A firefighter lost consciousness on a Willow Fire Department vehicle as he waited to respond to a call Saturday morning.
Roger DeLongchamp, 66, answered a 2 a.m. fire call before he fell unconcious.
Firefighters performed CPR on their colleauge for an hour before he was pronounded dead around 3 a.m., according the Alaska Daily News.
"Our community and Fire Service has lost a very dedicated and reliable member early this morning as he was preparing to respond to an emergency," the Willow Fire Department stated on Facebook. "He was also recently awarded the Quarterly Award by the Mat-Su Bourogh for Service and Dedication."
"He still got out of bed before two in the morning to go help others in need,” Rich Boothby, Alaska’s state fire marshal director said in a release. “You have good people doing good things for their community. When someone with such dedication dies when rushing to help others, it leaves a huge void. He will be missed for years to come.”
DeLongchamp joined the department over three years ago when the community created a Driver/Operator position.
"This proved itself extremely beneficial by way of getting apparatus to fires, and Roger was extremely dedicated and reliable," the department posted. "His dedication and commitment went beyond driving and running a pump on a fire truck. Roger was always willing to help with anything he could."
"We hope all Alaskans will join us in praying for his family, friends, and fellow first responders during this difficult time,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy wrote in a statement. “It’s the brave work of firefighters, paramedics, and law enforcement like Roger Delongchamp that keep our state safe. On behalf of all Alaskans I want to thank Roger for his service to our great state.”
