United States Fire Administration
6 February 2026
The United States Fire Administration has announced the death of Battalion Fire Chief Keith Long, 58, of the District of Columbia Fire and EMS Department on 4 February 2026.
Soon after completing a 24-hour shift, Battalion Fire Chief Keith Long went to complete an annual stress test as required by the District of Columbia Fire and EMS. During the stress test, Battalion Fire Chief Long suffered a medical emergency. He was then transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The cause of death has not yet been determined.
Age: 58
Rank: Battalion Fire Chief
Classification: Career
Incident date: Feb. 4, 2026 10:00 AM
Date of death: Feb. 4, 2026
Cause of fatal injury: Unknown
Nature of fatal injury: Unknown
Activity type: Fitness Activity
Emergency duty: No
Duty type: Other On-Duty
Fixed property use: N/A
The number of on-duty deaths for 2025 is currently 2 (4*).
Go here to read the number of interior line of duty deaths for 2026.
Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.
For more information about on-duty deaths as recorded by the United States Fire Administration go to “Firefighter Fatalities in the United States.”
*Based on previous on-duty deaths listed by the USFA with similar activity types and cause and nature of death – and on the information available at the time of these deaths – two other firefighter fatalities should be listed but are not:
Tulsa Assistant Fire Marshal Dies During Shift
Detroit Firefighter Dies at Home After Shift
Photo courtesy of NBC 4 Washington.
Data Not Drama 