MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. --

Martin County Fire Rescue is mourning the loss of one of its own.

Fred Pierno Jr. died Wednesday at his Port Saint Lucie home due to an illness he contract on the job as a Firefighter/EMT with Martin County Fire Rescue.

He serves as the first Line of Duty Death in the history of the agency.

Pierno has been under medical treatment since October 2006 for a Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection he sustained while performing his firefighter duties. He's the 13th firefighter in the United States and the seventh in Florida to be classified as a Line of Duty death due to a hepatitis infection.

"Sometimes in life you're privileged enough to serve with someone whose character and commitment you never question, someone whose loyalty and reliability are unwavering -- and Ferdinando "Freddy" Pierno was just that person," said Martin County Fire Rescue Chief Tom Billington. "You never want to lose anyone on the job, but to lose someone of Freddy's caliber and decency makes the loss all the more crushing."

Funeral services will be held Monday at Saint Martin's De Porres Church in Jensen Beach. The ceremony begins at 11:30, with a procession to Forest Hills Memorial Park immediately following.

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