Oxford’s fire chief died Sunday after he suffered a medical event while in Portland for a memorial for a fallen firefighter.
Gary Sacco, 63, was rushed to Maine Medical Center about 10 a.m., the Oxford Fire and Rescue Department announced Sunday afternoon on a post to it Facebook page. A Maine Medical Center spokesman confirmed to the Portland Press Herald that Sacco was pronounced dead in the emergency room.
“Chief Sacco was a consummate professional. Not only did he love the job, he had a passion for the fire service like no other. Chief Sacco was a respected leader, mentor, and positive role model. Chief Sacco was well liked by all members of the department and the community,” Oxford Fire and Rescue said.
Sacco was named Oxford’s full-time fire chief in June 2017, according to the Press Herald. Before that, he ran the New Gloucester Fire Department, where he served for 12 years until he retired from the department in October 2015.
Sacco was in Portland over the weekend for the public memorial service for Berwick fire Capt. Joel Barnes, who died in Berwick on March 1 while fighting a blaze in an apartment building.
In a statement, Gov. Janet Mills said, “I join with people across Maine in offering my thoughts and prayers to Chief Sacco’s family and friends, the Oxford Fire Department, and all of Maine’s first responders. The State of Maine has given two of its best to the Heavens.”
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