Line of Duty Deaths
The DC Fire & EMS Department has lost 102 firefighters in the line of duty since 1856. A firefighter death is considered to have occurred in the line of duty if it occurs during an operational incident, for example, a fire; en route to or from an incident, for example a traffic accident; or as a result of service, for example, from a heart attack or occupational disease. A full accounting of these 102 deaths – what is referred to as the Roll of Honor – is available on the DC Fire & EMS Foundation’s Firefighters’ Memorial Helmet website.
This website’s Line of Duty Deaths exhibit includes photos, videos, and oral histories remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice, using available content from the Washington, DC Fire and EMS Museum or from donations. It is a work in progress and does not include images or stories of all of the fallen. If you would like to contribute additional content about a colleague or loved one, please contact us.
Heart Disease and the Fire Service
Sadly, the last three firefighter line of duty deaths in Washington, DC – Firefighter Technician Alex D. Graham, Lieutenant Kevin A. McRea, and Firefighter Technician James J. McRea III, Kevin’s cousin - were the result of cardiac arrest due to heart disease.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the most common cause of on-duty death of firefighters – up to 45% - according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For this reason, the DC Fire and EMS Department has spent many years building its health and wellness programs for members, emphasizing nutrition, exercise, and better sleep habits. It has also worked to ensure its programs and policies are in full compliance with the National Fire Protection Association 1582 Standard on Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments, a milestone accomplished in 2024.
Firefighter Technician
Alex D. Graham
Source: DC Fire and EMS Department
Date: 2019
Lt. McRea's death inspired the DC Firefighters Memorial Helmet Project, which installs a memorial helmet at the location of every DC Firefighter line of duty death. This photo captures a temporary memorial helmet installed in memory of Lt. McRea in the years after his death. Source: Dennis Carmody Date: 2023
Source: DC Fire and EMS Department (unless noted)
Date: 2015
Technician
James J. McRea, III
Source: DC Fire and EMS Department
Date: 2007
1997-1999
Fire Chief Donald Edwards embraces a firefighter on October 24, 1997, the day Sergeant John Carter died.
Source: Firehouse Magazine
The years 1997 to 1999 were incredibly difficult for the DC Fire and EMS Department, as it lost four firefighters in the line of duty: Sergeant John Carter, Firefighter Anthony Phillips, Firefighter Louis Matthews, and Firefighter Technician Costello Robinson. These losses occurred in the midst of the city’s financial crisis and Department budget cuts, compounding the community’s grief.
In the wake of a firefighter’s unexpected death, the Department conducts its own review and also has the option of inviting the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to do a review of the circumstances that led to the death. These late 1990s losses taught DC policymakers and the fire service nationally many hard lessons about the importance of properly equipping and resourcing firefighters.
The deaths of Firefighters Phillips and Matthews at the Cherry Road fire, in particular, led to improvements in understanding the science of fire behavior and the importance of following tested operational protocols to keep firefighters safe. An example is this video produced by the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) and the Fire Safety Research Institute of UL. It features Retired Lieutenant Joseph Morgan who survived the Cherry Road fire but suffered severe burns over 65% of his body and initially had only a five percent chance of survival. Training videos and reports like these, help to ensure that a firefighter’s line of duty death is never in vain.
Sergeant
John Carter
This short documentary was made 15 years after Sergeant Carter’s death.
Date: 2012
Fire Chief Donald Edwards consoles a firefighter at the fireground where Sergeant Carter lost his life. Source: Firehouse Magazine Date: 1997
Source: DC Fire and EMS Department (unless noted)
Date: 1997
Firefighter
Anthony Phillips
Firefighter Phillips' wife, Lysa Phillips, has published a book about her husband's final call to duty, including stories from those who loved him and those who worked alongside him.
Firefighter Phillips' wife, Lysa Phillips, has published a book her husband's final call to duty, including stories from those who loved him and those who worked alongside him.
Date: 2010s Source: Lysa Phillips
Source: DC Fire and EMS Department (unless noted)
Date: 1999
Source: DC Fire and EMS Department
Date: 1999
Firefighter Technician
Costello Robinson
Source: DC Fire and EMS Department
Date: 1999
Sea of Blue
When a firefighter dies in the line of duty, traditions and rituals follow. These traditions not only honor the firefighter’s ultimate sacrifice, but also help to bring consolation to the firefighter brothers and sisters they have left behind. As they do so, they have a saying: “We’ll take it from here.”
The following photos of the line of duty death funerals of John Williams and Calvin Steve in the early 1980s show the firefighters' flag-draped caskets progressing through the city as firefighters stand by and salute; the Sea of Blue – a large group of firefighters in their blue dress uniforms standing at attention outside of the funeral service; a ladder arch welcoming the firefighter to the cemetery; and the graveside presentation of the United States flag to the firefighter’s family. `
John Williams served in the US Army Military Police before joining the DC Fire Department. Source: Angelique Williams Date: Ca. 1967
John Williams' funeral. Source: Washington, DC Fire and EMS Museum Date: December 21, 1984
Source: Washington, DC Fire and EMS Museum
Date: 1984
Source: Washington, DC Fire and EMS Museum
Date: 1983
Source: DC Fire and EMS Department
Date: 1971