Line-of-Duty Deaths, 2000-2001
2000
December 17: Firefighter Keith Purcell, 47, of the Southold (NY) Fire Department, collapsed and died from an unknown cause, possibly a heart attack, while pulling hose at a house fire.
December 18: Deputy Chief Ronald Haner, 61, of the Portage (MI) Fire Department, was overcome by smoke and fumes while trying to escape from a structure fire at his residence after alerting his wife to the fire.
December 23: Lieutenant Scott Gillen, 37, of the Chicago (IL) Fire Department, was struck and killed by a motorist while assisting at the scene of a traffic accident.
December 23: Firefighter David Anderson, 43, of the Manchester (NH) Fire Department, collapsed and died of a cause still to be determined moments after exiting a burning residence from which he was attempting to rescue the occupants.
December 24: Commissioner Charles E. H. Lauber, Jr., 55, of the Smithtown (NY) Fire Department, died from injuries sustained when he fell from the top of a piece of antique fire apparatus in a storage area.
2001
January 3: Member/EMT Betty King Dennis, 54, of the Fire and Rescue Assoc. Inc. of Centerville, NC, Louisburg, NC, was struck and killed by a vehicle while directing traffic at the scene of an accident.
January 4: Firefighter Gregg J. McLoughlin, 39, of the Fire Department of New York, suffered a cardiac arrest at his fire station.
January 10: Firefighter W. Gilmore (Butch) Stitley III, 54, of the Independent Hose Co./Citizens Truck Co., Frederick, Maryland, collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack while putting on turnout gear at the scene of a mulch pile fire.
January 10: Firefighter Rick Buongiorne, 48, of the Kendall (NY) Fire Department, died from injuries sustained when he was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic at the scene of an accident.
January 11: Lieutenant Andrew White, 27, of the Rocky Grove Volunteer Fire Department, Franklin, Pennsylvania, became trapped and was killed when fire conditions quickly deteriorated in a trailer house fire.
January 12: Firefighter William L. Thompson, 21, of the Hillsboro (KY) Volunteer Fire Department, was killed while operating a fire tanker in response to a grass fire. He lost control of the vehicle, which left the roadway, struck a utility pole, and overturned.
January 13: Firefighter Donald L. Franklin, 42, of the Fire Department of New York, collapsed and died from a cause still to be determined, possibly a heart attack, while working at the scene of a burning apartment building.
January 19: Driver/Operator James Henry “Big Jim” Haigler, 44, of the Sanford (NC) Fire Department, collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack within four hours of returning home after working a 24-hour shift. n
Source: National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Database, United States Fire Administration.
Chief Bob Rielage, Ohio’s state fire marshal, is requesting fire department “trading” cards for eight-year-old Gentry Gabbard, the son of a former firefighter who is now a minister. Gentry was diagnosed with leukemia a year ago. His dad asked Rielage for some fire service items from the fire marshal’s office. Rielage is asking that fire departments forward directly to Gentry at the address below a set of any fire service “trading” cards they may have for their department: Gentry Gabbard; 4361 Carter Avenue; Norwood, OH 45212.
