New Jersey Firefighter Dies After Smoke Exposure

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The U.S. Fire Administration has announced the official on-duty death of Firefighter Richard W. Leonard, 70, of the Perth Amboy Fire Department on July 30, 2017.

Firefighter Richard W. Leonard was operating a pumper at a fire on State Street in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, on April 19, 1993. The fire involved a recycling facility with plastics. Firefighter Leonard did not have breathing air and worked in the highly toxic plastic burning smoke for hours. Leonard never returned to duty and spent the last 24 years under workers’ compensation care for continuous medical conditions caused from inhaling the smoke. Firefighter Leonard died on July 30, 2017 due to the effects of the smoke exposure. 

Tribute is being paid Firefighter Leonard at http://apps.usfa.fema.gov/firefighter-fatalities/

To date, 59 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2017.  Year-to-date and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/ff_fatality_reports.html

 

Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.

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New Jersey Firefighter Dies After Falling Ill Following Live-Fire Training

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USFA: New Jersey On-Duty Death
To date, 35 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2017.

The U.S. Fire Administration has announced the official on-duty death of Firefighter William F. Gerace, 54, of Gibbsboro Fire Company No.1 Inc., on April 28, 2017.

On April 10, as he was advancing hose line during mandatory live burn training, Firefighter William Gerace suffered a spiral fracture to his right fibula. On April 28, Firefighter Gerace’s spouse contacted 911 from Gerace’s residence as he was showing signs of severe respiratory difficulty. Upon the arrival of emergency responders, Firefighter Gerace stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest. He was immediately transported to a local hospital with EMS performing CPR. CPR was continued at the hospital and, after approximately 20 minutes, doctors pronounced him deceased. Autopsy results showed that he suffered a pulmonary embolism, which was directly attributed to being a complication of his initial leg fracture and recovery process.

Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Gerace at http://apps.usfa.fema.gov/firefighter-fatalities/

To date, 35 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2017.  Year-to-date and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/ff_fatality_reports.html

 

Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.

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