Trending Topics

Pittsburgh battalion chief suffers fatal medical emergency while commanding fireground

Battalion Chief John Walsh died at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital after being stricken while working as the incident commander during a house fire

By Bill Carey
FireRescue1

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Battalion Chief John Walsh died following a medical emergency while working as the incident commander during a house fire in the city’s East Hills neighborhood.

The Pittsburgh Firefighters Union announced that Walsh, 60, who was working as Battalion Chief 3 based in Station 8, died after being transported to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital on Nov. 20, CBS Pittsburgh reported.

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

A procession led Walsh’s body from the hospital to the medical examiner’s office. He had been a member for 37 years.

Trending
Crews overcame difficult stairway access to contain an attic fire with extension into wall spaces
A unanimous vote allows regulators to mandate cleanup of PFAS-containing foam, require reporting and restrict its use as concerns grow over “forever chemical” contamination
San Antonio police said a welfare check escalated when a woman allegedly struck a firefighter with a knife before barricading herself inside an apartment
The Winston-Salem city council approved a nearly $2 million compensation overhaul boosting salaries up to 9.5%