A longtime Nebraska fire chief suffered a fatal heart attack after an emergency call early Monday.
Boys Town Fire & Rescue Chief John Sing, 67, was part of the response to an EMS call at around 2 a.m., according to the U.S. Fire Administration. He collapsed upon his return to the station and was rushed to a local hospital, where he later died from an apparent heart attack.
Sing joined the Boys Town department in June 1971 "after watching his father work in multiple roles" in the community, the town said in a statement. Before joining the department, he was offered a job with the Denver Fire Department but turned it down to stay in Nebraska, WOWT-TV reports.
"My heart is broken for his family and the Boys Town Fire Department members," Waterloo and Douglas County Rural Fire Chief Travis Harlow told the TV station. "He was such a leader and mentor to so many in the fire service, no matter serving on Boys Town Fire or a part of the Tri-Mutual Aid area."
Sing worked in Boys Town for nearly a half century, eventually heading up the department. He also is credited with starting Boys Town's fire cadet program.
"Chief Sing’s hard work and commitment to the Boys Town mission have greatly served his community, and he will be missed by the entire Boys Town family," an statement on Boys Town's Facebook page said.
