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The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatality:
Name: Michelle L. Smith
Rank: Firefighter
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Status: Volunteer
Years of Service: 10
Date of Incident: 12/20/2008
Time of Incident: 2152hrs
Date of Death: 12/22/2008
Fire Department: Delaware City Fire Company No. 1, Inc.
Address: 815 Fifth Street, PO Box 251, Delaware City, DE 19706 (USNG: 18S VJ 4865 8072)
Map:
http://www.fidnet.com/~jlmoore/usng/?zoom=14&usng=18SVJ48658072&disp=h
Fire Department Chief: James D. Rosseel
Fire Department Website: www.dcfc15.com
Incident Description: Firefighter Smith was assisting with patient care at the scene of a motorcycle accident. A New Castle County (NCC) Police Officer stopped to assist with traffic control, as rescue and fire police units from Wilmington Manor began to arrive.
A vehicle struck the County Police vehicle then striking Firefighter Smith. The driver of the vehicle then fled the scene. Smith was treated on scene by NCC Paramedics and EMT’s from Minquadale Fire Company. Firefighter Smith was transported to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries after two days of intensive care.
The suspected driver of the vehicle taking Smith’s life was reported to have been apprehended and is expected to be charged with manslaughter, driving with a revoked license, and leaving the scene of an accident.
Incident Location: DuPont Highway and School Lane in the vicinity of the New Castle County Airport (USNG: 18S VJ 4878 9164).
Map View:
http://www.fidnet.com/~jlmoore/usng/?zoom=17&usng=18SVJ48789164&disp=h
Funeral Arrangements: Pending, updates will be posted at: http://www.dcfc15.com/index.cfm
Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Pending, updates will be posted at: http://www.dcfc15.com/index.cfm
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Michelle L. Smith at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/
To date, 109 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2008 as a result of incidents that occurred in 2008 and one from a prior year incident. USFA does not have a Line-of-Duty-Death (LODD) criterion nor does it make LODD determinations. Please note, running totals of firefighter fatalities used on these initial notices do not necessarily reflect the number of firefighter fatalities used in totals for the (provisional) monthly year-to-date USFA firefighter fatality reports, or year-end (provisional) reports posted online (http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/ff_stats.shtm). Firefighter fatalities in USFA reports are summarized by date/year-of-incident. Initial notices posted online (http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/) and distributed via USFA listserve do not represent the final on-duty firefighter fatality determination by USFA for such reports, nor LODD determination made by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (http://www.FireHero.org) for names added each subsequent year to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, MD, they are the beginning of a research process for each firefighter fatality reported so that such determinations can be made.
The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.
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U.S. Fire Administration · U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Emmitsburg, MD 21727 · (301) 447-1000
