Cohnway Matthew Johnson

At 5:45 a.m., the Clinton Fire Department’s on-duty crew responded to a reported smoldering fire in a silo storage bin at Archer-Daniels-Midland loading facility. At 7:00 a.m., the scene was handed off to the next crew coming on-duty which included Lieutenant Eric Hosette. Nearly two hours later at 8:45 a.m., Hosette was injured in an explosion at the scene. Hosette was transported to Mercy Medical Center where, despite all efforts, he passed away. A second firefighter was critically injured during the explosion but survived.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Hosette family. 

Firefighter Steven Pollard arrived with the Fire Department of New York City’s Ladder Co. 170 at the scene of a motor vehicle accident on the Belt Parkway, just east of Flatbush Avenue. As he was assisting at the scene, Pollard fell through a gap dividing the eastbound and westbound lanes of an overpass bridge and plummeted 52 feet to the ground. Pollard was transported to Kings County Hospital where he passed away a short time later from the critical injuries he sustained in the fall.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Pollard family.

District Chief (Station 14) Jason Byrd suffered an apparent heart attack while at the scene of a residential structure fire. Within 15 seconds of the medical emergency, responders administered advanced life support measures to Byrd and then transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Byrd family.  

On 02/19/19, Firefighter Brenden Pierce started his shift at the Palmerdale Fire District, Station 3. During this shift at approximately 12:30 a.m. on 02/20/2019, Pierce suffered a medical emergency after responding to a weather-related call. He was immediately transported to the Grandview Medical Center where he was declared brain dead on 02/20/2019. Because Pierce was an organ donor, his organs were transplanted to multiple recipients over the next few days. Pierce’s official date of death was 02/23/2019.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Pierce family. 

On 02/26/2019, Firefighter Thomas Nye helped extinguish a residential chimney fire and then returned home. He collapsed early the next morning on 02/27/2019 after suffering an apparent cardiac incident. Nye was transported to Tobey Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Nye family. 

Captain Joel Barnes was one of five firefighters who went into a three-story apartment building to fight a four-alarm fire. While inside the structure, conditions rapidly worsened. Three of the firefighters were able to escape. Barnes and one other firefighter became trapped in a room of a third-floor apartment. While waiting to be rescued, Barnes reportedly used his body to shield the other firefighter from the intense fire. Upon rescue, Barnes was unresponsive, and EMTs and other colleagues immediately performed life-saving measures on him. Barnes was then transported to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital where he was pronounced deceased from the injuries he sustained. The four other firefighters were treated and released by Wentworth-Douglass Hospital.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Barnes family. 

While at the scene of a residential structure fire, Captain Jacob Ringering and three additional firefighters were injured when a portion of the structure collapsed as they attacked the fire. Ringering was taken to the hospital where he passed away from the injuries he sustained. One of the additional firefighters was flown by helicopter to the hospital where he is in stable condition. The two remaining firefighters were treated and released.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ringering family. 

Firefighter Michael Bernstein suffered a medical emergency while on-duty at Engine 78 at Philadelphia International Airport. Bernstein was transported to Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital where he passed away. The nature and cause of fatal injury are still to be determined.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bernstein family. 

While conducting aerial ignition operations on a prescribed burn in the Sam Houston National Forest in Texas, Captain Daniel Laird’s helicopter went down. Laird passed away from the injuries he sustained in the crash. Other crew members sustained non-life-threatening injuries.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Laird family. 

Firefighter/Paramedic James “Woody” Woodman was a member of Recruit Class #15 at the Connecticut State Fire Academy. Only two days after being out of the academy, on October 5, 1999, Woodman was part of an ambulance crew transporting a child who had been struck by a vehicle to the Yale-New Haven Hospital. As they neared the hospital, the ambulance was broadsided by a bus and rolled over multiple times. Woodman sustained a traumatic brain injury that resulted in his living in a long-term care facility until his death on March 29, 2019. The child who was being transported and other crew members of the ambulance were seriously injured but have all made complete recoveries.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Woodman family. 

John "Jack" Leming, 78 of Cape May Point, New Jersey 04-15-19

Firefighter John Leming attended a drill on 4/15/2019 at the fire station at approximately 7:00 pm. At the conclusion of the drill, he returned home. During the night, he became ill. His wife called 911 and EMS responded. During transport to a local hospital, Leming went into cardiac arrest and life saving measures were not successful. Leming was pronounced deceased shortly after his arrival at the hospital.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Leming family.

On April 17, 2019, Argyle Volunteer Fire Department was called to an active wildland fire that was endangering structures. While responding as a passenger in the department’s compressed air foam truck, Firefighter Dwain Hudson experienced a medical emergency. Firefighters and EMS personnel immediately provided emergency medical aid to Hudson. He was transported to Custer Regional Hospital where resuscitation efforts continued but were not successful. Hudson was pronounced deceased at the hospital.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Hudson family.

On April 21, 2019, Driver/Engineer Michael Watkins was responding to a brush fire when he suffered a heart attack. He was immediately taken to the hospital where he passed away on April 24, 2019.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Watkins family. 

On April 14, 2019, while on-duty at the fire station, Firefighter/EMT Brad Gregrich complained to his co-worker that he wasn’t feeling well, with a headache and feeling tired. The next morning, returning home after his shift, Firefighter/EMT Gregrich was still ill.  His wife transported him to the hospital.  The hospital then released him after an evaluation.  He returned home but became unresponsive and 9-1-1 was called. He was rushed back to the hospital where he suffered a major stroke and never regained consciousness.  He passed away at the hospital on Saturday, April 27, 2019.   Our thoughts and prayers are with the Gregrich family. 

Firefighter Kody Vanfossan responded to a multi-alarm two-story vacant structure fire in Christopher, Illinois. Upon arrival, heavy smoke could be seen coming out of the top floor of the structure. Vanfossan, along with a second firefighter, began an interior attack on the fire. An additional firefighter later called for the two firefighters to exit the building. As the two firefighters started down steps in the rear of the building, the steps collapsed. While the second firefighter was able to make it out of the building, a Mayday was issued for Vanfossan. Vanfossan was recovered from the building and placed into an ambulance where he was pronounced deceased. Investigation into the incident continues. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Vanfossan family. 

On May 7, 2019, Lieutenant Barry Boulton, Sr., collapsed after completion of a Rapid Intervention Team (RIT) drill.  Resuscitation efforts were immediately rendered to Boulton who was then rushed to the Westside Regional Medical Center in Plantation, FL, where he passed away from cardiac arrest.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Boulton family. 

On May 12, 2019, Firefighter William N. Franck was performing scene safety at a motor vehicle accident.  While at the accident, he suffered a CVA.  He was immediately taken to Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, PA, where he passed away a short time later.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Franck family. 

On May 15, 2019, firefighters from the Appleton Fire Department, the Appleton Police Department, and the Gold Cross Ambulance Crew, responded to a medical emergency at the Valley Transit Center in downtown Appleton, WI.  While treating the patient, the situation escalated into shots being fired, striking Firefighter Lundgaard, a police officer, and a bystander.  Aid was immediately rendered to Firefighter Lundgaard and he was rushed to the ThedaCare Regional Medical Center in Appleton, WI.  Despite all life-saving efforts, Lundgaard passed away from the injuries he sustained from the shooting.  Investigation into the incident continues. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Lundgaard family. 

Senior Firefighter/Driver Engineer Charles Ruffing, who had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, was found deceased in Boise Fire Department Station 6 as a result of a suicide.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ruffing family. 

Firefighter/Paramedic Christopher Moore was on duty at the fire station on Thursday, June 6, 2019, and Friday, June 7, 2019. He responded to several fire and EMS calls during his 48 hour shift. He complained of not feeling well in the late morning of Friday, June 7, 2019, and was relieved of duty to go home and rest. He stated that he was going to follow-up with his personal physician. He was found deceased Saturday morning, June 8, 2019, at his residence.  Investigation into the incident is ongoing.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Moore family.