Austin Firefighter Dies After Cardiac Episode

AUSTIN, TX — The Austin Fire Department is mourning the loss of one of its own following the death of a young firefighter who suffered a cardiac episode at his home over the weekend.

'We are so sad to share the passing of one of our own, [39]-year-old Fire Specialist Chris Lafferre, who died this evening after suffering a cardiac event at his home," fire officials wrote in a Facebook post.

Despite the brevity of his life and career, Lafferre had already distinguished himself with heroic actions in the course of his work. In 2006, he was awarded the Medal of Valor — the fire department's second-highest honor — after helping to save a pair of boaters the previous year, fire officials previously related.

The couple were on a boat on Lake Austin March 7, 2005, when the engine broke down and the watercraft subsequently was sucked into the Tom Miller Dam before the pair were rescued by Lafferre and Battallion Chief David Brietzke, as mourners related this weekend.

Fire officials recalled Lafferre's heroism in a 2018 post after Lafferre helped detain a shoplifting suspect in New Braunfels, Texas, before local police arrived to take over to effect an arrest.

Lafferre's death is being mourned by his fellow firefighters, who ask the public to keep him in their thoughts: "Please keep all those who knew and loved Chris in your thoughts and prayers. RIP Chris; see you on the top floor."

Given emergency workers' shared experiences in a dangerous line of work where the potential for death exists at every turn, a sense of fraternity exists among first responders far and wide. As such, first responders share each others' griefs and triumphs — each firefighter, cop or medic a sum of the parts of time-honored professions.

Just days before news of Lafferre's death reached them, the Austin Fire Department heaped praise on their counterparts at the New South Wales Rural Fire Service after their work battling devastating brush fires was dramatically memorialized on a 70-foot Times Square screen: "Just this once, we'll let NYC have the 'everything is bigger' bragging rights," the Austin Fire Department wrote on Twitter in a winsome mix of esprit de corps and friendly competition. "Nicely done, @NSWRFS. Nicely done."

The NSW Rural Fire Service, the world's largest fire service, with more than 74,000 volunteer members provide emergency services across a wide geographical swath.

Given that familial bent, tributes to the young Austin firefighter poured into social media platforms from far and near. "The Pflugerville ISD Police Department sends our condolences & prayers for peace and comfort to the family of Fire Specialist Chris Lafferre and our red family of @austinfiredept," fire officials just north of Austin wrote on Twitter. "Rest easy brother, we have it from here."

Editor's note: The age of Fire Specialist Chris Lafferre was initially misreported by the Austin Fire Department. He was 39 years old.