Syracuse, NY — Firefighters throughout Central New York stopped to pay their respects to two firefighters killed Sunday while battling a blaze at an apartment complex near Toledo, Ohio.
Toledo Firefighters Stephen Machcinski, 42, and James Dickman, 31, were killed while fighting the fire in the six-unit building, Toledo Fire Department Chief Luis Santiago told the Associated Press at a news conference Sunday night.
The Toledo Blade newspaper reported Machcinski and Dickman were the city’s first firefighter fatalities from an active blaze since 1981.
Machcinski was a 16-year veteran, while Dickman had been on the job for only six months, the AP reported. The firefighters were attacking the blaze when they became disoriented, a battalion chief told WTOL-TV.
A fire chief told the AP that after the two firefighters suffered injuries inside of the building, fellow firefighters made “valiant efforts” to remove them and begin life-saving measures.
As news of their deaths spread, many firefighters throughout the nation — including in Central New York — posted the Toledo Fire Department’s badge on social media sites with a black line through the middle to remember the two firefighters killed in the line of duty.
Local fire departments also posted messages, links to articles and images to remember the fallen firefighters.
Here’s a sample of what some area fire departments posted on Facebook:
Syracuse Fire Fighters Local 280 I.A.F.F.: Our thoughts and prayers are with the Toledo, Ohio community as 2 brothers paid the ultimate sacrifice today. RIP brothers.
DeWitt Professional Firefighters Local #2733: Thoughts and prayers to the bothers and sisters in Toledo, OH after they lost 2 brothers in a fire today
Moyers Corners Fire Department: Our thoughts are with the Toledo, OH Fire Department this evening as two of their firefighters were killed battling a structure fire this evening. RIP brothers.