Firefighter Fatality

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

Name: Larry Gale Nelson

Rank: Lieutenant

Age: 61

Gender: Male

Status: Volunteer

Years of Service: 6

Date of Incident: 08/12/2011

Time of Incident: 1215hrs

Date of Death: 08/12/2011

Fire Department: Val Verde County Rural Volunteer Fire Department

Address: PO Box 420836, 1690 Cienegas RD, Del Rio, TX 78842-0836

Fire Department Chief: Jerry Rust

Fire Department Website: http://www.valverdecounty.org/Fire_Rescue_Department.html

Incident Description: Lieutenant Nelson passed away from a cause still to be determined while working at the fire station and experiencing a fall from a small step ladder.  Lt. Nelson had also responded to an emergency call the previous day that was canceled while en route.

Incident Location: Station 3, 6911 Rec Road 2, Del Rio, TX

Funeral Arrangements: Visitations will be on Monday, 1-9:00P.M, August 15, 2011 and with a Chapel service at 3:00P.M, at G. W. Cox Memorial Funeral Home Chapel.  Officiating will be Gerald L. Prather, Chaplain, Maj. Gen., USAF (Ret.) Visitations and Church service will also be in Andrews, Texas. Visitations will on Tuesday, 5-9:00P.M, August 16, 2011 at the McNett Funeral Home and Church services will be on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 10:00A.M, at the Andrews Church of Christ, Andrews, Texas followed by burial at the Andrews County Cemetery.

Memorial Fund Contact and Address: In Lieu of Usual Remembrances donations can be made to the Val Verde County Rural Fire Department.

Tribute is being paid to Lieutenant Larry Gale Nelson at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/.

To date, 63 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2011; 58 from incidents that occurred in 2011 and five 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.