Memorial service on Friday honors Lake City fire chief who died from COVID-19

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Lake City occurrence main dies aft conflict with COVID-19

LAKE CITY, Fla. – Lake City Fire Department Chief Randy Burnham, who died Sunday aft contracting COVID-19, volition beryllium honored Friday with a memorial service.

The ceremonial is acceptable for 11 a.m. astatine Christina Fellowship Church with a procession to follow.

Burnham was 52.

The aforesaid time the Lake City assemblage gathers to mourn his passing, Jacksonville Beach volition besides laic to remainder a archetypal responder who died from COVID-19 complications: police Sgt. Daniel Watts.

It’s the second week successful a row 2 section communities are holding ceremonies nether these circumstances.

COVID-19 is present the starring origin of instrumentality enforcement “line of duty” deaths.

Firefighters are besides connected the frontlines -- and arsenic we’ve learned this period -- the microorganism ignores rank.

Burnham served arsenic occurrence main for a small much than 2 years but spent much than 30 years with the department.

“We are saddened but thankful for each of your prayers. Please proceed to assistance the household and our section successful your prayers,” the occurrence section wrote connected Facebook erstwhile it announced his death.

First responders successful Lake City escorted Burnham to the ceremonial location Sunday night. He battled the microorganism for 3 to 4 weeks and had been connected a ventilator.

“To suffer idiosyncratic that’s successful a prime, and arsenic lively arsenic helium was, is conscionable shocking,” said Lake City assembly subordinate Todd Sampson. “To regenerate him is going to beryllium impossible. All you tin bash is effort to determination connected the champion you can.”

Sampson remembers Burnham arsenic a humble person who led by example.

City leaders are asking residents pursuing his passing to bash immoderate they tin to trim the dispersed of the virus.

“If you person immoderate symptoms astatine each that you’re sick, delight bash not beryllium astir different people. Get tested. If you person the virus, enactment home. Don’t beryllium out. If you tin bash that, it tin assistance retired tremendously and bash what you tin to bounds the vulnerability of our archetypal responders,” Sampson said.

If you would similar to marque a donation to the family, you tin connection the Lake City Facebook Page.