Honoring 3 Fallen Heroes

Honoring

Forest Technician Rocky S. Wood

Virginia Department of Forestry, Charlottesville

EOW: March 9, 2023 | Age: 54 | Tour: 7 years

On Thursday, March 9, 2023, Forest Technician Rocky S. Wood was at the scene of a 15-acre wildfire in Buchanan County. He was scouting the area to determine where to create a containment line around the perimeter of the fire when the ATV he was driving overturned. Forest Technician Wood died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the accident. He was also the Fire Chief of the Haysi Volunteer Fire Department in Virginia.

Honoring

Engineer/EMT William "Bill" Fore

Brady Fire/EMS, Texas

EOW: March 9, 2023 | Age: 38 | Tour: 6 years

On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, Engineer/EMT William “Bill” Fore was on-duty at the fire station. Fellow firefighters noticed that he missed roll-call at 7:45 a.m. They discovered him severely injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was immediately transported to the Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo, TX, where he passed away on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

Honoring

Detective Sergeant Mason Griffith

Hermann Police Department, MO

EOW: March 12, 2023 | Age: 34 | Tour: Unknown

Detective Sergeant Mason Griffith was shot and killed at Casey's Convenience Store at 811 Market Street in Hermann around 9:30 pm. Sergeant Griffith and another officer were responding to a disturbance at a convenience store. When the officers arrived, a shootout occurred. Both officers were shot. One officer is in serious but stable condition. Sergeant Griffith succumbed to his injuries at Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur. The subject shot both officers and fled the scene. He has a long history of criminal charges, and there is a warrant for his arrest for not showing up to court in 2022. He barricaded himself in a home near the shooting and was taken into custody the next day at 2 pm by the Missouri Highway Patrol SWAT team. Sergeant Mason also served as the part-time Chief of Police of the Rosebud Police Department and Reserve Deputy Sheriff of the Gasconade County Sheriff's Office. He is survived by his wife, two sons, mother, and father.

Disclaimer:

This information is supplied by the Officer Down Memorial Page (www.odmp.org) and the U.S. Fire Administration (www.apps.usfa.fema.gov).

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*The $5,000 survivor benefit is paid when a line of duty death occurs. Line of duty is defined as AFBA members who are Emergency Service Providers to include law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical services providers who are killed while involved in operations at or responding to/from the scene of an incident. If death occurs otherwise, outside of a suicide, the beneficiary will receive a $2000 benefit.

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