Firefighter Fatality

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality:

Name: Thomas Shields

Rank: Second Assistant Fire Chief

Age: 42

Gender: Male

Status: Volunteer

Years of Service: 23

Date of Incident: 05/31/2011

Time of Incident: 1252hrs

Date of Death: 05/31/2011

Fire Department: Flanders Fire Department Company #1 and Rescue

Address:  27 Main ST, Flanders, NJ  07836

Fire Department Website:  http://www.flandersfire.org/home

Fire Department Chief:  Greg Widzemok

Incident Description:  Second Assistant Chief Shields responded to an emergency call of a child who became overheated at the Mountainview Elementary School.  Assistant Chief Shields returned to the firehouse and then headed home, feeling ill, with chest pains.   Emergency medical personnel responded but tragically Chief Shields died at Saint Clare's Hospital in Denville, NJ. 

Funeral Arrangements: Pending

Memorial Fund Contact and Address:  Pending

Tribute is being paid to Second Assistant Chief Shields at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/.

To date, 37 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2011; 33 from incidents that occurred in 2011 and four from previous years’ incidents.  Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online @ http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/ff_stats.shtm.