Official Press Release
Department of Commerce & Insurance Division of Fire Prevention
A firefighter from the Loretto Fire Department died on Saturday, May 24, 2003 from head injuries sustained after participating in a weekend training exercise at the Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy.
Firefighter Jason Ellis, age 29 was riding in the back of a pick-up truck owned and operated by another firefighter when he slid off of the tailgate and was critically injured.
Firefighter Ellis was participating as a student and had just completed a weekend of training activities associated with the TFACA's Live Firefighting Course. All training activities were completed and Firefighter Ellis along with two other firefighters were traveling from the training grounds to the front of the campus when the accident occurred.
Bedford County EMS, which has an ambulance stationed at the Academy, along with fire service personnel treated Firefighter Ellis on the scene. Jason was then flown by Life-flight to Vanderbilt Hospital and had remained in critical condition.
Jason Ellis was a paid/on-call firefighter for the Loretto Fire Department, which is located in Lawrence County in south central Tennessee. Firefighter Ellis had been with the Loretto Fire Department for five years and was the Department's Training Officer. He also worked full time with the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office as a Sergeant and Training Officer and oversaw their D.A.R.E. program.
"It is a very tragic accident and the thoughts and prayers of the Academy's staff go out to the family of Firefighter Ellis and to the Loretto Fire Department,
