United States Fire Administration
13 October 2026
EMMITSBURG, Md. — The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has announced the on-duty death of Firefighter/Paramedic Charles “Chuck” Jones, 52, of the Council Bluffs Fire Department on 8 October 2026.
On October 5, 2026, at 4:25 a.m., Firefighter-Paramedic Charles “Chuck” Jones responded to a residential structure fire with the Council Bluffs Fire Department. While on scene, Firefighter-Paramedic Jones was involved with the extrication of a victim from the fire. After this, Firefighter-Paramedic Jones told fellow first responders that he could not reenter the building and went to on-scene rehabilitation. The scene was cleared and Firefighter-Paramedic Jones returned to the station with the fire department.
On the same day, at approximately 6:30 a.m., Firefighter-Paramedic Jones responded to a medical call. Upon arrival, the patient was loaded into an ambulance. As Firefighter-Paramedic Jones was attempting to take the patient’s blood pressure, he stopped and exited the ambulance. When fellow first responders got to Firefighter-Paramedic Jones, he was experiencing a stroke. Firefighter-Paramedic Jones was immediately transported to a hospital in a fire department engine. He was subsequently transported to a higher care facility the same day and remained there until he passed away on October 8, 2026.
Age: 52
Rank: Firefighter-Paramedic
Classification: Career
Incident date: Oct. 5, 2026 6:30 AM
Date of death: Oct. 8, 2026
Cause of fatal injury: Stress/Overexertion
Nature of fatal injury: Cerebrovascular Accident
Activity type: Extrication
Emergency duty: Yes
Duty type: On-Scene Fire
Fixed property use: Residential
The number of on-duty deaths for 2026 is currently 68.
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 Council Bluffs Fire Department/Facebook
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