United States Fire Administration
16 September
EMMITSBURG, Md. — The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has announced the on-duty death of Firefighter/Paramedic Eric Handlin, 53, of Odessa Fire Rescue on 4 September 2026.
While on duty from August 20 to August 21, 2026, Firefighter/Paramedic Eric Handlin responded to six emergency calls, the last one being a reported trash fire at 12:39 a.m. on August 21. At 4:08 a.m., another emergency call came in. When Firefighter/Paramedic Handlin did not report to the apparatus floor, fellow first responders searched and found him unconscious in the station bathroom. Aid was immediately rendered. Firefighter/Paramedic Handlin was then transported to a hospital where he received additional medical care and underwent surgery. Despite these efforts, Firefighter/Paramedic Handlin passed away on September 4, 2026, from a reported stroke.
Age: 53
Rank: Firefighter/Paramedic
Classification: Career
Incident date: Aug. 21, 2026 4:08 AM
Date of death: Sep. 4, 2026
Cause of fatal injury: Stress/Overexertion
Nature of fatal injury: Cerebrovascular Accident
Activity type: In-Station Duties
Emergency duty: No
Duty type: Other On-Duty
Fixed property use: N/A
The number of on-duty deaths for 2026 is currently 63.
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.”
Photo courtesy of Odessa Fire Rescue/Facebook.
