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Firefighter's untimely death deeply affected co-workers
Every time a firefighter goes into a burning structure, he knows there's a chance he won't leave alive.
This is part of the job description.
But what happens when death comes out of nowhere, striking a fellow firefighter with only a loss of memory, a fumble, a bizarre remark or an odd question as warning?
This is what happened to John C. Carr Jr., a longtime firefighter in Loudoun and Fairfax counties, who died Feb. 17, 1997, of a brain tumor.
Close colleagues of Carr remember what happens to co-workers when one of their own dies.
J.B. Anderson, vice president, public information officer and past chief of the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company, said that he and Carr had been all but joined at the hip for most of their private and professional lives.
John Pumphrey, of the Loudoun County Department of Information Technology, also knew Carr personally and professionally, running calls, training and socializing with him.
"Actually one of his fellow firefighters in Fairfax noticed he couldn't remember directions to get to fire locations and things like that. He went to the doctor and they found an inoperable brain tumor," Anderson recalled.
Anderson said Carr, 49, died within four months.
The two, who grew up in Leesburg together, joined the fire company together and eventually the rescue squad as well. Both were fire service instructors.
"We were very much alike with regard to our ideas ... and training. That helped us work together as a team." Anderson said.
According to Anderson, Carr did not give in easily to his condition, continuing to work as long as possible. Carr also maintained his sense of humor.
"I had traveled to England and Scotland the year before and had dinner at a wonderful restaurant called "Little John's," which was John's nickname at Station 1. We had a Big John [Pumphrey] and a Little John [Carr].
"[I won a] baseball hat with "Little John" on the cap. ... Who better to wear that hat than Little John? I gave it to him. His wife, Sandy, said John wouldn't take the hat off after that," Anderson said.
But obviously the pain was there, Anderson said, not only for Carr but also for his teammates.
Pumphrey "Big John" described his own relationship with Carr.
"I was in the fire company with him from the late '60s until he passed. ... We only ran 250 calls a year as opposed to what we run now, which is about 2,000 a year.
"[Carr's] heart was in the department ... he helped with selection of fire apparatus, in particular our aerial ladder. He helped with technical rescue in Fairfax.
"It was like he was a family member," Pumphrey said.
When Carr died, all of the men and women who'd battled blazes with him found themselves drawing on knowledge from the very courses that taught them how to help others. They were using tenets from critical incident stress debriefing to help themselves.
"The purpose is to prevent or mitigate post traumatic stress among emergency personnel professionals," said Anderson. "You look for physical changes, cognitive changes, emotional changes, sometimes behavioral.
"You need to make sure they maintain regular meals, get their rest, " Anderson said.
Anderson has found that visits to Carr's burial site help.
Anderson noted that the fire company worked as a team to make sure Carr's wife and family could call on them for help at any time.
As time passed, the company organized the John C. Carr Jr. Memorial Dance, which has been held every year.
The John C. Carr Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award was also established.
"He was just a great guy, Pumphrey said. "I just miss him."
Contact the reporter at ecarlton@timespapers.com
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