Two Texas Firefighters Killed in Fall from Aerial Platform at High Rise Training Exercise

FFN News -- Two firefighters in Kilgore, Texas were killed in a fall from a new ladder truck operating at an eight-story college dormitory during a training exercise Sunday afternoon, police and fire officials said.

The accident just after 2 p.m. claimed the lives of Kyle Perkins, 45, and Cory Galloway, 28. Perkins had been with the department since July 2004, Galloway since January 2008. Two other firefighters suffered minor injures during the training exercise and were treated and released.

Kilgore Fire Department's ladder truck remains parked in front of Stark Hall at Kilgore College Sunday, January 25, 2009, after a training accident that left two firefighters dead. Justin Baker/Courtesy News-Journal Photo

"They were down at the college doing a training exercise with a new e-One truck with a platform ... and somehow they fell out of the bucket." Kilgore Fire Operations Chief Dennis Gage said. "I really haven't been able to determine much more than that at this point."

It was not immediately known how high the aerial was raised at the time of the accident.

Kilgore Police officials told Firefighter Nation that both men were seriously injured in the fall and transported to Good Shepherd Hospital in Longview, where they succumbed to their injuries.

The cause of the accident was under investigation by the Kilgore Police and Kilgore Fire Department, according to Lt. Roman Roberson of the Kilgore Police Department.

The dormitory where the accident occurred is on the campus of Kilgore College. According to the college's Web site, the campus includes an extensive fire academy. Galloway graduated from the Kilgore Fire Academy in May 2005.

College spokesman Chris Craddock said the building is routinely used for fire training because it's the city's tallest, the Associated Press reported.

It wasn't immediately known how long the department had been operating the ladder truck, but it had responded to a structure fire Friday night with other Kilgore units. Additional photos of the incident and a platform aerial believed to be the same in action can be seen on the News Journal web site here. There are no reports that the aerial itself malfunctioned in Sunday's tragedy.

Kilgore is a combination fire department about 120 miles east of Dallas.

Firefighters battle a blaze that destroyed Cancun Dave's in Kilgore Friday, January 23, 2009. The department's new platform aerial can be seen operating at the incident. Les Hassell/Courtesy News-Journal Photo - More Photos of Friday's Fire

Additional information and links will be posted as they become available.

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Permalink Reply by Melissa on January 26, 2009 at 4:34pm

My thoughts and prayers go out to my fellow Texas family.

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Permalink Reply by Tony Trevino on January 26, 2009 at 4:37pm

Our prayers goes out to the family and their department.

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Permalink Reply by TSG23 on January 26, 2009 at 5:06pm

Second ! !

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Permalink Reply by Steve on January 26, 2009 at 5:32pm

Truly a sad story. May god bless the families and fellow firefighters during this hard time. May these men rest in peace.

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Permalink Reply by Melissa on January 26, 2009 at 5:43pm

Sorry for the tragedy my prayers go out to the firefighters and family of the ones whose died. Stay safe out there.

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Permalink Reply by FFJohnson825 on January 26, 2009 at 5:52pm

My dept. recently went through a loss with a brother firefighter on New Years Eve. I can only say they died doing exactly what they love to do. Rest in peace my brothers.