Volunteer Firefighter Dies After Suffering Injuries in Line of Duty

A Long Island volunteer firefighter recently passed away after he sustained injuries while battling a blaze on Friday, December 19. Joseph Sanford, Jr. passed away at North Shore-LIJ Hospital after suffering injuries in the tragic accident. 

The 43-year-old Sanford was a volunteer with the Inwood Fire Department on Long Island. He was helping to battle a particularly nasty fire along the Queens border in Woodmere, which required the assistance of about 200 firefighters from 13 different departments. He became trapped inside the burning house after he fell through the first floor and into the basement. He was pulled unconscious from the house and did not have a pulse, and died four days later after being on a ventilator. He was discovered because of an alarm worn by firefighters that goes off whenever someone has been motionless inside of the building for too long. 

The passing of Sanford was a tragic accident that occasionally and unfortunately happens in a line of work as dangerous as firefighting. The fire department offered its prayers to Sanford’s family, and a GoFundMe campaign has already raised tens of thousands of dollars for his family. 

Occasionally, however, negligence on the part of government agencies or fire departments can place firefighters in unnecessary danger, leading to their injury or death. If you believe this has happened to you or a loved one, it is important that you reach out to an attorney as soon as possible to hold the responsible party accountable. 

To learn more, speak with the New York firefighter injury attorneys at [ln::firm_name] today.