National Fire Academy Educator Dies Unexpectedly

A longtime National Fire Academy instructor died unexpectedly Wednesday.

Dr. Cortez Lawrence was working at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD, when he told colleagues he wasn’t feeling well. Staff members immediately came to his aid and he was rushed to the hospital where he later died, said Tom Olshanski, spokesman for the U.S. Fire Administration.

“Cortez was a real popular gentleman and well known through the fire service,” said Olshanki.

Lawrence had a long history of public service. He served as deputy director for the Auburn, AL, Public Safety Department, fire marshal for the U.S. State Department and later as director for the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, AL.

He wore many hats during his career in Emmittsburg, serving as the director of the National Fire Programs and superintendent of the Emergency Management Institute. During Hurricane Katrina, Lawrence served as the emergency services branch chief in the FEMA Joint Field Office and Area Field Office in Baton Rouge, LA, and New Orleans. He also served as a program specialist at the National Fire Academy where he helped develop curriculum and worked tirelessly on special projects.

Among the many projects he was involved with, Lawrence helped write the U.S. Fire Administration’s active shooter response program and was working on the second revision, according to Olshanski.

“He had quite a distinguished career in Vietnam during the conflict,” Olshanski said, noting that not many people knew that Lawrence received numerous medals.