Incident Name: Hudson Road Fire; Kansas Grass Fire
Date: 04/21/2009
Personnel: Dennis Simmons
Age: 63
Agency/Organization: Stafford County Fire Department, St. John, KS
Position: firefighter
Summary: On 4/21/09, a number of different fire department units responded to assist with fighting a wildland fire that resulted from a controlled burn. District Chief Simmons assisted with firefighting efforts from his arrival on the scene at approximately 1544 hours until approximately 1715 hours. At that time, District Chief Simmons told the IC that he was exhausted and needed to be relieved. Chief Simmons departed the scene in his personal vehicle. At approximately 1800 hours, reports were received of a vehicle in a ditch. Responders discovered District Chief Simmons. He was unresponsive. He was transported to the hospital but died some time later. The cause of death was a heart attack.
Maps
Stafford County Fire Department, St. John, KS
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Reports, Documentation, Lessons Learned
- USFA Memorial Database: Dennis M. Simmons
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Media Articles and Reports
Governor Parkinson to honor fallen Kansas firefighters
10/1/2010 | hdnews.net (no longer online)
In recognition of the 29th Annual National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service on Sunday, Gov. Parkinson has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff throughout Kansas from sunup to sundown.
The 29th Annual National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service will honor firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty during the previous year. (snip)
District Chief Dennis Simmons, 63, joined a number of different fire departments in responding to a wildland fire on April 21, 2009. Simmons assisted with firefighting efforts for several hours until he was relieved due to exhaustion. He suffered a heart attack shortly after leaving the scene and was transported to the hospital where he later died. District Chief Simmons served the Stafford County Fire Department as a volunteer and district chief.
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