, died of a heart attack after returning from a car fire on Sept. 21, 1998. He had served as chief of the department.
• John R. Kennedy, 75, a volunteer firefighter with the Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department, died of a heart attack while directing traffic at a motor vehicle accident in Berlin on July 18, 1998. A World War II Navy veteran, he worked as an FBI Special Agent for 26 years. He became a member of the local fire police at age 68.
• Joseph Kroboth, Jr., 59, a volunteer firefighter with the Volunteer Fire Company of Halfway, died on May 3, 1998, after being struck by a vehicle while directing traffic at the scene of a motor vehicle accident near Hagerstown. He was a 39-year veteran volunteer firefighter. His son is chief of the Halfway Department.
• Preston "Pat" Edgar Patterson, 66, a volunteer firefighter with the Manchester Fire Engine and Hook and Ladder Company #1, died of cardiac arrest while directing traffic at a motor vehicle accident in Manchester on Sept. 28, 1998. He was a lifetime member of the Reisterstown Volunteer Fire Department and served in the fire police for 15 years.

• Michael "Mick" C. Wiborg, 46, a volunteer firefighter with the Chanhassen Fire Department, died of a heart attack at the annual physical test on April 13, 1998. He had recently received the "Everyday Hero" award from the Chanhassen Elementary School, where he had volunteered for the past 8 years. He was very active in the department's fire prevention programs.

• Paula Bennett, 44, a firefighter with the Carriere Volunteer Fire Department, died in a motor vehicle accident while responding to a structure fire in Carriere on April 16, 1998. The only female firefighter to die in the line of duty during 1998, she was a rehab team member and vice president of the auxiliary.
• Justin Allen Melton, 22, and Scott Selby, 34, firefighters with the Marks Volunteer Fire Department, died on August 29, 1998, when the roof of a burning building collapsed.

• Ralph William Stanbery, 62, a volunteer firefighter with the Granby Volunteer Fire Department, died of a heart attack at the scene of a trash fire on April 22, 1998. Stanbery, who served in the National Guard for nearly 40 years, was a board member of the Granby Church.

• Walter Bitner, 38, a career firefighter with the Paterson Fire Department, died on October 24, 1998, from complications related to a head trauma suffered in a fall from a fire truck in 1989.
• Stephen E. Gessler, 44, assistant chief of the Little Falls Volunteer Fire Department, died of a heart attack while performing a search and rescue in Little Falls on Dec. 12, 1998. He has served as chief of Great Notch Fire Company #4 and was a former township deputy mayor.
• Thomas P. Ryan, 67, a volunteer firefighter with the Middletown Township Fire Department, died of a heart attack after returning from a call in Leonardo on Dec. 30, 1997. He had dedicated more than 50 years to the fire service.

• Juan M.Hernandez, Jr., 21, a career firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service, Lincoln National Forest, died on Sept. 4, 1998, when his apparatus overturned after being hit by a car. He was enroute to an assignment at Mendocino National Forest in Alamogordo, CA.

• James W. Blackmore, 48, and Scott J. LaPiedra, 40, career firefighters with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), died from burns sustained in an apartment fire. Blackmore, a decorated Vietnam veteran, had been with FDNY for 21 years. LaPiedra was part of a fire service family; his brother is also a member of the FDNY.
• James F. Bohan, 25, Christopher Michael Bopp, 27, and Joseph P. Cavalieri, 42, FDNY firefighters, died of asphyxiation fighting a fire in a 10-story senior citizens' residence in Brooklyn on Dec. 18, 1998. Bohan, a former carpenter, had been with the department for 2 years. Bopp was a dedicated public safety officer, working as a police officer for 2 years before becoming a firefighter. Right before their deaths, Bohan and Bopp had played Santa and distributed presents at a local hospital. Cavalieri, a 15-year FDNY veteran, had been decorated for bravery twice.
• Raymond Nakovics, 49, a 27-year FDNY veteran, died of a heart attack while fighting an apartment building fire on April 29, 1998. A week before his own death, he had given away his dress uniform so an auxiliary firefighter could be buried in it.
• Walter A. Ernst, 61, a firefighter with the East Meadow Fire Department, died after a simulated training exercise on May 28, 1998. He had served with the department for 26 years.
• Edward J. Matter, Jr., 56, a volunteer firefighter with the Westford Fire Deparment, died after being hit by a falling tree while clearing roadway debris on March 8, 1998. A 31-year fire service veteran, he served on the Board of Directors of the Central New York Fireman's Association and was past president of the Otsego County Volunteer Fireman's Association.
• Daniel W. Mumford, 48, a volunteer firefighter with the West Haverstraw Fire Department, died of head trauma and a heart attack when he collapsed at the scene of a structure fire on May 9, 1998. He was a 25-year member of the S.W. Johnson Steam Engine Company and has been on the Biology staff at SUCO-Oneonta for many years.
• Robert F. Peters, 52, a volunteer firefighter with the Hastings on Hudson Fire Department, died of a heart attack after returning from a call on Aug. 29, 1998. A member of the department for 15 years, he worked at a Yonkers children's home.
• Thomas B. Rice, 70, a volunteer firefighter with the Perry Fire Department, died of a heart attack while on fire police duty on Nov. 9, 1998. He served as president of the Fireman's Park Association and had been named Volunteer Fireman of the Year by both Wyoming County and the Western New York Volunteer Fireman's Association.
• William J. Robertson, 46, a 25-year career firefighter with the Greece Ridge Fire Department, died of a heart attack after responding to a call on April 25, 1998. He was an assistant fire marshal.
• Harold "Hal" E. Roemer, Jr. 55, a volunteer firefighter with the Greenlawn Fire Department, died of a heart attack after completing a physical fitness training exercise on Jan. 5, 1998. He was an elementary school teacher and a Vietnam veteran.
• Lawrence D. Thrower, 51, a volunteer with the Sidney Fire Department, died of a heart attack at the scene of a dumpster fire on Oct. 24, 1998. A Navy veteran, he also drove for the local emergency squad.

• Robby Dean Blizzard, 24, a volunteer firefighter with the Arrington Volunteer Fire Department, and Hubert Sidney Jones, 29, a volunteer firefighter with the Thoroughfare Volunteer Fire Department, died while trapped in a warehouse fire outside Goldsboro on Nov. 6, 1998. Blizzard was also a career firefighter with the Goldsboro Fire Department. Jones served as chief of his small department.
• Brian Allen Cannon, 30, a volunteer firefighter with the Taylors Bridge Fire Department, died when his apparatus overturned while he was returning from a motor vehicle accident in Clinton on Jan. 16, 1998.
• Carson Lee Gosey, 60, a volunteer firefighter with the Shiloh-Danieltown-Oakland Volunteer Fire Department, died after being struck by a vehicle while assisting at a live-burn training exercise near Rutherfordton on Oct. 24, 1998. He was a founding member of two local fire departments and active with scout and church youth groups.
• Jake Parris, Jr., 62, a volunteer firefighter with the Balsam-Willets-Ochre Hill Volunteer Fire Department, died of a heart attack during a rescue call in Sylva on Feb. 4, 1994. He served as chief for 10 years and donated the land for the fire department.

• Stephen D. Carletti, 43, and David P. Theisen, 29, both volunteer firefighters with the Crooksville Volunteer Fire Department, died of burns after being trapped in the basement of a burning home in Crooksville on Feb. 5, 1998. An accomplished musician, Carletti was a church and youth group leader. Theisen was also a fulltime firefighter with the Westerville Fire Department.
• Robert J. O'Toole, 25, a career firefighter with the Washington Township Fire Department, was struck by a car at the scene of a motor vehicle accident in Centerville on Jan. 12, 1998. A law enforcement officer also died in the incident. As a result of these deaths, Congress considered legislation to study the safety of emergency personnel at roadside emergencies.

• Timothy D. Allen, 25, a volunteer firefighter with the Central High Fire Department, died in a motor vehicle accident on his way to a fire in Sallisaw on June 29, 1998.
• Warren Dee Myers, Jr., 48, a 20-year career firefighter with the Tulsa Fire Department, died of a heart attack returning from a call on Feb. 11, 1998.
• Thomas C. Reynolds, 29, a volunteer firefighter with the Terlton Community Fire Department, died of thermal burns while rescuing two children from an overturned dune buggy on Jan. 20, 1997. He had served as a volunteer for over 16 years.

• George Converse, 48, a contract pilot with the United States Forest Service, died in a helicopter crash in Apple Valley, California, on July 18, 1998. He was a resident of McMinnville.
• Henry Walter Howe, 50, a volunteer firefighter with the Brownsville Rural Fire District, died of trauma on Dec. 10, 1995, after being struck by a vehicle while clearing a downed tree from a road.

• Thomas J. Concannon, 55, a volunteer firefighter with the Wormleysburg Fire Company, died of a heart attack while directing traffic at the scene of a motor vehicle accident on Dec. 18, 1998. A Vietnam veteran, he was with the local fire police.
• David J. Good, 36, a volunteer firefighter with the Lionville Fire Company, died on March 9, 1998, when a tractor-trailer struck him and other emergency workers who were rescuing a motorist on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. A 5-year department veteran and a member of the Uwchlan Township's road crew, he coached local youth sport teams.
• Calvin Harbaugh, Sr., 56, a volunteer firefighter with the Ebenezer Fire Department, died of a heart attack while directing traffic at a motor vehicle accident in Lebanon on Aug. 18, 1998. He and his wife owned and operated a local business.
• Stephen E. Murphy, 47, a career firefighter with the Philadelphia Fire Department, died on Feb. 3, 1998, after suffering a heart attack while fighting a rowhouse fire in Philadelphia on Jan. 27, 1998. A 23-year fire service veteran, he had received the department's Heroism Award for rescuing three children after a residential gas explosion.
• Douglas L. Rohrbaugh, 52, a volunteer fire police officer with Laurel Fire Company #1, died on June 26, 1998, after a vehicle struck him at the scene of a motor vehicle accident in Windsor Township. He was the department's historian and had recently been honored for 20 years' service.
• Barry L. Wary, 51, a volunteer with the Klingerstown Fire Company, died of a heart attack at the scene of a commercial structure on Oct. 11, 1998.

• Jesus Garcia, 36, a career firefighter with the Puerto Rico Fire Department, died when his apparatus rolled over on the way to a fire on May 7, 1998. Garcia began his career in the Puerto Rico Fire Department in the Marine Division and later moved to the Special Operations Division.
• Luis A. Rivera, 58, a career firefighter with the Puerto Rico Fire Department, died of smoke inhalation after being exposed to massive amounts of smoke while extinguishing a grass fire in Patillas on February 23, 1998. Rivera, who worked for his fire department for nearly 30 years, also served in the local Civil Defense. He volunteered as a recreation leader in his community, organizing bicycle marathons for children and adults.

• Randel "Randy" Neal Sims, 44, a volunteer firefighter for over 20 years with the Antioch Volunteer Fire Department, died of a heart attack at the scene of a house fire in Lancaster on Sept. 14, 1998. He was also active in the Masons, Eastern Star, and the Hejaz Shrine Temple.

• Larry Joe King, Sr., 42, a volunteer firefighter with the Town of Maury City, died of a heart attack on August 16, 1998, while attempting to gain access to a burning vehicle. A bus driver and sheet metal worker, he was actively involved in church and community work.

• Barvon Coy Hamilton, 71, a volunteer firefighter for 10 years with the Southern Oaks Volunteer Fire Department, died in an equipment accident at the scene of a brush fire in Streetman on Aug. 1, 1998. A World War II veteran and retired USDA commodity inspector, he was active in his church.
• Steven C. Mayfield, 47, a career firefighter with the Houston Fire Department, died of a heart attack during an aircraft rescue training exercise on Dec. 2, 1998. A 23-year fire service veteran, he was stationed at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
• Patrick Henry McKinney, Jr., 72, a volunteer firefighter with the Colorado City Volunteer Fire Department, died when his apparatus overturned on the way to a grass fire in Colorado City on May 5, 1998. The department's former chief, he was 2 weeks short of celebrating 50 years as a volunteer firefighter.
• Steve Austin Tippens, 37, a volunteer firefighter with the Etoile Volunteer Fire Department, died in a motor vehicle accident while responding to an emergency call on Dec. 9, 1998. Tippens had been a member of the department for 10 years and was the assistant chief and training coordinator. He was scheduled to receive his bachelor's degree within a few days of his death, and the college awarded his degree posthumously.
• Joe W. Novosad, Sr., 57, a volunteer firefighter for 15 years with the Porter Volunteer Fire Department, died of a heart attack while responding to an emergency call on April 30, 1995. A Navy veteran, he owned a local electronics company.

• Charles P. Frank, 56, deputy chief of the West Weathersfield Volunteer Fire Department, died of a heart attack at the scene of a car fire in Springfield on Nov. 8, 1998. An Assistant State Fire Marshal and former police officer, he taught children about fire safety.
• Eugene P. McDonough, 54, a career firefighter with the St. Johnsbury Fire Department, died when a brick wall collapsed on him during a warehouse fire on Sept. 5, 1998. Fire officials determined it was an arson fire. McDonough began working as a firefighter in 1958 and had been with the St. Johnsbury Fire Department for nearly 20 years. He was active in community volunteer programs for shut-ins.

• Gregory Scott Carter, 24, a volunteer firefighter with the Fairlea Volunteer Fire Department, died of asphyxiation while trapped in a burning grocery store on Jan. 21, 1998. He worked at a car dealership next door and had been with the department for nearly 7 years.
• Robert O. Lee, 56, fire chief of the North River Volunteer Fire Department, died of a heart attack following a training drill at a nursing home in Baker on Sept. 30, 1998. A Sunday School teacher, he was a Vietnam veteran and received the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Achievement. He had been with the fire department for 27 years, serving as its chief for the last 7 years.

• Richard L. Kalous, 50, a career firefighter with the City of DePere Fire Department, died of a heart attack while dragging a water supply line from the engine to the fire hydrant at the scene of a car fire on Feb. 10, 1998.