A Johnson County fire captain died while in the line of duty on Saturday.
According to a Facebook post from the Johnson County Fire Protection District, Captain Vernon Collett was dispatched to natural cover fire in the 600 block of Northeast MM Highway in rural Johnson County around 1:45 p.m.
"Captain Collett arrived and began extinguishing a fire line when he collapsed," the post said.
Soon after, district personnel administered CPR and multiple shocks using an AED. The Johnson County Ambulance District and Lifelight Eagle responded to the scene to administer lifesaving measures. Collett was pronounced dead at the scene after nearly an hour of lifesaving efforts.
"His passing marks an immeasurable loss for our department, his family, and the entire community he so selflessly served," said Johnson County Fire Chief Larry Jennings. "Today is a tragic day for our District and a somber reminder of the risks our firefighters face daily."
Collett served the Johnson County Fire Protection District for 29 years, and has been serving as a Captain since 2011
JCFPD said this is the first line of duty death in its history.
