Fla. Firefighter Wants to Climb Ladder That Killed Brother

Jan. 11--Just 13 months apart in age, Bill and John Elliott grew up sharing a bedroom, each other's toys, and eventually a career. When Bill became a firefighter more than 25 years ago, John was not far behind.

"He was a natural born leader," John Elliott, 48, said of his older brother. "He was the one I looked up to."

Soon after he returns to work next week with Boca Raton Fire-Rescue, Elliott said he plans to follow his brother's footsteps once more by going to Pompano Beach Fire Station 61 and climbing to the top of the 100-foot ladder from which Bill fell to his death on Friday during a training exercise.

"I want to be in the same spot he was, to see what he saw, to think and reminisce," Elliott said on Tuesday as tears welled in his eyes. "It is a step I just feel I have to take."

The outpouring of grief triggered by Bill Elliot's death -- the first Pompano Beach firefighter ever to die in the line of duty -- extends well beyond his immediate kin. Firefighters think of themselves as a brotherhood, and feelings of loss run deep.

Although an investigation is continuing, it may never be known what exactly happened. John Elliott said Pompano Beach fire officials offered to destroy the ladder from which Bill fell. "I told them, 'No, my brother would not want that. He was known for fixing things."'

While Elliott and his sister Mary-Beth Williams prepare for Friday's funeral, scores of relatives, friends and fellow firefighters flowed through the house the brothers shared in a continuing wake that pays tribute to a man lauded as an exemplar of his perilous profession.

Fire trucks from Pompano Beach, Boca Raton and Lighthouse Point -- where both brothers began their careers -- are parked in front.

"He was the guy people went to as a teacher; popular, funny, a wonderful guy, a fire officer's dream," said Elliott's supervisor, Lt. Debbie Zimmerman. "This has put a hole in the department and in our hearts."

Pompano Beach firefighter Scott Friend called Elliott "the guy you would want to be on call with. He was level-headed, never got upset and was a regular MacGyver in fixing things."

His circle was wide. "He had friends in every avenue of life," said Mike Cole, a Boca Raton veterinarian. "He was always smiling. People were attracted to him."

For John Elliott, the grief is compounded by concern for his mother. Joanne Elliott, 72, suffered what may have been a heart attack after she rushed to North Broward Medical Center on Friday to see her son. On Tuesday she was in Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale.

William "Bill" Elliott joined the Pompano Beach fire department in 1989 and quickly distinguished himself with his can-do attitude and technical skills. He has served on the dive team, rope rescue unit and, most recently, the hazardous materials squad.

The Friday exercise in which he died was voluntary, Zimmerman said. The ladder truck was new, and although Elliott's current assignment did not usually call for climbing, he, Zimmerman and three others took part in the exercise for conditioning and to become familiar with the equipment.

Zimmerman said she and others were looking at the truck when Elliott made his second climb of the afternoon. No one saw Elliott lose his grip.

Although he was wearing a safety harness, it is clipped to the ladder only when the firefighter is at the top.

"I heard two bangs," said Zimmerman, "and looked up to see him falling." The noise, said Zimmerman, was caused by a long pole, affixed to the top of the ladder, that also fell.

For Zimmerman, a 26-year veteran, Elliott's death represents "every officer's worst nightmare, to have a line of duty death."

Born in Long Island, Elliott and his younger brother and sister moved to South Florida with their parents in 1974. After graduating from Deerfield Beach High School, Bill Elliott worked as a land surveyor before joining the Lighthouse Point fire department. Seven years later he switched to Pompano Beach.

Off duty, the brothers were avid fishermen, hunters and boaters. "When we weren't working, we were together," said Elliott said.

A viewing is set from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church, 138 NE First St. in Pompano Beach. A public funeral will begin at 12:30 p.m. Friday at Calvary Chapel, 2401 W. Cypress Creek Road in Fort Lauderdale.

The funeral procession is to begin at Citi Center in Pompano Beach, pass in front of City Hall and arrive at Calvary Chapel. There will be no procession to a cemetery; Elliott's family has chosen cremation, organizers said.

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Copyright 2012 - Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.