According to People Magazine, John Walsh, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire's Battalion Chief, sadly died on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, after succumbing to a heart-related condition while responding to a fire in the East Hills district.
After joining the police at a young age and rising through the ranks to become Battalion Chief, Walsh, 60, has been with the agency for almost 40 years. He was in charge of combating a house fire on Wilkinsburg Avenue the night before the incident. Walsh became unwell shortly after the fire was extinguished and was taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, where he was eventually declared deceased.
Walsh's colleagues and the Pittsburgh Firefighters Union have expressed their grief, remembering him as a dedicated leader and mentor who had a profound impact on the department. The Pittsburgh firefighting community is saddened by his passing and tributes are pouring in from local fire departments and public officials.
Tributes pour in for John Walsh
Firefighters from Station 8 in Pittsburgh set up a memorial at the station and displayed 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 from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire stated on Thursday, November 21, according to The Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
Ralph Sicuro, President of Pittsburgh Fire Fighters, IAFF Local No. 1, became emotional while speaking about the loss of Walsh, who devoted nearly four decades to the fire department. He said:
"John was an amazing leader. He was an absolute professional. He demonstrated what it meant to be a firefighter through and through. And he mentored many firefighters throughout their careers, getting to see a lot of them become officers, which he took pride in. And, he touched a lot of hearts. So we're definitely going to miss him"
Pittsburgh Fire Fighters posted details about John Walsh's memorial and funeral services on their Facebook account. T invited visiting honor guards and bagpipers to contact specific individuals if they wished to participate. The post also mentioned that, instead of flowers, donations to the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters are requested, with the option to mail them to a specified address.
The City of McKeesport Bureau of Fire also shared a Facebook post in Chief John Walsh's memory.
According to CBS, Ralph Sicuro, president of the firefighters union also remembered Walsh by saying:
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"He mentored many firefighters throughout their careers, getting to see a lot of them become officers, which he took pride in. He touched a lot of hearts. We're going to miss him,"
According to WTAE, Walsh is survived by his wife, mother, and father.
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