Bob Brooks Sr., the Montgomery firefighter who collapsed at a training exercise Saturday, died Monday.
Officials said Brooks, 42, died of a catastrophic brain aneurysm. The husband and father of five, who moved to Montgomery from Long Island in the past year, had been a member of the Montgomery Fire Department since September.
"It's really a difficult thing to lose someone so young and so full of promise," said Jim Ferguson, Montgomery's fire chief.
Ferguson said the department is grieving alongside Brooks' widow and her five children.
"We spent a lot of time with the family (Monday) and we are going to be here to help them take care of everything they need," Ferguson said.
"We are going to see this thing through to the end," he added. "We're going to make sure we do the right thing for the family, and make a good showing for Bob and everything he stood for."
Ferguson said the department will be setting up a relief fund to help Brooks' devastated family.
Brooks was on the verge of completing basic firefighter training Saturday when he collapsed while participating in a live-burn exercise with other firefighters at the Orange County Fire Training Center.
Witnesses said Brooks had completed a sweep through a burning building -- deliberately set ablaze as part of the exercise -- and was waiting to begin a second sweep when he collapsed.
Frantic firefighters and training center staff surrounded Brooks, trying desperately to save his life.
Brooks had been in grave condition at the Horton campus of Orange Regional Medical Center since Saturday. He died yesterday morning.
Memorial services for Brooks are planned for later this week.
First Report: Firefighter Suffers Brain Injury at Training ExerciseMontgomery
