Herman S. Jones
Raleigh Fire Department
January 22, 2008Lt. Herman S. Jones,
58, died after suffering an apparent heart attack.. He was on duty Friday, January 18, at Station 10, when he began to experience chest pains. He was transported to WakeMed and then to UNC Hospital
in Chapel Hill.
He died at the hospital on January 22, 2008. Lt. Jones began his service with the Raleigh Fire Department on May 5, 1980, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on June 16, 2001.
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He was buried following a church service on Saturday,
January 26, at Juniper Level Baptist Church in Raleigh.
Captain Ronald Ricks, Firefighter Joseph Callender,
Firefighter Patrick Canady, Lieutenant Gregory Buxton,
Senior Firefighter George Jones Sr., and Senior Firefighter
Michael Barnes served as pallbearers.
Read NFFF memorial entry.
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Larry W. Fanning
Garner Fire Department
August 2, 2006
Firefighter Larry Wayne Fanning, 57,
died at his home of a heart attack,
several hours after working standby at the
station during a medical call. He was a
16-year veteran of the Garner Fire
Department, and a 38-year veteran of the
fire service. His funeral was held August
10, in Dublin, VA.
Read NFFF memorial entry. |
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Todd A. Blanchard
Eastern Wake Fire Department
July 14, 2005
Firefighter Todd Alan Blanchard, 31, died
from injuries suffered at a fire at the intersection of Turnipseed Road and Major Slade Road in the unincorporated Knightdale area.
Blanchard was one of a three-member crew returning
to the scene of an earlier tree fire. They arrived at
12:42 a.m. and applied water to the smoldering area, and then approached the tree to examine
the smoldering area more closely. As the crew walked toward the tree, a limb
approximately two-and-a-half feet in diameter broke and struck Blanchard.
The two firefighters with Blanchard removed the limb and began CPR when they determined that
the firefighter's breathing and heart had stopped. Paramedics
arrived at the scene and initiated advanced life support
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He was transported to WakeMed and
declared dead about 2:30 a.m. The cause of death was massive
chest trauma. Blanchard had worked as a full-time
firefighter for Eastern Wake Fire Department for
approximately two years. Memorial services were held at
Edenton Street United Methodist Church in downtown Raleigh
on Saturday, July 16. Over a mile of fire and EMS
vehicles from Wake, Cumberland, Durham, Harnett, Johnston,
Nash, and Wayne counties escorted mourners from Eastern Wake
Station 1 on Poole Road to the church.
Read NFFF memorial entry.
Patrick J. Dougherty
Garner Fire Department
April 7, 1993
Firefighter Patrick J. "Pat" Dougherty, 37, died of a heart
attack during salvage operations at a house fire at 516
Poplar Drive on April 7, 1993. At approximately 11:45 p.m.,
he complained of feeling week. He collapsed while
being examined by EMS personnel and was pronounced dead at
Wake Medical Center of a massive heart attack.
Funeral
services were held on April 10 at St. Mary's Catholic Church
in Garner. Fire units from Garner (E1, E2), Bay Leaf (E258), Durham Highway (E2), Fairgrounds (E198), Fuquay-Varina (E2, E5), Morrisville (E2) New Hope (E1), Six Forks (E121), Wake Forest (E63), and Yrac (E293)
participated in the procession to Montlawn Memorial Park in
Raleigh the same day. Dougherty, owner of an auto repair business,
was a volunteer member of the Garner Fire Department from
August 1988 to June
1992, and had rejoined in January 1993.
Read NFFF memorial entry.
Norwood C. Massengill
Fairgrounds Fire Department
February 10, 1971
Assistant Chief Norwood C. "Dick" Massengill, 57, died of a
heart attack while returning from a false alarm on February
10, 1971. Massengill
was operating the fire apparatus when it collided with trees in
a residential yard on Grand Avenue about 2:23 p.m. He was
found dead upon arrival of the Raleigh Fire Department
rescue squad.
Funeral services were held on February
12 at Apex Funeral Home, with burial at Montlawn Memorial
Park in Raleigh the same day. Massengill, a mechanic, was a charter member of the
volunteer Fairgrounds Fire
Department, organized in 1961.
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Paul A. Mimms
Raleigh Fire Department
April 20, 1965
Firefighter II
Paul A. "Pallie" Mimms, 41, died of an apparent heart attack
while operating a pumper at a commercial structure fire at 1908 Hillsboro Street. He fainted at the pump panel and was pronounced dead on arrival at Rex Hospital. The fire at Norden
Laboratories Incorporated was discovered about 12:15 a.m. Mimms was the
operator of Engine 5.
Funeral services were held on April 22 at Overby Mortuary
Chapel in Raleigh, with burial at Montlawn Memorial Park the
same day. Mimms joined the Raleigh Fire Department on
July 16, 1951.
More
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Vernon L.
Thompson
Cary Fire Department
June 16, 1960
Firefighter
Vernon Lee Thompson, 28, was killed and Firefighter Willis Edward (Billy) Henderson, 32, was injured when their
1954 department-built, 4,500-gallon,
tractor-drawn tanker overturned near
Meredith College on June 16, 1960. The accident occurred about 10:00 a.m., while
they were turning from US
1 onto a service road that ran between college property and
the State College animal husbandry farm.
Both were
thrown from the open-cab apparatus. Thompson was pinned under the cab and
died after gasoline leaking from the fuel tank under the seat
was apparently ignited by an electrical short. Raleigh
firefighters and other rescue workers spent nearly two hours
recovering Thompson's body. The first wrecker sent to the scene
was unable to raise the truck. A larger, second wrecker was
called and lifted the cab enough for Thompson's body to be
removed.
Both Thompson and Henderson were state employees
working at nearby Camp Polk prison farm and were en route to extinguish the rekindling of a trash fire near the prison
dump from the night before. Henderson
was driving about 15 miles an hour when the accident occurred.
Pavement markings stretched about 120 feet, created by the
pressure of the heavy, slowing truck. The
cab of the tanker was destroyed; the apparatus was not
returned to service. Funeral services were held on June 18 at
Cary Baptist Church, with burial at Cary Cemetery the same
day. Thompson was a volunteer member of the Cary Fire
Department.
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Vernon J. Smith
Raleigh Fire Department
March 10, 1956
Driver Vernon J. Smith, 44, died at Rex Hospital, succumbing
to injuries occurred November 14, 1952, while operating Engine
6. The 1926 American LaFrance pumper, being operated as a
reserve unit, overturned while returning from a call at the
sharp curve where Brooks Avenue turns into Lewis Farm Road.
The 1:00 p.m. accident also pinned Captain James T. White
under the wreckage and injured the three firefighters hanging
onto the tailboard. The accident was blamed on a broken brake
lever and the City Council immediately approved funding for a
new pumper, to retire the other 1926 reserve pumper as soon as
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The other firefighters recovered from their
injuries, while Smith underwent 29 operations before his
death. He worked in light-duty roles as his health permitted,
including as dispatcher. Funeral services were held on March 12 at Hayes Barton
Baptist Church, with burial at Montlawn Cemetery the same day.
Fire Chief Jack B. Keeter, Assistant Fire Chief R. Lee
Matthews, and fire department members James M. Burnette, James
T. White, Herbert E. Partin, and Jack T. Wall served as
pallbearers. Smith joined the Raleigh Fire Department on
July 17, 1942.
More
information.
This page was last
updated on October 15, 2011.