KEOKUK, IOWA – Firefighters here have heavy hearts today.
On Dec. 22, 1999, Assistant Chief Dave M. McNally, 48, and Firefighters Nathan Tuck, 39, and Jason Bitting, 29, were killed in a flashover while trying to rescue three children, who also perished.
In keeping with the wishes of the firefighters’ families, there are no vigils planned.
Chief Gabe Rose said the incident will be forever etched in his and every other Keokuk firefighters’ memory.
“We’re a small department. We’re a tight group – friends,” he told Firehouse.com during a recent interview.
Rose, one of the off-duty firefighters called to respond to the house fire that morning, said his colleagues went into the burning house to locate the children, a seven-year-old and year-old twins.
A reserve police officer transported one rescued child to the hospital, and another in cardiac arrest was handed to former Chief Mark Wessell, who continued the effort in a cruiser en route to the medical facility.
Investigators believe he was gone for about three minutes or so. The flashover had occurred by the time he got back.
McNally was found in the house holding the last child.
The Keokuk roster now contains the names of McNally's two sons, who didn't want to be interviewed.
“Numb…We were shell-shocked…” the chief said recalling how he felt knowing three of his friends weren't going home to their families.
Somehow the tragic news traveled fast that frigid December morning, and soon the sky above the quiet town along the Mississippi was filled with helicopters from TV stations. “I really don’t know how people found out so quickly…”
The gravity of their loss wasn’t truly realized as the firefighters remained at the scene for days. Chaplains and counselors had already left town by the time it was sinking in.
Another offer of help was a godsend. “Firefighters from Worcester were very, very supportive. They knew how it felt to lose a fellow firefighter. They were a great group of guys. We really appreciated what they did.”
Rose, who took over as chief three years ago, said there were vigils and services on the anniversary for about a decade. But, the families requested they end.
“We honored their wishes,” he said.
Six years after the tragedy, the community and firefighters gathered to dedicate a monument on a hill in the town park.
A large, black granite fire helmet sits atop a memorial. One panel tells the story of the incident, and the heroic efforts. At the bottom, it reads: “Part of our legacy is to always remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and by creating this memorial, we are helping to ensure these men will not be forgotten.”
Visitors can sit on granite benches bearing the firefighter’s name while reading his story featured on a panel.
Another inscription reads: “We will always remember the bravery that Dave, Nate and Jason exhibited that cold winter morning. Our community appreciates what those husbands and fathers did and what every other firefighter would do any day.”
