Investigations continue into Texas training LODDs

By Jamie Thompson
FireRescue1 Editor
Photo Justin Baker/News- Journal

KILGORE, Texas — NIOSH investigators and E-One representatives will travel to Texas next week as part of a probe into the deaths of two firefighters. Staff from the federal agency will arrive in Kilgore Tuesday along with an engineer from the fire truck manufacturer.

Kyle Perkins and Cory Galloway fell to their deaths from the roof of an eight-story building during training Sunday.

The E-One ladder truck that was being used at the time of the accident had only been in operation for about two months.

It remained parked by Kilgore College, where the incident happened, until Wednesday, when insurance company investigators arrived.

Kilgore Operations Chief Dennis Gage said the cause of the accident was still not known.

"We hadn't had the ladder truck for very long and we were doing some training on it, with firefighters getting on and of off the roof," he said.

"We don't know exactly what happened, but somehow the two firefighters fell off."

Following the tragedy, the department had a critical incident stress management team come in from Tyler to debrief the firefighters who had been on duty Sunday.

"The shift that had been on duty on the day of the accident have not had to come back, and will not return until Tuesday," Gage said,

"It's been pretty tough on everybody but we all trying to stick together."

A funeral services for Firefighter Perkins takes place Thursday at Kilgore College's Dodson Auditorium at 4 p.m., while a service for Firefighter Galloway scheduled at the First Baptist Church of Van at 1 p.m. the following day.

Firefighter Perkins had been with the department since 2004, while Firefighter Galloway joined last January.

An E-One spokeswoman said they had no comment at this time on the investigation.