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
About 15 regional firefighters and EMTs practiced triaging simulated patients ahead of the Nov. 1 Sikh Parade, which draws roughly 150,000 attendees to a city of 70,000, with no other equipped hospital within 45 miles
Boulder plans to spend up to $10.25 million annually on voluntary wildfire hardening efforts across 12 western neighborhoods, as officials debate whether to eventually require hardening measures rather than relying on homeowner participation
The Austin-bound-for-Bahamas Learjet 60 entered a steep dive after reporting icing and turbulence, with the pilot radioing a mayday before crashing near Palm Beach County homes
Pagosa Springs braced for the San Juan River to crest above its historic 1911 flood level as Sedona crews conducted rooftop and helicopter rescues, with the region seeing months’ worth of rain in just a couple of days