COLUMBUS, Ohio - A Columbus firefighter has passed away and his co-workers believe the cause is from cancer he got on the job.
The Columbus Division of Fire confirms Ed Gibbons passed away just two days after retiring.
“We are heartbroken about Ed,” Fire Chief Kevin O’Connor said. “Every firefighter diagnosis and death related to cancer is troubling to the Division. We have been working very hard to decrease the dangers of this job that are attributed to cancer by educating our members to the dangers they face, decreasing exposure with new equipment upgrades, policy changes, and adding features to our new firehouses that will keep contaminates separate from living areas.”
Gibbons filed a claim with the BWC under the Ohio Firefighter Cancer Presumption law. Currently, the claim is in “Accepted” status with the BWC.
The Division of Fire will continue to support and assist Gibbons’ wife and family in any way we can.
Gibbons joined the Division on April 2, 1989. For his entire career, Gibbons was assigned to Ladder 2 downtown at Station 2, corner of Fulton St. and Fourth Street.
A statement released by the Division of fire stated Gibbons had a quiet personality around the firehouse, but was a courageous and tenacious firefighter on the scene of an emergency. He retired on September 20, 2018.
