By Bill Carey
5 April 2026
The following 2026 firefighter line-of-duty deaths have occurred during the partial federal government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the United States Fire Administration (USFA).
These fatalities will likely be listed by the USFA after the shutdown has ended. This is not an official listing, but it is highly presumable based on similar, past on-duty deaths recorded by the USFA.
This site will record these fatalities with an asterisk and explanation on the Current Inside Numbers page and wherever the 2026 numbers are written, pending updates from the USFA.
Pittsburg, Texas, 27 February
Tri Lakes Volunteer Fire Department Firefighter Jeff Derrick died while battling a grass fire in Titus County. Derrick was part of a response to a tractor fire that spread into a nearby pasture along FM 21 in East Texas when shifting winds rapidly changed fire conditions. As crews worked the incident, Derrick attempted to return to his vehicle but became disoriented in heavy smoke and worsening conditions, ultimately running toward the highway in an effort to escape. He was overcome by smoke and died at the scene, according to authorities.
Henry County, Ga., 1 March
Henry County Fire Rescue Firefighter/Paramedic Stephen Reeves died on March 1 following a medical emergency, officials said. His crew immediately rushed him to the hospital, but he did not survive.
Butler County, Mo., 6 March
Butler County Fire Protection District Shift Commander Jackson Warren, who died in a crash while responding to a call. Warren was working his first shift as the district’s newly promoted shift commander when he was killed.
Richlandtown Borough, Pa., 9 March
Fire Police Officer Todd Koch of the Richlandtown Fire Company died after suffering a severe respiratory event that led to cardiac arrest while responding to an emergency call, according to the department. Fellow responders initiated immediate lifesaving measures and continued treatment efforts on scene, but Koch ultimately succumbed to the medical emergency.
Chicago, 17 March
Chicago Firefighter Mike Altman fell from the first floor into the basement while battling a residential structure fire. A department spokesperson said Altman was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious-to-critical condition with extensive second- and third-degree burns. Altman succumbed to his injuries the following day.
Altman is the first interior, traumatic firefighting line-of-duty death of the year.
Nashville, Tenn., 17 March
Nashville Firefighter Wayne Barry Jr. died after suffering a medical emergency while on duty. The incident occurred around 2 a.m. at Fire Station 32, after which Barry was transported to TriStar Summit Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Goldsby, Okla., 20 March
Goldsby firefighters Bryan Jenkins and Todd Pendleton were killed in a rollover crash while responding to a structure fire. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the crash occurred when a fire department tanker left the roadway, struck a tree, and overturned. Investigators determined the driver went off the road, overcorrected, and caused the vehicle to roll over while en route to the incident.
Walnuttown, Pa., 4 April
Walnuttown Fire Chief Jeff Buck and Assistant Fire Chief Rob Shick were in a UTV during a search for a missing person, traveling on the shoulder of a road, when a vehicle approached. Witnesses told investigators the car was swerving before it left the roadway and struck the UTV head-on. Buck was pronounced dead at Lehigh Valley Hospital, while Shick died at Reading Hospital.
Broward County, Fla., 5 April
Broward County Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services Firefighter/Paramedic Stephen Lepselter died after suffering a medical emergency while on duty.
Prior to the partial shutdown, the USFA listed four on-duty deaths. I noted two others previously that, like these, are likely to be officially listed.
Firefighter Michael Altman photo courtesy of the Chicago Fire Department.
Data Not Drama 