Firefighter Fatality

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality:

Name: John "Jack" Colbert

Rank: Captain

Age: 60

Gender: Male

Status: Volunteer

Years of Service: 39

Date of Incident: 04/06/2012

Time of Incident: 1215hrs

Date of Death: 04/06/2012

Fire Department: Birchwood Fire Department

Address: PO Box 70, 101 N Main St, Birchwood, WI  54817

Fire Department Chief: Jeff Robotka

Incident Description: Captain Colbert responded to the station for a drowning incident.  Upon arrival, he worked communications at the station until he fell ill and left for home where he passed away from a heart attack.

Incident Location: Red Cedar Lake (Staging: Loch Lomond Beach Club, 2754 28th Street, Birchwood, WI 54817 (USNG: 15T XL 1078 5089))

Funeral Arrangements: Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Monday at Appleyard Home for Funerals in Rice Lake.  Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Birchwood.

 

Tribute is being paid to Captain John "Jack" Colbert at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fireservice/fatalities/

To date, 27 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2012. Year-to-date monthly and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online @ http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/ff_stats.shtm