Watertown's fire chief identified the 23-year-old firefighter who was hospitalized following a training incident this week as Peyton Morse.
Morse, 23, was attending an 11-week firefighter recruit class at the New York State Fire Academy in Montour Fall when he suffered a medical emergency.
He is in critical, but stable condition in the intensive care unit, Watertown fire officials told television station WWNY.
Morse also served as an assistant fire chief with the LaFargeville Volunteer Fire Department.
“You ask him to do something, he’s right on it," LaFargeville Fire Chief Wade Ingalls told WWNY. "If he knows he has to do something, he’s out of the truck."
Watertown Fire Chief Matthew Timerman said Morse is “a great firefighter," adding that “We look forward to a speedy recovery.”
“There are serious concerns about circumstances and reactions surrounding these events. We have not yet had the opportunity to speak to the members of the class witnessing the session,” according to a statement from the New York State Professional Firefighters Association. “In addition, we are demanding a comprehensive report and will pose questions to the officials who oversee the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control regarding these events and the actions of the personnel supervising the training.”
The Watertown Fire Department is cooperating with the New York State Police who were called in to investigate the incident, Timerman said.
“It doesn’t really make a difference which badge you have or which patch you have on your shirt. Everybody in public safety is all just one big family and they really care about each other,” said Jefferson County Director of Fire and Emergency Management Joe Plummer. “This situation could have happened here in Watertown, New York, in Watertown, Massachusetts, or in California. It doesn’t make much of a difference. Everyone gets concerned about these kinds of things,” said Plummer.
Shirts with the hashtag #MorseStrong are available, with funds going to support Morse's family. The sale sends March 14.
The Watertown Firefighters Benevolent Association is also excepting donations, with details on the Facebook post below.
