Firefighter Vincent Doffont loved being a firefighter. He also served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps, completing two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as a rifleman. Before becoming a firefighter, he was a Hudson County sheriff's officer and a Harrison police officer. All of that service, as well as being a husband and father, in just 37-years of life. Firefighter Doffont died in March after suffering an apparent medical episode following training with new recruits, officials said.

Firefighter Doffont had returned to fire headquarters from a training exercise, in a town building, where he assisted new members performing roof ventilation practices. At headquarters, Doffont suffered a medical episode, and he was found unconscious.

On the morning of March 26th, local firefighters assembled with family members and local officials at Holy Cross Church for a departmental funeral. In addition, firefighters attended the funeral from as far as Asbury Park and Atlantic City.

“He had a carefree, give you the shirt off his back way about him that everyone around him gravitated to,” said Deputy Chief Henry Richard.

“He was a go-getter firefighter,” the chief said. “He loved the job. It was a lifelong dream of his to become a firefighter.”