| HEALING THROUGH TRAGEDY |
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CLICK HEALING THROUGH TRAGEDY LINK TO SEE NEWS VIDEO
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A late night fire on March 10, 2017, forever changed the lives of many of the men and women of the Harrisburg Bureau of fire.
"I’ll carry the ghost of that night forever,” Aldo Morellie, a Captain with the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire, says. “I’ve been able to talk more about it than in the past.”
The fire , which had been sparked by a hoverboard that was charging, ripped through a row home in the 2500 block of Lexington Street. The fire would ultimately end up claiming the lives of 2-year-old Ashanti Hughes and 10-year-old Savannah Dominick.
Blocks away from Lexington Street, Lieutenant Dennis Devoe, who was on his way back from the funeral of a fellow firefighter, was left fighting for his life after he was hit by a drunk driver.
“That was just so overwhelming for so many people,” Captain Morelli says. “Denny was very, very respected and very well loved here.”
At the time of the crash, Lieutenant Devoe was on his way to get his gear to help respond to the fire on Lexington Street. He would later die from injuries he sustained in the crash.
The series of tragic incidents still weighs heavy on the hearts and minds of the men and women of the Harrisburg Bureau of fire. While some are still in the healing process, the aftermath of the incident is an example of how work place culture and stigma surrounding mental health is evolving.
“We as firefighters, we tend not to talk about it. A lot of us are old school, you don’t seek help,” Firefighter Leon Cliatt, says. “We actually get a lot of support now. When I first came on, you just toughed it out, you pushed it down and kept going. Now there is a lot of help.”
“I’m able to remove myself and look back, I look at the heroic effort the guys did, I could only say we did our best that night and those guys would’ve given their lives to save those little girls,” Captain Morello, adds.
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| LT Dennis DeVoe |
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March 11, 2017
It is with great sadness that we announce the Line of Duty Death of LT Dennis DeVoe. With his family and friends by his side, he succumbed to the injuries he sustained on Friday, March 10, 2017.
While attending the funeral of a fellow Brother, FF Dan Wolfe, the on-duty members of the Bureau were working at a 2-alarm fire with multiple victims entrapped. LT DeVoe called on duty, on recall, and began driving to Station 8 to retrieve his turnout gear. While driving, he was involved in an accident at the intersection of 14th Street & Walnut Street.
He leaves behind a wife, two children, and two step-children.
More information about the life of Dennis DeVoe will be posted at a later date.
Keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.
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Page Last Updated: Feb 13, 2019 (06:41:00)
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03-15-17 LT DeVoe Memorial Service.pdf
