Duty Death: Ron Wehlage Jr. - [De Soto]
End of Service: 30/06/2020
By Laura French
DE SOTO, Mo. — A Missouri fire lieutenant was discovered dead in his home between shifts, in what his department is considering to be a line-of-duty death.
De Soto Rural Fire Protection District Lt. Ron Wehlage, 40, was found after finishing his shift on Sunday and not appearing for his next shift Tuesday morning, according to The Jefferson Leader.
A cause of death is yet to be determined. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating, but no foul play is suspected.
Wehlage had served as a firefighter for about 22 years, according to De Soto Rural Fire Protection District Chief Tom Fitzgerald, and had been with the De Soto department for more than 18 years. He first joined the fire service as a volunteer firefighter with the Hillsboro Fire Protection District.
Fitzgerald said Wehlage had also served as fire marshal for the department and did a lot of work educating the community about fire safety.