Jacksonville firefighters mourn one of their own, honor fallen engineer with procession

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On Friday, members of Jacksonville Fire and Rescue honored 1 of their ain who died connected the occupation Thursday portion trying to rescue a operator progressive successful a crash.

JFRD is mourning 36-year-old firefighter Mike Freeland, who died successful the infirmary Thursday aft helium collapsed portion trying to rescue the operator of a U-Haul motortruck that deed a inferior pole.

Dozens of firefighters lined up to wage their respects Friday day arsenic Freeland’s assemblage was escorted from the aesculapian examiner’s bureau to a ceremonial location connected Soutel Drive.

An grant defender remains with Freeland’s body. A spokesperson with the occurrence section said it’s a contented to person a chap work subordinate oregon work members enactment with a fallen workfellow until they tin beryllium laid to rest. He says they’re a household astatine JFRD and they don’t privation to permission a fallen firefighter alone.

This is simply a immense nonaccomplishment for Freeland’s family, the archetypal responder community, arsenic good arsenic the metropolis of Jacksonville.

Freeland’s aunt, Hazel Yates-Campbell, said helium was conscionable a bully idiosyncratic who would ever beryllium determination for you. She said helium was engaged to beryllium joined and loved being a firefighter.

She said their household was successful disbelief erstwhile they got the quality of his passing Thursday.

“It is simply a abrupt loss. We’re inactive successful shock,” Yates-Campbell said. “Mike was a precise very genuinely bully person. He loved everybody. He had the biggest grin each the time. I’ve ne'er seen him erstwhile helium wasn’t happy, cordial, smiling oregon trying to marque idiosyncratic other happy.”

She said helium was the benignant of idiosyncratic who ever had your back.

“People conscionable genuinely loved being astir him due to the fact that of his energy,” Yates-Campbell said.

At Fire Station 73, where Freeland worked arsenic an engineer, the emblem stands astatine half-staff.

“It’s a existent nonaccomplishment to the section for that benignant of feline that helium was,” said Randy Wyse, president of the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters. “Always a grin connected his face, precise energetic, hard worker. Worked perpetually and again, it’s idiosyncratic we volition genuinely miss.”

The main said Freeland was an energetic subordinate of the section who had been with JFRD for 7½ years -- the past mates arsenic an engineer.

The main said helium was trying to propulsion idiosyncratic retired done the backmost of a U-Haul that had crashed into a powerfulness rod erstwhile Freeland stepped retired of the backmost of the motortruck and collapsed. The occurrence section is inactive waiting for the aesculapian examiner to merchandise accusation astir however Freeland died. This is the 3rd enactment of work decease JFRD has suffered since June.

Condolences person dispersed each implicit societal media. People person changed their illustration pictures successful Freeland’s memory. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry tweeted:

“My thoughts and prayers are with @TheJFRD Fire Fighter Mike Freeland, his household & his brothers and sisters with the department. My household and I are praying for you successful this hard time. Mike, convey you for your work to the @cityofjax. May you Rest In Peace”

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department is mourning the nonaccomplishment of different firefighter. Mike Freeland died aft helium collapsed portion trying to rescue the operator of a U-Haul motortruck that struck a factual inferior rod aboriginal Thursday morning.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office calls-for-service leafage shows the clang happened astatine 12:39 a.m. astatine Aviation Avenue and Lake Newman Street -- adjacent Cecil Commerce Center.

JFRD spokesperson Eric Proswimmer said Freeland was moving with firefighters astatine the country “involving a prolonged extrication.” JFRD Chief Keith Powers said firefighters had been moving for astir 30 minutes to escaped the operator of the crashed truck.

Powers said Freeland was successful the backmost of the U-Haul motortruck trying to find different mode into the cab erstwhile helium stepped retired and collapsed. His chap firefighters provided precocious life-saving attraction and helium was rushed to UF Health Jacksonville, wherever they said helium died conscionable aft 2 a.m.

Powers said determination was immoderate speculation determination was a ligament down from the inferior rod was connected the crushed nearby, “but until the aesculapian examiner tells america that, we don’t cognize for sure.”

The 3 JFRD line-of-duty deaths this twelvemonth were the archetypal the section has suffered since 2018.

Capt. Thomas Barber, who served the section for 21 years and was 51 years old, died from a bosom onslaught successful June wrong hours of completing his shift. Lt. Mario Moya, who died with COVID successful August, had been with JFRD for 17 years. He was besides 51.

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