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A St. Louis firefighter described as a "rock solid partner" died of COVID-19, the department announced Wednesday.
Firefighter Rodney L. Heard had been with the department since 1999. He had recently worked in support services.
"After a courageous battle with COVID-19, Firefighter Heard succumbed to the illness," the department stated in an online update.
Gregg Favre, executive director of the St. Louis Regional Response System, had worked with Heard and called him a "rock solid partner" and a "(h)ell of a fireman."
"A quieter man (especially by city FF standards) he was a deeply religious & family oriented man," Favre wrote in a series of social media posts. "He was also a rock solid partner. Big, strong & brave. Hell of a fireman."
Favre also described a call that he was on with Heard more than a decade ago.
"In 2009 we were second due at an especially bad fire," Favre wrote. "Middle of the night, heavy fire, multiple people trapped. Rodney was how he always was - calm, focused, ready. The dude was always in position. You could always count on him. That he’s going ‘on the wall’ is hard to accept."
Heard's body will be escorted from St. Mary's Hospital to Granberry Mortuary on Thursday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Funeral arrangements are pending.
