Kill Devil Hills, NC, Assistant Chief Dies after Training

The assistant chief of Kill Devil Hills Fire Department died of an apparent heart attack last month after participating in training.

Longtime volunteer Tommy Lee, 82, had participated in departmental physical fitness training on Feb. 19. He went home after the detail ended, the U.S. Fire Administration reported Monday.

Lee was found unresponsive in his garage about 4 p.m. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

He served as a firefighter for 51 years.

To date, 13 firefighters have died while serviing their communities, the USFA reported.