Los Angeles fire and EMS personnel are mournng the loss of one of their own.
Fire/Paramedic Capt. Matthew G. McKnight was found unresponsive inside the LAFD Metropolitan Fire Communications Center.
McKnight, 51, was last seen at 12:55 a.m. near the conclusion of a busy five hour watch, where he directly supervised eleven Firefighter/Dispatchers in overseeing the life safety needs, a department spokesman said in a prepared statement.
"Despite an exhaustive effort by colleagues who immediately performed CPR, applied a defibrillator and instituted advanced life support measures, McKnight proved beyond medical help and was declared dead Monday morning at the Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center," the spokesman said.
McKnight is survived by his wife, teenage daughter and pre-teen son, as well as two brothers who are active-duty members of the LAFD.
He was a 31-year veteran of the department.
An autopsy is being performed to detmine the cause of death.
Funeral details are not completed as yet.