We regret to pass on the following Line of Duty Deaths.
NEW JERSEY:
Captain Henry Sardina, III, Age 46, died in the Line of Duty on 11/24/2024:
On Thursday, November 21, 2024, Captain Henry Sardina, III was leading an in-station drill when he suffered an apparent heart attack. He went unresponsive, CPR was immediately performed, and he was revived. He was then transported to the hospital but suffered additional complications and cardiac emergencies in the days that followed. He passed away while still hospitalized on Sunday, November 24, 2024.
Captain Sardina’s department. He was with the Hopatcong FD and he collapsed while leading a drill last week in his firehouse.
Fellow firefighters immediately performed CPR, revived Capt. Henry Sardina III, 46, and transported him to a hospital.
However, he died in the Line of Duty from complications on Sunday. He had been with the department for 13 years.
Our condolences to all those affected. Rest in peace.
NORTH CAROLINA:
Verona Firefighter Johnny Goines, Age 69, died in the Line of Duty shortly after responding to an emergency call on Nov. 22, 2024. The Onslow County 911 Center received a report of a motor vehicle collision near High Hill Road and Verona Road at approximately 10:45 p.m. The Verona VFD was dispatched to the scene. At approximately 11:05 p.m., Onslow County 911 received a second call about a vehicle in a ditch near 208 High Hill Road.
Verona firefighters and Onslow County EMS personnel arrived to find Firefighter Goines unresponsive at the scene. Goines, a dedicated Verona Volunteer Fire Department member since 1975, served nearly 50 years. Known for his fun-loving spirit, he was cherished for helping with fundraisers and barbeques supporting the department.
PENNSYLVANIA
Assistant Stephen Michael Pavetti, Age 58, of the Kiski Township Fire Department #1 in Apollo, PA. On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, starting at 5:33 pm., Assistant Chief Stephen Michael Pavetti responded to multiple calls for trees and wires down, with the last call at 8:03 p.m. After the calls were completed, Assistant Chief Pavetti and others from the department returned to the station, cleaned the apparatus, and put it back in service. They then had dinner together at the station. At approximately 3:30 p.m. the next day, Thursday, November 21, 2024, Assistant Chief Pavetti was found unresponsive at his home where he was pronounced deceased from a cardiac event.
NEW YORK
Steven Walsh, 60, an emergency medical technician with the Copake Rescue Squad and a firefighter with the A.B. Shaw Fire Company, died from a heart attack while on a 24-hour shift on November 16, 2024. Walsh previously served as a pilot and flight engineer in the Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing in Newburgh from 1992 to 2001, engaging in missions during both wartime and peacetime. He was in the process of training to become a certified Advanced EMT with the Regional Emergency Medical Organization (REMO).
Our condolences to all those affected. Rest In Peace.