Pittsburgh Fire Chief Dies After Collapsing at Site of Blaze

Pittsburgh Fire Battalion Chief John Walsh died after he collapsed at the scene of a fire on Wednesday, Nov. 20, in East Hills, Penn., report Pittsburgh Post Gazette, WTAE and Trib Live.

Walsh, 60, who served at the city’s bureau for 37 years, responded to the 700 block of Wilkinsburg Avenue around 9 p.m. Wednesday. But while on site, he collapsed due to a heart-related condition. 

He was then taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Oakland, Penn., where he was pronounced dead at 10:59 p.m., according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, per WTAE. A procession led his body from the Oakland hospital to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. An honor guard will remain by his body until his funeral and burial on Monday, Nov. 25.

Fellow firefighters created a memorial site at Pittsburgh’s Station 8 and placed the late chief’s firefighting gear outside the building.

“We are going to hold up his memory, his standard, his legacy, and we, too, will be resilient and tough,” Chief Darryl Jones said Thursday, Nov. 21, per The Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

“We are always going to be better for what John has given us,” Jones added Thursday.

“Firefighters are running on adrenaline and training, and he was the calm voice,” Jones said of Walsh. “No screaming on the radio, no screaming at people — he was just giving his instructions calmly, and his calmness was contagious.”

Walsh joined the department in 1987. He was promoted to Battalion Chief, a role his father also held, in June 2012.

“He was an excellent leader,” Jones said. “I call him my friend, and I’m going to miss him.”

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“He was a good firefighter, a good chief, ran a good fire,” retired firefighter Mike Suska said, per the Gazette. “A lot of people looked up to him,” adding, “He’ll be missed.”

Walsh “mentored a lot of young firefighters throughout their careers,” Ralph Sicuro, president of the union representing city firefighters, said, adding that Walsh “took great pride” in watching them become officers.

“He touched a lot of hearts,” Sicuro said. “We’re definitely going to miss him.”

“His unwavering passion for the job, his courageous service, and his remarkable leadership over 37 dedicated years will never be forgotten,” a union social media post read. “Chief Walsh embodied the very best of what it means to serve and protect.”